Which raises the question, will this preorder beta test system weaken initial sales of the game?   Lifting the NDA and allowing full access to an experience that *should* change before the product is paid for might very well backfire.    While I can only speak for myself, I can merely cancel my preorder.  Isn't this a risky business proposition?  If not for the preorder Beta, I can guarantee I would have bought the game when it was released, earning my $45.  Now, that's an uncertainty.

It's only risky when your product is crap.  Aion is a very solid, very polished game... and the previews will attract for more than they put off.  These free previews have raised NA/Euro awareness of the game and have acted as a catalyst for "word of mouth" advertising.  I guarentee you it was a good marketing choice.

Originally posted by comerb

 

Which raises the question, will this preorder beta test system weaken initial sales of the game?   Lifting the NDA and allowing full access to an experience that *should* change before the product is paid for might very well backfire.    While I can only speak for myself, I can merely cancel my preorder.  Isn't this a risky business proposition?  If not for the preorder Beta, I can guarantee I would have bought the game when it was released, earning my $45.  Now, that's an uncertainty.

 

It's only risky when your product is crap.  Aion is a very solid, very polished game... and the previews will attract for more than they put off.  These free previews have raised NA/Euro awareness of the game and have acted as a catalyst for "word of mouth" advertising.  I guarentee you it was a good marketing choice.

the real question is could NCsoft really care? its already a huge success in their biggest market area.  even if they had to close down NA servers, the game would still be more of a success than any other MMO save WoW.

The first few posts were legit discussions,as i feel they hit it on the nose.Of course it is all about taste,that is why the OP was stating his/her opinion of what they saw in the game.I gave the same conclusion long ago that the game had an unrealistic look and geared towards cutesy.

I agree that is not saying the game is bad,but for some it is not to their liking,accept their view.

After the first several posts ,starting with Rikimaru it became more flaming,name calling.Word of advice RIKI dont call someone a "TROLL" just because you do not agree with their point of view,as that would be considered a flame towards that person,watch your step and discuss the topic in a MATURE manner.Not just that but the OP cannot troll their own post lmao,that was definitely a flame towards the OP.

Back on topic...the little girl sound scraping her knee,has been annoying  many for long before AION came out.It almost appears as if there is a free 8 bit sound byte on the net and all the asian games are downloading it and using it.I would think even the die hard Aion fans would agree there,you need just a tad bit of creativity for sound,to overcome that aged old sound byte.

I disagree aion being a bad game, the high intensity of the fighting animations draw me in as well as the storyline, this is one of the most fun mmo's I played in a long time, all the way to lvl 20 i did not just kill mobs, I always had a quest and a reason to do so, and it all links together in the story nicely, its casual enogh for me to play with 2 young ones and its able to run on my older dell when my oldest is on the good comp, as for the fighting animations being over the top from the beggining ..This too fits into the story, you are in the story the highest of the most powerful asmodians or the deavas, and you are recalling your memories as you follow the story.

Sounds like OP is looking for a game with Big,Strong,Hairy,Grunting,Muscly Armed........

LMAO i cant finish the post is too funny

Originally posted by Oyjord

I've tried the past week fews in beta to like this game, but it's just not happening.  Here's why:

 

-the graphics are too "cutesy."  Everything has a soft glow to it, from the login screen to the actual environments.  Even the Asmodean (sp?) lands feel too Hello Kitty-ish.

-the mobs are also "cutesy."  Wheres the menace?  Killing cute little bunny-bear hybrids isn't very viscerally exciting.

-the combat animations are apocalyptic.  My dagger hits a mob and things EXPLODE!  Wow, what happen when I'm level 20 and I hit a mob with my dagger?  The nearby village detonates?

-the sounds effects are "cutsey."  When you click on damn near anything, you hear a little "twinkle" effect.  From NPC givers to loot, I constantly hear Mario gathering stars.  (Oh, not to mention the choral music in the beginning which is simply dreadful and music I think I heard 10 years ago in a Final Fantasy game).

