secret-world
Latest
Gamescom 2012: Funcom teases The Secret World's New York raid with new screens
Funcom has let slip the first details of The Secret World's first raid at this week's Gamescom convention in Germany. Said details take the form of four screenshots showing player characters duking it out with some sort of tentacled monstrosity in the streets of New York. A company press release says that "players will be introduced to the story by listening to the accounts of characters that have taken refuge in the New York subway system, and eventually players will battle a monster that towers over the skyscrapers in the middle of Times Square." Also of note is the game's new three-day trial. Registration is free (but must be completed by August 19th). If you manage to finish 30 missions during your trial period, you'll earn an extra two days of play time. Check out the new screens in the gallery below. [Source: Funcom press release] %Gallery-100596% Every summer, the gaming industry descends on Cologne, Germany, for Gamescom, the world's largest trade fair for interactive games and entertainment. Massively's on the scene in 2012, bringing you all the best scoops, impressions, and interviews from MMOs at the show!
The Secret World's August update adding new weapon, abilities, missions, and more
The Secret World's second major content drop is coming on August 28th. The Digging Deeper update includes new avatar customization options, new investigation and action missions, and last but not least, the game's first post-launch weapon addition. The weapon in question is a rocket launcher that boasts seven new abilities, an eighth ability hotbar slot, and a new auxiliary ability wheel. If you're unhappy with the results of your initial character creation session, you can visit Dr. Anton Aldini in Brooklyn or Ockham's Razor barber shop in London for facial feature and hairstyle customization. New missions include the titular Digging Deeper, which continues the story thread originally introduced in The Kingsmouth Code. Finally, the August update will add nightmare modes to the The Facility and Hell Eternal dungeons. More info is available at the official Secret World website. And don't forget about the newly announced free trial; anyone can sign up for three free days of The Secret World. If three days isn't enough, you can earn an additional two days and 1200 bonus points when you complete 30 missions.
Funcom addressing PvP issues in The Secret World
The Secret World's PvP fanbase knows that right now Fusang is more like a merry-go-round than a battleground, with groups just circling around capping facilities and anima wells. Funcom has noted this as well as other issues and has released an overall plan for improving high-level PvP. Among the changes are plans to give incentives for defending facilities and for staying in the Fusang PvP zone longer. The Eldorado and Stonehenge battlegrounds will also see some tweaks, including incentives for increased participation and a reduction in the size of the center "score circle" so players cannot gain points while hiding behind the perimeter stones. Additionally, players saving up for PvP talisman upgrade kits might soon get more for their tokens as the prices will most likely drop.
One Shots: Set yourself free
This week's One Shots honors Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, which quietly went free-to-play a few days early. Massively reader John sent in our featured image with this note: I'm sure that many of your pictures will be of Vanguard, but here's an awesome one overlooking the Qalian sunset. It captures the beauty of a massive, open world that's devoid of linear levelling or closed instances. Just looking at this picture reminds me of the possibilities. Do I gather a group for a trip to the Coterie, perched upon a distant mountain? Do I sail down endless rivers or fly above vast plains? The choice is mine. Vanguard's motto is "Set yourself free," and this picture proves it. Do you go beyond the break to drool over John's screenshot and a few others? That choice is also yours!
Funcom: The Secret World metascores to blame for share price drop
Funcom has posted an investor update on The Secret World to its official website. The company says its data are "based on current sales, press and gamer feedback, and early indicators of subscription levels following the free 30 days." The news isn't particularly good, as Funcom's share price has lost half its value in recent days. The company believes the culprit is TSW's aggregate review scores, which include the metascore at MetaCritic (72 out of 100) together with "other public sources" for tracking performance. Funcom's update states that it does not expect to meet either of its financial scenarios for the first 12 months following The Secret World's launch. Scenario one included 490,000 "average subs," while scenario two included 1,050,000 client sales and 280,000 subscriptions. In order to increase sales, Funcom is bringing TSW to Steam and "focusing on key areas for improvement of the game and ongoing activities on content updates, sales initiatives and communication." Funcom also notes that it has "significantly lower operational cost for TSW than was the case for Age of Conan" and that overall customer satisfaction is high. "A possible scenario going forward is that the game will sell less, [...] but with high customer satisfaction, it will generate a more stable subscriber base than Age of Conan. Over time, this will enable Funcom to retain more customers and generate higher revenue," the report says.
Funcom offering bonus Secret World cash shop points to tire-kickers
If you took part in The Secret World's free trial last weekend, Funcom has a gift with your name on it should you decide to purchase the game. The firm is offering up 1200 bonus points, which are usable in TSW's cash shop. The only catch is that you'll need to commit before this Sunday, August 12th, in order to claim them. You'll also need to spend the points prior to September 30th, and Funcom says that "they can be used to purchase a wide array of social clothing for your character." Full outfit sets will run you 1080 points, whereas individual shirts, jackets, pants, and accessories are anywhere from 225 to 540 points each. [Source: Funcom press release]
The Secret World's first raid debuts at Gamescom
Remember that badass CG trailer for The Secret World that featured four of the game's factional NPCs joining forces to duke it out with a big nasty in the remains of New York City? Well, that might be our first clue about TSW's next update. Funcom's new content initiative continues at next week's Gamescom event as the firm will be releasing details of The Secret World's first raid encounter. According to a report at IncGamers, the raid will "involve a giant monster crawling out of the subway system [and] attacking a partially destroyed New York." We don't know for sure whether the old trailer is related to the new raid, but there are a lot of similarities (including an errant subway car and what looks like the blasted remains of the Big Apple). See for yourself after the break.
