Getting Started in Aion

So here we are with Aion, the next big NCsoft MMO. It's launching next month, and we had a chance to dive into the closed beta test to start playing it. Now, that's easier said than done, since the servers seem to be down longer than when they're up, but Jason and Jeff have managed to create characters on opposing factions to see how the early game unfolds. We'll start with character creation. The character creation screen lets you toggle between more than three dozen hairstyles, but the facial sliders let you adjust almost every corner of your face. You can also use sliders to adjust height, head size, neck size and length, and more. That's comforting, because one of the problems with NCsoft's Lineage II was that everyone looked the same.

"Ten Ton Hammer has an interesting article about the transition to Asian-style MMO games, specifically Aion. 'In many ways, the West is catching up to the East in terms of gaming. Per capita gaming ... and broadband proliferation is markedly higher in Asian markets. Gaming is much more social in the East as well; many players gather together in internet cafes to spend their game time with each other. Another surprising difference in most Asian-based games is that most functions of game control are mouse based.' I think the author hit the nail on the head that Aion will be a big success in North America and will introduce a lot of players to games with an Eastern feel."