[Nobody]

As highly expected for a while now, Aion is finally going f2p in Europe. It looks like the new publisher will be Game Forge and there's a whole list of questions that they're answering on their site. Please note that this is only for european players. NA players will not be affected. Also note that we here in the community are happy to offer our EU friends help in transferring over in terms of friend referrals. The announcement that was posted is below and followed by a FAQ. Please note that their are now different "packages" for playing in Europe starting with the switch over.

Quote

New publisher for Aion – in association with Gameforge, MMO will be free to play from Spring 2012.

There's good news: from February 2012, Aion will be switching to a free-to-play model - the monthly subscriptions will then be history!

For the switch-over, NCsoft has teamed up with the German publisher Gameforge. The Gameforge Aion-Team consists of 38 employees and they will soon be responsible for the running of the game across the whole of Europe. Together with NCsoft they will continuously further develop and create new content for Aion in order to offer you a unique gaming experience – and all for free.

Why are we switching to free-to-play?
In the last few months the lands in Atreia have become more and more deserted. We want to reinvigorate the world of Aion and attract new adventurers to the towns to take to the skies as Daevas.

What will the change mean for you? What will happen to your existing account? All the answers to such questions can be found in our extensive FAQ. If there is something in particular that you are not sure about and that isn't covered by the FAQ, then you are very welcome to send us your question via email to support@aionfreetoplay.com. We will get back to you with an answer as fast as we can.

As soon as there is more information on Aion and the switch to free-to-play, you will find it here. We will keep you up to date and we look forward to all and any feedback you have to give us!

Kind regards,
The Gameforge Aion-Team

FAQ

Here are the answers to some questions you might have about their services and what's going to happen.

• Can I call anyone if I have any other questions?
  
  No. Unfortunately we do not have a hotline at present. However, you can contact us by e-mail at support@aionfreetoplay.com. We will inform you immediately if we set up hotline support in the future.
  
  
• How can I transfer my account to the Gameforge Service?
  
  Please mark your account so that we can migrate it to the free-to-play model. Visit http://www.plaync.com and log in to your PlayNC Master Account. There you can find instructions which will guide you through the marking process.
  After that, you can log in to the game as usual. Your account will only be transferred to the Gameforge server on the day of the changeover.
  In the next few days we will provide further information on this page in an effort to make the migration as simple as possible.
  
  
• Will the present forum continue to exist or will there be a new one?
  
  There will be a new forum with even more options. However, we will provide all of the content of the present forum in the form of an archive. There you will be able to read all of the old entries, discussions and game guides whenever you wish.
  
  
• Will I become a Veteran if I mark my old account?
  
  Yes. All players who took out a subscription before the changeover to free-to-play will become a Veteran. It does not matter whether your account was active or inactive before the changeover.
  
  
• Do I have to set up a new account if I want to continue playing Aion?
  
  No. That is not necessary. With the migration to the new Gameforge server you can continue to play as usual. All of your characters and progress will remain intact and in addition you will be awarded Veteran status.
  
  
• At present I am playing on a US server. Can I continue to do so?
  
  Yes. This microsite only relates to the European operation of Aion. The American versions are not affected by the change of publisher. For more information about the US version of Aion, please click here www.Aiononline.com.
  
  
• Do I need to change my password or my e-mail address after the migration?
  
  You are free to change your e-mail address, but it is not necessary. However, we recommend that you change your password.
  
  
• Will there be content exclusively accessible to paying players?
  
  No, even as a Starter you can experience all of the content of the game such as instances and quests. In addition, all areas of Atreia are open to you and you can select from all of the available races and specialisations. Only a few options, such as the number of characters which can be created, are restricted for Starters. You can find more detailed information about your options in the free-to-play model area.
  
  
• Will there be new servers?
  
  Yes, there will be a new server in Germany, the UK and France. In addition, all of the present servers will remain intact.
  
  
• Will Aion also be extended to Version 3.0 in Europe?
  
  Yes, update 3.0 will also be installed on the European server. However, the localisation of the new content will take some time.
  
  
• Will there be a new support service?
  
  Yes, in future Gameforge will offer its own support. Our Community Manager and Game Master will always be available, and note your praise and criticisms.
  
  
• Will my characters be deleted?
  
  No, your characters remain intact and all attributes, equipment and progress will be migrated. Simply consent to the migration to Gameforge as soon as possible, so that we can transfer your account to the new server in good time for February 2012.
  
  
• What advantages do I have if I buy a Gold package?
  
  With a Gold package all of the features of the game are open to you without restriction (just like a Veteran). You also receive bonuses which make playing the game even more fun. The more experience points you have, the faster you can rise in the character levels. You have shorter waiting times for the instances and greater rewards. This saves you time. However, this does not disrupt the balance of the game. Although the Gold package provides certain bonuses, all players have the same chances in PvP.
  
