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Ten Ton Hammer: There has been some talk based on the version of Aion that has already been released globally, that the Stigma differences between the factions might make one faction more favorable for the Sorcerer. Will there be faction differences with Stigmas? Will Aion maintain faction differences while still striving for equality in the North American version?

Lani: Aion has faction-specific Stigmas. For example, Elyos have access to a Stigma called Seal Explosion of Light I, which deals heavy damage and causes a target to faint, whereas Asmodians have a Stigma called Seal Explosion of Darkness I, which causes damage and returns a percentage of the damage it inflicts as health points (HP). Both have strategic advantages, but I wouldn’t say one Stigma makes a faction more favorable than the other. You have to look at the Stigmas as part of the game mechanics of the game as a whole. Each class has been given a faction-specific Stigma, and when the Stigmas, the classes and their abilities, and the two factions are viewed holistically, I think players will find it’s a very well balanced and thought out system.

Ten Ton Hammer: Being a destructive ranged caster, it seems the Sorcerer will have a distinct advantage in flight in PvP combat. What tactics will other classes want to use against such a powerhouse and what other advantages might the Sorcerer have in PvP?

Lani: Three-dimensional combat requires that a player take into account attacks from any angle, including watching out for those skills that are especially lethal in fast-paced aerial environments like the Abyss. When encountering a Sorcerer, other classes will want to take advantage of character skills that immobilize the Sorcerer, stun, pull down, or otherwise close the gap to melee reach. A Sorcerer isn’t so tough if you can prevent it from using its powerful AoE long-range attacks or its crowd control skills.