New Podcast Is Up

Hey everyone,

This is just a quick update post to let you guys know that the Epic Elyos Podcast, hosted by Sarc, Raim, and yours truly, is now up on Lagwar.com.

Just because I've moved to Multiplaying doesn't mean I've given up on Aion. :D  I want to thank everyone who has come by this blog, and I truly hope you'll follow along with me in my new adventures throughout the interwebz.

~Rer

Movin' On Over

To Scenic, Multiplaying.net!

Well Then... That Went Well

Grinding Sucks.

Alright Then... Let's Do It!

I'm gonna do it...
Nothing shall stand in my way...
I will succeed!
'ERE WE GO!
ITS BEGUN!

THIS IS IT!
ALL OR NOTHING!!!

I'm going to nonstop grind for the next two days!!!!

Wish me luck, and /pray for me, because Aion knows I'm going to need it....

Alright Then... Let's Do It!

Disclaimer~ "Non-stop" means whenever possible excluding real life crap.
Not a continuous 48 hour period.

/Ragequit

No, no, don't freak out.  I'm not quitting the blog.  I just found lonomonkey's post featuring the very overused yet still hilarious Aion version of Hitler's nerdrage to be pretty accurate of how I felt last night.

I went with the guild expecting to have some fun on Rer, only to get /facepalmed by the CrySystem.dll error (aka, memory leak when you render too many players/things) and subsequent crash.  To make matters worse, for whatever reason, my computer completely turns off when Aion crashes.  You can imagine this being a major pain in the butt when I have to reload Steam, Vent, Interwebz, Skype, etc. and then open Aion in Steam (I find communicating with people while playing important/pleasurable).  By the time I had logged back in, the Deity had already been slain.  As you can imagine, some waffling words were thrown about, and I then ragequit vent and crafted for a few hours.

(This is not to be taken as saying Aion is a bad game, simply for humor)

On the bright side, NCSoft does recognize the problem and has stated that they are working very hard to fix it.  They've been timely with issues that Aion has faced thus far, so heres to hoping they continue down that road.  Not to mention Eirikr getting some extra time to craft himself a few awesome armor sets for use later on (stacked w/ +crit! <3).

Sidenote~ If you're looking for me on Steam, I am now officially Rer.
First To Fall has been retired. *Taps is heard in the distance*

Off Topic: My Roomate, Vaksha

(Don't lost interest! Embarrassing shenanigans of Rer included!)

So, as some of you know, I'm in college.  My roommate, Vaksha, is a good friend I've mine that I've known for a few years now, and he also happens to be an aspiring filmmaker (Clichés Incoming!).  Honestly though, I really enjoy his films, and considering he was nice enough to mention my blog in one of his, I figure a cross promotion is without a doubt earned.  He used to make still motion Lego videos, but after taking a film class with me (yes, you can see my horrid acting, enjoy), and studying the profession, he has since moved onto vloging (is that a word? Video Blogging :P). Anyways, without further adieu, I give you his latest video, featuring yours truly... (keep in mind this is labeled Off Topic)

EXPLODING Chunky Soup!?

So evidently my blog is insightful... LOL.  I'm serious about the Podcast thing by the way, stay tuned for that. I also have a question for you guys, now that you've seen my face do you think you'll perceive my writing in a different way?

Sidenote~ I told him Fable 2's ending was bad, but did he believe me? Noooooo.

Getting Away From All The Hubbub

While I still love playing Rer, every now and then I just need to take a step back and get away from it all.  These days, the best place to do that is the starting zone.  Once known as the land of lag, where quest items were fought over in gladiatorial style combat, it has since calmed down and become quite peaceful.
I'm enjoying my time on Eirikr, my Warrior.  I'm fairly certain he will end up as a Gladiator, despite my curiousity of tanking.  This is mostly due to my hatred of slow grinding (if I'm going to be killing something for hours, said something is going to die fast).  Update: Totally decided to suck it up and roll a Templar.

Anyways, I guess the point of this post is to remember that getting to 50 shouldn't be a race.  Yes, I know that being one of the first may come with its advantages, but is it really worth it?  You should enjoy the time you spend leveling up your character, and if you find yourself growing frustrated or tired, just take a break.  There's nothing wrong with rolling an alt or taking a few days off from the game.  Your guild and friends will still be there when you get back, and it will do you a lot of good in the end.

Right on NCSoft

Take note Gaming Industry, because random apology gifts like these are very well received by your consumers.

Major kudos NCSoft, this is an awesome way to show that you care.  Also, (hope I'm not jinxing myself here) I haven't had any goldspam today! The new filter is definitely working as intended.

(Quick Update: Gah!  Now they're just doing it in [][][][][][][] instead of English!  Even so, its much less frequent.)

Waffling Ludicrous

I've been pretty chill about goldspam in Aion lately. The block feature is easy to use, and it only takes about 30 seconds to clear up my chat for my gaming session. That's tolerable, I can live with that. Then, of course, this shows up:

Then, for whatever reason, I just lost it.  I seriously just had a mental flip out.  Why the waffle should I have to remove past gold spammers from my Block List?  Why the waffle does the Block List even have a limit?!?!
I'm fully aware that NCSoft is aware of the situation, and they are actively working towards reducing the amount of gold spam in Aion.
So, in order to maintain my mental sanity (did I mention I'm also very ill, yet I still have to go to class/work, hence I have a slightly short fuse at the moment?) I've pondered a few small solutions that NCSoft could implement.
They won't fix the issue completely, but they'll sure as waffle make the ride easier:

1. If a Name Doesn't Have a Vowel, Auto-Boot: Fdhfg, Dgb, Htpg, Dfdfd, etc.  I think its fairly obvious that none of these people are real players, so why even let them play?
2. 50+ Blocks, World-Wide Auto-Block for 30 minutes: Yes, I'm aware that this could very easily be taken advantage of, but if someone blocks an innocent person, I wouldn't be surprised if they themselves were blocked out of spite.  So hopefully society would have the brains to not abuse this.
3. **No Limit to the Block List**: Until the goldspam is greatly reduced, its just dumb to have a limit to our Block List.  Give us at minimum, a three times longer list, if not infinite.
4. Remove Players Who No Longer Exist: If goldspammer X no longer uses character Y, please automatically remove it from my list so I don't have to bother doing it.

