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Aion (computer game)
Encyclopedia
Aion: The Tower of Eternity , known also as in Japan, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game
(MMORPG) released by NCsoft
, a major Korean
game developer. Aion was (up until May 20, 2009) known as "Aion: The Tower of Eternity" but was released in North America under the one-word title of Aion. The game combines PvP
and PvE
(a concept the developers call PvPvE) in a fantasy
game environment. As of May 20, 2009, Aion has 3.5 million subscribers in Asia. AION's first major expansion was released to North America and Europe on September 7, 2010 under the name AION: Assault on Balaurea.
word Αιών, phonetically ɛ'ɵn, which means infinite time or eternity. In English
the word is spelled as aeon
or eon.
Some humans "ascended" to become Daeva and, like the Empyrean Lords, had wings and the ability to fight the Balaur. With time, enough Daevas rose to form an army. The Empyrean Lords would lead the Daeva into battle and fight ceaselessly. Eventually an attempt at peace with the Balaur was made. The five Drakan Lords were invited inside the barrier for peace talks, but before the peace-talks could begin, one of the Drakan Lords was nearly assassinated by an unknown assailant. In the fighting that followed, the Tower of Eternity was destroyed, resulting in the cataclysm that broke Atreia in half. Five Empyrean Lords, most of whom opposed the peace treaty, came to power in the dark part of the world, "Asmodae," and became known as the Shedim Lords. Another five who had mostly desired peace became the Seraphim Lords and ruled over the lower half of Atreia, "Elysea." Two of the Empyrean Lords sacrificed themselves to keep Atreia from crumbling entirely.
Those that lived in the light part of the world, the Elyos, saw little change. These followers of the Seraphim Lords created the city of Sanctum. The inhabitants of the upper part, the Asmodians, saw many changes. Their hands became claw-like; their feet became talons. The darkness made their complexion cool, and their eyes grew red adapting to the absence of light. They live in the city of Pandaemonium under the rule of the Shedim Lords.
Players begin the game as a character whose background isn't totally known. It is hinted, through early quests, that the player's character came to the various factions through an accident, though they (the player) do not remember where they came from. Due to this memory loss, it is assumed that the player is human, and they are treated as such. However, over time, by completing tasks increasing in magnitude, preventing the Balaur from being summoned to the beginning zone, they "ascend" as winged, immortal Daevas. The ascension process takes place at their respective capitol cities, though the tone is different depending on the race chosen. In the case of the Elysea, the ascension is met with great celebration and treated as though the player's "friends" (NPCs from the quest chain) suspected all along that the player was one of the immortal Daeva. However, in the case of the Asmodae, the tone is very different. The character's quests leading up to that point had them acting as a "scavenger" of sorts, and they are seen and treated as being a "lower" life form of a lower station. However, when asked to prove their divinity, under penalty of death, the Asmodae player spreads their wings to the shock (and horror to some) of the assembled guests. From that point on the questing experience is relatively similar, though further minor nuances are found that do differentiate the two races.
The game allows players to dye their equipment to change its color and to change the graphics of one weapon or armor to that of another that they have in their inventory. This allows a player to display equipment graphics of items which they find visually appealing, while benefiting from the actual stats of different weapons or armors. Players can only change the graphics of a piece of equipment to that of another piece of equipment of the same type.
This adds another layer of customization (as it allows players to control the look of their avatar without sacrificing the better stats of an item that they find visually unappealing) and a new strategy to the game.
). Battle for control of these castles involves combat against players of the opposing faction and computer controlled NPCs at the same time, using siege weapons obtained from end game PvE raid content. Legions in control of a castle are entitled to funding from taxes and players within the faction get specials from NPCs and discounts for travel and vendor items. The game currently does not allow factions to fight against those of their own race, except for casual duels or practice in the Arena.