-the battle/combat sounds are hilariously bad.  Every time my female scout take damage, I hear a 5 yr old child scrape her knee.  Again, where's the grit, the menace, where's the fact that I'M FIGHTING, not picking flowers?

 

Sorry, but these are all deal-breakers.  You can add a good story onto this (which btw, I didn't see), you can add flying onto this (nothing new here, AO let you do this, what, almost 10 years ago?), you can add PvP on top of this (what, to hear LOTS of 5 yr old girls scraping their knees)...but the game will still look and sound the same. 

There is almost NOTHING I liked about UO, EQ, DAOC, AO, AC, WoW,, you name it, there is almost NOTHING aesthetically in common in Aion with those great games of the past

No thanks, Aion, I outgrew Link and Mario and Princess Peach's cuteness 20 years ago.

Last I checked the world doesn't revolve around you.

It is ok if some do not like Aion. It will not be for everyone but by no means is it a bad game.  I thought I was going to play an Asmodian cleric at launch but I been having a ton of fun playing a Elyos Templar. I just might roll an Elyos instead. :)

Originally posted by Wizardry

Back on topic...the little girl sound scraping her knee,has been annoying  many for long before AION came out.It almost appears as if there is a free 8 bit sound byte on the net and all the asian games are downloading it and using it.I would think even the die hard Aion fans would agree there,you need just a tad bit of creativity for sound,to overcome that aged old sound byte.

Again. As many of us have said before, there is a pretty high level of character customisation in the creator. You do not HAVE to look cute. In fact, you can make a very haggard and rough looking character. Also, you do not HAVE to have a high-pitch "cute" voice. There are 8 voices total, 4 male and 4 female. They range from "super cutesy" -> "normal" -> "rough and harsh".

You don't have to play a small girl if you don't want to. So, you don't need to be annoyed by it ;p

Originally posted by Wizardry

The first few posts were legit discussions,as i feel they hit it on the nose.Of course it is all about taste,that is why the OP was stating his/her opinion of what they saw in the game.I gave the same conclusion long ago that the game had an unrealistic look and geared towards cutesy.

I agree that is not saying the game is bad,but for some it is not to their liking,accept their view.

After the first several posts ,starting with Rikimaru it became more flaming,name calling.Word of advice RIKI dont call someone a "TROLL" just because you do not agree with their point of view,as that would be considered a flame towards that person,watch your step and discuss the topic in a MATURE manner.Not just that but the OP cannot troll their own post lmao,that was definitely a flame towards the OP.

Back on topic...the little girl sound scraping her knee,has been annoying  many for long before AION came out.It almost appears as if there is a free 8 bit sound byte on the net and all the asian games are downloading it and using it.I would think even the die hard Aion fans would agree there,you need just a tad bit of creativity for sound,to overcome that aged old sound byte.

read again title of the thread pls he did not say i dont like aion he says aion is bad

btw matter of taste

Western gamer plays Elder Scrolls with a more serious tone to it with mature theme. Whilst Aion is filled with childish nonsense and combat with exxagerating effects like in DBZ or Final Fantasy games.

And although my opinion remains this way, I still think because of that, there is more room for creativity. Realism restricts and limitates creativity. Fantasy opens and boundrary/limits etc.

I'm somewhat in agreement, but I will still want to try the game out of curiousity because of its gameplay. Hopefully trough a trial. If there ever will be one :)

To me Aion is not childish it's fantasy and what fantasy should be. *shrug* to each their own.

Originally posted by Azntranc3

Originally posted by Oyjord

I've tried the past week fews in beta to like this game, but it's just not happening.  Here's why:

 

-the graphics are too "cutesy."  Everything has a soft glow to it, from the login screen to the actual environments.  Even the Asmodean (sp?) lands feel too Hello Kitty-ish.

-the mobs are also "cutesy."  Wheres the menace?  Killing cute little bunny-bear hybrids isn't very viscerally exciting.

