I think that we shouldn't expect anything much from MMO devs and their CS especially. Because if you don't expect much you sleep better. CS is simply people who have set of rules and file of regulations that they read from. They read EULA and ToC, its actually their job to know both quite well and then set of specific rules on how to act in this and that situation. In other words people who read scripts. I've been playing games for 20 years and I never expect much from any game CS or DEV team or GMs. I just send tickets in. Usually if I finally get to talk with CS (in most cases its when you forget your password or want to renew old account) - its very straight forward. As long as you remember information that you provided in the profile - there is no problem.

I know that some people have problems with invalid CD keys, stolen accounts, etc etc. I had 1 invalid CD key in 20 years (my accounts were never stolen) and it was resolved quite fast as well. I think its people, some CS reps sound stupid from our perspective, but thats only because they are as competent as their bosses want them to be. If people behind the game companies would want to provide better Customer Support to the players they'd teach their staff better. Anyway, reputation says a lot about the game developer company and almost always about the games they release and the level of CS that can be expected.

Don't make EQ or WoW clones - that will be good enough for start. Don't people who make games these days really have NO CREATIVITY in their brains left?

I mean Everquest was released TEN blasted years ago. And developers still make copies of the same game over and over again. The only 2 things change - graphics and lore. Its like making the same style of clothes with different pockets on them.

I think it happens becouse of:

1. Developers go with what is proven to be successful
2. They don't want to risk to create anything new and fail the project.
3. Money money money. I guess its all about how much does it cost to create a rat, or to create some animal that noone seen before.

Its like having all these supermarkets all across the world, its proven to bring profit what else is needed. Nobody cares to research or spend money on what would gaming community like. They'd rather spend less and code a rat then a "new" monster. I guess creativity is expensive so the sponsors don't want to risk their money on a research.

There are some niche games, like recently released Fallen Earth. It doesn't have millions of subs, or even 1 million. But its fresh, new, something that doesn't smell like WoW, or look like WoW. And people like it.

I see only tendency right now - fantasy genre is the most popular. Developers here and there start to use micro-transactions in their free games. Western gaming market is full of Asian free to play games that focused on Item Mall and micro-transactions. Its becoming a widely popular idea to sell virtual properties for a real money. In other words what people used to spend money before on now they spend it on some kind of virtual items in games. Pay to plat games are still out there. But as more games are released as more also fail to deliver anything fun or new.

People are tired of pointy ears and green faces with fangs. If Marketing Campaign is the only thing that game publisher is worried about these days - there is no future for MMOs left. I think that gaming will become even bigger industry in the future. And it seems that investors prefer to put their money into single player projects more than MMO development. I really want to see what APB will end up being like. Again its all good on pictures and in articles. But hype is one thing. Ability to deliver a quality content is another. Bioware still holds the top place in my opinion, and hopefully their first true MMO will become an example, not EQ or WoW. Enogh grinding for loot, man. Give us something more than that.

---

Originally posted by DevilXaphan

---

Originally posted by reanor

Actually the most fun are first 20-25 levels. After that you get to grind a lot. So if game didn't do it for you during first 15 levels on multiple classes - it won't be any better later on. After 25 you can do Abyss PvP, but its all group based. Usually when people go to Abyss or Rift they go as raid and it all ends up raid versus 1, because thats the fastest way to kill. Thats how people usually farm Abyss points. There are other things like fortresses and artifacts. But those are really big scale PvP battles. It still ends up being raid versus 1.
A lot of deaths out there and lag because there are hundreds of people fighting against each other, just a crazy chaos. It may be fun for a while. But its not thought through content. So it just ends up as a mass PvP slaughter. There are some siege weapons, you have to buy them I think for a lot of money, then attack fortress and go in and kill people inside. But again, I tell you that its just not working the way devs thought it will. Its not DaOC. Also little by little people will drop off, cause game is hardly fun after 25. It is fun for a few more levels but after that you realize that all you have in this game is grind and PvP. When SWTOR is out this game will most likely die.

