Aion

Exclusive Interview with Aion's Community Team Lead

Zyuu — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 05:38:35 GMT

We've been fortunate enough to conduct an interview with NCsoft Europe's Aion Community Team Lead. He shares a lot of interesting information, as always, with a game still in development -- you cannot expect to get clear answers on everything.

What is your real name and what is your official position at NCsoft?

Loïc Claveau, with two dots on the I! I’m the Aion Community Team Lead.

What does your job entail, what do you do at NCsoft, specifically?

It’s a double job as I’m in charge with the French community, relaying the info from NCsoft to the players and sending their feedbacks back to the Aion Dev Studio, and I’m also in charge of the Team, composed of Ayase and Amboss.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on an Aion demo script, so we record a demo and make live presentation when needed.

How and when did you get hired by NCsoft? Any specific reason for Aion and NCsoft?

I’ve got hired by NCsoft 3 years ago to work on City of Heroes. Then I moved to Guildwars but right from the start I joined NCsoft because I loved Lineage II and the way Koreans deal with PvP. It’s really competitive and that’s why I wanted to work on a Korean developed game. Aion came in very handy, and I really liked the background and this endless war where there are no bad or good guys. It makes everything ways more interesting.

Have you worked long within the gaming industry? What did you do before working at NCsoft and with Aion?

I have been in the industry for 12 years now. In a short version, I started in Cryo (French developers who made games like Dune, L’arche du Capitaine Blood, etc.). I was a game tester. Then I took my pen and decided to write about games. I became a video game journalist for a famous French magazine (Gen4). When Meridian 59 / Ultima Online came out, I specialized in myself in the MMO because I felt it would be the future. Then I worked for a French Tv Channel called GAMEONE, then back to Gen4, then I moved to another magazine PC Jeux and then I switched completely and became the French Community manager for EQ II. Right after that, my NCsoft adventure started.

What do you like the best about your job?

The contact with players, definitely. It’s always nice to be able to share a passion with people.

Let's talk work days, how's a typical workday for you?

There are no typical workday for me. Especially, since our game is not launched. I’m preparing a lot of stuff, attending meetings, bringing my knowledge of the game to other internal departments, etc.

What's your favorite currently available MMO?

Unfortunately, I have none. I’ve tested pretty much every big title for few months but got bored in the long run. My really competitive PvP side is dying to try Darkfall Online, though I’ve been following their development since the start.

What is your favorite other video game genre/specific game/publisher/studio?

Right now, I am spending my time on Project Reality, an amazing mod for BF2. It’s so hardcore and realistic, it’s awesome.

What do you enjoy doing during your non-working hours, i.e. your spare time?

Reading, watching series and movies and playing games. And going out once in a while in the weekend, especially to see movies.

How far along is Aion's localization process? Did you hire experienced voice actors for the cut scenes and more?

It’s ways too early to talk about voice actors, etc. We are still a lot of things to decide ;)

Could you expand a little bit on the beta and release plans? We realise, they can change again, but what's the current plans?

Lots of details are still worked on but bearing a catastrophe, it should start this year.

For Aion fans, what features in the pipeline do you truly think will make people want to stick around?

The Abyss and the PvP, obviously. Aion is a PvP oriented game, and we still haven’t revealed much about it.

Anything exciting happened the last months with regards to Aion that you could share with us?

Nothing I can really share with players, unfortunately.

There are many concerns and complaints with regards to how bad the communication is with NCsoft Korea to NCsoft Europe and US when it comes to Aion. Are you working on improving this, so we get further information in English in a timely fashion?

It’s not the communication that is bad, really. It’s that a synchronization between three countries spread all over the word is a huge challenge. Austin is 6 hours behind us when Korea is 8 hours ahead of us. Basically, when Austin comes to work, Korea is going to bed. The good news is, that as soon as we’ll get our beta running, then we’ll be able to have our own schedule.

How are the plans with regards to advertisement for Aion within Europe and US? Anything interesting you could share?

