In this correspondent editorial, Robert Duckworth analyzes the five reasons that he has decided to leave WoW in factor of the newer, younger, sexier Aion.

Whenever a new big MMO was announced many people would start to talk about how it was going to kill WoW, how it would come in and take away all the subscribers. I think by now most people have realized that the strengths of WoW, those which allowed it to grow so large as an MMO, were the exact reasons nobody could ever steal away massive quantities of the subscription base. WoW has an entire culture built up around it, so many people invested in it, that attempting to just supplant them all at once and shovel them into a new culture, a new MMO that they have nothing invested in, is an impossibility. There is no doubt that games have chipped away at some previous subscribers of WoW, but most often the new MMO turns out to be highly niche based rather than a new all encompassing world. Even with all these new MMO games coming into the market, Blizzard loves to point out that their subscription base continues to grow.

I have played WoW since its release. I have loved the game for years. Even before the release, during the WoW beta which I never got into, I would follow the forums daily. You could call me an early addict. My love for WoW started to wane about half way through the TBC expansion; Guild drama, real life, major game overhauls such as the raid numbers issue, and general burnout from playing the same game for three years. I started to shop around, looking for other MMOs to play: Age of Conan, Warhammer Online, Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lineage 2, Lord of the Rings Online, and many smaller production MMOs. None of them had enough grab for me that could take me away from WoW.

Read I'm Sorry WoW, I've Found Someone Else

Good for him.

But nearly every "I LOVE DIS GAME!" post I've seen could be labeled under "honeymoon period". Mainly, the beginning of the game is so fun and polished, and you may or may not be so sick of your previous MMO, that you fall in love with it. See AoC; Tortage. I'm going to wait 6-12 months after release and see if the majority seem pretty content with how the game is after playing that long. No, I'm not going to listen to people who play 24/7 and burn themselves out after a month or two. Average, normal gamers.

I've seen the game, and it doesn't particularly impress me. That might be because I've seen it, but haven't played it. Many things look mediocre or lame when you're watching, but when you get to play, your opinion changes rather quickly. I'm not a huge fan of the art style (ballerina combat and having to asking whether that's a dude or a girl is how I see it... nevermind ridiculously unrealistic armor and weapons) but I can get over it if the game's good enough.

I absolutely agree what he said about the PvP, though. Blizzard is pigeonholing everyone who wants to be able to compete in PvP via the gear into doing arenas. I can pretty mugh guarantee that the majority of the WoW population doesn't really like arenas - they can stomach it because they know that stupid rating is the only key to unlocking the best PvP gear. It's an e-sport, and it fuels obnoxious e-peens like nothing else. One thing which does attract me to Aion is its Faction vs. Faction system of PvP (RvR is Trademarked by Mythic, so I'm calling it FvF). But, like I said, we'll see.

It's not even honeymoon period yet since the game is not out for EU. I'm purposely staying outside the beta events, I liked what I saw, but beta events show a distorted aspect of the game when viewing something beyond game mechanics (like the recent lvl 30s camping the rifts, in the normal game people will have better things to do than that).

Im sure people who play WOW will or have been playing Aion. If they stay with Aion or not is another question. I like Aion myself and will continue in beta and be playing it at release. If i decide Aion isnt the game for me i will move on but will not be moving back to WOW. That game has degenerated since TBC and is not an option for me.

As much as i find WoW to be fun some of what is said in the articale is true. Besides i have been foloowing Aion since 2007 and can't wait for it to release. I've done PvE and PvP in WoW and i find the PvE more fun than the PvP side. Hopefully the PvP in Aion will reignite a passion in me again.

 Good read, mostly true.  
WoW is just showing it's age, it really can't do anything "new" and Blizzard wouldn't dare try at this point as I'm sure whatever "new" additions are plans for their next MMO project.    WoW is now a back-burner priority for Blizzard, they can do absolutely nothing for the next 2 years and still milk it for all it's worth whole developing something new.   ANYWAYS.....

The flip side, while Aion is new, shiny, all sorts of ... something..  In the first 20 levels  I was bored to tears realizing, "This is the same deal as every other game, level up, chase that "carrot on a stick' they call gear, etc.."   Maybe I'm just not into MMO's anymore, because (and this is my opinion only) it is all the same, an endless time sink of effort to be wasted at the next patch, expansion, or some epeen'in 15 year old with more time than I have :)

I think Aion is still a good thing.   There needs to be a contender out there, more competition, something to break up really the "only option" game, WoW.   (I know of WAR, AOC, LOTRO, etc..  But they've all settled into the niche, they've had their launch, their patches, their time, etc .. and none will really all of a sudden "break out" into ridiculous wild success from this point forward.

