Do you remember Aion’s legendary moments? Back when level 55 was the cap, there was a group that first cracked the “impossible”: an open-world kill of the field boss Padmarashka. The same player also led a legion that ranked No. 1 in contribution points across all Classic servers. At the center of both feats was the name “Neoeui-Baraem.” It’s been more than a decade, but many Aion players still look back on that time.

Beating Padmarashka then meant more than just killing a boss. Anyone could try, but almost no one could actually bring down this field boss—and that gap was part of Aion’s unique appeal. The kill resonated so widely that NCSoft later moved Padmarashka into an instance dungeon. Inven ran a feature on it, and Neoeui-Baraem etched his name into Aion’s history.

More than 10 years on, Aion 2 is approaching launch. Once a top-of-the-game player, Neoeui-Baraem is now an ordinary PC bang (internet café) owner—and still a gamer who plays with younger friends he’s known for over 20 years. From Lineage to Aion, he spent his youth with NCSoft titles. How does he see Aion 2?

His affection for the series comes with some tough love. Underneath it, though, you can hear the gamer’s conviction: “At least in games, everyone should start on equal footing.” We sat down with Neoeui-Baraem—unchanged in his appetite for challenges—to talk frankly about Aion 1 and his hopes and worries for Aion 2.

To start, please introduce yourself.

I’m “Neoeui-Baraem,” the one who first led the open-world clear on the field boss Padmarashka back when 55 was the level cap. I played both Elyos and Asmodians for a long time, and on the Classic server I was the legion master of the No. 1 legion in contribution points across all servers. These days I’m just an ordinary small-business owner running a PC bang.

When I first picked up Aion, it wasn’t easy. I’d only played 2D games like Lineage, so adjusting to a 3D game was hard. But someone I played with took the time to teach me—from how to farm a Unique-grade weapon in Fire Temple to sneaking into the enemy race’s territory through Rifts and so on. Learning all that together made the game more and more fun.

What drove your legion to rank No. 1 in contribution points across the Classic servers?

There wasn’t any special trick. I had a goal, so I wanted to go for it. Even in Lineage, I liked taking on what others couldn’t—like chasing a “first kill,” to borrow a Lost Ark term. I was lucky to have a lot of skilled players around me, so we could challenge things together. In that context, I’m a little worried that Aion 2’s standard party size is four instead of six.

I hope Aion 2 has field bosses that spark that same urge to challenge—something like Padmarashka. Instance-centric play is fine, but a boss that feels symbolically “unbeatable” is what I’d love to see.

These days a lot of players prefer lighter options that cut down required playtime.

Lost Ark and WoW both have iconic “first-kill” races that confer real prestige, right? I hope Aion 2 reflects that well—content that’s truly worth attempting. I may be older, but my drive and mindset for a challenge are the same as back then.

Any memorable episodes from your Aion days?

On Classic, there was a live show event where the team said they’d visit each server to hear from players, and they took letters in advance. I made sure to be first and asked them to come find me. A GM then whispered me, and I replied right away—with a long message basically saying, “Why is leveling like Lineage? Fix it.” As soon as they took my question, the GM bolted. Because of that, players on my server—who had a mountain of questions—couldn’t ask them and I got an earful. In hindsight, I probably lacked tact. I should’ve presented a broader set of suggestions. (laughs)

Your name really took off with the Padmarashka kill. Can you revisit that day?

If I recall correctly, it was during the level-55 cap. Padmarashka started as a field boss, and later got changed into an instanced dungeon. After our team killed it, a patch turned it into an instance boss. I remember being interviewed on Inven back then. On Classic, we also tackled field bosses on the Isle of Eternity, and even used Rifts to take down an enemy-faction boss in their zone. That kind of content is what fuels my enjoyment—like the old vanilla WoW field-boss memories.

How was Classic overall? I heard you stuck with it for quite a while.

I played from launch up to fairly recently. After the lead director changed, monetization decisions started to disappoint me—when Enchantment Stones, Manastones, and even skills ended up in the cash shop. Since it became hard to farm those in the field, you were effectively pushed to buy them. Levels kept going up, and it started to feel like Lineage.

When I hit No. 1 in contribution points, my legion had all 72 slots filled. After those patches, people started quitting one by one until we were down to around 40. Friends who’d been with me since Lineage, then Aion, then Classic—they left, too. That was really disheartening. Maybe that’s why my hopes for Aion 2 are so high.

From what I can tell, Aion’s Chinese servers are doing quite well. Some of my old friends moved over and are playing there. There are a lot of Aion fans on YouTube uploading China-server gameplay as well.

With Aion 2 coming soon, do you plan to play?

Honestly, I think players already know how to feel. The most encouraging thing was hearing on stream that they’re aiming for a traditional RPG with only a season pass and cosmetic monetization. People say, “Are we really going to believe that again?”—and I feel the same. I’ll definitely try it when it launches. What matters is how the game behaves once it’s doing well. In Lineage they introduced cash-shop accessories; in Aion Classic, Enchantment Stones ended up as cash-shop items. Can they maintain the stance this time? I’m not so sure.

