Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by Dark-Asylum

sounds like you're wasting your money if you didn't even take the time to actually try the gameplay instead of "putting little hope" into it. im not saying aion is good or bad but of course if you don't even know if the gameplay is good why dont you just cancel and wait for a trial?

I'm trying not to waste my money.  That was the point of the post.

I'm hoping someone will come along and tell me that there was some technologically impressive graphics.  And if the gameplay is all that different from other games that have come out, then let me know how.  I'm all ears.  Really!

Graphically speaking?

Well what I can say is impressive about Aion is a few things. The characters feel immersed in the game, if you go afk and you are in the water? You will look around, find a fish and try and grab it. If it's raining you will hold a leaf over your head. Also if you took a good look at some trees or bushes you'll see some bugs and living micro organisms.

The lighting effects are detailed and great and there are many options when scaling to different machines so you'll see some "not so great screenshots".

I find the huge hulking monsters on the horizon looking like Brontosauruses and massive flying monsters in the Abyss. Once you hit level 30 and start leveling at the upper abyss you'll see more of a three dimensional island leveling zone. You can kill mobs on one island, fly up to another right above and the mobs look very WIERD and impressive in comparison to the rest. More demonic like, unique and special.

The game has many fun things, especially how it doesn't force people to look a certain way at maximum level. You can change the look of your armor to anything you want. No one looks the same at max level. I believe this attributes for the high amount of female population interested in this game. You can have fashion shows... lol.

Originally posted by MisterSr

Well I am extremely picky about my graphics, and I really like these... probably just because they simulate reflections so well, and the character animations are great. I played L2 for like a day and I couldn't really stand the graphics, so... I am going to have to say this is not the same as lineage.

Cool.  Thanks, man!  :)

Originally posted by Kalay

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Alright, to preface my comment let me say this...

I have played MMO's for a while.  And I'm quite aware of the fact that almost every MMO out there that has recently come out is  pretty much the same.  So, I've decided that for the most part the biggest deciding factor in the new batch of MMO's (until someone decides to develop a game that is different from the rest [and please no EVE posts]) is to just play the one with the best graphics and sound.  That's all that seems to distinguish them from each other for me anymore.

That being said, I have pre-ordered Aion and I do still intend to go through with my purchase.  But I'm a little worried.  From my character creation I did tonight is seems that the graphics are just Lineage II on meth.  And not that much better really.  Did anyone else notice the same thing?

It seems to me like there is this NC Soft engine that just keeps getting tweaked here and there whenever a new game comes out. 

I did like the sound though on the character creation.  The cool explosion sound rang awesomely when I clicked on my new character.  I hope the other in game sounds are just as good.

But I do hope I didn't just buy a repackaged version of Lineage II with updated graphics engine. 

 

 

Well I hate to type this once again...If you do not like the Asian (Korean) still of MMO and graphics this game is not for you.  Even the English writing is in an Asian font.

And yes some of the graphics are similar to Lineage 2 but in more detail.  (I still play L2).

You should think more along the lines of Guild Wars.  I found the graphics closer to GW. 

But the style is quite different and I think you are in for a treat if you have never seen a day and night cycle like this before.  Where Linaege 2 had a very bright sun and shadows, and some really stunning effects going from day to night in certain areas, (those who have played it know what I mean), this game sort of has the same thing but it uses coloring differently from the sun and the moon for a more artistic effect.  (i.e. Sky going from green to purple to blue one night, and blue to purple to orange the next night.) 

The idea is brilliant and I hope they pull it off good.  I have only seen up to ascension and the larger cities to see how it works so I really can't give a 100% opinion.  And I am sure some areas will be more pleasing to some than to others.

Stick with it.  I do not think you are going to be disappointed.  And when you get to level 10 try the arena.  It gives you a good idea on what the pvp is like.

Oh and I almost forgot.  It is like very other MMO in most of its gameplay.  Aion is an MMO.  That usually involves grinding.  If you are looking for something different try City Of Heroes or wait for the new Star Wars:  The Old Republic.