---

 
Granted at tewenty-nine the group aspect does kick in big time but at that level you have Eracus Temple, at thirty to thirty-five there is the Fire Temple, at thirty-five to forty there is the Aether lab. In the forties i'm sure there are two or three instance just to play in that level and when you reach near forty-five to fifty there are the Dark Poeta and dregion instances as well as the upper abyss fortresses with their instances too. There are the crafting recipes that you get from them also.

Can't deny that there is a grind after level thrity, but it's not that bad, it follows what most MMO's do when your nearing end game level.

---

1 instance for every 5 levels... And you're saying thats fun? :) Come on... Asian developers - nothing else needs to be added. I wish Aion was developed by Turbine or Bioware. Game would be so MUCH more fun... Game even has a FEEL of Asian grind fest. I don't know what is it about Asian games. Its like they have very little creativity.

/sarcasm on

---

Oh yeah lets create a winged creatures - YAY. Good idea. You guys create a winged creatures and I'll add our old proven successful template between Asian population - grind. They've been grinding for ages. They take all the grind we give them. Look at our neighbors Asian developers who created their games - Atlantica Online, Runes of Magic, jade Dynasty - people don't care about fun content. Just give them some new concept (wings) and fill up the game with regular grind - its a model of success. Sir - you are genius!

---

Actually the most fun are first 20-25 levels. After that you get to grind a lot. So if game didn't do it for you during first 15 levels on multiple classes - it won't be any better later on. After 25 you can do Abyss PvP, but its all group based. Usually when people go to Abyss or Rift they go as raid and it all ends up raid versus 1, because thats the fastest way to kill. Thats how people usually farm Abyss points. There are other things like fortresses and artifacts. But those are really big scale PvP battles. It still ends up being raid versus 1.

A lot of deaths out there and lag because there are hundreds of people fighting against each other, just a crazy chaos. It may be fun for a while. But its not thought through content. So it just ends up as a mass PvP slaughter. There are some siege weapons, you have to buy them I think for a lot of money, then attack fortress and go in and kill people inside. But again, I tell you that its just not working the way devs thought it will. Its not DaOC. Also little by little people will drop off, cause game is hardly fun after 25. It is fun for a few more levels but after that you realize that all you have in this game is grind and PvP. When SWTOR is out this game will most likely die.

---

Originally posted by colddog
I just wanted to add this to the discussion since it seems relevant to me. On this site, the players generally give games a high score when a game is first presented and then they tend to fall over time. I believe this happens because the hype of the game is so enormous and people only have very limited experience actually playing the game.
 
Here is what the players feel on this site about the game.
 
Lord of the Rings Onli          8.38
Fallen Earth                         8.36
Atlantica Online                   8.32
EVE Online                           8.29
EverQuest II                        8.26
Vanguard: Saga of Hero      8.25
Ryzom                                  8.24
Guild Wars Factions             8.23
Warhammer Online: Age     8.23
Guild Wars Nightfall             8.23
Requiem: Bloodymare         8.23
Runes of Magic                    8.23
Guild Wars                           8.23
Dark Age of Camelot            8.22
Final Fantasy XI                   8.22
The Chronicles of Spel         8.22
Rohan: Blood Feud              8.22
City of Villains                      8.21
City of Heroes                     8.20
Aion                                    8.19
Champions Online               8.18
 
This puts Aion, a very new game, at number 20 on this site according to the players. Of course this is no way to judge any of these games on this list, but there is an absolutely enormous gap between what the reviewer thinks (#1) and what the players think (#20). I doubt any other game possesses a margin of 19 spots between where the players rate a game and where the official review sits.
 
On a side note, Metacritic, a site that takes a ton of different reviews and averages them together came up with 8.1. This is surprisingly close to what the players rated this game at on this site.
 

---

Yeah #20 for Aion is about right. I would put Atlantica Online somewhere same with Runes of Magic - in the end of the list. While AO has some nice innovations like mercenaries and tactical combat system - the game still remains grind after all. Have to agree though that its better than Runes of Magic. Played almost all the games in the list and this is about right where they should be on the list.

