Chaos Theory: A guide to The Secret World's tokens and currencies

In life and in games, the overarching method of commerce involves currency. Occasionally, you might find a game (or a friend) that will work with the bartering system, but that is far from the norm around these parts. Then you have The Secret World.

TSW has the best -- or worst, you could say -- of both worlds. Bet you didn't know you would take up coin collecting when you started playing, did you? With a plethora of different currencies that can be spent only at certain places for certain things, players have keep tabs on whom they can spend what with and where said whos actually are. Wondering what those Credits of Ca' d'Oro are good for? What about whether Sequins of Solomon Island can be used in Transylvania? This handy guide will help demystify coin collecting and show you the ins and outs of all those tokens filling up your wallet.

To start, we'll cover the three types of currency that aren't in your player's wallet but are on your account instead. These three -- Funcom points, veteran points, and bonus points -- are account-wide and usable in the item store. All are viewable in the the top left corner of the store interface.

• Funcom Points: Purchased with cash, these actually are spread across all Funcom titles. They are also earned via monthly subscriptions to Age of Conan but can be spent in TSW. Indicated by a gold circle emblazoned with an "F".

• Veteran Points: Earned each month of being subbed (whether month-to-month or as a Grandmaster lifetime member), these are spent on special social items, gear, and accessories in the store that are available only with these points. A certain number are earned each month an account exists. Designated by a silver circle with a star in the center.

• Bonus Points: Spent exactly like Funcom Points for the store items signified by the golden "F" coin, these points are TSW specific, so they cannot transfer between games like the Funcom ones. Bonus Points are awarded each month of active The Secret World subscription. Using these, players can obtain gear, cosmetic items, a few boosts, and even the DLCs. These points expire after six months, so it is a good idea to spend them once in a while instead of hoarding them indefinitely.

So here's the scoop on the huge assortment of different coins in game. You can see how many if each token you have by opening your inventory and clicking on the tokens tab in the bottom right corner.

PAX is the coinage used all over the game, for everything from speed boosts to consumables to clothing. The various Sequins are mission rewards granted upon completing missions in the corresponding areas, a thank-you from the Council of Venice for a job well done; these usually give players access to blue gear. Both the Black and White marks of Venice, along with the Distinction of the Council tokens, are PvP-based currencies. Barbershop and plastic surgeon coupons (not listed below) are just that -- coupons to be used to adjust character appearance at either the barbershop in London or the Plastic Surgeon in New York.

White Marks of Venice

Earned through PvP, these marks are rewarded for victories in the battlegrounds and for each objective that a faction retains control of over a time period in the persistent warzone, Fusang Projects. They can be spent for low-level items at vendors located in each faction's headquarters. There is a cap on these, so players need to convert them to Black Marks of Venice before reaching 3,000 or risk not earning any more.

Black Marks of Venice

The higher denomination of PvP currency, one Black Mark equals 100 White marks. These marks can be exchanged at the same vendors in the HQs that sell items for them. Of the three sets of merchants players will find in the HQ, only two sets deal in these marks. The Equipment, Compound, and Weapon requisition vendors will sell accessories, consumables, and weapons respectively. One set will sell Quality Levels 2, 4, and 6, while the other sells QL8 and QL10 goods. The Glyph Requisitions merchant provides only QL10 glyphs.

Sequin of Solomon Island

The first alternative currency a player earns, these tokens accompany mission rewards throughout Kingsmouth, Savage Coast, and Blue Mountain. They can also only be spent in any those areas.

The Kingsmouth vendor, Council of Venice Envoy, sells QL 3 items and is located right behind the sheriff's office. The Savage Coast vendor, which sells QL 5 weapons, glyphs and talismans, is just to the side of Red's Bait and Tackle. If players are that close to the next zone, however, they may be better off saving their tokens and heading into Blue Mountain to buy the QL6 Glyphs and weapons from the vendor located in the Wabanaki Trailer Park. it's a better deal, and even players new to the zone can get there safely by just running along the road (avoiding the bridge when you first zone in, of course).

Sequin of the Valley of the Sun God

If you are looking for weapons, as the name implies, these Sequins are spent in Valley of the Sun God part of Egypt. However, players wanting a selection of accessories or a DPS or tank-focused glyph -- all of QL7 potency, can buy those items form the Council of Venice rep Paulo in the city of al-Merayah. The merchants are right inside the entrance top this valley, and they sell QL8 items.

Sequin of Transylvania

You guessed it: This currency is earned and spent in Transylvania. While there are no weapon vendors, there are Council of Venice Envoys who sell blue QL9 talismans and weapon molds. These merchants are located in the house next to the tavern in Besieged Farmlands, at the Romany camp in Shadowy Forest, and at the house near the Smiths in Carpathian Mountains.

Black Bullion

A currency for top-rated PvE gear, Black Bullion is a reward you get from the bosses in Nightmare dungeons. Players also earned them randomly in reward bags obtained through killing the Guardians of Gaia during them anniversary event. These tokens can be traded in for purple gear, which also happens to be highly upgradable. Although all purple gear is technically QL10, the sub-levels of quality make the gear range from 10.0 to 10.5. To buy these items, visit the Nightwatch Equipment and Weapon Dealers the respective faction HQs.

Mayan K'in

Now discontinued, these were once earned during the special End of Daysevent and used to purchase special QL10 weapons and more. If you were hoping to use your remaining currency at an encore celebration this year, you're out of luck; Funcom finally removed (read: hid) this currency from your in-game wallet, but you can still spend it at the vendor in the Morninglight tent as well as the one inside The Crusades nightclub, both in London. Opening the store interface with these two vendors is also the only way to see how many K'in you have left.

Credit of Ca' d'Oro

Located in the Maryah encampment in the southeastern corner of the Egypt map and standing near the famous dancing Nassir, the Envoy of Ca' d'Oro accepts this currency in exchange for purple-rated head gear and signets, a blue signet grab bag, and Indiana Jones-inspired clothing. At the Romany camp in Shadowy Forest another Envoy sells purple neck talismans, signets, and Orochi combat clothes. Missions awarding these are located throughout Egypt and Transylvania, but are only available to players who have one or both of the latest DLCs, Issue #6 and Issue #7.

Distinction of the Council

The other token earned via PvP, this one is collected from personal PvP XP. Using these tokens, players can purchase new PvP uniforms (that can also be worn outside of the battlegrounds and warzone) from the Mobility & Tactics vendor in the faction HQs.

Conspiracies, paranoia, secrets, and chaos -- the breakfast of champions! Feast on a bowlful with MJ and Justin every Monday as they infiltrate The Secret World to bring you the latest word on the streets of Gaia in Chaos Theory. Heard some juicy whispers or have a few leads you want followed? Send them to mj@massively.com or justin@massively.com and they'll jump on the case!