I think people are slightly exaggerating how often they will see these rifts. I mean you won't even see one until you're level 20+, in Eltnen. And even then, the max amount of players that can come through is 12 (in Eltnen that is, other zones have progressively more and more).

Do you have any idea how hard of a time those people will have against everyone else? I'll bet that some of these invading rift groups get wiped out in less than 15 minutes, but I can't say for sure yet. The first invaders in Eltnen are basically going to be kamikaze attacks, unless they are a very talented bunch of players. And even then, they can't stand up to 50+ players hunting them down.

And there are going to be many players, myself included, who will drop everything they are doing and hunt down the rift invaders for fun, and a good way to break up the monotony of grinding.

However if you don't like playing games where you can get ganked out of the blue, I seriously would avoid Aion. From what I've heard, the Abyss is a pretty hardcore place. Hardcore, as in you better be on your toes at all times.

I don't imagine a group of players entering a rift will last all that long once they have been discovered. The PvP guilds/players will be on alert constantly for any action. 10 people cross a rift and after a couple of "ganks" are faced with 50 odd pvpers ready to kill them.

If your a PvE'er just let general chat know where you died and that place will be swarming with defenders trust me. Heck join up with them and get revenge.

My understanding is you only lose abyss points not xp when killed by another player (correct me if i am wrong) so all a PvE player is going to lose is some time.

If a npc pops out of no-where while you are attacking another npc and proceeds to kill you (it actually happens in Aion) do you say that he ganked you and ask NCSoft to change the game? No you either go back and kill him or get some friends to help you.

    I will give it a try I played Ao for 5+ years and though pvp wasn't forced on you it was still a big part of the game.I don't really like any game where a player has the choice taken out of there hands.NC soft I am sure is monitoring it and if push comes to shove all the people who say they would never open a pve server is full of it.Daoc did UO put trammel in why? Because they were losing money by not doing it NCsoft is just like any other company they are in this to make money if they feel they can gain money by adding that in they will certainly do just that not to mention NC cannot rsally afford another fail mmog how many have they shut down last 2-4 years? 4-5?

   One more thing someone said warhammer failed due to the pvp suckin not true at all warmhammer is dead because they focused too much on pvp and not enough on pve content.Whether pvpers like us or not you need pvers in your game for them to have any real population and stick around for awhile.Trust me when I say this is Aion starts bleeding subs over the pvp or they don't get as big of a market share as they hope from this they will begin changing it to more pve based.

 same here i ll give aion a fair chance since ,what i played is only the noob zone 

wow noob zone is lackluster also as all game in mmo 

lol so i cant judge from that ,and korean stream view is so far away or wrong way that its hard to make an objective conclusion

i saw a video on aionsource.com tho about boss raid etc 

and i do believe there is content for most player styyle (ok maybe not fan of everquest veteran style gameplay since 

it would need a seperate server but for the rest of the gamers  i believe they cover pretty much the rest (mmorpg)

 only read the OP.. Although this is not the exact reason why I am not playing my reasons are similar, I've read more about 'wait until endgame' and 'it's all about the endgame' posts in Aion forums than anywhere else.. which makes me slightly nervous about investing many many hours of my time and a non insignificant fee to find out exactly what this endgame actually is..

I think there are gunna be many casual players in for a massive shock.. whats more the art and the style of the game will be drawing these very players in.. however this game could turn out to be amazing at this 'end game' so I guess it may end up being worth it, will be insteresting to read Aion forums in a few months :)

 very true (grin)aion forum will be interesting read 

for good or hill reason lol

To the OP, Surely, if you did as much work researching this game as you said you did, you already knew this about the game. I think they made it very clear with rifts and the Abyss that there was going to be a big focus around PvP.

