NCsoft has laid out the dates for the open beta, pre-select, and headstart programs for their upcoming MMO Aion, laying out all the playtime possibilities between now and the game's September 22nd launch.
Up until now the closed beta events for Aion have all been weekend-only affairs, giving fans a brief taste of gameplay before shutting things down again, so the week-long open beta event NCsoft has planned should be a real treat. It runs from September 6th to the 13th, and will give players in North America and Europe a taste of the Western enhancements made to the title, including new skills and more Westernized character creation options. NCsoft will be maintaining a level cap of 30 throughout the event, so players will still have something to do when the game comes out.
After the open beta closes, players who preordered the game will be able to login on the 18th to pre-select their character name and server, reserving them in advance of the headstart program, which kicks off 2 days later on the 20th.
And that's how any free time I had at the end of September was completely ruined by NCsoft. Hope to see some of you in game!