Chaos Theory: Exciting times in The Secret World
Do you feel it? That electric buzzing in the air of The Secret World (not to be confused with the sounds of buzzing heard by the bee-blessed)? I don't know about you, but I sure can. It's a very exciting time to be a fan of this Lovecraftian-horror-conspiracy-flavored game. Why, you ask? I am more than happy to share my reasons with you.
It's exciting because things that had been slowly building up have kicked into higher gear and are gathering speed; long-anticipated things are just barely out of reach but will soon be within our grasp. We are also this close to getting Issue #8 with its scenarios, augment systems, and Venice. And there's a new issue cover with a name and date to prove it! We are also inching ever closer to getting -- for the very first time ever -- a whole new region in the game, replete with new missions, new nooks and crannies to explore, and new foes to face. Oh, and new lore!
But that's not even all. We have a long-term event going on now as well as the return of a favorite very soon. So if you haven't been in The Secret World lately, now would surely be a good time to jump back in.
One thing that always revs up the excitement meter for me is to see each new issue cover as it comes out. And there it is! The artwork is always impressive and it gives us a little visual insight into what's to come. The mere release of the cover is a cue that we will be getting our mitts on the new issue soon, but it also tantalizes us with the issue's name and the publish month. As you can see, Issue #8: The Venetian Agenda is due out this month, a fact I'd predicted before based on the planned release schedule Game Director Joel Bylos shared during our interview and was all but confirmed with the release of the last stage of Issue #7, The Whispering Tide event.
So what's in store in this soon-to-be-available issue? We've learned about the new scenario system that will be implemented and can look forward to more replayability. These repeatable scenarios with their random elements will be a training ground that the Council of Venice will use to test the mettle and skill of players. And although we knew long ago that Venice would not be a major new area to explore and play in like Tokyo (a fact also shared by Bylos), we can still look forward to having a physical place in game to put with the Council lore that permeates TSW. Add to this the fact that the duo versions seem to be the most popular during testing, and I am happy as a clam; duoing is my preferred playstyle.
However, If you thought there were too many choices before, brace yourself: The augment system will offer players even more customization in their various combat builds, further differentiating players from one another. Newer information also notes that augments will have their own ability wheel just as the Auxiliary weapons do.
Admittedly, we've been on the same phase of The Whispering Tide event for a little while, but I can't help but be excited for what is surely coming up soon. What will be the next step as we fight back the Filth that is invading Agartha? What new things will be revealed, and what new player actions will be necessary to move forward? Knowing that we are on the cusp of such revelations inches me toward the edge of my seat.
And even as I await the next phase of the event, the fact that each phase is literally one step closer to Issue #9 and the introduction of Tokyo just amps the anticipation. Just think: there are only six more phases to go!
Who here isn't excited to get to Tokyo? Hm? I thought so. Besides being a totally new zone with all the trappings of a whole zone (I cannot wait for more investigation missions!), well, does there need to be any more? We may not have a whole lot of information about this area, but we know that it will have exciting new stories and plenty of things to do. Now that Tokyo is not just some far off dream in the distance but something that is tantalizingly close, I am more excited for it than ever.
Excitement fuel number four: Halloween! You might have actually heard my squeal when devs announced that the Halloween quests would be back this year. Having missed finishing the final mission and obtaining all the lore last time, I have dealt with a nagging sense of incompleteness this entire year. Now I can finally fill in that hole in my heart and my achievements. And let's face it, The Cat God is just awesome! After tying up those loose ends, I will then be jumping right into the new series of missions that focus on different urban legends from around Solomon Island. Who isn't looking forward to revisiting the stories of Tyler Freeborn?
Adding no less to the excitement is the fact that Halloween (which just so happens to be my favorite holiday) is the holiday of The Secret World. While most games throw their biggest parties and host their biggest events at Christmastime, All Hallow's Eve is definitely more fitting for this spooky game.
Now, since my plea for an encore of events was obviously heard, I wonder if I could convince them to add a day where I could get the lore from the Opening Night and End of Days events. It wasn't that I wasn't there; I was! I just didn't know there was special lore to grab as I was too busy oohing and ahhing over the game for the former and trying to kill as many zombies as possible in the latter.
My final bit of excitement involves the new player-designed clothing creations that will be going into game thanks to Funcom's recent contest. As you should well know, I am always excited by player-generated content. Which creations will we be able to don? That is yet to be decided, as the contest has been reopened for voting due to the first selection having to be disqualified. But just the fact that players are getting to make a permanent mark on the game is great to me and gives me a feeling that even more chances for PGC are to come. And that's worth getting excited about!
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!
