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Frogster hints at expansive new TERA update
TERA's Korean client is getting a big update, and the game's European publisher has issued a press release that details quite a few changes coming to the action fantasy MMORPG. Frogster's press release doesn't mention a date, nor does it mention why the EU publisher is reporting on the Korean client of a title that has yet to launch in Europe (nor why En Masse, the North American publisher, is silent). In terms of the update itself, it boasts a level cap increase from 50 to 58, 10 new zones, a large new city, and four new dungeons. Guildmasters may declare war on opposing guilds and ignite no-holds barred conflicts that last for seven days, and there's also an interesting new skill customization feature that allows players to choose which abilities to connect via combos. You can learn more about TERA at the game's official website.
TERA day in the life blog from QA Senior Tester Patrick Sun
Everyone seems to think that working in quality assurance at a game company is a walk in the park, playing video games all day and loving every second of it. Well, En Masse's Patrick Sun is here to put you in your plac -- What's that? "Best. Job. Ever."? Oh. Well. Nevermind then. But as he's quick to point out in the most recent post on TERA's blog, QA testers' jobs don't entail just playing TERA while looking for bugs and other issues of that ilk, but also ensuring that the game's localization is going smoothly. He offers one example about the Korean idiom, "A mute person who's eaten honey," which refers to someone who keeps silent about a secret in spite of others' suffering. Of course! I mean, who couldn't figure that one out? For more information on what the QA workers over on TERA keep busy with, check out the official post.
TERA blog post redefines the holy trinity
En Masse Entertainment wants you to take everything you think you know about class roles and shove it -- well, you get the idea. En Masse's Scott James Magner waxes nostalgic on Dungeons and Dragons, EverQuest, and the establishment of the holy trinity. Scared of change? Don't worry too much. Magner says, "TERA isn't going to re-invent the wheel as far as class roles are concerned. Instead, we're redefining them as we move into the next generation of online games. TERA's eight classes fall easily into four in-demand roles, but how they do it is another story entirely." The Lancer and Warrior fill the tank role, but Magner is careful to point out that there is much more to to defending your allies than simply spamming your high-threat abilities; it's also highly dependent on blocking and dodging in a timely manner. Healers won't be playing whack-a-mole anymore, and Magner says that TERA's healers are "just as often in the thick of combat as the outskirts." Lastly, Magner thinks that the trinity should further divide into a "'foundation' of four," with DPS roles divided based on whether they are ranged or melee. The melee attackers deliver high damage with each strike, but the ranged attackers have an unbeatable attack speed. For the full details, head on over to TERA's site and check out the full article.
Massively Exclusive TERA lore: Day in the Life - Ebonathis
Just a couple of days ago, we were treated to a new video of TERA's Pirate Grotto dungeon, along with a bevy of crafting information and confirmation of the game's presence at E3. Today, we have a new treat for all of you anticipating TERA's Western release: a bit of lore outlining a day in the life of the leader of the fimbrilisks -- and yet another BAM -- Ebonathis. "What the blazes is a fimbrilisk," you ask? We'd love to tell you, but they seem to be rather enigmatic creatures for the time being. What we do know is that they are large (read: holysweethellthatthingisbig), scaly creatures vaguely resembling balrogs with an affinity -- and appetite -- for arcane energy. Today's piece of lore puts you into the shoes... hooves... scaly-talon-foot-appendage-things of the leader of this formidable race for a rousing good time of devouring arcane energy like it's candy. So jump over the cut for the full story, and don't forget to check out the new additions to the TERA gallery below. %Gallery-88481%
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%
TERA community play diary visits Velika
It's time for another entry in En Masse Entertainment's community play diary series, and this week finds Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical and Evan "Scapes" Berman exploring the human city of Velika and its outlying provinces. Velika is one of the initial stopovers for new characters after leaving the Isle of Dawn, and the city serves as a quest hub, a place to learn about TERA's crafting system, and a vast fantasy-scape rife with exploration opportunities. The city is so vast, in fact, that Scapes points out the city teleporter, "a rotating contraption made of gears and magic that will port you to distant corners fo the town for a small fee." The diary goes on to mention the crafting introduction quests, during which players may choose from the weaponsmithing, armorsmithing, tailoring, leatherworking, or alchemy disciplines. Scapes and BrotherMagneto also stumble across Velika's dueling arena before collecting their quests and setting out for Lumbertown. Read all about it at the official TERA website.