I was surprised to read OP.  If he actually followed the game for 3 years, he should have known it's a PvPvE game.  If he just didn't like PvP, he could turtle in PvE zone anyway.  Rift is very predictable in Aion, always the same spot.  In 1.5 NCsoft put in some restriction on ganking, well still can't prevent 100% of it but some.  Rift is not just for PvP, if anyone who played in beta would know because there are quests related to rift.  It is just to make game more exciting and make people have to group for some social interaction. 

Abyss is PvP zone but again it encourage grouping leveling or a player can just avoid it.  I didn't do much on Chinese server even tho Asmodian own Abyss 50-70% of the time, I still just leveling in regular PVE zone. 

If OP just want to do PVE, I bet he can find an unbalanced server once the game launch in a few months.  Find a server with 1 realm over populated (It will happen eventually), then join that side you can PVE 24/7 like the Chinese server I was in.

Aion is not PvE and/or PvP, it's PvEvP, it's all mixed together. Well this is what I always understood.

I find it amazing, every time I see a post like this, you know  from the people who been following this game for the last 3 years are all of a sudden shocked to learn a big part of this game is pvp.

Originally posted by kamerak

I find it amazing, every time I see a post like this, you know  from the people who been following this game for the last 3 years are all of a sudden shocked to learn a big part of this game is pvp.

It is quitte unbelievable that someone doesn't know what they buy... it is very published and widely known as a pvp game...

*puzzled*

Originally posted by Calintz333

Buhuuu buhuuuu huuu huuuuuu waaaah waaaah /wrists

Omg you need therapy.

I was never a fan of PvP; but, I like to have it there. It gives you something to do when you get tired of the same old PvE content. I've even played on PvP realms on some games just to spice up the environment a bit. I've always been good at PvP and PvE; so, it doesn't bother me if I have to bust some heads open to get what I need. When it comes to actual players most can be dumber than the AI; so, I wouldn't say its more of a challenge.

Well, having experienced more of the game I can say that for the most part players get coordinates for the incoming enemy from players who have run into the enemy. They can click on the link provided in chat and an x will mark it on the map.

Also, once the enemy is announced, usually a slew of players will head off in the direction of that enemy.

If one gets killed by the enemy the penalty is minimal at best. 1 kinah of money to get your xp back. If one doesn't care about abyss points then that is nothing (as you might lose abyss points from a pvp death).

There are high level areas on both sides that have no rifts so are pretty much pure pve. There are also some pve instances added.

Given that there are so many players interested in the pvp part of the game it should be easy to announce your attackers and get a decent amount of players runnng to where they are (were).

My advice to pve players is this:

Announce their whereabouts

Don't cry about it or complain about it. I don't say that to be mean but you won't get sympathy in game so don't feed the people who live for that stuff

Hit "back to town as soon as you can so you don't give your attackers the satisfaction of dancing on your head. This will also make you feel better if you hate to see that stuff.

If someone announces and enemy and you see players going to get them, join them. Seriously. You really might find out why it's so much fun. And it lessens the sting if you are part of a group and you get killed as opposed to doing a quest solo and getting killed.

You might be surprised how well you do. Heck, my first pvp fight in Aion was a ganker hoping to take me unawares and I killed him. This is not to say I haven't been killed in by others but you get used to it and as I said, the penalties are nil.

You also see the enemy on your radar as red squares (as opposed to red circles which are aggro mobs). So that can help as well.

Originally posted by Calintz333

   

I'm not going to sit here and say Aion is a bad game for this feature of FORCED open world PvP in order to progress, because it is not. It is still a great game that incorporates something totally original and unique into its game play that will be a huge draw to some players, but in my opinion it will be an even bigger barrier to get PvE oriented players, which many games have shown make up the majority of mmorpgs.

 

There is no forced PvP in Aion, there are rift free zones for you to level in and you are not forced into the Abyss.  You can craft your little heart out if that's your thing and never have to worry about  running into a scary bad guy that will whoop your arse.  Personally I don't see the point in not engaging in PvP,  but each there own.

The thread is two months old people! Let it die.

