I'm now immensely looking forward to the North American release of NCsoft's Aion: The Tower of Eternity. Not necessarily because it means I can finally play the title in English and have a full grasp on the lore, gameplay mechanics, or anything so mundane as all that. I am presently enjoying Korea retail despite absence of these aspects.
What I am looking forward to is the average member of Aion Source or any other fan site having a basic comprehension that the Asmodians are not inherently evil. The situation is simply that they did not misplace their trust in the Balaur, a race determined to destroy them.
I'm honestly growing disheartened at this whole concept of two factions - one must be wrong/evil, and the evil site is solely determined based on outward aesthetic appearance? Why not try on the thought that perhaps neither site is corrupt? Perhaps everyone involved is just a victim of circumstance and doing what they can to surive, meanwhile trying to rectify a misunderstanding through brute force? ...and it certainly, most definetely should have absolutely nothing to do with my awesome booty shaking being somehow better than yours.
i think this is where wow is sucessful .
Fri Dec 26 2008 5:39AM ReportGood vs evil is the oldest 'conflict' story in existence. People understand it. Moreover, people either want to be good (let's not get into the fact that in MMOs good people still go around killing and maiming) and or bad wherein that want to look 'bad-ass'. Inherent good or inherent evil is easier than developing a backstory that most don't care about. Explaining the need factor which drove the 'noble XYZ race to unspeakable acts of cruelty which they lament to the heavens (or hells) even while they 123 their neighbors corpses....etc' is more effort than is required when a simple they are good and they are evil will suffice.
Fri Dec 26 2008 7:36AM Reportlooking at the lore on the official website www.aiononline.com it seems that both the Elyos and Asmodians (who were initially just 1 race) were both responsible to some extent for the Epic Cataclysm (aka the Tower of Eternity being destroyed). So really there is no black and white. Just shades of grey.
Fri Dec 26 2008 7:50AM Reportas Razephon said, there is no good vs evil, some people just think the asmodians are evil judging their look...
Fri Dec 26 2008 8:36AM Reportwouldn't you consider the Dragons (npc race) to be the true evil ones in this game? They are killing both off the winged humonoids. No?
Fri Dec 26 2008 9:28AM ReportI guess you could say that Aras, but thats open to interpretation. E.g. you could argue the fact that killing one of the Balaur Lords was what triggered the Cataclysm. (again looking at lore)
Fri Dec 26 2008 1:43PM ReportThe appareance is just to difference both races so people can choose between them, some like to be badasses, some others like to be beautiful. However, all of the evolution in the asmodians can be explained to an extent looking at the conditions they were exposed to after the Tower's destruction, animal's eyes glow in darkness, darker hues of skin due to the ammount of sunlight they receive, etc.
About who's the bad one, I think none of them really are, looking at the last chapters, it even threw a good side to the balaurs who wanted peace, but then, daevas screwed it, in the end, it seems to me like a story about individual decissions leading to massive outcomes.
Fri Dec 26 2008 2:10PM ReportThe only real evil here is the lack of a US Beta thus far.. Seriously though I never saw either side as being evil, but more like apposing factions. Then again I dont necessarily see the Destruction faction in WAR or the Horde faction in WoW as being evil either.
Fri Dec 26 2008 3:48PM ReportThe Balaur are kind of their own shade of grey. They wanted more power, and wanted to kill their God to acquire it. They don't necessarily kill both the Asmodians and the Elyos, but act within their own chaotic nature? It sounds like they arbitrarily attack/aid each faction based on whatever their AI is dictating at the time.
I feel the Asmodians were just (justifiably) cautiously mistrusting, whereas the Elyos were naïve and effectively the catalyst that ultimately (inadvertently) caused the destruction of Atreia. Reading the fifth Elyos chapter, the POV character indicates that the Balaur didn't attack them OUTSIDE of the tower, showing their good faith. My take on that was that the Balaur were consciously planning to attack the tower from within. Asphel acted preventatively to stop what he knew to be the very nature of the Balaur – who had already shown themselves to be untrustworthy. :3
Fri Dec 26 2008 7:24PM ReportWell simply put ,this is aPVP game.I am glad you see a story side to it tha tis great,but is it or wil lit belong in the game?
Two players cross paths in the game,i just don't see them stopping to think of the game lore or how it should unfold,they are going to attack each other and nothing surrounding the game lore wil lmatter.This is why PVP games are so shallow,it is not about the storyline what so ever.
It is more like someone reading a book on the park bench,then some thug flys over your head and rips the book out of your hand and feeds it to you lol.Then the thug says "how is the storyline grabbing you now?"
haha hope you don't take me too seriously i have a weird way of conveying a point :D.
Sat Dec 27 2008 12:26PM ReportHello dear new friend
Mon Aug 22 2011 2:37PM ReportHow are you doing today, i hope every things is OK with you as is my pleasure to contact you after viewing your profile at which really interested me in having communication with you if you will have the desire with me so that we can get to know each other better and see what will happen in future. i will be very happy if you can write to me through my email for easiest communication and to know all about each other, here is my email (blessingndadaye@hotmail.com) i will be waiting to hear from you as i wish you good luck this week.
Yours new friend.
blessing
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