Is this the end?

I am quite sick of Aion at the moment! Why? Well, it is just grinding, grinding and grinding again. The quests are almost always the same. There are like 2 categories: Quest type one is (what a suprise) grinding. Quest type two is like running, flying and even teleporting around endless ways just to end up at the NPC who gave me the quest task. That just sucks. And if I once run out of quest I have to...huh, would anybody like to guess? Yeah, grind! It just seems a bit dull to me.
I saw about 5 Elyos which got killed by the hungry horde of Asmodian fellows in seconds...I went through 2 rifts (what was a journey itself to find them) yet and ended up in way to high elite mobs and got killed by the hungry horde myself.
So I am crawling up my way till 25 hoping that PvP in Abyss might be a bit of fun. It better is a blast otherwise I will chancel my account and go back to Guild Wars. As well a dull game but at least its for free.

Although I am quite sad about my feelings about Aion since it has so much to offer!
I really like the flying around feature with my wings! Still that feature should be doable in more areas not only those few I recognized yet. Well, gliding is always possible but gliding isnt flying to me.
Also the great class balance is honourable I think! Every class got its weakness but also its very own strength. Havent seen such a great balance in any other MMORPG yet.
As well I really like the character customization! One can really create some monsters out of the great looking toons!
That brings me to the graphics! I just love it! So many details which can be found! Sparkling blossoms, funny looking foes, the great looking sky and much more!! Still there could be more done with the graphics. Especially the armour should be looking more different. Like in EQ 2 where almost every armour looks different and one could not find a toon looking the same because of the different cloths one is wearing. Plate looks like any other plate of the same level in Aion. Maybe the one is more greenish as the other but still little difference.
And if it comes to quests I already told you my opinion.

So, hopefully the PvP is great...otherwise my Templar Hammerfall will never see the little light of Asmodia again...

The Secret World

So I checked my mailbox and got a nice newsletter of FunCom (Age of Conan). I dont read such things usually but by accident I clicked on it and I was surpised:

FunCom is about to create a new MMORPG called "The Secret World" (http://www.darkdaysarecoming.com/?utm_id=478&activate=PT1RYnZObUxzbFdZdFIzYm9CRU40Y25iaGxtY3Z4bVo,). Quite cool feature of the newsletter: A facebook-like-quiz which tells you what secret power (Templars, Iluminati or Dragon) fits best to you! Quite liked that! (I am a Templar a member of the Templars by the way)
After I finished the quiz I had access to the homepage of the game.

Quite interesting facts I found there like
- no classes or levels.
- real world areas such as NYC, London and many more
- players are able to customize their characters absolutely free (head that quite often the last few games)
- PvP is a must these days so as well in that game
- absolute freedom which weapon one want to wield (shotgun, pistol, swords, magic and so on)
- next gen graphics! Check out the screenshots - looks damn nice!!
- no fantasy world or sci fi crap...seems like that kind of "apocalypse" world people are asking for!

I am quite looking forward to get more infos about the game! Seems as if that game could finally be one step ahead of those "wanna be like WoW games" which annoy me so much!

Mixed stuff

Since the last few levels I am quite struggling with the hardcore grinding quests so I thought I'll give the sorcerer a try to first check out if the class is any good and second if the templar is just that slow in killing mobs.

My sorcerer is just level 12 so I am really not able to answer my second question yet but honestly I like the finger wiggling bastard with his bolts of fire and amazing roots! Soloing against one mob is up to now very easy still I am not good enough for 2 mobs the same time because I panic most times and target the wrong mob. But it is definitely doable for more experienced player than me.
So I will for sure stick to that class at least till level 20! Till the grinding begins again I guess...

And here are my competition screenshots Toothy! Got some really crazy toons mate!! Hope you like them! Inbreeding ftw! ;)

Change

Since Gordon wrote in his latest article about the topic "raids" on his blog http://networkedblogs.com/p13935605 and the fundamentally change ("Change - I can't believe in") one has to face in a MMORPG in high end level I have to admit that this is absolutely true!

I recognized the problem especially in WoW. People I had to group with were totally unable to lead a group, act as a group or even stay long enough in one to complete a quest. Although WoW has so many group instances even in lower levels people just seem not to be willed to group with others.
Why could that be?

My opinion is that players just dont want to spent their time with the problems others. Groups are just a nice and (most important) faster way to get MY quest done! Others need my dps/healing/tanking for their quest although I am already done with mine...pfff who cares about them? I have to hand in mine and get my exp!
"What, killing Black Claw High Priests because just one of my group needs them? No time for that stuff, dude." *Dude-got-kicked-out-of-group*

I guess people just want to grind as fast to high level as they can! And MMORPGs of the latest generation are quite suitable for that. Kill 10 rats -> get a lot of exp. Kill 10 shadow wolves -> get even more exp!! Kill 10 fire beetle -> welcome to next level!! Cant find any rats or wolves? No problem just press "locate" and games shows you the direction! Of cause you can kill them on your own!
Back in the old times of Everquest I had to spend weeks in Oasis to get one bubble of exp out of, ah I cant remember, 20 bubbles for one level. There was no locate system, you actually had to read (oh my god, yes, READ) the text of the quest npc to get the slightest clue where to go...
I even know a Bard in EverQuest who managed it to reach level 14 after 2 years constantly playing! Still it was fun for that person!

Back in the old times of Everquest one had to wait at a group which was camping an orc camp to get a spot in it!! Hell, I waited for hours just to get my spot in the group while I was jumping around in the green grass hoping somebody leaves group to get at least some exp. And most of the time it was waiting again for the respawn after you were lucky enough to be allowed to join!