Ok I've read the post and will try to be objective. Forced PvP,  hmm no. You do not have to PvP. What Vyce stated is pretty much the case from what I've seen. I came into the beta late and did not reach high enough lvl for real PvP or the Abyss. So I am not able to make a informed decision on how the mechanics of that work yet. I generally do not do like the PvP part of games only because I don't care for the way it is implemented by the game devs of that particular game. I loved UT, Quake, etc PvP, I hated PvP in WoW. So I will wait and see how its implemented in AION before I make a judgement on it. I will say that if I don't care for it, it is entirely possible that it will not stop me from playing AION. There are more aspects to AION than just PvP. As far as ganking goes, as I've stated in other post, there are asshats in every game. Hopefully the people playing AION will not tolerate ganking losers and hound them so unmercifully they leave the game, lol. There is no talent, skill or honor in ganking a low level player, It is merely the epitome of cowardice. Each person will will have to make up their own mind if AIONS PvP is for them. AION holds enough content for me to be happy for some time at minimum. As far as the rest, time will tell.

Originally posted by Calintz333

Thats right, I just want to make it clear, I previously stated in a thread about 2 weeks back that Aion would by my last mmorpg ever. I promised this to freinds and family. That this would be the last mmorpg game I start or play. I still only play to play / start 1 mmorpg no matter what but It wont be Aion.

Emo drama at its best!

Unlike the majority of people who do not like aion and come here just to flame and troll I actually have something logical and coherent points to bring up. 

First of all I would like to get something out of the way. I was and still am for the most part a huge colossal Aion fan. I have a  poster of Aion which I got in Comic-Con last year in the Ncsoft booth. I had reserved two copies of the limited Edition version of Aion, I had began working with a friend on an Aion fan site in december of 2008, as well as with a online gaming community to join a legion all together as soon as Aion was released. I have been a member of Aion source site since early 2007. I have been eargerly waiting for Aion since 2007.  You could say I am about as big as a Aion fan could get...or was.

 

Im not going to sit here and say Aion is a bad game for this feature of FORCED open world PvP in order to progress (as opposed to FORCED open world PvE in order to progress?), because it is not. It is still a great game that incorporates something totally original and unique into its game play that will be a huge draw to some players, but in my opinion it will be an even bigger barrier to get PvE oriented players, which many games have shown make up the majority of mmorpgs.

 

It is something different made for those players who want something like this.  Originally I was under the impression that Aion was a game that would cater to many different types of play styles. I have recently learned that this is not true at all. Aion is by far not catering to the PvE player. To progress in any meaningful way shape or form you will need to level, and as you level areas become open PK with you having no say in it. Most of the meaningful progressive quests in the game are in an area called the abyss which is also open PK.  The game does not provide a real in game choice for players who do not want to PvP to progress, it is built with PvP as a main point in progressing in mind.

......and you say you were a huge collossal fan of Aion and yet you didnt know that the games focus is on pvp? I thought that was common knowledge. You came into a game based around two factions in conflict with each other and yet you want to be able to avoid the conflict? You realise that makes no sense right? There is an ingame choice to avoid player conflict and competition. Its called the exit button.

 

I am happy about this at the same time I am very disillusioned.  I am happy for those players who finally get a game that has a good mix of PvE and PvP where they don't  just make PvP a back seat to PvE, and at the same time PvP incorporates a huge sum of a great storyline. This is amazing for those players who were waiting for something like this. I am sure a lot of people will be very happy to know that Aion is that game where PvP can actually help you progress as much if not more than PvE in story, lore, as well as gear.

Ok here is where I explain the meaning of the enlarged green text. On the one hand you indicate that pve games are the preferred type of mmo and yet here you correctly point out that players have not had the option of playing an mmo that has pvp incorporated into it properly. So....ermmm.....how can anyone possibly know if pve is preferable when we have hardly any decent pvp games to compare them to?

