MMORPG.com writer Adam Tingle attended EA's London press event recently where EA and Funcom showed off The Secret World to us folks in the press. Check out Adam's full report for all the top secret details!

For some reason I’d imagined that unveiling an upcoming MMORPG to the assembled press at EA’s London event would involve some form of spinning chair, a desk, and perhaps a shiny looking computer. Not so. The guys over at Funcom had a different approach to showing off their next eagerly awaited online game, and in the absence of any sort of LED ridden PC, lead designer Martin Bruusgaard stood by a screen, headset  and microphone perched firmly on head, poised like a Norwegian pop-sensation about to burst into song.

Read more of Adam Tingle's The Secret World: A Sit Down with The Secret World.

Nice write-up.  I agree, this is the game I'm most looking forward to for 2012.  The horror genre has definitely been underrepresented in MMOs, so this should be a nice change.

The focus on the story is also intriguing, though I'm not sure how well it will support a virtual world MMO feel.  I'm also concerned about the impact PvP will actually have on the game.

Overall, still really looking forward to giving this game a shot.

"Just how these three will influence the story remains to be seen, but once chosen a player cannot leave or default to another."

So, if I choose Templar, I can't leave London, nor join my friends who might have chosen a different faction? Ouch! Not sure I like that.

Nevermind, I forgot to level my reading comprehension skill..

Yeah but it has a cash shop and that kills it for me.

Originally posted by korvass

"Just how these three will influence the story remains to be seen, but once chosen a player cannot leave or default to another."

So, if I choose Templar, I can't leave London, nor join my friends who might have chosen a different faction? Ouch! Not sure I like that.

you can leave the "towns" you just cant chance fraction and some quest stuff is for a single fraction only so friends would not be able to join..that sort of stuff.

Originally posted by Pala

Yeah but it has a cash shop and that kills it for me.

Same.

Also no open world pvp.

Double Bummer Deluxe.

Originally posted by Pala

Yeah but it has a cash shop and that kills it for me.

 

It's only for cosmetic items. Nothing that enhances gameplay, so you don't have to use it to get ahead. It's not a buy-to-win game.

Originally posted by Eladi

Originally posted by korvass

"Just how these three will influence the story remains to be seen, but once chosen a player cannot leave or default to another."

So, if I choose Templar, I can't leave London, nor join my friends who might have chosen a different faction? Ouch! Not sure I like that.

you can leave the "towns" you just cant chance fraction and some quest stuff is for a single fraction only so friends would not be able to join..that sort of stuff.

 Not sure if the solo faction based quest would diallow you to have people from the other three factions come with, they just could not get or finsih it. In the game you are both against and together with the two other factions, you fight with the other factions to kill the filth or what not as a group (of pcs. same faction or not.), yet you battle oppisite of each other in search of factional power. They also wanted you to make a choice that would feel important, over a i'll do this till i get bored choice.

Originally posted by todrules

Originally posted by Pala

Yeah but it has a cash shop and that kills it for me.

 

It's only for cosmetic items. Nothing that enhances gameplay, so you don't have to use it to get ahead. It's not a buy-to-win game.

I agree. Who gives a damn if it has a cash shop with cosmetic items? Hell WoW has been doing it for years with their TCG loot cards and then they finally just said to hell with it and added the cash shop. It did not hurt the game at all. There was nothing on those cards or in that shop that gives you an in game edge. Just watch ToR will have one or do the TCG loot card thing soon enough.

Originally posted by todrules

Originally posted by Pala

Yeah but it has a cash shop and that kills it for me.

 

It's only for cosmetic items. Nothing that enhances gameplay, so you don't have to use it to get ahead. It's not a buy-to-win game at launch.

Added the orange bit. Next thing you know they'll add food buffs, xp buffs, etc, etc. You can only hope it won't end with new, unique skills, etc.

Also it isn't just about unfair advantages, even a cash shop with just a lot of cosmetic items makes you pay for content which could have had an ingame, gameplay related source, possibly involving crafting or maybe very rare drops.

All the above would have been no big deal ... if the game would have been F2P, ... but you'll have to buy the box as well as pay for a sub already.

V_V

"the Secret World doesn’t believe in classes, and neither does it in levels. What replaces these are the skills which are selectable from a huge list, each offering perks and advantages, whilst also giving the ability to choose your own role within the game."

