[SkeeterDale]

I have played my fair share of MMO’s and fantasy type games, and would have to say that fantasy MMO is my favorite. What I have learned from all these games, and none were perfect; mind, is that IMO Aion needs to make a few changes. So I thought I would share with whoever wants to read this, my thoughts on this game, and welcome any feedback. Maybe together we can fix this game that has some serious potential.

How I like to address things is state the problem then a viable solution, so please be patient with me.

1) Farming Mats- This I think is the largest issue with the game, and would truly love to see this area fixed. A) Why can’t you kill low level mobs, gaining no exp, just for the mats that they typically drop? B) The Mats and Flux merchant being new for 1.9 is in an awesome idea, however there prices are the most RICKDICULOUS I’ve ever even thought of. (And yes rickdiculous is one step above ridiculous) No wonder people RMT, there are major flaws here. C) Drop rate I shouldn’t have to say more, but I will. The 1.9 promised to fix this; I haven’t seen improvement have you?

SOLUTION #1- This I believe is an easy fix, allow all mobs to have drop rates no matter your level to there’s… Set mobs that have specific item drops, i.e. if your kill a crab type monster you know with a say set 97% chance that you are going to get crab meat and maybe say a 50% chance that you get deluxe crab meat and still yet a 10% chance that you get a special drop.

This would work like this, you are in level 10-20 area and you are currently a Level 38 Sorc, you can expect to get, with a reasonable certainty, worg meat by killing worgs in this area( that can be used to make sausage or something), minor armor or accessory flux, a 50% chance that you get either the forest sword, forest hat or Belbua’s Diary and a 50% chance that you get lesser armor flux or lesser accessory flux, plus there is a 10% chance you get the special drop, i.e. for this mob would be either the Temple Guard’s Breastplate, Summon Water Spirit 1, Soldier’s Belt, Knowledge Tunic, Hunter’s Leather Shoes or the Manastone: Evasion +9.

SOLUTION #2- Have mobs that drop fluxes as their normal drop. Give them the same kind of percentage, but the drops would be say 97% armor, weapon, or accessory flux, 50% worthy armor, weapon, or accessory flux, and 10% Greater armor, weapon, accessory flux. Putting mobs like this in their perspective level areas. Of course having all mobs drop no matter the level of character is the key.

This would make the Auction House the center of all things sacred, as it should be. Think about this: For example, where would the United States of America be without the Stock Exchange? What about the European Union countries? Stock exchange is and will be what makes the world go round. I think I’ve said enough about that.


2) Crafting- Aion has one of the better crafting systems in a hole that I can think of, not to complex and not too easy. You have to put in the time if you want to make the goods. This I like, however if you are like me then you have spent a good hour trying to get that elusive Worthy Durable Whatever design or all the jewelry designs for a specific type of gem, i.e. garnet necklace, earrings and ring. Hopefully you know what I mean. That is just ridiculous, I’ve tried and tried and sometimes I just blow on by that level without getting said design, and you can’t buy it from the crafting merchant in the area, doesn’t drop on anything regularly to be in the Auction House, so you just don’t have it.

SOLUTION #1- Have reward for completing work order be more often a design to the level that you completed. I just hate it when I keep getting the same design over and over; there are more in there, so please give them to me.

So this would work like this, your crafting say in weaponsmithing and your current level is 250. You are doing work orders for 250, 240, 230, and 220, upon completing said orders you would get as your reward a design for something in 220, 230, 240 and 250 ranges. Ya it’s nice to get all those materials that you can buy from merchant given to you, but I’d prefer designs over materials any day, especially since most of them you can’t buy.

SOLUTION #2- Have it so you can buy the design from the vendor, easy day.


3) Quest/Instances- I’m what people call a casual gamer, I play when I can and for the fun of it, more and more these days my time is limited, so that limits my time to do things in game, I find myself more and more turning down really nice invites to join party for something I really want to do, simple cause I don’t have the time to complete the whatever their doing. I being old school can’t bring myself to join knowing full well that I would have to leave in the middle of the quest/instance/grind. I politely tell whomever that I only have blank-blank time left but if this is o.k. I’m more than willing to join, and usually the answer is no. A) Why must everything take upwards of 2 hours to complete? B) Why can’t there be more quests with better rewards for completing? C) Why are there so many quests that require a group to complete?

SOLUTION #1-Easy fix again, make more solo-able quests. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want easy, I just want more things that CAN be done by solo. This way I’m not wasting time doing things that can get boring for no reward, and am doing something that will give me loot and maybe a title for my hour worth of doing whatever that NPC wanted.

