AionSource.com - News and Announcements

MMORPG article: Real Money, Real Problems & NCsoft's Game Surveillance Unit

Knite — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:25:18 GMT

Hey everyone-

While not -directly- related to Aion, I found this article rather informative and found an interesting tidbit in the first few lines:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Jennings

A brief personal note: I’ve been hired (again) by NCsoft this week, to work as a developer and data analyst for their new Game Surveillance Unit. This CSI-sounding department is responsible for quashing botting and gold selling in their titles, some of which has been a bit of a problem of late.

The interesting thing there is the Game Surveillance Unit (GSU? G-Unit? I'm sure we'll call it something, heh). It seems that the ball really is rolling for the anti-cheating support we've all been hoping for. If you want to be a part of this task force, you can apply here.

Description NCsoft West, the U.S. branch of NCsoft, the world's largest independent developer and publisher of online computer games is seeking talented candidates for Game Surveillance Unit Agents to work in our North Austin office.

Game Surveillance Unit Agents are responsible for monitoring our services to identify individuals that are violating our User Agreements and causing harm to our game services. They are responsible for executing various processes for monitoring the in--game and out-of-game environment for Bots, Farming, RMT, Private Servers, Account Theft, and other 'cheating' type behaviors. This position requires the ability to navigate a computerized data entry system and other relevant applications.

Now onto the article, which deals specifically with common myths about MMO companies and the RMT industry. It's a good read and really brings to light a lot of the misconceptions out there.

Check it out here.

Crysystem.dll a thing of the past?

Knite — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:56:27 GMT

Well, it looks as if today's update trouble was not in vain. According to the below post (which basically reviewed the 1.5.1 patch notes) they've also fixed a little problem some of you may have heard of: Crysystem.dll

Now, only time will tell if this fix is absolute but in order to figure that out, they need YOUR feedback. So let's hear it- There were fortress raids tonight. Did you or your legion mates crash? Any other issues with 1.5.1 now that servers are back up? Lets keep it constructive and post what you're seeing and let's all hope its a thing of the past.

From www.AionOnline.com

Over the last month we’ve been transparent about our plans for the 1.5.1 game update. We’ve been working diligently to bring this update as quickly as possible without creating additional problems or false expectations. For this reason, we’ve made a conscious effort to avoid sharing to much information about our plans to address the crashing issues that many of you have been having. Fortunately, our diligence isn’t without result. We’re happy to report that today’s update will include optimizations to the game client that should serve to solve many of those issues.

As with any change to the game client, there’s a small chance that some of you will have issues. If you continue to experience crashing during Fortress Sieges or other intensive activity today, please report it in our support forums with as much constructive detail as possible.

Tamat issues a statement about today's server issues

Knite — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:45:26 GMT

Hey everyone-

We got ahold of Tamat and he was good enough to give us a statement about what's happening. I know you guys are frustrated and want to get playing, but please remember to keep your posting constructive. They're just as eager to get the servers in working order as we are to get on and play.

Greetings Daevas,

As you may know, we're currently experiencing problems with all NA and EU game servers. We've been working to identify what’s causing these problems and are close to a solution that will bring stability back to the servers and rectify new issues that began with this mornings update.

We'll have additional information including our action plan later this afternoon. We apologize for any inconveniences this has caused and want to thank you for your continued patience.

-The Aion Community Team

Server Maintenance & Patch Implementation 3:30 a.m. PST, November 18, 2009

Knite — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:53:40 GMT

Looks like it's patch time!

For those who are still wondering what is going into this patch, you can view our two part update.

Part 1

Part 2

From Aion™ Online: The Official Aion Fantasy MMORPG Website

We are bringing the Aion servers down at 3:30 a.m. PST, November 18, 2009 (more) for scheduled maintenance and the implementation of the 1.5.1 game update.

The maintenance is estimated to take no longer than 4 hours.

Thank you for your patience!

Aion Korean Patch Notes 11/11/09

Knite — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:17:37 GMT

Hey everyone-

Our very own translation guru That's Too Bad has taken the liberty of translating the most recent Aion Korean patch notes for us!

It is important to note that these changes are for the KOREAN client only. We will let you know when we can expect these on our end but the usual steps must be followed to localize the new things.

Summary:

[Fortress Siege] Changes to the system and reward
[User Interface] Multiple Character Display Option
[Class] Spiritmaster's Flying Pets
[ITEM] New Outfits

Take a trip over to this thread and check the full translation out, and be sure to give TTB a nice thank you for his time. :)

Avatar Contest: Design Tamat Some Awesomeness

Tamat — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 18:10:25 GMT

THIS CONTEST HAS COME TO A CLOSE

Following in the footsteps of those before me, the time has come for me to reach out to the Aion Source community to design an epic custom forum avatar that I can use in the forums. I'll be looking for creativity that combines elements of awesome with emphasis on randomness. I’ll personally choose my favorite and the creator will be well rewarded.

Rules:
The avatar needs to contain the NCsoft logo
Dimensions Required: 100x100 pixels
File size needs to be less than 30kB
Multiple submissions are acceptable; however, all submissions must be your own work
Submissions should be in before 11:59pm PST, Thursday, November 19th, 2009

Please send me a private message with a link to where I can view your submission (photobucket, imageshack etc.) and you'll be eligible to win the "Ultimate Aion Prize Pack".

The winning avatar will be chosen by me and announced at 4:00pm PST, Friday, November 20th. The winner will then be contacted with further details and be promptly sent the Ultimate Aion Prize Pack which includes the following:

One (1) Aion Themed Backpack
One (1) Aion: The Tower of Eternity - Steelbook Edition
One (1) Aion Shirt (limited sizes available)
One (1) Aion Sticker

Good luck everyone and thanks in advance for all your submissions!

AionSource Mystery Event Submissions and Winners!

Knite — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:32:24 GMT

PMs have been sent to all winners and I will post a list here once I receive a reply from the grand prize winner to ensure their eligibility!

In the mean time, I'll post all of the submissions for you all to enjoy. Many of these were very creative and I enjoyed reading all of them!

Here's the breakdown for arrests:

Baevrunerk: 10
Ampeis: 6
Pernos: 6
Uno: 4
No one arrested: 4
Baevrunerk & Ampeis: 3
Everyone: 2
Kalio: 1

NCsoft sales double following global Aion launch

Knite — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 06:14:04 GMT

Hey everyone-

Interesting news about Aion's global performance. NCsoft released an earnings statement for their third quarter performance and it was a very good one!

Also, I've gotten word that Aion may no longer remain a globally synchronized game. According to my source, the NCWest CEO stated that the Western version of Aion will start to differ from it's Korean counterpart starting from the next patch. Does this mean that NCWest will no longer be dependent on Korea for all their updates? Or just given more control over the client itself? It's difficult to say for sure, but we'll keep our fingers clicking looking for the news for you. Either way, it looks like a good step for Western Aion, which will hopefully improve problem response times. We shall see!

Here is the earnings statement:

From www.gamesindustry.biz

NCsoft has seen a surge in profits in the third quarter of 2009, reporting a year-on-year increase of 836 per cent following the global release of Aion: The Tower of Eternity.

Revenue for the company also more than doubled compared to the same period last year.
The company recorded a profit of KRW 46.9 billion (USD 40.6 million) for the third quarter - an increase of 39 per cent on the second quarter of the year - and revenues totalling KRW 166.3 billion (USD 144 million), which was an increase of 21 per cent.

Revenue was already up in the first half of the year for the company following the release of Aion across Korea. The game was responsible for more than half of NCsoft's overall sales in the latest quarter, totalling 970,000 units in just under a week.

NCsoft said its "proportion of overseas sales surged due to Aion's sales in Japan, Taiwan, US and Europe."

Aion topped the PC chart upon its release in the US in October. NCsoft was also forced to introduce new servers days after the game came out in Europe as players flooded existing ones.

Vendor Exclusive Aion Holiday Ascension Packs!

Knite — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 04:01:06 GMT

Hey everyone-

Looks like NCsoft is throwing some extra incentive out there for those who purchase Aion over the holiday season. Those incentives include the much coveted Black and White dyes and a healthy chunk of Lodas Amulets! Take a look at the purchase promotion below and if you haven't already made your holiday wish list, pick your dye!

Aion, the biggest MMORPG of the year, is bound to appear on several wish lists this holiday season thanks to its blend of rich storylines, state of the art graphics and robust community. At a time when entertainment costs are still rising, the value of an MMORPG gift this season can't be denied. For the price of one video game, Aion delivers hundreds of hours of entertainment to players who will work side-by-side with thousands of others in a quest to save Atreia - a world that has literally sundered in half from centuries of brutal conflict.

In celebration of the game's success this year, NCsoft is rewarding those who purchase Aion this holiday season from participating retailers with the Aion Holiday Ascension Pack - a variety of exclusive in-game character enhancements that are perfect holiday gifts for players of all ages.

The Aion Holiday Ascension Pack, available at Amazon, Best Buy, Gamestop, Target, and Walmart includes these exclusive in-game character items:

Special Dyes for customizing your character's appearance
- Amazon - Hot Orange Dye
- Best Buy - Mustard Dye
- Game Stop - True Black Dye
- Target - True Red Dye
- Walmart - True White Dye
Lesser Life Potions (20)
Lodas's Amulet (15)
Lesser Running Scroll (15)

Along with gifting Aion, NCsoft Game Time Cards are great stocking-stuffers, opening up the world of gaming with 30 or 60 additional days of game time.

