NCSoft stealing its own "wing" thunder?

[skimike]

Just read the article on wings in CoH/CoV at http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/s.../1208/gameID/3.

Read briefly about the Kamael in Lineage II at Lineage 2 Stratics - Your Lineage 2 Community Resource.

With wings becoming the latest fad, especially amongst NCSoft's own titles, the potential exists for the wings to lose some of their "Wow!" factor (separate from that of free-flight). If the wings in CoH/V and Lineage II wind up being full-time accoutrements, I'm curious if Aion will alter its plan of having them appear and disappear as needed.

How long before SOE and Blizzard follow suit and add their own winged races?

[Mark]

SOE and Blizzard would probably have to re-tool a lot of their pretty little engines to cram flying races into them, especially if they want to add free flight. Even if they do, chances are that the free flight will be pretty unpolished in other games. NCsoft has promised pretty, polished free flight in Aion. Heck, in the movies we see right now, which are older than hell itself, the wings look like they tilt and move according to flight path and pitch and yaw and motion and whatnot. I'd like to see any other game pull flight off as well as Aion should.

[osric]

not long... nc might be killing some of their thunder here, but you never know. the free flight is what will bring more people to Aion. that and the graphics and storyline. however i agree that introducing wings in the other mmo's would blunt it's "wow" factor.

[TwilightAngel]

Ummm dont know why ppl realy care if CoH/CoV has wings since you can already fly in the game....as for L2 they might not let the winged race fly like in CoH/CoV or in Aion they might only hover

[Nagual]

I agree that suddenly ptuing flying/wingfs in "everything" is taking the hype a mice-step down, but (I'll rephrase Mark here) - a winged race, or adding wings later cannot even come close to compare with a game BASED on having this ability

[Zinrae]

Originally Posted by Nagual

a winged race, or adding wings later cannot even come close to compare with a game BASED on having this ability

Yes, this is true, but will most people see it that way?

We must realize, that instead of 'stealing the thunder,' it could also serve to get people excited about flying in MMOs, and attract more people to Aion. I think it could work with some good marketing.

[zalvador]

Yea.. The thunder will definately fall if they bring wings on the other mmo's. I really hope it's only for the view, otherwise Aion will loose some thunder..

Not cool from NCsoft, bringing wings into L2.. Im trying to stop playing that game, but they're trying to get me back again in the web, by making those cool chronicles/interludes..

IMHO, they should've waited to implement it after Aion. :P

[NickyMunne]

Aion is not based on flying ....Its just a "new" factor they added to atract players- flyig is mainly for travel..

[PZeplin]

Mark, just a quick notice... there IS free flight in WoW You get it at level 70 as a flying mount, you can fly wherever you want, though only in the expansion area (which is almost as big as the original though), since the original areas arent polished "on the top".

Just a quick note on that

[Mark]

Huh, is it any fun? Can you fight on your mount? Are there raid zones in the air? Huh? Didn't think so. They tacked it onto WoW. It's an afterthought for them, if anything. Flying is a central design element of Aion. It is much more than a simple means of transportation, Nicky.

[PZeplin]

I didn't say you could fight in the air, but yes there are many zones only accesible on flying mounts, and in The Burning Crusade, its very much a central thing.
And yes, it is fun actually
ANYWAY, I was just pointing out that Aion will hardly be the first game to have free flight, like you said. Aion will however, I think, be the first MMO to have aerial based fights (thats not in fighter planes etc).

[Mark]

Not sure if I ever mentioned anything about Aion being the first to have flying anything, except for awesome. That in and of itself is a pretty big feature, I think. Can never be sure though.

[Ecronyte]

Well from what I read about the L2 update, the race will not get their second wing until they advance really far (they only have one to start with). And they haven't said what getting the second wing will do for you.

If I know the L2 devs, and I usually do. They will add the race, it will not be what people expected, you will probably have to grind for months to get your second wing, and they won't be able to do anything with it until the next patch 11ish months down the road.

So I don't think NC softs other titles will steal Aions thunder. But it would have been nice for them to cool it with the wing theme, until Aion was out.

[Ipmia]

lineage 2 already has some flying stuff ( wyverns ?) but, like Mark said, the UT engine is not really appropriate for it so you cant really expect much better than the crappy wyvern fight system ( well not crappy just not very elaborated). Also even L2 with a descent wings flying system, it wont change the fact that both aion and lineage are totally different games. one targeting hardcore players that dont mind endlesses grind and one targeting more casual players wanting for fun.

Aion seem to me more trying to come to WoW market place, not lineage one.


has for the fly feature, guys dont forget that aion is not the first game with it, but indeed probably the more polished ever seen ( wich make ALL the difference)

[Trevyc]

When I first saw a video of Aion I thought about another game I have; Legend of Dragoon. The only reason it reminded me of LoD is because of the "calling" of the wings and how they appear.

And I personally don't see this as "oh we have wings! lets add it to every game!"