Archive for Legion
09.13.09
Posted in Aion, Legion, Rant, WoW at 8:02 pm by Fedoldinn
Well, to say the least, the excitement for Aion is still here, but it definitely has faded somewhat for me. I’m a bit confused lately regarding how much time I can realistically dedicate to gaming at this point in my life and into the future, as well as what it is that I want out of the gaming experience.
Do I want to play another MMORPG? After World of Warcraft, my answer was initially a definite “yes” with a few stipulations regarding the game. Aion, to say the least, was that game initially. It excited me, it made me want to play another RPG, but more than that, it made me want to experience the online community surrounding such a game once again. I wanted to be a part of another guild, I wanted to help my online friends out as best as I could with my considerably messed up work schedule (I could never join a raiding guild for example, I simply can’t predict when I work and when I don’t) and I wanted to help contribute to the bigger picture, even if it was more of a behind-the-scenes kind of role than I have been used to in the past.
So, the logical question to ask is, what has changed?
Well, after a few months of being out of the MMO scene, I’ve come to realize a few things. First, the past community I was a part of is still around in a relative sense. Some of us hang out in IRC and chat about our lives or random topics daily, which at least means that some of the friendships formed within that community are still active even without the guild being active as it once was. This fact doesn’t have much bearing on joining a new legion in Aion, however, it does mean that I’m still active to an extent in an online community, even without a game behind it to keep us playing together.
The second realization, and a fairly significant factor in my decision to play Aion, is that the time requirements for an MMORPG are extremely large for the most part. After adjusting to my new schedule with very little gaming involved at the moment, I’ve been debating whether or not I will have much time to play each day. Basically, I’ve been counting approximately how many hours I would be able to spend in game daily, and my conclusion is that I won’t be able to dedicate as much time to Aion now as I once did to WoW. This may be for many reasons, but read on for the reasons I’ve come up with so far.
When I played WoW, I probably played too much. At the time, I was used to coming home from work or school, grabbing a meal as fast as possible, and logging into the game in order to help organize our guild to raid. On off nights, I did the same more or less, but I organized smaller groups to raid 10 mans, or helped organize premade PvP groups, or otherwise logged on to run instances, farm, chat, or help out where I could. Basically, what it boils down to is this: when I got home, I was dedicating 100% of my time to the guild and game in one sense or another. I really enjoyed the community I played with, and it would be hard to say that I wouldn’t do it again in retrospect. This is simply the way it was for me. Now, I have other important aspects of my life outside of the game that would prevent me from being this active, and I foresee the next few months being fairly busy as I work through these and plan for the future.
Well, what about casual play then? Although I fully realize I can come and play Aion more casually than I have other games before it, I still realize that even casual play requires a rather significant time investment. It will take all of us a fairly long time to reach the level cap, which means a lot of time spent questing and grinding on the way there. I considered this, and came up with the following realization. One hour a day is not enough to jump into a game like Aion; you simply won’t get too much accomplished in that short of a period of time, and it is almost guaranteed that I will want to continue for a bit longer in order to make some more progress. A minimum of roughly two hours spent to the cause is a bit more ideal, yet factoring two hours a day into my schedule, I’ve realized that some days I will be able to play that much but other days I simply won’t.
The real dilemma here, is that I really do like what I’ve seen so far of Aion. The few closed beta events that I had the opportunity to play in were extremely fun, and I don’t normally enjoy playing any games at all before they’re released. I like to see the final content that’s been tested and balanced; playing beta content that isn’t finalized, is limited in some way, or isn’t balanced usually doesn’t interest me at all. This was not the case for Aion. The beta content made me more interested in the game than I was before. Considering that the betas had level restrictions and I never had the chance to even check out the Abyss or much of the PvP aspect of the game, I’d say that there is a lot to still look forward to.
As I’ve stated previously, the questing and leveling experience in Aion feels like less of a grind than it did in previous role playing games I’ve played. I had fun with the process, and I actually do look forward to spending time doing this again. That in itself may be a good reason to make the purchase even if I don’t have the time to experience much of the end game content. With visually stunning, interesting, and most importantly fun environments to check out, there is a lot to do and look forward to in the leveling process alone in this game. Given a limited amount of play time each week, this process may take longer for me than for others, but at least I know I will enjoy it while I’m doing it. Aside from the quests, I also look forward to grouping up while leveling with others on the server to conquer some of the content, like the elite areas found scattered around the world. We had quite a bit of fun for hours on end in the same small area in the closed beta doing just this.
