The Aion official website has been updated with details on Aion's launch version, and one bit that stands out in particular is NCsoft's dropping of GameGuard from the title. Realizing the overall hindrance GameGuard's presence is causing users due to beta feedback, NCsoft has done the right thing by their fans and dropped the tech until they can figure out how to "effectively utilize GameGuard within Aion in the future".

GameGuard is often found in free-to-play/Asian MMOGs in order to curb cheating, but tends to provide more of a headache to legitimate users than it may be worth.

Another notable change coming to Aion at launch is the raise of the level cap from 45 to 50.

The original announcement is available here.

Did GameGuard drive you nuts? If so, on a scale of 1-10 with seven being the highest, how happy are you NCsoft has dropped the tech? Let us know in the comments!

I'm glad they dropped it. I've had trouble running games in the past because of it, and while I haven't had any problems with Aion, I know a lot of other people have.

I am glad they dropped GG also - we really only received a Generic Host Services 32 error on our two WinXP PC's and we just ignored them.  This game is my first experience with GG and I'm really not a fan - glad it is gone!!!

I had never any trouble with GameGuard before. Not in any game.

But I don't mind seeing them dropping it. As it was pretty much ineffective anyway.

I just hope they gonna be a bit more active against botters and cheaters, then the inactiveness in their other titles.

That is really my own concern.

Well since I am a linux user using wine, GG is my nemesis. So the decision to remove it, is very wise at least to the linux gaming community.

10

Originally posted by theronakron

Well since I am a linux user using wine, GG is my nemesis. So the decision to remove it, is very wise at least to the linux gaming community.

10

I have to agree.

What worries me is how they will deal with the hackers and gold farmers now.

 I am very happy to hear about this.  I had some issues with Gameguard, but more than anything I had the biggest issue with the ridiculous invasion of my computer (and privacy) for seemingly very little benefit.

Gameguard...does...not...work.  There you have it.  It's like your average government program.  It has a very high cost and does very little to accomplish what it is supposedly designed to accomplish.

As to how they will solve the botter and hacker problem now, they will have to solve it the same way every other western game accomplishes it, with much less invasive software that only tracks the memory in usage by the game, and GM's to destroy accounts with bad behavior.  Frankly doing that will probably cost less than the licensing fees to Gameguard.

So when they put it back in like they say they are, how many will quit?

Originally posted by Scalebane

So when they put it back in like they say they are, how many will quit?

That's the thing, everybody is saying 'gameguard is gone, gameguard is gone" when it is only being removed for launch.

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Scalebane

So when they put it back in like they say they are, how many will quit?

 

That's the thing, everybody is saying 'gameguard is gone, gameguard is gone" when it is only being removed for launch.

They have said it will only be brought back in if it can be effective and upgraded.   At Aionsource a dev said they would remove it if it was not improvd upon and this was said months ago.  You can take them for there word on this if its not improved they wont be readding it int he future.

Originally posted by Markn12

Originally posted by Sovrath

Originally posted by Scalebane

So when they put it back in like they say they are, how many will quit?

 

That's the thing, everybody is saying 'gameguard is gone, gameguard is gone" when it is only being removed for launch.

 

They have said it will only be brought back in if it can be effective and upgraded.   At Aionsource a dev said they would remove it if it was not improvd upon and this was said months ago.  You can take them for there word on this if its not improved they wont be readding it int he future.

well, these are the exact words. unless there is another post that you know about:

After analyzing our open beta test results Aion will not feature GameGuard at launch. We will however continue to pursue ways to effectively utilize GameGuard within Aion in the future. Right now we're focused on providing players with the best possible Aion experience.

Originally posted by MikeB

Did GameGuard drive you nuts? If so, on a scale of 1-10 with seven being the highest, how happy are you NCsoft has dropped the tech? Let us know in the comments!

That's no fair! I guess a 7 then, as GG bogged my machine down and never, and I do mean never, fully closed out so I always had to reboot my machine after closing the client.

"I'm so happy that i could sing,
I love everyone and everything,
I'm so happy that i could fly,
I just cant feel the time go by, I'm so high!

Who's winning? We are all winning!!
Who's winning? We are all winning!!"

GameGuard was killing my wifi dongle software, putting me offline whenever i was turning aion on, making it impossible to play.

I'm glad i can now play Aion woithout reverting to hacking GameGuard.

11 out of 10.

Best decision ever to remove it.
I really enjoyed Aion but cancelled my pre-order subscription pre-launch because I didn't believe they would remove it. Not a tantrum quit. I just couldn't play it on my main install due to gameguard errors as it tried to install as a rootkit vs my anti-virus.

I am impressed to see this response to community feedback from NCSoft, and will definately be re-subscribing. Happy to support a company that responds to feedback. I've no doubt they will continue to test and deploy other anti-cheating measures in the future.

I think its great they have decided agianst GG. I did not have issues with it in Aion as some others have said, BUT...it was a complete waste of time and had many troubles in L2.

The concern over botters, and spammers is very simple. It comes down to choice; If players "choose" not to partake of the "gold" or services offered by the botters, they will go away..........eventually. I don't believe anyone has had their virtual arm twisted by the spammer goons, to take their offers.

Hopefully the Kinah will flow so readily that illeagal purchasing of it will become unnecessary.

Overall I have to say I give it a 10 for removal, and hope there will be no need for GG in the future.

Originally posted by Hrothmund

Originally posted by theronakron

Well since I am a linux user using wine, GG is my nemesis. So the decision to remove it, is very wise at least to the linux gaming community.

10

I have to agree.

What worries me is how they will deal with the hackers and gold farmers now.

The truth about gameguard though is that it DOESN'T keep the hackers and gold farmers out. Maybe it works against the kid who wanted to make a few extra bucks on the side selling currency, but the larger companies know how to work around GameGuard and have done so since this poor excuse of a program started lying about how effective it is.

I was in the Beta, and I hated Gameguard. 6 out of 10. It never really caused me any issues. But it would occasionally Gameguard would hang starting up and I'd have to manually kill it and try starting Aion AGAIN. And the amount of system resources it consumes is simply obscene. And it looks like spyware, it was always simply creepy seeing it start itself up.

Finally!! It was annoying and caused intermittant issues... so frustrating to haveto diagnose error codes, wait for a patch or reboot when these issues ocurred. i would NEVER pick a game again  if i knew in advance that it used GG... so happy it's gone!!

I was thinking to ask  for a refound because that stupid program.
Now at least I will give the game a month to convince me it is worth extending the subscription beyond that.

Good move NCSoft

Personally, I am going to wait and make sure it isn't in at release before I buy it.