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TERA Previews: GDC 2010: First Look Preview
MMORPG.com's Garrett Fuller got a look at En Masse Entertainment's action packed MMOG TERA at this year's Game Developers Conference and reports back with the details in the this first look preview.
By Garrett Fuller on March 12, 2010
This week at GDC we got a chance to see En Masse Entertainment’s newest AAA MMO TERA. The game has been known for a while and is currently in its third closed beta in Korea. It is currently being worked on to bring over to the Western audience as well. TERA is a new subscription based MMO that offers lush graphics and intense action MMO gameplay. The core development team previously worked on Lineage II, and with TERA they are seeking to develop an MMO that can crossover and bridge the gap between Eastern and Western tastes.
The crux of TERA's design focuses on creating fun combat gameplay without compromising the depth found in traditional AAA MMOGs. Teamwork is essential in the game where classes and races work together to fight a common enemy that continues to grow in their midst. There is a long list of races to choose from: Humans, Castonic, Aman, Popori, Baraka, and High Elf offer players many choices. There is also a solid set of classes to choose from: Warrior, Slayer, Archer, Mystic, Sorcerer, Lancer, Berserker, and Priest. The classes are generally made up of the the typical Holy Trinity archetypes consisting of Tanks, Mages, and Support/healers.
TERA also features robust customization options for players to use when creating a character. We looked on as a human Mystic was created and then logged in to blast some fireballs at foes. The world of TERA is beautifully crafted with much attention to detail. Even the cities we saw had great detail and were laid out intelligently with properly placed vendors and many areas to socialize. With this great canvas, the TERA team wants to bring action to the MMO genre with a very fast paced playstyle.
The gameplay demo we saw focused on the game's combat, which bears more resemblance to console style action gameplay than your typical clickfest MMO. We watched as a dual-wielding Castonic Warrior ran around to attack monsters and fight a boss. The monster spawns we saw were set up in small monster groups with one large monster and a herd of smaller creatures to fight. The Warrior cut through them with jumps and rolls swinging and hacking away at them untilall the foes fell.
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TERA is played from the typical third person perspective found in most MMOGs, although ranged classes feature a targeting reticle, as well as the ability to cast from the first person perspective.The system allows players to use both mouse and key pad as well as console controller. The target system is not as clicky as traditional MMOs. It flows much faster, where you swing is where you hit and the target in the center of the screen allows you to focus attacks without having to click on everything. There is a small skill bar for players to use abilities in combat. There are skills like critical strike and resist critical attacks. However, skills like dodge or parry are covered by player movement. We also watched the Mystic class fight with spells and also drop potions on the ground which may be used through out combat. This was a great feature from a support perspective that players can grab potions throughout a fight.
The TERA team wants the game to be fifty percent MMO and fifty percent action. They plan to use the best parts of each set up to support each other. There are quests and instances like traditional MMOs which all have some form of solo play. There are instances that need groups to do, with support for up to five players per group. The game does have collision in it so players have to work together with tactics and strategies to fight bosses. As mentioned above, combat moves very fast and the character movement is quite fluid when fighting.
There is a large social aspect to the game where players not only can group up, but they can also form guilds. There is also a political system planned for the game, but the team could not talk about it much. Players will also be able to look for groups through the use of billboards in towns. There is only one faction in the game, but players will still have access to PvP content. They are working with the idea of PvP servers as well as battlegrounds, dueling, and world PvP content.
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Overall, TERA looks very fast paced and being made by the Lineage II core team the world looks great. The action combat moves fast and gives players an upgrade from the normal point and click fighting we have become used too. We expect to have a lot more coverage on TERA as they move further into development and closer to beta. This is definitely a game to watch.
Nevermind :) Thanks for the preview.
I get all tingly when I read more about this game.
I only have one word for Tera Dev team.. Thieves!
I ditched AION and went back to L2. This looks like it may actually replace L2 in the 'gorgeous grinder' slot of my MMO gaming list.
Love....
Nono, the code was just lying around unattended. It just happended to be alot like the Lineage code. ;)
Def looking forward to this, and I get more excited for its release with every new preview.
If what they say about dodge and parry being determined by player movements instead of stats is accurate, that will make combat (especially PvP) much more challenging and fun. I also love that you have to aim... that'll definitely be an equalizer in ranged vs. melee combat.
Looks cool and all, but when are they going to stop putting females in battle situations wearing platforms and stilettos?