These are just a few steps that could really ease the burden on players. While most of us would love to see one ultimate BANHAMMER occur, I think it would be much wiser to destroy this issue in fast-paced incremental stages.  I'm sure everyone would be very thankful.  Now if you'll excuse me, I need to eat some chicken noodle soup, take some medicine, and block some more gold spammers. X_x  MEDIC!

All Quiet on the Western Fort

As Bel describes, three days ago the Vaizel Asmodians took the to skies in full force. We managed to successfully capture our first Fort and morale was high. On Sunday, we grouped up once more and managed to actually take not one, but two Forts! /victory and /cheer ensued, and we all went to bed with a little more AP in our inventories. Monday morning, we woke up to:

Zomg the Balaur Ninja'ed Our Fort!

Though some weren't too happy about losing one of our Forts, personally I thought it was the coolest thing ever. I now have solid evidence to prove that the Baluar are a force to be reckoned with, and that they will be a key for balancing control between the Elyos and Asmodians later on.

When Aion's Fortress timetables were first announced I wasn't too pleased about it. However, now that some time has passed, I'm actually happy with the current system. While it may not allow for meaningful 24/7 Objective Based PvP Hotness, it does give players a big enough window to duke it out until they grow tired, after which it closes itself up to prevent ninja 3 A.M. Fort takes... unless you're the Balaur. It has a good balance between over-saturation (which leads to staleness and boredom) and drought (which leads to frustration of not being able to PvP).

Now, as you may have noticed, I've been somewhat lacking post-wise these past few days. Sadly, the RL faction has breached the Fort of Rer's Gaming Time, so I haven't had too much to write about. However, I do have a few interesting things to discuss later on this week. So while things may be quiet here at IAAN every now and then, never fear, for Rer is always here... or sleeping.

On The Road Again

Que classic song! While spending the weekend with my family traveling the Midwest and visiting different college football games, the thought dawned upon me... we travel a lot in Aion. I haven't actually bothered to record hard numbers, but it seems like a good 5-10 minutes of every hour is spent traveling.

At first I never really noticed (largely because I'm always multitasking with podcasts, vent [... and I just now realized I've had an open mic for the past 20 minutes... Waffle!], music, ... or writing blog posts lol), but we spend an awful long time (and large amount of Kinah) porting, flying, gliding, and walking from point A to point B. To make matters worse, one small slip up and you'll find yourself doing it all over again from your Obelisk point.

So the question arises, how do we allievate this problem? Lucky for us, we have a lot of options.

1. Make Friends with a Sorc: If you have access to Pandamonieum/Sanctum (via their portal), you can set your Obelisk/Return point to your leveling area, hence greatly reducing your graveyard run and travel time, without fear of being stranded or taking forever to get back to a major hub.


2. Town Scrolls: At first I wasn't really into these, because I didn't think they were worth their vendor cost. However, upon partaking in discussions with my guildies and trying a few myself, I've come to accept that the time (and portal costs) you save porting around with those scrolls is actually worth it.


3. Travel Sparingly: Once you arrive in a zone, stay there. Don't suddenly run back to Panda/Sanctum because you forgot to do some trivial errand. The longer you're able to stay in a zone and be productive, the more Kinah you'll save.


4. Don't Bind to Your Abyss Fort: There's no need to, and here's why. Its free to enter the Abyss from one of the major hubs, but it costs money to go to a hub from the Abyss. Sure, you'll lose 10 seconds having to fly into the portal (/gasp!) but the small amounts of Kinah you'll save will add up.

Well, that's about it for now. I would write more, but I'm dead tired and full of classic Chicago style pan pizza. If there's something that I've forgotten that you think is a good tip (which I'm sure there is), drop a comment!

Pro Tip: Don't try to turn your graphics up on a laptop that clearly can't handle it.
GO GO PHANTOM RER!!

Sidenote~ Anikka, what's up with Sin Healing? If you read this can you leave a comment or shoot me an email?

Buying Kinah Isn't Justifiable

As you've probably already read on Aionic Thoughts and AionSource, NCSoft is going to start taking a much more hardline approach to gold spam in Aion. Honestly, after reading this I was in a much more upbeat mood... but then of course I just had to read "that one post". The post that just really gets under your skin, and makes you want to deck the author. I'm not going to link it or reveal where I read it, but put simply it went something along the lines of this:

"I have a life and job. Hence, I can't afford to play Aion 24/7 like some people. That's why buying Kinah is justifiable and fair, because it allows me to catch up to those 18 year old d-bags."

Let's review shall we? "Its okay to purchase virtual currency because it reduces the gap between hardcore and casual players in a game." Yea... that's what I thought you said. Now then, before I explode in a righteous fury equivalent to 10,000 Abyss Cores, lets discuss why the above statement is absolute bullwaffle.

First and foremost, you're playing a MMO. You're expected to only receive as much as you are willing to give. Buying gold doesn't just magically level the playing field, it completely skews it in one direction. Not to mention, it goes against the very purpose of a MMO, which is to live a life as your character. You don't see me magically obtaining money out of thin air in real life do you? So what makes that suddenly acceptable in a MMO? Nothing, that's what.

Second, you're hurting other player's experiences. How can you be okay with "buying 1337 gear and pwning faces" or "jacking up your server's economy because you can afford to". It isn't fair to other players to have to live with you're cheating ways. You're having a direct detrimental effect on other player's enjoyment. How would you like it if I farmed your waffle 24/7 in the Abyss just because I had better gear that I didn't even work for?

Third, in the end, you're cheating yourself. I hate to say this, but I actually feel sorry for the people who buy gold. They're the ones who won't ever feel the sense of accomplishment that we true gamers feel. They won't be able smile and reflect upon all of their hard work when they finally max out their crafting or get that one last piece of gear.