Unlike any other MMO on the market, Aion introduces flight as a core experience of the game allowing millions of players across the world to take to the skies to fight, quest and explore. And since Aion was built with an award-winning graphics engine, its visuals are completely immersive and second to none when it comes to online games. Coupled with the most robust character creator of any game, players are able to make Aion their own as they create genuinely unique characters and explore the world of Atreia.

I think it's safe to say that GameStop and Walmart will be the vendors of choice when generalizing, but what about you? Which of these color would you (or will you) choose?

For already established players, nothing has been announced as far as holiday events yet, but we should begin to hear what will happen over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!

Aion 1.5.1 Patch notes, part 2!

Knite — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:45:19 GMT

Speak of the devil, here is part 2 of the 1.5.1 patch notes! You can check out the interview we had with Lani Blazier concerning part 1 of the 1.5.1 patch notes.

Have yourself a look and be sure to discuss below. If we have another opportunity to send questions about these notes, we will definitely be drawing from what the community has to say.

Enjoy!

Great news! We’ve been busy adding additional content to the upcoming 1.5.1 patch. Because this update is still in testing, we’re unable to release the official date these changes will go live; however, our current plans include implementing the 1.5.1 patch on the live servers in November. Please keep in mind that changes could occur as a result of any issues that we find in testing.

Item
1. When you extract Aether, there’s a chance that Aether Poison Gas will infiltrate your body. The poison blocks gathering for a certain period of time unless you detoxify the poison.
- Once you are poisoned the only way to detoxify yourself is to utter the "Cleansing Word.”
- To utter the Cleansing Word, type the randomly given letters and numbers within the designated time
- When you utter the Word, you get three chances to enter the correct letter/number sequence. If you fail three times, Vitality Extracting and Aether Extracting are prohibited.
- The “/ExtractStatus” command provides your extraction status.
- When you have Aether Poison Gas in your body, you can still move and activate other abilities, so move to a safe place before you utter the Cleansing Word.

2. To address various issues during the extraction process, items’ alignment, icons, and function have been changed.
- The icon for the Extraction Tool item has been changed.
- When using the Auto-Arrange Cube function, Extraction Tools now move to the first space of the cube.
- The gauge that shows during extraction is now red.
- An item that is currently being worn cannot be extracted.

3. The problem that color could not be applied when dyeing Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan's Shield and Shining Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan's Shield has been addressed.
4. Abnormalities in the item levels of Gold Medals and Silver Medals have been addressed.
5. Abnormal appearances when some items are equipped have been corrected.
6. Tooltip formatting issues with some items have been addressed.

UI
1. An Instance Info window has been added to display information before entry into an instanced dungeon.
- You can open the window by using the “/CheckEntry” command or by clicking on Instance Info in the Menu.
- Not only can you check your own standby information, but also that of group members and alliance members.

2. Number buttons have been added to some windows.
- By clicking on the mouse, one can enter prices and volume.

- The colors of numbers change as the prices go up for clearer verification of the volume entered.

3. The search system of the Broker window is now more convenient.
- When searching for an item in the list tab, you can set options such as “Include Keyword” and “Match Keyword.”
- When you select Include Keyword, the system searches for items that include the keyword. Match Keyword searches for the item that directly corresponds to the keyword.

- The item name automatically appears in the search window when you right-click while opening the list tab, or left-click while holding down the key.
- The item is registered when you right-click on the desired item while opening the Quantity tab.

4. Auto-Arrange Cube is available for each cube when you have many cubes.
- By right-clicking on the cube’s name, you can use the “Change Tab Name” and “Auto-Arrange Cube” functions.

5. You can now check your appearance after applying “Color Spray” and “Hair Dye” by using the Preview function before purchasing them.

6. When using the Plastic Surgery Ticket to change your appearance, a preview function has been added to check your appearance with a hat on.
- When changing your appearance, you can see how you look with a hat on by clicking on the Hat button.

Skill
1. In the Chain Skill window, a function has been added to set up basic Chain Skills to be more convenient.
- In the Chain Skill window, you can click and drag the Chain Skill icon onto skills that have the same condition for use.

2. During PvP, if the distance from the opposing character becomes farther than the distance required to use a skill, it is possible to use the skill by adjusting the shooting distance.
3. Elyos Templars cannot use the “Shield Retribution” skill unless they first equip a shield.
4. Issues with the Ranger’s “Hunter’s Might” skill and using an attack skill after the Hunter's Resolution effect disappears have been addressed.
5. The Assassin’s “Apply Poison” skill icon has been changed.

6. The damage number in the tool tip explanation of the Spiritmaster’s “Ignite Aether” and “Magic Implosion” now displays properly.

Quest
1. The number of Repeat Quests available inside the Steel Rake Ship has been changed.

2. The drop rates for “[Group] How to use Stigma” and “[Group] Stop the Shulacks!” have been increased.
3. Some title effects have been increased.

4. NPCs subject to conversation are now indicated on the map while executing Abyss quests.
5. When you get special rewards upon completion of a quest such as Greater Stigma Slot Expansion, Abyss Points, titles, cube expansion, or personal storage expansion, an explanation regarding the rewards no longer appears in the explanation window.
6. To prevent situations where you cannot proceed with a quest due to an NPC’s death, some NPCs’ HP have been increased.
- The Elyos NPC Pater and Asmodian NPC Needham will not attack any characters, and characters cannot attack them.
7. Typos and omissions in some quests and reward items have been addressed.

Instanced Dungeons

1. Stats of all monsters stationed in Dark Poeta have been changed.
- By decreasing Elemental Defense, Magical Attacks will deal more damage.
- Physical Defense has been slightly increased.
- HP of all monsters except for some boss monsters has been decreased.
2. Damage from Tahabata Pyrelord, the ultimate boss monster of Dark Poeta, has been decreased.
3. The difficulty in attacking the Steel Rake Ship has been decreased.
- Some monsters’ levels have been decreased.
- Some monsters have been repositioned for an easier battle in a dungeon and the battle behaviors have been changed as well.
- Food and Drink acquired in Hutkin's Safe area appear only around the door, and two people can acquire it, rather than three.
4. When defeating the boss monster of the Steel Rake Ship, Golden Eye Mantutu, Engineer Lahulahu, or Captain Hutkin, there’s a high probability of acquiring a Stigma Stone.
5. Madame Bovariki, who is at the bar in the middle layer of the Steel Rake Ship, can drop the Loot Depository Key at any time.
- When you defeat Madame Bovariki, you acquire the key to the second floor of the bar.
6. In the second floor of the Sea Song Tavern in the middle layer of the Steel Rake Ship, there is now an additional treasure chest.
7. You can go between the lower and middle layers of the Steel Rake Ship using the elevator.
- Elevator activation equipment is now available to move from the lower layer to the middle layer.
8. The price of the “Captain’s Treasure Chest Key”has been decreased. You can purchase it from the general goods merchant Pegureronerk in the lower layer of the Steel Rake Ship
9. For safety around the Dredgion exit, quard NPCs have been rearranged.
10. The stats of monsters in the Abyss Fortresses have been adjusted.
- Monsters’ maximum HP has been increased, but Physical Defense has been increased.
11. Issues with gliding inside Asteria have been addressed.
12. Problems with Krotan Refuge monsters appearing in Miren Fortress have been addressed.

Character

1. Elemental Defense has been slightly decreased.
2. Possible casting distances of some skills appear correctly in the tool tip when changing weapons to equip a Polearm or Greatsword.
3. Auto Transfer is no longer removed even when one attacks during the Auto Transfer.
4. The number of Stigma Shards required for equipping a Stigma Stone has been decreased.
5. Maximum Abyss points available for a character above 1-star officer have been increased.

Level
1. Characters can no longer penetrate into a building in certain areas of Teminon Landing.
2. Characters can no longer stand in the middle of the sky in some areas of Sanctum’s Outer Port.
3. Characters can no longer get stuck in the topography in some areas of Dark Poeta’s Timolia Mine.

You can view the entirety of the Aion 1.5.1 patch notes in our PowerWiki.

AionSource interviews Lani "Liv" Blazier about the upcoming 1.5.1 patch!

Knite — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:36:18 GMT

Hey everyone-

AionSource was recently given the opportunity to send in questions related to the announced 1.5.1 patch for Aion and our good friend Lani Blazier (aka Liv) was kind enough to answer them for us.

Be aware that this interview only covered questions about the first part of the 1.5.1 patch notes (thus a relatively short interview). We are expecting NCsoft to reveal details about the rest of the patch notes very soon and if more questions arise, we will see if we are able to shed some light on those as well.

For now, take a look at our exclusive interview and post your thoughts or questions below. And remember to check back for the anticipated second part of the 1.5.1 patch notes!

1) We've been told that 24/7 customer support is on the way and the new filter has really cut down spam in chat channels, but we are still seeing goldsellers sitting for days and days in personal shops in major cities (where they cannot be autoreported) with nothing being done to them. Can you elaborate if/when we will see in-game GMs on all servers taking care of these advertisements and, hopefully, bots as well?

Our CS team is always hard at work providing a lot of support to different areas of the game. Because of their increased efforts, many players have already seen the results you’re talking about from RMT spamming in chat. We are also fighting other forms of exploitation (hacks, bots, etc) and while they aren’t visible, GMs are actively fighting against bots, and gold sellers.

2) The community has been working to help NCsoft find a fix for the memory leaks and crashing during fortress raids. Have there been any advancements with this issue? Is there a fix on the way in the near future?

