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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!
Chaos Theory: Nursery tales and TSW's issue #7
I look forward to a new issue in The Secret World as I do any much-anticipated book release. I can't wait to dive right into it, experience a great story, and come out of it changed somehow. We've been waiting months for a new story arc in this game, and now it's finally here. Warning, massive spoilers ahead! While MJ got an advance tour of the issue, I purposefully remained ignorant of it so that I could experience it for the first time on the live servers. The whole affair begins with Who Horrifies the Horrors? in the Besieged Farmlands in Transylvania. The one-eyed Carmen told me that something's agitating the local werewolves, and when the scary beasties that you know are terrified, then it's probably not good all around. It turns out that the werewolves aren't being agitated; they're being hunted, ripped apart, and slaughtered. The alive ones practically trample over me trying to escape the area, but I'm not going to give them a free pass just because they're scared. A little cleanup with my trusty shotgun and those mongrels won't need to worry about fear any more.
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%
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!]
Base jump into The Secret World's Issue #7 on July 8th
Strap on your 'chutes folks: The Secret World is letting you jump into Issue #7 A Dream to Kill next week! Funcom has announced that this next DLC -- with its mountable snowmobiles, base jumping, flamethrower, and more -- will be released on July 8th. Can't wait? You can get a sneak peek of what's to come in the teaser trailer after the break. Players have been enjoying all the tweaks and bug fixes of Issue #7 since June 26th, but the new content was not included in that patch. Once deployed to servers, the new missions and story arc will be played out mainly in Transylvania and culminate with the infiltration of Agartha by filth through the Tokyo entrance. The Agartha incident is, in turn, the beginning of a multi-patch event that will lead players all the way to the release of the Tokyo expansion. [Source: Funcom press release]
The Secret World updated 1.7 features today, not Issue #7 content
The Secret World fans who might have gotten overly excited for a stealth launch for the upcoming Issue #7 A Dream to Kill are in for a bit of disappointment: Today's patch contains all the fixes and code features for the update, but does not activate the new content. That said, the launchpad announcement makes it sound like the new content can be turned on with a flip of a switch, so the new missions and flamethrower auxiliary weapon may not be too far behind. However, even without snowmobile chases, base-jumping, and flamethrower, update 1.7 is a hefty one, filled with tons of tweaks and bug fixes to combat, signets, dungeons, PvP, and more. For a full run-down of all the changes, check out the patch notes.
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: The Secret World is getting filthy
So apparently some of you have operatives who have successfully infiltrated the Massively secret lair because someone has gotten a peek at my master plan... I mean, to-do list... and jumped ahead to this week's topic without me! I know we've talked before about how the real-world setting of The Secret World makes it ideal for blurring lines between game and reality, but I wasn't expecting this. Well, no matter. You cannot thwart the master plan; it has already begun. *maniacal laugh* This stage of my brilliant scheme involves taking a closer look at another little nugget found in the May Game Director's Letter. On the surface we see that The Secret World will be getting even filthier at the conclusion of Issue #7 as the nefarious filth will actually break through the Tokyo gate and begin to infect Agartha itself. But more than that, we are witnessing the implementation of a long-term event that will continue to give new content as it progresses. Could this be the harbinger of dynamic events to come that will breathe more life into the world? We can certainly hope!
Chaos Theory: Increasing The Secret World's replayability with Issue #8
I've said it before, and I'll say it again: The Secret World just keeps getting better and better. While the horror-themed conspiracy game is obvious not perfect (heaven help the rest of the MMOverse if it were!), it is definitely traveling steadfastly along that long, dusty road of improvement. Every time Funcom delves deeper into the lives and plots of The Secret World's denizens by adding to the story, it gets better. Every time new experiences are offered through new missions or features, it gets better. Ditto every time more choice is added through new weapons or customization. But for all the advancements and added content over the past year, there are a few issues that, when addressed, would get the game really trucking down that road and make for one heck of a ride. Luckily for fans, it just so happens that one of those very issues appears to be getting some attention come Issue #8: replayability. Behold the hope that is scenarios!
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.
Chaos Theory: Throwing TSW's next themed party
I spy with my little eye... a trend! With last month's announcement of The Secret World's next update, I noticed a certain motif. It appears that beyond just adding new content, the conspiracy game is getting in on the party planning business, throwing themed bashes for players to enjoy. And the players themselves get to arrive as iconic guests of honor! While not making you the exact person, the two most recent DLCs effectively give you the chance to participate in adventures with the persona of a beloved and/or well-known character: Indiana Jones headlined Issue #6, and James Bond will be the star of Issue #7. That leads me to wonder: What -- or who -- will we meet next? We've already offered some suggestions for new locales for future TSW updates, so why not toss out a few ideas on the next major icons to represent? I know you all have some favorite role you'd love to slip into, so come add your suggestions to these possibilities.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World shaken, not stirred
For all those who've been trying so hard to predict gloom and doom for The Secret World, I say Nyeh nyeh because the April producer's letter announcing Issue #7 pretty much flies in the face of all your it's-gonna-die whimperings. In fact, I can't believe we still hear them because TSW just keeps getting better and better. Where's the duct tape when you need it... While it's true we don't have monthly updates anymore (and that's totally understandable, given the restructuring that devs certainly couldn't predict), Secret World fans are still getting frequent, and more importantly extremely fun, updates. Just look at The Vanishing of Tyler Freeborn and The Last Train to Cairo; both of these issues brought interesting new storylines and a decent helping of new features. Some even say these updates introduced the best content so far. With that track record, who can't help but be totally psyched for the upcoming Issue #7?
The Secret World's Issue #7 goes 007
April's Game Director letter for The Secret World is hot off the presses, and in it Joel Bylos shared some juicy morsels about the next issue in store for the horror and conspiracy-laced game. He revealed that whereas Issue #6 was spiced with an Indiana Jones flavor, Issue #7 will be sprinkled with a distinct 007 zest. Yes, Bond. James Bond. Set in Transylvania, Issue #7 directs players to investigate the presence of the werewolves in the area, which ultimately leads them to an Orochi facility secreted away below a glacier in the Carpathian Fangs. Along the way, players get to experience adventures as a secret agent, complete with daring chases (a snowmobile one at that!), dare-devil jumps from exploding bridges, and close shaves with laser beams near sensitive areas. There's also a new auxiliary weapon to brandish -- the flamethrower. But the new goodies don't stop there. Bylos introduced a new feature that allows for custom streaming of radio stations or playlists directly into the client as well as a some PvP changes including tweaks to the matchmaking system. He concluded with some teasers about Black Ops and Issue #8. For all the details, check out the full letter.
Engadget Distro Issue 7 is ready for download!
Come and get it! The very first, fully fresh issue of Engadget Distro is ready for you to consume, and it's not just for the iPad anymore -- a PDF version is available for download below. So what's on the menu this week? We've got a very thorough review of iOS 5 by Dante Cesa, a look at Nikon's first mirrorless camera by Zach Honig, Brian Heater's thoughts on the fourth generation Kindle, Ben Heck's journey to geekdom, Tim Stevens' take on T-Mo's Galaxy S II, and so much more. So if you haven't had a chance to gobble up absolutely every last word that's crossed your monitor this week, let us do the honors of bringing you the very best of what Engadget had to offer, bundled in a beautiful package and absolutely free of charge. Either hit the appropriate link below or check your app for the download -- we promise it's yummy. After all, we baked it ourselves. Distro Issue 7 PDF Distro on the iTunes App Store Like Distro on Facebook Follow Distro on Twitter
