Community Manager Sebastian "Ayase" Streiffert has published the first issue of "Eye on Community," which is "intended to be your twenty minutes in the spotlight." He admits the the name contains a shameless pun, but don't let that stop you from checking out the article for all sorts of Aion goodness. This one contains guides, a podcast and fan art.

In addition to posting those links, Streiffert has answered a question from a player about using game design to promote social interaction. He says the Abyss is a great example of promoting community growth and mentioned that NCsoft wants "to promote active events that become beacons, social lighthouses to gather around." Streiffert also said the team plans to expand the Legion system and is looking at player feedback for ideas.

Check out the full "Eye on Community" post after the jump and be sure to e-mail your Aion events to the community team. Maybe you'll appear in the next issue!

Bixie, Elyos Ranger on [ENG]Kahrun, asks:

 

"I personally believe that community in MMORPGs is created by game design, so can you please tell us what plans you have to develop this in EU Aion, especially in relation to enhanced Legion management tools and volunteer GM and guide programs?"

 

I agree that game design can be used to promote social interaction and community growth. With Aion, we had this in mind from the beginning. The best example is probably the Abyss. Fortress sieges in the Abyss promote bonding around a common cause and promote the forming of social groups, such as Legions. The Legions in turn provide customization, as displayed by the wide variety of crests used by Legions to identify themselves.

 

Our community work until now has focused on preparation for launch. In the future, we want to expand on the activities we arrange in the game. We want to promote active events that become beacons, social lighthouses to gather around. Such events will not require the Aion team to run them, and they can come in a variety of forms with community itself driving them. The Eye on Community series is one of our tools to spread the word and promote community activity.

 

Volunteer programs are very valuable to a community and are a part of what we might see in the future. Countless earnest community members approach us daily to offer their help with forum moderation, game moderation, and other things. We realize how immensely helpful that could be, and while we have not formulated a volunteer program right now that we can point you to, we encourage you to find other ways to help the community grow and improve in the meantime. Plant a seed, and see it grow. If we are able to pursue volunteer activities in an organized manner in the future, we will definitely approach the our excellent community contributors.

 

Jumping back to what Bixie asked: the Legion system! We do plan to expand the Legion system beyond what it is today, but our focus will not be as simplistic as increasing the size. Fansites, official forums, and blogs are all sources we use when gathering feedback on what types of mechanics you want to see added to the game. Some folks have called for increased warehouse functionality or increased flexibility in rank assignment (or dynamic rank assignment). We hear you, and want to let you know that player feedback takes a seat at the head of the table during our discussion sessions.

 

Right now, it's too early to specify exactly what feature set you will see in the Legion management tools in the future. We are looking at adding a variety of content to enhance the overall experience of running or being a part of a Legion. Legion housing, for an example, will be a part of this effort.

 

* * *

 

In keeping an Eye on Community, we come across many amazing things. Some make us smile at their quirkiness, while others are spectacular accomplishments worth sharing with our desk neighbors.

 

Eye on Community is intended to be your twenty minutes in the spotlight. If you look past the shameless pun we used in the name, you will find this to be a great venue for showing off, as well as a great venue for reading up on what is happening in the community.

 

This week I’ll start out by linking you to a couple of useful guides. Let’s face it, guides are great, and they often highlight things that make you go “Huh, I never thought about that!” The Aion Experience is a blog run by a Nezekan Ranger/Assassin. She has posted a number of helpful guides, and I especially suggest having a look at the latest: How to tell a mob’s difficulty. It contains very useful information that is easy to miss—especially in the beginning when so many other things wait to be discovered in the game—unless you are focusing on optimizing your combat performance. Speaking of the beginning, Syrana posted an interesting blog entry on being a newbie again—“I’m a Noob Again.”

 

For a bit of podcast goodness, head over to The Abyss Podcast. This podcast has been around for a few months now, and while it may hurt the ears of some, it’s “not bad for a couple of keyboard-turning, back-pedaling scrubs,” as Zach R. puts it. It’s a weekly feature worth keeping an extra eye on if the word Aion tickles your interest.

 

Meanwhile, “Nadou” spent some time showcasing her artistic abilities with  Aion fan art! Check it out, or even better, send in a link to your own. We’re always thrilled to see and feature your artistic creations.

 

Let us know if you have something exciting to share or highlight. Do you know of any upcoming Aion events, competitions, or gatherings? Drop us an e-mail with the subject line “Eye on Community”! We can't promise everything will be highlighted here, but all submission with be considered, and many described here. Don’t be shy!

 

Fly safe—and see you all again next week!