The participation in PvP is rewarded with Abyss Points in the game. The game ranks players as battles are won against fellow players based on their participation in the Abyss. At higher ranks the character's wings will change in appearance to show the character's elevated status. Also certain items can be purchased with these points such as high-end armor and weapons. This is referred to as the Abyss Rank system, and there can only be a limited number of high ranking players per server. The highest ranking players compete for the relatively few rank positions available. Abyss points are gained by killing other players in combat, and points are lost by being killed by another player. Higher points are awarded for a kill of a much higher ranked player than for killing an equal or lower ranked player.
, to assist one another in battle, and share the benefits of victory. Certain areas are designed for group play and a group is required to enter some areas in the game. Up to four groups may form an Alliance
for situations that call for greater force of numbers. Being a member of an Alliance restricts you the rewards received when a quest designed for single or group play is completed.
Any item that can be crafted is actually composed of several individual components, or materials. The player can either learn which materials are needed for a particular item automatically or via purchase of the design. Generally these materials must be purchased from vendors or from other players, gathered out in the wild (via collection or extraction), crafted already, or morphed. Not everything can be crafted, however.
The game was then localized for Western markets, including North America, Europe, and Australia. NCSoft held six weekend long closed beta tests for North American and European players beginning in June, 2009. An open beta began in September 2009. During the course of this open beta, the anti-cheat program GameGuard
was removed. GameGuard is used in many Asian-market games to stop botting and cheating, but was abandoned for Western markets due to a range of issues experienced during the open beta. GameGuard is still used in the Asian markets.
After the release of patch 1.5 NCSOFT began opening up Public Testing Servers for NA and EU users. Since Korean players had this ability at launch. Players can experience the new patches with slight increase of exp and drop rates before they're sent off to the live servers. NCSOFT offers no In-game support for PTS.
While Assault on Balaurea is a free expansion for NA and EU players, NCSOFT released a retail box version with bonus content such as an in-game pet, which varies depending on the retailer from which the purchase is made.
in Japan). The soundtrack was released in Japan and Korea on October 21, 2008, and in North America and Europe as part of the Collector's Edition. The soundtrack was also released on iTunes on October 20, 2009.
The Second official album called "AION - Annales of Atreia" was released on May 10, 2010 via the iTunes Store for $9.99 USD. Composers Inro Joo and Wonki Kim created the Original Soundtrack with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
On its western release, Aion became the best-selling PC game of September 2009. It also managed to remain at No. 1 on both the Steam and Direct2Drive
charts for several weeks. By 9 November 2009, the game had sold nearly 1 million copies in the west, with 500,000 units sold in the US and 470,000 units in Europe. The success of Aion resulted in NCsoft's quarterly revenues to rise 112% for a total of $142 million.
Negative reviews focus on the game's tendency towards "grinding" and its lack of innovative features. GameSpot's review noted that the first levels of the game were "fast-paced and intuitive", but that grinding "quickly became obtrusive". X-Play reviewed that "after a few hours it'll become apparent that there isn't much radically different here". GameSpot also noted that the servers appeared to be unable to handle the number of players involved in large-scale PVP.
MMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
(MMORPG) released by NCsoft
NCsoft
NCsoft is a South Korea-based online video game company, which has published massively multiplayer online role-playing games including Lineage, City of Heroes, Wildstar, Exteel, Guild Wars and Aion.-History:...
, a major Korean
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
game developer. Aion was (up until May 20, 2009) known as "Aion: The Tower of Eternity" but was released in North America under the one-word title of Aion. The game combines PvP
Player versus player
Player versus player, or PvP, is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between two or more live participants. This is in contrast to games where players compete against computer controlled opponents, which is correspondingly referred to as player versus environment...
and PvE
Player versus environment
Player versus environment, or PvE , is a term used in online games, particularly MMORPGs, CORPGs, MUDs, and other online role-playing video games, to refer to fighting computer-controlled enemies—in contrast to PvP .Usually a PvE mode can be played either alone, with human...
(a concept the developers call PvPvE) in a fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
game environment. As of May 20, 2009, Aion has 3.5 million subscribers in Asia. AION's first major expansion was released to North America and Europe on September 7, 2010 under the name AION: Assault on Balaurea.