Finally, I have living proof that disputes this statement. Check by Multiplaying or go ask other honest casual gamers who have lives and jobs of their thoughts on buying kinah. I can say with 100% certainty that not a single one will tell you its justified. Buying gold because it lets you catch up in a game so you can play with people who actually worked and earned their waffle doesn't make you a gamer. It makes you a parasite, one that I intend to squash as much as possible mind you.

So... what're your thoughts about buying Kinah reader? (I promise I won't explode in your face if your thoughts are different than mine :P)

Benchmarks!

Just a quick little status report of (Insert Awesome Aion Name).

Thus Far I've Had:

Posts: 50 (This one being the 50th)

Visits: 5000! (2,835 of them being unique visitors. Not bad!)

Visitor Loyalty: Min: 1 Visit, Max: 200+ Visits!

Average Time Spent Here: 2 Minutes (Longest: 10 min, Shortest: 1 sec)

Langauges: 41 (Meaning I've had visitors from 41 unique langauges)

I know this is really nothing all that interesting to read, but I really do appreciate everyone who stops by this little blog o' mine. As always, I want to give a big thanks to all of the different blogs and sites that have links to mine, because they are still the backbone of my blogging "success" (if that's what you want to call it). If you take the time to visit my blog, perhaps you could squeeze a few more minutes out of your busy schedule to visit some of the newer ones that have popped up recently such as Aionic Times, Screaming Monkeys, Stunning Shot, and Winged Rage (the list just keeps on growing ^_^). Also, moar comments plz!! Kthxbai!!

Aether, Makin' It Rain and Making You Sleep

Today I'd like to discuss Aether. So let's start off with a brief explanation of what Aether is. *Ahem* As per the Aion Wiki: "Aether is the substance Daeva's need to obtain the ability of flight. It stems from the god Aion, and is also the power source of the Empyrean Lords."

Aether is also a core necessity of all the crafting professions in Aion. Potions, Armor, Weapons, Accessories, Food... hell, Aether probably has more uses than the Peanut.

Aether Collection Ranges:

Aether Powder 1-75

Aether Crystal 100-175 (High-Grade Available)

Aether Gem 200-275 (Greater and Pure Available)

Aether 300+ (High-Grade, Pure, and Brilliant Available)

In order to obtain Aether, Daeva's simply need to look up in any Flight Accessible Zone. Most zones tend to contain Aether in about a 75-125 level range. (In other words, 1-75, 25-100, 75-175, 175-300, etc.) Now, with the magic of bullet points, let's discuss the Pros and Cons of farming Aether.

Pros:

• Aether is always needed, so there is always a buying market for it.

• Since everyone needs Aether, you can make friends fast by sharing it.

• Its easy to do, and allows the player to perhaps multi-task. For example, I watch TV on Hulu while farming Aether frequently.

• Its a great way to help you sleep.

• You may find yourself meeting new people in chat, simply because you have nothing else better to do.

Cons:

• Watching paint dry is a step up on the Fun Ladder.

• The market for Aether is extremely volatile. Prices are constantly in flux and undercutting is rampant.

• Common mistakes (aka, death) can cut into profits.

So, with all of that in mind I figured I'd also give a few quick tips .

1. **Don't Overextend Yourself** - You don't have to have that one last Aether! Don't risk dying, play it smart and land safely. I can't tell you how much Kinah I've lost just from telling myself "Oh I can get this last one".
2. Don't Stop Gathering Non-Skill Ups - Even if it isn't raising your skill, its definitely raising your kinah!
3. Flight Pots, They Are Your Friend - Plan on taking some of your hard earned Aether and turning it into flight pots. These will be very handy and will actually, in the end, increase your profits by helping you maximize your flight time efficiency.
4. You Don't Have To Sell Right Away - If the market for your level of Aether sucks, don't sell! People will buy it all up eventually, allowing you to sell your Aether at a good price. Just sit tight and wait for the market to improve.
5. Sell In Reasonable Stacks - Its easy to have a lot of Aether in your bag, get lazy, and just post it all at once. Don't. Keep your Aether in reasonable stacks of 5, 10, or 15 so it is easily affordable for your buyers.

In conclusion, farming Aether is necessary, can make you rich, and is boring as waffle. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm rather tired. Time to go farm some Pure Aeth...Zzzz.

The Truth is Revealed... Kinda!

So, today I hit up my first major Fortress assault... and then crashed 30 seconds later. After about seven tries, I finally realized that my computer just couldn't render all of those people. (Easily 100+) I started to think of WAR and became worried... until Aion saved the day once more!

Thanks to an awesome tip from a guildmate (might have been Bel?), I learned that if you press (Shift + F12) you can make it so no characters render other than people that are directly in your group. At first I was apprehensive towards this because I could no longer see my enemy. However, after about five minutes I was used to the adjustment. Name tags will still appear, so if you click where their hitbox would be, you select them. It wasn't perfect, but it did allow me to enjoy endgame PvP without any lag or further crashes, well worth the slight inconvenience.

As for the Fortress itself, I found it enjoyable. Despite the big numbers, it was still possible to pick off strays and enjoy some small PvP within the large battle itself. I have to admit though, my favorite battles were the Open World Abyss fights afterwards. Our guild flew from pigeon point to pigeon point, picking off loose ones here and there. If we stayed in one location long enough, a good flock or two of pigeons would show up, resulting in a fairly major battle. I really enjoyed myself today, despite being easily the most killed (I wasn't known as Firstto Fall in WAR for nothing <3).

So, in conclusion:

• How have your Fort raids/defenses gone?
• Have you been forced to Shift + F12 yet? If not, are you going to use it now? (Remember that if you just press F12 your UI disappears, so don't be alarmed by that. Simply press F12 again.)
• Do you prefer Objective Based fights or Open World?

Go Hug A PuG

I'm not going to go into too much detail about about how bad Aion's community is at the moment. Overly Positive, Recherché, and Sin Healing have already hit the nails on the douchewaffle's head, and hence I'd just be over saturating the "wow this game is full of e-peen jerkoffs" posting environment.

All I'm going to say is that if the game's community is really "that bad" (which in some cases, I'll agree that it is), you have to do something about it. You can't just sit on the sidelines going "man that guy is a douche, I wish General chat didn't suck waffles". You have to risk getting involved if you want to see a positive change.