I was actually stupid enough to subscribe to Aion for a year. Yeah I got a better deal, cheaper monthly sub overall but I am already struggling to stay in the game for longer than 1 hour.

Aion does have some nice landscapes and if you turn it all up and add some x4 Antialiasing - in some places game is quite pretty. But its all about the taste. I personally like landscapes graphics in say Risen or LOTRO much better. They look realistic comparing to cartoonish WoW style of Aion landscapes. Then again some people they are not that picky.

Its enough for them to have some pretty flowers here and there and green trees with blue water to make all the difference. I am one of the picky ones and landscape graphics throw me off in Aion. I am trying to ignore it though but some unpolished places like couple of pictures that other people posted they are really ugly. Overall game is ok, but Aion still has a lot of issues to treat it as a good game overall. Trust me after you get to 50 - there will be little left to say positive about the game. Grind, lack of GM in game support, channels are all full of goldseller adds, goldsellers sit in Pondemonium - central city of Aion on scripted personal houses and nobody does ANYTHING about that. Daily messages about hacked web sites and stolen accounts - this all just serves as a huge discouragement.

I am waiting for games to come out for Xbox 360 and PS3. That will be so much more fun than boring Aion. Too much hype and simply very little result. I don't give Aion much chance. As more people will hit 25 as more of them realize that Aion is just another Asian grind cookie cutter nothing special and in some places ugly and poorly supported game. And then like in puff of smoke Aion will become one of the games that will be talked about as didn't hold up to expectations.

This article sounds like either the writer didn't play the game long enough to see the boring and ugly side of the game or he just likes the whole concept and excited about the Aion like some other people. This game didn't really do it for me. I still consider LOTRO - the best MMORPG out there and I don't really care about what WoW, WAR or Aion can offer for PvP as RvR or PvPvE or whatever.

I don't understand what people find so crazy cool sooper interesting about Aion? Ganking people in the Abyss? If you find it very fun PvP - it will grow old on you very soon. Game is beatiful, yes its fine. Not the best I've seen, especially the landscape made to cartoonish sorta shaders. So you level, do repetitive quests like in any other MMO. If you ask me, even though I hate WoW - at least WoW has an atmosphere, the world even though I hate it all cartoonish there is some kind of life going on. Aion is all about stationary NPCs, repetitive quests, and PvP gankage. What all this hype was about I've no idea. I am lvl 29 and I am almost burnt out of this already. If I am not in group ganking Elyos' or doing Rift raid - game is quite boring.

Super Asian Grinder? Whats Super Asian about it? I didn't see anything super Asian. Everything is pretty much just normal Asian. :-D

AION will have as many gold sellers as WoW had - this means thousands. So prepare for annoying tells like most of other Asian MMOs have. And nope, no way of reporting it. I guess NCSoft were hoping that they game is somehow different and didn't care about providing means of reporting gold sellers lol.

---

Originally posted by DuraheLL
"polished super asian grinder?" You mean like all the other games then? Like WOW and all?
Well yes it is a grinder since it has levels. For now I am only lvl 13 and havent experienced much of the game.
But I tell you, this is the most fun I have had with pure LEVELING since .... since probably never before. This game is the new WoW and deserves to take its throne so far. Hell knows how I feel at end game though, but I'll get to that in time.

---

There you go, someone read my thoughts. I am lvl 14 and I call AION - WoW 2. It has the same set up as WoW after release, even landscape graphics feel the same. Same type of transport system (eagle v flying spirit, wait till they add a boat). In other words - AION is a WoW with latest graphics on mobs and characters, landscapes still look flat and cartoony.

This will be a new WoW for kiddies. You grind quests in AION same as you have to in WoW, and actually any other asian mmo I've played. The only difference - AION doesn't have an item mall, no microtransaction model. I am giving AION a try myself. But I am just having fun, not rushing anywhere. Gonna do some crafting, make some money on little a-holes who rushes through levels and just enjoy the sights.

NCsoft has just seen another MMO bite the dust. Dungeon Runners, the casual experiment from their old Austin studio will be entirely shut down at the end of the year. This is the third game NCsoft has recently shuttered from their North American operations.