Etymology
The word Aion is related to the GreekGreek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word Αιών, phonetically ɛ'ɵn, which means infinite time or eternity. In English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
the word is spelled as aeon
Aeon
The word aeon, also spelled eon or æon , originally means "life", and/or "being", though it then tended to mean "age", "forever" or "for eternity". It is a Latin transliteration from the koine Greek word , from the archaic . In Homer it typically refers to life or lifespan...
or eon.
Plot
In the beginning, Aion benevolently watched over his world Atreia. He created the humans, and the Balaur to safeguard and watch over them. Eventually, the Balaur became obsessed with power and subjugation. Five of the Balaur rose to a height of strength above the rest, and became known as the five Dragon Lords. When Aion refused to grant them the power they desired, the power to rival his own, they revolted and declared war on the god that created them. Aion's hand was forced, and he created the twelve Empyrean Lords, beings of divinity and power to protect the Tower of Eternity.Some humans "ascended" to become Daeva and, like the Empyrean Lords, had wings and the ability to fight the Balaur. With time, enough Daevas rose to form an army. The Empyrean Lords would lead the Daeva into battle and fight ceaselessly. Eventually an attempt at peace with the Balaur was made. The five Drakan Lords were invited inside the barrier for peace talks, but before the peace-talks could begin, one of the Drakan Lords was nearly assassinated by an unknown assailant. In the fighting that followed, the Tower of Eternity was destroyed, resulting in the cataclysm that broke Atreia in half. Five Empyrean Lords, most of whom opposed the peace treaty, came to power in the dark part of the world, "Asmodae," and became known as the Shedim Lords. Another five who had mostly desired peace became the Seraphim Lords and ruled over the lower half of Atreia, "Elysea." Two of the Empyrean Lords sacrificed themselves to keep Atreia from crumbling entirely.
Those that lived in the light part of the world, the Elyos, saw little change. These followers of the Seraphim Lords created the city of Sanctum. The inhabitants of the upper part, the Asmodians, saw many changes. Their hands became claw-like; their feet became talons. The darkness made their complexion cool, and their eyes grew red adapting to the absence of light. They live in the city of Pandaemonium under the rule of the Shedim Lords.
Players begin the game as a character whose background isn't totally known. It is hinted, through early quests, that the player's character came to the various factions through an accident, though they (the player) do not remember where they came from. Due to this memory loss, it is assumed that the player is human, and they are treated as such. However, over time, by completing tasks increasing in magnitude, preventing the Balaur from being summoned to the beginning zone, they "ascend" as winged, immortal Daevas. The ascension process takes place at their respective capitol cities, though the tone is different depending on the race chosen. In the case of the Elysea, the ascension is met with great celebration and treated as though the player's "friends" (NPCs from the quest chain) suspected all along that the player was one of the immortal Daeva. However, in the case of the Asmodae, the tone is very different. The character's quests leading up to that point had them acting as a "scavenger" of sorts, and they are seen and treated as being a "lower" life form of a lower station. However, when asked to prove their divinity, under penalty of death, the Asmodae player spreads their wings to the shock (and horror to some) of the assembled guests. From that point on the questing experience is relatively similar, though further minor nuances are found that do differentiate the two races.
Character customization
The character creation system allows customization such as adjusting the height, weight and scale of various body parts. Different hair styles, skin colors, facial textures and voices can also be chosen. Further detailing can be found in the selection of eye shape and color, nose shape, ear size and shape and tattoos for the character's face and body.The game allows players to dye their equipment to change its color and to change the graphics of one weapon or armor to that of another that they have in their inventory. This allows a player to display equipment graphics of items which they find visually appealing, while benefiting from the actual stats of different weapons or armors. Players can only change the graphics of a piece of equipment to that of another piece of equipment of the same type.
This adds another layer of customization (as it allows players to control the look of their avatar without sacrificing the better stats of an item that they find visually unappealing) and a new strategy to the game.