If you feed people lots of apples then that doesnt mean people dislike oranges. It simply means that people are buying the only fruit which is on offer......apples. So far shops have tried injecting fake orange flavouring into their apples and naturally the general response has been "Yuck! Oranges taste awful! Give me back my pure apple!". Sadly this isnt the true taste of a well made orange. In fact most customers arent even capable of imagining what a good orange would taste like. The word "orange" simply evokes memories of this horrid fake orange-flavoured apple that people have tasted. So shops carry on dishing dishing out apples.

To me this system just does not work well. I do not find any enjoyment at all in ruining another players gaming experience for my own humor, nor do I appreciate it when others do the same to me. I play games to have fun, not to be frustrated......and yet you have no problems with having "your gaming experience ruined" by the computer when it kills you with some mobs? Basicly your idea of fun means reading a story and clicking through mindless mobs without having to think or react to anything. You dont like it when real people are your opponents because it takes you out of your comfort zone. Thats ok by the way. I find that enjoyable too. However I personally like to have variety in a game. It gets dreary when you know exactly what your dumb computer controlled opponents are going to do and where they are going to be.

I hope that everyone here really enjoys Aion because it is an amazing game with great potential for its intended audience. In my China, and US beta weeks I have experienced things in Aion that no other mmorpg has even come close to acomplishing. Immersion unlike any I have ever seen (except you want to be able to avoid the enemy faction in a competitive pvp game which is totally immersion breaking) , amazing storytelling and much more.

To a Long term PvE veteran like myself (....as if that claim means anything at all. Anyone who sits on their arse playing computer games is a "pve veteran") though Aion has been my biggest let down in gaming. In 15 years of gaming I have never felt as empty and disillusioned with any game as I do with Aion. It is not because of what it is not, it is not because I think the game is bad, its just the fact the game forces players to play the game in such a way that I know very well I do not enjoy.

Oh gosh! An mmo that branches away from the mainstream a little bit and actually requires you to play against other human beings......in an online game shared by thousands?!! Thats disgraceful! Whatever next?!

This may be a shock to you (and clearly it actually is) but not all mmos have to cater to everyone. Why should they? WAR tried catering to everyone and look at how that game turned out. It had "optional" pvp zones in it....and because they were optional they were empty most of the time. Aion is a game with a heavy pvp focus and if you give players the option to completely avoid it then it waters down that aspect of the game because it splits all the players up into groups that are doing different things. WAR did that. It had 3 seperate games (PvE quests, PvP scenarios and open PvP playpens........and as a result "war was not everywhere". In fact it was a very lonely mmo indeed where you had to really go looking for the action. "Forcing" players to encounter each other isnt a bad thing. Its a good thing. Its "forcing" players to play the game in the way that its intended. Clearly playing competitive games against real people isnt your thing......but thats ok because Aion isnt the only game on the planet. Go and play something else (shrug).

 

As I stated in the beginning of my post, I had previously stated this would be the last EVER mmorpg game I buy and stick with, Well, I had been looking forward to it for 3+ years, I had worked on a fan site for it, I had joined the largest US community of Aion, I was already in a pre determined Legion community.... If all of that does not prove that I was a devoted Aion enthusiast I don't know what will. I just wish Aion gave me the option to enjoy the game the way I want to enjoy it, not force me into a pre determined play style that I despise.   An even bigger shocker is that I had no idea Aion was going to be a PvP based game until recently, I can't believe that in all those years of looking into Aion and in all those hours I spent on the beta testings, I never bothered to ask how the PvP would be until recently.  Guess a lot of that is really my own fault too :)

Yep it most certainly is all your own fault. 3 years dedicated to worshipping a game and even building a fansite for it.......and you didnt even know what it was?! Thats pretty damn impressive :)

I also like the way you are so incredibly over-dramatic about a game. You take emo drama to a pretty high level. "This will be my last game EVER!". Its just a game. Dont worry there will always be an endless stream of mmos for you to pin all of your wildest hopes and dreams on......until the next one comes along of course.

Originally posted by kalaren

The thread is two months old people! Let it die.