I have hope for Aion, even if I don't play it.!

The "Someone Else" Robert has found is an out-of-date client for a closed beta of an unreleased game.  I like AION too, but judging it against WoW based on what we've seen so far is ludicrous.  Let them release it, let the players try 1.3 or whatever they end up using, let some real servers fill up with real customers, and do your comparison then.

I'm a WoW player that has now had a chance to see what Aion is like and I will not be buying the game because it seems so  - let's try to be something cool and they just miss it.    The graphics are good in some areas, yes, but in others they lack polish and seem like they were done quickly and haphazzardly.    The static sky.   You can keep that.   The combat, though more in depth then say WoW, is still not much different and to be honest I feel WoW's is more fluid than what we see in Aion.   The quest are the same old, same old so I do not see anything new there.   The PvP part of the game got old really fast.    So no...I think I'll stay with WoW and EvE.   Aion just doesn't do anything for me at all.   It's as if, and I say this will all honesty, that I was playing a rehashed version of Lineage 2 but my character has wings.   Just my opinion.   If others like it...hey, knock yourselves out and have fun.

Honestly, the only people who are allowed to like Aion are 15 yr old girls.  It's so amazingly "Asian-trite" as I like to call it.  If you like it, and you're not a 15 yr old girl, well, sorry, you have issues.

Originally posted by Oyjord

Honestly, the only people who are allowed to like Aion are 15 yr old girls.  It's so amazingly "Asian-trite" as I like to call it.  If you like it, and you're not a 15 yr old girl, well, sorry, you have issues.

Heres your cookie.

I'm not sure what the previous poster is getting at. The Op is very clearly stating he is writing an opinion piece, making it very clear that his current knowledge base is very limited and highlighting a number of concerns about WoW that are felt by many and contrasting them against his very limited experience of Aion in a way I could follow.

I'm pleased that the beta appears to be sufficiently polished that he can get this excited. This is much better than some recent releases. It's got me a little more excited about a new  (to europe/USA) game which is always good. it also suggests NCSoft has done what they suggested they were trying to do in terms of adding content to make the game less grindy and more suited to a western market. We still do not know if it includes fun and challenging pve end-game content and I guess that will decide this game's future but I'll keep my fingers crossed, wish the devs well and continue to follow the MMORPG forums.

 Patch 3.2 in WoW tomorrow. W00t!

Originally posted by grandpagamer

Originally posted by Oyjord

Honestly, the only people who are allowed to like Aion are 15 yr old girls.  It's so amazingly "Asian-trite" as I like to call it.  If you like it, and you're not a 15 yr old girl, well, sorry, you have issues.

Heres your cookie.

you forgot the milk...

Originally posted by herennow

I'm not sure what the previous poster is getting at. The Op is very clearly stating he is writing an opinion piece, making it very clear that his current knowledge base is very limited and highlighting a number of concerns about WoW that are felt by many and contrasting them against his very limited experience of Aion in a way I could follow.

Yes, but he also said

"After participating in the Aion beta, I have decided to give up WoW."

That decision is premature.

I don't know what all the fuss is about. It's just another Korean MMOG. 

Originally posted by Comnitus

I've seen the game, and it doesn't particularly impress me. That might be because I've seen it, but haven't played it. Many things look mediocre or lame when you're watching, but when you get to play, your opinion changes rather quickly. I'm not a huge fan of the art style (ballerina combat and having to asking whether that's a dude or a girl is how I see it... nevermind ridiculously unrealistic armor and weapons) but I can get over it if the game's good enough.

I'm sorry, but this part of your post really cracked me up.

Blood Elves, anyone?  Those are hands-down the most effeminate men ever to grace a gamer's screen.  And having played Aion and worked with its character creator it's clear to me that you really haven't seen anything other than the stock footage.  You can make the men girly, but you can also make them extremely masculine.  It's a matter of personal taste, rather than a game limitation. 

As for the armor - when has WoW's armor EVER been realistic?  Especially at the higher levels, when you get into the various raid sets? 

I like Aion, I hate WOW. That said Aion is not gonna have a long staying power beyond a key dedicated bunch. Rolling alts will be painful as its the same linear path and same race type. I think 6 months will be the average time a person puts into Aion. NC Soft is very slow about getting the new content to the western audience in any decent time. The world is very very small. It has all the things going for it he mentioned but in the end unless they can churn out patches at a quick rate then NA retension I believe will be low.

Depends. It looks to me that he was facing the same situation like me, only I have already left WoW (even to the point that I'd rather play nothing than return). If all he was looking for was an excuse to leave, then the beta events could be just that. Because lets face it, people that are already happy with what they are currently playing will not bother checking other MMOs (unless really curious).

