Aion

[Lord Snow]

It's a new MMO like WOW, but much better graphics and more D&D based it seems from what I've read. My friend and I are going to try it out and see how it plays and what not. I will keep the gamers of Pixies informed as to any flaws and what not that we find. Hopefully it will be pretty good. It definitely looks pretty.

[gekkogecko]

Level-based? Skill-based? Mixture? Character classes? Build-you-own? S/F, contemporary, medieval? Realistic/fantasy?

[Lord Snow]

There are levels, the character classes start out as one and then at level 10 you choose a more specialized class. Medieval fantasy. Swords, spears, bows, etc. killing fantastical creatures.aion (http://www.aiononline.com/en/)

[gekkogecko]

Yeah, I was looking at the character class thing: in general, I find the whole idea of "class" and "levels" to be limiting; I much prefer a skills-based system.

But I was intrigued by the built-in possibility of customizing your character to engage in skills outside of your "class". That looks like a major plus to me.

[Lord Snow]

I played a little before the closed beta realms went down. It's pretty. Character customization is much better. Height, width, muscle build, head size, hair, face. Killing stuff is pretty much the same as always, though you do actually see a visual difference in your special strikes as opposed to your auto attack. Controls are wasd or mouse. It's left click which I find strange after two years of right click in WOW. I'm only level two so further game play remains to be seen.

[Neige]

I hadn't heard of this game, I'll be interested in hearing what you think of it. I haven't played WoW in months (too busy in the summer) but I miss having a game to play...

[Lord Snow]

Unfortunately beta servers are only open a certain amount of time on specific weekends. I think there are two or three more before the release in possibly September. No official release in the states yet. I will have more for you after the next weekend comes around.

[Lord Snow]

Another closed beta starts this weekend for Aion. At Best Buy you can put five dollars down and get a code to enter it if you want to try. Keep in mind you're always allowed to cancel your preorder. I can't wait to actually see how the group interaction plays out and what some of the starting quests are like. All I did the last time was kill a few things.

[Jude30]

Yeah, I was looking at the character class thing: in general, I find the whole idea of "class" and "levels" to be limiting; I much prefer a skills-based system.

But I was intrigued by the built-in possibility of customizing your character to engage in skills outside of your "class". That looks like a major plus to me.

The problem with skill based systems is that you end up building a class anyway.

[Lord Snow]

Yeah, but it's a custom skill set and you can always go back and up the skills that you didn't on the way up. Like in Elder Scrolls you have a set class with specific skills you need to increase in order increase your level. However, you can always increase any other skill you want.

[gekkogecko]

The problem with skill based systems is that you end up building a class anyway.

Then that's a poorly-written game system.

[Lord Snow]

Not really gekko. If you think about it, people generally seem to pick a class that uses a particular skill set that you enjoy using. If all you have to do is raise whatever skills you want, then you still start leveling particular skills that you enjoy using, in essence creating a class of your own.

[gekkogecko]

Not at all: the limiting class system demands that people pick from a set of skills that are, within the game system, perceived as related to that "class".

Whereas, a entirely skills-based system, lets people pick and develop skills that they somehow have access to (and of course, a truly well-designed game system makes gaining access to some skills that a player wants part of the adventuring) regardless of a pre-conceived "class".

[Lord Snow]

GG, I think you're missing a point. If I have a list of skills (no set class) and develop ones that I enjoy using more than others I still have a "custom class" but without the name. Granted you have a lot more mix and match so just about everyone is a little different, but it's still a class without a class name to it. Course I could be reading you wrong. So since we all know various games with actual classes, why don't you tell me a title of one that only skills based and has no classes.

[gekkogecko]

but it's still a class without a class name to it.

How so? I don't see that at all. Then again, the problem here is that we may be using the word "class", in the gaming sense, in different ways.

What I see as a class is a pre-determined role that includes certain abilities, and excludes others. The original D & D (I mean, the original, the 1973 table-top game: yes, I actually have a copy, and have played it...in the early-to-mid '70s) was a thoroughly class-based system in this sense. If one was a magic-user in this system, one could attempt to learn and develop acertain range of spells: other were excluded, and the justification within the game was that study of magical skills precluded study of the use of the vast majority of hand-held weaponry.

OTOH, a skills-based system, as I use the term, is more like GURPS developed by Steve Jackson originally: essentially, "here are the skills: they are related to various inborn abilitiies: they are such-and-such patterns to learn: they are available in the game according to the design of the gamemaster: have at them". In other words, certain skills are included or excluded from a character as a logical result of that characters background, and future play of the character, not as an essentially arbitrary pre-conceived idea of what a given class should be.

[Lord Snow]

Okay. What I was thinking was that as a class you have predetermined sets of skills like you said. However, what I was meaning by building a class even in a skills based is if you have say swords, axes, bows, magic inherent (such as not needing any powders incantations etc.), then your magic which requires the powders, glyphs, incantations etc.; you can use any of these or any combination of these but it means that you're not learning others. Say you really like using swords and magic inherent. Then you'd essentially create what in other games would be considered a battle mage. Or if you don't like using magic then you use the sword and axe, that's pretty much a warrior class. Even though you could have chosen any of these you've still built yourself a class if a custom one.

[gekkogecko]

Ah, so you're talking about what to me would be a hybrid system: a lot of the gaming industry sees this as a customizable class. Call it what you will, what really matters is the focus of where the game designer/gamemaster and players can take it.

To bring the discussion back to where it started, Aion seems to have possibilities that appeal to me in that respect.

[Lord Snow]

Well, my friend and I have decided to forgo WOW for the time being once Aion releases. The beta test was great and all, but with only three days it's not enough to truly tell if you like the game. Unless all we did for those three days was advance as fast as possible. Which we didn't. It's very visually pleasing. Quests are pretty basic; go here kill this this many times come back; go kill the same thing only this time bring me five of these.....etc.