We really enjoyed Aion, going as far as to say it had more potential than just about any other MMORPG on the market. That's not to say that it's not full to the brim with issues, however, that's sort of par for the course when it comes to MMORPGs. All that's important for the genre, though, is that the problems can be addressed and solved before the RPG finds itself hemorrhaging users. So far, most of their fixes NCSoft has pushed through have been little more than band-aids, something they're finally taking steps towards fixing completely, beginning with patch 1.9. In a massive meeting between the company's different offices, the developers talked about a number of large fixes and updates to the game that will be pushed live with the patch, ranging from cosmetic upgrades to new skills. In other words, Aion fans should pay attention.

The list, apparently, is currently at 26 pages in length, and includes mostly enhancements to help balance out the game's problems, instead of adding a wealth of content to make people forget about it. This means lightening up the grind that many have complained about, and making sure players are rewarded with items more frequently, and given more skills to fix up the game's fantastic PVP.

The full rundown hasn't yet been posted, but they've highlighted a few select changes that might be worth paying attention to for any Daevas out there anxious to stretch out their wings. 

• New skills for every class (including new skills specifically for countering stun attacks)
• Dozens of daily quests with different objectives and rewards
• New quests, increased quest rewards, and increased instance drop rates
• Dredgion enhancements
• Max item enchantment increased to +15
• An increase in experience gain (including a new experience bonus system:  Energy of Salvation)
• Soul Healing, Soul Binding, and Flight Transportation cost decreases
• A mechanic that allows two two-handed weapons to be combined to create one more powerful two-handed weapon
• Looking for group (LFG) functionality improvements
• Numerous user interface improvements

No date has been given yet, but expect full patch notes later this week. We'll be sure to get in touch with NCSoft to see if we can't get more information in the meantime, because I know there are some of you out there anxious to hear more about the future of the Tower of Eternity.

[Source]