SOLUTION #2- Make more short instances, say total time to complete 30 min. with a re-open time of 2 hours. Everybody has 30 min. to spare I’d say, and the benefit is worth it because you know you are going to get something in your level range, maybe not for you but for somebody else in your party. This brings up another problem, have it so party members can trade amongst themselves items dropped that would normally be untradeable. I can’t tell you how many times that has bitten me in the butt. I know that everybody can pass and one person bid, but sometimes mistakes happen.


4) This is all about the master quest and High Quality items in general, there is no way that you should have to make 15, 20, or even 30 items just to get 1 High Quality. This is RICKDICULOUS, I believe I speak for every one when I say, this needs to be fixed. I have browsed through the forums and this is one of the constant complaints. On a personal note I have crafted items 200 levels below my current level and still took me 15 times to hit a High Quality, yes with full DP bar and yes after crafting things that will not HQ. How is that possible?

SOLUTION #1- because there is no other solution, is to increase the odds of a High Quality item being made. Make it correspond to the players level.

This would work like this, the higher your level to the item you are making the better chance you have to HQ. So for a Handicrafter level 399 crafting a silver ring, he/she would have a 1 in 3 chance to make a noble silver ring, crafting a gold ring a 1 in 5, crafting a platinum ring a 1 in 7 and crafting a mithril ring a 1 in 10. That sounds fare don’t you think?

Well I am sure there are more areas for improvement. You and I both could probably talk for days’ pointing these areas out, but for now that is all I have. Hope you enjoy and please let me know if you agree or disagree.

[nickzed]

SkeeterDale, on 26 June 2010 - 02:00 PM, said:

I have played my fair share of MMO’s and fantasy type games, and would have to say that fantasy MMO is my favorite. What I have learned from all these games, and none were perfect; mind, is that IMO Aion needs to make a few changes. So I thought I would share with whoever wants to read this, my thoughts on this game, and welcome any feedback. Maybe together we can fix this game that has some serious potential.

How I like to address things is state the problem then a viable solution, so please be patient with me.

1) Farming Mats- This I think is the largest issue with the game, and would truly love to see this area fixed. A) Why can’t you kill low level mobs, gaining no exp, just for the mats that they typically drop? B) The Mats and Flux merchant being new for 1.9 is in an awesome idea, however there prices are the most RICKDICULOUS I’ve ever even thought of. (And yes rickdiculous is one step above ridiculous) No wonder people RMT, there are major flaws here. C) Drop rate I shouldn’t have to say more, but I will. The 1.9 promised to fix this; I haven’t seen improvement have you?

SOLUTION #1- This I believe is an easy fix, allow all mobs to have drop rates no matter your level to there’s… Set mobs that have specific item drops, i.e. if your kill a crab type monster you know with a say set 97% chance that you are going to get crab meat and maybe say a 50% chance that you get deluxe crab meat and still yet a 10% chance that you get a special drop.

This would work like this, you are in level 10-20 area and you are currently a Level 38 Sorc, you can expect to get, with a reasonable certainty, worg meat by killing worgs in this area( that can be used to make sausage or something), minor armor or accessory flux, a 50% chance that you get either the forest sword, forest hat or Belbua’s Diary and a 50% chance that you get lesser armor flux or lesser accessory flux, plus there is a 10% chance you get the special drop, i.e. for this mob would be either the Temple Guard’s Breastplate, Summon Water Spirit 1, Soldier’s Belt, Knowledge Tunic, Hunter’s Leather Shoes or the Manastone: Evasion +9.

SOLUTION #2- Have mobs that drop fluxes as their normal drop. Give them the same kind of percentage, but the drops would be say 97% armor, weapon, or accessory flux, 50% worthy armor, weapon, or accessory flux, and 10% Greater armor, weapon, accessory flux. Putting mobs like this in their perspective level areas. Of course having all mobs drop no matter the level of character is the key.

This would make the Auction House the center of all things sacred, as it should be. Think about this: For example, where would the United States of America be without the Stock Exchange? What about the European Union countries? Stock exchange is and will be what makes the world go round. I think I’ve said enough about that.


2) Crafting- Aion has one of the better crafting systems in a hole that I can think of, not to complex and not too easy. You have to put in the time if you want to make the goods. This I like, however if you are like me then you have spent a good hour trying to get that elusive Worthy Durable Whatever design or all the jewelry designs for a specific type of gem, i.e. garnet necklace, earrings and ring. Hopefully you know what I mean. That is just ridiculous, I’ve tried and tried and sometimes I just blow on by that level without getting said design, and you can’t buy it from the crafting merchant in the area, doesn’t drop on anything regularly to be in the Auction House, so you just don’t have it.

SOLUTION #1- Have reward for completing work order be more often a design to the level that you completed. I just hate it when I keep getting the same design over and over; there are more in there, so please give them to me.