  
• Will I become a Veteran if I mark my old account?
  
  Yes. All players who took out a subscription before the changeover to free-to-play will become a Veteran. It does not matter whether your account was active or inactive before the changeover.
  
  
• Can I play all classes as a Starter?
  
  Yes, you can select your heroes from all of the available classes and specialisations, and play free of charge.
  
  
• What will happen to my legion after the changeover?
  
  Your legion will still exist. All of the players who are currently in your legion will remain there after the changeover, providing they allow their account to be migrated. However, to continue to use all of the guild administration options, the leader of your legion should also allow his or her account to be migrated to the Gameforge Service.
  
  
• Can I rise to level 55 without paying?
  
  Yes, you can rise to the maximum level even as a non-paying player. You have no restrictions with regard to game content such as quests, classes and areas which can be explored.
  
  
• What will happen to my medals, Crucible Insignias and Courage Insignias?
  
  You will not lose anything. You will still be able to retain all your insignias and medals.
  
  
• Will there be changes to PvP?
  
  No, PvP remains open to all players above level 25 – regardless of whether they are Starters, Veterans or Gold Users.
  
  
• Do I have to pay anything in order to play Aion?
  
  No, from February 2012 Aion will be free-to-play: all classes, areas, quests, equipment, individualisations, professions and the PvP will be freely available from this date and registration will be free of charge. However, to protect our players against bots and gold sellers, several game options such as chat and trading will be restricted for starters. This limitation can then be removed by buying a Gold package.
  
  
• Will I lose my old Veteran rewards?
  
  No, you will keep your previous rewards. However, you require a Gold package to earn more.
  
  
• Can I still use my characters' warehouse?
  
  Yes. It will still be possible to access your warehouse. All of the objects stored there will remain after the changeover.
  
  
• Will I receive Veteran rewards in future?
  
  The Veteran reward is a bonus option which is open to players with a Gold package. This will continue as you know it after the changeover. Rewards and merits which you have received before the change to free-to-play will still be available to you.
  
  
• What does free-to-play mean for Aion?
  
  Free-to-play means that you can play the game free of charge – there are no monthly fees.
  If you took out an Aion subscription before the changeover (regardless of whether it is still active or has already expired), we will reward you for your loyalty and award you "Veteran" status. With this, all game options are open to you free of charge and you also receive special bonuses.
  For new players (Starters), who start playing after the changeover of Aion, there will be a few minor restrictions in an effort to protect the game against bots and gold sellers. You can remove these restrictions by buying a Gold package.
  
  
• What does Veteran mean?
  
  If you took out an Aion subscription before the changeover, you receive "Veteran" status. It does not matter whether your subscription is still active or expired some time ago.
  As a Veteran all game options are open to you, just as with a subscription. In addition, there is no time limit to this status. Once you are a Veteran, you remain one!
  
  
• Can I be promoted from a Starter to a Veteran?
  
  Yes. We will explain the criteria for doing this as soon as the changeover is complete. Existing accounts automatically receive Veteran status.
  
  
• Will every quest and the entire content of the game be free-to-play?
  
  Yes. Every quest, class, instance and zone is freely playable and is free of charge for every player.
  
  
• What happens to my subscription?
  
  In February, Gameforge is taking over the operation of Aion from NCsoft. As soon as your account has been transferred to us as part of the changeover, your current subscription will end and no further monthly fees will be debited.
  
  
• What will happen to my abyss ranking and my abyss points?
  
  The points which you have won and your rank will not be lost and will be transferred.
  
  
• Can I still use old item codes after the changeover?
  
  No, unfortunately this will not be possible. Please therefore submit all your codes before February.
  
  
• Will I receive a refund if I have already paid my subscription for beyond February?
  
  All subscriptions will end automatically with the switch to free-to-play and the transfer of the relevant accounts to Gameforge. From this point on, the monthly fees will not be debited from your account. All payments which you have made for the time after February 2012 will be refunded. We will be publishing more detailed information about this in the next few weeks.
  
  We are rewarding all subscribers who remain loyal to Aion: if you grant NCsoft permission to transfer your account to the new server, we will award you Veteran status – which provides you with more game options than new players.
  
  
• What happens to the bank account details which I submitted to NCsoft with my registration?
  
  
  All information relating to your bank account or your credit card will be treated as confidential and will be deleted immediately once your account has been transferred to the Gameforge server.

[Nobody]

Please note that the CM for the f2p model just contacted me. I've invited them to post here and answer questions. So please be welcoming for those who'd like more information.

