Introducing Aion: The Tower Of Eternity

Aion is a massive multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) by NCsoft. In classic RPGs a player assumes the role of a fictional character, traditionally rooted in a fantasy world, and throughout the course of the game enhances that character through increases in level, upgrades in weaponry, and by acquiring a multitude of skills and spells. This is also true of an MMORPG, but the difference between the two is that in an MMORPG the player crafts his or her own unique character while engaged in a virtual world with many other players. The term massive is aptly applied, as many popular MMORPGs consist of millions of players from all over the world. The most popular MMORPG on the market right now is World of Warcraft, with nearly 12 million subscribers.

In Aion, a player will first be introduced to a world rich in story. There are two competing factions to choose from, as the game's virtual world Artreia is divided in two. One half of the world exists in the light, and characters from this faction are called the Elyos. The other half of the world dwells in darkness, and is known as the Asmodians. These two factions are distinct in their physical appearance. While the Elyos are an elegant and beautiful race akin to angels, the Asmodians are harsh looking creatures, warped by their years in darkness, with talons for feet and claws for hands.

After selecting from these two factions, the player will then choose from four classes, all of which are classic roles of the fantasy game world. These are: Warrior, Mage, Scout and Priest. Each class is unique in their strengths and weaknesses. While in an RPG a player need only worry about the impact that their individual character will have on game play, in an MMORPG the role each character plays also affects the players that they do battle alongside.

As a unique twist in Aion, when each player reaches level 10 two distinct changes take place. First, each character is given wings in accordance with the back story of the game. This means that each character has free range of all three dimensions, and in certain areas aerial combat is possible. Also, at level ten each character will select one of two subclasses within the class they selected at the beginning of the game. Warriors choose between Guardians and Templars, Mages choose between Sorcerers and Spirit Masters, Scouts choose between Rangers and Assassins, and Priests choose between Clerics and Chanters. As with individual class selection, each of these subclasses are distinct and will affect the abilities and game play of the character as they progress.

Aion has already been online in Korea for nearly a year and has millions of subscribers to its credit. It has many of the classic elements of the MMORPG, but also offers new twists and its own unique elements.