Some noob ask a noobish question? Some one else flame him for it? Completely ignore the waffle and answer the noob politely and with as much detail as possible in General chat. The noob will more than likely thank you, upon which other noobs will realize that someone is willing to help them. They will then in turn ask their questions. You need to answer again, pro-activity is the key in these situations. If you show people that you actually give a waffle about their problems, then they will feel appreciated and welcomed. That is how you create a positive gaming community. You don't feed the flamers, you just ignore them until people finally get that magical *bonk* on the head that being a jerkoff doesn't solve anything, and they also ignore the flamers. Eventually, the flamers will have no reason to flame because no one will care, or they will be looked down upon.

I'll openly admit I'm not perfect. I've had my fair share of hatorade rants and insult spewing fests. The important thing is to minimize them, apologize for them, and learn from them. These few posts I've mentioned aren't going to magically destroy the Barrens Chat that is currently residing within Aion, but they are cornerstones upon which you, and only you, can build.

The Power of Music

Today's article was supposed to be about how once you reach level thirty, the game becomes somewhat grindy. I was going to title the article "Face, Meet Brickwall" and have a funny picture of my character falling to his death onto a stone surface.

I can no longer physically or psychologically write that post. Please, listen to this song as you read to attempt to understand where I'm coming from. Hell, reading this post while listening to this song is practically an insult, my words aren't worthy of accompanying such brilliance.

I just came back from seeing Tommy live, and I literally can't describe how I feel other than "Holy waffle, I just had my mind blown at least three times in one sitting. This man just en-captured almost every genre of music with only a guitar and amplifier right before my eyes." Now then, you're probably thinking "That's great and all... but this relates to Aion... how exactly?", an excellent question.

When it comes to MMOs, unlike most people I tend to keep the in-game music on (unless I'm grinding up into the wee hours of the night). I try to analyze what sort of mood the music is trying to set, because it helps me get more immersed within the game. Sadly, some games (and I'm sorry for beating the dead horse here but...) like Warhammer (again, sorry) just don't have good music to listen to. That really depresses me, because I deeply enjoy listening to the "musical thoughts" of the game's creators. Now, insert Aion.

Aion's soundtrack is overall very well composed. Each zone has its own tone created by the music, which in turn helps me set the mood for when I am reading quests, following story lines, and battling. For example, the song Magma & Beast gives me that urge to slay some Baluar and Pigeons. I think about why the Asmodian's are fighting, and I remember to show no mercy. Images of armies, slaughter, and great glory pass through my head. Its music like this that I'm referring to, music that moves you emotionally, and Aion has it in spades.

Its through the power of music that I can overcome any obstacle or annoyance in Aion. That's why I'm not currently griping about how I have 1.4 million experience to buy back. That's why I'm not disturbed at how many mobs I'm going to have to slay to level up. And, that's why I'm writing this post (well that and I'm currently high on inspiration from Tommy).

Sidenote~ Here are a few other fantastic songs by Tommy, definitely give them a listen.

Angelina (A song dedicated to his youngest daughter)

Beatles Medley (Note how he plays the two different parts of Day Tripper on one guitar, make sure to also watch the Here Comes the Sun link.)

Classical Gas (Just plain awesome)

Some Advice

First off...

DING 30.

Now then, I'm in no way stating that because I'm level 30 I've magically become some guru of Aion, but I figured now would be a good time to look back and give some short advice to people, just random tidbits here and there. (Holy waffle that was one sentence?! Yeesh XD) Anyways..

Quests:

• The quest "[Coin] Nip Spriggs in the Bud" requires you to kill Gatherers and Wardens, not Hunters.

• If you're willing to take the risk, you can actually run/glide through most of the elite mobs when doing the final stage of the "Destroying the Curse" and chuck the necklace into the lava without having to fight through anything. Bringing a friend with you might make this easier.

• The quest "Speaking Baluar" asks you to do the following: attack a Draconute (Assaulter?), lower it down to roughly 20%, and then bring it to the quest NPC without killing it. You'll know you've done it right when a cut-scene appears.

• For "Captured Comrades" just run. The quest doesn't show a timer, but the NPCs appear to despawn after a certain period of time. Just grab your NPC and hoof it over (don't fly) to the checkpoint. Simply CC any mobs that chase you should it prove necessary.

• The quest "Looking for Leibo" requires you to use an Artifact to reach the island, which requires a key to activate. The key can either be crafted by a 199 Alchemist, or alternatively bought for 150 thousand kinah. (Gee, I wonder which one to pick...)

The Abyss:

• If you plan on grinding in the Abyss the repeatable quest "Don't Fear the Reaper" is your best bet. The island (which is the furthest South-West one) has a tower, so spawning your personal Kisk there and grinding it out works quite well. Just remember to not aggro the reapers in the air, because they will attempt to stun you for 3 seconds if you are flying, possibly resulting in you falling and taking damage.

• If you're grinding out in an area with a tower near, going solo is fine. However, if you are attempting quests where you don't have a safety net, going solo is just asking for trouble. (Waffling pigeon flocks <3)

• CC first, kill later. Make this your mantra in the Abyss. I say this because it it so easy for players to run away, or counter your attacks with their own CC, that keeping control of the situation will be vital to your success. Hence, personally I never DoT my targets as it prevents me from keeping sustained CC effects active.

• Flight Potions and Flight Speed Scrolls are a must have if you want to be competitive with other players. Using rings to your advantage is great and all, but nothing beats being able to increase your flight time and speed with the click of a button. Note that the Reaper repeatable quest actually gives players a random scroll upon each turn in, so you could get scrolls that way also.

• If you're getting sick of being owned by the opposite faction (lets face it, it happens to everyone), take some time off from the Abyss and go to a PvE/Rift zone for awhile. Once you've cooled down, head on back into the fray. You need to remember that you're playing this game to have fun, so keeping a positive attitude is important.

