It may sound silly to you, but that was the dealbreaker for me, with WAR.  I was questing with someone and I was like do you like this game (I still wasn't sure) and he was like not really, look around you: it has no soul.  I "looked" around and it was true, it was just pixels.  Don't get me wrong, they're all pixels, but the games that we loved and got us into this stuff, from Mario to EQ to WoW -- they felt alive.  WoW, although everyone I know has left it, still feels alive to me, like a living breathing world (albeit its much weirder than ever before with the last 2 expacs). 

I tried some of Aion last night when I had time and it seemed nice but it immediately struck me as a game.   There were some interesting moments, heading down to the lake and seeing all the weird creatures walknig around and fishing for food.  But overall I quickly saw the linear path and the writing seemed so bland (maybe its the weird dead font they use?).  I don't know.  I'm going to try the Beta again tonight but so far it really felt soulless.  

Has anyone progressed further and feels different?  I'd love a new "world", not just another game. 

Honestly early gameplay is quite linear and quest/story driven, and its like that for quite a few levels but it gets more open later in the game. I guess its to kind of guide new players for a little while.

As for a "worldly" feeling im torn. The world itself is beautiful, and I love some of the creatures that are their just as scenery, but at the same time when I am playing it can feel a bit more lifeless.

Originally posted by Torgozo

It may sound silly to you, but that was the dealbreaker for me, with WAR.  I was questing with someone and I was like do you like this game (I still wasn't sure) and he was like not really, look around you: it has no soul.  I "looked" around and it was true, it was just pixels.  Don't get me wrong, they're all pixels, but the games that we loved and got us into this stuff, from Mario to EQ to WoW -- they felt alive.  WoW, although everyone I know has left it, still feels alive to me, like a living breathing world (albeit its much weirder than ever before with the last 2 expacs). 

I tried some of Aion last night when I had time and it seemed nice but it immediately struck me as a game.   There were some interesting moments, heading down to the lake and seeing all the weird creatures walknig around and fishing for food.  But overall I quickly saw the linear path and the writing seemed so bland (maybe its the weird dead font they use?).  I don't know.  I'm going to try the Beta again tonight but so far it really felt soulless.  

Has anyone progressed further and feels different?  I'd love a new "world", not just another game. 

My friend you have realized the pet caused global warming effect on Aion'; the "I think I've been here before" feeling. Thats a real, and valid, thing. But give it time to flesh out, and try all the different apects. Go whack a few more pathetically cute beasts and hope you finally see copious amouts of goo before you get disheartened. And I see already you have the Wo_ (censored) virus, (symptoms include but are not limited to using Wo_ (censored) allusions. I beg you, before it progresses, seek the wisdom of a member with at least 500 posts, or the cutting edge of a maniacal game hating member with under 100 posts. Go sniff one more of those sickening plants you already hate to pick before the beauty fades with a server crash. and remember, its all caused by (fill in favorite scapegoat here).
 

The "soul" of a game is entirely colored by you and the baggage you bring to it. If you don't find a soul in a game, I'd bet 9 times out of 10 it's a problem with you, and not the game. If you found a soul in the first 1 or 2 MMOs that you ever played, odds are you will find it much, much harder to find that soul in games that you play subsequently. This is not the game's fault--it's just human nature when playing multiple MMOs over time.

I found a soul in Aion, but then again, when I play a new MMO I consciously strip myself of the MMO baggage that I carry with me and approach it with a clean slate. Maybe you didn't do that.

If you play a new MMO and can no longer go "ooohh" or "aahhh" when you see or do something cool; if you get the distinct feeling that you've "been there and done that" when starting out even though the game's content is entirely different from other games that you have played (I'm not talking mechanics, I'm talking content); if you constantly find yourself focusing on what isn't in an MMO vs. what actually is (and thus you can't enjoy the content as much); if you find your thoughts drifting back to compare a new MMO to MMOs of the past; if you start judging the entire gameplay of an MMO on just its first 5 levels of play:

*****It's time to step away from the MMO genre--you are burned out*****.

Originally posted by Boardwalker

The "soul" of a game is entirely colored by you and the baggage you bring to it. If you don't find a soul in a game, I'd bet 9 times out of 10 it's a problem with you, and not the game. If you found a soul in the first 1 or 2 MMOs that you ever played, odds are you will find it much, much harder to find that soul in games that you play subsequently. This is not the game's fault--it's just human nature when playing multiple MMOs over time.

