It recalls a more gradual old-school style of easing oneself into a game, peeling back and unveiling layers of complexity the higher up you go.
World of Warcraft in its early days had this, I believe, all the way from "never played a computer game before" up to "hardcore raider." Except the bait-and-switch when one hit endgame was a little too sudden, perhaps, only clear to those who had played SMAUG-likes before.
In contrast, we have games like City of Heroes (with no endgame to speak of, using the altholic, reroll if not remort, model), Age of Conan (who tried to copycat World of Warcraft in raids but failed miserably in design principles, and left open world PvP with no consequences whatsoever to fester on its own) and Warhammer Online (whose design principles came out so clearly one felt railroaded into a game-game from the start, rather than an immersive world.)
From lvls 1-20 in Aion, it is more or less PvE-only. There is the standard newbie zone that eases you through the 1-10 tutorial and finishes off with you getting your wings.
The next area opens up further in a circular ring, rather than one linear path, so that the world feeling is simulated a little more. On one side, you have a clear soloist path to lvl 20. On the other side, it has a few lvl 17-19 solo areas, plus some group areas that end off in the big bad bosses' area.
This design cunningly moves you into testing the grouping waters, while still having a choice for solo grinding of quests and monsters.
A few of the quests also make you criss-cross old areas. Some feel that frustrating, but I think it's good, too much forward movement turns into a linear steamrolling railroad after a while. Some quests cross you over into the main city, and into the next new areas for lvl 20 and up.
One area, Brusthonin, is PvE for 20-25. (In fact, on exploration, this is only the first bit of the zone. The next bit looks like lvl 40 with a PvE instance.)
This is the carebear's resort, if they're really frightened of any kind of PvP whatsoever.
This is also the home of myriad oddly-named bots that grind mobs 24/7, likely for the purposes of goldselling and PLing. I find them oddly annoying, because they have a tendency to killsteal, but they're not game-crippling as yet because there is a wide expanse of mobs that respawn quickly, the bots patrol limited areas.
I do hope NCsoft does something about them, because if they cross beyond a critical mass, they will shortly make the game quite unplayable for non-cyborg players.
On the bright side, the barren monotony of this area soon drives any thinking player into the other zone, Morheim, which is PvEvP. Or rather, full of PvE players from one side, and players from another side which may involve you in PvP.
Players cross over into the opposing side's territory using "rifts" that appear at random intervals. These intervals seem to be pretty long, because I haven't caught sight of a single rift as yet. It could also be that the bulk of the population has not caught up to the levels where the rifts are appearing, as this Morheim zone stretches from lvls 20-40.
Obviously, if a group of lvl 40s catch your lvl 20 ass out alone, you're going to be a smear in a hurry. In practice, this isn't happening yet, as there is a bell curve to a new game's population. (Also, I suspect the gank squads are out in the Abyss where the real profit is.)
As little PvP appetizers, though, this game has a cunningly designed "Spy" type quest, which teleports you once (on the Asmodian side) or twice (on the Elyos side) into the opposing zone.
This turns out quite hilarious as unsuspecting PvE questors are suddenly dumped solo on top of a high ridge (that the opposing side cannot get to) deep in the heart of enemy territory. Later, there are some quests that ask you to kill one or two mobs in this enemy zone, as an incentive towards 'rifting.'
If you were a true-blue PvE-only type of person, of course you could always hearth back to safety in a hurry. (What you'd do at lvl 25 though, I dunno, when the rest of the game focus shifts to more PvP.) Most players try their luck.
By class design, lowbie ranged DPS and priest-types more often than not can survive a 1 on 1 fairly well. If the rifter plays smart, he gets a few kills under his belt to boost his ego and bloodthirst.
For the rest, well, it is an introduction to what happens if you are surrounded by 3-8 people of the opposing faction. Hope you can deal.
The good news is that this cuts both ways. After you end up on the losing end once, you realize that there are equally clueless newbs on the other side that are winging their outnumbered way into your home turf. The once-hunted can turn hunter if so inclined.