So this would work like this, your crafting say in weaponsmithing and your current level is 250. You are doing work orders for 250, 240, 230, and 220, upon completing said orders you would get as your reward a design for something in 220, 230, 240 and 250 ranges. Ya it’s nice to get all those materials that you can buy from merchant given to you, but I’d prefer designs over materials any day, especially since most of them you can’t buy.

SOLUTION #2- Have it so you can buy the design from the vendor, easy day.


3) Quest/Instances- I’m what people call a casual gamer, I play when I can and for the fun of it, more and more these days my time is limited, so that limits my time to do things in game, I find myself more and more turning down really nice invites to join party for something I really want to do, simple cause I don’t have the time to complete the whatever their doing. I being old school can’t bring myself to join knowing full well that I would have to leave in the middle of the quest/instance/grind. I politely tell whomever that I only have blank-blank time left but if this is o.k. I’m more than willing to join, and usually the answer is no. A) Why must everything take upwards of 2 hours to complete? B) Why can’t there be more quests with better rewards for completing? C) Why are there so many quests that require a group to complete?

SOLUTION #1-Easy fix again, make more solo-able quests. Don’t get me wrong I don’t want easy, I just want more things that CAN be done by solo. This way I’m not wasting time doing things that can get boring for no reward, and am doing something that will give me loot and maybe a title for my hour worth of doing whatever that NPC wanted.

SOLUTION #2- Make more short instances, say total time to complete 30 min. with a re-open time of 2 hours. Everybody has 30 min. to spare I’d say, and the benefit is worth it because you know you are going to get something in your level range, maybe not for you but for somebody else in your party. This brings up another problem, have it so party members can trade amongst themselves items dropped that would normally be untradeable. I can’t tell you how many times that has bitten me in the butt. I know that everybody can pass and one person bid, but sometimes mistakes happen.


4) This is all about the master quest and High Quality items in general, there is no way that you should have to make 15, 20, or even 30 items just to get 1 High Quality. This is RICKDICULOUS, I believe I speak for every one when I say, this needs to be fixed. I have browsed through the forums and this is one of the constant complaints. On a personal note I have crafted items 200 levels below my current level and still took me 15 times to hit a High Quality, yes with full DP bar and yes after crafting things that will not HQ. How is that possible?

SOLUTION #1- because there is no other solution, is to increase the odds of a High Quality item being made. Make it correspond to the players level.

This would work like this, the higher your level to the item you are making the better chance you have to HQ. So for a Handicrafter level 399 crafting a silver ring, he/she would have a 1 in 3 chance to make a noble silver ring, crafting a gold ring a 1 in 5, crafting a platinum ring a 1 in 7 and crafting a mithril ring a 1 in 10. That sounds fare don’t you think?

Well I am sure there are more areas for improvement. You and I both could probably talk for days’ pointing these areas out, but for now that is all I have. Hope you enjoy and please let me know if you agree or disagree.

What you're asking is for this game to get easier, because you find it too difficult. Unfortunately for you, it's not supposed to be easy. The crafting system is great the way it is. Flooding the market with fluxes even more than it already is will make prices of items people craft now drop drastically, which ISN'T a good thing for people who wan't to make money for the effort they put in. Crafting IS entirely optional, but its certainly a terrific way to make money. By making everything come as easily as you're suggesting, it will no longer be a decent way to make money.

As for the quests/instances, FT, siel forts etc. are all roughly 30 minutes (or less) to do. I can appreciate that later instances are longer but they are also endgame content, again working as intended. Now 2.0 is bringing solo instances so that may peak your interest a little more but it seems like this game is just too hardcore for you and honestly the majority of the player base it has retained is still here because of that. The more obvious solution would be for you to check out a different MMO than to try and change the game fundamentals all together.

[Mickle87]

nickzed, on 27 June 2010 - 09:44 AM, said:

What you're asking is for this game to get easier, because you find it too difficult. Unfortunately for you, it's not supposed to be easy. The crafting system is great the way it is. Flooding the market with fluxes even more than it already is will make prices of items people craft now drop drastically, which ISN'T a good thing for people who wan't to make money for the effort they put in. Crafting IS entirely optional, but its certainly a terrific way to make money. By making everything come as easily as you're suggesting, it will no longer be a decent way to make money.

As for the quests/instances, FT, siel forts etc. are all roughly 30 minutes (or less) to do. I can appreciate that later instances are longer but they are also endgame content, again working as intended. Now 2.0 is bringing solo instances so that may peak your interest a little more but it seems like this game is just too hardcore for you and honestly the majority of the player base it has retained is still here because of that. The more obvious solution would be for you to check out a different MMO than to try and change the game fundamentals all together.

agree, you cant make the game easier, unless its extremely difficult to the point where the general person cant obtain the end result, which isnt true in this case. as for instances, i think there just needs to be more, i dont like when instances go for longer than an hour, and i think a lot of the aion community would be the same, or else we'd be playing WoW with the 4+ hour instances.