TERA Visions trailer sighted in the wild
Kotaku's got the scoop on the latest TERA trailer, and the new four-minute video treats fans and curious bystanders to a lot of spiffy Arborean fly-through shots as well as some tough talk from En Masse Entertainment developers. The dev dialogue snippets basically collate all of the talking points that En Masse has been hinting at in various interviews over the past year: There's the action combat, the size of the world and the way it caters to explorer-types, and the focus on the action instead of the UI. There's also a quick blurb about story from lead writer David Noonan, specifically the fact that TERA's story (and the world itself) is the dream of two ancient gods. En Masse VP Chris Lee even drops a hint about guild housing, which mitigates the fact that we've seen a lot of the footage in this video before. There is some new stuff, though, so make sure to keep watching past the titles at the three-minute mark for additional footage. Click past the cut to check it out.
One Shots: High above me
First impressions are important in an MMO, and if you're a graphics fan, the look of the world can make a big impression right away. This week in One Shots we're all about your first impressions of MMOs: the starting zones. Today, Philip takes to the skies in this image from the starting area of TERA: After taking a quick glance back at the humble camp zone located within the ruins below an unusual tree resembling a Cherry Blossom, I couldn't but help appreciate the last of the beautiful scenery that the Island of Dawn has to offer. I talked to the cat-like fellow to hitch a ride on a Pegasus. The cat summoned the mythical beast, I jumped on, and it took off heading toward the city of Veilka. As I rode through the sky, I had already thought the Island of Dawn was beautiful. But the panoramic scene -- hanging waterfalls from the sky, mystical cherry blossom trees, thick yet lush forests, and the island's natural inhabitants -- simply made my jaw drop. The scene was indescribably amazing, and this picture does absolutely no justice to the Island of Dawn at all. We're enjoying starting zone week, but we're also looking forward to next week. We'll be focusing on the sci-fi genre, so it's time to show off your favorite sci-fi game! Send your best screenshot to us here at oneshots@massively.com along with your name, the name of the game, and a description of what we're seeing. We'll post it out here for everyone to enjoy and give you the thanks! %Gallery-112285%
TERA releases Community Play Event numbers
If you're a TERA fan but not lucky enough to score an invite to En Masse Entertainment's recent Community Play Event (CPE), you can take heart in the fact that the company has released some information pertaining to all the players who did attend. We know, there's the potential for some salt in the wound here, but En Masse's Jon Tuite nonetheless has some interesting factoids relating to character races, classes, leveling trends, and many other data points. It seems that Castanics were the most popular race during the recent CPE, and humanoid races in general accounted for a whopping 68% of all characters. Tuite also points out that the Baraka race was the least popular (7% of the population) and postulates that the lack of a female version could be the culprit. In terms of class and party dynamics, the CPE data aren't far removed from your average fantasy MMO (i.e., there were a plethora of DPS types, fewer tanks, and even fewer healers). These stats are the tip of the proverbial iceberg, and you can indulge in more number-crunching at the official TERA website.
TERA play diary visits the Isle of Dawn and the Tainted Gorge
TERA's Community Play Event may be over, but the Community Play Diary is still rolling right along. For those of you who haven't checked it out yet: The diary is basically a running commentary on the fantasy MMO's newbie experience (at least until narrators Jason "BrotherMagneto" Mical and Evan "Scapes" Berman move on to some higher-level play fields). The En Masse community management dynamic duo is back with the latest diary installment, which finds the pair finishing up its tour of the Isle of Dawn and moving on toward the Tainted Gorge outpost. Along the way, we're treated to random nuggets of advice and commentary relating to gathering and ranged aiming as well as a few mentions of noteworthy quests in the area. There are also some accompanying screenshots that are worth a look, and you can view the piece at the official TERA website.