Based on what was revealed in the broadcast, what concerns you most?

PvP—and field bosses, too. As you said, everything these days trends lighter. I’ve run a PC bang for over 10 years, so I have a good sense of what younger players prefer and what content they actually engage with. PC bang closures are skyrocketing. The reason I’ve been able to keep going is that I stick to my own gaming philosophy and I’m responsive to what my customers need.

I’m wandering off topic… maybe I really am getting older. I still prefer field content—Abyss PvP and field bosses. Today’s MZ generation really dislikes that stuff. Still, I hope Aion 2 faithfully recreates aerial PvP in the Abyss from the original. For example, whoever spreads their wings first should have priority over people on the ground… that feel of Aion’s winged combat. I’m a bit anxious about being able to deploy wings in the field; it’s a fresh idea, but it worries me, too.

I agree games should be lighter. To keep organic players, things can’t be too hard; but to satisfy core players, they can’t be trivial either.

Exactly—threading that needle is key. Did you watch the Kazeros first-kill race in Lost Ark? Even at my PC bang, tons of customers watched the streams and cheered. That’s the kind of content that ignites the will to challenge. On the flip side, having lighter content like Mabinogi Mobile matters, too. If Aion 2 finds the right balance, it would be ideal.

I’d love to see bosses whose patterns and animations demand different strategies—where higher difficulty sparks a desire to tackle it and awards a meaningful title or prestige. But capping parties at four feels too light. I worry about role shortages—Templar or Gladiator, Cleric or Chanter—tanks and healers will almost certainly be in short supply.

I imagine Aion 2 will segment casual and hardcore content and deepen both—easy to enter, but with scaled rewards and real honors for clearing the top difficulty.

If you’re prioritizing a lighter touch, I can understand four-player parties—like Mabinogi Mobile. Then raids become the critical piece. I heard alliances top out at eight players; beyond bringing exactly one of each class, I don’t see a big advantage. In time-attack style content, lower-DPS classes could get sidelined while strong DPS like Assassins or Sorcerers get two or three slots. Class balance will be hugely important.

From what’s been shown, Aion 2 may not have field bosses. If they do show up, they’ll likely be the lightweight kind where everyone can tag once and get a reward.

Even if it’s not a field boss, content like Tahabata is more than enough to fire up that urge to challenge. An entirely instance-driven game can drag; I hope the end-tier content that’s genuinely hard brings out the joy of mastering a fight. That’s a core motivator in RPGs. In Lineage you had dragons like Antharas and Fafurion that weren’t easy to kill; in Aion, Padmarashka filled that role.

How did the mobile controls shown on stream look to you?

They say the PC version looks great. On mobile… it looked like a mobile game, to be blunt. More than anything, I missed things like battle logs or a combat log. Analyzing logs and figuring out responses—that was part of Aion’s charm. Without that in Aion 2… well, I guess it shows how much they’ve leaned into a lighter, trend-friendly approach.

What do you think about DPS meters? In the West, logs and optimization for top DPS drive class rankings and decisions.

Some of my PC bang customers get stressed by DPS meters. The game won’t stay purely light forever, and in progression or time-attack environments—what people call “burn checks”—DPS matters. If your poor performance gets exposed, you can be excluded or spark drama. Even so, I’m in favor. If you take feedback based on a meter, players inevitably improve. The real key is how the developer balances classes.

Aion never had an official DPS meter, but players used external tools. On overseas servers, most people run meters—like in WoW or FFXIV, where you can see exactly which skill was used when. It’s a double-edged sword, but I think the question is how much to disclose and where to draw the line.

Any final thoughts?

I think a lot of people feel the same way I do: the developer’s track record matters. They said they wouldn’t add probability-based items—and did anyway. In Aion Classic, they said there wouldn’t be Tempering Solutions and no Composite Manastones—and then it turned into wordplay: they added “Unique” Manastones instead of composites. Across multiple games, the disappointments in operations and the sense of loss have piled up.

Even so, as someone who’s enjoyed not only Lineage but the Aion IP for over a decade, I’ll give Aion 2 a shot. There’s one thing I’ve always wanted to tell the people in charge: reality isn’t fair, but games should let everyone start from the same line. Life is harsh and alienating these days; at least games should be fair. Of course, I won’t be fooled like before. If something smells off, I’ll quit on the spot. Maybe that’s why I’m so curious how Aion 2 will actually unfold.

Friends who played Aion and Classic with me are gathering on the Israphel server. I hope the game launches strong and our worries turn out to be nothing, so everyone can enjoy it together. That would give the industry some energy—and help small business owners running PC bangs keep going, too.

This article was translated from the original that appeared on INVEN.