Aion: First Impressions
Aion Gameplay
Screenshot © 2009 NCSoft
One thing that truly sets Aion apart from its' competition is the graphics. Aion is a beautiful game, with so much attention paid to the scenery, behaviour, and general aesthetics of the game, as well as the gameplay itself (which I will come to in a minute). From the little things you may not notice, such as your character changing from sheltering under a giant leaf during the rain to fanning themselves when you enter the rather warm Tursin Outpost region, to the live backdrops of immensely large creatures drinking in the lakes, and the strange planets and moons that surround you as you wander through the vast expanses of the world of Atreia - it's a treat to walk the distance, as opposed to a boring, repetitive feat.
Flying is also something quite unique. While it is not as "central" to the gameplay as the game's authors may have you believe - until you reach Level 25 and enter the Abyss, that is - it gives you that extra third dimension that can make or break a fight! Can't get past a particularly nasty bunch of enemy NPCs? Fly over them - perhaps rain down some attacks from above! Losing health against an underestimated opponent? Take to the skies and fly to safety! Of course - many NPCs and players have either flight capabilities or flight disruption capabilities - so it's not all plain sailing, but it certainly adds an extra dimension to the game (pun entirely intended).
I have found that the game is entirely enjoyable whilst playing solo, but it comes into it's own, especially around my level, when you join a Group or Legion who will run quests with you. Levelling (and the time!) flies past when you are grouping with some great people. And joining a good Legion is just as important - Aion is an MMORPG - Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game - and I think in Aion the multiplayer part is especially important. The game is billed as PvEvP - whereby elements of PvE and PvP come into play in all servers. So having a good group around you is always going to be important. A lot of the storyline quests are also insurmountable without a group - again, this is just coming into play around level 17 and 18.
All in all, I'm impressed so far. It'll be interesting to see how things fare when the Abyss opens to me at Level 25, and "endgame" content around Level 50 - but that's a long way off yet!
Where will you be sleeping tonight?
Tonight, I will be sleeping out, under the stars, in Potters Fields, London, SE1. I will be joining around 300 other IT and Business Professionals in London, and over 500 all over the country, to participate in Byte Night 2009 - Action for Children's annual sleep-out for the industry in aid of eradicating Youth Homelessness. The money raised goes to Action for Children to help them tackle the root causes of homelessness is Britain's youth, and helps get thousands of children and young people off the streets and into secure accommodation, while providing them with education, training, and job opportunities.
So why sleep out? We all know about the homeless - the stereotypical person dressed in the torn trenchcoat, unkempt hair, with a coffee cup asking for your spare change. Many of us turn a blind eye to them, or look down our noses. But how many of us realise that it's not just the adults who are affected by this? Young people, often as young as (or younger than!) 13 or 14 are left on the streets, often through no fault of their own. It could be a result of a family breakup, a misunderstanding, or an abusive relationship. In the first case - the cause doesn't matter. No-one deserves to be on the streets, and even less so the youth of our society - the future of our country. And if they are on the streets - they hide. They don't dare go sit on a street corner asking for change. They are scared. That's why I believe it is important to have an organisation that is attempting to do something about this.
The money I raise will go towards Action for Children's activities in supporting those children and young adults who have been left without a home, for whatever reason. Many of them need support - whether they be embroiled in a drug culture (again - not always through their own fault), in an abusive relationship with their parents, families, or partners, or have simply made a few wrong turns and need some help. If it was you in that position - you'd want a second chance. That is what I hope I am able to provide by raising money for Action for Children, and specifically Byte Night.
You can read more about Byte Night 2009, and find out more about where your donations will go, at their website. And I ask that, if you can, you please make a donation to (or, if you like, sponsor me to sleep out for) Action for Children and Byte Night 2009 on my JustGiving page.
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A Reasonable Guide to Horrible Noise by Paul Williams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 UK: England & Wales License.