the-exiled-realm-of-arborea
Latest
TERA's Poporis wreck face in the most adorable possible way
Last week, En Masse Entertainment introduced TERA fans to the deceptively childlike Elins. Now we've got some new details on the Elins' brothers-in-arms, the Poporis. These bestial creatures were once nothing more than feral animals until they were granted sentience by the Elins. Since then, the two races have joined forces to create the Popori Nation, which seems a smidge arrogant considering the Poporis wouldn't even have a nation if it weren't for the Elins, but we digress. The Poporis are characterized by their candid nature and show uncompromising ferocity in the defense of nature. Today, the Poporis fight alongside the Federation -- at least as long as the Federation's goals coincide with their own. To get a glimpse of these adorably ferocious (or ferociously adorable) critters in action, just click on past the cut for the new Popori-centric trailer. But remember, Arboreans: Just because something is cute and fuzzy doesn't mean it won't maul your stupid face.
Next TERA CBT weekend brings level cap increase, new dungeon, and PvP
Here we are at the beginning of another week which TERA fans are certain to be anxiously waiting to end because this weekend marks the game's second North American closed beta weekend. During the last test, players got to experience the game's PvE content all the way up to level 22, including the Bastion of Lok instance. Well, this time around En Masse Entertainment is going to be opening up the gates to five additional levels of content, allowing players to progress to level 27. Testers will also gain access to a new dungeon known as Sinestral Manor, and each player will get two character slots per server rather than just one. Oh, and speaking of servers, we hear there's going to be a new one. Players will be able to test their skills against one another on Valley of Trials, the new PvP server. To top it off, En Masse has also revealed a bit of new information on how PvP combat will work. Open-world combat will be initiated when a player uses an ability known as Outlaw Declaration, which does what it says on the tin: It declares the caster an outlaw, allowing him to attack (and presumably, be attacked by) other players for 60 seconds or until combat is over. But single combat isn't the only way to get your PvP fix. Guilds can also declare war on other guilds by using the item Bahaar's Spark of War Declaration, which can be purchased in capital cities. After war has been declared, members of opposing guilds will be able to attack one another on sight. So there you have it, folks. That's what we've got to look forward to this next beta weekend. We hope to see you all on the battlefield.
TERA reflects on lessons learned from first CBT weekend
It's been a week since the first TERA North American beta weekend, and European players are getting their first swing at the game as we speak. But before En Masse Entertainment opens the floodgates to NA players once more next weekend, the studio is taking the opportunity to recap the events of the first closed beta test. Overall, the studio seems quite pleased with the results of the test but notes that "the weekend was not without some hiccups." One such hiccup that beta players will certainly be well acquainted with is the chaos that ensued as dozens of players simultaneously tried to kill the quest mob Vekus, which led some players to actually form organized queues to ensure that everyone got a chance at him. But the studio assures us that we need not worry, as "the En Masse team learned a great deal from CBT1 and will put those lessons to good use as we ramp up for CBT2." The studio also brings us a couple of interesting statistics from the first beta test. For instance, the most popular race-gender-class combination was the Castanic female Warrior (which we're sure has absolutely nothing to do with the Castanics' apparent aversion to modesty). And of course, beta participants will be very familiar with the basilisk BAMs in Oblivion Woods, which apparently accounted for almost two-thirds of all player deaths over the course of the weekend. Gotta watch out for those bodyslams, guys. They'll getcha. Ultimately, the studio concludes that "this weekend was a big success both in terms of players getting hands-on time with TERA and for showing the team what they need to refine before the game's May 1 release." To sign up for the game's future beta tests, just head on over to the game's official site, linked below. [Source: En Masse Entertainment press release]
Going toe-to-toe with TERA's first beta weekend
Over the past months, many fans of En Masse Entertainment's upcoming "real action combat" title TERA have been wondering whether the game will ever see the light of day. Between sparse development details and word of legal troubles, TERA's future seemed to be in constant jeopardy as cries of "vaporware!" grew steadily louder. Well, those voices can finally have a bit of a reprieve because over the course of this past weekend, players were able to jump into the world of Arborea and experience TERA's action combat firsthand. I was among those players, and after a joy-filled romp through TERA's gorgeous landscapes (thanks in no small part to my fabulous guild -- hi Territ!), I'm ready to conjure up some thoughts that will hopefully somewhat resemble my impressions of the closed beta weekend. So if you want to know whether the game's real action combat hits the mark or it's a swing and a miss, follow me past the cut and let's take a look.