[.Rast]

I think going f2p by far the best decision, but i have a few questions.

1. How does the gold package work.
1. Does it give MORE ap gain then current AP gain? or
2. Does it give the SAME ap gain as the current AP gain, decreasing AP gain on f2p players.

2. How does gameforge battle bots/hackers.
This game obviously has no real system (like a gameguard) to prevent it from happening. Is gameforge going to add additional tools to stop botting and hacking, surely you (gameforge) have experience in f2p gaming.

3. What happens to all the veteran rewards you earned up till february?, can you only access them while having the gold package up?, or is that only the case for the veteran rewards you get from february and on.

4. Server transfers
You are going to open new servers next to the old existing servers, will you offer services like server transfers, or will you strictly let the current players stay on their servers to not let geared up people faceroll the new players?

This post has been edited by Rastekkel: 14 December 2011 - 09:07 AM

[Misty]

Other question:

- Cash shop. Any informations available, like if it's even going to exist or which items will it sell?

[delacroix]

Im confused, is the veteran status similar to the gold package? Can our accounts (existing accounts) still obtain veteran rewards without the gold package post-feb 2012?

Other than that, I agree with Rastekkel. If Aion is going f2p we need a 3rd party anti cheat detection tool like gamegurd/xtrap etc.

Hope the servers become more lively again. Hate having to read the same lfg rant from the same people every single day -_-

[Wolfen]

Will people be able to dualbox? What will happen if someone will lv up an asmodian on the same server of his Elyos to feed his friends platinum medals during sieges, hence, making fair people who kill Balaurs get less medals? Will they be banned? And how you will be sure that you're banning the right people?

This post has been edited by wolfen: 14 December 2011 - 10:46 AM

[Nobody]

Please ask questions in the other thread we have to avoid confusion. The new CM for the f2p Aion in Europe is apparently very active but can't be everywhere at once.

[puresond]

My question is simple.

If you are looking forward to more pvp content in this game, how you will handle amount of AP loosing.
Bebause if you will let it be the pvp will be death as high rank. With more ppl high ranks will be more locked in the city cause as highr rank so much ap to loos and so low ap to have if pvp .

[omidus]

so basically western market is falling faster than NCsoft KR expected. EU is beta test to see how many people will retain accounts and then US will get the F2P if EU is doing well.

so pathetic this game.

[Nobody]

So I offered to help do friend referrals for eu peeps who want to stay p2p, but I officially can't now. I'm locked out of friend referrals (haven't tried to refer in quite a while) and according to Phenteo it's because,

"It's a lifetime level now. You can only refer 20 friends in the lifetime of your account now."

I do hope that they fix the description on the page for their friend referrals soon. It doesn't say that at all.

I feel bad that I can't help as I've referred people from the beginning on and off, but it is what it is. Oh, and the funny thing is that most of the referrals never ended in anything for me as the people didn't buy retail lol.

[dirtyklingon]

"The more experience points you have, the faster you can rise in the character levels."

derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp

Rastekkel, on 14 December 2011 - 08:55 AM, said:

decreasing AP gain on f2p players.

2. How does gameforge battle bots/hackers.
This game obviously has no real system (like a gameguard) to prevent it from happening. Is gameforge going to add additional tools to stop botting and hacking, surely you (gameforge) have ex

you do know that gameguard has never stopped a single hack or bot in any of the games that have ever used it right?

on the other hand at least it isn't punkbuster

[Abedeus]

It took me about 30 seconds to disable GameGuard back in EU/NA closed beta, because it kept crashing the game on Windows 7.

[Player Killer]

Hello, the idea of Aion going f2p has cought mine and some friends attention. We loved this game at release but bugs/fps issues and what not made it not worth a monthly fee.

We would like to give it another shot and , if handled properly by gameforge , why not upgrade from veterans to gold members.

The only REAL question that for the love of me I cannot find an answer to , is this one:

With the new upcoming servers will you allow existing players from other servers to transfer and simply faceroll everyone else as they have full Tahabata so to say or will you stricly keep the new server to NEW players or rerollers to make sure everyone starts from Scratch , from 0, with no gear / money / what not?

It is obvious why this question is so important as we are not interested into becoming someone elses entertainment (fresh meat to farm) but would like everyone to have the same fair chance at progressing in this game.
I am pretty sure the answer to this question will be very welcomed from many players that are looking for either a fresh start or to come back and give Aion another shot.

And unless there is a large Masochist playerbase I can forsee that allowing existing players to transfer with their gear/money/character progression will be selfdestructive for the health of the new servers. Just my 2 cents right there but please DO answer my question as it makes a return or a move on for us. Hopefully I'll get a response before the 26th.

Have a nice day.