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Chaos Theory: The Secret World's Tokyo barrier
Blue Mountain: On the road through The Secret World adventures, this was the zone that would make or break many players. It's the point when you had to really start crafting your decks more carefully and applying synergies. Not all who felt the blow of this particular skill check powered through, making it a barrier to continuing on to Egypt and Transylvania as well as completing the story mission. Well, now there's a new barrier in town: Tokyo. As much as I had looked forward to the Issue #9 content, and as much as I am enjoying the content now that it is here, I have to admit that Tokyo is the granddaddy of barriers. Not only are there barriers to getting to the content, but there are some to enjoying it once you get there too. And any one of them might cause players to give up on Tokyo and The Secret World before experiencing the whole update. So to help folks avoid smashing into any barriers unexpectedly and leaving bruises, let me give you the scoop on what lies ahead.
Issue 9 of The Secret World is live
Tokyo has been squatting like a gargoyle on the horizon of The Secret World since its launch nearly two years ago. Now, it's time for players to get into it. Issue 9 has just gone live, bringing with it the addition of the Tokyo playfield along with new missions, new monsters, and new revelations for the overarching story. But really, would you expect any less from the source of the Filth infestation? Players will explore Tokyo starting at the same subway junction that set off the game's story, moving from there into the city proper. Once in the city, they'll be dealing with Orochi, Filth zombies, an oni infestation, and plenty of ghosts clustering about. If you want to know a little more about the content before you jump in, you can check out our tour of Tokyo from yesterday.
Chaos Theory: Touring Tokyo with TSW's Joel Bylos
It's Tokyo time! That's right, an end to the wait is finally upon us. Come Wednesday, everyone who buys Issue #9 The Black Signal for The Secret World and has acquired The Council's Seal will be able to cross the threshold into Tokyo. Like you, I've been dying to get in and check out this new zone, the first new area introduced to the horror game since launch. Thanks to a special tour with Game Director Joel Bylos and Communications Manager Tor Egil Andersen, I was able to preview the first of the three Tokyo zones so I could share that experience with you. We not only explored the city itself, but we completed one of the new -- and might I add, really spooky -- missions and utilized the new AEGIS system. So, how is it? Let me just say, it's worth the wait! And not just for the creepy homages to the Illuminati handler, Kirsten Geary.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's Whispering Tide and Tokyo
Let's hear it for the encore! If you missed any step of the The Secret World's first long-term (and by long, I mean like The Great Wall of China long) event, you've been granted a second chance. Before The Whispering Tide rolls out for good and Tokyo finally arrives, all phases of the event will be temporarily available for players to experience. Starting last week with the gathering phases and moving to the instanced phases this week, players have the opportunity to snag missing lore and check off achievements, ultimately earning the crowning piece of the bee suit: the helm. This was definitely a smart move on Funcom's part. With this latest act, the studio shows more consideration for TSW's players and fosters an increase in goodwill, something the company certainly needs after such a long wait for Issue #9 and the more recent April Fools' Day mankini debacle. Sadly, a few easily preventable missteps marred what could have been a purely positive move.
Meet The Secret World's Tokyo cast
Tokyo is coming -- no, really! -- to The Secret World later this month, and Funcom is fueling fans' anticipation by introducing to them several of the primary NPCs who will be in the new zone. These characters include Sarah, a Council of Venice occult investigator; Gozen, a samurai leader who protects Japanese leadership from demons; Inbeda, an Oni demon mercenary; Daimon Kiyota, a leader of the Yakuza occult branch; and Kurt 'Buster' Kuszczak, an Orochi tank commander who is having a very bad day. Interestingly enough, players have already met Sarah. She was the character through whom players explored the tutorial; we saw the aftermath of the Tokyo disaster through her eyes. [Thanks to Cotic for the tip!]
The Secret World's Tokyo story missions will be replayable
The Secret World's Issue #9: The Black Signal is coming this month (when, Funcom, when?), and in today's newsletter, the studio announced that all of the main storyline missions for Tokyo will be replayable for the first time in the game. Funcom posted a three-page comic for the issue and promised that it will be talking about Tokyo quite a bit in the coming weeks. "With Issue #9, we will be releasing the first part of the zone, the first chapter in the continuation of the main story, several side missions, and of course, the AEGIS system," the studio summed up. To fill the weeks between now and then, Funcom is triggering a repeat of all of the stages of the Whispering Tide event. This encore event will begin on May 7th and end on May 21st.
The Secret World's Game Director letter heralds open raid of final phase of Whispering Tide
The Secret World fans who have been itching to slaughter Flappy, that annoying flying Filth monster that punts them off the Agartha ledges, will be delighted to hear that their chance to exact revenge is almost at hand! Besides giving an update on the progress of Issues #9 and 10, TSW's January Game Director letter announced that the final phase of The Whispering Tide event will be launching in just a few days. This last step in clearing the way to Tokyo will involve open 40-man raid instances that are available for 30 minutes every three hours. Any player can simply walk into the lair; when that lair is full, a new instance will open. However, the first group to defeat Flappy during each round will receive a reward bag as well as bonus silvers and fragments. Additionally, the reward bags might contain raid-level items.
