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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!]
Hands-on with The Secret World's Issue #8: Scoping out scenarios
"I know your people are eager to go to Tokyo, but now is not that moment." - Arturo Castiglione, Council of Venice representative. Truer words have never been spoken. As much as players are looking forward to exploring Tokyo in The Secret World, that time is not yet at hand. (If you doubt, just look at how much Filth is still left to clear out in Agartha!) However, now is the moment for something else: the Venetian Agenda. And despite its unfortunate luck to be the DLC right before the most anticipated Secret World update ever, Issue #8 is more than just a stepping stone on the way to bigger and better things. This issue has merit in its own right; it introduces another layer of endgame as well as an entirely new mode of (replayable) gameplay. Although the update isn't live on servers until next week, I had the opportunity yesterday to travel to a sunken slice of Venice and dive into the new scenario and augment systems of Issue #8 in a special tour with Funcom Creative Director Joel Bylos and Communications Manager Tor Egil Andersen. After that hands-on experience, I've got to say that I think this DLC will keep folks sufficiently occupied, if not totally distracted from thoughts of Tokyo. And believe me -- you don't want to be distracted during these scenarios!
Age of Conan dev letter outlines new dungeons, tradeskill revamp progress
Age of Conan game director Joel Bylos has penned a new director's letter recapping the various happenings in Hyboria. Funcom is still hard work on AoC's long-awaited crafting revamp, and Bylos says that the "single most important part of the tradeskill system was completed earlier this week." Apparently there was plenty of work to be done converting old items and old tools into the new system -- some of the assets were originally created using Anarchy Online toolsets, for example. It sounds like there's still a long way to go, though, as Bylos mentions that UI work, content work, node placement, and tutorials still need doing. The letter also mentions Age of Conan's traditional Halloween event as well as three new dungeons that have made their way onto the game's test server. Click through the links below to read all about it!
Age of Conan's August letter previews the Great Hyborian Race
How do you implement open world PvP in an aging game? Age of Conan is going to do precisely that by running a race. Director Joel Bylos discusses the upcoming Great Hyborian Race in his director's letter for August, an event designed to promote PvP as well as give everyone a chance to see the game through new eyes. New players and old will have a chance for glory, fame, and fantastic prizes. How will it work? After the server merge (which has been delayed slightly by moving the game's offices), a new Blood and Glory ruleset server will be started specifically for the race. Players will have sharply limited use of XP potions, no use of offline levels, and a simple goal of reaching level 80 as fast as possible. Prizes will be given to players who reach the top first and who gain the most PvP experience. The letter also discusses upcoming unchained dungeons and upcoming unchained PvP, so even if you don't want to race you'll have something to explore.
The Secret World development letter outlines Issues 8 and 9
Funcom game director Joel Bylos posted The Secret World's latest development update on the official forums earlier this week. He says that the dev team is splitting "into two different areas of focus -- the systems driven updates for Issue #8 and the content-heavy new Tokyo playfield for Issue #9." The former update will feature two new systems, scenarios and augments, while the latter is such a huge undertaking that Funcom will be staggering its release over multiple patches. "Issue #9 will contain the first half of the zone, including an expanded section of Venice and a return to a location that everybody will recognize immediately," he says. Read all the details on TSW's website. [Thanks Olin!]
Issue #7 of The Secret World lets you be a secret agent
The Secret World has given players plenty of conspiracies to uncover, villains to put down, and dangerous traps to escape. The latest update, Issue #7, takes that one step further and lets you go full-on into secret agent territory. A Dream to Kill features a hunt through corporate secrets, a dangerous alliance against the Orochi Group, and a high-speed snowmobile chase while evading goons. No Daniel Craig, but you can't have everything. You can, however, enjoy a new auxiliary weapon in the form of the flamethrower, which deals damage over time and provides several additional flame-related abilities. And as you could guess from the game, your fight against goons and corporate machinations includes plenty of disturbing imagery, strange symbolism, and all of the groundwork you need before players can finally begin exploring Tokyo. If you're still not convinced, jump on past the break to see the full trailer for the game, complete with narration by director Joel Bylos. [Source: Funcom press release]
Chaos Theory Extra: Touring The Secret World's Issue #7
I know what you're thinking. No, really -- I am a mind reader, and I've been honing my skills. Like right now, you want to know what The Secret World's next big update, A Dream to Kill, is like. Nailed it, didn't I? Of course, that would be why you came here in the first place. And this is definitely the place to be because I've been to Issue #7 and I'm going to share my experiences with you. You could just wait until next Monday when the DLC is released to find out for yourself, but why wait if you don't have to? My tour was guided by none other than Game Director Joel Bylos himself, so I was able to slip in some questions between my oohs and ahhs. Wondering what juicy tidbits he revealed? Then join me for a look at what you can expect next week along with a glimpse of the future. Don't worry; I will clearly label any spoilers for those who want to be shocked first-hand. (Hint: The images in the gallery below are a bit of a spoiler!)%Gallery-193222%
Chaos Theory: Reflecting on The Secret World's first year
Bring out the cake and light the candle! Exactly 365 days ago today, the MMO stork delivered a new bundle of joy to gamers, one with a modern setting, cerebral challenges, and a unique take on the genre. And now that little bundle has sprouted up, weathering its share of growing pains over the last 12 months to carve out its niche in the MMOverse. Happy first birthday, The Secret World! To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I was going to burst out in a traditional song, but then I got an even better idea. I decided to instead do that other mainstay staple that happens at the celebratory gatherings for youngsters: bring out the baby scrapbook! As both new friends and old gather together to help celebrate this milestone, join me in flipping through the the pages of TSW's memory album chronicling the ups and downs of its first year of life.
