BlueHole
Latest
New TERA videos highlight BAMs, again
Oh TERA, forever teasing us with new press releases about BAMs in lieu of meaty gameplay details (or heaven forbid, a release date). The latest blurb comes courtesy of Frogster, the fantasy title's European publisher, and it features three new videos that provide a sneak peek at three more of the game's ubiquitous big-ass monsters. Each video runs for about a minute and each gives future denizens of Arborea a good look at the ovolith, the teralith, and the kumas BAMs in their native environments. Whether you're into creepy spiders, giant rock dudes, or beer-bellied behemoths that shoot death rays out of their stomachs (really), you'll probably find something to your liking in one of Frogster's new clips. Head past the break to see them all. [Source: Frogster press release]
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]
TERA wins G-Star 2011's highest honor
Things have been looking fairly bleak for TERA fans over the last few months. There have been reports of server merges and general discontent among the Korean playerbase, executive switcheroos at Bluehole Studio, and an American launch date delay to the spring of 2012. This year's G-Star convention finally provided a ray of sunlight in the form of the prestigious Presidential Award. Yes, TERA won it, and the honor is a pretty big deal in the South Korean gaming community. The country's Ministry of Culture (a government board responsible for gaming industry regulations) chooses the nominees while a pool of journalists, industry veterans, and gamers vote on the winner. TERA also took home G-Star awards for best sound effects, graphics, and character design.
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.
Massively's exclusive TERA lore: A day in the life of a Naga Clawrider
Yesterday, we teamed up with En Masse Entertainment to unveil TERA's Naga Clawrider and Naga Bloodscale, two "big ass monsters" that players will face off against come the game's launch in the U.S. next year. Today, we'll give one of those baddies a bit more character with a tale spun by one of TERA's own writers. This exclusive day-in-the-life story is told from the perspective of Silvatuhr, a typical Naga Clawrider -- one of the elite Naga soldiers who do battle from the backs of massive crabs. Silvatuhr explains the extreme risks he took with his own offsprings' lives in order to become a Clawrider, and then he cavalierly outlines the penalties he doles out to those who disrespect his race and his order. Don't take our word for it -- skip past the cut and let Silvatuhr himself fill you in.
TERA unleashes serpentine BAMs
The Naga is more than just an awesome gaming mouse or a deity of the Indian subcontinent, although the latter likely inspired the En Masse devs responsible for today's reveal of yet another pair of TERA BAMs. Massively's scored a look at two "big ass monsters" of the Naga variety, both the Naga Clawrider and the Naga Bloodscale. Clawriders, you'll be unsurprised to learn, are proficient at riding enormous clawed crabs that spit steam and kick butt. Should his skills fail him, the Clawrider dies the same death as his mount. Bloodscales, on the other hand, trample each other's bloodied corpses in their quest to be chosen to undergo what has to be the worst skin graft operation of all time. Then again, wouldn't you let a priest scrape off all your skin to make you thrice as powerful? Yeah, maybe not. Check out the gallery below for the visuals, and head past the cut for the official descriptions of these two baddies.%Gallery-86517%
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.
Massively's exclusive TERA lore: A day in the life of Gernakul the Dracoloth
Welcome, TERA fans, to another installment of Massively's exclusive A Day in the Life lore series. The recent news of TERA's spring 2012 launch delay may have dampened your spirits (or perhaps bolstered them if you're of the release-it-when-it's-ready mentality), but En Masse is here to tide us over with another interesting story snippet from the world of Arborea. This time around we're treated to the tale of Volorius, a devan soldier who makes a pact with an unlikely ally named Gernakul. Gernakul is a dracoloth, and as you can tell from the screenshot above, he's not to be messed with. Aside from decimating a camp of heavily armored soldiers and snacking on a overconfident sorcerer, Gernakul is possessed of a treacherous and nasty disposition, as Volorious soon learns. Read about his fate after the cut.
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.
Rumor: TERA's Korean development director resigns
If the rumors are true (and we'd like to stress that these are simply rumors as of press time), Bluehole Studio is undergoing something of a shakeup following the less-than-stellar showing of its TERA MMORPG in Korea. Hyun-Kyu Park, TERA's executive director, has reportedly left the development firm due to an as-yet undetermined internal conflict. Our sources in Korea tell us that Park locked horns with other senior Bluehole executives due to his desire to postpone the game's open beta earlier this year. At the time, Park stepped down from his role as TERA's chief producer to become a producer on a forthcoming Bluehole title but is now rumored to have left the firm entirely. TERA launched in Korea on January 25th and Bluehole began merging servers earlier this summer. Massively has contacted En Masse Entertainment, TERA's North American publisher, and is awaiting a response.
