I've been playing Aion for the last few months. My opinions are somewhat varied on the entertainment quality as a whole, it can be fun but for the solitary player everything depends on significant amounts of time, non-diverging efforts and a great deal of chance. The pvp can be good but is also heavily, often entirely, dependent on classes and items rather than player skill. Otherwise it depends on how badly you have been caught unawares.
the basis of the game has sure potential for future additions, but as is for hack n slash or adventure it is not all that exceptional. If you like fantasy with player vs player combat and have a high tolerance to imbalance and certain equipment differences then there is always battle.
being my first mmorpg I now understand what grinding means
I thought I already knew from single player rpgs but no..this is different
Even now I will be dedicating myself to a largely unexciting (incursions are to be anticipated in my selected area/s for experience gain) day or more or ceaseless level advancement so as to obtain one more vital skill for player combat. Then of course I will need to obtain more gold ('kinah') to sufficiently upgrade my weapons, purchase skills, healing supplies etc etc etc
the simplest way to criticise Aion in the current format is to note whether player versus creature combat could be any more bland or what appears to be streamlined for the sole purposes of leveling and gold foraging. Almost all combat is one vs one, the creature might use a special attack or two, the player either counters or endures and continues on to the next identical creature.
sure enough this is the norm, but in many other rpg-type games multiple enemies join battle with a range of different abilities and attacks which requires players to be (maybe only slightly) more attentive and engaged, as well as the possibility of different play styles. Player vs creature combat in Aion could not become more simpler, which is a shame because the level of control and nature of combat skills can make player control fairly enjoyable, it just doesn't change the limited nature of engagement with creatures. I am a big fan of hack-n-slack for all of its perceived simplicity at times, Aion could be a much better game with specific design changes to this area.
as said the player skills are varied and can make character control surprisingly dynamic, as such player combat can be interesting but then --and speaking as a relatively 'skilled' pvper-- equipment availability decides battles far more than it really should.
there is rumour of a new major content patch, what has been 'leaked' definitely sounds good but all remains to be seen. I will be playing for a few more months at least, if nothing more eventuates it was still an enjoyable experience and I can make my way back to single-player rpgs or maybe even return to NWN2 online.
