What is going on with AION?

[pan1ck]

Hallo all,

It's my 1st post in Aionsource. The reason that i'm making the post is cause i want to discuss with you somethings that i can not understand. So why NCsoft delays so much the realease of AION? Really i wait that game since 2006 and they said that they will release it in 2007...and now 2008 and as they go they will release it in 2009 as some sites say. Really i never could understand the politics of NC..If someone was playing Lineage will understand what i mean. They never give an ETA only 1 week before the most. Really i was a very big fun of that game but the stand by is making me tired even before it comes live. I'm not saying that they must hurry on and release it with problems that will be worst but give us an official announcement guys...inform us more don't have the official web site just for fun. Come on they are thousands of people waiting for that game. Your politics destroyed Lineage don't kill AION even before it comes live

[naranana]

I really prefer they delay the release so that we can play without too much technical issues. Look, AOC for example, they relased a beta, do you think it's better ?

[pan1ck]

Originally Posted by naranana

I really prefer they delay the release so that we can play without too much technical issues. Look, AOC for example, they relased a beta, do you think it's better ?

Yeah if you read carefully my post you will see that i say that i prefer the delay than a game with problems...My point is that NC has now 2 sites online 1 EU and 1 US so it about time for Official infos about the upcoming game and some official news about when they plan at last to take live the game. All we have now is rummors and nothing else.

[indigö]

Setting a date is very difficult in software development. Any number of things can go wrong or take much much longer than expected. Even just things like scope creep, people keep asking for features and you keep on implementing them. Its too hard for NCSoft to set a firm date, so they don't. Instead, they'll just say it will be ready when its ready. Its no different with any other game (or other software for that matter - just have a look at Teamspeak 3!).

Damned if you do. Damned if you don't (unless you actually release it complete and on time haha)

[Fleiva]

NCsoft EU/US are probably relying on a date from NCsoft Korea, NCsoft Korea is probably relying on the results and suggestions after every beta cycle, NCsoft doesn't rely on publishers, like mythic or Funcom, so they can take all the time they want in order to fine tune the game before releasing.

That's why, I guess, we have the current situation about dates.

[Ades]

You've waited since 2006,as you say..I think you can wait a couple of months more...I hope after CBT3 NCSoft will proceed to an Open Beta Testing or a Private Test Server,anything that will give us a chance to see the game for ourselves...
If we get to play in an OBT or a PTS then I am sure the Community wouldn't have any problem waiting for a month or two for the official launch..

[Haubix]

Originally Posted by Ades

You've waited since 2006,as you say..I think you can wait a couple of months more...I hope after CBT3 NCSoft will proceed to an Open Beta Testing or a Private Test Server,anything that will give us a chance to see the game for ourselves...
If we get to play in an OBT or a PTS then I am sure the Community wouldn't have any problem waiting for a month or two for the official launch..

So you want to play in an open beta test?
Honestly... I hope those people that will get elected for beta are going to test the game, not play it
Nothing against you, Ades! Just wanted to express myself.

[pan1ck]

Originally Posted by Ades

You've waited since 2006,as you say..I think you can wait a couple of months more...I hope after CBT3 NCSoft will proceed to an Open Beta Testing or a Private Test Server,anything that will give us a chance to see the game for ourselves...
If we get to play in an OBT or a PTS then I am sure the Community wouldn't have any problem waiting for a month or two for the official launch..

Yeah you are right but i hope that CBT3 will be the last step...But i will say it again my problem is on the way that Europe-American NcSoft face the Costumer in every game even the game called Lineage2,AION, Guildwars. There is a big big difference between Korea and us. For excample take a look on Lineage2.com and the Korean site. It took to the american devs 1 year to update the Item library and skill tree on the site? In game they lost every control against botters, farmers. And the big problem is that they never give infos to us. Very good games but very bad Devs that is what i say for NCsoft

[StormBringer]

Public Test Server*



I wish they would just release it tbh.

Look at Lineage 2 Chronicle 1 or even Prelude.

Then take a look at Lineage 2 Chronicle 4, then Chaotic Throne ("C7")



...


The difference is huge.

Tbh i think the majority of people would actually like to play even if it has a few flaws, graphical physical or bug wise.
I would.

But then again i'm not the average human being who would shun the game for not being perfect on day 1, which is the main reason they don't release it.