Skill chains
Many of the skills acquired as characters progress may only be performed in a certain order, or chain. Generally the skills located farther along in the chain are more powerful than those at the beginning, or those that have no prerequisite.PvPvE system
The end game of Aion revolves around battles within the Abyss (PvP zone). Within the Abyss are fortresses which can be controlled by individual Legions (Aion equivalent of a guildClan (computer gaming)
In computer and video gaming, a clan or guild is an organised group of players that regularly play together in a particular multiplayer games. These games range from groups of a few friends to 1000-person organizations, with a broad range of structures, goals and members. The lifespan of a clan...
). Battle for control of these castles involves combat against players of the opposing faction and computer controlled NPCs at the same time, using siege weapons obtained from end game PvE raid content. Legions in control of a castle are entitled to funding from taxes and players within the faction get specials from NPCs and discounts for travel and vendor items. The game currently does not allow factions to fight against those of their own race, except for casual duels or practice in the Arena.
The participation in PvP is rewarded with Abyss Points in the game. The game ranks players as battles are won against fellow players based on their participation in the Abyss. At higher ranks the character's wings will change in appearance to show the character's elevated status. Also certain items can be purchased with these points such as high-end armor and weapons. This is referred to as the Abyss Rank system, and there can only be a limited number of high ranking players per server. The highest ranking players compete for the relatively few rank positions available. Abyss points are gained by killing other players in combat, and points are lost by being killed by another player. Higher points are awarded for a kill of a much higher ranked player than for killing an equal or lower ranked player.
Classes
There are four primary classes, and eight specialized classes in the game. Players start the game by choosing one of the four primary classes: Warrior, Mage, Scout, or Priest. After attaining level 10, the player must choose from two specialized classes associated with their chosen class. Warriors may become a Templar or a Gladiator; Mages may become a Sorcerer or Spiritmaster; Scouts choose from Assassin or Ranger; and Priests from Cleric or a Chanter.Grouping
Up to six players may form a groupParty (role playing games)
A party is a group of characters adventuring together in a role-playing game. In tabletop role-playing, a party is composed of a group of players, occasionally with the addition of non-player character allies controlled by those players or by the gamemaster. In computer games, the relationship...
, to assist one another in battle, and share the benefits of victory. Certain areas are designed for group play and a group is required to enter some areas in the game. Up to four groups may form an Alliance
Raid (gaming)
A raid is a type of mission in a video game in which a very large number of people attempt to defeat a boss monster...
for situations that call for greater force of numbers. Being a member of an Alliance restricts you the rewards received when a quest designed for single or group play is completed.
Crafting
The base process involves learning a particular form of crafting, of which there are six in Aion: weaponsmithing, armorsmithing, handicrafting, tailoring, alchemy, and cooking. Players can learn all six crafting professions, but can be an Expert in only two.Any item that can be crafted is actually composed of several individual components, or materials. The player can either learn which materials are needed for a particular item automatically or via purchase of the design. Generally these materials must be purchased from vendors or from other players, gathered out in the wild (via collection or extraction), crafted already, or morphed. Not everything can be crafted, however.
Flight
There are many different aspects to flight in Aion, which plays a vital role in Travel, Combat, Quests, and Crafting. Flying is only permitted in certain areas, known as flight zones. Flight is limited to 60 seconds but can be increased with various armor, titles, and other items in-game.Quests
There are three type of quests in Aion: ordinary quests, campaign quests and Work Orders. Ordinary quests require the player to complete a task to receive a reward. Campaign quests are focused on story, and are crucial for player progression. Work Orders are used to increase skill in a chosen profession. Some quests are repeatable. Some quests especially campaign quests, cannot be shared or abandoned.Development
Aion was first announced and previewed at the May 2006 E3 Expo. It was developed at NCSoft's software design studio in South Korea. The Korean closed beta test began in late 2007, followed by an open beta test in November 2008. A localized Chinese version began closed beta testing in December 2008, with open testing beginning on April 8, 2009.The game was then localized for Western markets, including North America, Europe, and Australia. NCSoft held six weekend long closed beta tests for North American and European players beginning in June, 2009. An open beta began in September 2009. During the course of this open beta, the anti-cheat program GameGuard
GameGuard
nProtect GameGuard is an anti-cheating rootkit developed by INCA Internet. It is installed alongside many Asian massively multiplayer online roleplaying games such as Rohan: Blood Feud, Lineage II, 9Dragons, Cabal Online, Phantasy Star Universe, GunZ: The Duel, Flyff, Rappelz, Luna Online,...
was removed. GameGuard is used in many Asian-market games to stop botting and cheating, but was abandoned for Western markets due to a range of issues experienced during the open beta. GameGuard is still used in the Asian markets.