-the combat animations are apocalyptic.  My dagger hits a mob and things EXPLODE!  Wow, what happen when I'm level 20 and I hit a mob with my dagger?  The nearby village detonates?

-the sounds effects are "cutsey."  When you click on damn near anything, you hear a little "twinkle" effect.  From NPC givers to loot, I constantly hear Mario gathering stars.  (Oh, not to mention the choral music in the beginning which is simply dreadful and music I think I heard 10 years ago in a Final Fantasy game).

-the battle/combat sounds are hilariously bad.  Every time my female scout take damage, I hear a 5 yr old child scrape her knee.  Again, where's the grit, the menace, where's the fact that I'M FIGHTING, not picking flowers?

 

Sorry, but these are all deal-breakers.  You can add a good story onto this (which btw, I didn't see), you can add flying onto this (nothing new here, AO let you do this, what, almost 10 years ago?), you can add PvP on top of this (what, to hear LOTS of 5 yr old girls scraping their knees)...but the game will still look and sound the same. 

There is almost NOTHING I liked about UO, EQ, DAOC, AO, AC, WoW,, you name it, there is almost NOTHING aesthetically in common in Aion with those great games of the past

No thanks, Aion, I outgrew Link and Mario and Princess Peach's cuteness 20 years ago.

 

Last I checked the world doesn't revolve around you.

How dare you question his godliness!

Yeah, opinions are like assholes.  Everyone has one, and, like the OP's, most of them stink.  Especially when you say, "THIS GAME IS BAD" as a troll, instead of just "My opinion of Aion."

The OP is right on the money.

Unrealistically oversized weapons, over the top spell particle animations, and cutesy art including anime style characters all combine to create a game a child would enjoy, but not something for a mature gamer.

Originally posted by Samuraisword

The OP is right on the money.

Unrealistically oversized weapons, over the top spell particle animations, and cutesy art including anime style characters all combine to create a game a child would enjoy, but not something for a mature gamer.

Define mature.

Sigh, why even start threads like this if you know it's just going to cause a flame war? I'm totally fine with OPs oppinion, because it's just that (however the title should be changed to "why I don't like Aion" instead, as your sole oppinion does not make the game bad). I just don't understand why threads like this need to be started when all you really need to do is say to yourself, "Well shoot, this isn't my cup of tea", uninstall the client, and get on with your life. Seriously, people are calling the ones who are defending the game a bunch of childish fanboys, but what do you expect from people who actually enjoy the game? Yes, there are people who genuinely like it. Is it really  that surprising?

Originally posted by Samuraisword

The OP is right on the money.

Unrealistically oversized weapons, over the top spell particle animations, and cutesy art including anime style characters all combine to create a game a child would enjoy, but not something for a mature gamer.

I too sometimes enjoy the childish nonsense, but at least admitting it. Most people immediately go into a cognitive dissonance defensively denying it :P

If the game gets it right, I will enjoy it nonetheless. For example, despite my specific taste in these things, I enjoyed Final Fantasy games alot. (some of them anyway)

Mortal Online seems quite realistic, but I'm very skeptical about that game at this point.

If Aion provides a few aspects I desire such as competitive PvP, I'l definitely try it out. And yes, I expect it to exceed WoW in terms of competitiveness. It shouldn't be that difficult to acomplish considerign general consensus seems to be that WoW is unbalanced.

Originally posted by Oyjord

I've tried the past week fews in beta to like this game, but it's just not happening.  Here's why:

 

-the graphics are too "cutesy."  Everything has a soft glow to it, from the login screen to the actual environments.  Even the Asmodean (sp?) lands feel too Hello Kitty-ish.

-the mobs are also "cutesy."  Wheres the menace?  Killing cute little bunny-bear hybrids isn't very viscerally exciting.

-the combat animations are apocalyptic.  My dagger hits a mob and things EXPLODE!  Wow, what happen when I'm level 20 and I hit a mob with my dagger?  The nearby village detonates?

