The game has plenty of content, in terms of art assets and all the difficult stuff like that.  They just need to give it more depth, like I dunno, maybe an endgame, a rewarding PvP system, maybe some RP fluff.  Would just take a little creativity more than anything else.  Very possible, yet not very likely.

I can see it growing, too.  Just highly doubtful in its current state, especially with the devs wasting time on things like the new starting experience.  A great idea, but terrible execution that probably didn't help the game at all.. and that might have been their last chance, before the game launched with less players than Aion has, years after it peaked.

Rarely do I judge mmo's based soley on their combat system, and although it's combat is fun, it is not the first time I have experienced this type of combat in an mmo.. Even the F2P game C9 (Continent of the Ninth) has this sort of combat system, it's not new or breathtaking and after a few more titles (F2P more than likely) will feel as stale as the click hotbar system..

I think the game will have a niche following.. Much like Darkfall.. Those who feel they are hardcore enough and not MMO-FO's will continue to play TERA..

The part that dims the light for me is the skill system. I truly think they should have gone a classless route with weapons being the attack skill and a tree for other skills (yes, like GW2). For an action game like this, I would have preffered more options for battle (like being able to use at least 1 or 2 different types of weapons besides the default)..

It looks great, but besides the combat system, it is not a masterpeice imo..

Skill based twitch systems work better in games like Vindictus and Dragon Nest, because the action is in bursts and more compact (not run around the world, more stage based "blocked" in action like a console game which I suppose is what fans of this game prefer more?)

2c

Tera is going to be one of those odd niche games that will do fine but probably never spectacularly. I think it will follow a pattern similar to EVE. It will appeal to a certain group of mmo players and nothing else will seem to scratch that itch for them. It distinguishes itself from the WoW style mmos with its combat, even though the questing and many other features pulled straight from that mold. Some people like the combat, some people don't but it does that combat very well and in a very polished world. Those that connect with this style of game play are going to be rabid fans for a long time. Also fully a quarter of the world is undeveloped so they still have a good amount of space to expand into.

I also doubt that it will go f2p though it might. I think that it will eventually free to get into, that is, like EVE you simply download the client and sub, probably after a free trial period. but I think it will keep the sub, because of the chronoscrolls. between vanity items in the webstore and chrono scrolls, I think that will serve as TERA's version of f2p. People who want a boost can buy the scrolls and those who want to play free can farm gold to buy scroll from those selling them.

But I do expect to see the box get cheaper and cheaper until it is essentially free. I also wouldn't be surprised to see a free trial in the form of unlimited time but restricted to the isle of dawn and a lvl 10 cap.

If I had to guess I doubt it will retain enough subscribers past their respective 1-3 month personal "trial" to grow in any significant way from new subs.

Like TOR (legacy system, voiceovers and dialogue options) and TSW (puzzles, setting and atmosphere), TERA (combat and world pvp) has elements that a lot of people can recognize as fun and/or interesting, but unless those elements are your "big thing" none of them offers a well-rounded enough package to appeal to a broad audience IMO (leaving GW2 out of it because I haven't played it enough to get a good idea how long the bandwagon fans will be along for the ride).

For me, to the extent that I feel more engaged in combat playing TERA, that's a feeling I'd like to see other games capture.  And as somebody who like questing, I think TERA offers a good questing rhythm for people who enjoy that aspect of MMOs.  On the downside, the setting, story, endgame pve pogression, alt-leveling experience, and character building/advancement system don't offer enough apparent depth to make me believe I'd still have fun exploring them three or six or twelve or thirty-six months from now. 

And really, I think that's fine.  If TERA and these other games can appeal to their core audience of a few hundred-thousand to a million players, to me they've made at least some positive contribution to the greater player community.

It's already dead. I'm seeing 20k subs within 6 months. Probably sooner.

Lol this forum.

Tera is a great game. I havent been able to put it down. The PvP requires skill. The PvE requires skill. The graphics are beautiful. The game runs great with a good engine. The armor styles and weapons are nice and well done. It requires teamwork and finesse. You can enchant, crystal, and even customize your gear. You can run and be elected as a Vanarch and have quite a bit of control in your province. (there are several)

I honestly do not understand what kind of game it will take to impress you people. Out of the handfuls and handfuls of games that have been release in crappy unfinished unfun uninspired conditions and you are going to start hating on TERA already?

Whatever.

I havent played GW2, nor TSW. I will probably buy and play both.  However, i will confidently state i will be paying my first month on Tera and probably many many more. I even leveled and zerker and rerolled because of a few issues, no im not playing a slayer, and i still love the game to pieces. Sorry to hear, and a bit suprised, that so many of you dont enjoy it.

My server is packed with people and the newbie areas are so packed you have to wait for mobs.