After the release of patch 1.5 NCSOFT began opening up Public Testing Servers for NA and EU users. Since Korean players had this ability at launch. Players can experience the new patches with slight increase of exp and drop rates before they're sent off to the live servers. NCSOFT offers no In-game support for PTS.
AION: Assault on Balaurea
Released on September 7, 2010, this expansion evolves the game’s story and terrain as it expands the game world of Atreia far beyond the traditional territories of Asmodae and Elysea. In this expansion, characters take the fight against the invading Balaur into Balaurea, the Balaur’s homeland. Players will receive new challenges, novel and updated instances and zones, an increased level cap from 50 to 55, and fresh weapons, items, skills, and flight mechanics. The expansion also introduces functional pets equipped with in-game benefits that will rapidly become constant character companions.While Assault on Balaurea is a free expansion for NA and EU players, NCSOFT released a retail box version with bonus content such as an in-game pet, which varies depending on the retailer from which the purchase is made.
Music
The official "Aion: The Tower of Eternity" Original Soundtrack was released as a single CD featuring 22 tracks written by composer Yang Bang-Ean (Also known as Kunihiko RyoKunihiko Ryo
Kunihiko Ryo is a Korean composer, arranger, producer and pianist.He arranged the music for one of the closing themes of Dennou Keisatsu Cybercop and ending theme of Fantastic Children, and co-produced the album Continue the Revolution.He composed the music for the anime series Tegami Bachi.-Early...
in Japan). The soundtrack was released in Japan and Korea on October 21, 2008, and in North America and Europe as part of the Collector's Edition. The soundtrack was also released on iTunes on October 20, 2009.
The Second official album called "AION - Annales of Atreia" was released on May 10, 2010 via the iTunes Store for $9.99 USD. Composers Inro Joo and Wonki Kim created the Original Soundtrack with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra.
Release
- South Korea: Aion was released in South Korea on November 25, 2008, making this the first country to get a final release of the game. Given the success of NCsoft's previous games, Lineage and Lineage IILineage IILineage II is a massive multiplayer online role-playing game for Microsoft Windows. It is a prequel to Lineage, and is set 150 years before the earlier game. It has become very popular since its October 1, 2003 launch in South Korea, reporting 1,000,918 unique users during the month of March 2007...
, Aion had been a highly anticipated game in South Korea ever since its announcement. - China: The game was released in China on April 16, 2009 and operated by Shanda Interactive EntertainmentShandaShanda Interactive Entertainment Limited is a Chinese operator of online games and book publisher, based in Shanghai, established in December 1999 by Chen Tianqiao and Chen Danian. In 2005 it claimed to have 460 million registered accounts and an average of 1.2 million players at any given time....
. - Japan: NCSoft released the game on July 17, 2009 in Japan under NCSoft Japan. As of February 2, 2010, PixivPixivPixiv is a Japanese online community for artists. It was first launched as a beta test on September 10, 2007 by Takahiro Kamitani. Pixiv Inc. is headquartered in Sendagaya, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. As of May 2010, the site consists of over 2 million members, over 11 million submissions, and receives...
collaborated with NCsoft for a special fan art contest. - Australia: NCsoft is distributing Aion in Australia through QV Software, and was released on September 22, 2009. In Australia, 3 editions were released: Collectors Edition, Limited Edition, and the Standard Edition. The game is also being distributed via Valve Software's digital distribution platform, Steam, within this region.
