you can play Tera on a stream on http://www.gaikai.com/

(not an endorcement btw, but it's easy since you don't need to install it)

I have not played Tera outside of the stream so I can't answer your question.

Originally posted by Johnnymmo
Tsw is way more casual. Tera is more hardcore grinding. + tsw gets monthly updates and raids 10/20 incoming.
Tsw is solo friendly aswell

My friend took less than 1 month to reach level cap in TERA(yes got bored after this), so it is far very far from being a hardore game. Just to see how is the situation of MMO players nowadays.. they just want to leave the tutorial after creating the character and go to end game.  Just do like me, play CoD or Battlefied online instead.

i would def go with the secret world

Tera Pro's

Fun combat great graphics

Tera Con's

Horrible quest system  To Asian eastern influence for some Very grindy questing and very frustrating at times.

The Secret World Pro's

Large set of skills with different builds you can literally play however you like  Great Graphics Very good questing system probably one of the best for a mmorpg  Horror themed with secret societies

The Secret World Con's

Confusing skill system for a beginner with no tutorial really they kinda just throw you in the game  Very buggy at times Combat animations could be better Can get a bit grindy unless you like repeating quests to make different builds

All and all both have their ups and downs I would play neither personally but if i had to choose the secret world is leagues better then Tera but I hate asian games myself as the art style is just meh IMO. Also the secret world theme has never really been done in an mmorpg before successfully so if you like zombies and monsters from hell you will enjoy it for awhile.

Pick TSW.  

I was playing Tera and it's a very beautiful game but you do feel the grind which usually I don't really mind grinding in a MMO game.  Although in Tera, you can really feel it.  Everyone says, it will be a lot more fun when you pass level 20 and I really tried to get to 20 but I stopped at level 19.  So I'll never know if it's actaully be fun or not.  I still have the subscription till September...oh well..     And I'm not sure that's a good way to make people get to level 20 to see the core of the game.  A good game should be able to grab you right from the begining not 20 levels later...

So I picked up TSW just a few weeks ago.  I had my reservations before but I'm glad that I bought it.  The story missions, side missions and investigation missions are all very nicely done and really draws you in right from the start.  The skill wheel was kind of confusing at first but once you get it, it's pretty cool.  You could play anyway you want but if  there's  a "deck" or "profession" that you like, you could choose to follow it and it will reward you with pretty nice looking armors.

For me, personally, I like to use Bioshock as a reference.   TSW is kind of like Bioshock(above ground, obviously) but way bigger and way deeper and still tells very good stories that you actually want to follow and try to find out what happens next.  

Also, not once, I feel the grind.  There's no level or anything.  You just get skill and ability points as you play.  Actually personally I would even say that there is no grind in TSW.  

Since it's the free trial weekend, it would be a good time to try it out.  If you like Bioshock and Resident Evil but in a MMO world, you'll like this game.

Originally I was planning on playing TSW only until GW2 comes out.  I know I will keep playing TSW and GW2 at the same time.

TERA = Best babes.

TSW = Better MMO.

Not much in it really. :)

I think it's pretty hard to play TSW as leisurely as one can play TERA.  I'm not one of those folks who believes you have to be 21 years old with a doctorate to comprehend TSW, but you can't really just throw a build together and run around mindlessly doing quests and not hope to encounter a number of difficulties.  You have to be "into the game" to a greater degree, both inside and outside the game, than TERA.  TERA you can log on, have fun mowing down mobs -- which has the effect of drawing you into the combat -- yet walk away not feeling like you just sat through some exam to test your MMORPG skills.

That said, I found the amount of fun I get from TERA's combat only lasts for small doses of a week or so every month, and while TERA has a much more polished feel to it, TSW is a better constructed game that offers a more memorable MMO experience for players that can get into it IMO.

I know OP didnt' ask about it, but as far as WoW-style games that can be played leisurely, The Old Republic is another option.  I personally find it a mess, but I think it can still be a good fit for some players.

While none of the two games really attracts me (after being in both betas), if I really had no choice, I would take TSW without any kind of hesitation. Tera is just awful, with its boring classes locked to one single weapon and its linear and grindy poorly designed quest system (quests in Tera make those in WoW look like they were written by Tolkien himself).

So between those two, my vote goes to TSW, it's a much better game than Tera in almost every way.