[Review] Lv50 Chanter

[Catalina]

As a Ranger, I see where you're coming from. I'm only 41 and already facerolling most people (damn Templars and sometimes Clerics...). But I'm sticking around because it's still fun. When demolishing other people stops being fun, I'll go. But for now, there are still more levels to be gained and more gear to grab.

Also I appreciated the FFXI UI comment. FFXI UI consists of your HP bar and MP bar. That's it. Nothing else. Of course, everyone ran windower so you could also see TP! Woooooooo!

[Koukin]

Originally Posted by Ainx

Imba group PvP - Imagine you're level 50 and in 12 man alliance conquering artifacts in the Core. Suddenly 3 sorcerers and a cleric fly up from nowhere and drop 3 Lumiel's Wrath on you. 5-10 people die depending on how clumped you were. If someone's left alive, the Cleric downs a jelly and drops their 4k DP on them to finish it off. Your stout alliance of adventurers was just reduced to ash by 4 people. Sure, they can't do it for another hour, but the point stands.

This is exactly why I don't participate in "epic" abyss battles.

[vela]

Play chanter as well. And I can tell you that the guy's word is on the money. It is fun to play but getting locked in skill animation thru self rooting iri. blow is not fun. Then again, sole reason to play this game is to wait for other games to pop up. Will be canceling account next month as this one is already paid off.

[ashin]

Originally Posted by Ainx

Imba solo PvP

I guess I will respond this way. First of all, by design, no class-based game is ever balanced for 1v1. That said, I share some of your impressions, although I would just abstract and say more generally that ranged classes, who also happen to be holding the keys to CC in this game, have a huge advantage over melee classes. Generally.

But having said THAT, what you need to realize is that the NA/EU metagame is still very young and very naive. If you check out the top rankings on mature, Korean servers, for example, you'll find out that Rangers do not standout at all, and Sorcs are actually underrepresented. Yes - they're gimpy. As you probably know, Sins dominate, despite everything I just said about the current NA/EU metagame.

There is so much untapped here in terms of endgame itemization and learning curve, that even you, at level 50, are inadequately experienced to judge the game's balance. Which, frankly, I suspect is far better than either of us thinks right now.

Imba group PvP - Imagine you're level 50 and in 12 man alliance conquering artifacts in the Core. Suddenly 3 sorcerers and a cleric fly up from nowhere and drop 3 Lumiel's Wrath on you. 5-10 people die depending on how clumped you were. If someone's left alive, the Cleric downs a jelly and drops their 4k DP on them to finish it off. Your stout alliance of adventurers was just reduced to ash by 4 people. Sure, they can't do it for another hour, but the point stands.

I just flatly disagree with you on principle. I think the notion that an elite hitsquad of four people might get away with a guerilla tactic like this - only a few times over the course of an entire evening! - is indicative of GREAT game design. For some reason, you leave out from your analysis the possibility the the 12-man alliance also has 3 sorcs and a 1 cleric in it? Or that the 12 people in the alliance also have DP? This is a very superficial treatment and the only point it serves to make is that there are some good, tactical options for people who coordinate abilities as a team.

There are team builds like this in every MMO (called Spike builds), and they tend to be very effective against PUG's and disorganized groups, but almost impotent against seasoned groups who know how to anticipate them.

Lack of quests from level 30 on and terrible XP rewards

I can only talk about my own situation. I just hit 36, I'm continuing to progress effortlessly, and I have FAR TOO MANY quests. I literally cannot keep up with them. If I want to catch up on all the quests I'm leaving behind, I have to kill grey mobs right now. I have my choice of multiple elite camps I can go to with my mates. I have several instances I can do. And I still have the Abyss - goodness, where do I find time to PvP and earn contribution for my legion when there is still so much to do in PvE-land?

I have done "grinding".. twice, since I started playing the game. And both times were in my high teens.

What we're learning as the game goes on is that some people "get it", and have found a playstyle that works very smoothly in Aion, and others, for whatever reason (I'm not implying they aren't smart or whatever), just fundamentally do not "get it". A key factor seems to be whether you are group oriented and in an active legion, or whether you are solo oriented and trying to play this game as a linear quest progression, WHICH IT IS NOT.

Terrible UI

It's fine. Modding brings way too much baggage. Don't disagree that alliance UI blows. Legion features are weak. These things certainly offer a lot of room for improvement, no doubt. But we don't need modding.

Terrible translations - The NA translation team worked really hard on moving Aion from Korean to English, but they must have been fired or something, because aside from quest text, NPC speech is absolutely retarded. From Lepharists to Balaur... "I will teach you a hot lesson" and "Go for the stupid one first" are just some examples of the bad in translation. I would prefer they left it in Korean. Even some quest text is poorly translated.

Let me ask you, did you play Asmo or Elyos? For some reason, the Asmo-side translation and even storyline just seems very poor compared to Elyos. Anyway, despite all their hyping about how careful and artistic their translation is, I agree with you. There are absolutely exceptions, but generally there is a lot of weak or unfortunate translation.

I'm totally looking forward to the next best thing.

And so you will totally continue to do until you stop playing games entirely. And you will be equally disappointed with the next best thing. You'll probably rant about it like you did here, and like you've probably done in the past. (Unless you are holding FFXI up as a poster child for class balance? Or WoW as a posterchild for PvP balance? *giggle*)

[Big Murph]

If you don't kite as a chanter you're not gonna have a goood tiiime.

[Blog Monster]

Originally Posted by dirtyklingon

i did all teh quests available in beluslan and am now 34. guess what i get to do now?




GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII IINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDDDD DDDDDDD

3-2-4-5-3-2-4 herbal treatment repeat.

L2Alchemy

[paeern]

Originally Posted by ashin

I guess I will respond this way. First of all, by design, no class-based game is ever balanced for 1v1. That said, I share some of your impressions, although I would just abstract and say more generally that ranged classes, who also happen to be holding the keys to CC in this game, have a huge advantage over melee classes. Generally.

But having said THAT, what you need to realize is that the NA/EU metagame is still very young and very naive. If you check out the top rankings on mature, Korean servers, for example, you'll find out that Rangers do not standout at all, and Sorcs are actually underrepresented. Yes - they're gimpy. As you probably know, Sins dominate, despite everything I just said about the current NA/EU metagame.

There is so much untapped here in terms of endgame itemization and learning curve, that even you, at level 50, are inadequately experienced to judge the game's balance. Which, frankly, I suspect is far better than either of us thinks right now.

Well thought out reply, but I think you may be making an assumption. Yes, sorc's are under-represented on the leaderboards for kAion, but sorc's are not as heavily played in kAion as i've been seeing here in NAAion. I think the 'mature' leaderboards of kAion are more indicative of personality traits of players, rather then the strength of the classes.

Sin's are fair, but not overpowering to really dominate the list in kAion solely on class strength, but perhaps its the personality of the players that like Sins, or like the idea of sneaking and killing players. Perhaps assassin's just draw more of the dedicated pvp'ers then the other classes? Just a idle thought..... lol sorry for sidetracking the thread

[Aquimini]

Uh oh this is not good coming from a fellow chanter....

Currently level 40 right now, and the thing that really sets me off about this class is the fact that 3 different skills, all non related look EXACTLY THE nyerkING SAME. WTF?? You work hard to finally get the final chain and it turns out to be the same nyerking skill as the level 5 one but a different color animation??? You've got to be nyerk me...

Just proves to me an overall laziness in the designing of this game, that I was very suspect of before this ****.

/end rant