By design, this makes you more likely to leap to your own comrades' aid the moment you see an evil red enemy diamond on your radar, and more likely to huddle together for safety.
Again, the level design is slick as hell. This area is a gradual linear curve down to higher level areas, with a few branching side paths. The further off the beaten track you venture, the less likely it is that a stealthy rifter will be seen, and/or have people coming to your aid. This funnels most people down the roads together, as can be seen below:
No sane solo rifter is going to try and meander his way into THAT mess of enemy red diamonds.
I haven't actually had a lvl 40 turn up and see if he can scatter groups of lvl 20s yet. I suspect that not all games are as exponentially easy godmode as WoW, and a couple of ten or less determined lvl 20s would most likely firebolt the lvl 40 into submission.
Our guild tried a group foray into the Elyos using the Spy quest. We were a little bit more set up, with a 'kisk' that allows for resurrection in their territory, and about 7-8 did paratroop-like flybys into the enemy zone.
This was, I like to think, mutually fun on both ends. We got a number of spike-damage kills, but oh my goodness, the enemy swarmed like ants the moment they got wind of a group of rifting Asmodians. By sheer dint of numbers, they wiped our party out. Begin strafing run number 2. Cut down a few more Elyos. Get wiped by the flood of onrushing people thirsting for PvP action. Repeat a couple more times until people got bored.
Win-win and lose-lose for both sides. A relatively harmless taster of mass PvP action to ease one's mindset towards the Abyss and the mixed PvP-PvE endgame (which I hear involves PvP Fortress takeovers in order to unlock PvE raid dungeons and so on.)
The cutest thing about the design, I feel, is how it encourages people to stick together in numbers, if not outright group.
Normally, if there are 2-3 others in your vincinity, that's a cue to flee the area and go look for somewhere else to grind in peace. Now there's no choice.
You can't switch channels (aka instances of the same area) any more in a PvP zone, you have to share mobs more or less (respawn rates are thankfully quite fast), and anyway, you'd appreciate all these other people around watching your back if a group of the enemy come winging their way in - so what the hell, learn to put up with them, right? They're on your side.
This picture, I think, says it all.
I was just sheltering under the lee of a cliff, resting to regain hp. I decided to "hide" there a bit because of LOS issues, in case an enemy ventured by.
This random friendly assassin whom I did not know, also with half his hp remaining from fighting mobs, circled me for a while... and then promptly decided to sit down right next to me.
Safety in numbers monkey brain at work.
P.S. This shortly worked out very well for me, because I recovered my hp before he did, stood up and ran further down the road, right into a red diamond that indicated an enemy player. A spiritmaster, strolling down the side path of one road, with his pet at his side.
I eep'ed, and turned back the way I came, figuring I could get another ally involved.
Spiritmaster gives chase. I do a running flight with a bow equipped to snipe him a little.
Spiritmaster sees stationary assassin, and sends his pet off to molest it. I turn around and whack him more with the bow, about to charge.
Spiritmaster roots me before I get to him. Damn! I wasn't sure if a 'cure physical altered states' potion would break the root, and anyway, I didn't have any on me (Careless!)
I chug a healing potion (thank goodness I have one) and continue to plink away with my bow, hoping the root will break and I can charge him with my polearm.
The bastard Spiritmaster uses LOS to break the bow plinking, while leaving a DoT on me, while still rooted.
Luckily for me, this battle was along aforementioned road, so a random friendly Sorceror stops by to fling something fiery or energy-like into the Spiritmaster, who may have suddenly realised he's taken on a bit more than he can chew.
The root finally breaks, and I hurtle into the Spiritmaster's face, switching to the polearm. He doesn't last long after that, and crumples into a satisfying ball of white wings, to resurrect back home.
The Sorceror and I meander down to the Assassin, who is now standing from his resting, motionless, at half hp. Welp, looks like the guy is AFK. Still, his body played an important part in distracting the Spiritmaster's pet, and what do you know, he survived, thanks to safety in numbers.
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