I found a soul in Aion, but then again, when I play a new MMO I consciously strip myself of the MMO baggage that I carry with me and approach it with a clean slate. Maybe you didn't do that.

If you play a new MMO and can no longer go "ooohh" or "aahhh" when you see or do something cool; if you get the distinct feeling that you've "been there and done that" when starting out even though the game's content is entirely different from other games that you have played (I'm not talking mechanics, I'm talking content); if you constantly find yourself focusing on what isn't in an MMO vs. what actually is (and thus you can't enjoy the content as much); if you find your thoughts drifting back to compare a new MMO to MMOs of the past; if you start judging the entire gameplay of an MMO on just its first 5 levels of play:

*****It's time to step away from the MMO genre--you are burned out*****.

Completely agree 

You are the soul.

Those who you place around you be it RL friends or a IG Legion help shape that soul.

The test for Aion is when the first flashback scene play's for your fist time of flight albeit not controlled flight if that doesnt put a OOOO in your Typhoo then perhaps it isnt for you.

I think I understand the OP here and yes I do feel the game has soul. Maybe not that full soul feeling you had back in EQ, but its there. There are so many little things that add up and give this world its own soul. Take for instance when it rains, if your character isnt doing anything, Up comes a leaf over your head to try and protect you from the rain. When in a steamy hot desert, your character starts fanning itself trying to cool back down. The early levels are nothing more than "here, let me show you how to do this" type content. You start noticing the hand holding slowly starting to drift ever so slightly, around level 14. To me, its all the little things that add up to giving a game soul, and frankly I feel its there. You just have to step back, slow down and look for it, you will see it.

Extremely well said!  You try to do a technical review and it's really impossible because some games have "soul" and some don't.  There's really no way to explain it.  It's the same with people and everything else.  Some have that certain sort of magnetism and some don't.  WoW grabbed me immediately, sucked me in.  This doesn't even with all the polish and shine.  Who knows why.   My best guess is that the people behind wow had something no one else does.

Originally posted by greymann

...This doesn't even with all the polish and shine.  Who knows why.   My best guess is that the people behind wow had something no one else does.

I do. It's you, not Aion.

You can definately tell which games are put out by devs that love the source material and the IP, and the devs that are putting out a 'product'. 

Which does Aion feel like...to you? 

Originally posted by Boardwalker

The "soul" of a game is entirely colored by you and the baggage you bring to it. If you don't find a soul in a game, I'd bet 9 times out of 10 it's a problem with you, and not the game

...snip...

*****It's time to step away from the MMO genre--you are burned out*****.

I dunno I partly agree but mainly disagree. 'Soul' and or 'Charm' is made up by lots of little things, ambient sounds, graphic style, sense of humour (e3ven in the darkest settings).  The way the content is presented rather than the content itself. It is also slightly different from 'imersion'.  LoTRO had charm in spades for example.

For me Aion could do with some more tweaks but dosen't really right now. Some of the combat sounds are jarring (sounds like you are in a video arcade) and while there are some interesting features in the world the zones (so far) feel like a theme park ride as you are funneled through them. (this may well change later but is still a clue to the design ethic of the team).

Games have soul?  Holy crap, this is the first time I've ever heard about this.

You shold stop playing Aion now, if you are looking for a world and soul.  However, if you want to look for a solid game, Aion might for you.

Basically I have no idea what type of person you are, but I hope you will enjoy the game, even if not, best of luck to you.

Originally posted by Torgozo

It may sound silly to you, but that was the dealbreaker for me, with WAR.  I was questing with someone and I was like do you like this game (I still wasn't sure) and he was like not really, look around you: it has no soul.  I "looked" around and it was true, it was just pixels.  Don't get me wrong, they're all pixels, but the games that we loved and got us into this stuff, from Mario to EQ to WoW -- they felt alive.  WoW, although everyone I know has left it, still feels alive to me, like a living breathing world (albeit its much weirder than ever before with the last 2 expacs). 