-the sounds effects are "cutsey."  When you click on damn near anything, you hear a little "twinkle" effect.  From NPC givers to loot, I constantly hear Mario gathering stars.  (Oh, not to mention the choral music in the beginning which is simply dreadful and music I think I heard 10 years ago in a Final Fantasy game).

-the battle/combat sounds are hilariously bad.  Every time my female scout take damage, I hear a 5 yr old child scrape her knee.  Again, where's the grit, the menace, where's the fact that I'M FIGHTING, not picking flowers?

 

Sorry, but these are all deal-breakers.  You can add a good story onto this (which btw, I didn't see), you can add flying onto this (nothing new here, AO let you do this, what, almost 10 years ago?), you can add PvP on top of this (what, to hear LOTS of 5 yr old girls scraping their knees)...but the game will still look and sound the same. 

There is almost NOTHING I liked about UO, EQ, DAOC, AO, AC, WoW,, you name it, there is almost NOTHING aesthetically in common in Aion with those great games of the past

No thanks, Aion, I outgrew Link and Mario and Princess Peach's cuteness 20 years ago.

I hate The Sims. Ooohh, I know. I'lle post on their forums how much I hate it! Yeah! That oughta put my time to some good use!

Originally posted by Samuraisword

The OP is right on the money.

Unrealistically oversized weapons, over the top spell particle animations, and cutesy art including anime style characters all combine to create a game a child would enjoy, but not something for a mature gamer.

Bingo.

Originally posted by Stratford

Originally posted by Samuraisword

The OP is right on the money.

Unrealistically oversized weapons, over the top spell particle animations, and cutesy art including anime style characters all combine to create a game a child would enjoy, but not something for a mature gamer.

 

Bingo.

Good!

As soon as we see people complaining about art direction and personal preferences instead of broken game mechanics and broken features we know we have a winner.

Thanks for letting us know we have a great game!

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by Stratford

Originally posted by Samuraisword

The OP is right on the money.

Unrealistically oversized weapons, over the top spell particle animations, and cutesy art including anime style characters all combine to create a game a child would enjoy, but not something for a mature gamer.

 

Bingo.

 

Good!

As soon as we see people complaining about art direction and personal preferences instead of broken game mechanics and broken features we know we have a winner.

Thanks for letting us know we have a great game!

 

 

The game has a great deal of polish and luster...

Unfortunately, beneath the bright sheen there is no substance. Just another regurgitation of the same crap that's been churned out year after year. Oh, I'm sorry. Enjoy your "great" game.

Originally posted by NightbladeX1

The game has a great deal of polish and luster...

Unfortunately, beneath the bright sheen there is no substance. Just another regurgitation of the same crap that's been churned out year after year. Oh, I'm sorry. Enjoy your "great" game.

Thanks for another groundless post unless you tell us how long you have played the game and what levels you have reached with your characters.

And not everyone has played the "same crap years after years". You obviously have played too many mmos, why are you here if you don't enjoy them? Oh... seems you missed it : this is an mmorpg forum

edit: and thanks for confirming my point with your posting about personal preferences

Thanks for another post that is completely worthless unless you tell us how long you have played the game and what levels you have reached with your characters.

And not everyone has played the "same crap years after years". You obviously have played too many mmos, why are you here if you don't enjoy them? Oh... seems you missed it : this is an mmorpg forum  

edit: and thanks for confirming my point with your posting about personal preferences  

I have a level 50 Assassin on the overseas servers, am I allowed the hate the game yet?

If my time watching these games and their absurd culture has taught me anything, is that people will play, and defend anything no matter how bad it actually is. If you'd like an example, you only need to look to a game like Maple Story... Incidentally; most anything aside from technical issues can be broken down and defined as personal opinion. You're not clever for figuring this out.

You make an awful lot of assumptions about how the end game will play out. Let me ask you, have you played the endgame yet?