You should ask the marketing and PR department, I have already enough on my plate ;)

Let's talk about servers, will there be US and EU specific servers and a requirement to have a US Aion account to access the US servers and a EU Aion account to access the EU servers? Alternatively, can you access any server with a "global" Aion account?

Nothing is definitive for now, but we are leaning towards having separated servers, yeah. Our goal is to provide the best possible experience for our customers. Hum! That sounded very much like a marketing line…However, that’s the truth.

Any more development on the Aion novel we heard snippets about a while back?

None that I heard of! A good point actually, I’ll try and fetch some news about this.

If you look back from the first day you started at NCsoft Europe and where you are now, how's your overall thoughts on how things have progressed and changed? A lot of people find it fascinating to hear about how things have developed in this specific way and not just hear about how a game evolves. Having information about how NCsoft Europe is growing and evolving and the plans surrounding Aion on a more administrative level is something we'd love to hear more about.

Well, everything has been pretty good so far for NCsoft Europe. Furthermore, on a personal level, I went from CC to Team leader, so I won’t complain either. And Brighton is a very nice city, it almost feels like vacation (that is when it’s not raining)

Can you level different weapon types or are you automatically an expert at wielding every weapon?

When you get your final class (at level 10), you can get, depending on your class, a new weapon specialization opened to you.

Thanks to Loic and NCsoft Europe for taking the time to answer our questions. We hope the interview was interesting and gave you further insight into how Aion will be like. What are your thoughts on Aion? Are you going to give it a try when it gets released? To me, Aion is the next big MMO, and I will absolutely give it a chance.

Need further information about Aion? Check out our Aion Portal and also our network site, Aion Source.

Aion Q&A with Kyoung Won Choi

Kody — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:29:32 GMT

It's been a month since the last Aion Q&A, but NCsoft is making sure to not disappoint, by releasing a brand new Q&A this morning with Senior Game Designer Kyoung Won Choi, as well as new screenshots to accompany it.

This interview covers a wide variety of topics, ranging from the depth of character customization to the role of PvP in Aion, and even a question about the weather's effects on the game! There are 19 questions in total, so read on for more information on this exciting new Q&A.

1. How extensive will Aion character customization be?

In the game client, which was being showed at the Games Convention Leipzig ‘07, the player had the ability to choose between several different hairstyles, colours, shapes of their face, skin colours, character height and voice. It is also possible to alter eye colours and to add tattoos to the character face. A character build feature is currently being planned, which will affect the size of the character, ranging from skinny to big.

2. “Tradable wings” have been mentioned. Exactly what does it mean?
It was most likely a misunderstanding. Wings are not bought in Aion, but changed by other factors such as a rising PvP-rank.

3. What will you do in order for Aion to appeal to casual players?
We want to have short-term goals in the game, such as quests fitting within shorter timeframes. There will also be appropriate rewards for completing those. Very powerful game items (weapons and armours) will be attainable in different ways, making it easier for casual players to gradually work towards them.

4. Are the Asmodians significantly different from the Elyos?

It is possible to see that the Asmodians and Elyos come from the same origin. They have the same, fundamental humanoid shapes. An analogy would be to compare elves with dark elves.

5. Will there be player housing?

Not at launch, but definitely as soon as possible. It is likely to be in the first expansion.

6. Will there be mounts in Aion?

No. There are currently no plans to implement regular mounts in Aion. Transport will be done by foot or by flying. There will also be a long-range teleport system and short-range travel-services in which you let the game control the flight to your destination.

7. Will flying timer and cool-down change with character level?

No, probably not. There will, however, be items and skills which can enhance these abilities. In practice, this could mean that as the character progresses to higher levels – it also gains access to these skills and items.

8. How do sieges work in Aion? Are there any guild-specific advantages to controlling a castle?

The main PvP area in Aion is the Abyss. There are several castles in Aion, all which can be captured by player guilds on behalf of their faction. A siege is in its very fundament a raid. Initially, each castle is controlled by the Balaur, who will not gladly give it up. A guild leader would gather his or her troops and initiate an attack on the castle and its defenders. After defeating the NPC defenders, the castle changes ownership. Since the battles take place in the Abyss, it’s always possible that the other PC faction might interfere to either defend or attack. Once the castle has a new owner, there are a few hours during which no PvP can take place on the island. After this period, however, the castle is again open to attacks from the opposing faction.

