mythology
Latest
The Secret World development letter outlines Issues 8 and 9
Funcom game director Joel Bylos posted The Secret World's latest development update on the official forums earlier this week. He says that the dev team is splitting "into two different areas of focus -- the systems driven updates for Issue #8 and the content-heavy new Tokyo playfield for Issue #9." The former update will feature two new systems, scenarios and augments, while the latter is such a huge undertaking that Funcom will be staggering its release over multiple patches. "Issue #9 will contain the first half of the zone, including an expanded section of Venice and a return to a location that everybody will recognize immediately," he says. Read all the details on TSW's website. [Thanks Olin!]
The Daily Grind: Do you ever play in first-person view?
Meet Uggo. I bumped into him in The Secret World the other day as he was trying to rip my face off my skull. I felt bad for him even so; he's got a bit of a skin condition and a slug crawling through his head. I know I'd be cranky in his position. The weird thing is that I didn't notice all of the incredibly disgusting details of Uggo until I killed him and came in close. Playing in the default third-person view means that I'm not usually in a position to get a good look at what I'm killing, but instead I just see it as an identifiable shape. Whenever I do force myself to go into first-person view, I discover so many more details about the game world and its inhabitants. Unfortunately, it also makes me a bit queasy, and I sorely miss the peripheral vision that third-person perspectives bring. Does anyone out there play a standard MMO in a first-person view? Maybe you do it to get into the shoes of your character more or to see these details up close and personal. If so, I'd love to hear about it today! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
One Shots: Peering over the edge
I do not like heights. By transitive properties, I do not like Cyberpunkhobo for sending in this photo that is capitalizing on my deepest fear. Did Cyberpunkhobo know that he was establishing himself as my lifelong enemy by the very act of this photo submission? Yes, I think he did. Vendetta accepted, sir. Cyberpunkhobo attempts to dismiss the seriousness of his actions in his description of this screenshot: "If there's one thing Firefall does well, it's making you feel vertically-challenged. I don't know how many times I've been met by a giant wall of rock on my merry way to an ARES mission. But when I found my way to the top of this particular precipice, I literally felt like I was on top of the world. So I took a screenshot, unfurled my glider, and proceeded to fly away as far as I could." You better fly, Cyberpunkhobo. I'll give you a 10-minute head start, and then all bets are off. So while we wait for this deadly cat-and-mouse game to begin, why not take a look at the other One Shots for this week?
One Shots: Swimsuit issue
Oh yeah, I'm going to totally suck you in with the tantalizing promise of itsy bitsy teeny weenie yellow polka-dot bikinis and then pull a bait-and-switch on you today. Shh. Don't tell your consciousness as it is already reading the next paragraph. We kick off today's swimsuit-laden issue of One Shots with this summer vacation shot of reader Draxos on Star Trek Online's Risa. "This is a shot of my Orion character as she ponders what she'll have to do for more Lohlunat Favors. Dance competitions, Horga'hn Hunts, meeting someone called Pavyl at remote locations on the island at night, all in order to earn a few Favors; it's just such hard work. Well at least there's been no mention of Jamaharon... so far." It's called "sex," Star Trek writers. You can use the word without giggling these days. Anyway, let's move on where more scantily clad flesh awaits!
The Daily Grind: How do you define combat feel?