"Dangit...sorry guys, I'll have to sit this round out...just broke another heel."
I got that same feeling when i heard about Aion :) . ... ended up being an itch tho .. dont scratch it . .. wont never heal if ya do :)
The whole dodging/parry thing done threw movements, as well as the no clicking fast pasted combat is actually becoming a huge trend with current Korean made MMO's. C9, Mabinogi: Heroes, and Dragon Nest have all adapted this new play system. So get ready to see allot more of it coming over this year and next. ;)
I gotta say though, out of all of them, TERA for sure looks the best, but that's because it's pay 2 play, While the others are free /w item malls. But it's also great, because even for F2P, they still look and play really well.
I'm guessing Blade & Soul will have a similar combat system also, judging by the preview vids. Or atleast I hope so. :)
Lineage 3 code at its best :) But seriously looks like a decent grinder.
I'm hoping they got enough Blizzard guys on staff to not make it a full on Korean-style grind fest... I don't mind the occasional grind, but the grind in like Aion is just too much. Maybe the former Blizz guys can get their $0.02 in and create some sort of middle ground with a moderate grind, but majority of leveling done via questing...
I'm hoping they got enough Blizzard guys on staff to not make it a full on Korean-style grind fest... I don't mind the occasional grind, but the grind in like Aion is just too much. Maybe the former Blizz guys can get their $0.02 in and create some sort of middle ground with a moderate grind, but majority of leveling done via questing...
Same can't really understand how people like to mindlessly grind through different zones but everyone is different I suppose.
Been following the progress of this game for several months. Glad to see they have a US presence so we dont have to worry that it will be a Korean only game. Whether or not it is the stolen Lineage 3 code doesnt really concern me. Besides, these developers were the ones working on that code before they left or got fired from NCsoft so were they really stealing it or just taking what they had worked on and felt was theirs to take?
I can't wait to play this game. It looks so awesome!
~Miles "Tails" Prower out! Catch me if you can!
LOL. Thats a selling point though!
I want to be excited for TERA, I really do, but I am at the point of not putting any faith into any game until I have chance to play it. Been burned WAY to many times these last..... 5-6 years. ** Looking at you Cryptic, SOE, NCSoft, 90% of game developers **
I like the way the combat of this game is looking. I was looking at some videos on youtube, and not only is it fast paced, but it seems just generally innovative for MMO's. It shows a guy swinging his word, and upon getting closer to the player, the sword begins to hit the other player. As in, he's swinging his sword... without anyone actually in range of his hits. This reminds me a great deal of the ways single player Zelda-like RPGs work, and their fighting mechanics, and excites me a great deal that this kind of combat will be in an mmo.
Take a peek.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9VUi9rK_FLQ
This is a good article!
About the L3 source code...I don't really care that they stole it. Lineage 3 had been shelved and sent into re-development, and sent to a different team at that point, so a couple years of work just went down the drain for these guys. I don't blame them for taking it and making it into something!
Brian Knox gave an interview about the game a couple of weeks ago, and said there is over 55 zones, and you can quest all the way to the level cap without mindlessly grinding mobs. But the game is more group focused than other games, so while there are solo quests, the best stuff is earned through grouping and honestly I think that's a pretty good idea in order to help form a much more stable community by getting everyone to work together more frequently. There's a very robust LFG system in development in order to help form groups and they are hoping to steer away from the "holy trinity" requirement for groups, although I'm sure it'll help to have them. I have said it before and I'll say it again please join the official TERA community on the website and leave your feedback on the forums!
What? No pictures of sexily clad females?
whats sad is that some of you don't care that they stole the code. First of they did work on it while working for ncsoft the code still belongs to ncsoft they were just making it for them. Also no idea if its true or not but glad to see there will be a new awesome graphic grinder to replace L2.
Lawyers and judges get paid to worry about stuff like that. I'm a gamer, not an armchair lawyer.
Don't tell me about the labor, Show me the baby!
Oversized weapons.
Heavily combat oriented.
Everyone is beautiful.
A 'cute' race.
Not much really in customization except the usual fare (hair, skin color and faces).
Typical Oriental/Korean MMO design. Nothing new here.
No thank you.
Lawyers and judges get paid to worry about stuff like that. I'm a gamer, not an armchair lawyer.
Don't tell me about the labor, Show me the baby!
