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Chaos Theory: A guide to auxiliary weapons in The Secret World
With Issue #7 A Dream to Kill inching closer and closer, my anticipation for the new auxiliary weapon coming to The Secret World is reaching near impossible heights. I'll admit it: As a pyro at heart, I am giddy with the thought of wrapping my hands around a permanent flamethrower! And I'm certainly not alone in that sentiment, either. But an excitement for the new weapon doesn't diminish any of the current ones that are already in game; each auxiliary weapon -- the rocket launcher, the chainsaw, the quantum brace, and the whip -- is awesome in its own right with distinct skills and style. Is one right for you? Heck yeah! If you aren't taking advantage of an auxiliary weapon, you are depriving yourself of some extra oomph in your fights, not to mention an eighth active and passive skill on your hot bar. How do you know which one is better for you? Honestly, you needn't choose just one; as with regular weapons, you can earn all four. But with a hefty price of 35 SP per weapon, payable all at once, it's impossible to get more than one at a time. So which do you choose first? And then how do you go about getting it? This guide will give a general overview of the four current auxiliary weapons and the paths to acquiring them.
The Secret World's Issue #6 launches tomorrow [Updated]
Folks who don't prowl around on the likes of Twitter may have missed out on a juicy little tidbit -- namely, that The Secret World's next update is coming tomorrow, March 14th. At 8:00 a.m. EDT, servers will go down for a scheduled three-hour maintenance, at which time Issue #6 The Last Train to Cairo will be patched in. Once the content is live, players will be able to add a whip to their weapon collection, dive into the new PvP ranking system, and revel in all the other assorted goodies coming their way. Previous announcements have noted that paid subscribers will get to access the content before others can purchase the DLC in the store, putting the launch for free players on Saturday the 16th Sunday the 17th. [Update: Funcom announced members will have a three day headstart instead of two; the launcher notes non-subscribers will be able to buy the DLC at 10:00 a.m EDT on the 17th]
The Secret World's Last Train to Cairo pulls into the station this March
While Funcom's recent restructuring and relocation put the brakes on The Secret World's content release schedule, it wasn't totally derailed. In fact, the next content update will be hitting servers sooner than many expected; Issue # 6 The Last Train to Cairo is scheduled to go live in the beginning of March. While no exact date has been given yet, paid members will get two days of early access to the content. What awaits denizens of The Secret World in this latest issue? A new storyline, a new foe (of raid proportions), the new veteran reward system, PvP ranking, and a new auxiliary weapon are all a part of this update. A new recruitment system will also be implemented, granting points equal to one month of membership for every new recruit. In an effort to contain the evil spreading through the sands of Egypt, players will delve deeper into the past of the desert land by actually traveling back in time to uncover powerful artifacts. Remember that petrified undead arms dealer, Said? Tap into his wisdom for advice on working against the cultists and their dark prophet Abdel Daoud. And last but certainly not least, fight atop a speeding train to Cairo with the newest auxiliary weapon, the whip, in true Indiana Jones style.
Couple in Atlanta finally gets a LiFe, courtesy of Wheego
Wheego has, at long last, let its first $32,995, 100-mile range LiFe electric two-seater loose on the public, and added another cute little electric car to the US EV collective. By either stroke-of-luck or sheer coincidence (no way is it intentional), the first of the breed was delivered today, otherwise known as Earth Day, to a couple of lucky owners in the ATL. Good to see Dixieland drivers (who often prefer something with a lift kit and Super Swampers to fuel-efficient subcompacts) bringing cleaner motoring to the derrrty South.
Wheego's so-called Whip LiFe delayed, supposedly still coming soon
We'd thought the thing were on their way, scoring EPA certification back in December and, in theory, almost ready to roll. Turns out Department of Transportation approval is taking a little longer than anticipated, and so the $32,995, 65mph, 100 mile range cars still aren't fully road legal. The company has indicated it's received 500 orders for the things, orders which it hopes to start shipping by the end of this month. Given how many X's we have on our calendar this month that may prove to be optimistic as well, but still probably more realistic than your chances of getting a Leaf this year.