We have been actively communicating with the development team on fixes for this memory leak and are especially grateful to the community for the data they’ve been able to submit. The dev team is working on solutions and we hope to have something to announce soon.

3) The most recent patch notes for 1.5.1 show that defending legions can now gain medals for successfully holding a fortress but many people feel this will not be enough incentive for fortress defense. Can you clarify if only the controlling legion gains medals for defense, or is it the entire race? How can one legion be expected to defend against an entire race?

For the medals, once a fortress has been successfully defended, the Brigade General of the fortress will receive the medals via in game mail, and will be responsible for distributing accordingly. This allows the Brigade General the ability to award those who actively participated in defending the fortress, both inside and out of his/her own legion.

4) When the experience and rewards for some quests are increased, as stated in the patch notes for version 1.5.1, what retroactive compensation will be available to players who have already completed the quests that undergo this change? Will players receive "back-dated" experience and rewards?

We understand that this will be a concern, however, at this time there aren’t any plans to retroactively reward experience and rewards. The main purpose for making these changes were to even out areas where leveling and rewards were short, so folks that have already passed this have gotten over this hurdle and wouldn’t see as great of a benefit as those who are experiencing it right now.

5) The patch notes say, "Slightly reduced the EXP penalty due to the difference in the levels of group members when in a Group or Force." There are a lot of concerns that leveling solo is better than leveling in a group. Is this going to make a significant difference or are more changes planned?

Leveling in a group is always beneficial because you can tackle more difficult mobs together with less rest. This update reduces the penalty so players are rewarded even more for grouping up. As of now there are no announced plans for more significant changes to group xp.

6) "Characters under Level 5 can no longer use the Search function on the Find Buddy window." With the latest patches, this means that beginning characters can no longer whisper, mail, or search. Several current players are concerned that this will make the game unfriendly for new players. What are the recommended ways for new players to communicate with each other in order to make friends before level 10?

There still a number of ways new players can chat, in the local channel and in groups. In the first zone, there are two main points where new players tend to gather, and those are where hunting groups generally form. Hitting these areas will help new players meet folks that are doing similar quests and in turn build friends that will be around long after level 10.

7) When can we expect to see patch 1.5.1 live on Western servers?

1.5.1 is currently in the testing stage in the West and we hope to deploy it to all live servers in November.

8) We've heard that there will be more patch notes next week for us- will these also be for the 1.5.1 patch?

Yes, the patch notes we are posting are part 2 of 1.5.1 update and will be included in the patch.

Aionsource opens up staff applications, are you tough enough!?

Cynic — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:59:27 GMT

My oh my how far we've come, to think Aion is already well and truly here. Regardless of this fool's daydreaming it turns out the success of Aion has caused a pretty hefty amount of traffic here in the hallways of Aionsource.com

On that note I'm happy to announce the opening of several positions across our volunteer staff, juicy details below :o

Forum Moderators Ahoy!

With the ever-increasing amount of users browsing and posting on our little slice of paradise the need for more dedicated moderators is becoming quite apparent. Due to this we'll be taking on a couple youngin's and training them into the ever so charming and dashing staff you've come to know and love.

Jokes aside for you active forumites out there this is a good opportunity to help enhance the browsing experience of other users and give something back to the community you've come to call your Aion home. If you have a pretty decent hunk of spare time on your hands and preferably some exprience under your belt this position may be of interest to you.

Simply throw me a PM here at Source detailing information you deem to be relevant. Things like name, location, availability, preferences, past experience, etc etc are all interesting. Be creative and let us know what you think we need to know! Preference will be given to known and established members of the community. Who knows, you may be so lucky as to be taken under Birdman's ancient 06 wing.

Note: Please title the PM appropriately, messages titled like "Hi" may be missed.

AionArmory Staff

Aionsource has not been alone in its growth with AionArmory sharing in the prosperity. On that note we're also opening applications for new AA staff.

For those of you no doubt on the edge of your seats, surely everyone is while reading my thrilling posts, allow me to give a brief overview on what such a position entails.

Basically our AA staff are assigned with the role of approving screenshots/guides/stigma builds/NPC&Item edits and anything else remotely related. AA staff are also responsible for porting guides to the Armory, checking for bugged/missing content and repairing said content where possible (or reporting it to those that can)

If you're interested simply throw me a PM, with an appropriate title please ><, detailing all the information you deem relevant. Just like the Moderator positions things like name, location, availability, past experience (with databases/wiki-type systems) and all that fun jazz.

Remember a position like this is a pretty solid commitment so give it some thought before throwing yourself in there, we have traps to stop you from leaving! >:)

Aionsource Content Writers

Just when you thought I was done BEHOLD there is more! Aion is a large game with different pathways to walk, unfortunatly not even I can walk them all. On that vague and seemingly irrelevant note we are creating an entirely new staff position here at Source humbly called (and subject to change should Knite complain too much) Content Writers.

Basically we're looking for members of the community who are willing to take on a position as dedicated authors for Aionsource. This would entail writing things like FAQ's, guides, instance walkthroughs and more. Such content would be featured, with due credit, in the News and Guides sections regularly. If you are an experienced player within the world of Aion interested in such a position I'm sure you can imagine what I'm about to ask. Simply throw me a PM here at Source (deja vu) with some relavent details and perhaps even an example of the content you would be writing on a regular basis.

This is a great opportunity to give something back to your fellow community members without being an iron-fisted tyrant (I'm not that bad... right?). So if you're creative at heart and bursting with knowledge let us know, the Aion community could always use more sagely minds!

And that about sums me up for tonight, be sure to stay tuned and I look forward to meeting some of you in a more personal regard. Incoming PM wall of death!!!

Oh one last completely unrelated thing, we may be seeing a couple blue names hovering around the hallways of Source soon. Ask no more since I wont be giving anything away just yet ;)

Later,
- Cynic <3

Community Notices, Cube Expansions & Gaming Conventions!

Cynic — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 23:11:20 GMT

As Halloween comes to a close it seems NCWest is on a chatter storm.

Also be sure to make your entires to Aionsource's Mystery Event!

Eye on Community 10.30.09

Navalie, Templar on [ENG]Telemachus, asks:

"Many are complaining that it gets too slow to level up on some levels. When are you going to do something about that?"

Character progression is a complicated matter. Look at the famous board game, Monopoly. If each player started the game with twice the amount of money or a set of properties already owned, the challenge would be reduced, and ultimately the game would not be as enjoyable. However, the game would not run for as long, and you would more quickly get to the point where you manage the red hotels, which-let's face it-is good fun.

We want Aion to be as enjoyable as we can make it. We realize that the rate of progression is a little bit too slow in certain areas of the game right now, and we recognize that there are things that can be done to improve that. We want players to be able to reach the Abyss in a timely manner so that they can go head-to-head with the opposing faction, but we also want them to enjoy the game's lore and reach immersion in the world of Atreia. The golden middle road is the one we are aiming for. The recently posted Aion 1.5.1 patch notes highlighted a few imminent actions we are taking to increase the speed of progression:

We are increasing the experience reward of a lot of quests. Many of these are in the level 15–30 range.
We are increasing the experience gained from gathering and crafting.
We are slightly reducing the experience penalty applied due to the difference in levels of group members when a character is in a group or raid alliance.

As we move forward, we have more plans to not only include more quest experience boosts for the higher levels, but also infuse the game with a flow of new content and new mechanics that ensure that gameplay is fun and entertaining.

* * *

Another week has passed, and we're rapidly nearing the Halloween weekend. We introduced a couple of forum updates with our latest website maintenance (post bumping!) and took a stab at creating a scary Aion character with Aion's character customization system (send us your own creations to aion_community@ncsoft.com).

Without further ado, let's have a look at the community happenings you sent to us this week!

Aion Pumpkins from Legio XIX

Pumpkin carving is one of the reasons why we love Halloween. Granted, it's messy, and yes, it takes time and patience, but it's an art form with great potential to produce masterpieces! I definitely suggest that you take a look at awitelintsta's carved Aion vegetables. They're pretty nice.

Tora's Art Study

Toraneka set up a thread over at Aionsource for a couple of Aion character sketches she made. Looking good so far!

Eye on Community article is a way for us to highlight cool stuff each week that you do. Keep your submissions coming to aion_community@ncsoft.com.

Fly safe,
Aion Community Team

Aion Veteran Rewards are in Sight!

A couple of weeks ago we mentioned that Veteran Rewards, fine loot destined to fill the treasure chests of our most steadfast Aion players, are on the horizon. The concept is simple: The longer you play our game, the cooler things you get! Aion's Veteran Rewards will first be available on November 4, and at that point, those of you who have played the game for a month or more will be able to redeem your treats.

The first reward package will contain an Expand Cube Ticket to expand your inventory space, a Pop Legend dance emote to get funky with, four Lodas Amulets to boost your experience gain, and four Revival Stones to bring life and light when things look grim.

Visit our Veteran Rewards page to find out more!

Aion comes to DreamHack Winter - Bring Your Snowsuit!

DreamHack Winter is one of the largest PC festivals in the world and annually hosts more than 10,000 LAN-partying gamers for three full days. This year's iteration of the festival takes place between November 26 and 29 in Jönköping, Sweden.

We are bringing an entourage of 16 fully decked out Aion gaming stations for anyone who hasn't yet tried the game to DreamHack! Representatives of the Aion team will be staffing our booth. They'll be there to help you answer questions and to show you the ropes in Atreia. Once Aion gets all of your friends properly hooked, we will have demo serial codes to give to your friends so that they can try the game a bit more before committing to a purchase. The demo serial codes will run for three days, five game play hours, or seven levels, whichever comes first.