There are many benefits to be gained from controlling a castle. The castle will have NPCs who vend unique items, whose sales the controlling guild may put taxes on in order to gain a bit of extra income. Guilds will also have direct access to the hunting grounds and resources surrounding the castle.

9. Will Aion battles and sieges be as massive and monumental as in Lineage II?

The Abyss is an open area with many strategic points. There are no set times for sieges or battles, but instead something that the players themselves may decide. It was one of our goals to not require the vast amounts of players as sieges in Lineage II did. While there are no technical limitations and a charismatic leader could well gather hundreds of players for a siege, 2 or 3 groups should be enough too, if circumstances are right.

10. What role does PvP have in Aion?

PvP is very important in Aion. To get out most of the game, one should definitely participate in PvP at some point. We want to gradually introduce even non-PvPers to the PvP.

It is, however, not necessary to participate in PvP. One can go from level 1 to 50 without participating in a single PvP-battle. It will take a little bit longer, though, as the most rewarding hunting grounds often are those found in the Abyss.

A feature that is currently on a planning stage is to randomly open teleportation portals in the Elyos and Asmodian lands. This would allow for very random, occasional battles where even lower level players get a chance to experience PvP, without it being a constant threat and presence.

11. What are the rewards and encouragements for PvPvE?

The basic reward in PvPvE is the same as in all other combat, experience. You will gain experience from killing both mobs and PC opponents in the Abyss. By collecting “PvP-points”, players can also gain access to very good high-end items, which otherwise can only be crafted.

There are also indirect benefits, since PvPvE in a way is a method to gain control of castles which come with a wide array of benefits themselves.

12. Will there be potions in Aion? If so, how will they work?

There will be health and mana recovery potions with instant effect. They will, however, have a re-use timer to prevent an excessive usage. There will also be foods with different effects on your character. Food will practically work as a buff, of which only one can be active at the same time.

13. How will larger game updates be implemented?

There will be big, regular expansions once or twice a year. How they are to be distributed depends on the area.

14. Will weather be affecting game play?
This feature has unfortunately been dropped. Weather will however affect some NPCs and monster spawns.

15. In terms of content, what will be done to prevent Aion from being “just another grinder”?
The problem with Asian games, we believe, have been a design which is not overly complicated - very basic. With the exception of Japan, RPG’s have until recently not been a mainstream game type at all in Asia. In order to introduce players to the genre, games were deliberately made rather simple in their design. At the time, it was probably the right decision, as it introduced many new players to the genre. The demands on a game and its amount of content have, however, risen substantially lately in Asia. To survive on the market today, a very high amount of content is required. Due to this, it’s not an option to make “just another grinder”. Players need other things to keep them occupied while developing their characters. We have approached this issue partly by putting more focus on quests, allowing people to pursue professions and gather resources, and by incorporating an advanced combat system.

16. What will be done for Role-players?
Except from the extensive character customization, Aion will have a wide array of emotes to be used in various situations. We also plan to put some fun and cute “items” in there that don’t have much actual value except for role-playing. Other activities that could appeal to the role-players out there are resource gathering, crafting and of course cooking.

17. Will there be specific Role-play servers?
Not in the Asian market, but if this is deemed a good addition in a specific area, it’s up to the service provider in that area.

18. Will there be specific quests for guilds?

Yes, it is being considered.

19. Will there be statistics available online, outside the game?

We are still working on what information will be available for others to see. Character stats, guild status and castle/guild hall control are some of the things that probably will be available to see online. There might also be some sort of “score board”, with player scores reflecting many different game aspects.

Although not entirely related, we are also working on a “Hero” system. Becoming a hero will require a lot of work. Heroes will act as human boss mobs, much more difficult for enemies to kill than ordinary players. People will know when a hero enters an area.