I played Aion in the first Beta week end and had enough...

I was feeling playing a merged game of WOW and Guild Wars.

Yes AION got very nice graphics, the no lag, even with hundreds of players in the same window was amazing BUT... that's it.

I read many reviews on this game and that simply not MY game.The quest system is very bad, nothing innovating there, WOW quests system is so much advanced, I know 4 years old game bla bla/.... I dont think AION will last that long.

Blizzard release the new content patch today, and this company know how to keep their fans interests.

New mouths, gears! all ,lot of new stuffs ect...

Like it or not this game will live forever like Diablo, Starcrat and Warcraft, and the WOW killer is far to be made.

Yes im a WOW Fanboy and happy to be!

Originally posted by xevanon
....

Yes im a WOW Fanboy and happy to be!

 

What I quoted is exactly the reason you can't relate to what the OP is saying. You're happy with WoW, he's tired of it. It happens when playing for multiple years ;)

stop cloning wow.

YOU CAN NOT OUT WOW  WOW.  

can I get some enovation here?

Originally posted by xevanon

I played Aion in the first Beta week end and had enough...

 

I was feeling playing a merged game of WOW and Guild Wars.

Yes AION got very nice graphics, the no lag, even with hundreds of players in the same window was amazing BUT... that's it.

 

I read many reviews on this game and that simply not MY game.The quest system is very bad, nothing innovating there, WOW quests system is so much advanced, I know 4 years old game bla bla/.... I dont think AION will last that long.

 

Blizzard release the new content patch today, and this company know how to keep their fans interests.

New mouths, gears! all ,lot of new stuffs ect...

Like it or not this game will live forever like Diablo, Starcrat and Warcraft, and the WOW killer is far to be made.

 

Yes im a WOW Fanboy and happy to be!

 

How is wows quest system so much more advanced, infact tell me of one mmo that doesnt have you go out and collect X amount of items or kill so many of Y mob, that is how quests work. The point of you being a WoW fanboy, good for you I hope your kind stays in WoW, I much rather prefer quality over quanity and that is what Aion is already providing even before there first content patch.

 I too have been tired of WoW for some time now, the past year I have cancelled and reactivated several times, but I am pretty much done with it now.

I have played the Aion beta every weekend and I just have to say I am not really into it like I should be if I am going to dedicate a lot of time to it. So I won't be getting it, people say the graphics are great but they are not next-gen worthy to me and the game has already been out overseas for awhile so they are 'dated'. Don't get me wrong Aion is a great game but it just isn't updated enough from previous games to take me into it.

I am holding my cards until FFXIV comes out I guess.

I didn't care for the way the mage class spells looked in Aion and since WoW does mage stuff better imo it isn't worth the switch. Now if FFXIV can pull off the mage stuff like they have in the past (all their different mages, black mage, red mage, summoner etc) then it will be my new game.

WoW was a great game, however, I agree with most of the things stated in the OP. Aion in my opinion still needs some work in PvE balancing. Even with a dps melee class in the low levels in painful. The time it takes to kill a single mob and the down time afterwords is too much.

Unfortunately many of us have been influenced and even spoiled by Blizzard's innate ability to make things easy, hold us by the hand telling us it's going to be okay, and making it a game for everyone. Aion is not to that point where everyone new to MMO's or longtime veterans can pick it up and say with certainty "this is the game for me."

Just my two cents

P.S. No I'm not playing WoW at the moment, and have been clean for a few months, there are problems that stem ferther then just class balancing that Blizzard hasn't addressed, but these promblems may be the very thing that makes the game what it is.

Originally posted by Teala

I'm a WoW player that has now had a chance to see what Aion is like and I will not be buying the game because it seems so  - let's try to be something cool and they just miss it.    The graphics are good in some areas, yes, but in others they lack polish and seem like they were done quickly and haphazzardly.    The static sky.   You can keep that.   The combat, though more in depth then say WoW, is still not much different and to be honest I feel WoW's is more fluid than what we see in Aion.   The quest are the same old, same old so I do not see anything new there.   The PvP part of the game got old really fast.    So no...I think I'll stay with WoW and EvE.   Aion just doesn't do anything for me at all.   It's as if, and I say this will all honesty, that I was playing a rehashed version of Lineage 2 but my character has wings.   Just my opinion.   If others like it...hey, knock yourselves out and have fun.

Static sky? I take it you mean the lack of a real day/night cycle? Because storms rolling in and cloud cover moving by is awe inspiring! And I honestly can't understand people saying that the graphics aren't that great but they continue to play WoW with its absolutely horrendous graphics.