Our festival schedule offers a hot Aion PvP tournament where brave battle teams will duke it out against each other in our booth. Shiny prizes (loot!) will be provided by Razer and SteelSeries, given to the victors in the tournament's prestigious DreamArena finals.

Our Swedish Aion fansite has also arranged for festivities. If the thought of being surrounded by other Aion fans for three days nonstop appeals to you, then the following seat numbers might just be worth staying nearby: D22:65-D22:51 and D21:66-D21:52. Fansite staff, members, and several prominent Scandinavian Legions will be present to hold the Aion banner high and steady.

DreamHack still has spots available, whether as a visitor or to partake in the full event. Don't miss it!

And that sums us up for NCWest recaps for now, happy gaming all and see you in the Abyss!

Later,
~~Pumpkin-Head Man~~ Cynic <3

AionSource Mystery Event entry details!

Knite — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 23:12:56 GMT

Hey everyone and Happy Halloween!

Now that the Mystery Event is fully updated, its time for everyone to submit their entries!

Step 1) Check out the AionSource Mystery Event thread and read the stories in the OP.

Step 2) Choose which person(s) you wish to arrest.

Step 3) PM Knite with your version of how they did it, why they did it, etc. Please be sure to explain enough as one line wouldn't be sufficient evidence to put them away. Please title your PM "Mystery Event Entry"

Please also remember that anyone can enter this contest, but to win the grand prize (Aion bag filled with candy) you must be 18+ and live in the USA (sorry!).

We will choose 20 winners from all entries who will receive an in-game potion pack (while our supplies last) and a Chief Investigator title for the AionSource forums (if they wish). From those winners, one will be chosen to receive the Grand Prize, so best of luck to you all!

Just remember the bottom line here is all suspects are innocent until proven guilty. It is your job to prove to us that your suspect did it, so use the stories, use your own imagination and let's solve this mystery!

~~Deadline for entries is Wednesday, November 4th, 11:59pm CST~~

ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED

Have fun and best of luck!

NCsoft reveals Aion's Veteran Rewards Program!

Knite — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:49:49 GMT

Any MMO vet will tell you that veteran rewards are always something to look forward to and NCsoft has always done a good job coming up with cool incentives to keep people waiting for the next!

Today, Aion unveiled it's own Veteran Rewards Program but unlike many previous MMOs where you gain a new reward every 3 months, Aion seems to be giving a little something every month with the milestone months offering a bit more. Also, you are able to claim each month's vet reward on each character you have! (altaholics rejoice!)

Read below for the details on the Veteran Rewards program!

Aion™ Veteran Rewards Program

The Aion Veteran Rewards program rewards steadfast Aion gamers for their time spent playing Aion.
For each month you have an active account, you are eligible to redeem in-game items, such as weapons, armor, titles, and emotes. Each program reward can be redeemed once for every character within each respective Aion game account.

We reserve the right to expand, revise, or end the Veteran Rewards program at our sole discretion.

Eligibility

You are eligible for Veteran Rewards if you have an active game account.
If you have an active account, the only thing you need to do is to redeem your items each month via your Aion game account in your NCsoft Master Account. After each one-month milestone, new rewards become available and will be delivered via in-game express mail once redeemed.

Free time included in purchasing Aion counts toward your Veteran Rewards status, as does any time received from specified promotional programs that involve a player receiving free time. Your Aion game account page displays your Veteran Rewards time. It indicates which Veteran Rewards month you are eligible for.

Availability

Veteran Rewards will become available on the first day of each subscription month starting with the second month.

The in-game items you accrue in the Veteran Rewards program are redeemed via your Aion game account in your NCsoft Master Account, and then delivered to your characters via in-game express mail. The redemption process is very similar to the way that you redeemed Collector's Edition items (if you purchased either the Collector's Edition box or digital-only version of the game).

Note: The first month's Veteran Rewards won't be available until November 4, 2009.

Redemption

Follow these steps:

Log in to your NCsoft Master Account.
Click the Game Accounts link.
Select an Aion game account listed on the Game Accounts page.
Click the Apply in-Game Items link in the Action section.
Select a server in which you have made a character, and click the Next button.
Select a character to receive the Veteran Rewards, and click the Next button.
Click the checkbox next to an item pack or packs, and click the Next button.
Review the confirmation page, and click the Apply the Items/Item Packs to This Character button.

Once you've assigned items to a character, log in to Aion and retrieve the items via in-game express mail.
For additional help, visit our knowledge base.

Veteran Rewards Items

Month 1: Pop Daeva

You jumped into Aion and are off exploring the visually stunning world of Atreia. To help you along in your travels, we will give you four Lodas Amulets, four Revival Stones, an exclusive Pop Legend emote, and an Expand Cube Ticket.

Month 2: Honored Daeva

This month, we will give you four more Lodas Amulets and Revival Stones to fortify you against the challenges ahead. Good luck! Atreia is counting on you.

Month 3: Dance Daeva

Your commitment has earned you the title "Adept of Aion" and another exclusive emote: Forbidden Dance! In addition, we will give you four Lodas Amulets and four Revival Stones.

Months 4 and 5: Honored Daeva

These months, we will give you four more Lodas Amulets and Revival Stones to fortify you against the challenges ahead. Good luck! Atreia is counting on you.

Month 6: Soaring Daeva

You've played for half a year- still, there is much more to accomplish!
To boost you to new heights, you have earned a Wing Feather of the Black Cloud Trader (level 40). This wing set not only increases a character's flight time, but also HP and MP. We also reward you with four Lodas Amulets and four Revival Stones.

Veteran Rewards FAQ

Q: What do I have to do in order to receive my Veteran Rewards?
A: If you have an active account, you don't need to do anything except log in to the game. After each one-month milestone, the appropriate Veteran Rewards will be added to your Aion game account and delivered via in-game express mail once they are redeemed.

Q: How do I redeem my Veteran Rewards?
A: Follow these steps:

Log in to your NCsoft Master Account.
Click the Game Accounts link.
Select an Aion game account listed on the Game Accounts page.
Click the Apply in-Game Items link in the Action section.
Select a server in which you have made a character, and click the Next button.
Select a character to receive the Veteran Rewards, and click the Next button.
Click the checkbox next to an item pack or packs, and click the Next button.
Review the confirmation page, and click the Apply the Items/Item Packs to This Character button.

Once you've assigned items to a character, log in to Aion and retrieve the items via in-game express mail.
For additional help, visit our knowledge base.

Q: What is the first day that I can expect my Veteran Rewards to show up?
A: Veteran Rewards will become available on the first day of each subscription month starting with the second month. Your Aion game account page displays your Veteran Rewards time. It indicates which Veteran Rewards month you are eligible for.

Note: The first month's Veteran Rewards won't be available until November 4, 2009.

Q: Where can I find out how many months I have played with an active account?
A: Your Aion game account page displays your Veteran Rewards time. It indicates which Veteran Rewards month you are eligible for.

You can view your earned Veteran Rewards time by logging in to your NCsoft Master Account. Click Game Accounts, and select your Aion game account. In the Account section, locate the Veteran Rewards Time section, which indicates the amount of time that you have played with an active account and earned Veteran Rewards for. Your Veteran Rewards time will not always match your total paid time (also displayed in this section) due to promotions you have taken advantage of, game account inactivation and reactivation, and so on.

Q: My account is no longer active. Can I still receive Veteran Rewards?
A: Yes, but the time that your account was inactive does not count toward your Veteran Rewards.

To receive your Veteran Rewards, reactivate your account via credit card, game time card, or another payment method, and the appropriate Veteran Rewards will become available for all of your characters. Just log in to your NCsoft Master Account, redeem the Veteran Rewards, and they will be waiting via in-game express mail.

Q: If I use game time cards, will that count toward my Veteran Rewards?
A: Yes. You are rewarded for the number of months you have an active account, no matter which payment method you choose.

Q: Can I pay for a certain number of months into the future in order to receive my Veteran Rewards now?
A: No. Veteran Rewards are delivered based on the number of months you have had an active account. This only applies to time that as already passed, not the future.

Q: I participated in the Aion closed and open betas, as well as the Head-Start Program period. Does that time count toward my rewards?
A: No. Veteran Rewards are for the number of months a player has had an active account, so the beta and Head-Start Program periods do not count toward accruing Veteran Rewards.

Q: Does the free month that was included with my game purchase count toward my Veteran Rewards time?
A: Yes, the game time included with the purchase of Aion counts as your first month. You'll be eligible to redeem your first Veteran Rewards on the first day of your second month.

Q: I have multiple Aion game accounts, and some are newer than others. Will my Veteran Rewards for my oldest account apply to my other accounts as well?
A: No. Veteran Rewards are based on each individual Aion game account.

Q: Will each character I have available now or will create in the future be able to redeem each of the Veteran Rewards that I have earned?
A: Yes, you will be eligible to redeem each appropriate month's Veteran Rewards once for every character you create on a respective Aion account.

Patch 1.5.1 preview, part 1

Knite — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:10:04 GMT

Hey everyone-

NCsoft just released their preview for the upcoming patch 1.5.1! Take a look below and let us know your thoughts on the changes!

From www.AionOnline.com

Last week in our community address for October we told you about a few changes we’ve been working on for an upcoming update. Today we’re happy to announce that the update is currently in testing and will be coming to the live servers in the near future. As promised, we are transparently giving you as much information as possible so to alleviate some of the concerns that you’ve expressed.

