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Chaos Theory: TSW's whips and trains and vet rewards -- oh yes!
It was a pretty close vote there at the end, with folks rallying to their factions, but the Templars ultimately won out. I have to say, I am kinda pleased with the result. It's not that I was rooting for any one faction over the others; I was quite sincere in requesting direction in my The Secret World adventures. It's just that with Issue #6 The Last Train to Cairo coming out, my Templar is my only character in Egypt and in the perfect position to partake in all the new stuff. And am I excited for the new stuff! Among the new missions, the veteran reward system, and the PvP ranking, my all-time favorite weapon is coming to game. Squeee! Join me in eagerly anticipating these new adventures and offering the devs a round of applause.
Chaos Theory: My crisis of faith in The Secret World
Oh hush, all you negative Nancys! No, this isn't an article about my jumping ship and leaving The Secret World. Far from it; there's still so much to do in there that I haven't gotten to. I know, I know -- there is a horde of you who have played through all the zones, completed all the quests, and filled out the entire ability wheel (earning yourself one snazzy outfit in doing so). But not me. In fact, I have countless play sessions of new content still ahead. The problem is, I don't know whom to do everything on! In this world of secret societies, I don't know who I truly am. Hence, my crisis of faith. I am at a crossroads with my decision about which faction to really play. I used to have one clear main character who did everything, but thanks to Choose My Adventure and streaming, my little alt is nearly caught up and my main has stagnated. Should I continue with the brash little blonde Illuminati who was voted to life during CMA, or do I return to the steady trigger finger of my red-headed Templar? Or do I revive that first soul I created, the fiery-eyed, raven-haired Dragon? Whom should I devote my time and attention to? Does it really even matter? Perhaps you, too, have experienced this same quandary, so let's find some answers together.
Chaos Theory: Oh, give me a home -- in TSW
Last week, I explored transportation as one avenue of making The Secret World even more of a living, breathing world. Today, my focus is on that one aspect that really can make an MMO a home: actual homes! It's no secret that I love housing; I've written about it on multiple occasions and livestreamed tours in various games as well. But this isn't just about fulfilling a personal wish list. Adding housing goes beyond making my gaming experience more immersive (though it most certainly does that); it's a method for increasing the longevity of the game. Housing is one of those features that, when done well, binds players to a game, giving them a reason to not only stay in game longer during a play session but stick with the game long term. And I definitely want that for The Secret World.
Rockstar: Grand Theft Auto 5 delay for quality purposes only
Grand Theft Auto 5 has a release date of September 17, which is later than its original launch window of spring this year. Yes, this is a delay. No, it isn't because aliens beamed down to Rockstar headquarters and possessed the entire Grand Theft Auto 5 development team. At least that's what Rockstar is telling its fans:"To those of you saying or seeing various conspiracy theories about there being some other ulterior motive for this delay, rest assured that they're all nonsense – literally the only reason we've delayed the release is because we want the game to be as good as it needs to be," Rockstar writes in the comments of its launch date announcement.When Rockstar first posted the September release date, it said, "We know this is about four months later than originally planned and we know that this short delay will come as a disappointment to many of you, but, trust us, it will be worth the extra time." While we study the weaknesses of your puny human race, we assume is how that originally ended.
Chaos Theory: Mounting a campaign for vehicles in The Secret World
It makes sense that while I am spending a week traveling about in this world, my mind turns to the subject of travel within The Secret World. Thankfully, some aspects of transportation in reality are not a part of our online world; I don't know if I could stand being stuck on a tarmac out at the Kingsmouth Airport! But with all the trappings of various vehicles littered all about the landscape, it's difficult to not want to snag one for personal use. The desire to add these mechanical mounts isn't even about the need for speed; folks already have various speed boosts, and the world doesn't need to get smaller by our traveling each zone at an even quicker pace. It not about getting somewhere more quickly; it's about the feel of a living, immersive world. How many of you have come upon a bicycle or a scooter in TSW and had the instant urge to hop on? Or what about the slick motorcycle, sitting there, begging for a rider? I'm certainly not one to say, "Pfft, forget those sweet wheels; I prefer hoofing it when evading zombies." Having to walk on by is an immersion-breaker in a game where ambiance and immersion are two of the defining features. So if the goal is to enhance immersion without making the zones seem even smaller, how would mounts work? I'm glad you asked!
