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Chaos Theory: Surviving a second look at The Secret World's scenarios
Thanks to a pre-launch taste test, I was really looking forward to serving myself up some more of The Secret World's new scenarios when Issue #8 finally went live. I made no secret of the fact that I enjoyed that first experience, even though our dev-led group was getting its keister kicked! But it is fair to say that a single swing though a scenario couldn't provide a balanced assessment of the new feature, especially since said scenario itself wasn't balanced. So as soon as The Venetian Agenda launched, I went back for seconds... and thirds... and so on. Now that I've indulged in heaping helpings of scenarios over the past two weeks, have my thoughts about TSW's newest feature changed? Has my excitement diminished? Have I had my fill now and am I just looking forward to moving on to Tokyo, or am I still standing at that Council of Venice's console with my bowl held high saying, "Please, sir, I want some more"? To answer, let me show you my snazzy bowl! Then I'll share why I think the scenarios are more than worthwhile in spite of the naysayers.
Chaos Theory: My favorite Secret World NPCs, part 1
As a sort of companion piece to my previous column covering why I consider The Secret World to be the industry's best storyteller, I wanted to elaborate on my love for the game's characters. TSW is not a game full of forgettable muggles but a place where bizarre personalities and incredible backstories collide. There was nothing, and I mean nothing, more exciting to me than to advance through the game and meet a new NPC for the first time. So I want to share with you my favorites. I also want to mention that making this list just about wrenched me in twain because I want to list about 70% of the game's NPCs as my favorites. There are so many that are terrific for different reasons, and whether I found myself laughing with them, at them, or against them, they've been burned onto my consciousness.
Chaos Theory: Hurrying to finish The Secret World's Halloween events
Stop me if you heard this before: Halloween in The Secret World ROCKS! I know, I'm preaching to the choir, right? There just isn't any other game that really comes close to sharing the spirit of the holiday like the one that is perpetually steeped in it. And when Halloween itself finally comes around, you actually have good reason to settle in after those real-life activities and enjoy more ghostly goodness in game. Heck, you can even get gussied up in some elaborate costumes that can include a working chainsaw. Who gets that in meatspace? Last year, however, I went through the agony of living with the fact that circumstances prevented me from experiencing everything the holiday events offered. It was torture seeing that incomplete quest chain and not having a furry little void cat to console me! I want to save you all from the same kind of pain and regret, so here is a quick guide to get you on the path to completing all the festivities before they dissipate into the night on November 11th.
Dragon's Prophet EU prepares to unleash its first raid
If you think fighting alongside one dragon is pretty great, then you should love fighting alongside 10! Dragon's Prophet EU is introducing the first raid experience, a 10-man (and 10-dragon) affair, in the next update scheduled to hit in just a few days along with a level cap raise to 90. Four legendary dragons await adventurers in the new Dragonheart Temple dungeon: Sammos the Resplendent, Vita the Stalwart Shield, Izamu the Relentless Tide, and Fadero the Heavenly Storm. And if adventurers vanquish all four, there is an even more powerful fifth raid boss to face, whose identity will remain secret until the day of the patch. Take a look at the vicious behemoths you'll be facing in the five new images below. [Source: Infernum Productions press release]
Dragon's Prophet introduces Highlord system in Europe
It's always nice when new updates come close on the heels of launch. Sure, you've had only a little time to play and haven't yet explored all of the launch content, but updates give you the feeling of a game that keeps getting updated rather than one that's stagnant. Dragon's Prophet has only been out in Europe for a few weeks, but it's already getting its first major patch to include the Highlord system, allowing players to rule over islands controlled through territory wars. When an island is brought under control by an alliance, that alliance can appoint a Highlord who will be responsible for managing several aspects of the island. Aside from being able to set the taxation rates on that island, Highlords can also manage several defensive buffs to give the defending forces an advantage against would-be assaults. If you're playing the game in Europe, you can start enjoying this update now, along with the several bug fixes and improvements included in the same patch.
Chaos Theory: Nine reasons The Secret World is the industry's best storyteller
Contrary to what I sometimes see in the MMO community, I am a huge believer in games telling stories. If a game lets me create my own story, great, but even better are developers who know how to spin a good yarn and involve me in the process. That's why I've loved adventure and role-playing games throughout the decades, and it's why The Secret World has remained one of my top MMOs since it launched. I don't have a problem saying that I think The Secret World is currently the industry's best storyteller. If you want to take a cheap shot, you can insert some snide remark about rote quest text boxes in the comments, but I think that there's a lot of solid writing and storytelling across the MMO spectrum right now. It's just that TSW does it better. Why? What's going on here to make stories and characters that just stick in my head long after my brain has cycled other MMO's events to deep storage? I started writing a list and had a hard time stopping at just nine.