It gives us great pleasure to share with you the tentative patch notes for the Aion 1.5.1 patch.

Because this update is still in testing, we’re unable to release the official date these changes will go live. Additionally, remember that changes could occur due to issues we find in testing.

Patch Notes: 1.5.1

[NPC]

1. Added a new function to prevent abnormal game play as a result of specific terrains in the Instanced Dungeons.
-When a player moves where a monster cannot follow, the monster will now correctly continue to attack the player.

2. You no longer receive a reward when you defeat a field boss using a specific NPC.

3. Assigned additional guard NPCs that can detect Stealth to protect allies in the main villages of Heiron (in Elysea) and Beluslan (in Asmodae).

4. Increased the eyesight and Stealth detection ability of Mau Warriors and Mau Hunters—the NPC guards assigned to the Silver Mane Village in Morheim.

5. Changed the name of the guards near the Dredgion entrance in both Elysea and Asmodae.
- Changed the name of the guard in the Teminon Bind Point to Garrison Senior Soldier .
- Changed the name of the guard in the Primum Bind Point to Garrison Senior Soldier .

6. Corrected the spelling errors in the dialog with Stigma Master Nobus in Teminon Fortress.

[Instanced Dungeon]

1. There is now a high chance of obtaining class Stigma crystals from defeating the boss in the Fire Temple, Raged Judge Kromede.

2. Changed the drop rate of class Skill Books in the Aetherogenetics Lab and Alquimia Research Center.
- Slightly increased the drop rate from monsters in the Instanced Dungeons.
- Greatly increased the drop rate from the final bosses in the Instanced Dungeons.

3. Changed the movement speed of certain bosses in Dark Poeta.
- Increased movement speed of Vengeful Spirit of Forest Protector Noah
-Increased movement speed of Vengeful Spirit of Elim Elder.
- Increased movement speed of Spaller Insect Echtra.

4. Lowered the difficulty of Steel Rake Hutkin, the final boss of the Steel Rake.
- Lengthened the summoning cycle of minion monsters.
- Lowered the level and stats of minion monsters.

5. Changed the system message that displays when the food/water supply unit inside Hutkin’s Safe in the Steel Rake fails to activate.
- Displays system message, "It will be difficult to do this alone. I need one more person to help me push it!" when a character tries to activate the food/water supply unit alone.

[Items]

1. Changed the options of some items.

2. Changed the full set effect of some set items.

3. Changed the properties of some items.

4. Resolved the problem where the weapon effect of Miragent’s Jewel/Fenril’s Jewel could not be seen.

5. Slightly increased the EXP gained from gathering and crafting.
- Skill level increases at the same rate as before.

6. Added description "A hidden effect(s) is activated when you equip the complete set" at the bottom of the tooltip of the item that has a hidden set effect.

7. The maximum number of contribution decorations that can be stacked in a slot is now 1000.

8. Corrected the spelling errors in the tooltip description of some items.

[Quest]

1. New repeat quests have been added to supplement the difficulty of ‘Craft Skills Test’ [Elyos] and ‘Proving the Proficiency of Crafting Skill’ [Asmodians] quests of Level 50 Daevanion quests.
- You can obtain ‘Boiling Balaur Blood Stain’ as reward from the new repeat quests, which are the craft material items required to complete the Daevanion quest.
- Elyos can obtain the new repeat quests in Sanctum, and Asmodians can get theirs in Pandaemonium.

2. Increased the EXP reward of some quests.
- These quests include many quests in the [Elyos] regions of Eltnen, Theobomos and Interdikah, and the [Asmodian] regions of Morheim, Brusthonin and Beluslan, and also the [Elyos/Asmodian] quests in Reshanta.

3. Increased the Kinah and item reward of some quests.
- These quests include many [Elyos/Asmodian] quests with the recommended level of 20 or higher.

4. Increased the chance of gaining contribution decorations as reward from [Elyos/Asmodian] repeat quests that require defeating the elite guards in the upper layer of [Reshanta].
- The list of quests is as following.

5. Increased the drop rate of quest items for [Elyos/Asmodian] repeat quests inside the instanced dungeon Steel Rake.

- The list of quests is as following.

6. Corrected the spelling errors in the description of reward items and NPC dialogs of some quests.

[Abyss]

1. You now receive contribution decorations as reward for successfully defending a fortress under the control of your Legion.

- Gold and silver contribution decorations are issued as a reward.

- The number of contribution decorations you receive for defending a fortress increases as you move from lower layer to upper layer to the deepest layer. (Lower

[Skills]

1. Increased the amount of enmity increased by Templar’s ‘Incite Rage’ skill.

2. Changed the cool time of Assassin’s ‘Contract of Evasion’ skill from 30 seconds to 1 minute.

3. Increased the damage inflicted by Assassin’s ‘Counterattack’ skill.

4. Increased the damage inflicted by Assassin’s ‘Apply Poison’ skill.

5. Increased the amount of enmity reduced by Assassin’s ‘Calming Whisper’ skill.

6. Reduced the MP cost of Sorcerer’s ‘Flame Harpoon’ skill.

7. Increased the damage inflicted by Cleric’s ‘Thunderbolts’ skill.

8. Resolved the issue of the cooldown time not being seen clearly when using Cleric’s ‘Ripple of Purification’ skill.

9. Resolved the problem of abnormal mental conditions not being removed by using Cleric’s ‘Splendor of Purification’ skill.

10. Resolved the problem of the range of Spiritmaster’s Command skills not being modified in PvP.

[Character]

1. Slightly reduced the EXP penalty due to the difference in the levels of group members when in a Group or Force.

[Combat]

1. A character transformed into a Guardian Deity General can no longer be pulled in by using Templar’s ‘Inescapable Judgment’ skill.

[Level]

1. Resolved the problem of the Primum Bind Point in Reshanta where you could enter inside by going through the wall of the lower part of the base.

[UI]

1. Resolved the problem of the right mouse click not working when purchasing items from the list in the Sales Agency window.

2. On the Sales Agency window, items listed under the categories ‘Weapons’, ‘Armor’, and ’Accessories’ tabs are now displayed correctly.

3. Resolved the problem of group members in different channels not being displayed correctly on the map.

4. Characters under Level 5 can no longer use the Search function on the Find Buddy window.

Massively interviews Aion's new community manager, Tamat!

Knite — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 18:28:40 GMT

Hey everyone-

No sooner had Tamat, our newest community contact, sat down in Seattle when the interview requests started rolling in! Massively has published theirs today, giving us all a bit of insight about Tamat, what he'll be bringing to the table, and what's in store for Aion and it's community.

From www.Massively.com

Aion is easily one of the biggest MMOs of the year, so when a new North American community manager took over recently we decided it was the perfect time for an interview with the new team member, Andrew Beegle -- known as Tamat to community members.

We asked Tamat about new methods of community interaction, the hotly anticipated experience boost patch and even some personal questions about our new community manager. You can never really know enough about the person serving as the conduit to your main MMO -- at least that's what we tell them!
Massively: What steps will the team be making towards improving the channel between developer and player?

Andrew "Tamat" Beegle: While the Aion team already interacts with the community utilizing a number of tools (forums, event presence, official Web site, facebook and twitter), there are always ways to enhance and improve communication between a game development team and its players. In this regard, we've been making giant steps forward. We've started a weekly Eye on Community series where we answer questions that we receive from the community and highlight activities going on at Aion fansites. Another way we're working to enhance communication is with our monthly address to the community that speaks to the driving current concerns of the community. With those in mind, we're also working diligently to build the official website and forums to deliver exactly what players want.

These are examples of a few ways we plan to drive the overall communication. However, one of our secondary goals right now is making sure we communicate that we're receptive to the feedback that we've been receiving from the community.

But communication is not all about addressing serious issues. Stay tuned, as we have quite a few fun ideas planned that our players will want to look out for.

Can players expect the experience boost patch any time soon?

Tamat: Definitely. We've taken a good look at the current quest reward experience, and we should be increasing the amount of experience rewarded for a high percentage of the existing quests in our next update. Additionally, we've been reevaluating the experience rewards characters gain for individual kills. Ultimately, we want to make sure that each individual experience boost is in the best interest of the game, and as you can probably imagine, that takes time to properly evaluate.

What's your biggest priority coming into the position of North American community manager?

Tamat: The need to enhance the communication between the Aion team and the community. Thankfully, the entire NCsoft West team is committed to improving community relations, so there is a lot of opportunity to do just that.

How much control does the North American/European team have over the evolution of the game?

Tamat: The west plays a vital role in the overall success of Aion. All branches of the Aion team contribute ideas and information to each other for consideration. We evaluate each territory's individual needs and priorities, and then we plan accordingly.

That is a large and ambitious task with a game of this scope and size. Though it may not always seem immediately evident from the outside, we're in constant communication with the studio in Korea. Many of the changes implemented during the last year have been a direct result of that communication. That same influence has resulted in many of the future enhancements that we haven't announced yet.

Will we be getting the same patches as the Korean version of Aion, or will they be tweaked to be "localized?"

Tamat: Our goal is to keep updates as close together as possible in timing. Ideally we're shooting to keep these updates within a month apart of each other. Every update will contain similar content, changes, and features. However, there may be times that we pick and choose what we implement depending on what appeals to the Western market (North America and Europe). You can get a sense of how this will pan out by looking at the depth of Western customization and design we implemented in version of Aion currently available at retail in the west.