Lawyers and judges got paid did the worry work on this stuff.People got fined and fired,judgments were made,NCSoft is satisfied and TERA was allowed to continue development.The onyl people who don't consider this ancient history are forum posters lol .
I really wonder why people like you do yourselves such a disfavor by potentially missing out on a great game because of cultural bias.
Every mmorpg is heavily combat oriented. You're making assumptions about customization.
Typical korean MMO design and nothing new here? What a ridiculous statement. Even with the little information available it is very obvious the game plays nothing like a typical korean MMO.
Look at the swords every male character is using on that screenshot.
*yawn*, Next!
2 questions. First question, what hard evidence do you posess that NCSoft doesn't that demonstrates TERA developers "stole the code". Honestly, if you're going to be the paragon of virtue and the champion of NCsoft's intellectual property rights, provide some hard evidence or we're just going to have to assume you're a libellious liar. Might want to share your evidence with NCSoft too.
Second question, I'd like to know more about the "awesome graphic grinder". Just how much grinding will be involved? Will it be solo, quest, group, or dungeon mob grinding? You feel confident enough to label it as the "graphic grinder to replace L2" (despite the sentence right before that one admitting you were just making things up). So, it's okay for you to lie and libel developers without providing a shred of evidence, in your mind, you're the moral one?
I really wonder why people like you do yourselves such a disfavor by potentially missing out on a great game because of cultural bias.
Every mmorpg is heavily combat oriented. You're making assumptions about customization.
Typical korean MMO design and nothing new here? What a ridiculous statement. Even with the little information available it is very obvious the game plays nothing like a typical korean MMO.
Agreed. Most MMO's have this stuff anyway, so there are like 1 or 2 MMO's you can stand to play? Even WoW has oversized weapons, heavy on combat, hot Night elves and Blood Elves, and a "cute" race (Gnomes).
But also judging by the guys post, he clearly hasn't seen much on TERA at all, or he would know the TERA's detailed character creation is on par with that of Aion's.
I'm guessing he's also blindly hateful towards the up coming Blade & Soul game, which looks just flat out amazing.
And
Until eastern MMO studio understand the above post they'll never get it right with the Western audience.
It took me 1 click on one of the article's pics to immediately know I will never play that game.
This looks like it could be a lot of fun.
Like big preaty fire works,Ewww,Ahhhh.Hope it has a great finish.
ugh... nothing new here or even remotely different. After it releases it will fall in the same category as warhammer, AoC, and Aion.
I really wonder why people like you do yourselves such a disfavor by potentially missing out on a great game because of cultural bias.
Every mmorpg is heavily combat oriented. You're making assumptions about customization.
Typical korean MMO design and nothing new here? What a ridiculous statement. Even with the little information available it is very obvious the game plays nothing like a typical korean MMO.
No assumptions about customization, I watched the video on YouTube.
I have tired Perfect World, Runes of Magic, Requim, Aion and a few other "Asian" MMOs and this looks just like all of them. The only thing that makes it different so far is the way you attack (click and if they are in the sword arc, you hit as opposed to target and push buttons). From what I have seen, its nothing new here, just a reskinned theme over and over.
But to give the game the benefit of the doubt, I'll go watch a few more videos.
No assumptions about customization, I watched the video on YouTube.
I have tired Perfect World, Runes of Magic, Requim, Aion and a few other "Asian" MMOs and this looks just like all of them. The only thing that makes it different so far is the way you attack (click and if they are in the sword arc, you hit as opposed to target and push buttons). From what I have seen, its nothing new here, just a reskinned theme over and over.
But to give the game the benefit of the doubt, I'll go watch a few more videos.
The game has not been released yet and is still under development so yes, you are making assumptions about customization.
Even in the games you mentioned, there is difference between them. Aion is very different from Requiem. The combat in TERA is completely different from the games you mentioned so that alone makes for an enormous difference in gameplay.
Much of the game is not revealed yet so many of the comments about grind or being similar are just assumptions based on cultural bias. I find it to be quite ridiculous when people claim all asian mmorpgs are the same after they played a few free to play games.
Cant wait for this.
Can't understand why people want weapons to be small and are frustrated when many mmos uses bigger weapons so they look better and cooler.
When I'm using a thief I want to see my daggers I don't want to look at my character hands and see he's holding a little knife that it's barely seen.
Even if I did want to try this game, my computer would never run it. I'm not sure where these game companies think we get the money to buy these NASA computers to run graphics like that.
Ah well.
What are your system requirements?
