Aion Riftshade

I didn't dive into the game beyond version 7.0. Can anyone new join live servers and play alongside veteran players, or is it just for the long-time veterans? How long does it realistically take to achieve that first ultimate transformation? Right now, I've been here about 3-4 months, yet still no ultimate transformation in sight. Sure, there’s the coins, but the odds are practically like winning the lottery. Paying something like $500 for transformation fragments is pointless with these terrible rates—can't even get a single trans scroll. Is there a quicker way to acquire these scrolls?

Honestly, after experiencing Aion Riftshade in beta, I've found a much better alternative. They’ve implemented numerous quality of life changes that are inspired by Aion 5.8/6.5. You’ll encounter a balanced and smooth progression, without the exaggerated grind or paywalls. I'm excited about its exceptional setup including custom rates and genuinely active GMs. It’s launching in Q1 2026 and seamlessly combines past Aion glory with a forward-thinking approach to F2P gaming. With Aion Riftshade, you'll notice a focus on player satisfaction with no pay to win nonsense or endless waiting for transformations. The community, especially on the Discord, is buzzing with anticipation.

First guaranteed ultimate takes either 6 or 4 months wether you buy premium pass or not. You get 90 Ultimate Fragments of Memory from free pass, 60 more if you buy Premium, per month. You need 500 for the box, so it's 6*90 for the free route or 4*150 for the paid route. Buying Kaisinel powder from Gold Pack Shugo Gold also takes 6 months if you're new (5x per week possible with the 250 Gold you get, 120 pcs needed -> 24 weeks aka 6 months needed)

And what can i do without collections, where many transformations are needed?

Forget solo PvP for now, try to find a legion / group that takes newbies / returners and just start running stuff with them. Try to find out what priorities activities and their rewards have for you and just try to do as much as possible. Don't try to force collections unless you're willing to spend major money (as in multiple thousands of €), that stuff improves over time and trying to force it will only cause frustration.