I think half of you are just full of crap trying to put another shadow on another game, but this one doesnt deserve it. If the NA publisher or whoever keeps the game updated, which i think they will, i think some of you will regret sitting this one out. In a year it will be harder to level up on a PvP server, keep that in mind.

Once again, this game is a-fuggin-mazing. Give it an honest shot.

I agree it could, but only if EME gets it's butt in gear and implements things that are already in the Ktera version (battlegrounds, nexus).

Late summer is a long ways off, and people at 60 are already grumbling about endgame and things to do.

Nah, this game will go f3p like Aion at some point that isn't that far off.

Asian games never add the right content to make them terribly memorable in the long-run.  Their devs just don't have what it takes.

It needs depth, in every department. It is a great game now, it could be an outstanding game.

Originally posted by Lethal920

It needs depth, in every department. It is a great game now, it could be an outstanding game.

The thing is, to me, depth is the easy part.  The core of the game graphics/gameplay wise is the best I've ever played in an MMO.

But yeah, it does need more depth, and pretty fast if you ask me.

I'm a little worried that EME will be satisfied with translating a game and not devote much more resources to it.  It always worries me when a company is working on other games as well as this one (as you can see from the EME homepage).

So far, they've been pretty quiet since release about the future, besides what they already said, which was battlegrounds at the end of the summer.  I'm also confused as to why they haven't imported the Nexus system.  I don't think they've explained that one.

Once the initial thrill of the combat system wares off, people will leave because questing is so repetitive.  And don't get me started on PvP/hitboxes/and melee ranges.

I'm not fully confident that TERA will gain new subscriptions unless they add more depth and more activities for end-game users... and fast!

So many of my guild mates rushed to meet the level cap, while others have been trickling on and playing a few levels on one character, only to find it wasn't for them, then they shuffled through a few more classes.

I think TERA is an amazing foundation for something larger, but the whole picture just isn't quite there yet.  I LOVE the incredibly large world maps, and the painstaking detail put into the various zones and massive explorable structures.  The cities are breathtaking to fly into, and an aerial view on a pegasus makes me wish I had a flying mount so that I could just take in the scenery of the entire world map.

The art direction behind the races, the beastiary, and the armor and weaponry is all visually stunning.  I see people try to tear the game down on these merits, but I look at the dull, low polygon renderings of some other games, including some of the up-and-coming titles that people are so hyped up for, and I wonder where they derive their claims from.  Artistically, even if the game is "Asian art" inspired, it's still leaps and bounds ahead of other games on the market right now where visual content is concerned.

There is a distinct lack of originality in the quest model, but it's no worse than any other current MMOs, and there are definitely plenty of variation on the paths a player can take.  It is most definitely NOT as linear as most other MMOs out there.  I've noticed that I can choose multiple questing paths at every level bracket, whether it's a zone quest, or a "story" quest.  Sometimes they coincide, and I can double or even triple the experience I gain from similar objectives.

The combat system is just different enough to keep things interesting.  It took me a while to wrap my head around the lack of tab-targetting, but I grew accustomed to it, and it actually adds a dimension that I really like about this game.  I'm INVOLVED in my combat at every level, not just locking onto something and mashing buttons until it's dead.  What a refreshing change from the standard faire we've been spoon-fed up until now.  Even the so-called "innovative" games soon to be released have resorted to the same old tab-target model...  How innovative.  Anyone that has actually given TERA a fair chance can't deny that this almost console-game type combat model requires more attention and keeps the player more involved in their actions than previous MMOs, and the skills have been designed and streamlined enough to work within the confines of this system.  It's fun, it's adaptable enough to allow players that prefer to play with a controller to enjoy the game, and it works.

I am disappointed that there aren't more activities to inspire players to flex their PvP muscle at various level brackets, especially on PvE servers.  Battlegrounds, arenas, PvP-related objectives would have been a nice touch.  In this aspect, I find the game to feel somewhat unfinished.  Not that I want a total PvP experience, but mixing up a little PvP on the PvE servers would have been nice for a change of scenery.

It's nice to see that TERA took the time to implement a Group Finder system, unlike another recent release (I'm looking at YOU SW:TOR).  I find it odd that any game would even think of releasing without this feature in this post-WoW MMO model era.

I would like to think that EnMasse is busy pushing devs to implement more features, including raid content and potential PvP battlegrounds, but right now, the fact that a Cash Shop, and an extremely disappointing one at that, was the first update I've seen for this title.

I have mixed feelings for the success of this game.  If the development team can demonstrate that they are thinking of the bigger picture; with innovative content updates that add depth to the game and the activities it offers, then I'm sticking around for sure. 