Cash:

• Undercutting on the Auction House may seem like a simple and splendid way to make a quick buck, but you may be regretting it when the market tanks to sub-par profit levels. Surprisingly enough, if you take the time to whisper your competitors and ask them to sell within a certain price range, most of them will agree. This in turn guarantees mutual benefit, along with keeping the economy stable for future sales and purchases. (Though obviously you won't be able to contact everyone, it is still worth at least trying.)

• Low on Cash? Grind out mobs that you know drop grey items (like the Reapers ;D). You'd be surprised how much 100 Grey Items can sell for. Also, always try to sell items rather than vendor them. Even white items that you consider useless will probably sell for double the vendor price.

Common Courtesy:

• Accidents with mobs, nodes, and quest items are bound to happen. However, that doesn't excuse purposely stealing someone's kill/node/item for your own gain. It just isn't cool and shouldn't be tolerated.

• See someone dead next to you or in need of assistance? Stop watching and start helping! Even if you have to use a rezz stone or risk dying on behalf of some stranger, its the right thing to do and you know it. Who knows? Maybe some time down the road that person will be saving your sorry feathered behind.

(Insert Comment Tips Here):

• Have something I missed that you feel others should know? Well tell me! I'll post it here for all to see.

• From Eskavars: Gathering successes and failures are largely based on your skill relative to the item you are gathering. For example, if you are gathering an item that requires 150 skill, and your skill is only 150, you may encounter some trouble. From the opposite side, if you are gathering an item that requires only 100, you shouldn't fail on it whatsoever.

• From Theladas: Your ability to error on a craft seems to disappear by 10 points over the minimum to craft it. So, if you're planning on crafting some pretty gear at level 28, say, make sure you're at least 10 points above the highest-difficulty item to ensure success on all crafts.

WALL OF TIPS CRITICALLY HEALS YOU FOR 1,000,000,000.

Lol, thanks for taking the time to browse through the post.

First Instance Experience

So, I finished the Nochsana Training Camp instance a little while ago. It really reminds me of WoW's Scarlet Monastery in that it isn't overly difficult, there are a lot of mobs to kill, and the experience is freaking awesome.

The instance is on an 18 hour lockout timer, so definitely do it whenever you get the chance. Make sure you also grab the three quests for the instance before heading in. The theme is sort of based on what a Fortress raid would be like. You start out killing mobs while working your way to the Artifact outside. Then you go through the main courtyard, and destroy the Aether Field Generator. Finally, you bang down the main door with some siege weapons and face the general. Nothing too difficult.

Should you triumph over these challenges, you will end up with some good loot and easily half a level of expierence. Just make sure that when you are fighting the bosses that no one is dead when they drop, otherwise they won't recieve credit for the kill. (Which in retrospect isn't such a bad thing, because they'll be going back for more experience again later anyways.) The instance shouldn't take you too long, and its a great way to meet new people. Who knows? You may end up meeting some great people, just like I did. (Sidenote: Too many pictures lately, or okay? Drop a comment.)

O______o

"Its Big" ~ Rer

If you haven't already been to the Abyss, I won't spoil anything for you... but here's some eye-candy.

This zone, is by far the hugest thing I have ever seen in my gaming career. Not only that, but it is also one of the most visually impressive. Whether I'm farming mobs for experience or killin' pigeons for chicken wings, I can't help but take in some of the beauty of this zone.

From a PvP perspective, the term "zerg" definitely comes to mind. However, because the zone is so big, the zergs are easily avoidable. This allows players to sneak off into smaller scale combat whenever they choose. That's the glory of this zone, all types of PvP are available upon request. As some have pointed out, griefing and ganking does occur every now and then, but if players are willing to put in a little effort, they are easy situations to overcome. I haven't had to chance to assault a Fortress yet (because it'd be a suicide run with such low level characters), so I can't give any comments about those just yet.

Here's Some More Abyss Eye-Candy:

Pwnt! Rer's Noob Moment!

Finally! I hit level 21, gear up, and hit the rifts! I'm excited to finally roast some Elyos *cough* pigeons *cough* and mark my place in the fields of battle! I'm gliding down merrily upon the main road towards different rift locations when suddenly roughly fifteen Elyos show up right in front of me. Awesome, my first major battle! Time to kick some waffle and show off mai skillz!

Here's what happens:

1. I think to myself "Oh crap".
2. I yell at my leveling partner on Ventrilo that an Elyos raid as appeared.
3. I type out in general chat that an Elyos raid has appeared.
4. I attempt to run the waffle away.
5. ... I realize my keyboard cut out before I even started Step 2. Doh!
6. After frantically reconnecting my keyboard, I accept my totally facerolled fate and have a good laugh about the whole thing.

Though some people may not enjoy guerilla warfare in PvE (otherwise known as ganking to some people), I find it very enjoyable, even in situations like this. Rift PvP keeps things interesting by breaking up your normal routine, its chaos! Suddenly, rather than frolicking through mobs and subsequently melting faces without a care in the world, I need to stay constantly alert of my surroundings. Not to mention some of the hilarious fights that occur, whether it be running away from a train of wolves while fighting a player to awesome chase scenes via gliding over cliffs... and then noticing you have no flight time left, double doh!

So, with all of this in mind I just wanted to shoot a personal thank you to the Elyos Guild Avalon for totally pwning my face and breaking up my Coin Quest grind. Who knows how brain dead I could have been had it not been for my rude awakening by your hands! Also, a specific member of Avalon emoted me (and only me) a lot... I'll keep his/her name private, but I have to ask... is he/she a fan of my blog? If so, a fan of my blog just kicked my waffle.... That's awesome!!

Now my dear reader, I ask you the following questions:

• How have your Aion Rift PvP experiences been?
• Have you had a noob moment in Aion yet?
• Drop a comment!

Aion Needs You...

So lets face it, Aion is pretty much the best, the creme de la creme, the waffling waffle. You know that, and I know that... but sadly a few people don't know that. Naysayers, anti-fan-bois, and hatoradetors (yeah, made that word up, but you know it makes sense) still exist. On the day of Aion's launch for all, now more than ever, its our duty to stop the spread of ignorance about Aion.