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by Stratford

Originally posted by Samuraisword

The OP is right on the money.

Unrealistically oversized weapons, over the top spell particle animations, and cutesy art including anime style characters all combine to create a game a child would enjoy, but not something for a mature gamer.

 

Bingo.

 

Good!

As soon as we see people complaining about art direction and personal preferences instead of broken game mechanics and broken features we know we have a winner.

Thanks for letting us know we have a great game!

 

 

Indeed, we'll all see, and hopefully it's very good up to and into endgame.

It has been my personal experience, however, that PvP causes more turmoil than any other single thing in an MMO.  Whether or not there are actual problems, the perceived ones are obsessed over loudly and perpetually.  Character balance is one that just never goes away.

It'll be interesting.

Originally posted by BigMango

Originally posted by NightbladeX1

The game has a great deal of polish and luster...

Unfortunately, beneath the bright sheen there is no substance. Just another regurgitation of the same crap that's been churned out year after year. Oh, I'm sorry. Enjoy your "great" game.

 

Thanks for another post that is completely worthless unless you tell us how long you have played the game and what levels you have reached with your characters.

And not everyone has played the "same crap years after years". You obviously have played too many mmos, why are you here if you don't enjoy them? Oh... seems you missed it : this is an mmorpg forum

 

edit: and thanks for confirming my point with your posting about personal preferences

 

Okay then....I leveled both sides to level 10 and completed the ascension quest. I also did every side quest up to the point of completing the ascension quest and also spent a while looking into the various aspects of the game and spent a lot of time exploring in game (well as much as I could).

Sorry but Aion is nothing special. It is a "regurgitation" of every MMO with the exception of flying. Nightblade is right - it is all style and no substance. There is no depth of game play, the two sides are basically copies of each other, the questing is boring and has no reason for it other than to draw you along to get level 10, the game is very linear with no real exploration to be had, the questing writing is poor and in summary, there is nothing about this game that separates it from most MMO's right now.

And please forego feeding me the "you are only level 10 and need to wait until level 20, 25, etc.... for the game to get good". Sorry the game should be more interesting and exciting before then. Every other MMO I have played and subscribed too has had me hooked soon after starting. DAOC, EQ, EQ2, WOW, WAR, AOC, COH, AO, FFXI etc..... all have something that grabs my attention and keeps it. Aion failed to do that.

Now that does not mean its a bad game at all, it just isn't for me. However, I must admit, I fail to see why so many people think its different, innovative and such a change from the norm. I think it will be like every other NcSoft game - massive sub numbers the first few months and then the numbers will plummet as people realize there is no substance to the game. For those that enjoy it and look forward to it, congrats on finding a game that you like. But let's be honest - for those looking for deep gameplay (like one would fins in many MMO's of the past), Aion isn't it.

Originally posted by NightbladeX1

Thanks for another post that is completely worthless unless you tell us how long you have played the game and what levels you have reached with your characters.

And not everyone has played the "same crap years after years". You obviously have played too many mmos, why are you here if you don't enjoy them? Oh... seems you missed it : this is an mmorpg forum  

edit: and thanks for confirming my point with your posting about personal preferences  

 

I have a level 50 Assassin on the overseas servers, am I allowed the hate the game yet?

If my time watching these games and their absurd culture has taught me anything, is that people will play, and defend anything no matter how bad it actually is. If you'd like an example, you only need to look to a game like Maple Story... Incidentally; most anything aside from technical issues can be broken down and defined as personal opinion. You're not clever for figuring this out.

 

You make an awful lot of assumptions about how the end game will play out. Let me ask you, have you played the endgame yet?

Congrats to you man, you played a game you hate for 50 levels. Just a personal question from me to you : are you a masochist?

I am only in my early 40ies. I just love combat dynamics, the character progression and the rvr with the 3rd party AI race, the fortresses... the things like the taxes your guild can raise on its territory and the other privileges remind me of L2.

What is it you hate so much?