- Taiwan: NCsoft began an open beta of Aion in Taiwan on June 7, 2009, and was released on July 21, 2009. v1.5 was released on October 21, 2009. v2.0 was released on October 13, 2010. And v2.1 was released on November 24, 2010.
- Europe: NCsoft released the final version of Aion in Europe on September 25, 2009. In Europe, Aion was available in two editions: Standard Edition and Collectors Edition. The latter includes many in-game items, figurines, posters, and the Official Aion Soundtrack CD by composer Yang Bang-Ean (known as Ryo Kunihiko in Japan).
- North America: Aion was released in North America on September 22, 2009. The release was accompanied by a free comic book from WildstormWildstormWildStorm Productions, or simply WildStorm, published American comic books. Originally an independent company established by Jim Lee and further expanded upon in subsequent years by other creators, WildStorm became a publishing imprint of DC Comics in 1999...
, Aiva's Story by writers David NoonanDavid NoonanDavid Noonan may refer to:* A former candidate for the 2003 Ontario provincial election* David Noonan , London artist* David Noonan , designer for the Dungeons & Dragons game...
and Ricardo SanchezRicardo Sanchez (video games)Ricardo Sanchez is a writer, producer and game industry executive.Sanchez is currently writing the Resident Evil comic book series for Wildstorm and wrote a promotional comic book for NCSoft's Aion MMO.-Career:...
, with art by Neil GoogeNeil Googe-Biography:Googe's early comics work include a Shotgun Mary mini-series and work on 2000 AD, including a number of Judge Dredd stories....
for those who preordered. Also for those who preordered gained a 3 day head start before launch. Aion was in available in two editions: Standard Edition and Collectors Edition. The latter includes many in-game items, figurines, posters, and the Official Aion Soundtrack CD by composer Yang Bang-Ean (known as Ryo Kunihiko in Japan). The Game was made available through Retailers for DVD purchase, and Via download from NCsoft, Steam, Gamestop's website, File Planet and Direct2Drive. - Russia: Aion open beta running since December 8, 2009. In Russia, Aion is supposed to use a mixed payment model with monthly subscription and additional payments for in-game items and benefits.
Sales and revenue
Aion was the biggest MMO release in recent years according to NCsoft, with 400,000 pre-orders in the US. The game generated 40.6 billion won ($32.7 million) in the fiscal quarter in South Korea, Taiwan, China, and Japan. In China, over 1 million players logged in within the first four days of release.On its western release, Aion became the best-selling PC game of September 2009. It also managed to remain at No. 1 on both the Steam and Direct2Drive
Direct2Drive
Direct2Drive is an online game store offering PC videogames via direct download. On May 25, 2011, Gamefly acquired Direct2Drive from IGN Entertainment Group .- Competition with Steam :...
charts for several weeks. By 9 November 2009, the game had sold nearly 1 million copies in the west, with 500,000 units sold in the US and 470,000 units in Europe. The success of Aion resulted in NCsoft's quarterly revenues to rise 112% for a total of $142 million.
Reception
Aion has received generally positive responses from professional reviewers. Review aggregator Metacritic lists an average review score of 76%. Positive reviews have cited that Aion provides a "refreshing look" from an artistic perspective and a "great first impression", with a lot of polish and balance. IGN states that Aion "tries to offer something for everyone and succeeds at it, albeit in varying degrees and at different stages".Negative reviews focus on the game's tendency towards "grinding" and its lack of innovative features. GameSpot's review noted that the first levels of the game were "fast-paced and intuitive", but that grinding "quickly became obtrusive". X-Play reviewed that "after a few hours it'll become apparent that there isn't much radically different here". GameSpot also noted that the servers appeared to be unable to handle the number of players involved in large-scale PVP.
Awards
- Best MMO (subscription), 2011 Golden Joystick Awards
- Best MMORPG, 2009 RPGLand.com RPGs of the Year 2009
- Best New Game, 2009 MMORPG.com 2009 Awards
- Best Online Game, 2009 Gamescom Awards
- Best MMO, 2009 Inside Gaming’s Best MMO of PAX
- Best Korean Game of the Year, 2008 Korean Game Awards