Chaos Theory: Follow the Filth as TSW's Whispering Tide Event moves on
Remember when we mentioned that The Secret World's latest event would be a long-term one? Well, we weren't fooling; it's been a month, and The Whispering Tide Event is just now hitting its fourth phase. So what does that mean for us? It means that the slow plod towards Tokyo is showing progress, just not nearly as quickly as excited TSW fans may like. If you've already been in-game, you've noticed that the latest two phases have been very similar to the first two. In fact, they follow the same pattern: start with powering up a generator using crafting materials then move into an instance to clear out the filth. However, even though they are similar and some phases are moving slowly, there's a chance folks might miss out. And if there's one thing I don't want to see, it's others missing out! To prevent that and to keep my fellow TSW fans from floundering in the dark, here's phase two of The Whispering Tide Event guide, with tips and tricks for grabbing the lore, getting the goodies, and even preparing for forthcoming phases.
PSA: Dragon's Crown cross-play update now on PS3, PS Vita
The cross-play update for Dragon's Crown is live. If you purchased Dragon's Crown on either PS3 or PS Vita, you'll find you can now install the update and play on the other system at no extra cost. Dragon's Crown is a 2D beat-em-up developed by Japanese outfit Vanillaware, the same studio who brought us Muramasa Rebirth. In our review, we said it just might be Vanillaware's best game to date – and "if you're committed to leveling up all six playable classes, you'll be playing Dragon's Crown for a long time to come."
Chaos Theory: What I wish I had known when I started TSW
Getting into The Secret World can be tricky. As I said a few months ago, this game is a fusion of the MMO with the adventure game, and that requires a mental adjustment if you're going to really enjoy things. That's not where the divergence ends, of course; you have the limited questing system, the AP skill wheel, the dozen or so currencies, the travel system, and the separation of statted gear and cosmetic outfits to understand. With promotions, sales, and new issues keeping the game in the spotlight, new folks are constantly entering the game just as I did over a year ago. I look back at my first month or so in The Secret World and wince at the way I kept trying to play the game like a standard MMO and becoming frustrated when it resisted my attempts to do so. If I had to sum up that month, it would be "messy." I eventually persevered, graduated from Solomon Island, and found my footing in TSW, but it could've been a lot smoother if I had just understood a few things that I shall now pass on to you.
Some Assembly Required: A dev's-eye view of Dragon's Prophet's frontier system
For getting a better look at the big picture, there's nothing like witnessing a PvP battle from afar instead of being in the midst of it. And that's exactly what I got to do in a recent dev tour of a PvP event in Dragon's Prophet: Spectate. Thanks to the spiffy use of technology, I was able to zoom along through the air as the battles unfolded below and around me without my having to dodge killing blows from my enemies. On top of that, I got to hear Senior Producer Todd Carson and Associate Producer Rod Haza detail different aspects of this system that melds PvP and housing in Dragon's Prophet. Dubbed the Frontier System, this combination puts PvP on the housing islands of Auratia. However, the implementation is probably not quite what players envisioned when they first heard about it. Luckily, I got a pretty good look at how it all works from my invulnerable perch and can share that with you.
Chaos Theory: Exciting times in The Secret World
Do you feel it? That electric buzzing in the air of The Secret World (not to be confused with the sounds of buzzing heard by the bee-blessed)? I don't know about you, but I sure can. It's a very exciting time to be a fan of this Lovecraftian-horror-conspiracy-flavored game. Why, you ask? I am more than happy to share my reasons with you. It's exciting because things that had been slowly building up have kicked into higher gear and are gathering speed; long-anticipated things are just barely out of reach but will soon be within our grasp. We are also this close to getting Issue #8 with its scenarios, augment systems, and Venice. And there's a new issue cover with a name and date to prove it! We are also inching ever closer to getting -- for the very first time ever -- a whole new region in the game, replete with new missions, new nooks and crannies to explore, and new foes to face. Oh, and new lore! But that's not even all. We have a long-term event going on now as well as the return of a favorite very soon. So if you haven't been in The Secret World lately, now would surely be a good time to jump back in.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's scare factor
There's a subgenre of horror video games that sometimes falls within "survival horror," where the developers design an experience where you're limited in some fashion to make you feel more vulnerable. Alone in the Dark, Silent Hill, Eternal Darkness, Amnesia -- all of these give you characters that move slowly, fight poorly, get freaked out easily, or have to cower in the shadows because they can't fight at all. This feeling of vulnerability amps up the fear because whatever is going bump in the night is much more powerful than we are. The game trains us to avoid confrontations as much as possible, which triggers a second scare technique: keeping the monsters more in your imagination than on the screen. There is nothing more terrifying than what our minds can conjure up, at least in video games, and a good dev knows this and uses it against us. Yet for all of its horror trappings, The Secret World takes a polar opposite approach. We are the super-powered, heavily-armed, nimble-footed, nigh-immortal hunters. We come, we see, and we shoot to kill. On top of that, we're almost always surrounded by other players to give us psychological and physical support. So that makes me think: Is The Secret World scary? If so, how does it accomplish this without an inherent feeling of vulnerability that's present in the other games I listed above?
