Ten Ton Hammer - Taking MMO Gamers to the Next Level!

Most games are not a part-time passion.  For the most hardcore of players, they can spend more time gaming than they do with any other activity in their life but what about those of us who struggle to find the hours in a day to sit down and enjoy Aion?

The past couple of weeks have been madness for me.  In addition to my time with Ten Ton Hammer, I work a day job, go to school, keep up my home, family, and pets. All of these things demand my attention and it leaves very little time for me to do the one thing that rescues me from all the clamor of everyday life. I went from being able to dedicate 4 hours a day to gaming to scraping together enough time to log in for 4 hours a week.

When I finally do find time to log in, I realize that there is very little for the ultra casual player to do.  Character progression on limited hours is disappointingly slow, so much so that if I only have an hour to kill I may not log in at all because really, what can I get done in that amount of time?  I love Aion, and refuse to give up my gaming so where does that leave me?

I know I'm not the only casual gamer out there looking for a way to make it all work so while I continue to rearrange my schedule and trim enough time out of the week to fit in gaming, I'll share a few tips that have helped me out a little.

 - Time Management.  Easier said than done, right?  Rather than scrap together an hour a day to log in, try being more productive during the week so you can free up more time on the weekends.  If you work on chores after work or get in time with the family during the evenings, then you can spend your Saturday in game when more people are on and ready to do dungeon runs.

 - Whittle down alts. This has been very hard for me to do. I like playing several characters but with little time to do so, I cut way back to two characters that I play on. I found the more alts I had, the less I accomplished in game which can drag down will to log in to play.

 - Stop trying to compete. Your in game friends are shooting up in level but you're still hanging in the 20s or 30s with slow progress.  Yeah, so? Learn to enjoy PUGs when you log in and enjoy your time in game rather than letting other player's progress make you feel less than.  Hopefully soon NCsoft will implement a mentoring system so you can guilt all your higher level comrades to come lend you a hand!

Has life cut a chunk out of your gaming time? Come share your tips that get you in game despite all those looming responsibilities!

~Savanja
Aion Site Lead

Scrolls, potions, and consumables are all important factors in PvP gameplay.  Don't jump through a rift without a good supply of running scrolls, health potions, and aether jelly and don't dive through the air in the Abyss without flight potions!  They may cost a small fortune to keep stocked, but in the end being able to survive will cost you far less in time and soul healing.

• Chanter Stigma List - Looking for some new skills for your Chanter? Come see what's available!

• Armorsmithing Levels 100-199 - Move up in the world with some new crafted gear.

• Gladiator PvP Gameplay Guide - Get some quick and easy tips that will step up your PvP game.

• Sorcerer Spell List - Know what you have in your Sorcerer's arsenal with this comprehensive list.

• Behind the Curtains with Aion - What goes through a dev's mind during their game's beta? Read to find out!
• NCsoft Names New Aion Producer - Meet the guy who will lead Aion through some exciting changes.
• Aion Continues to Top Sales Chart - Continued sales keep Aion thriving.
• Support a New Community, Win a Copy of Aion - Get a Chance to win an Aion Collector's Edition and 60 Day Gametime.

If you have questions, comments or suggestions for our newsletter please feel free to drop me an e-mail any time!