TERA shows off two new BAMs: the forestwalker vulcan and vulcan juggernaut
Raise your weapons, TERA fans, because today we've got another pair of BAMs for you to contend with. This month we're stepping away from the icy wendigos to the hulking vulcans, which act as servants to the mysterious cult of Lok. The spotlight shines first on the vulcan juggernaut, which -- as the name implies -- is a gargantuan creature more than capable of tearing your arms off and bludgeoning you to death with them, and more than willing to do just that. Between fireballs, foot-stomping earthquakes, and a general sense of unbridled malice, the vulcan juggernaut is a force to be reckoned with. Next is the juggernaut's distant cousin (twice-removed), the forestwalker vulcan. Though these vulcans aren't as large as their juggernaut counterparts, they make up for it with their enormous and deadly horns. Facing off with a forestwalker vulcan is a lot like the running of the bulls, only your chances of survival are even lower!
New TERA video takes players inside the Dark Cathedral
Our last look at TERA took us inside a day in the life of the wendigo Uchamba. Today, a new video from En Masse takes us inside the hallowed halls of the ominous Dark Cathedral instance. The short gameplay video features a group of adventurers taking on quite a few of the Cathedral's denizens, and its visuals are quite stunning to watch. It also gives players a look at TERA's "real action combat," which requires players to actively dodge and block in response to enemy attacks. If hot chicks, handsome men, and adorable panda creatures beating the ever-loving crap out of huge monsters sounds like your idea of a good time, head on past the cut for the full video.
Massively Exclusive TERA lore: Day in the life - Uchamba
TERA fans, it's time for another treat! A few days ago, we got our first look at the fearsome wendigos of TERA. Today, we delve even further into the culture of these clever creatures with a day in the life of Uchamba, the leader of the wendigo clan that guards the Thysrivvar -- known to the mortal races of TERA as the Azurice Shrine. Unlike the wendigos of many other MMORPGs, which are often portrayed as yetis or other abominable-snowman-esque creatures, TERA's wendigos are massive, crystalline creatures with a penchant for equally massive, crystalline weapons. Also unlike their traditionally savage and dim-witted counterparts, these wendigos seem to be presented as clever, honorable, and brave creatures fighting not for pleasure, but for their very survival. For the full story of Uchamba and his clan's struggle for survival against their mortal enemies, the giants, click on past the cut. %Gallery-88481%
TERA E3 recap video explains political system
E3 2011 is a distant memory, but En Masse is still getting a bit of mileage out of the event thanks to a newly released TERA video compilation. The trailer shows off portions of the closed-doors media presentation from this month's trade show, and the footage is heavy on action combat and lush sequences featuring the game's gorgeous visuals. The clip also devotes a good portion of its running time to the recently announced political system, and producers Chris Hager and Stefan Ramirez fire off some pretty tantalizing soundbytes relating to player interaction and the possibility of affecting the game world. "That means getting votes, buying votes, smearing your opponent, taking out your competition, raising taxes, making tons of cash money, controlling your province, putting players in prison, running your own events, managing your own towns, and just doing whatever you want," Ramirez says. Staying in power to continue doing whatever you want is the trick, of course, and the video spends a good amount of time detailing ways to maintain control over your province. While it all sounds pretty spectacular, it also raises plenty of questions (like, how is all of that going to matter in an MMO that lacks serious consequences in terms of a death penalty or gear/stat loss?). Whatever the answers, we can't wait to learn more. Check out the full video after the cut.
TERA composers discuss musical themes
As game budgets grow, production values usually do as well, and this is pretty apparent in the spate of high-quality musical scores surrounding many modern MMORPGs. Titles as diverse as Guild Wars, Age of Conan, and Lord of the Rings Online boast cinema-style ear candy and instantly recognizable theme music, and TERA is gearing up to become the latest MMORPG to follow suit. Renowned composers Inon Zur (Dragon Age, Fallout 3) and Rod Abernethy (RAGE, Dead Space) have been working on TERA's score since 2009, and the duo has made use of the Northwest Sinfonia Orchestra and world-class production and mixing facilities to bring the music of Arborea to life. Zur and Abernethy are interviewed in a new piece over at ZAM, and clicking on the link will bring you discussion on regional and racial musical content as well as personal insights from both men regarding their work on Bluehole Studio's action MMO.