I tried some of Aion last night when I had time and it seemed nice but it immediately struck me as a game.   There were some interesting moments, heading down to the lake and seeing all the weird creatures walknig around and fishing for food.  But overall I quickly saw the linear path and the writing seemed so bland (maybe its the weird dead font they use?).  I don't know.  I'm going to try the Beta again tonight but so far it really felt soulless.  

Has anyone progressed further and feels different?  I'd love a new "world", not just another game. 

THats a shocker... a you realized a video game was a video game... now imagine this, Imagine playing video games as a hobby and entertainment still being a video game. Or go your skitzo route and try to feel the inner soul of a virtual world. Now maybe I got your strange religeous rant about souls all wrong. Maybe your asking about the Npc's in the world around you and if they feel alive? Sure I guess, they feel as alive as any other animated virtual sprite that dies and respawns moments later

I dont want to be mean perse' but I think your trying to find a game that completely absorbs you and removes reality and thats probably not a good thing. It's very possible you should give games up for a while if thats your intentions. IRL is a pretty upstanding MMO with thousands of classes, a lot of PvP and even some pretty unique emotes and titles you can acquire. Explore that world first, then we'll talk about this virtual one.

I'm not sure if it has Soul but it has Country & Western - I'm sure I heard someone play a banjo in the background music in one of the early zones. /getcoat

 Good question. Games that had soul for me where EQ,DAOC and Anarchy Online. WAR on the other hand had zilch I thought maybe it was just me...I played it like DAOC but not a DAOC newb like a vet just wanting to powergame to the end and RVR hit 40 quick and found out that meh the game just wasn't good (Mythic Fanboy even)....So glad to see im not the only one who thought the game was a souless pixel hole.

Aion though to me has soul it gives me the IT factor that I havent felt an any newer MMO's and was wondering if it was me or MMO's. You can say well you only played for a few levels you don't know but I can tell you I do. I have played MMO's for a loooong time and I know imediately usually. I never gotten it with WAR or any of the newer MMO's....Lotro almost but I could never get past the classes or combat of the game. WOW has soul I think but it just wasn't my song.

Look AION doesn't seem alot different than any of the other newer MMO's I've played but it runs good on my machine looks good to me.....it does have a small Asian fantasy flair which is usually a turn off for me (sorry dudes dig your food though) but not over the top and I seen armor and looks I wanted to have which is usually my driving force lol so it has the IT factor for me....

So find the game that has Soul for you and play it.

Originally posted by DoomsDay01

I think I understand the OP here and yes I do feel the game has soul. Maybe not that full soul feeling you had back in EQ, but its there. There are so many little things that add up and give this world its own soul. Take for instance when it rains, if your character isnt doing anything, Up comes a leaf over your head to try and protect you from the rain. When in a steamy hot desert, your character starts fanning itself trying to cool back down. The early levels are nothing more than "here, let me show you how to do this" type content. You start noticing the hand holding slowly starting to drift ever so slightly, around level 14. To me, its all the little things that add up to giving a game soul, and frankly I feel its there. You just have to step back, slow down and look for it, you will see it.

I think this is what did it for me also like the glowing red eyes when attacking and small features just added up.

I totally understand the OP and have been turned on to/off from games for the same reason.

Having tried both factions now in Aion, I feel that the Asmodean side at least has soul. The quest text might not be as well written as WoW's, but within the first ten levels I really began to get a feel for the Asmodean culture, to the point where I really enjoyed getting the Pandemonium (sp) and seeing the cultural attitude to the raiders you've been working for for the first 9 levels, as perceived by the upper class city folk.

I don't know how it will pan out for 50 levels, but it's got me to the point where I want to see more.

I also felt a little more empty playing the Elyos faction. I've seen this before; one of the bizzare things about Vanguard was the dramatic difference in er.. 'soul level' between different starting areas.