[PC/360] The Secret World MMOG Announced: I'm Pumped

[Blackjack]

PUZZLES! Run for your lives, hotkey button smashers! 

[Misguided]

a whole mess of previews including the RPS one posted above.

I really enjoyed reading the various previews. Not really a bunch of new info, but cool to get different perspectives on things.

[CeeKay]

Illuminati Week!

http://www.thesecretworld.com/news/week_of_the_illuminati_is_upon_us

[CeeKay]

Blue Mountain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-xULt-IBpE

[Blackjack]

Blue Mountain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-xULt-IBpE

For those with a more textual bent...

mmorpg.com's Blue Mountain preview
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/404/feature/6036/The-Secret-World-Location-Preview-Blue-Mountain-.html

[CeeKay]

looks like this is hitting June 19th.

[PR_GMR]

looks like this is hitting June 19th.

I applied for the Beta ages ago. Never heard a peep. Ugh!!

[Elmo]

Preorder info is up now: http://www.thesecretworld.com/news/pre_order_now_access_exclusive_beta_weekends

[Razgon]

Thats so sad...

It seems that for once, there is an MMO I won't be part of from day one, but the blatant money grab, the xp boost from DAY ONE? is too much for me. 3 character slots and more if you want to purchase them? Lifetime option from day one as well and NO mention of monthly subscription fee? Very, very strange....

[PR_GMR]

Why, why Funcom, y u release this around same time as 'Guild Wars 2'?!

[Razgon]

Don't worry - Sad to say, I predict within 8 months TSW will be going full F2P

[Lockdown]

You know, I have absolutely nothing concrete to base this on, but I think you're right.  I have watched numerous gameplay videos of TSW, and I am less than impressed.  That being said, it is being made by Funcom, who I think did a pretty great job with AoC, all things considered.  Also, in watching videos of the way character customization will work, I think some of their concepts sound very cool.  There's just something about the way the game looks in these gameplay videos that seems off.  Then again, it could simply be that I'm so pumped up for GW2, I have blinders on with regards to TSW.
In short:  I agree with razgon, but have no real good reason as to why.

[ericb]

Thats so sad...

It seems that for once, there is an MMO I won't be part of from day one, but the blatant money grab, the xp boost from DAY ONE? is too much for me. 3 character slots and more if you want to purchase them? Lifetime option from day one as well and NO mention of monthly subscription fee? Very, very strange....

I'm weary of the XP boost too but at the same time it doesn't have "traditional" leveling and that boost could be something minor like 1%.  Also, I think Conan was practice for just about everything going into this game including the cash shop and F2P.  They have done a decent job with it and honestly I wouldn't be surprised if it launched F2P with the lifetime option giving cash points and expansions, etc.

[Misguided]

First off, LotR had a lifetime sub  (same price, too) at launch and I loved it, even though I didn't end up playing it as much as I had hoped. It is a gamble, but I have spent waaaaay more than 200 bucks on both WoW and CoH subscriptions, so I'm willing to take the risk.

Three character slots wouldn't be enough for most games, but for TSW that is enough to have one in each faction, and since there are no classes/levels, and you can swap out skills any time you want, the vast majority of people won't need more than that so it makes sense here.

As to the XP boost, it seems weird on the surface, but since the game doesn't have levels you are simply talking about getting skill points more quickly, not really outpacing the content in the same way you would with a traditional level setup.

As to charging for vanity pets and such before the game comes out? Eh, whatever, it doesn't really bug me (I look at it kind of like make your own CE since we now know there won't be one) but I can see where some people look at that and think it is strange.

[Razgon]

As i've stated elsewhere, its indicative of how funcom operates their business model of the game - You can pay your way into more stuff than others.

You can even get  weapons pack from day one with better weapons than your peers.

[Blackjack]

I've learned my mmo/mmorpg lessons. I'll let others be the guinea pigs on this. If you're still all hot and bothered a couple months after launch, then I'll consider getting in the pool, so to speak. So far, nothing much here has kept the masses interested a whole lot longer than that in recent years, not even Rift or SWTOR.

