End-of-Days
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Chaos Theory: Cramming your Krampus in before TSW's holidays end
Christmas 2013 -- it's quite a different experience in The Secret World than in other MMORPGs. Instead of offering some colorful cutesy characters based on the jolliest aspects of the season, TSW's festivities draw on the darkest parts of our lore to bring you a Christmas devil, a demoness, and undead Mayans. The only carol you hear is a twisted Jingle Bells whispered in the hellish Niflheim dimension, though wave after wave of horny Hel jokes fill the air. But even with all the differences, one thing is definitely the same: the stress of running around trying to get things done in time! As much as I am grateful that a form of last year's End of Days event has returned (I did ask for it after all), the fact that there are three events -- A Mother of a Season, Ever-Ending Days, and Whispering Tide -- happening simultaneously is a bit overwhelming. Add the whole real-life part of the holiday season to the evil RNG, and I am truly scrambling to complete my holiday wish list of pets, achievements, and apparel. I am even struggling to get the lore. (And you know that makes for a very unhappy MJ!) Luckily, the holiday events don't end until January 2nd, so I am going to make a push to finish up as much as I can. If you happen to be in the same boat, here are a few hints to help wrap it all up. If, however, you are one of those people who got everything done early, feel free to skip to the end where I have penned a more appropriate take on a holiday favorite in honor of the season. Hopefully it will become a new cherished tradition!
Krampus has arrived in The Secret World
Bust out the holiday cheer, Krampus is here! The holidays have officially arrived in The Secret World with the start of the all-new Christmas event, A Mother of a Season. Until the 2nd of January, brave groups of adventures can follow Krampus into the realm of Niflheim to fight even more enemies, and even call forth Hel herself. PvPers can try and become the Lord of Misrule, a five-minute title that grants special abilities during PvP. Of course, there are plenty of themed goodies and loot as well, not to mention the return of the End of Days event. Today's patch also brought a handy new addition to the game: a pet inventory. Now you can free up your bag space by clicking on all your pets and moving them to the new pet window (shift + p), earning an achievement for each pet collected.
Bylos talks Tokyo, new scenario difficulty, and more in TSW's November letter
In his November Game Director letter for The Secret World, Joel Bylos covered a variety of topics, from Issue #8's augments and scenarios to holiday events and Tokyo. The biggest news involving The Venetian Agenda is that a new level of difficulty is being added to the scenario system; on top of Normal, Elite, and Nightmare Modes, there will be a Novice difficulty to allow more players to participate without watering down the challenge of the current levels. As promised previously, Bylos also offered an update on Tokyo. Players can get a better grasp of the incoming AEGIS system, a new type of defensive shielding,that will roll out in separate parts in Issue's #9, 10, and 11. On a sad note, Bylos also stated that Issue #9 won't hit before the end of the year, but it is expected early next year. At least while fans wait they can participate in the End of Days event that will return for the holidays as well as a brand-new event that is still hush-hush.
Chaos Theory: ARG expands The Secret World
If there is one thing that many MMOs have in common, it's in-game events. Just about every title has a least one event, often centered around holidays, where players do special tasks in-game and receive special gifts. The Secret World is no different, most recently running an apocalyptic event with Mayan zombies for players to trip over. But who says all events have to actually be in-game? Certainly not Funcom. Among the other hooplah over the supposed end of the world last month, The Secret World fans were participating in the game's latest Alternate Reality Game (ARG). Set out in the real world, the ARG let anyone -- player or not -- experience the ambiance of TSW investigation missions by solving a set of conspiracy-laden tasks and receiving in-game rewards. While the first ARG was via Facebook, this one utilized email, a special website, and even text messages and tweets. Some missions were solo events, while others required the world-wide community to band together to complete. And there's nothing like a common goal to bring folks together (even in some unexpected ways!). Didn't have a chance to play all the way through? It's not too late; the situation room is still open. Go ahead and put your thinking cap on and prepare to be drawn into a world of conspiracies, whether you play TSW or not.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's events deserve encores
Two, four, six, eight, No more Mayan Zombie hate! The end had finally come. No, not of the world -- of the in-game event that was celebrating the end of days in The Secret World. For just over two weeks, folks got to enjoy special missions, collect special loot, purchase special costumes, and even fight special mobs. But once the end came, the opportunity was lost forever. You see, the End of Days was a singular affair commemorating one particular real-world happening. As such, it was a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime deal. That particular happening -- the end of the Mayan calendar -- will never repeat, so it makes sense that TSW's event shouldn't either, right? Wrong. While I fully concur that events should not go on forever or be so frequent that they lose their special nature and the excitement that comes with being a part of them, I do not agree that The Secret World should have any one-time-only events. Like any successful performance, events should be granted encores. Instead of these events being once-in-a-lifetime, I propose that events should be once-in-a-long-time. Anything else actually hurts the game. Here's why.
Bylos's bunker life, the End of Days, and other Secret World news
Last we heard from Joel Bylos, creative director for The Secret World, he had locked himself away in his bunker and hunkered down for the end of the world. But don't think that means we've seen the last of him! In fact, Bylos continued his end of days video log from within that fortified haven. How well did he actually cope being sequestered away from the world with only Zoe, the two-dimensional bunker-mate? Watch and see for yourself in the final video after the break. In other news, Bylos also hosted a livestream party today in London's Crusades nightclub and answered questions from fans. We scooped up a few bits of news amid the din of revelers. First, the dev team is currently working on Black Ops, special dynamic PvP events that occur out in the world. In relation to that, Bylos revealed that there won't be multi-faction cabals because the team will be stepping up factional conflict; one way they will do this is by adding PvP XP. Outside of PvP, puzzle raids are also in the works for groups of players to solve together. Next, according to Bylos, folks are "guaranteed to see Venice before Tokyo, but it is not a new zone." In response to queries about player housing, Bylos answered that the team has to see where it falls on the list of priorities after things settle down with the new payment model. And last but not least, the special End of Days events will run through January 7th. So hop on in and enjoy a world overrun by Mayan zombies!