Of course, there is also the PvE, PvP, and PvPvE aspects of the game to look forward to also. Exploring the Abyss and random world events and encounters with the Elyos (we’ll be Asmodian) should provide for interesting learning opportunities in a new game where the classes and their abilities, strengths and weaknesses aren’t well known to me. Finally, when I do reach the level cap at some point, I know I will have other end game content to check out when I have the time to do so. I’ve always really enjoyed grouping up with other players to conquer content, so dungeons and raids will definitely be of interest to me.
My conclusion about whether Aion is worth my monthly subscription fee at the moment is still entirely up in the air. Casual play still requires a fairly significant time investment, and at that rate I won’t really get to enjoy as much of the game as I would like to. MMORPGs simply aren’t designed to be the type of game you can jump into and play for a short while, and then leave behind for a bit when you get busy and don’t have much time. They’re designed to create epic worlds that will keep you in game for a long periods of time. On the other hand, given my reduced time schedule and slower leveling process, I may be able to actually enjoy some of the content the game’s designers have provided for players instead of simply rushing through it to reach the level cap and focus on the end game as I’ve always done in the past.
I guess the real debate here is whether or not I can play Aion (or any MMORPG for that matter) and enjoy it in a similar manner to other types of games that you can jump in and out at your own leisure, without concerns about in game goals. Examples of these are multiplayer FPS games. I’ve had some fun playing Day of Defeat and Natural Selection again over the past little while, and those are the types of games I can jump into when I have time with a group of friends and play for a bit. Most importantly, I can leave those games behind at times when I get busy and have other things to do quite easily.
What are your thoughts on the topic? Can you play Aion casually? If so, is it worth the monthly subscription fee, as well as the game purchase, to play an MMORPG for a maximum of 10 hours a week? Let me know what you think.
As an aside, although I definitely don’t regret the amount of time I spent playing WoW in the past for many reasons (the friendships I made during this time are important to me, and I know for a fact that at least one of them will definitely last a lifetime), at this point in time that kind of dedication is something I cannot give to a game. I have other priorities that need to be taken care of when I’m off work, and I’d like to spend my time relaxing a bit more and doing other things as well.
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08.30.09
Posted in Aion, Guide, Legion at 5:56 pm by Middea
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?
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07.07.09
Posted in Legion, WoW at 3:02 am by Middea
So much for our grand plan of storming through the Ulduar 10 man raiding scene.
It seems it is over as quickly as it began, all the work to formulate policies and get rules up and established, all for naught less than a month later. The bank is divvied up and the money is split.
It’s one thing to not be able to recruit players during the summer, but to lose the initial “team” that made you want to try and start something new and different… Too disheartening to keep trudging along. Best to cut our losses and move along.
Back to 25 man raiding we shall go.
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07.06.09
Posted in Legion, Rant, WoW at 4:46 pm by Middea
Do you even like playing World of Warcraft anymore? Step back and evaluate.
Do you log in with the zeal, that “wee, it’s time to go kill something and get something new and shiny” mentality that you used to? Do you log in wondering what will happen next? Do you spend the majority of your time trying to find a way to clear a raid more efficiently and still tackle the harder modes in order to improve your guild?
Personally, it’s all a grind these days. Recruiting players to raid even in a 10 man setting is difficult. When I get in, it’s the same old bosses the same old way. And what do I have to look forward too? The same instance with two different settings? Yay? Just what I want to do, raid like we can our 5 man dungeons. Boring!
And why keep raiding now? To get more badges that will be obsolete in the next patch? Perhaps obtain gear that has eluded my grasp so far? WoW is getting to be just too repetitive; the grind is not even fun anymore. Before, I could raid, say Black Temple, for months and although it might have gotten a little wearing, at least it was fun to raid it with my guild. Healing had some challenges and tested different skill sets, from mana conservation to balls to the wall spam healing, while even adding in mobility to the mix while healing. It had a bit of everything. Now I dps because healing was too easy and boring, and it’s still not fun. It’s the same old every night, and boss names are just about the only thing that are different.
I spent this weekend away from the computer and internet, I did not even carry along my phone. Probably the only thing technologically inclined that we used was a GPS system in the car, and that was just being used as backup as we already knew the route to go.
It was a nice, and much needed break. No Google Reader to keep up with, no patch notes to sigh at, no disappointing shadow priest Q&A to wonder why on Earth Blizzard thinks we scale well.
And when I got home, the first thing I did was not log into WoW, but to rush to get online for the Aion Beta weekend. Learning the quirks of a new game and what combinations are best for my new little cleric made it all the clearer to me that WoW is not the game it once was, and I am only logging in to keep up with friends in WoW and fulfill an obligation to our new guild.