Well, ppl cant play AION yet, so lets all waking old dead posts to entertaiment :)

You don't even lose your gear or anything when you die in Aion, do you?

I wouldn't really call it hardcore pvp.. It's just PvP in a simple form. If you don't want to participate just let yourself die and continue your quest afterwards.

I honestly don't see the purpose of a game that doesn't focus on PvP in the end. You can kill hundreds, thousands, millions of computer generated mobs for the rest of your life but it will always be the same. Those mobs will never change up their routines, or surprise you in combat. It's stale. I require the challenge of another human mind.

Besides.. Aion is far from being Open FFA PvP. Sure, it has Open PvP Zones, but hell, when you don't wish to pvp simply exit the zone. Granted in order to advance within the game world you must eventually understand the formula of risk vs reward. Or should I say Challenge/Difficulty vs reward since there really isn't any risk involved.

If the idea of PvP is just too much for you there is one more thing that you could try. Imagine that all enemy players are computer generated with computer AI. Tell yourself that they are challenging because the developers have created the most sophisticated combat AI system that any game has ever come up with. If you treat enemy players as additional mobs or monsters within the game world then maybe you can finally see their purpose. To create a fun and interesting challenge for you to face within these zones.

Originally posted by grandpagamer

Originally posted by Wizardry

First of all you should not tell others they cannot have an opinion then go on to say yours is MORE constructive.That is a biased opinion right there.Even so,i do agree with you on the fact that forced PVP does not work,but not just in AION...ANY  mmorpg game for that matter.

People do not like aspects of games for a reason,because they believe it is a bad idea,at least for themselves.This of course does not mean it is bad for everyone.As for myself,when i bring up a flaw in a game, i do so because i feel it is a bad idea for the MAJORITY not just myself or a select few.A game can only exist when the majority of players are really happy with the game.PVP is one example that would most likely ruin a game experience for close to 50% of the players,even if they new there was PVP before they entered the game.

However on your post about PVP,this is one HUGE aspect i have eluded to in MANY posts,not even related to AION.

I have stated OVER AND OVER PVP does "NOT" work in ANY MMORPG.As soon as you bring PVP into the mix ,it is no longer a MMORPG,it is a FPS.You can NOT have the "role play" aspect in the game when someone else gets to determine what you do or do not do in the game,it does NOT match or mix.

I am glad that the OP at least comes out and states PVP is a fail,because many others wil lturn to cheating or finding other means to protect themselves from constant death.By letting the developers know and the "other" players know it is not something that works,we may get MMORPG's back to where they belong...as PVE games.

FFXI did it the right way,it made a totally PVE MMORPG,but still had a VERY good PVP system in place for those that agreed to do it.As was witnessed,VERY few took part in the PVP aspect,even though it was a very well setup system and was a fair system to boot.Maybe that is the problem with players today,they do not want PVP to be organized and fair,they want to be able to cheat or find an edge to give them the no risk reward.

Yes i agree that forced PVP will not work in NA. I enjoy some PVP now and then but at the end of the day if the game is lacking in PVE elements it will be the first such game to succeed in the west.

DaoC? WAR would of been fine expect the actual game was broken, same goes with AoC. Aion is polished. Not sure where you are getting a PvP won't work in the NA from. That actually makes us look like a bunch of sissies if that's the case. "Ohh, let's fight scripted mobs that do the same thing every day over and over"..it's dumb. Let's not forget Aion has plenty of PvE..and I guess you all forgot you can do PvE in the fucking Abyss. Christ...

I love how the OP mentions he talked about this to his family and friends like this is some kind of big deal or life changing event. I think you might have larger issues than "forced PvP" which it isn't. OP, you might want to read up on the game because there are some cool instances that require 2 teams going after 1 big type boss thing. It's kind of cool..and I don't really like PvE. I find PvE more of an annoyance then anything but obviously it's there for a reason.

Nvm Necro

Wow who dug up this old thread.