The Secret World creative director releases second End of Days video log
Tomorrow is that fateful day -- the one that has whipped The Secret World's creative director Joel Bylos into a frenzy. Will the apocalypse really be ushered in? Bylos certainly thinks so. And according to the video log, it's a good thing we caught up with Bylos yesterday to check up on him because he has now taken up residence in his bunker. In this latest End of Days chronicle and director's letter, Bylos issues goodbyes and an open invitation to his refuge from Armageddon before heading out for some last-minute preparations. Does anyone join him? To find out, watch the video after the break. And be sure to join Massively in a special End of Days livestream broadcast of The Secret World on Friday, December 21st @ 6:00 p.m. EST (assuming the world doesn't end before that, of course!). [Source: Funcom press release]
Exclusive: The Secret World's Joel Bylos vs. Armageddon
It's no secret that The Secret World's creative director Joel Bylos has been deeply affected by the most recent end-of-the-world predictions. He even started a video log to share his new-found convictions. In that first log, he advocated for the removal of subscriptions so that everyone would have the chance to enjoy TSW before the end came. Shortly after, the game indeed adopted the buy-to-play model. Then Bylos took off to begin preparing his survival bunker. But that video is over a week old. How has Bylos been coping with the impending Armageddon since then? I took a break from my Issue #5 adventures and caught up with the self-proclaimed end-of-days prophet to see how he's been faring, find out what he has learned about the apocalypse, and maybe get a hint on when the next video log will release!
The Secret World Issue #5 is live
With the end of the world hitting the planet on Friday, The Secret World's fifth monthly update could obviously only be enjoyed if it hit servers before then, right? So good news -- Issue #5 is live right now! So you can right hop in and help one of Solomon Island's denizens avoid meeting her end with bad hair and find out what really happened to Tyler Freeborn. Along with the usual assortment of new missions and investigations, this update adds a third auxiliary weapon (the quantum bracers), allows players to assign inventory items to hotkeys, opens a new nightclub in London, and makes all investigation missions repeatable. Want to see what's in store come Friday when the End of Days special event starts? Get a glimpse of the Harbingers themselves in the Issue #5 preview video after the cut.
The Secret World releases Issue #5 teaser, announces End of Days events [Updated]
When Funcom announced that The Secret World was abolishing subscriptions and converting to a "pay once, play forever" model, the studio also noted that Issue #5 would be included free for everyone who had the game by the end of December. So now that the free-to-play question is answered, inquiring minds want to know what the next monthly update includes! Well, folks, we'll have to wait a bit longer on the full answer to that, but we do have a hint of the upcoming story; the cover art lets us know it deals with The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn. We also have a special comic to start the story off after the break. Of course, the world is supposed to be ending, so what does that mean for TSW? Senior designer Tanya Short has jumped on the end-of-days bandwagon. In the latest dev blog, she details the special events that will begin on Friday the 21st, including special dynamic events and limited-time currency to spend on potions, unique weapon skins, and even a pet. As expected in any horror apocalypse, zombie attacks escalate everywhere and three giant nigh-invulnerable Harbingers will be roaming the lands. Will players find the single weakness of each that will bring down the behemoths before the world crashes? There is also a contest for the top player throughout the apocalypse with a title and pet reward, so hop on in and play a part in the end! [Updated with second version of comic. So tell us, which do you prefer?]%Poll-79645%
Secret World creative director goes crazy, kicks off End of Days chronicle
As we creep closer and closer to December 21st, more people seem to be paying attention to the cries of "The world is ending!" instead of reveling in holiday cheer. One recent convert to the end-of-days hype train is none other than Joel Bylos, creative director of The Secret World. After a weekend of poking around and researching the subject, Bylos decided that the world will definitely end at 11:11 on that fateful date and started a video blog to count down the remaining time. In the first installment, Bylos gets wistful about the fate of The Secret World. Then he gets a brilliant idea to bring more players to the game to experience the conspiracies for themselves. Charging into a meeting room, he spouts his idea to eradicate the game's subscription requirements. After all, who needs money when the world is ending? Management, however, seems less than convinced. Don't believe me? Watch the video after the break and see for yourself! [Source: Funcom press release]
The Secret World ARG heralds the end of days
With the end of the world almost here (it's December 21st, don't you know), who else would be on top of the apocalypse than The Secret World? Funcom's conspiracy MMO is preparing to launch another alternate reality game (ARG) themed around the end of days and TSW itself. Players and visitors alike are invited to sign up for the upcoming game. At the very least, you'll need to surrender your email address, although Funcom would like your Twitter handle and cell phone number as well. While you're on the website, check out the creepy whispering going on. Could this be the first clue? While we don't have specifics about what the ARG will entail, we do know that there are several in-game rewards for participants. These rewards include a monk outfit, XP potions, a survival outfit, and an invitation to a special celebration event with the devs.
Retailers already forgetting HD DVD
Even without an official announcement, it appears the world is moving on without HD DVD. At the Fifth Avenue Best Buy, HD DVD hardware is already special order only, while its disappeared entirely from this week's Circuit City advertisement. The only people still picking up HD DVD players seem to be value shoppers looking for to deep discounts when retailers clear out movies. Red put up a good fight, but with retail support rapidly following the studios, its clear what time it is.