Wheego Whip LiFe grabs up EPA certification
Yes! Another reason to write about the darling and awesomely-named Wheego Whip LiFe! This time, it's good news indeed, as the all electric micro-car has received EPA certification. The cars, which are priced at a reasonably affordable $32,995 (or $25,495 after the Federal tax credit), are now simply waiting for final approval from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration before they can roll into dealerships. It looks like the cars will ship at the beginning of the year now, with production well underway for the past few months. We'll take two, please.
SWG invites you back and offers gifts if you stay
Did you have a Star Wars Galaxies account and were just itching to try out the Galactic Civil War content? Maybe the interviews with Tony Tyson or Lydia Pope made you consider trying out the new Witches of Dathomir content? Now is your chance! If you had an active account between January 1st, 2008 and September 15th, 2010, then you are eligible to log in for the free week of SWG, which started yesterday November 23rd and goes to November 30th at 4 a.m PST. All week, those players will receive a whip decorative item and a fedora decorative item. These items are replicas of the items worn by Indiana Jones from another LucasFilm franchise: Raiders of the Lost Ark. The film starring Harrison Ford is coming up on its 30th anniversary, and the current LucasArts MMO is giving away the fedora and whip in-game items to celebrate. As an added bonus, if you choose to renew your subscription before midnight (PST) December 31st, you will be given the option to make the whip and fedora wearable items. Check the official website to find out how you can take advantage of this offer, and may the Force be with you, always.
Wheego Whip gets pictured, driven around at mind-blowingly slow speeds
Given just how difficult it has been for even Chevrolet to get its all-electric gears going, we kind of wondered if we'd ever hear more about the Wheego Whip after it quietly faded earlier this year. Lo and behold, the low-speed city car has made an appearance at AltCar 2009, and after receiving about 100 orders, it seems the car is all but ready to begin pleasing those who shelled out just under 20 large for the privilege of a pink slip. Our good pals over at Autoblog Green were able to zip around in the car recently and serve up some impressions of the drive, and while it didn't seem to live up to the "Cadillac of neighborhood electric vehicles" claim, it definitely got the job done... at 25 miles per hour. Hit the read link for a gallery of shots and a fresh take on what a whisper quiet, low-speed driving experience is like.
RTEV begins taking orders for Wheego Whip electric car
If you're the type of Earth-loving individual who ain't got nowhere to go in a hurry, RTEV's ready and willing to take your order a brand new Wheego Whip. The company's first street electric LSV (low speed vehicle) will begin shipping to early adopters in May, and it's primed to carry up to two individuals and a few empty cola bottles anywhere you need to go -- so long as there's an AC outlet waiting at Point B. It's retailing for under $19,000 and includes an MP3 stereo system, remote keyless entry, air conditioning and a sweet 10 percent Federal Tax credit. Of note, RTEV has plans to eventually produce a higher speed model of this very car, and there's a trade-in program available (with terms that aren't half bad) for those interested. For all the fine print, give that read link a tap.
All-electric Wheego Whip hitting America in May... slowly
You can probably tell from the image above that the Wheego Whip isn't the fastest automobile to ever hit the streets, but it'll still be getting Americans from point A to point B before most of those other "concepts" will. The company is currently looking to score dealers that will sell its "electric LSVs (Low Speed Vehicles)," the first of which is obviously the Whip. If all goes to plan, it'll have 50 dealers across America by May, and given that this is "the best affordable electric car in the world" (that's the words of RTEV CEO Mike McQuary), we'd say all 50 should be brimming with customers. Unfortunately, we're not told just how fast slow this thing actually goes nor how expensive cheap it'll be, but hey, May's just a few months out, anyway.