How has the team felt about Aion's reception since launch?

Tamat: Aion has been met with an overwhelming amount of praise overall. Our players love the game, the review scores have been cumulatively high, and despite the issues that exist in every new MMO, we had a solid launch-a fact that was recognized by both the press and the players.

With that said, we've been listening to the feedback that players have been sharing, and the team has been working relentlessly to address gameplay issues and abate nuisance issues that sap fun by putting in place changes that will be coming to the live servers sometime in the future.

What's your background on MMOs? What games have you played? What's your favorite?

Tamat: I'm a lifelong gamer, but I've been into MMOs since high school. It started with EverQuest, and that led to my first position in the industry at Warcry, which led to IGN, and ultimately my four-year stint at Allakhazam (now known as ZAM). During my time writing about MMOs, I had the opportunity to play nearly every MMO on the planet. It's funny looking back on it now. This all began many years ago as a hobby, but turned into my career.

Some of my all-time favorite MMOs include: EverQuest, Dark Age of Camelot, Planetside, Lineage II, EverQuest II, Vanguard, World of Warcraft, and now Aion.

Have you been a fan of Aion before taking on this position?

Tamat: Absolutely. EverQuest was and is still to this day my favorite MMO. For whatever reason, the combination of difficulty and overall depth appealed to my inner masochist and gave me a sense of immersion that went beyond previous online experiences. Aion is enjoyable for me because it has a unique set of challenges that transcend the majority of post-World of Warcraft MMOs, while also being easy enough to play casually and feel a sense of achievement.

Aion has the perfect combination of hardcore and casual elements that put the game into its own category altogether. For now, I'm calling that category "Totally Awesome."

Thanks for your time!

Tamat: Thanks for the opportunity to talk about Aion.

Collector's Editions & Weekly Maintenance!

Cynic — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:59:29 GMT

Howdy folks, well NCWest has been kind enough to give out a saving grace to those of you still seeking the CE advantages of Aion. We've also got our lovely server maintenance for this week (I was leveling, QQ!) and all the usual jazz.

While we wait for the servers to come bcak online now is a great time to check out the latest update (Day 4) in this year's Aionsource Halloween Event.

Weekly Server Maintenance 10/28 3 a.m. PDT

We are bringing the NA servers down at 3:30 a.m. PDT (more), October 28, 2009 for scheduled maintenance. The maintenance may take up to 2 hours.

Thank you for your patience!

A pretty brief notice unfortunately with no mention of patches/updates. Guess we'll just be enjoying some routine hardware maintenance this morning! We'll update this news post accordingly if a patch should appear ;) ~Cyn

Special 48-hour Aion Collector’s Edition Upgrade Purchase Window

Apparently people are absolutely clueless as to the CE being available again so I've decided to throw this in the news yet again. You can find the original mention here.

Due to an internal error that caused availability of the Aion Collector's Edition Upgrade to end early, we're restoring the ability to upgrade between 12:01 a.m. PDT on Thursday, October 29, 2009 to 11:59 p.m. PDT on Friday, October 30, 2009 (more). Please keep in mind that this will be the last opportunity you will have to upgrade to the Aion Collector’s Edition.

During the above listed 48-hour period, upgrades to the Aion Collector's Edition will cost $10.00 USD and will include the digital in-game items found in the physical Aion Limited Collector's Edition box.

Exclusive in-game items included:

Black Cloud Wings (gives 40 seconds of additional flight time)
Black Cloud Earring (gives an HP and an MP boost)
Special character title (Settler of Aion) with stat boost
Rich purple dye to tint 10 in-game items
Two character emotes

Keep your eye on the NCsoft store this Thursday for your chance to upgrade to the Aion Collector's Edition!

And on that note I should probably go catch an hour or two of sleep, stay beautiful all and happy gaming!

Later,
-Cynic <3

NCsoft is hiring more community folk for their Brighton, UK offices!

Knite — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:52:09 GMT

Hey everyone-

More job listings today, this time our EU friends get the classified love. Yesterday I posted that Curse is seeking some good people for a few positions- you can find that thread here.

Today it's NCsoft hiring for their Brighton, UK office. Take a look and see if these positions are right for you!

From uk.AionOnline.com

We are in the process of extending our European Aion community team. We are looking for a few more dedicated, skilled, and community-oriented people to join us in our European office located in Brighton, United Kingdom. Any of these positions lets you get involved with Aion and work with one of the coolest gaming communities that there is. The community positions posted at the Jobs section of our NCsoft website include:

· Community Coordinator
· Community Coordinator (German)
· Community Coordinator (French)
· Community Manager (French)

All of the above positions are on-site and located in Brighton. For the quickest response, send your application to ukjobs@ncsoft.com. We’re look forward to hearing from you!

NCsoft issues a quote concerning the Harvest Revel & another chance to upgrade to Collector's Edition!

Knite — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:57:27 GMT

Hey everyone-

There have been some questions and confusion about the Harvest Revel and what it entails. In order to clarify what to expect for Aion's first holiday event, we got a statement from NCsoft.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NCsoft

"Harvest Revel is an ancient holiday that was celebrated since before the Cataclysm. It has since been rediscovered and subsequently redefined by the Asmodians and the Elyos based on the drives and needs of each of those societies. This year for Harvest Revel we decided to focus on telling the story, and while I can’t reveal much about our plans for upcoming holiday events, we want to craft holiday events for the future of Aion that resonate with both the game lore and the cultural norms of the West while embracing the potential for fun and diversity from the Eastern game."

To further clarify, it is confirmed that this year's Harvest Revel is not a live event. What you can expect though is daily lore introducing everyone to what exactly the Harvest Revel is as well as free in-game items, which are always a bonus in my book. :)

All the best and enjoy the lore and loot!

(Also, if you haven't yet, stop by our Halloween Mystery Event and get caught up on investigation!)

Also, word was just received that NCsoft will be reopening Collector's Edition sales! Check out the article below if you missed your chance to buy before!

From www.AionOnline.com

Due to an internal error that caused availability of the Aion Collector’s Edition Upgrade to end early, we're restoring the ability to upgrade between 12:01 a.m. PDT on Thursday, October 29, 2009 to 11:59 p.m. PDT on Friday, October 30, 2009 (more). Please keep in mind that this will be the last opportunity you will have to upgrade to the Aion Collector's Edition.

During the above listed 48-hour period, upgrades to the Aion Collector's Edition will cost $10.00 USD (£10.00 / €10.00) and will include the digital in-game items found in the physical Aion Limited Collector's Edition box.

Exclusive in-game items included:

- Black Cloud Wings (gives 40 seconds of additional flight time)
- Black Cloud Earring (gives an HP and an MP boost)
- Special character title (Settler of Aion) with stat boost
- Rich purple dye to tint 10 in-game items
- Two character emotes

Keep your eye on the NCsoft store this Thursday for your chance to upgrade to the Aion Collector's Edition!

That's all for now! Keep checking back for the latest Aion news and have a fun and safe Halloween!

Curse Looking To Hire .Net and PHP Developers! Passion For Gaming Required!

Knite — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:32:51 GMT

Curse is looking to hire a few new developers; and where better to hire than our own super-hecka awesome gaming community! We're looking for a .Net Web Developer and a PHP Web Developer. The requirements can be seen at the links below, but one of the most important things here at Curse is passion. Passion for what we do and what we're trying to build. If you're eager and have the knowledge required we'd love to hear from you!

PHP Developer Position Details:
Curse, Inc is seeking a talented PHP web developer to join its Huntsville-based team, for the ongoing development of Curse's PHP based fan site network. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone with a passion for online gaming, and an interest in continuing development on some of the web's most popular sites.

Click here for more information on the PHP Developer Position.

.Net Position Details:
Curse, Inc is seeking a talented .Net web developer to join its Huntsville-based team, for the ongoing development of Curse's web platform. This is an exciting opportunity for anyone with a passion for online gaming, and an interest in developing the world's leading online gaming portal.
Click here for more information on the .Net Developer Position.

"Eye-On" Community 10/23/09

Knite — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:17:07 GMT

Yes, I know this is a couple days late but here it is anyway!

NCsoft has made a nice article recapping some of the community's accomplishments, talents, and people.

AionSource is linked a few times in here and we're grateful to be one of the biggest hubs for the Aion community! So take a look (and listen!) to what's been happening in October and discuss your thoughts below! And remember that NCsoft asks the community sites for suggestions for these newsletters as well, so if you have something you feel is worthy of the next "Eye On" feature, please be sure to send me a PM!

From www.AionOnline.com

Slynthia, Chanter on [Oceanic]Nezekan, asks:

"With more people getting closer to 50, and more people daily being involved in PvP, the claims of client instability in mass PvP seem to be rising. What plans are there to tackle this, in particular in regards to the higher end raids, where the numbers are likely to be quite high once people start hitting the level cap?"

Most claims of client instability stem from more or less the same issue, the dreaded "Crysystem.dll error". Over the last week we worked closely with our community and our fansites in order to help us get closer to a solution. We asked the administration of each site to help us gather helpful information, such as the IP address and time of report for those in their communities who had contacted our tech support team about this issue. Thanks to your feedback and the assistance of our great network of fansites, were able to submit a long list of data to our QA team.

The error is a confirmed bug and we have been working with the development team in Seoul to pinpoint the cause. A fix is in the works but the underlying cause is very complex. The bug requires a lot of work and testing before a permanent band-aid can be applied on top of it. The development team is investigating the matter and are testing a number of short and long term solutions, including better display options to the Aion client as well as system and memory optimizations.

