Steb by step guide to Aion model editing!

Things needed to get started:
~Photoshop
~Dds Thumbnail Viewer Download (XP & Vista x86 32-bit)
~Mystic Thumbs (Vista x64)
~.dds tool (Used to open .dds and save in PS)
~Python script for unpacking .PAK
~Winrar or 7zip
Click each name to download them above.


Step 1:
Ok, So I'm assuming you have all the aforementioned programs and such. Now we are ready to start modding. Your going to first go to C:\Program Files\NcSoft\Aion and find the .pak you would like to extract.



Step 2:
Alright, Now, You have found the .pak file you would like to open? Good, Now your going to click on the .pak and drag it on top of the .bat file downloaded earlier. It will open a cmd prompt, and unzip everything. It will then make a .zip file with the .pak contents in it. I recommend using 7zip because WinRar was giving me some weird errors. As seen in the picture below, That is the .zip I was talking about. Now on to step 3!



Step 3:
So you finaly unpacked the .pak file, And are now left with the .zip. Now your going to right click the now made .zip, And click Extract to Blah blah. It will now make a folder with ALL the contents of the .zip into a folder. Now your going to open the folder and view the goodies inside. Notice they are .dds? Good thing we downloaded the viewer! Now you can just click on the .dds and see a preview of it before you open in PS. Look at the image below to see what I mean. :P Now onward to step 4!



Step 4:
Ok, Now that you have chosen which .dds you wanna edit. We can start by opening it. Thanks to the plugin we downloaded earlier. Right click the .dd and choose open with... Then PhotoShop. You will now see your image pop up in photoshop. You can continue to edit with the paint brush, Color Replacement tool etc..Go nuts. When your done, Just save and the Nvidia save thingy will pop up. Always save using this setting shown in the picture below. Now we will move on to step5, Which will be repacking the .pak.


Step 5:
Now that you've had your little fun, It's now time to turn your creation back into a .pak file for you to use. Your going to highlight all the files you edited, Then drag them back into the .zip you created earlier.

Now last, But not least, The .zip where you just dragged your files to, Your going to rename from .zip to .pak. MAKE SURE YOU BACK UP YOUR OLD .PAK FIRST! To do this, Rename your default .pak from SoandSo.pak to SoansSo.pak.bak.



FAQ:

Q:How come I can't see the file extensions?
A:Make sure this option is unchecked. http://i34.tinypic.com/2yowfn6.png

Q:How do I know which and where *insert skill effect or armor name here* is?
A:Just keep looking. I'm way too lazy to compile a list.

Read rest of entry

Free Aion Radar ( Overlay )

Update: this project is now in public beta. You can download a copy of Pete's Aion Radar at aionradar - Project Hosting on Google Code. It has an auto-update feature that will check for new versions every time you start it. It requires the .Net framework 3.5 (with latest updates) from Microsoft and you must run the game in windowed mode (maximized windowed mode is fine too).

This project is released as freeware open source under the GNU GPL v3 license. Please provide feedback at AionRadar (Gmail address), but report bugs and feature suggestions here.

Read rest of entry

No more delay between gathers / Prevent Ninjaing

1. Click on the item to be gathered
2. As soon as it pops up in your inventory, hit any movement key, in any direction and instantly click on the next item to gather.

You shave off the 1-2 seconds waiting time before you have to try again. It becomes especially useful against people trying to ninja the next attempt from you. I am guessing this should work against the bots as well.
This works while flying and picking up Aether as well, every second up there counts, right?.

I wondered if its possible to have a macro for gathering, since it can become extremely boring.

Since the time it takes to gather is always random, its not possible to get a perfect macro to gather all 3 items with one click – at least it won’t be efficient to use a macro that way.

Best you can do is create a macro that breaks the animation after gathering and starts gathering the next item with minimum delay.

Well, this is the best i have come up with so far, and i thought it would be worth to share with you.

Create a new macro and put this in:

Code:
/attack
/select [%Variable9]
/delay 0.1
/attack

Of course, use whatever variable you like.
Save and drag the macro icon down on your quickbar.

As you can see, my macro will use a variable to specify the item to gather, so you will have to set it once you logon, or want to gather a different item. put this into your chat (it doesn’t matter which chat or tab):

/variable 9 ItemToGather

Again, use the variable you set in your macro. as item you need to specify the actual name shown if you hover the item node with your mouse, don’t use brackets or quotes. be aware that variables won’t save when you log out.

