If there's one thing that massively multiplayer online gamers love to
learn about in upcoming MMOs, it's details about their potential
character classes. To sate the ravenous appetite of the players, the
Ten Ton Hammer staff will be bringing you exclusive, information-laden
sneak peeks at href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/254"
target="_blank">Aion's
eight character classes. Along with our other style="font-style: italic;">Aion content, we've
scheduled the interviews to run on a bi-weekly basis, so make sure you
check in with Ten Ton Hammer early and often.



The first class that we're going to be exploring is the Gladiator! As a
member of the Warrior archetype, this brute excels at hand-to-hand
combat with enormous two-handed weapons. Interested in learning more
about this Aion
class? Keep on reading!

Ten Ton Hammer: Can you
give us a bit of the background lore on the Gladiator? What is their
purpose in Aion? What kind of characters do they represent in the world?
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NCsoft: Gladiators
are Daevas who live life by the sword. The Elyos follow the teachings
of the Empyrean Lord Nezakan, “lord of justice”
(justice according to the Elyos, of course), while the Asmodians serve
the Empyrean Lord Zikel, “lord of destruction and
slaughter”. The Gladiator’s greatest characteristic
is their ability to retain high health and their ability to freely
wield weapons. This makes them exceptionally good at being the first
line of defense.



Ten Ton Hammer: Being
able to choose a Gladiator class seems to imply they'll have access to
all forms of weapons, while possibly being limited in their armor
choice. Will this be the case?
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NCsoft: Gladiators
are the masters of weaponry and can select from a variety of weapons
from polearms to swords to fit their needs in battle. They are also
versatile in their armor selection and may opt to use chain armor, but
typically plate armor will achieve optimal results.

Ten
Ton Hammer: What kind
of skills and/or abilities will Gladiator's have access to? Is there
one particular area - DPS, debuffing, aggro management, etc - that
Gladiators will excel in?

NCsoft:
Gladiators excel in brute force combat. Their skills are straight to
the point and have a devastating effect on their opponents. They have
an array of knock backs, stunning blows, and powerful area attack
skills. Off tanking and knocking down their opponents through sheer
force are the things the gladiator excels at while still being powerful
DPS and an overall asset to any group.



Ten Ton Hammer: In
previous games, Gladiators are typically known as off-tanks and/or DPS
tanks. Would this assumption be true in Aion? If not, what role does a
Gladiator play in a group?



NCsoft: The
Gladiator can fill either the tank role or the DPS role in a
group.  While their defensive abilities are weaker than the
Templar class, they make up for it by having superior attack abilities.
Gladiators specialize in close combat and have powerful brute attacks
making them excellent DPS tanks.  While the templar is focused
on defending himself from oncoming attacks, the gladiator can do some
DPS, protect the healers and casters from flank attacks, and knock back
approaching opponents to protect their group.



Ten Ton Hammer: What kind
of flight abilities do Gladiators have? Will they be able to use their
abilities while in flight?



NCsoft: Every
class has unique and specific skills that are possible with flight, and
the Gladiator is no exception.  One particularly cool skill
that Gladiators have is called “Forced Landing”
which allows them to literally knock people from the sky. 
Aside from the specialized flight skills, most, but not all skills work
both in air and on the ground.



Ten Ton Hammer: The
graphics in Aion are absolutely stunning, and it seems reasonable to
assume that each specialty class will have their own particular "look".
Is this true? What does the Gladiator look like?
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NCsoft: The
Gladiator is quite possibly one of the most stunning classes to watch
in action.  Swinging a powerful blade around and bringing it
crashing down on their opponent will make any passer by stop and stare
at the power they wield. The Gladiator is also the only class that is
able to use a polearm. Once you see a Gladiator in action with this
powerful two handed weapon, you may never wish to play any other class!

Ten Ton Hammer: How will
the Gladiator differ from the Warrior archetype's other specialty
class, the Templar? Will there be some big differences between the two?
Can you describe some for us?
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NCsoft: Defense
versus offense.  The Templar is focused on protecting
themselves from damage whereas the Gladiator is much more damage
oriented.   Having a variety of weaponry is important
to a Gladiator who is very much focused on his damage output. 
The Templar will wish to carry a powerful shield and focus on using
defensive armor at all times.



Ten Ton Hammer: In past
MMORPGs, the "tanking" classes have had an incredibly difficult time
soloing monsters compared to other classes. How well will a Gladiator
be able to solo enemies in the world of Aion?
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NCsoft: If
the Gladiator had a motto, it would be “kill it before it
kills me.”  With a range of weapons to choose from,
the Gladiator can swap weapons mid fight to assist him in defeating his
foe.  They have weakening blows and an array of attacks that
can knock down and stun enemies.   A Gladiator must
always keep an eye on their health and may wish to equip stigma
abilities to assist them in healing themselves during solo
play.  They will likely wish to carry potions with them
whenever they venture out solo.



Ten Ton Hammer: Is there
anything else you can tell the Ten Ton Hammer readers?
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NCsoft: As
with all of Aion’s classes, the Gladiator reveals its
abilities according to the attention and TLC it is given by the
player.  All classes can be highly customized, from
appearances to armor and weapons to skills, but if you love
in-your-face multi-opponent combat, the Gladiator is probably a great
choice for you.