Tell your friends, and hated foes alike, about how much you like Aion, and when you do tell them, tell them the right way. Whether it be a WoW player, a total newbie, or a person who hates MMOs, you need to follow these steps:

1. Know Your Material

The moment you slip up, oddly pause, or give false information, your opponent is going to notice. Make sure to have an idea of what you want to mention ahead of time. That way, should the conversation arise, you're prepared. Expect the unexpected, and try to remember both the large and small.

2. Be Detailed

When someone says "Aion is just a Korean Grindfest", your response shouldn't be "No its not". It should be, "I can prove its not through x, y, and z". If you route your opponents questions, and then show evidence to support your claims, you are almost guaranteed victory. Also, should the situation present itself, remind your opponent of something that Aion either has or lacks that gives it an edge over other MMOs.

3. Acknowledge Defeat

You can't win them all. Rather than turning the converstion into a heated debate, as fun as those can be from time to time, its better to lick your wounds and move on. Some people will just not listen to what you have to say, no matter how persuasive and informative you are about Aion. It is also important to note that Aion isn't everyone's cup of tea. If someone says they've done their research and aren't interested, don't badger them about it. Respect their opinion and stop discussing it.

Conclusion

Perhaps you're thinking, "Gee... isn't this obvious"? Too a degree yes, but I mention this for a reason. Aion is a fantastic game, and its truly worthy of being one of the greatest MMOs in history. I'm not saying Aion won't be successful without your 2 or 3 friends (or in some cases 20-30), but each person we bring into the wonderful world of Atreia is another person we can enjoy it with, which in turn leads to Aion receiving more fame amongst its competition. NCSoft has released an amazing game to a global audience, all it needs now is a strong and informed recruiting force... you.

Disclaimer~ Yes, I realize Mages can only wear plate helmets. ;) I also realize that this post is pretty darn fan-boish, but I base it off of my extreme enjoyment of Aion thus far, along with solid evidence to support my claims of Aion's serious awesomeness.

Sidenote~ Ding, 20.

/afk

WHY ARE YOU READING THIS. YOU COULD BE PLAYING AION RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!!

Lol, just thought I'd give a quick update on my launch experience. Other than two small disconnects, the launch went without a hitch. Very little lag, crashes, bugs, etc. So far the community seems pretty awesome, mostly a fairly mature and friendly crowd. Which reminds me, I'm rolling on Vaizel if anyone is curious. Ironically enough, I almost wound up on Triniel also, but I couldn't let poor Ari from Aion's World be all alone. ;) As of right now, I'm chillin' at level 16, just getting my crafting up. That's a big tip by the way, don't let your Aether/Gathering skills fall behind, you'll hate yourself later on.

Hopefully some of you guys are on Vaizel also. Feel free to drop me a whisper if you wanna say hi or give me feedback, I'd love to hear from ya. Now if you'll excuse me, there's an uncooked Otombliss Salad that's calling me for assistance!

So It Begins...

WOOT!

Sunday! Sunday! Sunday! Man, I haven't been this excited in a long time. Today is the day that all Pre-Orders get to experience the wonderful world of Atreia, and this time, its fo realz yo!

So naturally, I figured before you stop reading this blog for a few days due to your non-stop gaming (its cool, I get it), I'd throw out a few quick tips.

First off, Follow the Sniper's Three Standards:

Couldn't have said it better myself Sniper... though calling your parents while working might not be such a great idea. Personally, I'm turning my phone off.

Second, Try To Make Friends:

Sure, you may have an awesome guild like I do, but that's no excuse to not make new friends. Just talk with people. It doesn't have to be a pow-wow sit down about your childhood memories, but a little chit-chat between people will help you become a part of the community fast. Once people know you, you can start to make friends, earn respect, and overall enjoy your gaming experience more.

Finally, Obey The "Don't Rules" At All Times:

• Don't Try To Impress People With Words, Let Your Actions Speak For Themselves
• Don't Ever Killsteal, Nothing Will Label You As A Jerk Faster
• Don't Start A Barrens Chat (Referring to World of Warcraft), Meaning No Discussions Of: Politics, Religion, Other MMOs, Your E-Peen, Chuck Norris, Etc. In Region Chat
• Don't Start Drama, Just... Don't

Follow these tips and you'll be flying high in no time.

Have fun out there guys!

Side-Note: I have to take a test in few hours before the game launches.... Seriously?! Who makes you take a test on a bloody Sunday!!! Q_Q

Lazy Saturday Podcasts

*Yawns* Nothing like a good 14 hour nap. ^_^ So I get up this morning, flick on iTunes, and I realize I have 11 Podcasts to listen too. (My bad! I normally stay on top of them!) After listening to a few, and realizing I have absolutely nothing to write about today, I figure I'd do another Podcast Updates section.

The Abyss

Hehe, I have to give kudos where kudos are due. In episode nine, the Abyss mentioned how GameGuard was not going to be removed from the game (which at the time was correct, as numerous rumors were flying about). They quickly released Episode 9.5 to give their listeners the correct information, along with all of the other details of Head Start and Launch. Thanks for taking the time to do that guys, I'm sure your listeners appreciate it.

Aion's World

Ari and Dezi have done a joint interview with the hosts from the Abyss, Tony and Lori. They also introduce a new host, Melrose! Welcome to the Aion community. :D Besides that, they also mention all of the goodies of headstart, the lack 'o GameGuard, etc. Its definitely a great episode, so go give it a listen. Plus you just might find out something hilarious about The Abyss... (LOL JT!!)

Aion's Wrath

The boys are back and discussing all things Aion! The gents discuss their thoughts on Open Beta, Head Start, Pre-Selection, Addons, and have a Gladiator discussion.

Black Wings of Atreia

No actual update just yet. I promise you guys, we are not dead. Inergy just started having a life (the waffle!). Once things simmer down, we will be back in full force! BWoA =/= Podfade!!!

MMO Weakly

Sarc and Raim discuss Aion vs. WoW vs. WAR (Yes, they include my article :Db) in Episode #8 of the show. They also include their thoughts on Open Beta, all the while having hilarious banter between them. Give it a listen!