We will make sure to keep you updated and will let you know as our potential solutions are tested through and ready to be implemented.

* * *

"I wish there was a way for me to let NCsoft know of my Aion ideas," said the player.
"The Eye on Community never blinks", replied the old, wise and undeniably irrefutable man.

Our community team received a much anticipated addition this week: Andrew "Tamat" Beegle. Andrew will be looking after the North American part of the community and he brings a very welcome pair of eyes. Each day we spend a lot of time reading fansite forums, Twitter, Facebook posts, e-mails and IRC chats just to be sure that we are able to represent your opinions and feedback accurately to the rest of the company. Our lines of communication go both ways. Just as much as we are here to keep you informed of our progress, we depend upon your feedback to make progress.

Halloween is getting closer and, with that, sites are beginning to redecorate in celebration. We will give you a tour of what they are up to next week, but for now please read on for a glimpse of their wonders.

This is Triniel.
"The Empyreans", an Elyos Legion on [East]Triniel decided to lay down the law and represent. Who knew there were rappers in Atreia? Make sure to hit the link if you want to tune in.

Triniel Player Community Team and Events
Triniel this and Triniel that - think what you will, but they have so many cool things going on that they must be doing something right. We’re now waiting for someone to step up to the challenge on other servers!

First Level 50 Characters
If you frequent our website you are likely to have already read our interview with the two members of the 'For the Harmony' Legion who were first to reach level 50 here in the West. Today, two weeks later, more than 250 players have gotten there as well.

Legion Spotlight – Dying for Honor
Don’t miss our returning series of Legion highlights. First out is a German Legion: "Dying for Honor".

Giant Fox monster
We just felt that this post needed some additional attention.

Let us know if you have something exciting to share or highlight. Do you know of any upcoming Aion events, competitions, or gatherings? Drop us an e-mail with the subject line "Eye on Community"! We can't promise everything will be highlighted, but all submission with be considered, and many described here. Don’t be shy!

Adios amigos—and see you all again next week!

The Aion (Halloween) Harvest Revel starts tomorrow!

Knite — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 04:18:16 GMT

For those of you in-game and playing right now, you may have noticed a survey arrive.

The first holiday event for Aion's Westerns launch begins tomorrow and we want to share everyone's experiences. We're looking for videos and screenshots of you participating in events, group screenshots of you and your friends in costume or transformed using your favorite candy!

Post them below and share your fun with the rest of the community!

AionSource Mystery Event

AionSource's first ever Mystery Event has begun! Put on your sleuth hat for a chance to win in-game potion packs, a big ole Aion bag full or candy, or a special forum title specificly for this event!

The event will go throughout the week,

so check the thread each day

for new clues and unravel the mystery!

October Aion Community Address

Knite — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 00:18:13 GMT

Hey everyone-

NCsoft has released the first of its monthly Community addresses. In it they will address upcoming fixes, community feedback, and other bits of useful Aion information, so have a look and discuss! The letter seems to cover many things that we've been talking about since launch. :)

From www.AionOnline.com

It’s been a month now since Aion opened its doors to players in North America and Europe. In that month, the growth of the game’s community has signaled Aion’s success. We’ve received an amazing amount of feedback, both positive and negative. We’d like to reiterate that we’ve been listening. We have been working around the clock toward solutions to the problems many of you have experienced.

You’ve told us that it’s difficult to advance within certain level ranges. To address this issue, we’re planning to raise quest experience, in addition to reevaluating the experience rewards characters gain for individual kills. We understand how frustrating it can be to repetitively kill enemies. Our goal is to limit the need to mindlessly “grind.”

In this week’s Eye on Community, we answered a question that a player had about client instability. In the reply, we noted that most of the claims stem from the infamous “Crysystem.dll error.” We’ve been working with members of the community to identify the cause of the problem in order to find a permanent solution. Our development team is currently investigating, and will be testing a variety of different short- and long-term solutions. These include adding additional and improved display options to the Aion client, as well as system and memory optimizations.

We’ve heard your unhappiness about the chat spam and bots in Aion and recognize it as an annoying problem. We’ve taken measures to reduce the amount of chat spam you’ll be subjected to and have already seen substantial improvements in this area. We’ve been expanding our GM customer service staff, and we have also assembled a special team dedicated to hunting down and eliminating botting operations. It’s obvious these activities erode your gameplay experience far too much to be acceptable. They also harm us from a business standpoint due to the RMT organizations’ frequent use of stolen credit cards.

Many of you have asked us why we haven’t spent more time communicating the specifics of our plans. The unfortunate truth is that the same people spamming chat channels and setting up bots are also reading our announcements. In order to keep the enemy in the dark, we cannot be too vocal about our plans to fight back.

We want you to know, though, that we’re more dedicated than ever to eliminate chat spam and the use of bots. The good news is that you can help. If you see any suspicious player activity, report it. To quickly report these players, use the /AutoReportHunting feature by typing /AutoReportHunting while a suspicious character is targeted. It’s important to note that this system will actually begin to penalize players after they’ve been reported multiple times. The more of you that use this system—the more effective it will become.

To add more specificity to what we’re discussing here, early next week we’re going to be releasing details about a game update that will go into further detail about how we’ll be fixing some of these issues, in addition to others.

It’s been an exciting month, and the future of Aion is full of promise. Please continue to send us your feedback and never forget that patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.

-The Aion Community Team

Where's Tutty? (An AionSource Mystery Event) [Updated with Day 5!]

Knite — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:25:43 GMT

"Dark deeds can happen anywhere, even on the peaceful island of Poeta. Compassion and caring often take a back seat to wealth, fame and power. Some times these things aren't always initially apparant, though and one particular case from only a month ago has been replaying itself in my mind. A little porgus had gone missing and was found dead and cooking in a Dukaki settlement. It doesn't seem strange at first glance, no, but the clues that were once obvious to me have begun to unravel themselves. The Dukaki of Poeta are harvesters, gatherers, and scavengers. They also hunt when they need to but they are not as bold as to leave their settlement more than a few paces- not with the mercenaries being so close to it.

I sense there is a dark secret on the island of Poeta and I shall discover it!"

Contest Details:

Welcome to AionSource's first ever mystery event! The goal of this contest is to put you in the shoes of the Chief Investigator as they question suspects and attempt to unravel what really happened to everyone's favorite porgus, Tutty.

The Mystery:

Each day, starting Saturday the 24th, the Chief Investigator will interrogate a new suspect. It will be your job to find the clues within the interrogations and gather enough evidence to make an arrest at the end of the event.

Entry:
Once all suspects have been revealed and interrogated, we will post a deadline for making your "arrest." You must then submit to us which of the 5 suspects you wish to arrest and present your reasoning in a short write-up (1-2 paragraphs should do). Please include motive, evidence, and how you think they did it.

Eligibility:

Any AionSource member may enter this contest and have a chance at one of the regular prizes. My apologies in advance to our international friends, but the grand prize can only be awarded to a person 18+ from the USA.

Prizes:

We will be giving out small prizes in the form of in-game potion packs to about 20 winners and from them a grand prize will be drawn for.

**NEW PRIZE** Anyone who receives a prize in this event, including the potion packs, will receive a custom forum title: Chief Investigator!

Grand Prize:

An Aion Launch Party bag filled with Halloween candy!

So put on your deerstalker and grab your ~~Watson~~ Watson- there's a mystery to be solved!

The Suspects:

Introduction

"Dark deeds can happen anywhere, even on the peaceful island of Poeta. Compassion and caring often take a back seat to wealth, fame and power. Some times these things aren't always initially apparant, though and one particular case from only a month ago has been replaying itself in my mind. A little porgus had gone missing and was found dead and cooking in a Dukaki settlement. It doesn't seem strange at first glance, no, but the clues that were once obvious to me have begun to unravel themselves. The Dukaki of Poeta are harvesters, gatherers, and scavengers. They also hunt when they need to but they are not as bold as to leave their settlement more than a few paces- not with the mercenaries being so close to it.

I sense there is a dark secret on the island of Poeta and I shall discover it!"

Day 1

My first suspect seemed a bit cliché, even to a seasoned investigator such as myself. Nevertheless, even stereotypes exist for a reason. I ventured towards Akarios Village to speak with Uno, a popular chef who takes great pride in being the incumbent winner of the annual Sanctum Cooking Contest. As I walked, I questioned a few people about Uno's entry plans for the upcoming contest and was taken back when I learned of Uno's very public disagreements with the hermit Pernos about cuisine.

Pernos had a knack for taming some of the more.. delectable... creatures of the forest such as the Fungen and Fungie. They always fetched an amiable sum at the markets due to their violent nature. The folk I questioned let on that Uno had asked Pernos on many occasions to sell him these tamed creatures for his dishes and each time Pernos refused, angry at the very suggestion. Needless to say, Uno wasn't very pleased.

The last straw had to do with Tutty. Uno wanted the tenderness of a young, tame porgus in his entry for the Sanctum Cooking Contest to fully absorb the flavor of his famous peppercorn sauce- but again Pernos refused. From an outside perspective, both sides were understandable. A hermit living alone on the Agaric Spore Road took it upon himself to create company where he lacked it and saw the creatures as his friends. A cook, on the other hand, sees such creatures in quite a different way. Interestingly enough, I heard from more than one person that Uno was seen in the area on the day of Tutty's disappearance. I wrapped my mind around the notion as I entered Akarios Village, where I quickly found Uno.