 

 

Cool.  I'll consider what you say.  Thanks.

I guess tomorrow will be a big decision time. 

Ouch.. thats a bit harsh.  Although I totally agree that if you are going to judge the game by how it looks, you are going to miss out on what makes it good.

For the sake of argument, I totally agree they could have done character customization better.  Say for instance, sliders for character skin, hair, and eye color rather then the dart board palette.

But seriously, if you havent tried the gameplay it'd be a bit pre-mature to cancel.

Originally posted by MisterSr

 

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Originally posted by allsmilestou

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Originally posted by gnomexxx

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Originally posted by scraca

 

Would you rather have great gameplay and decent graphics or horrible gameplay and great graphics?  Look what happened to AOC, great graphics and the gameplay blew. NCSOFT used this graphics engine for a reason. How else would you make large scale pvp play well. Try having 100 people on the screen at the same time in AOC or even 50 people.

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Well, as I said, I'm not holding much confidence in "gameplay" when it comes to MMO's these days.  My guess is that Aion is going to be another MMO along the lines of all the rest that have come out.
I buy the new games to see the art meshed with technology.  I like to explore and see cool shit.  Like someone mentioned, the landscapes and views in Vanguards were very impressive.  Yeah, it took a behemoth machine, but I've got one.  And that's the reason I bought it was so that I could be the explorer that I am and see the cool stuff as impressive as it was meant to be.
If a game comes out with some good gameplay and does something fun that no one else has done I will be pretty forgiving with the graphics.  That's one of the reasons I still play DAoC off and on.  But I would put my money on Aion not being anything past a Lineage II type game.  I hope I'm wrong.

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  Is the OP retarded or a dramaqueen? LMAO....Listen to this fool..OMFG I DONT KNOW IF I LIKE DAH GRAPHICS PULEASE HELP ME DECIDE,OH NOES...I DONT HAVE MUCH TIME,TEH CLOCK IS TICKING...
Spoken like a true testosteroneless nerd...I cant stop laughing....
 

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Hey, no need to be a jerk to the guy. He is just asking other players opinions, that's what forums are for. No need to come in and be a prick, if you don't like the question just don't look at the thread.

No worries, mate.  That's what the block button is for.  Thanks for the post with your suggestion earlier though.  I concur, that's what forums are for!

Originally posted by Rev22

Ouch.. thats a bit harsh.  Although I totally agree that if you are going to judge the game by how it looks, you are going to miss out on what makes it good.

For the sake of argument, I totally agree they could have done character customization better.  Say for instance, sliders for character skin, hair, and eye color rather then the dart board palette.

 

But seriously, if you havent tried the gameplay it'd be a bit pre-mature to cancel.

Alright.  I'll give it a shot. 

I'm just going to be blunt, the gameplay is boring and uninspired. It's typical theme park gameplay with kill x quests or fetch y quests(overly common phrase on these forums but true). The game runs off a heavily modified CryEngine 1 which looks good and performs miles better than Lineage 2. It looks good but thats not saying much really. Please, save your money.

Originally posted by Rev22

Ouch.. thats a bit harsh.  Although I totally agree that if you are going to judge the game by how it looks, you are going to miss out on what makes it good.

For the sake of argument, I totally agree they could have done character customization better.  Say for instance, sliders for character skin, hair, and eye color rather then the dart board palette.

 

But seriously, if you havent tried the gameplay it'd be a bit pre-mature to cancel.

What server are you playing on btw?

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Originally posted by AlexTheTall

The graphics you see at pre-selection arn't maxed in the option... Just change them tomorow when the head-launch start!

True.

I guess I can check them out tomorrow. 

Can anyone give more info on that? I noticed my video settings were set back at pre-selection, although i've had them on max in the beta. Moved all sliders to the right again and that's about it graphics wise.

What else is about to change then?

