Players have come to expect features that they have seen in other MMOs, and never mind that these features were released a year after those games were launched. The fact is that they have them now, so these new games had better have them too. By all accounts, the game has so far been living up to these expectations and although the MMO gaming community has proven to be rather fickle in the past, this sustained enthusiasm bodes well for it.

No hesitate ! It took two-and-a-half weeks for the first Western players of NCsoft's new MMO Aion to reach the level cap of 50 - and the race was a tie. Almisaela and Drno, a Chanter and a Ranger, both playing on the Elysian side of the European Votan server, reached level 50 "within moments of each other" on Wednesday according to the AionSource forums (via Massively). Apparently they made the attempt as a team, and probably chose their classes to suit - one poster in the thread notes that the top four teams in the race to 50 on the game's Korean release were all Ranger and Chanter duos. One acquaintance who'd played with the pair most of the way said: "They played about 18 to 20 hours a day and grinded most of the time. There was no account-sharing or something like that. Just an enormous willpower." That's a lot of key-presses. Aion's is clearly one of the longer levelling curves in modern MMOs. Congratulations to both of them. Now take a break.

The Hero-Con Live Mission Contest!

Get ready to participate in one of the most exciting and interactive events of Hero-Con, the City of Heroes® Live Mission! The Live Mission gives you a chance to experience for yourself what it's like to be a Hero or Villain in our game, as teams of 8 run through a series of missions to obtain the 10 keys of the M.A.G.I. vault. Encounter many of the signature characters of City of Heroes and battle it out against an array of foes. Will Azuria regain the keys, or will the villainous Mikey the Ear gain access to the vault? It's all up to you!

So grab a team and sign up as soon as possible, for great fun and some incredible prizes! Sign up sheets will be available beginning from 4-7pm on Friday, October 23rd at The Doubletree Hotel. Just head towards the Registration Area on the 2nd Floor "Gateway" foyer. Even if you don't have a team ready to go, make sure to still sign up because we'll be putting pick-up groups together!

It's going to be a blast and the first place team will win some loot!