The Daily Grind: Do you want more from your vanity pets?
So I completed Funcom's 30-mission goal this past weekend during The Secret World's one-month celebration. The reward was a shirt and a handful of points to use in the game's cash shop. I spent them on the Little Lion vanity pet that is a spitting image of my real-world house cat, and I got a few chuckles out of having her follow me around as I smited various dead and undead creatures terrorizing the locals in Blue Mountain. Eventually I zoned and she went back to her digital cat-napping, and I was left to wonder why more games don't give you some actual functionality to go along with your vanity pets. I know, they're just vanity pets, but in EverQuest II for example, I can make them play dead and about a dozen other tricks, whereas in The Secret World (and most other MMOs), they just follow me around. Heck, I can't even name this one! What about you, morning folk? Would you like your vanity pets to actually do something, or is that pretty far down on your MMO wishlist? 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 ruins your immersion?
Oh my goodness, it's a Harry Potter clone in the middle of my Secret World play experience! My illusion of reality is shattered, and now I see the game for what it is: a collection of GOTO programming commands and impersonal variables. OK, maybe it isn't that extreme, but I think we've all had moments in our games when someone does or says something to rip us right out of our immersion groove. Maybe it's an eye-rolling name, the game breaking the fourth wall to wink at us, or a streaker going through an RP wedding. Today we want to hear tales from your playtime: What ruins your immersion? What happened to shatter the veil of fiction that you wrap around yourself every day? 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 Soapbox: The quest to save quests
Disclaimer: The Soapbox column is entirely the opinion of this week's writer and does not necessarily reflect the views of Massively as a whole. If you're afraid of opinions other than your own, you might want to skip this column. Semantic shift is a phrase I've recently acquired for whenever I want to sound insufferable at parties. It refers to the phenomenon of a word's usage changing over time, sometimes to the point that it's completely the opposite of whatever it originally meant. I believe that the word "quest" has undergone a semantic shift in the MMO community (and video games at large). What once had roots in the long, difficult journeys that take place in life and fiction has quickly become reduced to a trivial task of gathering, killing, or clicking in-game. The sheer volume of such quests and that meaninglessness of their charges has reduced the word to bargain basement kitsch. If we're supposed to be heroes, why then are so many of the quests we're given are no more exciting than going to the grocery store? "Quest" as a word has lost much respect in the community, almost completing its semantic shift such that it's almost pejorative. Yet there is a movement right now to reclaim the word and restore it to its proper meaning, and it's happening right in front of our eyes.
One Shots: Death by tentacles
Massively reader The Platypus knows the secret behind taking a good One Shots entry: a good death! He sent in this amazing shot from The Secret World with a quick note: Hey Massively -- long-time reader The Platypus here! Two friends and I decided to three-man the Polaris dungeon in The Secret World last night, and while it went more smoothly than I imagined it would, we still had a little trouble with the Ur-Draug (TSW's Cthulhu analogue). As I was dying the first time and the creeping inevitability of my fate overcame me, I did the only logical thing I could do with the last few seconds of life: I took a screenshot! Enjoy! Tentacles past the break. Hit it!
The Daily Grind: Have you ever been scared in an MMO?
With the release of The Secret World, the topic of horror in MMOs has taken a sharp uptick in player conversations. For some, the title is creepy and spooky as all get out; for others, it's hard to get frightened with all these other people around and a solid shotgun in your hands. But The Secret World doesn't have a monopoly on scares in MMOs, as even the most benign titles may produce a moment or two that gives you the willies. It could be a monster that pops out of nowhere, a creature design that sincerely unnerves you, or a situation in which you feel utter dread and despair. I always felt that Fallen Earth delivered more than a few locations and moments that deeply unsettled me, and I'll admit to even jumping in fright once when I saw a giant wolf come out of the shadows in a darkened boiler room. So what about you? Have you ever been scared in an MMO, and if so, what happened? 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 Perfect Ten: Goosebump trailers
I love trailers. Man, I love trailers. I'm almost embarrassed to admit it, but sometimes I'll spend a shameful hour just flipping through all of my favorite movie and game trailers. When the editing is tight and the music spot-on, my spine becomes infused with epicness and I feel a heady buzz that comes from seeing so much awesome crammed into such a short clip. Just as in the movie industry, MMO studios are hit or miss with their trailers. There have been so many generic, forgettable videos that I pad the lining of my imaginary dog's crate with them. They're very absorbent and release the fresh scent of pine. But once in a while, there comes along a trailer that acts like the Dark Crystal, sucking my soul right into it before shaking it around and then releasing it. Trailers like that give me goosebumps, and here are 10 of them, all in a row.