As an old SWG player this fills me with dread... As balacing this will be absolute nightmare (that is the real reason behinde the NGE btw... They never figured out how to balance the skill system) but i wish them the best of luck.

Originally posted by tawess

"the Secret World doesn’t believe in classes, and neither does it in levels. What replaces these are the skills which are selectable from a huge list, each offering perks and advantages, whilst also giving the ability to choose your own role within the game."

 

As an old SWG player this fills me with dread... As balacing this will be absolute nightmare (that is the real reason behinde the NGE btw... They never figured out how to balance the skill system) but i wish them the best of luck.

Fuck balance.   Not every character needs to perform in the exact same capacity as everyone else in every situation.  Even attempting to do so would be stupid.  Build your character to suit your playstyle and enjoy it!

Originally posted by czekoskwigel

Originally posted by tawess

"the Secret World doesn’t believe in classes, and neither does it in levels. What replaces these are the skills which are selectable from a huge list, each offering perks and advantages, whilst also giving the ability to choose your own role within the game."

 

As an old SWG player this fills me with dread... As balacing this will be absolute nightmare (that is the real reason behinde the NGE btw... They never figured out how to balance the skill system) but i wish them the best of luck.

Fuck balance.   Not every character needs to perform in the exact same capacity as everyone else in every situation.  Even attempting to do so would be stupid.  Build your character to suit your playstyle and enjoy it!

 True but it is just bad design not to attempt to minimize the advantage and disadvantage you have from a characetr to character basis. Having a character that under proforms by too much would reduce how much you enjoy the game even if by a slght amount. Keeping thigns close mind you not equal is a good way of allowing people to enjoy and feel competitive. Balance is need to keeep people eing able to play as they wish wihtout feeling they are draging behind or causing others to be annoyed in a group.  You be in a group and get complained and talked down to about hwo you made dumb choices that are not making waisted time in a group, i would rather they keep the differece in between build close with alot fo nique styles and choice being viable.

Originally posted by tawess

"the Secret World doesn’t believe in classes, and neither does it in levels. What replaces these are the skills which are selectable from a huge list, each offering perks and advantages, whilst also giving the ability to choose your own role within the game."

 

As an old SWG player this fills me with dread... As balacing this will be absolute nightmare (that is the real reason behinde the NGE btw... They never figured out how to balance the skill system) but i wish them the best of luck.

 

That's why PVP is a "PLAGUE" to the MMORPG genre and always will be!

MMORPG's aren't about balance! Never have been!

MMORPG's were always about Cooperation! Teamplay! Helping eachother!

People have simply forgotten that over time. The whole PVP in MMORPG's has turned them all in horrible "EPEEN" driven "WHINING" nannies complaining, complaining and more complaining!

And so litterly "DESTROYING" the MMORPG genre!

This is what PVP has done to MMORPG's! All the CRYING and WHINING for BALANCE has turned MMORPG games into bland and boring themepark games with classes with NO distiction, NO uniqueness! All for the sake of PVP and the futile attempts to BALANCE it!

That's why I have grown to hate the MMORPG genre, and especially the whining PVP playerbase over the years with GREAT passion!

People REALLY need to STOP complaining, getting rid of the SELFISH 1 versus 1 PVP mentality!  MMORPG's are no FPS games! They are RPG's!!!

It really saddens me, to see what the genre and a large portion of the playerbase has come down to.

That the only thing they care for these days, is COMPLAINING about 1 versus 1 PVP BALANCE!  Me, me, me an screw the rest!

Originally posted by Elricmerren

Originally posted by czekoskwigel

Originally posted by tawess

"the Secret World doesn’t believe in classes, and neither does it in levels. What replaces these are the skills which are selectable from a huge list, each offering perks and advantages, whilst also giving the ability to choose your own role within the game."

 

As an old SWG player this fills me with dread... As balacing this will be absolute nightmare (that is the real reason behinde the NGE btw... They never figured out how to balance the skill system) but i wish them the best of luck.

Fuck balance.   Not every character needs to perform in the exact same capacity as everyone else in every situation.  Even attempting to do so would be stupid.  Build your character to suit your playstyle and enjoy it!