WoW is just not that fun for me, and it’s not directly tied to any one thing I have issues with, but the overall picture. It is a mundane grind that lets me chat with folks I have grown close to in this virtual world. I’m treating World of Warcraft as my new Virtual Places. It’s a pretty interface that I can navigate while keeping in touch with folks while feeling a small bit of achievement.
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06.30.09
Posted in Legion, WoW at 8:09 pm by Fedoldinn
For those who haven’t had a chance to figure out who we are, or who may not know our background, I’d like to take a moment to go over the events of the past few weeks that have led us to where we are today.
Let’s start from the beginning. Fedoldinn and Middea are both experienced players who have been on the Bloodhoof server for many years. With the exception of a few breaks here and there, we have played since shortly after the initial release of World of Warcraft in one form or another. We enjoy the PvE side of the game and are focused mainly on raiding, although we have a tendency to become slightly obsessive about achievements and playing the auction house in our free time.
Most recently we were both in a well respected 25 man raiding guild called Mental Atrophy. While we were not a part of this guild from the beginning, they worked their way up to C’Thun and ventured into the original form of Naxxramas. We joined in The Burning Crusade and managed to kill Illidan and enter into Sunwell Plateau, killing Kalecgos before patch 3.0. In Wrath of the Lich King, we farmed Sartharion 3D weekly for the Reins of the Twilight Drake, achieved the Immortal title from Naxxramas and Heroic: Glory of the Raider before patch 3.1.
For almost two years Mental Atrophy was a significant part of my life. Needless to say, it was a sad day when the decision was made for the guild to stop pursuing end game raiding. Although many players have moved on to other raiding guilds on the server, the community continues to live on and we are proud to say we are still a part of that great community today.
Soon after hearing the news, we started to think about what it was that we wanted from the game and what we were going to do. Several options were considered, from applying to other respected guilds on the server and continuing on with 25 man progression raiding, to creating our own guild and leading with the ideals, dedication and passion that we play with.
Needless to say, the latter won out and we set out to start creating an identity for ourselves and making our vision a reality. A lot of work went into setting up the basic infrastructure and putting our ideas down on “paper” (online) and then came the real work: convincing other people to join with us. We had decided early on that we were going to stick with 10 man content and not attempt to pursue 25 man content at all. This was for several reasons, but they mainly boil down to the following:
- it is much easier to stack and make changes in a 10 man group,
- it is easier to find 10 excellent players than 25 excellent players, and
- it is more fun playing and rewarding playing with a smaller group that you can get to know well
Well, we’re into our third reset as a guild now, and although we had a solid infrastructure in place before we went public with our plans, we have seen a few minor issues come up. Of course, most of these are to be expected with any guild, but the transition from 25 man to 10 man raiding has been a bit of a challenge in itself.
Being used to having a much larger pool of players to draw from and having guild rules based around a larger player base for so long has made it easy to overlook what is going on in the smaller group dynamic that we now have.
Here is a short list of “issues” that have come up:
- recruitment
- it’s harder to recruit for 10 man than 25 man content
- it’s harder to recruit when you are a new guild versus an established guild
- players
- main swapping, spec swapping and lack of role definition early on
- gear difference and lack of motivation to run old content
- the divide between players who’ve seen the content and those who haven’t
- miscellaneous
- achievements vs progression
- friends and filling raid spots outside of guild
- guild alliances with other 10 man raiding guilds
Recruitment is tough everywhere these days, but it presents entirely new challenges in the smaller raid format. We are by no means a casual guild even though we are focusing solely on 10 man content. However, it’s hard to convince players to focus on 10 man content when most of the population only considers 25 man content as “raid worthy”. Adding to this issue is that although our names may be fairly well known on the server, we are a new guild and are not as well known as more established guilds are.
In order to try and get groups into Ulduar weekly, we’ve had to make some compromises. Early on it was tough to figure out who was going to fill out what role in our raids as most players had dual specs available with decent experience in both, and some had well geared alts that they could swap to as their main if needed. I think we’re past the role definition stage thankfully, and we all know what we prefer to play and are flexible enough to shuffle things around on nights when necessary.
Unfortunately, none of us have mastered the art of being able to play multiple accounts at the same time effectively enough to fill out the missing spots in our raid rosters. To accomplish this, we’ve had to invite friends from past guilds to join us on nights they aren’t raiding.
And of course, last but definitely not least, it’s summer time. This has been a notoriously tough period for raiding in each of my previous guilds as many people go on vacation or simply take time off away from the computer to enjoy the nice weather. It’s probably the most challenging time to start a new guild and recruit players.
While not in this guild since the beginning, they worked their way up to
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