Originally posted by Dark-Asylum

I'm just going to be blunt, the gameplay is boring and uninspired. It's typical theme park gameplay with kill x quests or fetch y quests(overly common phrase on these forums but true). The game runs off a heavily modified CryEngine 1 which looks good and performs miles better than Lineage 2. It looks good but thats not saying much really. Please, save your money.

Thanks.  I'll try it tomorrow and see.

I'm like you though, I'm so tired of the uninspired game play from games lately.  I hope the games on the horizon are better for us all.  We deserve it.

Originally posted by Rev22

Ouch.. thats a bit harsh.  Although I totally agree that if you are going to judge the game by how it looks, you are going to miss out on what makes it good.

For the sake of argument, I totally agree they could have done character customization better.  Say for instance, sliders for character skin, hair, and eye color rather then the dart board palette.

 

But seriously, if you havent tried the gameplay it'd be a bit pre-mature to cancel.

Honestly, there aren't many character customizations that are more robust than this game's. Sure, the presets are a bit limited (and the voices especially), however there are sliders for almost everything, with the exception of the hair, and decals (scars, tats, & piercings). You  can also mix & match the presets with the sliders to get a very elaborate amount of customization. Just takes a bit of tinkering in the 'advanced' tab for both the face & body.

As for the graphics, there also aren't many MMOs that have better graphics atm. This is a fact. However, if one doesn't like the 'style' of the game, it may be too much for them to be able to truly enjoy the content.

The game is solid, but if the style bothers you that much, I'd say don't waste your money. You will have a much harder time opening up to the game than even the skeptics.

I preordered 2 copies and after doing the betas I have canceled them.  The game was just more of the same that has came out for the last few years.  The graphics werent as  "l33t" like alot of these people say (1920x1200).  The gameplay I wasnt a huge fan of.  Its just the new thing out right now so everyone and their mamma thinks its the end all be all game.  I just took a number and waiting for the next thing out to try my luck.  Im stuck with Warhammer till then.

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Alright, to preface my comment let me say this...

I have played MMO's for a while.  And I'm quite aware of the fact that almost every MMO out there that has recently come out is  pretty much the same.  So, I've decided that for the most part the biggest deciding factor in the new batch of MMO's (until someone decides to develop a game that is different from the rest [and please no EVE posts]) is to just play the one with the best graphics and sound.  That's all that seems to distinguish them from each other for me anymore.

That being said, I have pre-ordered Aion and I do still intend to go through with my purchase.  But I'm a little worried.  From my character creation I did tonight is seems that the graphics are just Lineage II on meth.  And not that much better really.  Did anyone else notice the same thing?

It seems to me like there is this NC Soft engine that just keeps getting tweaked here and there whenever a new game comes out. 

I did like the sound though on the character creation.  The cool explosion sound rang awesomely when I clicked on my new character.  I hope the other in game sounds are just as good.

But I do hope I didn't just buy a repackaged version of Lineage II with updated graphics engine. 

 

It does not play like lineage 2. However, the art design beng "lineage 2  on meth" for me is a good thing as I loved the art in that game.

Otherwise, this has very similar gameplay as many other games though mixed slightly differently.

If you don't like the Asian style of game art then I don't really think you'll be able to stomach this. However, having said that, this game is quite a bit above your regular ol' asian free to play.

I highly suggest you get past 20 to try out the pvp part of the game. Otherwise I don't really see you enjoying it. Just my two cents.

Though I will add that I'm always for people trying things out themselves as opposed to taking other's word for it.

Originally posted by Sovrath

If you don't like the Asian style of game art then I don't really think you'll be able to stomach this.

I don't know.  I don't like the art direction in this game but I still really enjoy it.  I guess it depends on what is most important to you in a game.

I don't think the character creation is a good representation of the graphics this game has. Don't use the character creation as a measure of what to expect ingame. It is an artistically made, graphicially beautiful game.