And co-op games have worked better for me from a "making new gamer pals" standpoint or "hanging out with GT forum folks" standpoint. I'm not sure the anger management types, the passive-aggressive types, the "group once and then don't ever talk to me again" types and the "tell everybody what to do" types I mostly run into in mmorpgs are people I much want to hang out with anymore.

The friendlier types I used to run into in City of Heroes and LOTRO a few years ago, I don't know what happened to them. Maybe I look at those days with rose colored glasses, and they weren't really like that. 

Still, I get the Secret World e-mail newsletter updates and will keep an open mind about it. 

[Misguided]

Suppose I can't blame you. I get frustrated with those folks who treat games like ravagers...go in, harvest the resources, then move on, leaving chaos in their wake. I do have a feeling this is a game those folks will move on from quickly, as I have a suspicion that if you dive through it, you'll be able to consume the content fairly quickly.

Suppose I'll keep you posted. I got a lifetime sub, so I hope to be playing it for a while.

[PR_GMR]

I'm still very interested in playing this, but I share many of your concerns. I'm afraid it's being rushed into release this summer, and I would rather see it being kept in the oven at least 6 more months. Still, Funcom announced a fixed release date months ago and they seem intent in keeping it. There's no way they'll be able to compete with 'Guild Wars 2', which looks likely to release around the same time. I like Funcom, and I have fond memories from playing--and returning several times even--'Anarchy Online', one of the very few sci-fi MMOs worth a damn, imo.

I'm gonna play it by ear and see what happens this summer. I barely played SWTOR even though I had been looking forward to it for a long while. These MMOs are long in the hype but tend to burn out very quickly after release, specially when they're not fully 'cooked'. I really like the concept behind 'The Secret World', so I'm rooting for them. Just don't know how I'll be able to play upon release alongside GW2.

PS. I applied for the beta months ago. Never heard a thing about it. I recall that, all of a sudden, their beta announcement was 'cancelled' and replaced by a bunch of Facebook conspiracy/tomfoolery. It's the game even in proper beta?

[skystride]

I get frustrated with those folks who treat games like ravagers...go in, harvest the resources, then move on, leaving chaos in their wake.

Heh that's an interesting perspective.  Gamers are to blame for the crappy MMOs that don't hold long term interest.  Or am I misinterpreting that statement?

[rshetts2]

I get frustrated with those folks who treat games like ravagers...go in, harvest the resources, then move on, leaving chaos in their wake.

Heh that's an interesting perspective.  Gamers are to blame for the crappy MMOs that don't hold long term interest.  Or am I misinterpreting that statement?

I think youre reading more into that, than is meant.  I believe it means quite simply, exactly what it says, nothing more.  The frustration dealing with people who ruin the social aspect of an MMO has been ongoing since the genre was born. It isnt an excuse for the games themselves its an observation of a subset of the people who play them.

[PR_GMR]

I get frustrated with those folks who treat games like ravagers...go in, harvest the resources, then move on, leaving chaos in their wake.

Heh that's an interesting perspective.  Gamers are to blame for the crappy MMOs that don't hold long term interest.  Or am I misinterpreting that statement?

I interpret his statement the following way: A majority of MMO gamers these days consume the content within 3 weeks of the game release and then move on. I've seen this become a trend these past few years. I saw it happen in 'Rift' last year, where there was much excitement about the game, people got to 50, burned out, and were gone from the server within the month. I don't understand why people want to burn thru a MMO so quickly. I like to take my time getting to max level. Months even. But most gamers these days get to level cap in two weeks and then complaint there's nothing left to do. It just makes me shake my head.

[Blackadar]

I get frustrated with those folks who treat games like ravagers...go in, harvest the resources, then move on, leaving chaos in their wake.