New Aion Q&A and screenshots

Kody — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 22:16:52 GMT

This morning we have part 3 of the ongoing Q&A series with Aion developer Ken Choi, who has been working on the game at the NCSoft Korea offices. With beta quickly approaching in Korea, the flow of information about the game has increased. We've also updated the Aion Q&A with Ken Choi page to reflect this new set of questions. You can check out the entire Q&A thus far by clicking here. As with the last update, there is also a new batch of screenshots available in our Aion Image Gallery.

13. How will larger game updates be implemented?
There will be big, regular expansions once or twice a year. How they are to be distributed depends on the area.

14. Will weather be affecting game play?
This feature has unfortunately been dropped. Weather will however affect some NPCs and monster spawns.

17. Will there be specific Role-play servers?
Not in the Asian market, but if this is deemed a good addition in a specific area, it’s up to the service provider in that area.

18. Will there be specific quests for guilds?
Yes, it is being considered.

19. Will there be statistics available online, outside the game?
We are still working on what information will be available for others to see. Character stats, guild status and castle/guild hall control are some of the things that probably will be available to see online. There might also be some sort of “score board”, with player scores reflecting many different game aspects.

New Aion Q & A and Screenshots

Kody — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 21:44:33 GMT

We have the second installment of the Q & A session with one of Aion's developers - Ken Choi - for everyone this morning. Included as part of the Q & A is a new set of screenshots of the game. This set of questions revolve around sieges and how they'll work in Aion, the role of PvP in the game, types of rewards for being involved in PvPvE combat, and if there will be potions in the game.

8. How do sieges work in Aion? Are there any guild-specific advantages to controlling a castle?
The main PvP area in Aion is the Abyss. There are several castles in Aion, all which can be captured by player guilds on behalf of their faction. A siege is in its very fundament a raid. Initially, each castle is controlled by the Balaur, who will not gladly give it up. A guild leader would gather his or her troops and initiate an attack on the castle and its defenders. After defeating the NPC defenders, the castle changes ownership. Since the battles take place in the Abyss, it’s always possible that the other PC faction might interfere to either defend or attack. Once the castle has a new owner, there are a few hours during which no PvP can take place on the island. After this period, however, the castle is again open to attacks from the opposing faction.

9. Will Aion battles and sieges be as massive and monumental as in Lineage II?
The Abyss is an open area with many strategic points. There are no set times for sieges or battles, but instead something that the players themselves may decide. It was one of our goals to not require the vast amounts of players as sieges in Lineage II did. While there are no technical limitations and a charismatic leader could well gather hundreds of players for a siege, 2 or 3 groups should be enough too, if circumstances are right.

10. What role does PvP have in Aion?
PvP is very important in Aion. To get out most of the game, one should definitely participate in PvP at some point. We want to gradually introduce even non-PvPers to the PvP.

11. What are the rewards and encouragements for PvPvE?
The basic reward in PvPvE is the same as in all other combat, experience. You will gain experience from killing both mobs and PC opponents in the Abyss. By collecting “PvP-points”, players can also gain access to very good high-end items, which otherwise can only be crafted.

There are also indirect benefits, since PvPvE in a way is a method to gain control of castles which come with a wide array of benefits themselves.

12. Will there be potions in Aion? If so, how will they work?
There will be health and mana recovery potions with instant effect. They will, however, have a re-use timer to prevent an excessive usage. There will also be foods with different effects on your character. Food will practically work as a buff, of which only one can be active at the same time.

To check out all of today's Aion screenshots, head here.

If you'd like to brush up on the previous set of questions, we have the entire Q & A compiled so far, and it can be reached by heading over to the Q & A with Ken Choi page.

Aion Q&A and 13 New Screenshots

Kody — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 22:58:56 GMT

We recently received a special Q&A with Ken Choi - one of NCSoft Korea's developers - who is working on Aion: Tower of Eternity. In the Q&A, Ken talks about character customization, the game being casual friendly, player housing, mounts and more. Read on for all the info! There are also some brand new screenshots of the game available as well. You can check them out below the Q&A, or at our Aion Image Gallery.