Now you’re set! go to your favorite gather spot and move close to your item of desire, and hit the macro key, your toon will run up to it and start gathering. take care that you won’t pull any aggro – if you get hit while gathering (note: each time you get dmg from DoTs, it will count as a hit), you will loose your current gather.

Once you hear the finish sound, instantly hit the macro key again and the macro will break the animation and get right back to gathering.

observations:

• This macro is not quite as fast as using your movement keys to interrupt, however i found it to be satisfying for my lazy needs.
• The item you want to gather has to be in range, i estimate the max. range to be around 25-30m
• After you finished gathering all 3 items, the macro would still try to gather from the (now gone) node, you will have to move closer to an existing node or wait about 1 second after the node is gone.
• The further afar an item is from you, the longer the macro will take to find it.
• If you hit the makro key while gathering, it won’t break your gather (at least it didn’t for me), so you could just keep smashing your key and it will gather everything in sight.

That said, if you don’t want to put up with setting your gather item every time you logon, you have two possible options:

1.) set the item to gather right in your macro instead of [%VariableX], don’t use brackets or quotes, and create different macros for different items if you need. these will save then.
2.) you can also put several /select commands one after another in your macro, the macro should then in theory pick the last item which is in range and gather that. however this didn’t work out too well for me – sometimes it just won’t find items in range. and it seems, the more /select commands you use, the longer the macro takes to complete, up to several seconds, which renders the macro useless in terms of efficiency. maybe you have better luck with that, please hook me up if you find a working solution.

Read rest of entry

Aion Alert - Aion log parser + Remote Alerts.

I've been using this while at work along with an amazing bot to text me when someone whispers me, being able to send commands to the game from my blackberry, Have screenshots sent to me etc etc. I couldn't live without it.


Aion Alert
Escape the Grind ( v 4.2 )

Aion Alert (AA) is a log parsing program. After enabling the Aion log file, AA will continuously (ever ½ second) monitor the log for selected events.

When an event occurs, AA will optionally: Play a sound, Send an email (or cell text) alert, Send a screenshot of the event. All of AA’s features are optional, use only the ones needed.

AA also allows you to send commands to it, to Aion, and to whatever bot you may be running at the time.

And AA features AAServer, a Telnet server that allows for real time communications with Aion via a Telnet connection.

FEATURES: ALL FEATURES ARE OPTIONAL!
• AA will monitor your log file and alert, screenshot, and/or shutdown all programs on any of the following conditions:

• o Receive a whisper
• o Inventory is full
• o Death
• o Receive Game mail
• o Level up
• o User specified alert
• o Character Inactive
• o Aion Inactive
• • AA can play a sound upon any selected alert
• • AA can shutdown Aion after X min with no exp gain or after X deaths.
• • AA can make sure Aion stays the active window
• • AA can send emails (and via email, cell phone texts)
• • AA will monitor an email address, every 15 seconds, for incoming commands including:
• o Commands to Aion
• o Commands to Bot
• o Screenshot commands
• o Quit commands for Aion, Bot, Telnet, or all
• o Command for status report
• • AA can launch AAServer, a telnet server allowing almost real time interaction with Aion.
• • AA supports receipt of notifications from other applications.

New in 4.0
- Status report reformatted for clarity
- Status report now includes exp/hr
- Status report now includes how many of what you have killed for how much exp.

Version 4.1
- Added pipeline for external alerts. This will allow other programs
to send information to AA which will then deliver it if you so choose. Currently
no programs send information to Aion Alert, this is in place for others (I.E. bot
makers, etc).

Version 4.2 - Keeping you out of trouble
- Added shutdown feature to occur after X min with no experience gain
- Added shutdown feature to occur after X deaths.
- Added button to give local Status report (vice emailed).
- Changed default settings box for word EXP from " EXP" to " EXP from ". Failure to make this change in your version will not harm anything, just make your report look unusual. (Done to support foreign language logs)



Download:
Filebeam - Beam up that File Scottie!

Read rest of entry

Aion - Nochsana Training Camp Instance Guide

25 levels of harpies later, some real opponents!

On the way to the abyss, a lot of people say "Where are the instances?!". Thankfully the western release of the game came with patch 1.5, introducing the Nochsana Training Camp. NTC, or just TC as it might be referred to on your server is a level 25-29 instance. These are hard caps. Since it's in the Abyss, 25 is required, and once you hit 29, you can no longer enter it period. Enjoy it while you can!