I am not saying that this was better or worse than the system of today but it was for sure more time consuming.
Not like fastfood -> fast done but feels strange in the belly.
And yes, of cause I prefer those fastfood mmorpgs of today more than the old once!
Because:
Who has time/will to do such waitings orgies in his free time?

Point is: people want action! They want fun as fast as possible! There is no space anymore (as it seems) to create a nice roleplaying character and interact in "strange" lines like "I am the royal paladin of the glorious city of Rivervale! Tell me stranger, do you have business to do in that area? I for myself need to kill those nasty bastards known as the gnolls! They attacked the royal family during a hunting session! Now they shall pay with their death!"
Unfortunately nobody but geeks do so since one can say instead "U need gnolls? yes?" *Invite*.

The same problem I see with raids! Raid used to be VERY time consuming like everything in the old mmorpgs! I know people who just camped the respawn place raid monster for weeks! I am not joking! There was a timetable for the whole guild when person x had to camp and when person y had to take over the camping! Most of the time the raid was an epic failure and all the waiting was for nothing! But that was why raiders were those rockstars like "Longasc" said on Gordons blog! It was because of the time such raids stole! Because it took more than a stack of potions and a person who shouted - 50 dkp on Vent!
Raiders were perfectly organized! People met outside of game in real life just to talk about the next raid mob, how to take it down, what would be the best gear and such stuff!
A guild was a platform of socializing!

But back to the main topic.
As I already said: People want to have FUN in games. Thats why they play that game. Some define FUN differently. Some like to raid some not! Others love groups - others just want to be high end level as fast as possible! And again some others love to explore the world and create endless alts...
But as always in life it is damn had to create a game for all of those individuals. And since it is all about the money the creators of mmorpgs want there cant be the perfect version of a game for all of us.

Ups and Downs in Aion

Playing Aion quite regularly the last few days I hit level 19 yesterday and finally gave that Black Claw Tribe a slab! I also destroyed the "Starga..." oops sorry I mean the Gate to the Abyss (what was a quite rough looking area - liked that) and am now out of Altgard. I had to kill bosses, collect bones or what ever and deliver those things long distances just to recognize the person to whom I spoke first is also the last person to hand in the quest. I had to grind through some Pokemon like looking monsters and catched em all. Also there where some group quests which I really enjoyed since I ran most of the time alone around in Altgard areas. Most of the time was real fun but
still there are some points I am missing.

I haven't seen any dungeon so far. Now zone under earth which belongs to a certain race like Black Burrow belonged to the gnolls in Everquest 2. A zone where I am the intruder, where I can just slaughter mindlessly alone or with a group. Would be nice!
Also there is no instance so far till level 19! No zone with some boss monsters which drop certain gear what one could farm with a group. I am thinking about zones like "Ruins of Varson" and "Castle Mistelmoor" in Everquest 2 or "Lower Guk" in Everquest 1! That was a point I really liked about World of Warcraft! First instance was doable at level 12-14! Very nice quest with sweet gear drops!
I really hope that Aion gives me some instances at the next few levels! Would be necessary to be honest!

As well I miss the freedom in Aion! In any other MMORPG I played so far (From Everquest 1 to Asherons Call to Everquest 2 and Age of Conan till World of Warcraft) I could decide where I want to go along! Where I want to hunt! Aion is quite similar to Guild Wars in that certain point. (Or to Dungeon Siege) Most of the time one is walking/flying in a Canyon to the left and the right are mountains where one cant get up and one is forced to walk in that Canyon...boooooring!! What I would love to see are huge areas (like the Commonlands or the Barrens) where I can chose the direction I would like to go. And not just forward or backwards.

Any ways: Still I love Aion! Especially since I killed my first Elyos yesterday!!
But now I need to get the hell out of my place to study chinese...I am planing to get my own troop of chinese farmers in Aion since it is so easy these days! ;)

PS: Picture one shows my Titan like Templar! Level 19 gear!
Picture two isn't a Vampire! This is my Cleric of fear in her Abyss adventure!

Level 17 Gear

Thats how a level 17 Templar should look like! ;)

Group Tanking

So I hit level 17 today and I had to face the challenge of the real group quests in the story line!
Till to that certain quests against elite mobs I had no trouble to complete all quests solo even 3-4 levels higher than my current level was.
But elite mobs are of cause not ment to be soloed so after the first try I ran ungracefully away and had after seconds a nice lovely train of mobs behind me! (check that article for further informations to trains http://networkedblogs.com/p13368441)
But since all people on the server are quite in my level range I had not much trouble to find a group. Finally I had the chance to learn how to group tank! Yay! And I assume I did quite well since no one died and I hold aggro very well!! Even with more mobs same time! The taunting spells have a rather short recast time so it isnt that difficult! Just the usual problem with people not attacking the same mob but thats an other story!
So I was surprised again what a good job NCsoft made on the taunting! Great again!

Priest vs Templar

I created a priest on the Kahrun server! Called Albea and is a horrible looking witch. I am quite interested in healing classes since I usually play them in any mmorpg so I thought it might be nice to try that class as well in Aion.

Surprisingly combative they are (with spells and weapon) plus (even in low levels) nice healing spells. Even healing over time at level 5. (If I remember right). Also they got good buffs! So I never died yet not even close without ever being in a hurry! I guess I will go down with the Chanter since that class seems to be smoother to solo.

As well I leveled my Templar. Now, since I got my new spells at level 13 I really see the positive aspects of that tower of terror if it comes to tanking! I got a new shieldbash, upgrades to my dmg strikes and even a healing spell!! Just awesome! Heals me for 25% of my health, gives a HP plus a period of time and powers up my regeneration! What better could happen to a tank?!
I am really looking forward to level that toon. It seems that I will change my happing of being an altaholic to a mainiac! ;)

All in all I can tell that NCsoft made a very good job with the classes.