Aion Newsletter - The Perks of Community

Even before my time with Ten Ton Hammer, I craved an active community. 
I feel that a game is a game, but the special thing about an MMOG is the
aspect of camaraderie that you really just cannot get anywhere else. 
This is why I've always believed that a game's community team is a
pinnacle part of that game's success.  Bringing players together,
hearing their voices, and communicating to them the goals and thoughts
of the development team is more than just a job for game CMs, it is a
crucial part of the growth and a game can rise or fall based on how well
a team does these things.  Those games that have been brazen enough
to launch without official forums or those who have put community
interaction on the back burner have come to regret that choice later on. 
People pay you money for a service on a monthly basis and make a
commitment to support your product, you better darn well make sure that
you are there every step of the way to know if you are satisfying your
end of the bargain with those players.

This is why I was quite pleased
to see NCsoft make their most recent updates with a new Community
Manager and a much desired forum upgrade.  The

recently introduced Aion CM Andrew "Tamat" Beegle is well versed in community
interaction.  I've seen him in action as a voice of other community
sites over the years and as a player advocate making him a solid choice
to be sitting on the other side of the fence.

I'm also beyond pleased
to finally have an Aion official forum to post on!  Our own
Ten Ton Hammer forums have a wonderfully warm family feel and we welcome
anyone to come join our discussions.  Our topics tend to be well
thought out and our posters are considerate making it a safe haven to
discuss concerns or questions without dealing with "Stfu noob!" that
often arise on official forums and while our forums will always be my
first love, official forums offer a more, umm, colorful look at the game
which I cannot deny is oddly fascinating.

Some players may consider
official forums and an attentive game CM as a luxury, I would consider
them a non-negotiable necessity.  What do you think?  Can a
poorly managed community team harm a game or are they simply the mouth
piece for more important people who truly shape the game?

Let us know
your thoughts by visiting this thread.

-Savanja, Aion Site
Lead

Lack of loot in instances getting you down?  Be sure to add your

2 kinah in this thread.  Hopefully the Aion gods will catch wind
and do something about this frustrating feature!

Ten Ton Hammer Features:

A Cleric's Guide to Healing in Aion - Healing is an art form
to be mastered.  Get tips and tricks to be the best healer you
can be.

Asmodian Aether Extraction Guide: 200-299 - Don't slow down
on those gather skills yet!  Get a little help along in this
guide.

Leveling the Classes - Get some insight on what it takes to
level in Aion.

The Colorful World of Armor Dyes - Get the basics on how to
turn your blah wardrobe into fabulous!

Assassin Skill List Levels 1-50 - Get a peek into your
Assassin's future with this all inclusive list.

Nochsana Training Camp Guide - Get strategy and vital info
on this early Abyss instance.

News From Around the Community:

New
CM Discusses Updates in this Interview - Its first month started out with a bang, who
did the game beat out?

Aion's Live Event Disappointment - Weren't able to find any
Harvest Revel event?  Find out why!
The
October Community Address - Find out what is in store for
the coming weeks.

Tip of the Week - Aion has a dressing room feature to
check out what armor will look like before you buy it!  Hold down your Ctrl
key and click the item once to get that sneak peek.

They Must be Roleplayers...

Getting mistaken as a bot just a little too often?  Be mindful
of your name choices!  While we just love amusing names, going with
a jumble of letters such as "Gttfflm" is likely to get you reported by
over zealous bot hunters and

multi-boxers beware!  You could become a target too.