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TERA guild farms itself for political gain, playerbase outraged
So there's a bit of an uproar ongoing in the lands of Arborea at the moment. No, it has nothing to do with skimpy armor, Elin, or whether or not "action" combat is in fact new to MMOs. TERA's endgame political system features something called a Vanarch, which is basically a player-elected representative. Vanarchs can impose taxes, toggle PvP on or off, and generally meddle in the affairs of other players in ways that are strictly off-limits in most themepark MMOs. En Masse recently adjusted the system to allow Vanarchs to rise to power through guild-vs.-guild combat. In doing so, it cleared the way for mega-guilds to split in two and farm their way to political office. As you might expect, players on the outside of said guilds are none too happy about it and are allegedly receiving conflicting information from the support staff as to whether or not taking advantage of this game mechanic is considered an exploit. We'll keep you updated in case the company takes a more official position on the matter, but for now, you can head to the official forums for all the fallout. [Thanks to everyone who tipped us!]
TERA Vanarchy candidate Oloh on the political game within the game
For some time now, meaningful in-game politics have been the domain of sandbox golden-children like EVE Online, but En Masse Entertainment's action-oriented TERA aims to break that monopoly. The studio recently introduced its much-touted Vanarchy system, which allows players to run for political office and has resulted in a rush of guilds vying for the coveted positions. The Basilisk Crag server's Nagafen is one such guild. The guild, headed by founder and Vanarchy candidate Don Shelkey (in-game alias Oloh), is in the midst of a large campaign for control of the province of Ostgarath, and the group means business. Shelkey even went so far as to rent ad-space on the front page of TERA's ZAM network database site, TeraTome, bringing the in-game campaign into the real-world of hundreds of TERA players. We had the chance to have a little tête-à-tête with Shelkey himself to talk a bit about the socio-political climate of TERA and its implications on the real world. OK, not really. But we did talk to him about the joys of playing politics in a virtual world and what it takes to run for a Vanarchy in TERA, so head on past the cut and check it out!
Pimp your Vanarch candidate with TERA's campaign poster contest
Want to get your Vanarch's mug on the front page of the TERA website? Now you can, thanks to a new campaign poster contest sponsored by En Masse Entertainment. What the heck is a Vanarch? It's the player politician who oversees various provinces in the world of Arborea. Vanarchs can open shops, enable or disable open PvP, raise taxes, and basically affect the game world (and other players) in ways that are off-limits in your average themepark MMO. The contest rules are pretty simple. You'll need to include your campaign poster, along with a short paragraph extolling the virtues of your candidate, in an email to En Masse. You'll want to be quick about it too, as the submission period ends tomorrow. This week's election cycle ends the day after, and you can view the election calendar at the official TERA website.
TERA prepares for political machinations
If you've thought that a bit of political campaigning and intrigue was all that was missing from your complete enjoyment of TERA, have we got good news for you. It's almost time for the vanarch election wheel to start a-turnin', so start polishing your speeches! Players elected to the vanarch position will reign for three weeks over their province. Vanarchs get to turn their whimsy into mandate by setting and collecting taxes and choosing which specialty shops to open up. They'll also be accruing fame (or infamy) for themselves and their guilds. Of course, not just anyone is worthy to rule o'er the masses: In order to be eligible, candidates must be the leader of a level three guild with at least 20 members, must have reached at least level 50 on their character, and must pay a fee of 3,000 gold and 100 Catharnach Awards. Sound like you? Registration for vanarch candidates opens up on Friday, May 18th, at 9:00 p.m. EDT and runs 'til Friday, May 25th, at 9:00 p.m. EDT. After registration week comes a week of voting, and then three weeks of sweet, sweet power. Registration for the following reign opens up in the second week of the on-going vanarch's office, so if you're interested in getting to the top and staying there, you don't have a lot of time to rest on your laurels. If the mantle of power isn't made for your shoulders but you still want to flex your political muscle, be sure to vote! Each game account gets one vote per continent on a given server. Are your fingers itching for a ballot? Next week TERA's game guide will be updated with some more juicy details on the political system. Knowledge, after all, is power.
TERA E3 recap video explains political system
E3 2011 is a distant memory, but En Masse is still getting a bit of mileage out of the event thanks to a newly released TERA video compilation. The trailer shows off portions of the closed-doors media presentation from this month's trade show, and the footage is heavy on action combat and lush sequences featuring the game's gorgeous visuals. The clip also devotes a good portion of its running time to the recently announced political system, and producers Chris Hager and Stefan Ramirez fire off some pretty tantalizing soundbytes relating to player interaction and the possibility of affecting the game world. "That means getting votes, buying votes, smearing your opponent, taking out your competition, raising taxes, making tons of cash money, controlling your province, putting players in prison, running your own events, managing your own towns, and just doing whatever you want," Ramirez says. Staying in power to continue doing whatever you want is the trick, of course, and the video spends a good amount of time detailing ways to maintain control over your province. While it all sounds pretty spectacular, it also raises plenty of questions (like, how is all of that going to matter in an MMO that lacks serious consequences in terms of a death penalty or gear/stat loss?). Whatever the answers, we can't wait to learn more. Check out the full video after the cut.
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.
