To start off: I was lent an account to try Aion Closed Beta for this previous weekend. So, here's some stats: I played a Templar (tank type?) 'cause I like that shield-sword combo. I spent roughly 13 hours and reached lv14.
So, on Day 1 of my journey, I reached lv6 before quitting. Some monster owned me twice in a row and I was too sad to continue. Day 2: I gave it a second try, reaching lv13. This point is where I was crying in clan chat about how weak I am. Day 3: I got used to it and my Templar seemed to tank better. <.<
Here is a bit more in-depth information. At first when I first started, I felt it was extremely grindy. I was running from Point A to B , killing xx mob - but, as I played it more, I started to enjoy it. Basically, I compare slow grinding with tons of quests to doing Ichi Gold xx amount of times for my level. At least it's a change of pace, and I had my meager amounts of gold waiting for me when I finished my quest. If you look back, the leveling is pretty slow, but at least the scenery changes. Ichi Gold for the millionth time is much more boring. Moreover, they did spend a lot of time on the quests and story. Just 'cause people click blankly through all the quests doesn't mean that the developers didn't spend a lot of effort into the story and progression of quests.
A downside was the flying. Flying was great and all - but you can't really fly outside a town, and maybe during PVP. It seemed like a wasted element, or maybe an only-for-PVP thing. It was something that was seemingly advertised as a big thing and then seemed so small. Another problem I had with the game was customization. The fact that there was no stat points distribution, and all your skills came from books that you can buy with no limit meant zero customization. The only difference between you and the others of your class would be how rich you were and what armors you could afford over the other guy. To me, without the customization aspect, it is really hard to redeem a game so it's worth playing. Another problem I had was that it seemed like the servers were slow. When you were mobbed and running away, mobs could still hit you across the screen and you would get clipped back when you died.
I guess, at the end of the day, it comes down to how decent the PVP is. Considering the lack of any customization at all, I would say it is less fun...
Summary time~
Pros:
- lots of detail in storyline and quests
- grinding seems less grindy with tons of quests
Cons:
- no character customization
- flying is extremely limited
- servers seem to lag
- can't hotkey zoom in/out; must use mouse wheel (affects people like me that are pure touchpad)
I would consider playing it to see how the story goes. Too bad I don't think it's worth the $50 box cost and then a monthly payment to see a story. There's free online manga for that...
~Pearz
So, on Day 1 of my journey, I reached lv6 before quitting. Some monster owned me twice in a row and I was too sad to continue. Day 2: I gave it a second try, reaching lv13. This point is where I was crying in clan chat about how weak I am. Day 3: I got used to it and my Templar seemed to tank better. <.<
Here is a bit more in-depth information. At first when I first started, I felt it was extremely grindy. I was running from Point A to B , killing xx mob - but, as I played it more, I started to enjoy it. Basically, I compare slow grinding with tons of quests to doing Ichi Gold xx amount of times for my level. At least it's a change of pace, and I had my meager amounts of gold waiting for me when I finished my quest. If you look back, the leveling is pretty slow, but at least the scenery changes. Ichi Gold for the millionth time is much more boring. Moreover, they did spend a lot of time on the quests and story. Just 'cause people click blankly through all the quests doesn't mean that the developers didn't spend a lot of effort into the story and progression of quests.
A downside was the flying. Flying was great and all - but you can't really fly outside a town, and maybe during PVP. It seemed like a wasted element, or maybe an only-for-PVP thing. It was something that was seemingly advertised as a big thing and then seemed so small. Another problem I had with the game was customization. The fact that there was no stat points distribution, and all your skills came from books that you can buy with no limit meant zero customization. The only difference between you and the others of your class would be how rich you were and what armors you could afford over the other guy. To me, without the customization aspect, it is really hard to redeem a game so it's worth playing. Another problem I had was that it seemed like the servers were slow. When you were mobbed and running away, mobs could still hit you across the screen and you would get clipped back when you died.
I guess, at the end of the day, it comes down to how decent the PVP is. Considering the lack of any customization at all, I would say it is less fun...
Summary time~
Pros:
- lots of detail in storyline and quests
- grinding seems less grindy with tons of quests
Cons:
- no character customization
- flying is extremely limited
- servers seem to lag
- can't hotkey zoom in/out; must use mouse wheel (affects people like me that are pure touchpad)
I would consider playing it to see how the story goes. Too bad I don't think it's worth the $50 box cost and then a monthly payment to see a story. There's free online manga for that...
~Pearz