One important thing to realize is that this is not a WoW instance. Loot will not drop off every boss or special monster as a guarantee. It is entirely possible, and even probable, that you will walk out of here with nothing new for gear. Before you throw your hands up in the air and abandon your quest however, you must realize that the experience points are ABSURD from this instance. With a party of 25-26s, you will be getting over 25,000 per elite monster kill. If you pre-ordered or recently completed a survey for a Lodas' amulet, this is the time to use it. On a full clear of the zone, running at a reasonable rate so the majority of your kills are with the amulet on, you will likely roll out with 70-80% of a level's worth of experience. It's incredible and should be run every day you can do it. There is a lockout period of a little under a day after you complete it, and three quests that will be done on the way that are given from an NPC near the ones that gave you your abyss training.

Quests
Nochsana Weapon Caches - These are located

near the end of the instance surrounding the fortress, and lots reside inside. There are enough spawns that a full party should be able to complete it all at once.

Guardians of the General - These four enemies are all part of your path to the General for the most part. We'll make sure you don't miss them.

The Siege of Nochsana - Just move up to the door and deploy your weapon. A pet bar will show up and you'll have to tell it to attack. Make sure everyone deploys it and gets credit if you're doing it as a static team with your legion or something. The followup will then tell you to kill the General, which is what you came to do anyway, right?

Route
Fairly straight forward. Upon entering, your party should move up either side. Patrols circle in a clockwise circle on the outer ring. Mark them and make your party aware as soon as they enter your line of sight. Typically they consist of two elites or one elite and a pack of Recruits, which barely pose a threat at all. There are drakes in the middle that can be totally ignored or grabbed for bonus experience.

Pull slowly and steadily. Before you reach the first gate, you'll see an artifact structure directly to the right of the first fortress gate. The first boss type is here for the quest, and he's a caster. Watch for large spikes of damage on your tank, and you can use the artifact to your advantage if you must. It'll create a damage shield for 60 seconds on your whole party that can soak up a lot of punishment. You can use it and then get dirty with a double pull for a little more thrill and AoE carnage.

Past the second gate is more of the same, but atop that second gate lies the third boss. His physical output is laughable, but he has an amazingly powerful stone-skin type damage shield. Whittle him down over time before he can recast it. Right up the ramp to the third gate is the 3rd boss, a Drake. All of his damage is single target except for one wide blast that will hit the whole party for about 1000. Your cleric can take care of this easily with a Healing Wind, so don't panic and start using potions. Nothing else he does will hit people beyond the tank, so waste this fool. Reports are mixed about his fire attack being cone-based so you could dodge it if you were behind him. I wouldn't bother.

Once you get to the gate, resist the urge to run up and bash the hell out of it with your bare hands. Actually, do it once. Fisticuffs have a great animation in this that you'll never get a good chance to see otherwise. If you have a lot of people looking to complete the Weapons quest, as you pull the outside of the fortress, look for the caches lining the walls. Once everything is clear, activate your siege weapons around melee distance with the gate if you have them and let rip. Then perhaps most importantly, get back. Everyone needs to stand back as upon the door falling, at least two elites will rush out to engage you and they're likely to get company on the way. Make sure your cleric has Rebirth up, if there is any threatening point of this instance, it's this pull. Handle them as they come out with crowd control and engage them around the corner of the gate.

Now, you have to clear the entire fortress out. Anything left alive will come running when the General is engaged, so don't even think about going up that ramp. Once the ground floor is clear, work your way up the ramp on the right side. By now you'll notice the weapon caches are liberally spread throughout this portion of the fortress. In this area you'll also find Nochsana Docs, which are healer types and should be dealt with first or last if good crowd control is available. Clear the area above the gate, as well as the bridge over the middle of the room. At the highest point in the back corner you'll find the last of the bosses for the quest. He'll summon help, but the help will vanish upon his death. Unload everything before the add goes for your healer and things get ugly. Do a quick survey around the fortress to ensure it's fully cleared, and pull the last two in front of the general. It's go time, people

Nochsana General

As intimidating as he looks, he's not that bad. His melee attacks consist of a smash that lowers physical defense and can be dispelled, and a wide area knockdown. His damage is rather high, so clerics will have to be on their toes. Ranged classes have next to nothing to worry about. Once he gets below 30%, he'll start using a fear move that will cause a random person to lose control for a few seconds. Templars should have Empyrean Armor saved for this in case the healer gets feared and things get ugly. Where you tank him is pretty irrelevant. Once he's dead, you'll get credit for the second part of the siege quest. His loot table consists of a wide array of blue weapons, high quality stuff that will take you into the 30's easily.

