08.31.09
Puzzle of the Week
Archive for August, 2009
08.30.09
Asmodians vs. Elyos
Now, I am not really a lore person, and I already have picked my faction, but I like to choose a faction based on the lore of a game. Why? Because I like to know that I am fighting for a team in which I feel has the right of it, the basic overlaying foundation on which I can fight for the ideals and believe I am right.
I think Aion does this beautifully, each team can be seen as the right team. Each side has a perspective on the history that demonstrates why they should be the faction that lives. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
First, a brief history lesson to watch:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwciMQ3xjbk]
Alright, so now you have the basics of the lore of Atreia/Aion. You can also read more detailed accounts from The Book of the Asmodians and The Book of the Elyos. Another article dissecting the differences can be found at TenTon Hammer.
Now what the video does not cover with enough detail… The two halves of the Tower of Eternity, Tower of Light (Elyos) and Tower of Darkness (Asmodian), are leeching the strength of the other, and as such each side fights to kill the opposing Tower and those fighting to preserve it.
Why not just kill one Tower and let everyone live on one half of the world?
Basically, this isn’t an option because without the Tower, the land supported by that Tower will perish and die. So why not just migrate the people of a Tower to the other half of the world and then destroy it? Basically, the enmity between the two factions is so deeply rooted and seated within each that there really is no hope for reconciliation, any chance of this having been an option has been destroyed and there are fresh wounds to obliterate that option.
Perception is everything. The acts of one person do not dictate the philosophy/behaviors of everyone. Yet both the Elyos and Asmodians judge the others by the actions of those in the past. Elyos believe all Asmodians to be bloodthirsty monsters, Asmodians believe Elyos to be pacifist wimps.
Elyos justify their prosperity of land and climate to the favor of Aion and point to Asmodians harsh environments and climates as disfavor. Asmodians believe that Aion gave them such hardships to test their mettle and believe Aion has been overly kind to the Elyos out of pity, not favor.
The fact is, the matter is not black and white. Neither side has it wholly right and neither side is willing and/or able to admit they may be wrong. Too much time has passed to heal the wounds of either faction. They will fight to the death to eliminate the other.
If you wish to choose a faction based solely on game play/looks, that is also a viable method. Perhaps that combined with some lore/history will be your deciding factor.
Environment:
Asmodian – darker, more harsh environment. This side of Atreia does not have sunlight so there aren’t many green places, though some plants have adjusted to this and still survive.
Elyos – warmer color palette. You’ll find beautiful sandy beaches, luscious forests, overall a more green and pretty landscape.
Wings:
For a visual, these are the level 50 (max level) wings for each race.
Asmodian – 
Elyos – 
Skills:
Keep in mind that DP (Divine Power) skills, titles and Stigma Stones also vary by the race you choose.
Which race will you be playing? What contributed the most to your decision?
Official Dates & Meanings
Taken from here, the official dates are out for this month, up to and including release. More than likely you have already heard of them, but let’s dissect what each is and what you can do in each.
Open Beta: September 6 (Sunday) – 13 (Sunday)
Server and Character pre-selection: September 18 (Friday) @ Noon P.D.T.
Head Start: September 20 (Sunday) @ Noon P.D.T.
Launch: September 22 (Tuesday) NA and September 25 (Friday) EU
What you need to do to upgrade to 1.5 or begin the journey to 1.5:
The open beta client is now also available for download from Fileplanet. You can also download the full open beta client or upgrade your closed beta client by downloading these torrents.
Open Beta:
Open Beta is for testing the game, previewing it. It is generally assumed that an Open Beta is open to the general public, but based on a quote by Ayase, “I’m not entirely sure how broadly our invitations will go out, but it will, relatively speaking, be open compared to our closed betas,” it sounds like it might not be open to the general public.
Characters from Closed Beta will be wiped and you will be starting new characters for Open Beta.
What we know, Open Beta will be version 1.5, and thus we will be experiencing:
- Western enhancements: including new Western stylization options during character customization
- New zones, instances, skills, and quests
- Level cap of 30
Edit: There is now a Letter from Aion Producer Brian Knox on Open Beta as well as Open Beta Patch Notes
Your characters will be wiped at the end of Open Beta.
Server and Character pre-selection:
Beginning Friday, September 18, at Noon P.D.T. anyone who has pre-ordered Aion has the option to create your character(s). You will be able to log in and create your character’s look and save the name(s) of your choice on your server. You will be able to create and save 2 characters at max during this time. You will not be able to log in and play until Head Start. Pre-Selection ends at 9 AM P.D.T. September 20 (Sunday).
Head Start:
Two days after pre-selection begins, on Sunday, September 20, those who have pre-ordered will be able to enter the game and start leveling. If you used the pre-selection time, you won’t have to fiddle around with creating your character’s look, but just start playing.
Launch:
Anyone who wants to buy the game without pre-ordering will be able to access the game and join those who have already started the leveling process.
Pre-order Items:
Preorder-Only In-Game Items: In-game items will be available for use during the head start program.
* Black Cloud Hat (gives boosts to HP, MP, magical resistance, and evasion)
* Lodas’ Amulet (gives a +20% experience boost for 1 hour)
* One Ancient Ring of Power (type depends on your preorder retailer): Ancient Ring of Fire (GameStop), Ancient Ring of Magic (Best Buy), Ancient Ring of Earth (Amazon.com), Ancient Ring of Water, or Ancient Ring of Wind.
Related Links:
Change your Password for access!: Make sure you do this if you created your Aion account before 07/29/2009
Installation & Troubleshooting FAQ: Comprehensive guide
How to download and install Aion without problems: “For those people with an unreliable internet connection “
Dat’s Translations – Including Major Patch Notes
Letter from Aion Producer Brian Knox on Open Beta
Open Beta Patch Notes