If they release it now and make it better through updates, they'll lose a large % of population.

Just because we're assholes.


But yeah the wait is killing me too. Everything else lacks interest after Aion hype.

[Yakuzan]

Originally Posted by Haubix

So you want to play in an open beta test?
Honestly... I hope those people that will get elected for beta are going to test the game, not play it
Nothing against you, Ades! Just wanted to express myself.

It's not all about testing. Surely one can have a little fun, this isn't a job.


P.S Holy Panoly, three posts at the same time

[N0rdic Ninja]

Originally Posted by Haubix

So you want to play in an open beta test?
Honestly... I hope those people that will get elected for beta are going to test the game, not play it
Nothing against you, Ades! Just wanted to express myself.

Actually in an open Beta test not everyone has to be hardcore anal about what they're doing. In a closed Beta test ya sure, you're there for a reason and you should be hunting for things. But in an Open beta it's more of a stress test, and also to see what it will be like when the game goes live and everyone is enjoying themselves in game. So, at least in an Open Beta, enjoying yourself in-game is still a very useful tool to the dev team, and also helps them realize how much fun their game is/isn't gonna be.

[Ades]

Originally Posted by Haubix

So you want to play in an open beta test?
Honestly... I hope those people that will get elected for beta are going to test the game, not play it
Nothing against you, Ades! Just wanted to express myself.

An Open Beta is called Open because the Dev team wants to see how the game feels to the average player.It's something different than testing for glitches and bugs..It's about the gaming experience that the whole game offers to the player and tests whether the costumer (the costumer in any MMO is the average player and not the hardcore tester) is satisfied with subjects like every day leveling,NPC usabilty,quest handling,character progress etc.
Furthermore,Open Beta gives Devs the opportunity to test the server's response to greater numbers of players being online,interaction between chars or guilds in a day-to-day enviroment and lots of other things that cannot be tested in a Close Beta,where testers are more interested in things like glitches,UI,bugs in areas and mobs' behaviour etc..
So yeah,Open Testing is both usefull for the Devs and necessary in any MMO development..
But don't be too much concerned,Open Beta usually lasts for a month because the game is more or less complete,so the delay before Official launch won't be long as soon as we reach OBT.


And to answer Pan1ck's comment,I totally agree with you on the NCSoft's handling of the EU players...Being myself an EU Lineage 2 player I've seen the difference you mention.But I'd like to mention though that during the last year NCSoft realised the dynamic of the EU costumer base and has taken a few steps to upgrade their (our) satisfaction.An example of this is the launch of a 3rd Official L2 server on EU timezone,Luna.In my eyes this is a proof that NCSoft realised that EU costumers deserve an equal satisfaction level with our Korean/South Asian brothers.So personally I'm a bit optimistic,I hope they won't let me down..

Edit:kalispera file Pan1ck,twra eida oti eisai Ellinas ..

[VendorTrash]

Originally Posted by naranana

I really prefer they delay the release so that we can play without too much technical issues. Look, AOC for example, they relased a beta, do you think it's better ?

the AoC release is beta...

the release delays for warhammer online are far worse then Aions.

Aion will be there soon enough.

[ThunderCrash]

people are just impatient because its a great game, I dont mind waiting even tho I crave after it every day, like everybody else then i would prefer waiting abit longer and then get a good game rather than getting dissapointed over a half finished game.. what I would like to see tho was some more english screens and videos since I must admit im no good with that language

[pan1ck]

Personaly guys i don't think that they are going to make a close beta in europe and US. Everything they wanted to test they tested it in the Korean Closed Beta. Now the only that they are going to make in Europe is the Test server or Open Beta name it as you want :P As L2 player i name it Test Server cause before every Update on L2 they used to make a Test server 1 month before to see our characters changes and the new places and mobs before the Official Launch of the Update. So about the way that NC faces European players Ades i have to say that the opening of Luna doesn't ment too much for me. They've done it cause Teon and Franz couldn't hadle more players on transfers so they opend Luna if EU players want to transfer there in the feature when the Economy would be stabled. But it was just another bot server who had been made to take more money from the transfers. Hope as you say that the things will change but i don't beleave it.

P.S Hello Ades oute egw file mou to eixa proseksei oti eisai ellinas Alla Elyos kai esu? pame oloi Asmos na tous spasoume :P