Cheetah Ultra Sports reinvents the snowboard, wants $1899 for it
We've already seen the skateboard get re-engineered this year, so why not its most closely related, snow-loving cousin? Cheetah Ultra Sports has apparently developed the Whip F-117 after four solid years of research, development and taking oodles of time off to hit the slopes. In short, it's dubbed the Lamborghini of snowboards, promising to make riders go faster, feel lighter, turn quicker, edge harder, carve sharper and be broker. Yeah, we're just kidding on that last one, though the $1,899 price tag may just disagree. The board is only available in limited quantities due to the hand built nature, and obviously you'll have a difficult time trying one before you buy. So, what say you? The next big thing in boarding, or the next piece of hype sure to flame out in short order?[Via BeSportier]
When a whip comes along, you must eBay it
This would probably be your everyday Ren-faire quality whip were it not for one important detail: a Castlevania logo on a metal plate right above the handle. With that little detail, this leather whip becomes your own personal Vampire Killer. Though we recommend you take the Jonathan Morris "keep it in your inventory forever but don't bother using it" approach, over the Simon Belmont "hit every single thing you see with it" approach.Whips like these were sold on Konami's website a couple of years ago, but are no longer available. eBay user hgswells has put one on eBay for sale to Belmonts and non-Belmonts alike. Judging by the apparent condition in the photo, it hasn't been used to whip even one Medusa head.[Via GameSniped]
Virtually Overlooked: Castlevania (X68000)
Welcome to our weekly feature, Virtually Overlooked, wherein we talk about games that aren't on the Virtual Console yet, but should be. Call it a retro-speculative. Fans of Castlevania already have the option to play the first game on Virtual Console in either of two forms: the NES version or the Super NES remake. Both are excellent games and should be in your collection. But our lust for Castlevania cannot be satiated. The best-- and hardest-- version of Castlevania has yet to appear on the Virtual Console.
Zorro to leave his mark (exclusively) on the Wii
Between all the sword-swinging in the currently released Twilight Princess, Red Steel, and Wario Ware and more to come in planned Wii incarnations of Dragon Quest, Dynasty Warriors and Star Wars, you'd think developers would be getting a little tired of using the Wii remote to emulate a blade. Well, think again. On Friday, Zorro Productions announced that Pronto Games will be bringing the famous fictional swashbuckler to the Wii with "The Destiny of Zorro" this holiday season. Pronto President and Creative Director Randy Angle told Joystiq that they have been working on the game since last August when they got the license from Zorro Productions. Angle said the game would build off of existing Zorro properties while presenting a totally new story that gets into the origins of the character and brings the player "fully into the moment of Zorro-ness." The game is currently planned as a Wii exclusive, a decision that Angle said was predicated on the controller. "We would do a very different game if we were working on the PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360," he said. Players will get to control Zorro as he uses his trademark sword and whip, according to Angle, but that the moves will most likely be linked to abstracted Wii remote motions rather than a one-to-one representation of real-world movement. "Players tend to do better and get less tired with abstraction," Angle said. "It's not a sword-fighting simulator." Pronto, which also works on Wii middleware, has already secured a publishing partner in Europe but is still looking for a stateside publisher. They hope to have the game ready for production in September in advance of an early November release. [Via VG Gen]
Castlevania celebrates 20th year of vampire violence
Aside from usually being an absolute blast to play, the Castlevania games can have the strange effect of prompting one to engage in rather dubious debates regarding some of its more colorful traditions. Certainly, the startling presence of gold coins inside candles and chandeliers is a popular topic, as is the nebulous gender of whatever whip-wielding protagonist winds up exploring Dracula's anarchic abode. There's also the more obvious question as to whether or not Castlevania works in 3D, a question which once lured me into the following (and very real) conversation:"Hey what did you think about Castlevania: Lament of Innocence? I thought it was a bit crap.""Well, the level design was far too repetitive, but the atmosphere was really true to the series. As an action game, it works pretty well -- I must admit, it has an ace combat system.""It has an Ace Combat system?""That's what I just said.""Meaning you fly your Belmont around and shoot down vampires?"Luckily (?), that particular version of Lament of Innocence never saw the light of day, though if it did, it would likely be mentioned in 1UP's great series retrospective. To celebrate Castlevania's 20th year of existence, the article delves into the pivotal points, the exacerbating enemies and the obscure oddities that litter Dracula's castle. It's well worth a read, especially if you enjoy masterfully written subtitles. Castlevania: Waltz of Discontentedness -- where are you?