1. How extensive will Aion character customization be?

In the game client, which was being showed in Leipzig, the player had the ability to choose between several different hairstyles, colours, shapes of their face, skin colours, character height and voice. It is also possible to alter eye colours and to add tattoos to the character face. A character build feature is currently being planned, which will affect the size of the character, ranging from skinny to big.

2. “Tradable wings” have been mentioned. Exactly what does it mean?

It was most likely a misunderstanding. Wings are not bought in Aion, but changed by other factors such as a rising PvP-rank.

3. What will you do in order for Aion to appeal to casual players?

We want to have short-term goals in the game, such as quests fitting within shorter timeframes. There will also be appropriate rewards for completing those. Very powerful game items (weapons and armours) will be attainable in different ways, making it easier for casual players to gradually work towards them.

4. Are the Asmodians significantly different from the Elyos?

It is possible to see that the Asmodians and Elyos come from the same origin. They have the same, fundamental humanoid shapes. An analogy would be to compare elves with dark elves.

5. Will there be player housing?

Not at launch, but definitely as soon as possible. It is likely to be in the first expansion.

6. Will there be mounts in Aion?

7. Will flying timer and cool-down change with character level?

And of course, the images, as promised! There are 13 in total, and range from environment shots, to those with creatures and combat situations.

A day in the life of a game designer

Nimloth — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 22:14:25 GMT

Ji Yong-chan, Design Team Leader

Watching Lead Designer Ji Yong-chan around the studio, it makes you wonder if all game designers are so constantly on edge. Do they all drive themselves to exhaustion simply through thinking?

Although Ji is the ‘leader’ of the design team for Aion, his workload is just as demanding as any other member of the team. Ji used to start work at 7am every day but that was before he collapsed from fatigue. Since that incident he has been restraining himself to a 9am start. When he gets to the office there is already a pile of tasks sitting on his desk awaiting his attention. Unfortunately these cannot be taken care of right away, he is needed in a meeting.

At 9am Ji holds a meeting with team leaders from various departments. By the time this production meeting ends it’s already lunchtime. For Ji, lunch is just a quick trip to the basement cafeteria – and by quick I mean quick. Back from lunch, and Ji would normally be pulled into another meeting, at the very least there would be someone calling him for something else. He's a busy man.

Before having this chance to follow Ji in his day, we thought game design just meant sitting at a desk and dreaming. We had the cynical notion that the real forces behind a game were the artists and programmers. Game lore, combat, quests… these just seemed to come easily. Having followed Ji, we realise that a game designer does far more than we first expected. In fact, the job of ‘Game Designer’ is now first in our list of jobs to avoid. So, why does he do it?

“I want to make a game that people will remember decades from now... they will reminiscence with their friends about how much fun they had in the game. That’s the kind of game I want Aion to be.”

For Ji his most memorable games were Virtual Fighter 2 and Everquest. These are the games he continues to talk about to this day. He’d like to see Aion be that calibre of game for everyone that plays it.

Once the barrage of meetings is over and the sun’s gone down, he finally gets a chance to work on the files sitting at his desk. Once all that is done it’s 10pm. He would like nothing more than to go home to his wife and kids, but there is still work to do.

“At this point in development, our biggest enemy is time, there just isn’t enough of it,” Ji says. “There’s only 24 hours in a day. I would do anything for a few more hours.” Inundated by work, he looks exhausted (he freely admits this). This is the kind of pressure I suppose all designers are put through.

This stress will be lifted once the game launches to success, but before then the anxiety of a successful launch just makes their job harder. Despite this we are all guilty of asking to see more and more of the game. I imagine we must appear as the grim reaper in his dreams, or perhaps as a 5 year-old pleading for more presents at Christmas.

“I want to create a game with depth. Instead of having fixed play patterns I am trying to add game elements that are always changing, or ones that are hidden for players to discover. I want players to find fun in unexpected places.”

These words should have been enough for us to leave Ji alone, but our skills in pestering developers has now reached Grandmaster status... we don't leave so easily. We ended the day by taking some pictures of his workspace. This is not as easy as it may sound, we nearly had our cameras taken away, and at one point, we were even accused of being industrial spies!