However, if the only future content I can depend on is the same lame crap in the Cash Shop that I see introduced in every other asian-based MMO, then this game won't be for me.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on TERA, unlike some of these creeper GW2 shills that lurk around the forums to bash everything else except their over-hyped "second coming", but if it's going to stand a chance against the waves of new releases on the horizon, then a massive content update is needed. 

Personally, I hope EnMasse surprises us all with a major content update that vastly improves upon an already enjoyable game, and I sincerely hope that it gains more subscribers when they do.

I'd hate to see this game go to a free-to-play model.  In my eyes, that's a 99.9% guarantee that the community of said game will be utter shit, and a true deathknell to a game's future development.

I think when they add GVG rewards and meaning behind GVG + the Battlegrounds coming at the end of the summer then more people will play. I know many people who aren't playing right now cause PVP doesn't have much of a point right now. While the rest of the game is well polished everyone is waiting on true endgame to come out.

Originally posted by CujoSWAoA

Nah, this game will go f3p like Aion at some point that isn't that far off.

Asian games never add the right content to make them terribly memorable in the long-run.  Their devs just don't have what it takes.

..except that this game would be very lucky to do even half as well as Aion.

Originally posted by BartDaCat

*snip*

Whew, thanks for the read. Don't see many posts like that around here.

Really good overall post and I agree with on just about everything, with regards to content, an EME GM told me they had big plans for this game when I was just chatting with him, but honestly, it's only speculation at this point and i'd never take a statement from a GM as fact.

I just hope they try their best to keep people playing as I too really enjoy this game and it's much better when there's people to play with. Even at level 50 at peak times I can find a group for anything easily. How long that will last is unknown.

Don't know about this game.

Somehow I think it lacks depth when I think about it. Not enough stats and customization and so on. Even if you can colour your clothes and chicks look hot and all that, it would seem that once you're level 60 and close to max geared, most players will wear the same stuff, glyph the same way and so on. That has always bored med a bit, I enjoy it when you can customize your character to a maximum. Long skill-trees for the win!

Unfortunately this seems to be something that vanishing from modern MMORPGS - the depth when it comes to stats, builds etc....

I also dislike the whole online store thing, but at least in this game it seems to sell decorative items!? These are silly anyway, so if people wanna waste their money on those, I dont mind.

Also, I fear I'll get bored quite fast with the abscense of raiding.

I know all the above was more or less negative - but the fact is I'm really enjoying myself in the game. Like me and a guildie agreed on the other night: It just feels right. There's a flow to it, to be honest.

I think I'll be playing it for quite a while - even though, when analyzing it, I shouldn't.

:)

It won't.

The PVE is stale, the PVP is fine but lacks appeal and it's not a famous IP.

The best TERA can hope is to grab alot of people in the 1st 6 months after release and hope that word of mouth brings a few more after that.

I expect the game to have free trials in a couple of months to try and lure people in with its combat, and it will work if they do it.

---

Originally posted by Numquam
Unfortunately this seems to be something that vanishing from modern MMORPGS - the depth when it comes to stats, builds etc....

---

Having a dozen stats isnt depth, its an illusion of depth that developers throw at you because they are too lazy to add real depth.

Depth should be in how the game is played and how you use what you have available to you. Not 2 dozen stats, a 100 different spells and pointless talent trees.

Tera is a step towards this and having the best gear in the game wont save a bad player.

Originally posted by TheDubanat0r

One of the rare games that builds more subs over time....Please Discuss.

I remember those days of rose colored glasses with all new MMOs then the ex-WoW players go on the forums and slowly destroy that new game.   Wanting to turn it into another perfect WoW-clone.   Then when that game fails because of the Dev teams stops making original content and begins turning it into a clone.  

So i have to disagree, they will lose subs.

I really like this game so far and would love to see it maintain the fan base it currently has.  Despite it's short comings once the battlegrounds, nexus's, and GvG rewards come out this game should really pick up speed.  Altough, I'm not 60 (currently 53) when the planned content is released there will be more then enough stuff to do at end game and will have more content then TSW or GW2.

As far as those other games are concerned I've participated in some of the GW2 beta's and have been apart of the TSW beta for awhile.  TSW will be a niche game for sure so I don't think it will pull too many people away from Tera (seeing that PvP is not very a strong feature).  GW2 will offer a lot of competition of course, but for those who are going to rush to max level they will see the same short comings just as every other mmo right out of launch.  The thing about GW2 that kinda turns me off is the fact guilds mean virtually nothing without GvG.  I love the GvG system in Tera, and from what I've read it's only going to get better.  Inter guild politics really build a community so when you can can just join as many guilds as you like it almost seems pointless to have them at all.  

Overall I think Tera has a lot of room to grow and will get better and better over time.  It doesn't really concern me if a million people play the game I just want enough on the server to keep things exciting.