Aika Online is probably the most hotly anticipated launch for 2010 for fans who like a heaping helping of PvP in their MMORPGs. With huge battles and intricate guild- and nation-based events – and cute little anime-girl-type “pets” called “Prans” – it certainly has a lot to offer. Gala-net’s Community Manager, Christina Kelly, took time from her busy schedule following the recently completed first closed beta for the game to answer some of our questions about Aika:
The main thing that you’re touting about the game is the massive 1,000 vs. 1,000 PvP battles. Can you give us a brief rundown of the three types of mass battles?
Sure. Through the Battlegrounds system, players can compete in organized combat in an instanced scenario-type style which may be familiar to those who have played team-based FPS games. Two teams composed of 6, 12, 18, or 24 players each go head-to-head in a special arena and must achieve a set goal determined before the match begins. The first team to reach the goal wins the match.
Castle Siege is a regularly scheduled PvP event where each nation’s ruling regime (including the Lord
Marshal and his/her guild or guild alliance) defends the Lakian Fortress against other guilds or guild alliances hoping to take control of the nation. If attackers manage to break through the castle’s defenses and seize the Marshal’s flag, they become the new rulers and the guildmaster of the foremost attacking guild becomes the new Lord Marshal. The ruling regime of a nation has extensive control over political, military, and economic policy for that nation, and can influence the behavior of other nations’ governments through national alliances, war, etc.
Relic Wars is the third type. Lakia’s five nations compete in real time for control of ancient relics which bestow great blessings on the nations that hold them. They are stored in mystical structures called
How big of a map do you need to accommodate that many players?
Not as large as you might expect. Rhawn Crossroads, one of the smallest zones in the game, functioned easily as a site for the amazing nation vs. nation battles we had in CB1. Mass battles can happen anywhere, though, from the tiny Rhawn Crossroads to the expansive wastes of Amarkand and beyond.
How does
communication work? Having 1,000 people in my group chat channel doesn’t sound very pleasant.
Just as in any military operation, planning is the key to avoiding chaos. Aika’s chat interface was designed to streamline the process with its coloring system and specific chat channels and filters. Players can easily filter out the message types they don’t feel are relevant. The political system also ties into the chat system to expedite a nation’s military organization process. For example, any guild allied with the Lord Marshal’s guild can be selected such that its guildmaster receives the ability to shout to citizens of his/her nation only, no matter where they are (the Lord Marshal automatically receives this ability). These features provide useful tools for players to organize mass PvP and help make group chat during battle less intimidating.
What role do the different nations play in PvP? Will the battles strictly be nation vs. nation, or is there room for mixing?
The nations serve as basic organizational units for certain PvP modes, but there are also ways in which players of different nations can fight together against a common enemy or even against fellow citizens. Relic Wars pits nation against nation, but this can also mean allied nations against a single nation or against another alliance. Castle Siege is for citizens of a single nation, so there’s no mixing there, but in Battlegrounds players can fight alongside citizens of other nations and against citizens of their own nations.
How will grouping work? Chances are, most players won’t have 999 friends.
It all begins with guilds. Joining or starting a guild is the first step to participating in Aika’s mass PvP. Even a strong and motivated guild may not have the manpower to take on Castle Siege or go on a relic raid by itself, though. This is where guild alliances come into play, since four guilds allied and fighting as one have a much better chance of taking out
What kind of long-term in-game effects can the battles have? In other words, if my nation assaults and takes your nation’s castle, do we get to keep it?
Battles can actually have significant medium- and long-term in-game effects. National relics, for example, give strong benefits to citizens or allies of the nation which owns them. Imagine having a 30% boost to your own attack strength and the strength of your allies when battling against another nation’s army — that’s extremely powerful! Relics can change hands very quickly if a nation strategizes correctly and successfully raids another nation’s 
change the outcome of future battles for however long it takes for the relic to be recaptured or stolen by a third nation. Relics are extremely difficult to find, so they’re a very precious resource and a clear target for nation vs. nation conflict.
Castle Siege is another example of battle outcome having a continued impact within the world of the game. These are events which will eventually happen on a scheduled basis where the incumbent guild regime of each nation must defend its seat of power against would-be usurpers. If the ruling guild successfully defends the Lakian Fortress, it can continue exercising extensive control over the nation’s military, economic, and political spheres. If it falls to a new guild, then the government completely changes hands and national alliances, spending, political leadership, and defense may be overhauled. These changes will inevitably leave their mark on each nation’s history and prospects.
It sounds like players themselves can rise in rank within their nations, up to the rank of Lord Marshal. How does that work, and what kind of perks does a high-ranking player enjoy?
A player who aims to rise to the rank of Lord Marshal must first attain citizenship in his/her nation of choice (they all have different reputations and identities, so the choice is not trivial), then create a guild or join one and become its guildmaster. The guild must then earn enough experience points through guild quests and have enough in terms of financial resources to qualify for a Castle Siege. The player then must lead his or her guild (or guild alliance) to victory in a Castle Siege, defeating the incumbent regime and overcoming a Lakian Fortress’s substantial defenses. Then, and only then, will the player ascend to Lord Marshalship and receive the power and responsibility reserved for the highest personal rank in the world of Aika.
Being Lord Marshal of a nation is the closest you can come to getting behind the scenes and actually creating the game. In addition to the amazing status and skill benefits — enhanced HP and MP, bonuses for damage dealt and reduced effect of damage taken — Lord Marshals can make decisions with far-reaching implications for their respective nations and the entire world of the game. I don’t want to give everything away, but the extent of the Lord Marshal’s control ranges from the tax rate and spending, to allocation of resources for defense, to national alliances, and more. There are plenty of games where players are given the power to rule over cities and countries whose behavior is determined by computer simulation models, but it’s much more difficult to find a game which gives players the chance to rule over organizations of other live players on that scale.
Prans are described as “an intelligent, sassy fairy familiar which supports [characters] in all their endeavors.” Are they just support pets, or is there more to them?
The Pran is definitely not your average MMORPG pet. The Pran system’s most unique feature is the interactivity it requires between a player and his/her Pran, as well as the implications these interactions have on the Pran’s identity and 
support abilities. The Pran is a character who grows with the player, both in terms of leveling up and changing physical form as she evolves from a Tinkerbell-like fairy to a child to an elfin adolescent. She develops strong buff abilities which can help the player in battle, but the player can only request that she use them — the help can’t be forced. Whether or not a player’s Pran accepts these requests depends upon the level of trust and familiarity between the Pran and the player, which is something that must be developed over time. The Pran occasionally asks to speak with the player in short conversations where she asks the player about his/her opinions on various topics, and it is these interactions, along with supplying the Pran’s food, affect the familiarity level. The different ways in which players answer their Pran’s questions also affect the fairy’s personality, which can range from cheeky to erudite to trash-talking. The depth of personality that the game provides to each Pran is what sets the Pran apart from being a static pet NPC which only picks up loot or adds a standard buff to the players’ stats.
Christina also indicated that a second closed beta was in the works, for those who missed out on the first, but couldn't give us any solid dates just yet. If you want to learn more about Aika and keep an eye out for that CB2, you can visit the game's web site.
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