Yesterday Justin asked which MMO has the best combat feel. After 200-odd responses, the Massively commenter consensus seems to be somewhere in the neighborhood of Guild Wars 2 and/or World of Warcraft. Interestingly, few of those responses defined combat feel, and I'm assuming this is because it's a murky, subjective phrase on par with old favorites like balance, hardcore, and casual. To me, World of Warcraft's combat feels (and looks and sounds) bloody awful, but then again most people laugh when I say -- with a straight face -- that I like The Secret World's famously maligned combat. So how about it, Massively readers -- how do you define combat feel? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Secret World at half price on Steam
The Steam Summer Sale is a hard time for any gamer to save money. There was a time when MMOs were at least somewhat safe, since a discounted MMO still requires the full subscription price. But right now The Secret World is on sale for half price, and those of you who have followed the game for a while know that this is a buy-to-play title. Once you've purchased this game, you can play for free forever. Need a little time to think this over? That's understandable. The sale is running for 48 hours (well, 47 hours as of this writing), so you don't have to decide right now. But if you've been waiting for a chance to get into this modern horror and conspiracy game, $15 isn't a bad price to start in. And the game did just get a secret agent-themed update, if that floats your boat. [Thanks to Zach for the tip!]
Chaos Theory: Been there, done that, got the guardian event t-shirt in The Secret World
The hardest part about writing about The Secret World's anniversary Guardians of Gaia event was stopping long enough to write! No, seriously, it was completely addicting; you kept thinking, "Oh, just one more guardian," and soon the entire day and half of the night was gone. And then the weekend. I should know because I hardly left the game this past week! (But let's keep that between us, shall we?) What could be so compelling that it kept me logged in for more hours than I'm willing to admit even to comrades at a gaming site? It all started innocently enough: I simply came to the aid of someone trying for a guardian pet reward. Quite the critter aficionado myself, I was more than happy to help, Sounds harmless enough, right? Wrong! That was only the beginning. Little did I know what I was truly in for as the event turned out to be a veritable smörgåsbord of AP, SP, and loot as well as a shining example of community cooperation. And I got a t-shirt! Unfortunately, it couldn't all be sunshine and kittens... I mean gloom and golems (this is TSW after all!). Something invariably has to go wrong, or it wouldn't be a true MMO, right? There was a definite black cloud that hung over the otherwise festive occasion. And I hope it is one that Funcom will address and dispel for any future events.%Gallery-193850%
The Daily Grind: Did you save your last cash shop bonus, or did you spend it immediately?
I got an email from BioWare the other day announcing the arrival of my monthly allotment of cartel coins. That's nice, I thought, and promptly sent the mail on its way to the trash folder. Later, upon logging into Star Wars: The Old Republic, I failed to see anything in the cash shop that I couldn't live without, so I kept the 500 coins stashed away for another day. This is unusual for me, as typically I'll blow the freebie currency on some outfit or other in both SWTOR and The Secret World, so next month maybe I'll splurge on something that's twice as expensive. Who knows. Anyhow, there's a Daily Grind question in here somewhere. Ah, here it is. Did you save your last monthly cash shop bonus, or did you spend it immediately? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Daily Grind: What MMO projects have you started lately?
Summertime always seems to bring out the altoholic in me. The stretch of largely release-free months between spring and fall is the perfect time to try out a new character and see a different angle of the game. I'm currently doing this in just about every MMO I'm playing. I'm leveling up a new Dragon in The Secret World after completing all of the quests on my Templar, I'm planning to roll a Hobbit Minstrel on a new server in Lord of the Rings Online to start from scratch, and I've jumped back into RIFT with a baby Mage. Whether or not these projects go anywhere is almost irrelevant as long as I'm enjoying them right now. Which I am. So what MMO projects have you started lately? Any lofty goals you're looking to achieve by the end of August? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Issue #7 of The Secret World lets you be a secret agent
The Secret World has given players plenty of conspiracies to uncover, villains to put down, and dangerous traps to escape. The latest update, Issue #7, takes that one step further and lets you go full-on into secret agent territory. A Dream to Kill features a hunt through corporate secrets, a dangerous alliance against the Orochi Group, and a high-speed snowmobile chase while evading goons. No Daniel Craig, but you can't have everything. You can, however, enjoy a new auxiliary weapon in the form of the flamethrower, which deals damage over time and provides several additional flame-related abilities. And as you could guess from the game, your fight against goons and corporate machinations includes plenty of disturbing imagery, strange symbolism, and all of the groundwork you need before players can finally begin exploring Tokyo. If you're still not convinced, jump on past the break to see the full trailer for the game, complete with narration by director Joel Bylos. [Source: Funcom press release]
The Daily Grind: What's the first thing you do when you come back to an MMO?