The Secret World's December Game Director letter talks Filth, Tokyo, and beyond
With the holidays (and holiday events) over, eyes have turned back to the update that all Secret World fans are looking forward to: Tokyo. And December's Game Director letter assures that Issue #9 will be released within the the first quarter, so players will step into Tokyo before the end of March. Penned by Lead Designer Romain Amiel, the letter also shares that Issue #10 will introduce a new lair and Issue #11 will have a new raid. But before all that can happen, however, the Filth must be eradicated from Agartha. Amiel offers an update on The Whispering Tide event, and players may be happy to hear that the end is near; the final phase, featuring the 60-man indoor world-boss-style fight against Flappy, will commence as soon as the current gate is cleansed. Additionally, the team is working on a way to let players stream music directly through the game and player-designed outfits will be available soon. [Thanks to all who sent in tips.]
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.
The Secret World hints at Aegis system with Issue #9
With Issue #8 on the way next week for The Secret World, Creative Director Joel Bylos hinted at what lies beyond in his latest game director letter. While the fans have known that the first part of the long-awaited Tokyo zone would be coming with Issue #9, Bylos dropped a small bombshell that a new system will arrive as well. "We will be introducing the new Aegis system," he said, "which will expand the horizontal progression of The Secret World and provide new mechanics that allow us to build consistent horizontal progression mechanics that will keep content fresh, not only in Tokyo, but also for all new areas in the future." Bylos reports that "full production is underway" for Issue #9, including work on missions, characters, motion capture, and voice acting. He said that once it's completed, it will be the single largest content update the MMO has seen to date. [Thanks to Cotic for the tip!]
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.
September producer's letter announces return of the Cat God to The Secret World
At the close of every month, Joel Bylos pens a producer's letter to all The Secret World fans reviewing the activities of the previous four weeks and outlining what's still to come. For September, Bylos updated players on the progress of both Issue #8 (scenarios are being balanced for solo, duo, and groups as well as nightmare versions) and the much-anticipated Issue #9 (when visiting Tokyo, bring your origami skills!). Bylos also invited players to jump in and participate in the current Whispering Tide event and reminded them that many more phases of the event are yet to come. On top of that, he announced that the Cat God event from last Halloween will be back, so everyone who missed out on completing that line will have a chance this year. Additionally, a new series of missions called Stories from Solomon Island will be available where players will investigate the legitimacy of the islands' various urban legends. This series brings players back to the stories of Tyler Freeborn and the Groundskeeper at Innsmouth Academy.
Chaos Theory: The Filth is on! A guide to starting TSW's long-term event
Hot diggity dog -- it's finally here! Ever since we learned the title of A Dream to Kill last May, we've known that Issue #7 was going to to go out with a black-pulsing-slithery-tentacled bang. And The Secret World fans have been waiting with bated breath for the game's first first mega multi-month collaborative event, the culmination of which will be the introduction of Tokyo! I thought that would get your attention. Yes, there's not a Secret World fan out there who isn't looking forward to the release of Issue #9 and all the glorious new areas to explore and missions to complete; in fact, it will be the first full new zone to come to the game since launch. Wait, so why all the fervor and why am I babbling on about Tokyo when we haven't even gotten Issue #8 yet? Because the Agartha filth event (as it was known up until now) was the first step toward both of these new issues. And now that step has been taken! It's called The Whispering Tide event, and the mere fact that it has started means that Issue #7 is at an end and players must now actively work to open the Tokyo portal in Agartha. But this portal cannot be opened until the filth is pushed back and wiped clean from the World Tree. So if you want to get to Tokyo, you've got to jump in and contribute to the effort; the more players contribute, the faster it will go. And this guide is the perfect way to get started!
Filth invades Agartha in The Secret World's collaborative event
You knew it was coming, and you've waited for it -- the day when the filth would infiltrate Agartha itself and a new cooperative long-term event would begin in The Secret World. Well, that day is today! Starting now, players will have to work together to fend off the Filth, unlocking new content and rewards as they go; the more each player contributes, the more rewards and success the entire community will have. The Whispering Tide event will escalate as the months go by, and the culmination of the event will pit the community against a brutal foe whose defeat will open the Tokyo portal and herald the release of the much anticipated Issue #9. [Source: Funcom press release]
Blizzard releases preview of World of Warcraft comic #9
If you're a Lore Nerd like Alex and I are, you've probably at least been following the storyline of the World of Warcraft Comic, and you know it's likely going to have a pretty big impact on WoTLK lore, as King Varian Wrynn returns and we finally get an end to the Missing Diplomat Storyline. Issue #9 continues the journey of Lo'gosh and his companions as they travel toward Ironforge and brings a familiar old villain into the light as well. Blizzard has posted the first few pages of the issue on the official WoW site. I have to admit, I have one major reservation about the story.