Chaos Theory: Reacting to TSW's restructuring and relocation
It's a conspiracy, I tell you! It has to be; every time The Secret World manages to better secure its footing, the ground starts shaking underneath again. This time, the upheaval comes in the form of the relocation of Funcom's development teams for its three MMOs to Raleigh, North Carolina. Of course, TSW isn't the only game affected by this restructuring, but after the other turbulence buffeting the game in its so-far short life (layoffs, insider trading accusations, changes in key roles), it's hard not to think that the game just can't catch a break. And dangit, it deserves one! Initially, I had other thoughts to share for for today, but after that announcement last Friday, my mind has mostly been on this topic (along with a slew of related "re-" words). How much will this affect the game I adore? Who all will be lost from the team? And what, if anything, can I do to help support the game during this transition? Join me as I explore these questions and possibly discover a solution or two.
The Game Archaeologist: EA's Majestic
"This is not a game. Or is it?" Conspiracy theories and paranoia were hot with pop culture in the 1990s, largely thanks to movies like The Net and TV shows like the X-Files, which had the tagline of "I want to believe." With the rise of the internet during the decade and the fantastic leaps and bounds technology had been making, people were not only experiencing new ways to play games but also growing suspicious that these tools could have a sinister side. It was into this niche that EA stepped to create an ambitious $20 million project that would fuse massively multiplayer interactivity, the growing variety of technological mediums, and conspiracy theories together. The project was Majestic, an alternate reality game (ARG) that would be the most expensive and highest profile attempt to date. It generated great amounts of interest and publicity, had a promising start, and then flared out hard by the end of 2001. Considering how ARGs and MMOs have crossed paths since, most recently with The Secret World, I wanted to take a closer look at an attempt to develop a game that would run parallel in many ways with the industry that we love today.
Chaos Theory: ARG expands The Secret World
If there is one thing that many MMOs have in common, it's in-game events. Just about every title has a least one event, often centered around holidays, where players do special tasks in-game and receive special gifts. The Secret World is no different, most recently running an apocalyptic event with Mayan zombies for players to trip over. But who says all events have to actually be in-game? Certainly not Funcom. Among the other hooplah over the supposed end of the world last month, The Secret World fans were participating in the game's latest Alternate Reality Game (ARG). Set out in the real world, the ARG let anyone -- player or not -- experience the ambiance of TSW investigation missions by solving a set of conspiracy-laden tasks and receiving in-game rewards. While the first ARG was via Facebook, this one utilized email, a special website, and even text messages and tweets. Some missions were solo events, while others required the world-wide community to band together to complete. And there's nothing like a common goal to bring folks together (even in some unexpected ways!). Didn't have a chance to play all the way through? It's not too late; the situation room is still open. Go ahead and put your thinking cap on and prepare to be drawn into a world of conspiracies, whether you play TSW or not.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's events deserve encores
Two, four, six, eight, No more Mayan Zombie hate! The end had finally come. No, not of the world -- of the in-game event that was celebrating the end of days in The Secret World. For just over two weeks, folks got to enjoy special missions, collect special loot, purchase special costumes, and even fight special mobs. But once the end came, the opportunity was lost forever. You see, the End of Days was a singular affair commemorating one particular real-world happening. As such, it was a bit of a once-in-a-lifetime deal. That particular happening -- the end of the Mayan calendar -- will never repeat, so it makes sense that TSW's event shouldn't either, right? Wrong. While I fully concur that events should not go on forever or be so frequent that they lose their special nature and the excitement that comes with being a part of them, I do not agree that The Secret World should have any one-time-only events. Like any successful performance, events should be granted encores. Instead of these events being once-in-a-lifetime, I propose that events should be once-in-a-long-time. Anything else actually hurts the game. Here's why.
Chaos Theory: Sounding off on the influence of ambiance in The Secret World
From chirping birds and swooshing swords to background music for different areas, MMOs are rife with in-game sounds. Yet plenty of folks actually opt out of the original game sounds and music, shutting them off in favor of personal soundtracks. I myself usually turn game sounds down to around 3% because I often find the sounds too overpowering. Doing so never seemed to affect games much -- until now. Sounds make The Secret World. By now, you've all heard me rave about the ambiance in TSW, either in my Why I Play, here in Chaos Theory, or during my livestreams on Massively TV. I've repeatedly said that the spooky atmosphere that pulls you right into the game is one of its greatest features. Yet it actually goes deeper than that: The ambiance is more than just added frosting that can be scraped off without affecting the main treat; it is completely integral to the game. Thanks to an unplanned "opportunity" this past week, I can tell you without a doubt that if you remove or turn the sounds in TSW down too low, you are doing yourself a huge disservice. In fact, you are actually missing out on the game.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's buy-to-play keeps getting better
12/12/12 While many folks (including Creative Director Joel Bylos) have been focusing on the slightly similar but transposed date, this triple sequence of 12s is actually the most pivotal one for The Secret World fans. You see, even though all the end-of-days hoopla and special events are pretty dang cool, what transpired on the 12th has the most lasting impact on everyone far and wide; it is, in fact, what allows more folks to be a part of said special events. It was on that wintry Wednesday that The Secret World tossed subscriptions out the window and switched to a buy-to-play model. Pay once; play forever. That's a pretty sweet deal in itself, right? But if you thought Funcom was stopping there, you'd be wrong. The company is continuing to refine the new model and proving it's listening to the concerns and desires of players at the same time. This weekend's announcement of three refinements to the buy-to-play model details how.
