Q1 2009

"Best of all, most of Aion's splendour is achieved through rich colour and fine art, rather than particle effects and polygons, meaning it shouldn't be as expensive to run as it looks. NCsoft appears to have thought of everything. That's just as well - if it's going to bridge the abyss between the Eastern and Western MMO, it will need to. The big question is whether Aion can be all things to all MMO players, and still retain a soul of its own. We'll find out when it's released early next year."

http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=204570

I'm sure they'll have internal NA/EU closed beta tests not available to the public is my guess of "in lieu"

It's not mainly based on Wow. Just some little details I noticed like the hunter having traps and other similarities. The pvp in Aion is no way like the PvP in WoW. In aion it takes a lot more to kill a person. Where as in WoW a rogue can destroy u in a matter of seconds.

Like I've said before (Based on my opinion only from videos), It looks like ffxi yet plays like World of Warcraft. That's why I'm so keen on getting my hands on this game. I loved both, so this game should be a no brainer.

Looks to me like that hitching is frapsed based, not server based. If you've ever used Fraps u'd know that whenever frapsing, ur frame rate goes down A LOOOOOT. So when looking @ certain areas with fraps it'll hitch real bad and ur framerate goes down substantially.

Make sure u download the HQ version, the streaming version doesnt do the HQ version justice.

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Originally posted by MarkJW
You guys are wrong. Aion's camera is not locked. You can zoom it in or out like GuildWar's. And like GuildWars you can play the game in first-person. Just zoom all the way in. Great for taking screenshots, I hear. :)

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Most 3d mmo's have options where u can change ur camera to firstt person for taking pictures, but it would be pointless to play the game that way.

Also I forgot to mention, what made me quit the game was the whole TP nerf. I remember getting like 60 TP back from using Pentathrust (which was bad effin ass btw) to getting 10 TP + 1 extra TP for every hit. That was such a stupid nerf that I completely ruined the game for me. Altho After seeing a lvl 75 monk using Asuran fists and gaining 100 TP back from it and continually using it was kinda BS as well.

U forget, summoners were also one of the only classes that could solo. I still remember to this day trying to get one of my level 55 class gear (i forget what it was called) and seeing a summoner soloing a level 70 Notorious Monster.

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Originally posted by zantax
OMG I loved this, "Naked Runs", hell I remember playing AC in the first week and not knowing anything about magic.  We thought we were doing good being able to kill level 15 shreths...LOL.  Making runs to Qulabar were like a death trap before we learnt about portals.  I remember the first time I saw a character opened portal, I clicked on it and was whisked away with my mule to a dungeon where I fell 100ft to start.  You all know where I was, I thought wow this is cool, I survived the fall because my mule was a previous character.  So I walked down the ramp a bit just to see, and I saw a UA attacking what looked like an insect and there were hundreds behind that one.  I was like, "COOL!!" untill one chased me back up the ramp, I quickly exited only to be greeted by 3 more outside that killed me very quickly.  I didn't even have time to see where I was on the map, so I had to ask around and found out I was at the BDC, and then I had to find a portal there. 
 
Man the times I had in that game, learning magic, taking on my first 100 Olthoi, meeting my first Tusker.  Oh yea and being the first Sword fighter on my server to take down a Diamond Golem the morning of the patch.  Took me 15 minutes, oh and we can't forget the White Bunny of doom, I still want to know where the holy hand grenade is in AC to kill that thing...LOL.
 
The times in AC were great, your character was original, it didn't matter what you did somewhere you were different from everyone around you.  One person would do the 10/100/10/100/10 type character but everyone would raise skills differently.  Truely a one of a kind MMORPG, and still one of the best.

What game have I played that comes close to AC, I have to say nothing.  I have played most of the big titles, but none come close.  I thought AO was cool but too many problems from beta to release to almost a year afterwards for me.  I would think the only MMORPG that seems like it might come close, but I won't know till it is released or I am in Beta will be "The Chronicals of Spellbourn".  I am not saying it will be a match but it might come close, it offers you true skill development which seems good so far.
 
We won't talk about the biggest joke to an AC1 player ever, the release of AC2.  Honestly I gave it a chance had 2 max level characters, a Lugi that set up turrets(can't remember class) and a human Mage.  In AC1 your character was defined by your skills, you skills allowed you to survive.  How many people who played AC1 remember going into a dungeon and dieing like 5 times and loseing everything.  Going back with a store bought weapon and a robe buffed by a nice mage, and retrieving all of your crap?  I do it happened to me constantly, I think by level 75 I had like 800 Deaths on one character...LOL.  AC2 and I have to say EVERY MMORPG out there, your success is dependent on your gear, not on your skills.  Side note the Rogue in WOW although powerful with starter weapons in PVP could not go into a high level instance and help kill Rag, In AC1 you could go into MOST dungons with nothing but your weapon and a robe and survive.  At least untill hollow weapons were introduced, then that got a bit dangerous.
 
So the short answer to the question, "What MMO Was/Is Better Than AC1?"  is Nothing touches it.

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Everything u said here, I agree with. The game was so unique and challenging, no mmo has come close to it. What I loved the most about AC1 was the fact that like in most mmo's u have to be highest level to enjoy the game, Not in AC1 No one was in a big hurry to get to level 121, cuz there was so much friggin stuff to do, it wasn't even funny. I remember back in the days when I was an OG Archer camping in the Umbra and Panumbra dungeon for small shards for a whole week straight. Cuz i was so low level that Umbras and Panumbras would kill me easily and Getting to the lowest level room was an insanely difficult task. And I loved being a PK. Archers were so Overpowered that when I was level 60, I could kill people in the 100's with absolutely no problem. And I would always Aim for the FEET with my Fire, earth, or ice arrows and Kill them in one shot, because they forgot to buff their shoes. I miss this game so much, more so than Ultima Online (my 2nd favorite mmo). I'm glad that I got to experience such a Unique game that no mmo will EVER touch it.

EDIT: Also I forgot to mention that my name was Evilfury in AC1 on the Frostfell Server in the Super Helix Monarchy. I'm still devastated to this day that Super Helix sold his account =(. I miss those days when we would all turn PK and fight against the Animal Monarchy. Oh and I miss going into subway as a PK and start shooting @ people on the head b4 they would materialize from the portal and killing them in 1 hit as they entered, having like dozens of bodies on the floor laughing my ass off and having people praise me. AHHHHHHHH I miss this game.

I used to be on Great Lakes as a Mage/Tamer. Tamers were the all time God's in UO. Not only could u solo easy, but in PvP it was so beastly sicking a White Wyrm on someone and watching them die in 3 seconds. Pre trammel I was in a small Chaos guild and wasnt really well known. UO is where I made up my nickname (Wicked Edge) and it has stuck since then. Gawd I miss the old UO Days (pre Age of Shadows). Personally i think AoS ruined one of my all time favorite mmo. I shall forever miss my Nightmares and white Wyrms.

I'm pretty sure it will be third person. First person view just doesnt work in mmo's. They design mmo's so u can specifically see ur character to customize them.

Oh yeah, it was terrible u couldnt solo. I would wait til wee hours in the morning trying to get a party. And then ur party disbanded in no time. Makes me cringe still thinking about it.

Hell yeah, thats exactly what I said. It has the looks of FFXI with the Dynamics of World of Warcraft. This is why im so interested in this game. I still think FFXI was one of the best looking mmo's i've ever played. And from what I hear Square is in development to make another mmo. Let's hope it's not so friggin insanely difficult like FFXI was. Took me 6 months to get to level 55, that's just crazy hard. And don't get me started on Hyper Notorious Monsters.