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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.
Chaos Theory: TSW's new PvP -- how do you like them Big Apples?
Back when you all sent me into The Secret World for Choose My Adventure, little did you know that someday I'd be in the driver's seat of Chaos Theory. Yet here I am! It was quite the stroke of luck (to say nothing of the behind-the-scenes plotting and the occasional subtle manipulations) that landed me here. I promise, I didn't break too many fingers wresting the keys away from Jef, so you'll continue to see him all over Massively. I am pretty sure he can type with a cast... Anyway, let's get down to business because there is so much that can be said about The Secret World and not nearly enough time to say it! So what's my debut column going to be? Well, truthfully, I was going to delve into a few points of the new Big Trouble in the Big Apple update. But once I started, the sheer magnitude of all the stuff just filled page after page after page. So instead, I relegated one aspect to a different column (be sure to check out Some Assembly Required on December 7th!) and retooled my focus here to just the new PvP experience. You've heard about what the changes are and how excited some players are for them, but how do they play out in day-to-day PvP life in TSW? Keep reading to see.
The Road to Mordor: Sandbox features that would serve LotRO well
The tug-o-war in the MMO community between the virtues of sandbox vs. themepark designs looks like it's starting to result in a muddy heap in the middle: the sandpark. Personally, I think there are wonderful aspects of both designs (and drawbacks too), and a marriage between the two could offer more player freedom and creativity while keeping it structured and balanced. So I've been thinking about Lord of the Rings Online in regard to this and how it might benefit from a greater number of sandbox features in the future. I mean, on one hand we have one of the most "on rails" PvE games out there, but on the other hand there are seeds of great player freedom. Elements like the music system, the Winter-home theater, Hytbold, and the quite robust crafting system all serve to take us a step beyond the themepark. But what if LotRO took a few more steps toward sandboxy goodness? Seeing as how the original vision for the game was to make it a pure sandbox, I think that's not too farfetched a question. Here are several sandbox features that I think if married to the game would add to its appeal and variety.
The Secret World's Big Trouble in the Big Apple raid is now live
Eldritch horrors are on the rise in The Secret World's latest update, Issue #4: Big Trouble in the Big Apple, which went live last week. And as of today, the issue's biggest draw and the game's very first raid, has hit the servers. The raid takes place in the heart of New York City, where a tentacled Lovecraftian creature is wreaking havoc on the city that never sleeps. The raid had initially been delayed because of bugs and a need for further testing but is now available. Massively posted a preview of the raid and the rest of the patch last week. P.S.: Bring your chainsaws!
The Secret World's NYC raid opens November 21st
When Funcom sprung the news about The Secret World's fourth monthly update going live (giving players less than a day's notice!), the studio said that one piece of the patch would be missing. Due to bugs, Big Trouble in the Big Apple's New York City raid needed a bit more time before it was ready. Now, one week later, the content is hitting the live servers. And again, the devs are giving short notice: Tomorrow, November 21st at 7:00 a.m. EST, the servers will be offline for the patch. After an expected three-hour downtime, folks will be able to log in and throw themselves at the game's first-ever raid experience. So grab your friends and get ready! Not sure if a raid is your style? Check out Chaos Theory for why this instance might appeal to more than just dedicated raiders.
Chaos Theory: Why you should be excited for The Secret World's Issue #4
Dayum. I have to say that The Secret World's Issue #4 update looks pretty funking sweet. Despite the tough times endured by the title over the summer and after the subsequent Funcom layoffs, all signs point to growth for the game and its dedicated players going forward. Join me after the cut for a peek at why I'm excited about the game's immediate future.
The Secret World Issue #4 hitting servers November 15 [Updated]
Anyone trying to log into The Secret World at 7:00 a.m EST tomorrow, November 15th, will find the game offline. At this time, Issue #4 Big Trouble in the Big Apple will be added to the game. After the server downtime (which is expected to be three hours), folks will be able to log in and experience TSW's first ever raid taking place on the streets of NYC as well as stage plays for other players in London's Albion Theatre. Other additions to this fourth monthly update include changes in PvP and a new chainsaw weapon. [Update: Devs posted an update noting they forgot to mention one little thing: "So, that announcement is also supposed to say clearly in big letters: BUT THE NEW YORK RAID WILL REMAIN LOCKED UNTIL FINAL TESTING IS COMPLETE."]
The Secret World shows off upcoming raid in New York City
In real life, the closest thing you'll find to an eldritch horror in New York City is a half-eaten gyro that's been left in the subway for a week. But in The Secret World, the next major update is bringing some much bigger horrors into the heart of NYC. A new video from the development team explains how players will take on the game's first raid when it goes live with the fourth patch, Big Trouble in the Big Apple. That's not all the update contains, however -- players will also be able to start up the game's second auxiliary weapon (the chainsaw) and indulge in creativity within London's Albion Theater. There's also a PvP overhaul incoming with new rewards, new vendors, and new battle modes. And even that just scratches the surface. For the full rundown of the patch's features, take a look at the lengthy preview video embedded just past the break.
Chaos Theory: Reticles and roleplay in The Secret World
Funcom is a lot of things, but quitter isn't one of them. The company and its flagship The Secret World title have been through the proverbial poostorm in recent weeks, but the devs are doing their damnedest to come out swinging. What in tarnation am I talking about? Joel Bylos' state-of-the-game letter from yesterday, of course. The newly minted Game Director dumped a wall o' text on us that hinted at a couple of exciting developments in store for everyone's favorite horror/conspiracy MMO. Let's chat them up after the cut.
Funcom rehires staff, confirms TSW group investigation missions
New Game Director Joel Bylos dropped several juicy tidbits about the future of The Secret World on the Flash Point podcast. One of the biggest of these is that Funcom is growing once more following recent layoffs. "We have already brought back three people," he said, "It gives us hope and it's great to see those faces back at the office." He said that a second auxiliary weapon -- which players assume to be the chainsaw -- is coming with next month's Issue 4, and the Halloween event scheduled in a couple weeks will have players digging through Irish lore books. If you like the game's investigation missions, you'll be pleased to hear that The Secret World will be introducing group versions of these types of quests. But will the team be able to keep up with the monthly updates? Bylos is firmly confident that it can be done, as the structure for issue development is in place. Bylos admits that it's "absolutely vital" for the studio to advertise the game better and communicate clearly what the game is to potential players. He also said that the team is working on helping players overcome the game's higher difficulty, particularly with starter decks that are coming soon and easier story boss fights. [Thanks to Elania for the tip!]
The Secret World gets a new game director, title and date of Issue #3 announced [Updated]
Funcom's finally named a replacement for The Secret World's game director spot: Joel Bylos. Bylos is moving up from his previous position as lead content designer, and Ragnar Tørnquist is pulling back from his role as senior producer to pour his energies into being creative director. Bylos is psyched at the move: "Being given the opportunity to lead the game into a bold, new future is definitely a dream come true for me. I am very proud of what we as a team have created with The Secret World, and it is truly a brilliant canvas that will allow us to create more groundbreaking MMO experiences for many years to come. The Secret World is only really getting started, and with a game world that draws upon our own, real world, there is no limit to what sort of amazing stories we can tell and fantastic locations we can visit in the upcoming content updates." Bylos and Tørnquist are hard at work leading the team through the next two patches. Funcom announced that this month's Issue #3 is titled The Cat God and Issue #4 will feature the New York City monster raid. [Update: We've now learned that Issue #3 releases tomorrow. Thanks to Dalazar and Elania for the tip!]