Chaos Theory: Top reasons to check out The Secret World today
A league of its own. No, I'm not talking about a 1992 baseball movie; I'm talking about Funcom's most recent addition to the MMO-verse, The Secret World (which ironically launched exactly 20 years and a day after the release of the movie. Coincidence? You never know when this game's involved!). In a landscape awash with clones, The Secret World brings something unique to the table. Instead of the standard fantasy or sci-fi flavored whack-a-mole themepark, TSW is a horror- and conspiracy-laden game set right in our own real world. It's not just that the game's mold-breaking gene that sets it apart, either. The fact is there are a number of reasons you should load in and experience this game if you haven't already, and there are plenty of reasons to come back if you have drifted away. From unique features to a distinctive level of immersion to an unprecedented update schedule, TSW is definitely a keeper. In short, it's well worth the time to check out. And now that it is possible for anyone to continue her adventures without a monthly commitment, what are you waiting for?
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.
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.
Chaos Theory: Emergent futures for The Secret World
So the big news in the MMO industry this week is Sony Online Entertainment's philosophy shift toward emergent gameplay. It's kind of a crazy turn of events from my point of view. Sure, the company was responsible for the genre's premier sandbox (the dearly departed Star Wars Galaxies), but prior to that it was responsible for EverQuest, otherwise known as the granddaddy of the themepark. What does this have to do with The Secret World? Well, Funcom has also been making noises about emergent gameplay and paradigm shifts, and I'd like to speculate, prognosticate, and otherwise pontificate about that after the cut.
Chaos Theory: Hitting a wall in The Secret World
I've hit a wall in The Secret World. This has happened at one time or another in every MMO I've ever played save one. It's not quite burnout, but it's a relative once or twice removed. I've heard that some players hit a wall when they reach Blue Mountain, as it's the first zone that exposes poor builds and renders their users unable to progress through the waves of ak'abs and the quests that ramp up the challenge level from Kingsmouth or the Savage Coast. For whatever reason, though, I coasted through Blue Mountain. It's Egypt that has me wandering aimlessly about, scratching my head and wondering what now. It's not even Egypt itself. That's just the zone I happen to find myself in during this mid-game-life crisis. Join me as I attempt to use Chaos Theory to figure out what's wrong and what to do about it.
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.
Chaos Theory: Four more essential Secret World tips
Welcome back to Chaos Theory, my anima-powered friends. I think it's time to dust off the pro tips portion of the column that we began a while back. As you're probably aware, The Secret World is a pretty deep game, and some of its niftier features and functionality aren't always apparent to the newb or the novice. Heck, one of my MMO veteran colleagues has been playing since launch and was recently surprised to learn of the ability to save builds via the gear manager! Read on for a few handy tips. Yes, even you, mister know-it-all smartypants.
Chaos Theory: Stuff The Secret World needs
Well, I think The Secret World has been out long enough for me to start listing some things the game needs. No, I haven't cleared Transylvania yet. In fact, I'm still happily lost in the latter portion of the game's Egyptian area, so this isn't a column full of complaints about endgame or the lack thereof. Good MMOs are virtual worlds, though, and Funcom's got plenty of options for expanding immersiveness and gameplay potential going forward. Oh, and fair warning: If you're one of those lulz-we-don't-need-no-stickin'-fluff types, this week's column isn't for you.
Chaos Theory: Why you shouldn't worry for The Secret World
These last few weeks have not been full of good news for fans of Funcom or its nifty modern-day horror-fantasy mashup called The Secret World. There were some layoffs. There was a content delay or three. There were hints of free-to-play (which, despite all the in-roads made over the past year, is still seen as something approaching failure by portions of the gaming populace). And let's not forget the requisite comment section naysaying that accompanies any MMO. Join me after the cut and I'll tell you why none of that stuff worries me.