Director's letter for Age of Conan talks loot, merges, and dungeons
If you've not been happy with loot rewards in Age of Conan, you can take some succor in the fact that the designers aren't happy with them either. The latest director's letter discusses the problem of rewards in the first Dragon's Spine dungeon and explains that the team is trying to create interesting loot without creating a huge power imbalance between new and veteran characters at the cap. While the next few dungeons will fill out the loot sets that have been established, the team is actively working on long-term solutions. Beyond that, the game remains on-track for server merges in the summer, with older unplayed characters moving into "archival" status to make database merges less onerous. The tradeskill revamp and further dungeons are also in the works; Coils of Ubah Khan is nearing launch as the next dungeon. For more details on the updates and discussion of achievements, take a look at the full letter.
The Secret World unleashing Guardians of Gaia anniversary event July 3rd, on sale now [Updated]
Tomorrow marks the one year anniversary of the horror- and conspiracy-laced The Secret World, and Funcom is hosting a week-long bash to celebrate the milestone. Joel Bylos introduced this latest event in his June Game Director's letter: Dubbed Guardians of Gaia, the event involves the awakening of massive guardians formed of the primal elements and meant as another line of defense against the Filth. Just like in the End of Days event, players will have to band together to rein in these guardians. The luckiest of players will come away from the fight with a Guardian of their very own. But that's not all. With free gifts for all players, a 30% discount on almost everything in the store, and daily bonuses (either double XP, double AP, or double SP) all week, it's a good time for players to jump into the game. As an added bonus, anyone who has ever played any Funcom title -- whether currently active or not -- will be able to log in and play TSW for free for the duration of this event, no purchase required. For those who don't, the game up on sale on Amazon right now for $9.99. The Guardians of Gaia will end when Issue #7 A Dream to Kill releases July 8th. Need a fix before then? Check out the update's comic after the break, and look for Massively's tribute to the game's first year in a special Tuesday edition of Chaos Theory tomorrow. [Updated to add Amazon sale information. Thanks to JohnT_NC for the tip!]
The Game Archaeologist: Anarchy Online turns 12
Most MMOs rolling into their 12th year (what few of them there are) live pretty quiet lives. Sure, there's the odd EverQuest expansion here and there, but for the most part the development has simmered down, the team trimmed to a handful of folks, and the best hope for the future is maintaining the status quo. Anarchy Online, however, is not angling to molder in some nursing home. As the 2001 sci-fi MMO turns 12 this month, it's looking back at a year full of exciting developments, scary moments, and hopeful visions. It might be the smallest arrow in Funcom's quiver right now, but I see it as a scrappy underdog that isn't willing to lie down and be ignored. So what happened this past year and what do Anarchy Online players have to look forward to? Glad you asked!
The Secret World Game Director's letter dishes more details on Issues 7 & 8
We already knew that Issue #7 would bring The Secret World a spy-like experience. And now, thanks to the Game Director's letter for May, we also have the title, snazzy cover art, and a glimpse at the climactic ending. We even get an expected time-frame for release; while an exact date is not given, it appears that it will hit the end of June, according to the cover art, and Director Joel Bylos himself states it will coincide with TSW's first anniversary. Issue #7: A Dream to Kill ends with filth infiltrating Agartha itself through the newly discovered Tokyo entrance, and players will continue to fight this threat with group and solo content until Tokyo can finally be entered. Bylos also reveals information about Issue #8, including the Virtual Training Scenarios and the Augment System. To prove readiness to enter Tokyo to the Council of Venice, players will have to complete training scenarios that will have random elements thrown in, making each experience different. The Augment system is a new advancement system that will allow players to improve their existing abilities by providing customization in the roles of damage, support, healing, and survivability.
Age of Conan game director talks about server tech, tradeskills, and more
Joel Bylos, the game director for Age of Conan, has put out this month's game director letter. In it, he addresses his team's plan for addressing "most of the concerns and requests" that players have. Through a three-phase process, Age of Conan will come closer to having the same server functionality as The Secret World. Servers will be moved to the same physical place, then servers with the same ruleset will be merged, and then cross-server queues and functionality will be implemented. The tradeskill system is getting a massive revamp. Key changes there include the near removal of quests from tradeskill progression. Dragon's Spine and Unchained content is starting to get scheduled, bit by bit, for release. You can read the full dev letter on the official site.
