Archive for January 2009
Problematic Rank System, Needs Improvements!
Reverse Effect of Rank System
Aion’s Rank system was originally designed in order to stimulate RvR. However, it is hard to find such in Aion today. Rather than RvR, people are turning to other methods to boost their Abyss Points, and continuing to use such methods in order to maintain their rank; occurrences which developers clearly didn’t have in mind in the first place.
<Examples>
1. Pre-arranged killing between Asmodians and Elyos ‘Abusing the system’ and farming of the fortress guards – “Guard farm”‘ in order to become a high-ranker
2. Continuing the guard farming / slaughtering low levels to maintain rank
3. Avoiding large PvP in order to prevent point loss
Considering that these often lead to other problems as well, the problems that Aion’s Rank System face are quite serious.
Separation of zones doesn’t allow natural conflict between two factions; creating a barrier that prevents active RvR. Combined with the Rank System, Aion could end up as “League of the Rankers.”
Hence, I’d like to propose some ideas that could improve this Rank system, which has lost its original purpose.
How Rank System can be improved
1. Abyss point reset
Players who gained points from guard farming or system abusing must not go free.
The Admins should be checking player to player to catch such exploiters, but catching them all is realistically impossible.
While it’s true that they exploited the system, the problem was started by the poor design on the Dev’s part.
The fundamentals must be fixed before anything can be done.
Although some innocent players may suffer, point reset has to be done.
Of course, the players should be given a chance to acquire something else with their points before the reset.
Rather than just resetting the points, it’d be just ‘over-encouraging’ the spending of the points.
If this provides a base on which Abyss RvR system can be improved, doing this would be beneficial, rather than destructive.
2. Rank up Quests
There has to be some kind of safe device for Rank System in order to prevent reverse effects.
As of now, if player spends his or her abyss points, he/she loses the rank along with the point decrease. This is a problem.
In order to fix this, some kind of mandatory quests should be given for each rank and a limit should be set to how much points a ranker can acquire in that particular rank.
Since the maximum amount of points will be limited for each rank, it will act as a device against guard farming and ’system abuse’.
In other words, once a player completes a rank up quest, his/her possible max amount points will be in increased and he/she will be allowed to rank up without doing the quests again if he/she loses the rank by spending points.
What kind of quests should be given as Rank up quests? The answer lies in making use of the existing quests.
Among the existing quests in game, there are quests that ask the player to kill certain number of particular rankers. The developers could simply convert these into rank up quests.
For example, in order to advance from [Rank 8 Soldier] from [Rank 9 Soldier], the player would need do a quest that requires him to kill certain number of [Rank 9 Soldiers] on the opposite faction. Doesn’t it sound perfect for rank up quests?
If infiltration type quests would be added into higher rank advance requirements, it’d prevent high rankers avoiding RvR, also providing a base for high rankers to meet up with each other so they can fill their quest requirements.
Although it’s rather forceful, it would also encourage high rankers to aid their faction more.
Is a player fitting of the title ‘Commander in Chief’ if he ignores his faction in need of help?
3. Varying the acquirable amount of points from NPCs and Abyss mobs according to rank
Killing NPCs from opposite faction or abyss mobs increases Abyss points
Currently the points dropped by the NPCs are greater than the points dropped from most players, which basically lead to players farming the fortress guards for points.
Other than the ’system abuse’, this method is the easiest way for players to acquire points. It is also far safer than actually killing players for points. Hence this method is used by most of the high rankers.
While this is hard to do in a server with an active Abyss, it’s no problem for players who already achieved high rank.
Today, they are using their transformation skills to do NPC farm runs around artifacts and fortresses.
When the Rank system should be PvP-oriented, it is currently most easily achieved through PvE, and maintained by PvE. This doesn’t make any sense.
The amount points dropped by NPCs and Abyss mobs should be decreased for high rankers, discouraging NPC farming and encouraging them to participate in RvR.
4. Flexible Rank system
While each server has fairly similar number of players on each faction, the amount of hardcore players varies, leading to faction imbalance.
Therefore Rank system must be improved to adapt to each servers’ needs.
The requirement for advancing in rank should be lowered for the losing side.
The buff currently bestowed to the faction with less key points controlled, ‘Divine Blessing – +15% damage” should be correctly applied to the faction with less Rankers and less total abyss points.
5. As the devs originally intended
Even if all the bright ideas here are implemented, it will be of no use if Aion fails to create an environment fitting for such changes.
While Aion’s overall game play should be leaning toward RvR participation, Aion’s current ideology evolves around separation. Because of such structure, there’s less chance for players to PvP in the fields, which is unfitting for an RvR game.
While the Abyss was designed to be the main stage of RvR, people are avoiding to even go there. Currently, the Aion RvR consists of mere ganking, high lvls slaughtering low lvls, and taking over quest zones to interfere with other players’ questing.
The current scale of conflict between two races are so tiny that it could be described as pathetic. Improvement is urgent.
If Devs could come up with ways to fix these issues along with improvements for the rank system, Aion will be reborn as an amazing game.
This is just the beginning
Whatever comes tomorrow will act as temporary fixes unless something arrives that’s big enough to change the entire game.
While current system is in ruins, any temporary measure against it will buy criticism from the players.
I won’t say sacrifice the minority for the greater good.
Nor am I going to say we should let these abusers go.
I’m just suggesting a new beginning for all to a fresh start, where we could do things right.
The rank system needs improvements and so does Aion. Shouldn’t the changes in Rank system be a beacon of light for many improvements to follow? ‘New wine goes in new bottle…’
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PS ) Also need an option to turn off global alert spams that pop-up whenever high rankers do something!!!
It’s going to be even more severe when more high rankers appear.
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