TERA producer's letter discusses new launcher, development progress
A new holiday edition producer's letter has been published on the official TERA site, and in it Chris Hager announces that he is currently using the studio's new launcher to log in to the game. Why is this such a big deal? Hager explains that it "represents a huge leap for us here at En Masse." He goes on to tell how, over the past year, the team has worked "directly and intimately with the Bluehole development team to... add features that appeal to western gamers." But why is the new launcher so important? Because it's one of the features that the studio built from the ground up. Hager also notes that the game has been in alpha for "about 4 months" and that this week is the last week of alpha testing. He says the team is also looking forward to "the next step in TERA's journey toward launch next spring." Here's to hoping that next step is a beta test. For the full letter, just click on over to the official TERA site.
TERA monthly chat talks public previews, PvP, and more
TERA's November edition of the monthly Twitter dev chat has been posted on the game's official site, and it brings a few choice morsels involving the current alpha test and the upcoming closed beta. The team notes that the current testing is going quite well, and the first public preview event will be starting in early 2012. Many players also ask about the game's open world PvP, and the team mentions that a free-for-all-from-level-1 PvP server is not out of the question, though it won't happen at launch. Master glyphs, guild wars, and fashion customization are all on the table as well, so for the full transcript, head on over to the official TERA site.
En Masse talks more on Creatures of Magnitudinous Derrieres
Mmmyes, quite. TERA's press onslaught continues in full-force (though still sans release date) as En Masse Entertainment has released some new information regarding -- you guessed it -- Big Ass Monsters. Of particular note in the article is the ovolith, an arachnid BAM that transforms into a cocoon and is capable of spraying players with a lethal venom. Players, of course, can't just rely on the random number generator to save them. They have to actively dodge the poison as well as the monster's quick pincer attacks. The game's Monster Concept Lead Artist, Junghyun Kim, says there are certain challenges that arise when designing new creatures. Kim states that "The monster's outer shape matters a lot in combat because TERA lets players aim their attacks naturally. Auto-targeting games only need a normal attack with different attack motions, but we have more aspects to consider because the player's character actually gets hit in TERA. But this extra challenge is one of the joys of creating monsters for TERA." Well, that's great, but can we get a release date please? Pretty please? [Source: En Masse Entertainment press release]
En Masse releases October TERA producer's letter
It's been a while since we last heard from En Masse Entertainment, but the wait is now over. Chris Hager is back on the scene with the newest TERA producer's letter, and there are a few details that may make fans a bit more excited about the upcoming title. The studio recently met with a few members of the Bluehole Studio overseas team. The result of this meeting? "A firm alpha/beta/launch schedule" for the upcoming action MMORPG. What is that schedule? Well, we don't know yet. Sorry! The next phase of alpha testing will be taking place soon, though it's important to note that the studio is selecting testers internally. With any luck, this means that beta is just on the horizon. Keep in touch for further updates, which Mr. Hager assures us are coming soon.
PAX 2011: Hands-on with TERA
At this year's PAX, I had the distinct pleasure of being able to get a hands-on preview of TERA at En Masse's own studio (which has the most amazing view I've ever seen, by the way). After a short presentation featuring TERA's healer trailer, we (Rubi, another journalist, and I) were tossed into the boots of a variety of DPS characters. I took on the role of the Sorceress, with Rubi with me on the back lines as an Archer. The devs told us we'd be facing a pair of BAMs as a 5-man group. After a good deal of japes regarding whose fault it is in the case of a wipe (for the record, it's totally the healer's), we jumped right into the dungeon. And then, chaos. I had hardly any time to read my abilities' tooltips, so for the first couple of pulls I was just spamming buttons and praying for the best. How did the rest of the dungeon play out for my poor, inexperienced self? Follow me after the cut and I'll tell you allllll about it.
TERA introduces new healer trailer
Healers are the unsung heroes of fantasy worlds, protecting the valiant warriors of the realm and receiving none of the glory. Well, En Masse Entertainment is looking to change that, and to start it off the team has released a new cinematic trailer thathighlights the healers of TERA. Our healer host for the trailer, a female Castanic, provides us with a bit of backstory via voiceover as monsters ravage the land. The heroes of TERA won't take that sitting down, of course, and soon enough our Castanic friend and her allies make a grand entrance and take down a legion of foul creatures, only to find themselves face-to-face with one Big-Ass Monster. For all of the action-fueled excitement, hop on past the cut for the full trailer.
En Masse's response to microtransaction speculation: TERA is not a microtransaction game
In one of our recent TERA articles, we speculated that TERA may be going towards a microtransaction/subscription model thanks to the wording in a press release sent out by Digital River, TERA's online shop service. However, senior producer Brian Knox has sent us a statement that sets the facts straight: TERA is not a microtransaction game. "After a press release by Digital River announcing our e-commerce partnership a few players expressed concerns that TERA would be a micro-transaction game in addition to requiring a subscription fee; that is not the case," said Knox. "TERA is not a micro-transaction or cash-shop item game. The game is built and designed to function as a subscription-based game. We would have to make dramatic changes to the game's design to support micro-transactions and there is no intention of doing so."