E3 2011: En Masse interview delves into TERA's political system
Let's get political! Today at E3, our very own Shawn Schuster got the chance to talk to the fine folks at En Masse and about their upcoming action MMORPG TERA and its groundbreaking new political system. En Masse's Associate Producer Stefan Ramirez said of the political system, "If TERA's action makes the combat fun and engaging, then the political system brings a whole new depth to player engagement." How exactly are the folks at En Masse going to accomplish this new level of engagement? Well, follow along with us and we'll tell you. First and foremost, it's important to note that TERA's political system is entirely player-driven. There is no script and no plan, and it's entirely up to the game's populace to decide how the politics on each server will play out. The player's overarching goal within the political system is to become a Vanarch, the leader of a province. The benefits of becoming a Vanarch are many, and in the words of Mr. Ramirez, Vanarchs "have a shit-ton of power, a shit-ton of money, and a shit-ton of fame."
TERA's PvP features light death penalty
The TERA news beat has fairly quiet recently. Aside from the Korean server merges, there hasn't been a whole lot new to report regarding the exiled realm of Arborea. Fansite TERAPvP to the rescue, then, courtesy of an interview with En Masse community manager Evan "Scapes" Berman. The interview is brief, and if you've been the following the game closely, you've probably heard most of this before. For casual fans, or those just getting wind of all things TERA, there are a few interesting PvP nuggets that might be worth your time. First up is the question of character transfers between PvE and PvP servers. TERAPvP points out the balance issues inherent in allowing players to level (and gear up) their characters on a PvE server before moving them to a PvP shard. Berman doesn't give a definitive answer as to whether this will be allowed or not, saying that it's something En Masse will "have to evaluate for TERA." Friendly fire is also a no-go in TERA's PvP combat, and there is no experience loss or item degradation. As Scapes says, "items in TERA do not have a durability mechanic."
Rumor: TERA Korean servers merging [Updated]
Bluehole Studio's TERA action MMORPG is gearing up for its second round of Korean server merges since launch according to a blurb at MMO Culture. The fantasy title, which is currently being prepared for a North American release by En Masse Entertainment, is scheduled to trim its list of 35 shards to 15 this week. Despite more upbeat news of fresh content in the offing, the merges come amid reports of lower-than-expected financial performance according to publisher NHN Korea. TERA launched in Korea last February and is gearing up for a Japanese beta on July 1st. No North American or European beta dates have been announced. [Update]: TERA's main Korean website does provide both official confirmation of server merges as well as time projections.
En Masse confirms TERA for E3, hints at crafting systems [Updated]
En Masse has officially confirmed TERA's presence at this year's E3, and the company has also just released a gaggle of screenshots and a new dungeon-crawl video designed to tease fans in the lead up to various convention reveals scheduled for June 7th through June 9th. TERA's crafting game gets a brief mention in today's press release as well, with En Masse trumpeting the fact that the tradeskill system features "more than a thousand items to create, use, and sell." Crafting is also presented as "more than clicking a button," with the collection of blueprints and mythic elements -- as well as the use of forges -- highlighted in today's news blast. En Masse also hints at TERA's equipment customization, enchanting, and glyph systems. Read all about it via the full press release after the cut. Don't forget to check out the new screens in the gallery below while you're at it. [Updated with a video of the Pirate Grotto dungeon, after the break!] %Gallery-88481%
New TERA dev diary looks at genre-bending
The folks at En Masse assert in their latest dev diary that perhaps MMORPG isn't the best acronym to describe their upcoming game TERA. Instead, they suggest MMOACRPG, or Massively Multiplayer Online Action Combat Roleplaying Game. The dev diary goes into detail over how TERA is unlike the typical MMORPG on the market today. It explains how each class requires "timing, aim, and precision to excel" and how "dodging, blocking, and movement play a big part in your survival," which is quite a jump from the usual target-and-begin rotation outlook we see in most games. The full dev diary contains further information, including a small tidbit on the game's political system. If you're keeping an eye on TERA as it makes its way to the west, we recommend you take the time to read the full entry!