Aions numbers have been picking up since 1.9 and im very keen to see the change 2.0 brings....hopefully ill be 50 by then, but i highly doubt that hehe

[GRXD3000]

One thing I agree with is all mobs should be able to drop items regardless of your level relationship to them, although maybe have the droprate increase when you're fighting a mob 5+ levels higher than you. It's stupid to not be able to farm mobs just because they're too low.

[Indigoy]

Nickzed, did you really have to quote the entire OP's comment? You didn't even reply to anything you quoted >_<
Also, your the first reply, its kinda obvious who you are talking too.

[┼Death┼]

I agree but making the game only easier to play will only make it like WOW.

[SkeeterDale]

Thanks for the feedback. Maybe I didn't make myself clear, and quit possibly came off as another person whose just complaining about Aion. This was not my intention. I like the game, has tons of pro's. Love the crafting system in general, like that the game requires skill, and well its graphics are outstanding. Making the game easier is not what I had in mind when I posted, just my opinion on how this very good game could become better. Lord knows you nor I want this to become another WOW, and if thats how I came off, asking forgiveness a.t.m.

[djnn]

ye lets all farm lower lvl mobs so new players can make zero kinah cus every1 can farm those mats

theres nothing wrong with droprate in aion at all u havent played any mmo apart from WoW in my eyes

[GRXD3000]

djnn, on 04 July 2010 - 03:56 AM, said:

ye lets all farm lower lvl mobs so new players can make zero kinah cus every1 can farm those mats

theres nothing wrong with droprate in aion at all u havent played any mmo apart from WoW in my eyes

Try again.

I'm the type of FFXI veteran that people like you tend to hate because you can't join our 'elitist' circle (of course, I'm not even an elitist nor belong to an elitist circle... but considered one due to the fact I don't tolerate certain gear combinations) because you can't be assed to farm 24/7 to ungimp your gear (look me up, Neokairyu of Phoenix, formerly Neokailengal of Diabolos), there's not a single MMORPG I've not tried and I played WoW for only 15 minutes when it first came out. The fact of the matter is there's more than enough low-level mobs to farm without even remotely disturbing any lowbie's experience.

It has to do with the fact that I don't want to gain experience points to just farm mobs, cause unlike you - I don't like leveling without having ungimped gear. I want to be able to just kill mobs for kinah without worrying that I may level.

This post has been edited by GRXD3000: 04 July 2010 - 06:25 AM

[Autopsia]

djnn, on 04 July 2010 - 03:56 AM, said:

ye lets all farm lower lvl mobs so new players can make zero kinah cus every1 can farm those mats

theres nothing wrong with droprate in aion at all u havent played any mmo apart from WoW in my eyes

^ is the biggest reason to not allow us to all grind low level mobs... did not pick up and work a profession at around level ummm 10? tough nutz to you then. Think this is tough try L2.

[erebus2075]

┼Death┼, on 03 July 2010 - 12:21 AM, said:

I agree but making the game only easier to play will only make it like WOW.

agreed here;

you gotta remember when making a game you need to state "which types off gamers do we wish to attract; hardcore or casual few hours max a day gamers".
aion clearly aim for hardcore gamers; this have a few effects; for a hardcore gamer to keep advancing after 6months off playing 10-15 hours a day there must be a very harsh grind/low drop rate and rediculess high cd's;
this could ofc be tweaked some since there simply aint enough content as it is now to keep you entertained for 5-10h a day; (if you got every fort etc on your side its; 5* 40 min =3,3 hours; bt+3*cddg= 3hours extra, so there is maybe 6-7hours off max content doing everything if you got EVERYTHING on your side and most off this is copies off the same instance
)

you are setting a high amount off energi on crafting i can see, but what you need to remember is that crafting is the bad players way off getting insane gear, a fully green geared talentless player got no way off farming full sw etc; but he can gather mats and craft equel(in same cases better) gear;
there is a chance it will take longer to do which it should since there isnt put the same energi into gearing up to be able to do what is needed to get the gear;
i do think its a bit too hard to craft right now, but i also think that getting gear from instances have a bit too low dropchance.

i would like to see some tweaks that made casual gamers have more off a roll in the game, but i wouldnt wanna see them run around in the best gear after only using a 1/100 off the time the rest off us use on gearing ourself (€since it would break the whole reward thing)

[StingerX]

another wall of text noone cares about.