Chaos Theory: The Secret World's one-month checkup
Huh, has it been a month already? Time flies when you're having fun, I guess, and yep, I'm still having quite a bit of it in The Secret World. Yesterday brought us the big 1.1 patch, the one patch to rule them all (thus far), and the first post-launch content drop. Funcom has famously promised updates like this on a monthly basis, and as first starts go, this was a good'un. We got seven new story missions (five of which were the meaty investigation variety), all of them chock-full of interesting stuff to do and interesting cutscenes to ogle. All of that said, the one-month mark is also when subscription MMOs find out whether they've got staying power or whether they're going to bleed, and if Funcom wants The Secret World to fall into the former category, it's still got a bit of work to do.
The Secret World's first update is now live, includes marketplace and bonus rewards
Delivering on Funcom's promise of monthly updates, The Secret World's first update Unleashed is now live on servers. Players can now log in to check out the various additions and fixes to the fantasy horror MMORPG. This update introduces seven new missions, a Nightmare Mode to two dungeons, and a cross-dimensional marketplace so players can buy, sell, and even ship goods to other players. The marketplace can be utilized via the bank NPCs in London. Among other fixes, it is also noted that the /say and /shout commands are now working properly. As an added bonus, players who complete all of the new missions will earn an achievement and receive unique clothing rewards. You can read up on all the details in the Issue #1 patch notes, while specific mission details can be found here. [Source: Funcom press release]
One Shots: It's the shades
The Guild Wars franchise is infamous for its crazy outfits and gear, from banana scythes and librarian spectacles to jack-o'-lantern hats and... whatever the heck this is supposed to be. So it's no surprise that Guild Wars 2 is following in its elder sibling's footsteps! A reader named Darla sent One Shots this image of her character from the very last beta event before launch, along with this note: This is a screenshot of the final big event of the third beta weekend event, Hunger Royal. You can tell by the smile that the glasses make her feel badass. I was thinking the hot pink gun might have something to do with it too, but the sunglasses are pretty awesome! Darla's shot and a few others await you behind the break if you dare.
Funcom details The Secret World's celebration weekend
Earlier this week we broke the news about The Secret World's upcoming free trial weekend. Funcom has since updated its website with a post that details the dates, times, and the events in store for Illuminati, Templar, and Dragon players around the world. The festivities run from Friday, August 3rd to Monday, August 6th. If you manage to solve 30 in-game missions during that time, you'll score an in-game t-shirt and 1200 Funcom bonus points for use in TSW's item shop. Free fireworks can also be claimed all weekend (up to 15 per character), and Funcom will be running special event leaderboards to acknowledge the 100 most dedicated mission solvers in The Secret World. The weekend is also freely available to anyone interested. Whether you have an old beta account, an inactive retail account, or no account at all, you're welcome to take the game for a test drive. If you don't have an existing account, you can sign up for the celebration weekend on the right side of the official website.
The Secret World will open to everyone during one-month celebration next weekend
Besides answering questions from viewers while hoofing it around London and Kingsmouth, the developers of The Secret World revealed this tasty tidbit during the official livestream that just wrapped up: TSW will be open for anyone to play next weekend. To mark the one-month anniversary, Funcom will be hosting events, giving players fireworks to set off, and offering rewards for completing a set series of missions. But more than that, gamers interested in checking out the game will be able to log in for the weekend and experience it for themselves. Players will be able to use accounts created for beta even if they did not purchase the game; those who don't have an account can make one in order to participate. The devs promised that more details would be forthcoming. If you've been waiting for a chance to delve into the conspiracies of The Secret World and see what all of the hullabaloo is about, mark your calendar. And we'll keep you informed as more details are released! [Source: The Secret World official livestream]
Chaos Theory: Four essential Secret World tips
So you've been playing The Secret World for a couple of weeks now, possibly longer. Maybe you're well into Blue Mountain, or heck, possibly even Transylvania if you're a really efficient type. On the other hand, maybe you just picked up the game last weekend and are overwhelmed with ability points, decks, and investigation missions. Whatever your comfort level with Funcom's new MMO, there's always room for a few off-the-wall tips, wouldn't you agree? Join me after a break for a few things I wish I'd known earlier.
Funcom outlines The Secret World's dungeon mechanics
If you've been thinking about dungeon-running in The Secret World but you've yet to take the plunge, Funcom has published a new blog post that may push you over the edge. The piece outlines the basics (one dungeon per play field, five-player groups, etc.), but it also gives a bit of insight into Funcom's encounter design. Gone are traditional waves of time-consuming trash mobs. The devs have instead opted to provide a series of ever more challenging boss fights. Once you've mastered a dungeon's eccentricities in normal mode (and once you've completed all the Solomon Island and Egypt dungeons), you can access each instance's elite mode. If you're skilled enough to survive elite mode, you can test yourself against Funcom's fearsome guardian. If you survive one of his challenges (of which there are three, one each for the main group roles of healing, tanking, and damage-dealing), you can access nightmare mode dungeons. Read all about TSW's dungeon options on the official website.
