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

Gala-Net, through the gPotato gaming portal, is bringing another massive PvP-themed free-to-play MMOG to North America. Featuring five nations, six classes, and one extremely unique combat pet, Aika should generate quite a bit of interest among gamers as it draws closer to its Spring 2010 release date.

Developed by JoyImpact, Aika is set to redefine the “massive” in MMOG with its 1000 vs. 1000 battles. PvP isn't restricted to large scale warfare, however-- players can engage in multiple scenarios to satisfy their bloodlust. Another feature that western players will find refreshing is the robust quest system. While there may not be as many quests in the game as some of the AAA titles, the experience rewards from these quest lines are the preferred leveling method and are a welcome departure from the perception that all eastern-oriented games force players to grind through levels.

The Lore

Aika derives its name from the great goddess Aika who created the world known as Arcan. The seemingly benevolent goddess envisioned Arcan as a utopia and tried several times to create a race that would live in harmony with the world. However, her best intentions inevitably paved the road to destruction. The first race, the Scinic, was too restless living in tranquility. The second race, the Humans, were too bent on hatred and destruction and began to destroy the world they were brought in to balance. The third race Aika created, the Zereca, were sent in to cleanse the world of its corruption, however they were too effective and soon the Human race faced extinction.

Years of struggle had weakened Aika, but mustering the final reserves of her power she evacuated the remaining Humans to the sky kingdom of Lakia where they would be safe from the wrath of the Zereca. The great strain of this rescue effort forced the goddess into a three hundred year slumber. Luckily for the Humans, the effects of the power Aika had used to create the Zereca also caused them to share in her comatose state.

During the interim, the Humans have prospered and grown, but that prosperity is now threatened as the goddess awakens from her deep sleep. As Aika stirs, so to do the Zereca. Recognizing the threat these malevolent creatures posses, Aika has empowered the most worthy of the Humans with powers to fight the Zereca and created for them a new companion race, known as the Pran, to aide them in their struggle.

The Nations

The nation system is Aika's version of factions and will shape the player’s interaction with the world. There are five nations available for play and within each nation are guilds vying for control of it. Once the control of the nation is settled, players can move on to the Relic War, where they will battle other nations for ultimate control.

• Alethius - Described as honorable and noble, members of the Alethius nation are those concerned with fair play and justice.

• Lenaria - The social butterflies of Aika, the Lenarians are a good natured group is more concerened with comraderie than war. 

• Feonir - Wearing the mantle of explorers, the Feonir value knowledge and indepenance above all else. Seeking to understand and catalogue the world around them is the core value of this strong willed and defensive minded group. 

• Vanov - Highly militaristic, the Vanov are a structured and disciplened nation. Known for their ferociousness in the field of battle, this prideful group of people are the epitomy of order and stability.  

• Ostyrion -  Marked by bloodlust and treachery, the citizens of Ostyrion  are feared and loathed universally. Ruled by chaos,  the only  structure in this malevolent nation is the shared belief that they are superior to all others. 

The Classes

There are six playable classes within Aika. They are standard fare for the genre with one fairly notable exception-- classes in Aika are gender bound, meaning you cannot change the default gender of the class you wish to play. Done to facilitate the massive scale of PvP, by keeping the number of renders in the game to a minimum, there will most likely never be a way to modify this.

Name	Role	Gender
Warrior	Melee DPS, Off-Tank	Male
Paladin	Main Tank, Healer, Buffs and DPS	Female
Warlock	Ranged DPS and Crowd Control	Male
Cleric	Healer and Buffs	Female
Rifleman	Ranged DPS and Crowd Control(stealth based)	Male
Dual Gunner	Mid-Range DPS and Stealth	Female

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Blending Eastern PvP with Western quest-based leveling in a free-to-play package could equal a very potent combination that should help to further enhance gPotato's reputation as one of the premier game portals. Stay tuned to Ten Ton Hammer for more information on this interesting title.