Cinderella drummer, Neil guitarist pen Dragon's Prophet song
What do you get when you cross MMO dragons with big-haired 1980s metal gods? The latest Dragon's Prophet video, naturally. SOE has teamed up with Cinderella drummer Fred Coury and Vince Neil guitarist Brent Woods to produce a little ditty called Ride Until We Die. Be sure to catch the clip after the cut, and don't forget that Dragon's Prophet is free-to-play right now. You can download the client via the official website link after the video. [Source: SOE press release]
Dragon's Prophet EU trailer introduces new region of Aluntia
Dragon's Prophet may barely be (officially) out of the gate, but Infernum isn't going to let a little thing like launch slow it down. The Berlin-based publisher just released a new video that shares the story of approaching dangers that are coming to the European shores of the game and shows off a bit of the new region of Aluntia. What dangers will players meet in this new land? How about enormous orcs and seething streams of lava... and a little thing like the followers of Kronos trying to resurrect that legendary villain. On the plus side, there will be new dragons available for players to tame and train as well! More details about the upcoming patch and the new region will be coming over the next few days. Until then, get a glimpse of these upcoming dangers in the trailer after the break. [Source: Infernum Productions press release]
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!
Dragon's Prophet launch-day roundup
If you love dragons, chances are you've heard about Dragon's Prophet. You might have even been soaring the skies on the back of your own scaly companion already. If you haven't, there's no time like the present to get in and experience this dragon-centric title for yourself; Dragon's Prophet officially joins the ranks of launched games today. Of course, as much as you'd like to delve in right now you might be prevented from doing so by pesky things like work and responsibilities. That's OK -- we've got you covered if you've got to wait. We've got plenty of videos (even SUPER METAL ones), interviews, impressions pieces, and screenshots here to give you your dragon fix and tide you over until you can. You can even watch a livestreamed dev tour through the newest dungeons or a catch today's launch-day livestream at 3:00 p.m. EDT on Massively TV.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Ain't no party like a Guild Wars 2 party 'cause a GW2 party don't stop
There's something in the water, and it's rising. Word travels along the shore of Sparkfly Fen in terrified whispers, and the names of the beast that stalks the Splintered Coast are on every tongue: Tequila the Sunrise. Taco the Soft Shell. Loot Piñata. At the very least, poor Tequatl the Sunless will hopefully be shedding the last nickname with the upcoming Tequatl Rising content patch for Guild Wars 2. That one's kind of mean; the others are just affectionate. You know, as affectionate as we can be toward an undead servant of Zhaitan bent on subjugating all life. ArenaNet previewed the new and improved Tequatl fight mechanics at PAX Prime, but apart from that (and the new LFG tool and the new World vs. World mechanics), this latest GW2 release seems a little bit...quiet. I'm OK with that. In fact, it may be exactly what we need.
Chaos Theory: Twenty-plus outfits you can get by questing in The Secret World
Just about everyone I know in The Secret World is a total fashion junkie. My cabal meets once a week to allegedly run dungeons and other difficult content, but really we're just there to show off our spectacular and creative outfits. And because statted gear is completely removed from your character's visuals, there isn't that typical pull to balance looks and numbers. Everyone is free to look the way that he wants, provided he's picked up enough costume pieces to do so. MJ did a terrific job the other week outlining the myriad of ways that you can assemble your wardrobe in The Secret World because she is a fashion junkie. And because I am also a fashion junkie, I'm going to pick up the topic and focus on just those quests that reward you with an item or two that pops into your dressing room. I'm always paranoid about overlooking a quest (or side-quest) because it might be one of the rare ones that gives you a cool article of clothing. So to help any fellow paranoid players out, here is a list of over 20 clothing items that you can get from quests.
Chaos Theory: Get your bling on with our guide to The Secret World's Gilded Rage event
One saying I grew up hearing was, "Be careful what you wish for because you might just get it!" Well in this case, I couldn't be happier that I did! After pleading the case for event encores in The Secret World, we actually have just that. Starting last Friday and lasting for two full weeks is a continuation of the Guardians of Gaia anniversary event. However, Gilded Rage is not an exact duplicate of the one enjoyed when TSW celebrated the one-year mark of its release; rather, it's an additional performance after the main event with definite similarities to the original (fighting a golem!) as well as some distinct differences (fighting A golem!). And this is the place to get the scoop on all of it! Whether you missed the event the first go-around and you want to get in on the experience (and the AP!) this time or you are driven to complete the pet collection (gotta catch 'em all!), this is the guide for you. With tips, tricks, and valuable intel, you can make the most of this golden opportunity.
Dragon's Prophet EU crowns cosplay winner at Gamescom
Back in June we reported that Infernum Productions was holding a costume contest for Dragon's Prophet EU and a special fashion show for the best at Gamescom called Dragon Cosplay Summit 2013. The game itself may still be in beta, but the players released some impressive skills to create a variety of DP themed costumes to take part in the show. In the end, only one was crowned the winner with the €2,500 worth of prizes and the ability to design a virtual costume to be added into the game -- Laura "Lightning" Jansen. Check out how these players brought virtual characters to life in the gallery below, starting off with Jansen's winning costume. Then watch highlights of the fashion show in the video after the break. [Source: Infernum productions press release]