Get a glimpse of The Secret World's work-in-progress Tokyo playfield
Want a sneak peek at The Secret World's upcoming Tokyo playfield? You only have to sit through a 13-hour train ride to get it! OK, not really, but that's what one enterprising fan did in order to see if Issue #6's Last Train to Cairo would eventually reach its destination. If you haven't played through the new content yet, there's a climatic train sequence that involves a series of boss fights, and since players can be defeated, fall off the train, or otherwise fail to complete their objectives, the train keeps going (and going... and going). One fan decided to stay on the train for 13 hours to see what would happen, and while she didn't make it to Cairo, she was rewarded with a visit from Funcom game director Joel Bylos near the end of her marathon livestream. Bylos subsequently ported her to the work-in-progress Tokyo zone for an impromptu tour. Tokyo plays a significant role in TSW's overarching narrative. Players first visit it during the game's subway tutorial sequence, and the shadowy Orochi Group bases its headquarters there. While the preview shows off a rough version of the zone, complete with missing textures and very few NPCs, it also shows off a ginormous playfield and gives TSW fans reason to be excited for upcoming content updates. The Tokyo sequence starts around the 13:47:00 mark of the livestream linked below. [Thanks Elania!]
Funcom's Joel Bylos on the centralized TSW, AoC, and AO team
By now, most MMO gamers are pretty familiar with the fact that Funcom underwent restructuring. But what does that mean; what exactly did it entail? The term "restructuring" in itself signifies changes but does nothing to actually enlighten folks on what the changes are. Other than the fact that Joel Bylos was named creative director for all three of Funcom's titles -- Age of Conan, Anarchy Online, and The Secret World -- and that the team will be in one centralized in location, we know little of the details. How many developers survived the restructuring and relocated to remain on the team? Is this move foreshadowing one or more games slipping into maintenance mode? How will the coveted dev attention be divvied up? What does the future hold? Devoid of facts, players are left left wondering about how these changes will impact their favorite games. While chatting with Joel Bylos in an exclusive interview, I was able to ask some of these very questions.
Funcom's Bylos named creative director on AoC, AO, and TSW
Funcom has announced that The Secret World creative director Joel Bylos is now the creator director for all three of the firm's MMORPGs. This includes TSW, Age of Conan, and Anarchy Online. Bylos has penned letters from the game director for TSW and AoC, while AO's Dave "Ilaliya" Williams passes the torch via a forum post. Bylos' TSW letter talks additional content plans up to and including Issue #12 (the live game currently sits on Issue #5, with #6 scheduled for early March). Bylos has a special place in his heart for AoC stemming from his time as the lead designer on the Rise of the Godslayer expansion, and his initial game director letter reflects on both coming home and the opportunities for expanding Hyboria. He also talks a bit about the pros and cons of having a single production team working on three live titles. Finally, outgoing AoC producer Craig "Silirrion" Morrison recaps his four years at the helm and hints at a "new opportunity within the MMO world." [Thanks to David for the tip.]
Chaos Theory Extra: Bylos interview unearths more about TSW's Issue #6
By now, it's no secret that I am excited for The Secret World's next update with its new story arc and new reward systems. Oh, and whips -- we can't forget the whips. I did, after all, mention it a bit earlier today. So it shouldn't be any surprise that I want to find out as much as I can about The Last Train to Cairo. With that in mind, I caught up with Creative Director Joel Bylos to unearth a few more tidbits about Issue #6 and beyond to pass along to you. Keep reading for a discussion on the state of the team's relocation, word on when players can expect their first trip to Venice, and a few hints about future auxiliary weapons as well as the inspiration behind this update.
Funcom game directors talk relocation, effects on TSW, AoC, and AO development [Updated]
Funcom has published game director letters for all three of its MMOs this morning, and one of the topics on everyone's mind is of course the studio's reorganization. As it turns out, the dev teams for The Secret World, Age of Conan, and Anarchy Online will all be operating out of the company's Raleigh, North Carolina facility which was previously the sole domain of the Funcom customer service team. TSW's Joel Bylos notes that the move will cause some "development turbulence," and that the game's DLC and update schedule will slow down temporarily as a result. He has more details on both the game's Issue #6 update and veteran rewards in his letter. AoC's Craig Morrison says that the fantasy title isn't going anywhere, although he also acknowledges some staff turnover due to the relocation. He also notes that having the game's dev team and community team in the same building will be a huge benefit. Finally, Anarchy Online's update echoes the first two, but game director Dave "Ilaliya" Williams writes that the engine upgrade, server migration, and new player experience are all still on the table. [Update]: Funcom has also published an update on the restructuring process on its main website. [Thanks to David for the tip!]
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!
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!
