I guess I should share my thoughts on the many (read: eight) classes currently available in Aion, based on my impressions of them this past Beta weekend.

Keep in mind that, though I tried giving as many classes a fair try, I did not have time to play every one,nor did I have time to level any one class very high (busy weekend).

A quick history of my class usage in MMO’s.

Everquest: Magician (Utility/Nuke)

Final Fantasy XI: Warrior/Thief (Tank)

Everquest 2: Warden, Brigand, Wizard (Healer,Utility/ DPS, Nuke)

World of Warcraft: Mage (Nuker/Water dispenser)

Lord of the Rings Online: Burgular (Utility)

As you can see, I have the most experience with ranged, usually magical dps classes.

Let’s get started shall we:

CLASSES!

Aion lets you choose one of four Archtype classes

Mage: ranged dps

Warrior: melee dps/tank

Scout: melee dps

Priest: healing

Mage:I first played a mage, given my history and love of things going boom from a distace. As expected, enemies went boom and I was happy. I particularly enjoy the use of spellbooks, if only for the aesthetic. Frankly I’m sick of MMO’s just slapping a staff or dagger in a mage’s hand, it always looked awkward to me.

At level 9, you “ascend,” or gain your wings and specialized class.

Post-Ascention Mage classes:

Spiritmaster: I chose for my mage to choose the road of summoning, at the cost of lower direct ranged dps. The spirits you summon (first fire, then wind, then earth) were fun, varied, and were visually appealing. Unfortunately, they do not enjoy fast travelling, so when you teleport, use the flight master, or even sprout your own wings and take off, your pet will dispel itself. Increased MP regen while flying.

Sorcerer: Though I didn’t actually play the sorcerer during the Beta, I think I’ve played enough DPS oriented mage classes to make a rough stab at it. I expect the class to excel at blowing things up from a half mile away and being the ubiquitous (squishy) targets of the party. Increased damage while flying.

Warrior:

I hadn’t seriously played a warrior in some time, so I was hesitant at first when I created a warrior. Soon, though, I was wading through enemies, hacking left and right, and had some good fun being hard to kill. Warriors are pretty simple, they have medium strength attack skills, but their real strength is high defense and pretty good defensive skills.

Post-Ascention Warrior classes:

Templar: Ok, I didn’t actually play this one either, but I expect it’s pretty close to traditional tanking. Increased physical defence while flying.

Gladiator: This dps oriented warrior class struck me more of as a strict balance of damage and defense than a powerful melee class. I’d say Gladiator strikes a good balance, is not too hard to play, and recommend it to newcomers to the MMO scene. Increased damage while flying.

Scout:

Ok so, I like stealth characters. A lot. Aion’s scout is so fragile that you really have to get the jump on an opponent to have a successful battle. Early on, their damage is pitful, even after getting dual weild, but their damage skills are exceptional, of course.

Post-Ascention Scout classes:

I didn’t play either of these, but that’s because I started a scout last and not until the last day of the Beta.

Assassin: (I’m guessing) stealth based, high dps, backstabby. Higher crit rate while flying.

Ranger: (guessing) ranged physical damage, pets, etc. Have increased range while flying.

Priest:

It’s been a while since I played a healer class, and I think Aion will be the game to reintroduce me to the role. I had more fun playing with my priest than with any other class. Though they do less damage than say, a warrior, their ability to heal themselves makes battle far more survivable.

Post-Ascention Priest classes:

Quick note: priest subclasses wear chain mail, and I believe this is the best innovation ever.

Chanter: Melee oriented buff/debuff class, more of a utility than a core healer. Primarily use staffs. Increased mantra range while flying.

Cleric: Probably the class I will play if i decide to play the release version of Aion. I had the most fun with my cleric, which is interesting, since I’ve played a priest in WoW and in Lord of the rings, and didn’t have as much fun with either. Clerics have heavy heals and some ranged dps (for soloing), use maces and shields (though I’d like to see a weapon called “___’s hammer” actually look like a hammer, not a mace), and heal themselves faster while flying.

Pretty much, I’m leaning Gladiator or Cleric in the final release, but the classes seem pretty balanced as of right now. I’l talk more about the classes after the next Beta.

-patch