Unfortunately, that's if he drops them.

You'll be running this multiple times, and you have a time limit of sorts due to the level cap. This is without a doubt the fastest thing you can do to level though, and groups will be continuously springing up for NTC due to that. It's a good primer for how a fortress siege works, well, aside from the whole 'no enemy players in the area'. The quests will give you a huge infusion of XP and a fantastic helm that will carry you through the mid 30's with ease. Just remember that you're not doing it for the loot. There are repeatable instances in the low-mid 30's that will provide you with much more loot opportunity than here. I personally got more loot out of Tavan's Cavern than here, but a third of the experience in the process. Regardless the Nochsana Training Camp is your easy ticket if you don't want to grind out 25-29. So set that looking for group tag and brave the spammers to ride the fast track to 30!

Read rest of entry

leveling method and Great spot for grinding 35-39

To Power level you'll need a higher level friend, Cleric/Templar/Chanter work best.

Get them to train a bunch of mobs and get lots of hate and then you pick them off one by one. The only benefit is that there is no down time for resting HP and you can kill the mobs much faster because they're all right in front of you.

Thats not how it was last night, I was recieving 80-85% of regular. The method works.



Great spot for grinding 35-39
Not sure about Elyos but Asmodians have Wrathfull Obscuras, and Gloomy Specters I think there called they look like reapers.

They drop fast don't do lots of damage and give 25k a mob and since there aggro mobs bots don't usually bot there.

You can find them in Beluslan pretty much straight under the Right outpost.

Read rest of entry

Hall of Protectors Air Walking Glitch

Its possible to walk on air around the bottom floor of the hall of protectors. This glitch is exploited by standing right on the edge of the lift while it travels down the shaft. as the lift exits the shaft & comes into the main bottom floor if the player times their jump&glide off the edge properly they will get stuck in mid air & can walk around the entire lower section. to get down they will have to walk outside where they will fall to the ground.

Read rest of entry

Gain Health Faster With Resting Trick

This trick allows you to regen your health EXTREMELY quickly in low levels using nothing but a simple command.

The way Aion's regeneration system works, while standing you regain a certain ammount of HP over time. By RESTING (/rest , it can even be mapped to a button.) the game activates an quicker regeneration rate, after one second, your HP will regain quickly, then another big chuck after another 10-20 seconds.

To use this exploit, /REST till you see a big jump in your health points, stand up, rest again till you see your HP jump up quickly, RINSE AND REPEAT TILL YOU HAVE REACHED FULL HP IN LESS THAT 5-6 SECONDS!

Read rest of entry

Solo Sulfur Fortress Instance

If you are a ranger, assassin, or templar you can solo the sulur fortress instance. There is a level requirement, it varies depending on your class. Ranger/Assassin likely need around 32+, and Templar needs 37+. After level 43 you will no longer get any loot.

1. Form a group for the simple purpose of being able to enter the instance.
2. Run past all the mobs directly to the middle, and die on the chest.
3. Wait until mobs reset, and res yourself with a self reviving res stone (broke, or 500 AP abyss consumable vendor).
4. Kill the box using your class's bugged skills.

The bugged skills are skills which have a random damage portion to them. For Ranger this is stunning shot. For Templar it is Divine Slash and Shining Slash. Assassin has one too, not sure which one it is. The higher your level / gear, the more damage you'll do, which is where the level restriction comes in. All other attacks do only 1 damage making it impossible to solo without the bugged skills.

Read rest of entry

Elyos Kyola Temple Range Invincibility Attacks

Behind the temple itself and up against the wall of the mountain base, you will be able to "fall through" part of the textured 3d0 of the mountain meeting the base and if you zoom your character into the "see through the eyes" type of view and look down you can look inside of the temple itself from behind the temple without even going inside of it and fighting all of those mobs.

Now I tried targeting mobs (which you can do) and tried hitting them as a Ranger (line of site problem) However this has not been tested with other classes. Spirit Master may actually be able to hunt like this, I'm not 100% sure but this is still a nice little texture exploit that may be able to be worked with into something leveling wise... or healing wise etc..

included is a somewhat accurate Location of the messed up mountain meeting the base of the ground.

You can go in it, people can't see your character only the glows on your character and your character name though.

I'm not sure if mobs were able to hit you if you lured them from above to that spot and went invisible and them hit in mid air but still nice little bug that may work with something else on here.

Enjoy

Read rest of entry