Aion is set to be released for us English-speaking players sooner rather than later (here begins the anticipation...)! I was very pleased to have the opportunity to hold an interview with the Aion staff. This is a game totally axed on players' abilities to fly. The unique concepts in Aion set it for record heights in the MMORPG market: "Flight is a key part of all aspects of gameplay: combat, collecting and exploring.". Read on for more exclusive information on this highly anticipated title!

Onrpg: What renders Aion so unique?

Aerial combat and deep character/gameplay customization are the first things that come to mind when I think about Aion kina. Also, our unique PvPvE feature. We really wanted to marry the two types of gameplay (PvP & PvE), giving players a balanced version of the best of both worlds.

Onrpg: Customization is an important point of interest for the MMO community. What customization will be available, in terms of gameplay and character development?

If you've seen Aion's character creator, you know just how powerful that system is - it's just one example of how important it is to us that players feel a sense of ownership and connection to the character(s) they create. When it comes to gameplay and character development, we want the same thing. An example of gameplay customization would be Stigma Stones; basically they are the captured essence of ancient Daevas who have died beyond the reach of the resurrection power of the Obelisks. Each time the player is in town, they can create a "stigma deck"; by utilizing different combinations of Stigma stones, players can enhance and change their class so that they are unique. This comes in especially handy if you have a melee fighting character and you want them to go into battle with a few long range skills.

Players can equip themselves with Stigma stones at level 20, with a maximum of five as you increase in level. Stones can be obtained from various monsters and quests - some are easy to get, some are hard - totally depends on the value of the stone. They are not soul-bound, so they are tradable amongst players.

Onrpg: What new unique features will this game bring to the MMO market?

Flight! Our development team knew that flight would be a huge challenge in the MMO market, but knew that if they did it right, it could bring something very exciting and unique to the genre. It's definitely a new experience but once you take to the skies it's as natural as running. Flight is a key part of all aspects of gameplay: combat, collecting and exploring.