I agree, graphics - or graphic style - is very, very important. As are ambiance, theme and art style.

MMO's are all really quite similar. Beside a few technical aspects here and there, the biggest thing to set them apart is the look and feeling of the setting.

At launch of AoC vs. WAR, I had a lot more fun playing AoC for the first 20 levels than WAR, however I felt that WAR was a better game and appealed to me more. The difference was that I had already spent lots of time in the Tolkien-inspired fantasy settings of Warcraft and Warhammer.

EDIT: I should add my opinion on the whether or not to play! I agree with the OP the art style is not that groovy, and brings me back to L2. However I am playing Aion anyway. I probably wont stick with it long (I never seem to do that anymore, I guess I just dont have time to get too involved) but for $50 I will definitely get my enjoyment in the first couple weeks when everything is new and fresh. Any fun I have with the game after that is just a bonus.

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Alright, to preface my comment let me say this...

I have played MMO's for a while.  And I'm quite aware of the fact that almost every MMO out there that has recently come out is  pretty much the same.  So, I've decided that for the most part the biggest deciding factor in the new batch of MMO's (until someone decides to develop a game that is different from the rest [and please no EVE posts]) is to just play the one with the best graphics and sound.  That's all that seems to distinguish them from each other for me anymore.

 

Really? ....wait, really? 

First, every MMO that has come out recently has not been the same.  Is Darkfall like, AoC?  Is Pirates of the Carribean Online like Tabula Rasa? 

2nd, your biggest deciding factor to play a game is graphics and sound?  What if it has really crappy gameplay?  What if its completely shallow and lacking features and content?  What if its boring as hell?  Oh but that doesn't matter right?  Because the graphics and sound rock!

I really hope you never review or rate a game and share it with others.

Originally posted by Wickedjelly

Originally posted by Sovrath

If you don't like the Asian style of game art then I don't really think you'll be able to stomach this.

 

I don't know.  I don't like the art direction in this game but I still really enjoy it.  I guess it depends on what is most important to you in a game.

That may be the case but my sense for him is that it was an issue. It also depends upon how one derives inspriation. For instance, there have been many people who have likened some of the game play of Aion to WoW. Of course it's not really the same but they do share the "kill x and bring y" quests among other things.

Now, WoW is a fine game in its own right for what it does and tries to do. If anything it is very well put together if nothign else. However, the world, the sort of gestalt of the whole thing was never enough to keep me playing it.

For me, and possibly because I am a very creative and visual person, the design of Aion is enough to bring me over the edge and allows me to buy into the whole thing. Kill "x" quests aside.

For a person who might be more logical or practical, barring any preference with art design, it might just not be an issue.

To add to that, if Aion had the same art design as wow... same themes of Elyos vs Asmo, etc but the actual look... sort of like if you took the WoW art stick and whacked aion with it for a while, I just couldn't play it.

Originally posted by TheHavok

Originally posted by gnomexxx

Alright, to preface my comment let me say this...

I have played MMO's for a while.  And I'm quite aware of the fact that almost every MMO out there that has recently come out is  pretty much the same.  So, I've decided that for the most part the biggest deciding factor in the new batch of MMO's (until someone decides to develop a game that is different from the rest [and please no EVE posts]) is to just play the one with the best graphics and sound.  That's all that seems to distinguish them from each other for me anymore.

 

Really? ....wait, really? 

First, every MMO that has come out recently has not been the same.  Is Darkfall like, AoC?  Is Pirates of the Carribean Online like Tabula Rasa? 

2nd, your biggest deciding factor to play a game is graphics and sound?  What if it has really crappy gameplay?  What if its completely shallow and lacking features and content?  What if its boring as hell?  Oh but that doesn't matter right?  Because the graphics and sound rock!

I really hope you never review or rate a game and share it with others.

You really took what I said to an extreme. 

What is it about the graphics you don’t like? I know it’s not for everyone and all but it was pretty obvious what the game looked like from the many screenshots and videos around.