Aika Online – The Paradox of Seriousness.

The paradox of seriousness is a simple concept that every MMO player comes to grips with.  I haven’t quite put it to a real formula just yet, but here goes. The more serious you are in storytelling and motivating the individual, the more plotholes appear. More seriousness ultimately leads to less immersion. Suspending disbelief is difficult in a world that doesn’t give-a-crap about your endeavors against the great phantom lord thing. You’re the chosen one? Yeah, you and everyone else on the server. That sort of deal.

Aika Online, on the other hand, doesn’t take itself seriously at all, which makes it good, fun and engaging. Granted, ‘you’ are played by some clown in armor that probably expected a journey, but finds yourself in a whimsical world filled with menial tasks and strange humor. I didn’t think I would bond with my Pran, who is a little girl with a huge gob, but I have, and I want her to grow so she can amuse me in the future.

Basically, Aika is one of those games that, for once, understands who it is in the big-bad-world of other games. It’s a bit like Dungeon Runners, actually. Part of me expected it, because shipped-overseas games generally have a lot of weird filler that usually sucks. Aika’s isn’t deep, but it is funny at times. Again, I came into this game expecting the worst, and so far, it’s been decidedly mediocre in all regions except a lack of looting tedium and the NPC dialogue.

 

X-Trap have the best salesmen ever.

3rd party cheat protection programs in MMOs are terrifying for the end-user. Process hooks, extra input devices failing, firstborn being captured and so on occur simply due to the presence of anti-cheat software that usually doesn’t do its job after 3 months. It made me think why any company would consider using 3rd party cheat protection in the first place, given its track record in so many other games as an anemic answer to the unrelenting stream of malcontent that is the playerbase.

Salesmen.

I say salesmen because I don’t feel the industry has a consortium on cheat protection, and if they did, it would stand to reason that they would not recommend X-trap or Gameguard simply due to being more work in the long run. When it comes down to it, neither work to the extent that would be considered adequate protection against the issues that plague any commercial endeavor that involves rendering boobs.

X-Trap must have really good salesmen that carry a briefcase of boogie-men to young developers. There are probably a billion threats spread in gobbledygook in these masterful pitches, so dire and compromising to the success of a MMO that they’re willing to side with the lesser of two evils. If you don’t buy this product, you’re opening yourself up to a billion archaic techniques of data-theft. Besides, game companies would never be as bold as to hook processes on their own volition. Let X-trap do the dirty work in computing safety.

Still, it’s fun to be in favor of the following argument: “You’re a pussy if you can’t handle ‘insert cheat protection’!” The allure of being contrarian just to be a complete douche compels me to remain oblivious to the insanity that is X-trap. And yeah, Aika uses X-trap just like GE.

 

Aika Online – Granado Aion Espada Online Wut.

I hate Massively sometimes (Allods did not impress my friends nor myself), but sometimes I love them. They introduced me to Aika Online, which is Aion + Granado Espada meshed together to create a dated loli-fest on first blush. Granted, I haven’t played it yet, but I’ve spent the last hour or so looking up images and laughing hysterically.

It really looks like Granado Espada. The same hair textures, gun models and some very familiar animations leave me to conclude that Aika is not only using GE’s engine, but they salvaged it and created something monstrously hilarious from the wreckage. There must be a reason this Japanese blogger is playing both at the moment. On a serious note, browse that blog to get an easy side-by-side view of both games and confirm your diagnosis of double-vision. It’s humorous at least.

Petulant Pioneering is back to exploring the new world, literally. Unlike Allods, which I went into with some brighter outlooks, I am going into Aika expecting the worst game ever with nothing but nostalgia to hold it up. Of course, I’m not sure whether or not the game currently has a Non-disclosure Agreement, which would prohibit ranting, or in PP’s case, borderline libel. I’ll have to go look for it at some point, mostly because ignorance is no excuse for disobeying the law.

Regardless, the experience will be fun and possibly exciting. Who knows, maybe Aika won’t be as crappy as it looks, but I won’t hold my breath.

P.S. Go get Mass Effect 2 if you played the first installation. It is definitely worth your money. 24 hours on normal without rushing, but I do recommend veteran to outline the characteristics of your opposition in a genuine manner. They’ll feel more like a menace rather than what normal-fodder, overall conveying the intention of the designers with greater clarity. For instance, normal doesn’t really let you grasp Vorcha regeneration because they die too quickly to everything in your arsenal. Krogan aren’t really terrifying monsters in combat. The list of negative attributes to normal difficulty goes on. Make your first run through epic and fitting for your return to the universe, instead of (unintentionally) watering it down by making it easy.