Heh that's an interesting perspective.  Gamers are to blame for the crappy MMOs that don't hold long term interest.  Or am I misinterpreting that statement?

I interpret his statement the following way: A majority of MMO gamers these days consume the content within 3 weeks of the game release and then move on. I've seen this become a trend these past few years. I saw it happen in 'Rift' last year, where there was much excitement about the game, people got to 50, burned out, and were gone from the server within the month. I don't understand why people want to burn thru a MMO so quickly. I like to take my time getting to max level. Months even. But most gamers these days get to level cap in two weeks and then complaint there's nothing left to do. It just makes me shake my head.

At the same time, I'd argue that the game is the problem if players can "get to the level cap in two weeks".  Fast leveling is overrated - the common perception is that players don't want a longer leveling time, but there are many benefits - to gamers, to the community and to the developers - to a long leveling cycle.

[Misguided]

Sorry for being unclear. My point is that I have found it very difficult in the last few years to find people that I enjoy playing with, that want to do more than just rush through everything, much like what Blackjack was saying earlier.

This is one of the reasons I'm considering playing on an RP server for the first time when Tera comes out.

It isn't my place to tell others how to play/enjoy a game, but sometimes the play style of others is counter to the way I'd like to enjoy a game.

[CeeKay]

who wants to go to New Jersey hell?

[CeeKay]

from PAX East: http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/04/09/the-secret-worlds-pax-recap-video-talks-pvp-progression/

[Blackadar]

Seems another round of beta invites went out for this today...

 

[PR_GMR]

Seems another round of beta invites went out for this today...

 

Lucky you. I applied for this beta ages ago. Haven't heard a peep. This one's developing so quietly.

[Razgon]

I preordered, but havent heard a single thing, even though its supposedly an automatic entry into the first beta weekend which is this upcoming weekend.

[PR_GMR]

I preordered, but havent heard a single thing, even though its supposedly an automatic entry into the first beta weekend which is this upcoming weekend.

I might pre-order soon... specially since it's looking that GW2 is spending more time in the oven past this summer.

[RobbieD]

From what I've read the pre-order beta weekend information is supposed to go out on Thursday. There have been some closed beta invites released as of today with access to the beta starting tomorrow.

I'm looking forward to this game...any Dragons on here?

[Misguided]

any Dragons on here?

But of course.

[Razgon]

Hah - puny dragons  The Might of the Templars will shone a light unto thy faces until they melt.

[raydude]

Hah - puny dragons  The Might of the Templars will shone a light unto thy faces until they melt.

Aye, may the light of the Templars shine on our enemies and may we smite our foes with righteous wrath.

[USMC Kato]

I'm a Dragon as well. Don't worry about the Templars, we can just hire Ezio and assassinate them all

[PR_GMR]

I'm a Dragon as well. Don't worry about the Templars, we can just hire Ezio and assassinate them all

I'm a Templar. Good luck trying to conspire to kill my ass. 

[Barrakketh]

Go Templars! 

Downloaded the beta in preparation of the first Beta weekend. I like we can at least fiddle with the settings in advance, although the launcher has decided my HD6970 has only 293MB of VRAM, instead of the 1773MB it actually has. Hope they fix that.

Once I've got a weekend or two out of the beta, I'll decide if I go for the Lifetime sub. I did that for LOTRO and I'm willing to do it again, since I like to take things slowly and I imagine there are a lot of long-range plans for this game, given Ragnar is at the helm.

[Elmo]

Got a beta key from Gamespot and downloading now.   

[Arkon]

So I got a key from Gamespot...what a horrible waste of my bandwidth...after 35 minutes I am ready to uninstall the beta and move on.

[PR_GMR]

So I got a key from Gamespot...what a horrible waste of my bandwidth...after 35 minutes I am ready to uninstall the beta and move on.

What's wrong wit it?

[CeeKay]

So I got a key from Gamespot...what a horrible waste of my bandwidth...after 35 minutes I am ready to uninstall the beta and move on.

buggy?  boring?