AION next? lol

---

Originally posted by Leucent

---

Originally posted by Xasapis

And up to what level would that mythical grinding start? So far in two days of pre-start, I've seen people closing in the level 30 mark (out of 50max). If anything, that tells me that the levelling speed is way too fast, not the other way round.

---

Or they have no life maybe??

---

Of course they don't have life, jobs or whatever. There are people that say -
AION>life
AION=life
who cares about life if there is AION.. etc.

Every game has people, usually kids or people who can't do anything else but play games due to disabilities etc, they will always be ahead of everyone else in levels. Quite a few of those are also beta players, they know quests and game nuances, they know how to level fast since they did their research and exploration already in Beta.

For one I have to agree that AION does cater to small groups even at early levels. Drop rates in some cases are low. And while with 1-2 friends along its much easier to run through quests then doing it solo. Also there is not enough quests to always keep you up the similar level that you kill mobs at. You either will have to grind for some 1-2 level in between quest hubs or have some friends doing it with you since often you will have to run against the orange mobs solo. Which in small group is very easy to get through.

Crap I was able to squeeze in and even got to the payment page and then after I clicked on submit the payment it went nuts on me again. I hope they didn't charge me, cause I payed one time for a whole year (11$ a month only with that type of payment). Now its down again.

I'll roll a character there. Role playing servers were always the most decent community.

Yeah same here. I don't plan to play tonight tbh, gonna play some more Fallen Earth I think instead.

I just pre-ordered a couple of hours ago. In order to play (you can download, yeah 9.1GB but..) you need to register the game on NCSOFT master account. And account server is down at the moment. Been trying to register the game for hours. Can't, they either put it in maintenance or now they just shut it down completely with this message:

We’re Sorry, But the NCsoft Store is Down We’re a victim of our own popularity. So many people are excited about the Head Start Program beginning for our upcoming release, Aion, that our NCsoft Store is having the website equivalent of a traffic jam. Please preorder or buy Aion at one the websites of our retail partners...

So they want you to buy the game but you wont be able to play it unless you already have registered account and game key is registered. And then again you'll have to wait in line like other ppl explained above..

I can't even get to ncsoft web site and create AION account... Crazy.

I usually like Dana's articles, but call these MMOs the most interesting in 2009? Wow... well, maybe they are for 10 first levels... Champions Online is grind.

Its also funny how people are being naive about number of subs in WoW. 11 million, yeah right. Thing is that this number consists of every registered account that was ever made during the 5 years of WoW span. They include all the international subscriptions, trial accounts, all the closed and Open Beta accounts, all the friend invites etc. China itself probably contributed about 1 million subs of gold sellers in WoW. I'd say that WoW at this point has about 3-5 million subs in a good standing. And again thats including all the subs from every country that WoW has been released in.

---

Originally posted by xaldraxius
I can't believe that SOE or LucasArts would create a game at this point that could potentially draw players away from the game being developed by Bioware. I can understand them not worrying about SWG as it's had it's chance, but another MMO, especially a free to play one, might cause a lot of damage to SW:TOR which I can only imagine has far more money invested in it.

Maybe it's just something they are whipping out for cartoon network, some cheesy little side-scroller. You know how rumors are.

---

Nothing will draw away people from SWToR. Unless they are 9 years old or people who likes to play free realms. SW game from SOE will be developed in cartoonish style, similar to free realms. I will never play their SW game, SWToR will be much more fun. Its being developed by BIOWARE, only that is already enough to skip any other similar games from any other developers.

If SOE will get kiddies away from SWToR I can only see good in it. There are age groups and appropriate to those age groups games. SOEs latest projects tend more to the pre teen and early teen ages, which is totally fine. And someone mentioned pre NGE wish in SOEs casual SWg. Its funny.

No NGE, no Pre-NGE. It will be similar to free realms game, with things having big heads and little bodies, somethign silly like that. Just play Free Realms for a few hours, if you liked it then new SWg from SOE will be for you.

yeah I used to F2P, cause for me (IT) FTP means - file transfer protocol. :)