Aion going free-to-play this Spring alongside 3.0 update

Aion is switching to a free-to-play model this spring. The switch will come alongside version 3.0 of the game, promising a level cap raise, housing, mounts, and new areas and instances.

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Aion will be taking the increasingly popular step of switching to a free-to-play model. Developer NCSoft announced that the new pricing structure will come alongside the game's 3.0 update this Spring, which will also bring an increased level cap, housing, mounts, new zones and instances. This announcement comes two months after the game was announced as F2P in Europe.

Free-to-play members will have access to the full game and both expansions. NCSoft is rejiggering the starting area to make it easier to jump in. If you'd like to try it out now without waiting for the F2P to hit, the team is extending its free trial level cap to 40, and letting older players re-up free for 14 days. Everyone participating before the switch will get increased XP and other boosts.

The 3.0 update will bring a new level cap to max out at 60, houses for players to decorate, a new mount system, six instances including a 24-player raid, and two more zones.

In the European announcement, NCSoft announced that F2P players would have limitations on character slots and chat channels, while Veteran players would have more freedom. Gold (paying) subscriptions would see the loosest restrictions of all, and get various perks. It's likely we can expect similar tiers in the North American free-to-play model.

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  • reply
    February 21, 2012 3:30 PM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, Aion going free-to-play this Spring alongside 3.0 update.

    Aion is switching to a free-to-play model this spring. The switch will come alongside version 3.0 of the game, promising a level cap raise, housing, mounts, and new areas and instances.

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      February 21, 2012 4:11 PM

      player housing huh

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        February 21, 2012 5:04 PM

        Non-instanced player housing, at that.

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          February 21, 2012 5:40 PM

          interesting how are they doing that? Is it going to be limited properties per server or what

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            February 21, 2012 5:44 PM

            yup; limited number per server. they are auctioned off and you have to pay upkeep. if you can't pay the upkeep it goes back on auction

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              February 21, 2012 5:45 PM

              for elyos the housing is right underneath sanctum. not sure about asmodian

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                February 21, 2012 5:49 PM

                i just realized that, if F2P and housing are going in together, none of the F2P players will be able to afford a house before they're all swept up by old timers. i saw a screenshot of k-aion where the top houses were over a billion kinah. i assume when it comes to america they'll beat it with the nerf bat until it's perhaps a few hundred million kinah. or maybe that's just wishful thinking.

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              February 21, 2012 5:55 PM

              interesting way to do it - kinda cool theyre not afraid to have stuff not everyone can get

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      February 21, 2012 6:18 PM

      so current trial is upto lvl40 will my trial character carry over to f2p if I starting grinding levels now??

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        February 21, 2012 6:54 PM

        yeah, i don't see why not. trial characters are just regular characters with account restrictions

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      February 21, 2012 8:01 PM

      [deleted]

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        February 21, 2012 8:29 PM

        each dress electroly buys funds 30 chinese players for a month

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          February 21, 2012 8:45 PM

          my largesse benefits all. somebody's gotta keep ncsoft going until gw2 comes out

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      February 22, 2012 8:07 AM

      I remember NCSoft putting out videos of a hypothetical massive graphics upgrade to Aion - both effects and content. Did that ever come out?

      It doesn't seem so, from these screenshots, and I can't find any recent info about it online.

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        February 22, 2012 8:16 AM

        they split the graphical update from the content. 2.5 was the graphical update, 3.0 is the content update

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      February 22, 2012 8:55 AM

      From what i've read on the main site its following the Lineage 2 Model going Truly Free no Sub and access to everything with no limitations, completely different from the Euro Model.

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        February 22, 2012 9:47 AM

        the european region was handed over to a third party publisher (gameforge) which is using the F2P model they use for their other games. the north american region is being kept in-house, so ncsoft is using the F2P model they use for L2

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