“What in Ariel's name are you getting at? Of course I wanted to win the Cooking contest. I am a cook after all and a fine one at that! Does that mean I'd run off with a porgus over it? Absolutely not. They found that little mud diver on a spit with the Dukaki. Isn't that enough for you?

It's bad enough that old hermit wouldn't sell me the pig, but then for it to be wasted on those kobolds... it just isn't right. I would have made... Tutty, was his name? Tutty! I would have made Tutty famous. If not by name, then by taste, ha! If you ask me, that porgus was a waste as a pet. Peppercorn sauce and boiled Kukuru, why I can almost taste the little guy now! Enough on that though... you were asking about why I was in the area. Well its simple, I had gone out there to try and reason with Pernos once more for the pig and those walking delicacies he calls Shroomer and Shroomin.

Only the old hermit was nowhere to be found. The Pig was gone too, so I obviously couldn't have snatched it. For all I know, the old man could have been out getting rid of it himself! He always said it was a troublesome pig, getting into his potions and chasing his Fungie pals around. I guess I'm not the only one who finds their taste irresistible.

Anyway, I really don't have any more time for this. If you're looking to pin the blame on anyone, talk to Pernos. Bah! Or that walking pillow of Kalio's! That Griffon is always getting into my meats and chasing animals around the forest. Ack! My Airon fillets are burning! Go away before your silly chatter ruins my dinner!"

Day 2

I took note of Uno's statements and took my questions to the people of Akarios. I learned very quickly that Akairos was a village of few secrets. Everyone seemed to be privy to each other's business and there was certainly no lack of gossip. When asking about Kalio, though, there seemed to not be a bad word spoken. He was the leader of the mercenary band that had moved into Poeta recently and was quite the respected figure. In fact, all my suspicions of him would have been taken care of that day if it weren't for his griffon. You see, while the townsfolk had much praise for Kalio himself, his griffon seemed to be a sensitive topic. From what I could gather, the griffon got into everything. Attacking any Kerubum that got too close to the village, chasing the qooqoo around, and even wandering off for hours at a time. I took my statements to Kalio himself.

"Oh, you're here about the griffon? Have you seen him? He ran off a few hours ago... hmm by your look I am sensing this is about something else. I've heard some of the villagers complain that he gets into their things and chases their pets around but there's not much I can do about it. He is tame, but even tamed animals retain their wild instincts. Porgus? He's a predator, I'm sure he likes it. Wait... is this about that missing porgus of Pernos'? My griffon only chases wild porgus, he wouldn't go after Tutty.

If you're looking for someone with a grudge against porgus, talk to one of my mercs, Ampeis. He's taken on a side job selling mushrooms that grow in Daminu forest and I hear he's actually hiring mercenaries of his own to keep the bellepig population low so they don't literally eat up his profits! But really, I think at the end of the day it's Pernos' fault for being irresponsible and not keeping an eye on his little pet! Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my griffon."

Day 3

Any seasoned investigator will tell you that the person you least expect should be your first suspect. In this instance, that mindset lead me to Pernos. My gut feeling was that Uno's finger pointing derived from the two's bad blood but I had to be sure.

From what I had gathered, Pernos wasn't exactly a people person. He kept to himself along the Agaric Spore Road, studying his tomes, concocting potions, and offering his sagely wisdom to those who happen to pass by. One thing that doesn't really leave time for is watching over his animal friends. Along the way to speak with Pernos, I spoke with two of Poeta's wandering guard; Fredge and Nier. They told me that they often saw Tutty and Pernos' other animal friends wandering down past the Mercenary camp and often out as far as the Nymph's Pond. I continued on and eventually came upon Pernos, buried deep in a research manual.

"Interesting, indeed. Truly interesting! Oh, greetings, traveller! I can see in your eyes you have a great destiny about you! Why... you are already a Daeva! What do you seek from me? Ah, yes, my poor little friend Tutty. Tragic, isn't it? It's a sad day when a man's pet cannot even live it's life without being thought of as dinner or a mushroom theif or being chased by griffons or worrying about which potion he shouldn't... never mind that. What? Oh it's nothing. Tutty just always had a curious nature about him and we've had a few close calls with some of my concoctions he he he. Anyway, moving on-

I hope you find the culprit of this despicable scheme, dear investigator. I know in my heart that the Dukaki did not craft this crime and that only leaves that butcher of a chef, or that flying monster of Kalio's or that dreadful kinah-grabbing Shugo or or... forgive me, I'm getting flustered about the situation again. *sigh* Just find the true culprit in this caper and ease an honest old man's worries. If you're looking where to turn to next, the mercenary, Ampeis, has been upping his bellepig genocide in the name of profits. He and that Shugo will stop at nothing for a few coins, no matter who they hurt!

Day 4

Money can change even the most grounded person, but when your entire culture revolves around it, that change can be even more dangerous. Everyone in Atreia understands that the life of a Shugo is to earn kinah. In the case of Baevrunerk, this was a bit more of a struggle. I gathered from various contacts that Baevrunerk was an aspiring cube craftsman, though he was not very good at his trade, providing only very basic and inexpensive upgrades to cubes. This meant that Baevrunerk had to broaden his horizons to keep the kinah flowing.

Going on Pernos' accusations, I questioned people concerning the business arrangements of Baevrunerk and Ampeis. Those who knew anything about it were able to tell me that the two were the place to go for wild mushrooms. The reports that struck me as odd though, were the ones saying that Baevrunerk was hiring adventurers to find his cube... that he dropped in the Dukaki settlement. That's when the question presented itself, "What was a Shugo doing amongst the Dukaki?"

"Oh no no no, oh dear, you've got the wrong shugo on this one! Yep! Shugo doesn't hurt anybody! Oh mighty Daeva, you must believe! Yes yes, money is quite important to Baevrunerk, quite important to Shugo, but always always earned with only the best of morals, kind Daeva! Why, Baevrunerk offers the best of services to the humans! Very affordable cube enhancements and very affordable delicacies! Does Deava fancy a mushroom? akakak!"

"Oh sad indeed! Daeva is angry with Shugo for dealing with the Dukaki! Kind Daeva must understand that Baevrunerk is a merchant and a diplomat. He cannot discriminate with his wares, you see, Dukaki like mushrooms too, nyerk! I must have dropped my cube while dealing! Shugo is so clumbsy!

Do not ruin Shugo's great great business mighty Daeva, it is such a great business. You see, Ampeis hires glorious warriors, such as yourself, and they kill those greedy bellepigs who eat all our tasty mushrooms, nyerk! Shugo buys the mushrooms and the bellepigs from Ampeis and sells them to humans, dukaki- you see it is a good good business. Much much kinah, akakak! But never ever does Shugo do such terrible things as killing pets, no not such terrible terrible things!

Ampeis is a good partner, yes definitely good, but he is the one who hires and collects and sells such things to Baevrunerk. You, wise Daeva, must know that this would be the fault of the seller, not the buyer, nyerk! These other people you've talked to are much better suspects than Shugo, yes yes! Uno is very cheap, very very cheap. He does not pay what things are worth, that is why Shugo sells to the dukaki! And Pernos, oh Shugo does not travel there! Shugo would fear he would be turned into a ribbit, akakak! And Kalio's griffon, oh he chases me, too! Such a mean griffon to chase Baevrunerk so! Such a difficult life, it's so difficult!"

Day 5

I had only one more person to speak to before my job really began and that was the mercenary, Ampeis. As was evident from my talks with the people of Poeta, Ampeis had a side business. Ampeis discovered that the people of Poeta loved the wild mushrooms that grew in the forest. Apparently, the business was lucrative enough for constitute hiring mercenaries of his own to lessen the bellepig population. This, not surprisingly lead to accusations that Ampeis was responsible for the disappearance of Tutty.

Even his business partner, Baevrunerk, was quick to list him as a suspect, if only to take some of the suspicion off of himself.

"If you think I'm going to stop my business because someone's pet was killed, you're dreaming. Mercenary life can only pay for so much but with these mushrooms, and the means to get to them, let's just say I'm not wanting for anything. It's simple really, Poeta isn't really a place of residence for most people. We have people come through here looking for extra work and I give it to them. Kill a few bellepigs, earn a few kinah, then they're off and I don't see them again. They're happy, and I'm happy. What's the crime there? It doesn't even have to be adventurers. I've tried to get Kalio to rent me that griffon of his a few times now. That thing can sniff out a bellepig a mile away!"

"Look, I'm gonna be nice and help you with your case because I like your style. The person you need to be looking at is Uno. That stubborn man doesn't take no for an answer. Sure, he's willing to buy the mushrooms and bellepigs for his recipes, but at his price and let's just say he's not the most generous man out there. As soon as he sniffed out that Pernos was able to tame the creatures he used for his dishes, he was over there every day harassing the old man. Heck, I even saw him going that way a few times when Pernos was on one of his disappearing acts. That's where your pig Tooty went. Tutty, sorry, whatever it is.

Who knows, maybe it's even Pernos himself who done it. He's always out here preaching to me about how the forest is a sacred place and my killing and digging is blah blah blah. Funny thing is, that old man dumps so many potions into his "friends" and into the forest floor I'm surprised we're not all morphed into something else by now. I'd believe Tutty turned into daeva and flew away before I'd go pinning it on me. Anyway, I've got work to do. It's almost evening and the ground is nice and moist- perfect for digging up those little kinah caps. Best of luck and remember what I said."