I went back to The Secret World this past weekend, and it wasn't just for the double AP. It's been six months or so since I played seriously, and despite its flaws, there's no other MMO quite like Funcom's horror-conspiracy opus. And I've missed it! Initially I was hesitant to come back because of the game's rather complex skill system. I figured that all of the new (to me) auxiliary weapons plus the fact that I'd be more than a little rusty at combat would add up to a frustrating experience. That wasn't the case, though, and I was back in the swing of things and knocking out missions left and right in fairly short order. I spent some time tidying up my inventory first, though, as I always do when I return to an MMO after a long absence. What about you, Massively readers? Do you have any particular I'm-back rituals that mark your return to a game? What's the first thing you do when you come back? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
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%
Chaos Theory: Reflecting on The Secret World's first year
Bring out the cake and light the candle! Exactly 365 days ago today, the MMO stork delivered a new bundle of joy to gamers, one with a modern setting, cerebral challenges, and a unique take on the genre. And now that little bundle has sprouted up, weathering its share of growing pains over the last 12 months to carve out its niche in the MMOverse. Happy first birthday, The Secret World! To commemorate this auspicious occasion, I was going to burst out in a traditional song, but then I got an even better idea. I decided to instead do that other mainstay staple that happens at the celebratory gatherings for youngsters: bring out the baby scrapbook! As both new friends and old gather together to help celebrate this milestone, join me in flipping through the the pages of TSW's memory album chronicling the ups and downs of its first year of life.
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.
The Daily Grind: What was the last good grouping experience you had with strangers?
I'll admit that I'm not one to actively seek out strangers for grouping. I've been burned in several bad pick-up groups and am somewhat of an introvert, so teaming up doesn't come naturally. Still, I've been pushing myself to get out there and do it more, which has created several positive moments. The other night in The Secret World I ended up grouping with a newcomer to the game who was beyond polite and friendly. In turn, I helped him navigate a few quests and answer questions about his build. I logged out feeling as though I had created a good memory, not just racked up a few more quest completions. So what was the last good grouping experience you had with strangers? Let's focus on the positive and not on snarky, "I've never had one!" answers, please and thank you! Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
The Secret World is 50% off today on Steam
What's better than a buy-to-play game that has no subscription fee? How about one that's 50% off! Make that game The Secret World and you've got one sweet deal. If you or anyone you know has been putting off purchasing a copy of the horror and conspiracy-themed game in hopes of a good deal, today is your day. For 24 hours, TSW is a cool $14.99 (or 14.99 euros) on Steam. Got that? Only 24 hours... and already counting down. So if you want to take advantage of this deal and get full access to everything up through Issue #4, there's no time for hemming or hawing about this deal; it goes the way of the dodo at 1:00 p.m. EDT tomorrow, June 20th. [Thanks to Balsbigbrother1 for the tip!]
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.
Double XP and fashionable boots accompany The Secret World's Black Weekend event
Need a new pair of boots? If so, you'll probably want to take part in The Secret World's upcoming Black Weekend. The event, which begins on Friday, June 14th, at 9 a.m. EDT and concludes on Monday, June 17, at 9 a.m. EDT, brings a few special bonuses, including a rugged pair of Black Heavy Buckled Boots. Log in during the Black Weekend event and you will be able to claim a free potion from the item store that doubles XP gains from monster kills for eight hours. One account may claim one new potion every 24 hours. Additionally, any activity that normally rewards Black Bullion will award one extra Black Bullion during the weekend, so get to farming that black gold. There's one more bonus to current The Secret World players: For every player you recruit between now and the end of Black Weekend, you'll receive a free month of premium membership.