Massively's Exclusive TERA lore: It's Good to be the (Slave) King
Yesterday's exclusive TERA screenshots shone the spotlight on the Red Lash pirates (both their swashbuckling foot soldiers and their fearsome Gula commanders). Today, Massively brings you the latest Day in the Life TERA lore snippet, and with it a deeper look into the world of one Bardragul. Bardragul, in addition to being grossly overweight and in need of a toothbrush, is also fond of trading slaves and playing with his food (which is usually sentient, alive, and aware of the fact that it's about to be a Gula's next meal). Head past the cut for more on this Red Lash brigand and the grotesque family of TERA AI monsters to which he belongs.
Massively's Exclusive TERA screenshots: Pirates and BAMs
Massively's got a pair of new TERA exclusives coming your way this week, the first of which deals with both BAMs (En Masse Entertainment parlance for big-ass monsters) and pirates. With all due respect to the ninja fans in the audience, pirates reign supreme, particularly the Arborean pirates on display in our new screenshots. These cultured gents are representatives of the Red Lash and are composed mainly of Castanic rogues that do the bidding of their Gula overseers. That's right, the BAMs are running the show, as the cutthroat and corpulent Gulas currently direct the buccaneers that make up the rank and file of the Red Lash. Head past the cut for some pirate and BAM-flavored lore, and don't forget to check out the four exclusive new screens in our gallery below. %Gallery-88481%
TERA shows off Centaur lore and tactics
The official TERA website has updated with a look at one of the mobs players will likely encounter in their journeys around Arborea. Centaurs are found primarily in the Fey Forest region and look to challenge adventurers with spear attacks, hoof attacks, and their ability to sidestep player combos. The new entry also reveals a bit of centaur lore, noting that the legendary creatures are "presently allied with the fey creatures of northwestern Arcadia province in an uprising against woodcutters, whose drastic logging practices are in danger of denuding the forest in order to fulfill lumber orders from Velika." Tactically, centaurs are prone to rapidly closing the distance to a target as well as coming to the aid of nearby faeries and other centaurs. Check out all the details, as well as a couple of new screens, at the TERA website.
TERA box art revealed, game one step closer to release
Upcoming fantasy MMO TERA has been in closed beta for some time and is fast approaching release. Created by Korea-based developer Blue Hole Studio, the game is due to be published in North America and Europe by En Masse Entertainment and Frogster respectively. With the game's first big community testing event officially starting tomorrow, fans of the game will finally get to try it out. TERA took another step toward realisation today as En Masse has given fans a first glimpse of the official box art. The colour schemes and visual styles in the box art are designed to mirror the styles you'll find in the game once it's released. In a refreshing change, the female character featured in the image is a lot more conservatively dressed than is usually expected from box art or from TERA. Head over to the official TERA website for a sneak peek at the new box art.
TERA European community test kicks off, political system detailed
Blue Hole Studio's TERA has officially kicked off its European testing phase, according to this morning's press release from Frogster. The German gaming company is publishing TERA in Europe, and has sent out 1,500 invites to "the most dedicated and hardcore fans from the TERA community." The special testing event will run for four days, and Frogster says similar events are scheduled for the "very near future." Frogster also drops a few hints regarding the game's political system, noting that it's intended to be endgame content and that elected rulers will access exclusive mounts, impose taxes, and manipulate NPC villagers. The system involves something called policy points which are acquired via questing, and Vanarchs (the term for players that ascend to the position of regional ruler) must determine how and where to spend them.
TERA's David Noonan on building smart quests
Quests are such an integral part of current-gen MMORPG gameplay that players sometimes take them for granted. Collecting this or killing that is so ingrained in the gamer psyche that it's easy to overlook the work that goes into making a good quest (or the potential impact that unique quests have on the play experience). TERA lead writer David Noonan has been thinking a lot about quests, and he recently shared a bit of insight with GameZone regarding how the team of writers at En Masse Entertainment is building better quests. Much of the team's effort goes toward ensuring the quality (and relevancy) of a given quest regardless of when a player chooses to accept it. Quests that capture a player's interest before (or after) a villain or boss fight are the ultimate goal. "That's what we call a smart quest: a quest that's designed with an awareness of its emotional, storytelling, and world-building surroundings... When you see a smart quest... it's because someone thought through all the narrative, emotional, and gameplay implications beforehand," Noonan explains.