Multiplaying

This, soon to be, episode doesn't actually pertain to Aion, but its definitely worth mentioning. The hosts of Multiplaying are going to have an exclusive interview the founder and CEO of Stardock!!! Stardock is a PC Gaming company that has released titles such as Galatic Civilizations I and II, Sins of a Solar Empire, and Demigod. The coolest part is they are openly accepting any questions you might have! If you've ever wanted to ask a gaming CEO a question, now is your chance!

NOM NOM NOM!

Now if you'll excuse me, its lunchtime and I require a sammich.

Characters

Alright! After about 30 minutes of shaking and foaming at the mouth, the login servers started working and I've finished my characters! :D So without further adieu...

Introducing:

Rer

Rer has once again transcended into my next MMO. He has been in WoW as a Mage, WAR as a Magus, and now Aion as a Sorcerer. Just as with people, old habits die hard. Rer is still known as the World's Greatest Floor Taster, and constantly breaks his own CC for amusement.

Eirikr

Eirikr is new to my gaming scene. His name and looks are based off of my Norse heritage. I'm still undecided on whether I'll roll as a Gladiator or Templar with him, but I'm nonetheless very excited to play him. Previously, I had an Arms Warrior (Specializes in 2h Weapons) in WoW, but sadly I didn't enjoy him very much due to Warriors being insanely gear dependent. Hopefully that won't be such a large issue in Aion.

Finally, make sure not to sneeze during Character Creation, thus leading to a catastrophic chain of... of...

*ACHOO!*

Waffles! Someone call in a GM! (Thanks to Calica from AionSource for creating this.) So, did you get your character's names? Everything look good? Post a link/tell me about your character.

3...2...1... Oh, Here Is What We Are Doing

Greetings!

As we draw closer to tomorrow I wanted to give everyone a brief update on the progress of our live version. We are excited to announce that we will be serving out the final update for you to patch within the next few hours. You will be able to use this version for both our Preselection and our Head Start. We are very excited with our final product and think that you will be as well! Below are the release notes for the patch you will see later today:

- Aion now features all three languages French, German and English. To select your language simply right click on Aion within your launcher and go to Properties->Language Options. Please select which languages you wish to download and which you wish Aion to display.

- After analyzing our open beta test results Aion will not feature GameGuard at launch. We will however continue to pursue ways to effectively utilize GameGuard within Aion in the future. Right now we're focused on providing players with the best possible Aion experience.

- The level cap is now level 50 (previously 45).

- Players will be able to reserve 2 character names during Preselection and create 8 characters in total once Head Start begins and beyond.

- Channels will be set to 10 instances for the beginning 2 zones of each faction. Please note that these will be lowered as characters progress and spread throughout Atreia.

NO GAMEGUARD = WIN.

Perhaps I'll learn how to speak French while kicking crepes? (U c whut I did thar? xD Vous voyez que j'ai fait là? )

10 Channels = Also Win! No overcrowded starting zones!

Hot waffles with strawberry syrup today has turned out to be an awesome day! I'm getting more and more excited for launch! How about you guys? All systems go? Any questions, comments, or concerns before they hit the shiny red button?

Fort Times

Here's the deal, straight from the big Community Man Himself, Ayase:

I'm back with answers, guys. As I mentioned before, we are not going to be able to release an exact schedule. The Production team got back to me with what I'm able to say. Basically -- The Fortress system is not scheduled at specific times every day. Fortress’s have certain chances to become vulnerable at certain times all throughout the week. It is important to note that owning fortresses in Aion is meant to be a fluid war back and forth where you may own a fortress one day but not the next. Legions will have to be on their toes and rally back at times if they fail to defend. We specifically adjusted the peak times between the east, west and oceanic region because the wars do favor peak times (evenings and weekends). Our website will reflect fortress wars in real time so players can monitor the status of their fortress or find a time when another is vulnerable to attack

The end-all answer for any legion that is torn between East/West is that there's no perfect solution for you. Going for the West coast would probably be the slightly better choice, as the East-coasters would then need to stay up a bit later as opposed to the West-coasters getting up/off work early.

I know that this is not much more than what I told you earlier, but it's what we have for you now, and I hope that it's enough for you to make a decision for your legion.

Fantastic. Truly, I'm a happy Rer now ^_^. Thanks for getting this info Ayase.

By the way, according to Ayase Prime-Time should be generally thought of as 16:00-24:00 (4 PM to Midnight).

To Help Pass The Time

As most of you know by now, I was formerly a WAR blogger. These days I don't play WAR much, but I still keep in touch with past bloggers to see how they are doing. (Though admittedly I wouldn't have stumbled upon this had it not been for Multiplaying)

Bootae from Bootae's Bloody Blog has come up with a very interesting idea. What is your "Ultimate MMO Group"? The concept is simple enough, but I honestly had to give it some thought before I came up with my final decision. If you're bored and need something to distract you for a few minutes, check it out.

Aussies Got Their Wish

Nezekan Is The Oceanic Server

Granted its a little late, but better late than never right? The only thing I'm not diggin' are the words "event schedule".

A Head Start Look At Head Start

Aion's Head Start is right around the corner. Details surrounding the Preselection Program of Aion were very recently announced, but is only one of the benefits of preordering. Those of you who preordered the game will very soon not only be able to access Preselection, where they can create characters and reserve names, but also to leap into the game and explore the world before everyone else. Head Start opens up Aion's full feature set and allows preorder buyers to play the game just as if it was released a couple of days earlier.

Head Start begins on September 20th 12:00 p.m. PDT (more) and runs until release. The official release date of Aion is on September 22nd in North America and September 25th in Europe.

Guess I'll sleep in on Sunday? xD I already have my Names and Screenshots of Sliders ready to go for Preselection, so I'm REARIN' TO TAKEOFF!!

Truely Unacceptable

I'm sorry if you aren't in the mood for a hatorade post folks, but this warrants one. Big time.