They are trying hard to lower them as much as possible but if you want a game that is good looking you will need to raise it a bit but I'm sure it won't be like AoC were one of the things that made it get less profit in my opinion was the system requirements.
Death to Linage3!!
It looks like an interesting game, lets hope they(quite unlike NCsoft) understand the difference between the eastern and western markets.
im skeptical, these korean things are shallow, and they tend to bomb. just because it's prettier, doesnt mean it's any good. aion proved that.
Chalk up another that I'll be looking forward to trying. :)
I was already sold on the game but this put over the top for me
www.zam.com/story.html
He was playing game with a X-box 360 controller and it look natural.
i'm 50-50 about this one. The game looks awesome, and has some interesting potential...but it also sounds like it could turn into another Asian grinder where all I do is stand in one area and aoe grind thousands of mobs while trying to drown out goldspammers.
Hoping that doesn't happen here.
I guess if you really like Aion you will like this one. You wont, cant get lost. Always a path to follow. Small maps, lots on instances. Not as bad as Startrek.
Looks very very nice. Cant get some really kool pvp. Cant really tell till its launched.
All I see is a lagfest.
Too much shiny = lots of lag.
game performance > gameplay > eye candy.
What good is fun gameplay and slick eye candy if the client performs horribly due to lots of onscreen activity?
Take 50 people running around fighting and nuking in wow and you have very little lag or none at all. Take 50 people running around fighting and nuking in a AAA title such as tera and you'll be hard pressed to enjoy yourself due to the game stopping hitching and lag. Sometimes less is more.
Yep I'm judging tera having not played it.
*yawn* As i see alot of responses like "looks like a great grind fest" im reminded why i've hated every korean team driven mmo ive played. And yeah the waste of 50 bucks for aion prob makes me a bit jaded. Just cant seem to get into the story lines and endless kill this guy 200 times every day for the day, ding then go kill this other guy 200 times. Dont forget the quest to kill the guy. Im not sayin its gonna be a terrible game, cause some of the combat looks interesting. but no more korean grinders till ive played a trial. im just saying
I lmao at this one.
They could pull a Jerry Springer Show -take the high heal off and start beating their opponent in the head with it.
is there really any game out there that is not a grinder? I keep hear this its korean gonna be a grindfest but really they all are korean or western, grind mobs grind out quests grind out dungeons even Darkfall with no levels is grind out mobs for stat increases so they might as well have lvls too
I'll be following this closely as well. It's intriguing & would definitely consider it while waiting for SWTOR & TSW.
That's pretty much my thoughts too lol
I've never been that impressed by Korean MMOs but who knows, this one might have something to it.
"There is a large social aspect to the game where players not only can group up, but they can also form guilds."
being able to form guilds does not indicate a large social aspect, it is the bare minimum we expect in any MMO.
I like the sound of the battlegrounds and the combat seems inovative. I have heard they are going to use Game Guard though, I really hope they change their mind about that.
It looks like another clone of so many games out therer. 50%action and 50% mmo-hmmm-I think I'll pass on this one until after release and people have had a chance to review the game having played it.
You have good attitude, after so many failures i'm thinking the same. Just i have played Tera already and OMFG, this was the best MMO experience ever!
Of course you need to try it yourself, just i want to note - don't miss it, coz you gona love it.
I had my reservations about Aion before it was released and they proved correct. I have mine about this game too. The game mechanics can be a world apart from all others, if it was originally designed for the korean market, then in the end it will be a korain game with all the grinding, over-sized weapons and lots of she-male looking characters. All the models and scenary in Asain games can be interchanged and you wouldn't know it came from a different game. They all use the same models.
I will stick with my tried a true mmo's and when I'm done with those, if there is nothing new, then give the genre up until there is something new.
First off this game is years off from release on our side of the pond, the entire game has to be translated first.
Secondly it is just a huge grindathon, only masochists play those types of games.
Can't imagine anyone getting excited about this game.
Yeah, feminine males, sexy bitches on high heels, unnaturally fast moves and the swords that are size of Dikembe Mutombo. I just can't adapt to asian style..
These games never have reasonable lore as well. You are never the part of a game story.
The ranged and melee combat system (the "no active locked target") is definitely a step forward though.
So you've never played WoW either?
Actually there is allot of new stuff with this game, you just refuse to see it...
I have a Nvidia 9800 GTX+, $135, I'm pretty sure I can run this game just fine and MANY others out there can as well.