 True but it is just bad design not to attempt to minimize the advantage and disadvantage you have from a characetr to character basis. Having a character that under proforms by too much would reduce how much you enjoy the game even if by a slght amount. Keeping thigns close mind you not equal is a good way of allowing people to enjoy and feel competitive. Balance is need to keeep people eing able to play as they wish wihtout feeling they are draging behind or causing others to be annoyed in a group.  You be in a group and get complained and talked down to about hwo you made dumb choices that are not making waisted time in a group, i would rather they keep the differece in between build close with alot fo nique styles and choice being viable.

 

In real life you didn't have to work at mcdonalds =P You could have done anything you wanted, be it a lawyer, doctor, waste collector, etc. You picked your skills and went with it, why should a game be any different? People might talk down to a burger flipper, but at the end of the day those talking down still shelled out the cash for the food. Doesn't matter what 'level' you are or how skilled you might think someone else is, so long as your not some panhandling bum, you've probably got something someone else needs no matter how littel used it might seem. I'm hoping this game is no different. It would be a nice change to not have the pathetic healer/tank/dps builds that every other game ALWAYS has to have. Besides, even in those types of games, a better strategy almost always beat the buttons being spammed.

So. True.

RPG and Balance are antinomic: the only way to have total balance is to have everyone playing the same chars, like in FPS games.

Originally posted by JeroKane

...snip...

That's why PvE is a "PLAGUE" to the MMORPG genre and always will be!

MMORPG's aren't about balance! Never have been!

MMORPG's were always about Cooperation! Teamplay! Helping eachother!

People have simply forgotten that over time. The whole PvE in MMORPG's has turned them all in horrible "EPEEN" driven "WHINING" nannies complaining, complaining and more complaining!

And so litterly "DESTROYING" the MMORPG genre!

This is what PvE has done to MMORPG's! All the CRYING and WHINING for BALANCE has turned MMORPG games into bland and boring themepark games with classes with NO distiction, NO uniqueness! All for the sake of PvE and the futile attempts to BALANCE it!

That's why I have grown to hate the MMORPG genre, and especially the whining PVP playerbase over the years with GREAT passion!

 

People REALLY need to STOP complaining, getting rid of the SELFISH 1 versus 1 PvE mentality!  MMORPG's are no FPS games! They are RPG's!!!

 

It really saddens me, to see what the genre and a large portion of the playerbase has come down to.

That the only thing they care for these days, is COMPLAINING about 1 versus 1 PvE BALANCE!  Me, me, me an screw the rest!

I had to fix that for you.  While I can see where you think you are coming from, generally speaking - you are wrong.  The majority of the complaints come from the PvE side.

Tank Class A wants to tank as well as Tank Class B.

DPS Class C wants to DPS as well as DPS Class D.

Healing Class E wants to heal as well as Healing Class F.

The various arguments amongst classes such as Warriors and Rogues over who should do the most damage.  Then adding in the ranged classes.  These guys are always squabbling and arguing over things such as this.

People do not run damage meters for PvP.  They run them for PvE.  The same goes for healing.  Players are always arguing over the PvE side of the game - they want everybody to be the same, to be able to do everything the same - everything homogenized.

They do not accept that perhaps there are other factors or attributes involved in their characters.  They realize that encounters are basically gear checks and DPS races.  So they have devolved into bickering in the manner that they have...

I always kind of laugh when folks try to point the finger at the few PvP folks, when the vast majority of the issues arise from those huge PvE communities crying amongst themselves that JoeBob did 1 more DPS than they did so either JoeBob needs a nerf and they need a buff (or preferrably, both - since they actually have no sense of game balance and want to wave their epeens around for all to admire)....

Originally posted by DarkPony

Originally posted by Pala

Yeah but it has a cash shop and that kills it for me.

Same.

 

Same here.

Others making it also does not make it better.

On top of that, Funcom stated themselves that they'll continue to expand store as game mature + want to make 35% revenue from it.

Won't support that.

Originally posted by fenistil

Originally posted by DarkPony

Originally posted by Pala

Yeah but it has a cash shop and that kills it for me.

Same.

 

Same here.

 

Others making it also does not make it better.

 

On top of that, Funcom stated themselves that they'll continue to expand store as game mature + want to make 35% revenue from it.

 

Won't support that.

 

Good luck playing any mmo in the future then... it's where they ALL are headed.... (GW2/SWTOR/probably not ArchAge yet...)