TERA's Chris Lee on making a Korean MMO into an American hit
The recent announcement regarding a mind-meld between En Masse Entertainment and Atari for the purposes of bringing Bluehole Studio's TERA to North America has generated a fair bit of industry buzz. Not only does it indicate an impending release date (though En Masse remains coy about anything other than a "2011" date), but it also signifies to fans of AAA Asian-themed MMOs that they'll soon have an alternative to Aion and Lineage II. Gamasutra recently chatted up En Masse publishing vice president Chris Lee about the challenges inherent in bringing TERA to the West, and surprisingly, the "westernization" catch-phrase -- and associated deflections -- were nowhere to be found. Lee instead focused on how En Masse has a long road ahead when it comes to turning a Korean MMO into an American hit (regardless of the title's inherent quality). "One of the biggest misconceptions in the business is that a good game will sell itself," Lee says. Lee also spoke to TERA's decision to bypass the free-to-play craze as well as the title's unique combat mechanic, which is "a large departure from traditional MMOs, regardless of region."
Massively's exclusive TERA lore: Day in the Life - Kumas
Yesterday we got a glimpse of two new BAMs courtesy of En Masse Entertainment. Intrepid explorers ranging far and wide across the vast reaches of Arborea will no doubt run across a Naga or a Kumas in their travels, and today En Masse brings us a new Day in the Life lore snippet focused on the latter. Penned by Stacey Jannsen, Day in the Life -- Kumas takes you inside the one-track mind of the titular creature as he attempts to make a meal out of a wayward Popori and finds himself face to face with another (equally hungry) BAM with a similar goal. Head past the cut for more, and don't forget the three new screenshots in our TERA gallery. %Gallery-88481%
En Masse signs with Atari for TERA North American retail distribution
What do En Masse Entertainment and Atari have in common? As of this morning, both entities are officially working to bring TERA to North American shores in 2011. According to a new press release, Atari has signed on as the exclusive retail distributor for the action fantasy MMO which released in Korea earlier this year. "When we first played TERA, we could see that it had all the elements of an MMO hit," said Lee Jacobson, SVP of Licensing and Digital Publishing at Atari. "Our expertise in retail marketing and bringing MMOs to market combined with TERA's obvious quality makes this a great fit for both companies." TERA was developed by Bluehole studio, with En Masse serving as both co-producer and North American publisher. The game allows players to join the Valkyon federation and fight to save it from mythical monsters and warring gods while engaging in dynamic combat that places a high premium on player skill.
Massively Exclusive: En Masse shows off new TERA monster lore and screens
TERA's media blitz has been focused on BAMs and smart AI of late, so it's only natural that Massively's latest exclusive from the world of Arborea has a certain monster-centric bent. En Masse Entertainment has given us the details on two of the mobs you're likely to encounter during your travels, as well as a couple of new screenshots that show off just how big these BAMs really are. First up is the kumas, and as you can see in the header image above, he's more than happy to be crossing paths with an adventurer (i.e., a potential meal). "Kumases exist to consume, it is their only function -- their place in the world, as it were. Forever striving to sate the Hunger, their bodies slow down into near-hibernation when there is nothing nearby to eat," En Masse tells us. Kumas territory is typically bare of plant and animal life, and the beast's keen sense of smell alerts it to the presence of nearby prey and brings its body back to a waking state. Nagas are a bit more proactive and are prone to hunting in areas occupied by kumas. As a result, the naga has learned to control its scent secretions, the better to avoid conflicts with its deadly rival. "Nagas are a violent bunch," according to En Masse. "Their primary concern is hunting for the sake of fighting. Food is occasionally useful too." Jump the cut for the full descriptions. %Gallery-88481%
