As
with any game, href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/aion"> style="">Aion
is being reviewed and evaluated by a multitude media outlets and
pundits. The
reviews discuss the PvPvE ramifications and the required comparison
with World
of Warcraft. Of the many game design decisions being discussed, one
that dances
around the edge of the conversations is the amount of downtime in the
game.

Designers
factor in a certain amount of downtime
by
necessity. Similar to movies, a MMOG can’t typically run at
redline all the time,
heck people would pass out or their eyes would dry up. Gameplay with no
pacing
is quite taxing on the attention span of the players and cuts into
valuable
community building time. Downtime can be designed in a multitude of
ways.
Travel is always an easy target, such as making a player get on a bird
or
gryphon or some other transportation and the characters then have time
to catch
up on conversations, or run to the bathroom.

style="width: 570px; height: 252px;" alt="Aion_Travel"
src="/image/view/76181">



Long time readers of Ten Ton Hammer’s Loading…
column may
recall a couple of editions where the topic of downtime was discussed
as a conscious
game design. Fresh off my Tabula Rasa and Auto Assault enjoyment, I
could not
imagine a game developer putting in some scheduled time for characters
to do
nothing. What I failed to realize is that the lack of downtime may have
contributed to the downfall of those games more than I thought. If any
of you
played those games you’ll remember that there was little to
no
downtime unless
you ran into a base and it was quite difficult nigh impossible to carry
on a
conversation while in battle.

style="">Aion Does Downtime

My
first experience with downtime in Aion arose
when I found
the “Rest” function. This is reminiscent of what I
hear
Everquest players
discussing from “back in the day.” After a few
fights I
take five and have a
few minutes to jot down some conversational notes or check through my
inventory. If I can check my type A personality and enjoy the brief
respite, I
realize that this is part of the journey.

class="MsoNormal"> style="width: 206px; height: 157px;"
src="/image/view/76180"
alt="">

The
other way that Aion is building downtime into
the game
is through the lack of instancing. Player groups will be in situations
where
multiple groups will be waiting for specific enemies to spawn. This
seemingly
simple decision causes two types of community building opportunities. style="">  First,
the groups are in competition to
defeat the enemy but they also have to contend with the ethics and
morality of
waiting in line for their turn. This will have groups talking amongst
themselves and undoubtedly some groups will behave poorly. Those poorly
behaved
will cause other groups to solidify and bond thus providing a stronger
community. So even the jackasses help build the community. style=""> 

class="MsoNormal"> style="width: 176px; height: 151px;"
src="/image/view/76179"
alt="Jackasses">

The
second way that the lack of instancing may
build
community is by providing the groups time to chat. Some of the funniest
moments
I’ve had in games have occurred over voice chat or typed
conversations while
out of combat. Using the downtime constructively allows players to take
a
break, handle an issue at their house (I’m glaring at my
children), or read up
on the encounter.

style="">It’s not all peaches
and cream.

The
term downtime is typically a derogatory term
in MMOGs.
It refers to time not spent advancing a character which means wasting
time to
some. If this is how you feel, then I would not want to be around you
during
rush hour in Los Angeles. It also means that you may want to reflect on
why you
are playing a game genre built around communities. If you want nonstop
action,
try Call of Duty or a racing game (which has downtime between races, by
the way).
I’m sure that none of us pay a monthly fee to sit around
doing
nothing. I would
argue that downtime is not the same as doing
“nothing” if
you choose to make it
useful.

style="">The verdict is just
over the horizon.

The
true test of the game design mechanic is the
player
adoption. If the players do not enjoy the amount of downtime for
raiding, then
other parts of the game will be more populated. The players that get
too
frustrated will ultimately leave the game. Many players are looking for
a new
game that shows off the visuals and combat, yet still provides some
throw back
to previous game styles. Maybe this one tip of the cap to the old
Everquest
tradition is well placed, or maybe it’s too much.


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Aion Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

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