The massively multiplayer online RPG known as Aion (full name:
"Aion: Tower Of Eternity") is NCSoft's latest foray into the
MMORPG genre. So, what's Aion all about and what makes it
different from the myriad of other popular MMO games on the
market now? This article aims to be your guide to the world of
Aion, to give you a primer on the basics of how Aion works and
what you can expect from the game. The game takes place in two separate "worlds", Elysea and
Asmodae, inhabited by the Elyos and Asmodians, respectively.
Elysea is bright and cheerful, whereas Asmodae is more dark and
sinister. Players begin the game as humans in whichever world
they choose. Players gain experience by completing quests and
defeating enemies, which they then use to "level up" their
characters. Once characters reach the required level, they
become winged immortals known as "Daevas". Once a character has
become a Daeva, they travel to the capital city of whichever
world they inhabit, to begin their new lives. Features Character Creation & Customization An important feature in any RPG, Aion features a robust
character creation and customization system. This system allows
players to fine-tune the height, weight and scale of various
body parts. A variety of hair styles, skin colors, facial
textures and voices are available to choose from. Players can go
really in-depth with their character's detailing, by adjusting
eye shape/color, nose shape, ear size/shape, and tattoos for the
character's face and/or body. Aion also features the ability to
dye a character's equipment to change its color, and the ability
to interchange graphics between weapons and armor that the
characters have in their inventory (though this graphic swapping
must be done between items of the same type). Skill Chains Many RPGs allow characters to gain and improve new skills as
they progress. Aion introduces a subtle twist to this game
mechanic with "Skill Chains". With "Skill Chains", skill
upgrades may only be performed in a certain order (hence the
term "chain"). Classes There are four "primary" classes: Warrior, Mage, Scout, or
Priest. Once characters reach level 9, the player can then
choose from two "specialized" classes related to their original
"primary" class. Warriors can become either a "Templar" or
"Gladiator". Likewise, Mages can become either a "Sorcerer" or
"Spirit Master", Scouts can be either "Assassin" or "Ranger",
and Priests can become either a "Cleric" or a "Chanter".
Professions On top of your character classes, there are six "crafting"
professions (Alchemy, Cooking, Tailoring, Handicrafting,
Weaponsmithing, and Armorsmithing) and two "extracting"
professions. The extracting professions are learned
automatically by each player, but the crafting professions must
be learned manually. A single character is able to learn ALL of
the crafting professions, but only master two. Becoming a
"master" of a profession gives the player a fancy title and a
boost to his or her stats. ;Grouping Players can join together to form a "group". Groups can
accommodate up to six players. Certain parts of Aion are
designed for group play, and in some areas a group is required
for entrance. Building on the group mechanic, in Aion up to four
groups may form what is known as an "alliance" when greater
numbers are needed. However, being a part of an alliance can
limit your rewards from smaller quests intended for single or
group play. system The Abyss is a PvP area physically located between the two
game worlds. Once characters reach higher levels, much of the
game of Aion revolves around PvP encounters in this area. The
Abyss features strongholds which can be controlled by "Legions"
(Aion for "guild"). Players battle it out to gain and keep
control of these various strongholds. Again, Aion introduces
another twist with siege weapons players can obtain from raids,
and use in these battles. Control of a stronghold means income
from taxes, and players get perks from stores and NPCs. Battling
it out with your fellow players in the Abyss will get you "Abyss
Points". These points are used to rank you among the rest of the
Aion players out there. Why does this matter? Well, higher ranks
unlock visual upgrades to your characters wings, and you can use
your Abyss points to purchase high-end armor and weapons.
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