So yet again I find myself in a position with which I’ve become quite familiar–waiting on a new MMO. As you can guess from my most recent (yes, I know, not that recent, but hey–I’m trying) entries, that MMO is Aion. Release date is September 22 (Sept. 20 for those of us who’ve preordered), and I’ll admit, I’m a bit excited. It’s shiny, it’s new, and the beta experiences have whetted my appetite for more. I keep hoping that I’m going to find a game I can play long term. At this point, long term for me would be anything over 9 months or so. I keep asking myself–will Aion do the trick? Will it have enough to keep me there after the shininess has worn off somewhat. And the answer is….
I honestly don’t know.
I can confidently say this game has at least six months play in it for me. It will probably take me at least that long to get a character to level cap. I can cautiously say that I think it will last quite a bit past that, simply based on how much I enjoy the extras of harvesting and crafting, as well as the fact that I am an altoholic and will very much enjoy trying several classes at some point. I hope Aion will scratch that itch I’ve had for a couple of years now for an MMO that can keep my attention and hold me there for more than 6 months.
I’ve read blog after blog, forum after forum, and people are talking about stats and grind, gear and crafting, botting problems and ganking–the typical issues that seem to occupy the interest of most MMO gamers. But you know what? I’ve come to the conclusion that those things are secondary. There is one simple question, that if answered in the positive, will ensure a success for Aion, and for me as a subscriber.
Is the game fun?
If a game’s not fun, it doesn’t matter how uber the gear is. It doesn’t matter how involved the crafting. It doesn’t matter how hardcore the pvp. If it’s not fun, people will eventually stop playing it. Now, I realize that people have different versions of fun–and I think that’s why we see so many differing opinions on game forums. That’s ok. A solid, successful game can provide fun to a variety of gamers with varying tastes. All MMOs are similar. You can box them in different packages, you can give them different looks and feels–but at the core, they are substantially similar in the way they work and what they provide their players.
I can say after my beta experiences that I’ve had a lot of fun in Aion. There are things in it that make me smile. There are things in it that make me go “wow, that’s neat.” There are things in it that make me want to keep on playing and make me eager for release to get here. I think that bodes well, and I’m cautiously optimistic. Now, I’m sure that down the road, I’m going to see things that I don’t like so much. There is no such thing as a “perfect” game. At this point, I’d be satisfied with a game that gives me most of my wishes as a gamer. Will Aion give me that? I hope so.