Currently, it appears as though Forts will only be accessable during your servers' prime-time hours. Hence, if you don't live in your servers' Time Zone you lose out on the already small chance to enjoy endgame PvP. Hell, I'm being selfish, the poor Aussies don't even have their own bloody server, so they get zero chance to realistically partake in Fort Captures/Defenses due to time differences. Ayase has told us that he doesn't have the official times yet, and a full article is currently in the works... but from what I've read so far, things don't look good. I recently left WAR, and one of the key reasons I chose to come to Aion was to enjoy PvP more. Timeblocked events do not do that for me. Perhaps I'm overreacting and things will come out just peachy keen, but it sure doesn't look that way right now.

For more information, check out this thread on Aionsource.

About Assassins...

Surprise! This is a REVERSE BLOG POST. /Gasp! Rather than me writing to you and you reading, I need you to write and I'll do the reading!

Recently I've been thinking about starting out as an Assassin rather than a Sorcerer (mostly due to playing Spy on TF2 and really enjoying myself). Under normal circumstances, I'd play through and try it out, but I've already done the beginning zones 5-6 times. Hence, to avoid burnout, I'm asking you, the reader, to give me your thoughts on the Assassin. Even if you only reached level 10, your opinion still counts. Did you enjoy yourself while you played it? Did you think leveling was a challenge/EZ-mode snorefest? Did you feel as though you brought something useful to a group setting? Just questions like that. Thanks in advance!!

Aion vs. WAR vs. WoW

Alright... here we go. *Cracks Knuckles* The big one. The post of all posts. Just for you, Sarc and Raim from MMO Weakly.

The Game Comparison Post

First off, Disclaimers! :D Everything you read in this article is solely based on my personal gaming experiences and opinions. Take what you read with a grain of salt, and then form your own opinion.

Next up, Explanation. So, this is how I've decided to do my article. I've broken the games down into different segments. There will be a winner for each category, along with an explanation of what the other two have going for them. Please note that this post will take me a long time to finish. Don't assume that what you are reading now is the final draft, because it probably isn't.

Story, Winner: Tie Between Aion and WoW

I'm sorry, but I just can't pick one over the other. Both games have fantastic main story lines along with detailed subplots and side stories. I deeply enjoy the lore within WoW and Aion, and in the end it really just comes down to personal preference. Both games give players a deep sense of immersion and reason, whereas in WAR you were just another grunt in the zerg. Oddly enough, both games also feature two factions that hate each other, along with a 3rd faction that wants to wipe out both entirely (in WoW's case there are many, such as: the Scourge at the moment, the Burning Legion, and the Black Dragonflight).

Servers, Winner: Indeterminable

Assuming that Aion's servers launch without too many issues, and those issues are resolved in a timely manner, I give this category to Aion. During the Closed Beta, I never had lag, not once. I never crashed to desktop, rubberbanded, etc. Even on the Chinese Servers, I'm able to play without a hitch. I suppose with time WoW could be the potential victor in this category, it all depends on how Aion's servers do during the first few months. I'll be able to make a more informed decision then... and don't even get me started on WAR. /ick

Combat, Winner: Tie Between Aion and WAR

The reason why there is no sole winner is because both Aion and WAR utilize interactivity in their gameplay. Both games require players to always be alert, mobile, and reactionary. While WoW may force players to be somewhat reactionary in PvP, it pales in comparison to Aion and WAR overall. I enjoy this because it forces players to think on their feet, rather than standing still casting fireball over and over.

Graphics, Winner: Aion

Now, for some odd reason, people think WoW looks better than Aion. Personally, I think said people are insane. However, this category is extremely bias because it, once again, comes down to personal preference. I think the world of Atreia looks absolutely gorgeous, with Warhammer not too far behind. WoW just looks dated and cartoony in comparison. It was good while it had little competition, but now that my eyes have opened to the large world of MMOs... WoW's graphics have lost their luster.

Character Customization, Winner: Aion

More options, more sliders, more details, and the character looks better than in other MMOs. You can also change the look and sex of your character at the "plastic surgeon" in town, free of reality currency. Aion also has the ability to take the stats of one piece of gear and fuse it with the look of another. Dyes have also been implemented. Nothing else really needs to be said.

PvP, Winner: Aion

Aion takes WARs RvR system, and then improves upon it:

• A 3rd NPC Faction for the sake of balance.
• Enormous lakes for players to fight in.
• PvE right alongside PvP without distracting from the PvP.
• Portable Respawn Locations.
• Flight Mechanic.
• Player Ranking System and Rewards.
• Rift Combat for smaller group Guerrilla Warfare.
• Arenas in the Main Cities.
• Let's be honest, WoW isn't known for its PvP, and WAR's is lacking some key components.

Crafting, Winner: Aion

Aion's Crafting has a lot going for it:

• All items are Bind on Equip.
• Gathering is universal.
• Crafted Items are useful while leveling, and not a waste of space.
• Crafting is expensive, challenging, and detailed.
• WoW's Crafting isn't bad, but items are only useful once players have maxed out their skill and have reached raiding/endgame.
• WAR's Crafting is just plain sad. It is much too easy and un-innovative.
• Etc. (Read my past Closed Beta Reviews for more on Crafting).

Endgame/Raids, Winner: Indeterminable

It wouldn't be fair for me to make a call on this because I haven't experienced Aion's endgame yet. WoW certainly is strong in this category, with WAR in last place.

Conclusions

By now, you may be thinking something along the lines of "Geeze, could Rer be any more fan-boish towards Aion?", and to be honest, I'd say you have a point. At the moment, I still have yet to fully experience Aion. A few months down the road, I may change my mind about some segments. However, please keep in mind that I did try to remain objective throughout this post. I have no bad feelings towards WoW or WAR (okay... maybe a few towards WAR), and I based my winners solely on my personal perceptions and experiences, and hence they are by no means gospel. To sum things up in one sentence: "Aion may not be groundbreaking in the MMO Universe, but it does bring some of the best aspects of other MMOs together in a beautiful harmony." By the way, if you've managed to actually read this far, you deserve a cookie. <3

That's All For Now

If you have a subject that you want covered that I missed, please, leave a comment. I'd be happy to add it to the post. My apologies if I missed something totally obvious (which I probably did considering its 3 in the morning and I'm on my 4th Sunkist of the day).