It's set to come out at the end of this year for us here in the US.
Name one game that isn't a "grindathon" US, Asian made, or whatever.
I suppose it is easier to just turn a blind eye then to even think this might be a great game, well before you even try it.
Or until the so-called 'Western audience' learns they're not the center of the gaming universe and the Eastern audience has as much right to a playstyle they enjoy as Western players do to theirs.
What many in the Western audience need to realize is that if they don't like a specific playstyle, they have every right to not play it. I find the conceit some possess that somehow if a MMO is available in the Western market that it must cater to the Western market to be shamelessly closed-minded. That would be like saying since they can play WoW in Asia, that WoW should cater more to that region's typical playstyle (ie. the so-called "Asian grindfest"). Of course that would be ridiculous to us. And, as such, the concept that the more "Asian styled" MMOs should cater more to us in the West is equally ridiculous.
There's also this conceit demonstrated by many who seem to think that if *they* don't like the way something is set up, then there *must* be something wrong with it. It's not as simple as them not liking it, even though others do. Oh no no no. They don't like it, therefor, and needs to be changed, and the devs are clueless... and on and on... /facepalm Some people need to get over themselves, seriously.
The choice is simple... Play the game if you think you'd enjoy it. Avoid it if you think you wouldn't.
Whatever homeboy... The whole "crossover and bridge the gap between Eastern and Western tastes" was the only, "OH GOD NO" part for me in the whole article. They really need to put that sentence at the end of the article so people won't get turned off and quit reading because personally, I think this game is the most promising mmo on the development list. Yes, much of this is personal taste but why go "eastern" in style or content at all? As if "easterners" don't play wow or diablo, etc en masse and these games are entirely western themed. There are lots and lots of westerners who get turned off by the whole anime thing or whatever it is...
Conceit? that's pretty much the main thrust of your post, as well as bitterness and anger over something so silly. Let's turn mmo's into a racial conflict. Get over yourself and get over the fact that some people like what they like and don't have to love your garbage. Yeah the fact that so many are "eastern" themed really doesn't matter since most mmo's totally suck in my opinion. I guess the two go hand in hand. So thanks for your permission but I'll gladly avoid them.
Runes of Magic is a German game ya know, which means it's not Asian.
Looks amazing :L Finally a MMO that uses action style fighting
Wellll.....it wouldn't be such a lagfest if the States didn't have such sucky internet. Korea has like 160 Mbps internet for around 20$ a month.
Im a sucker for big weapons...what game actually uses realistically sized swords and daggers? Big weapons look more badass
Or until the so-called 'Western audience' learns they're not the center of the gaming universe and the Eastern audience has as much right to a playstyle they enjoy as Western players do to theirs.
What many in the Western audience need to realize is that if they don't like a specific playstyle, they have every right to not play it. I find the conceit some possess that somehow if a MMO is available in the Western market that it must cater to the Western market to be shamelessly closed-minded. That would be like saying since they can play WoW in Asia, that WoW should cater more to that region's typical playstyle (ie. the so-called "Asian grindfest"). Of course that would be ridiculous to us. And, as such, the concept that the more "Asian styled" MMOs should cater more to us in the West is equally ridiculous.
There's also this conceit demonstrated by many who seem to think that if *they* don't like the way something is set up, then there *must* be something wrong with it. It's not as simple as them not liking it, even though others do. Oh no no no. They don't like it, therefor, and needs to be changed, and the devs are clueless... and on and on... /facepalm Some people need to get over themselves, seriously.
The choice is simple... Play the game if you think you'd enjoy it. Avoid it if you think you wouldn't.
Well... The problem with that perspective is that its true... After a fashion. Certainly in the eastern market games should be tailored for the eastern demographics. On the other hand, games offered in the western market should be tailored for the western demographic. Those who do not understand those differences, are responsible for so many games that niche themselves at launch(or before) or which out right fail.
The conceit(not to mention laziness) is in the mind of those who refuse to understand the difference in the markets, yet still expect their products to do equally well in both. MMO history is littered with the results of such conceit. As for "shamelessly close minded" thats NOT open for debate in a *business* sense. One either plays to an existing demographic, or one suffers the consequences. Aions retention numbers demonstrate that NCsoft still hasn't grasped the differences in the markets(as just one recent example).
By the way, WoW does cater to the differences in the cultures. They offer both PvP as well as PvE servers. Yes, the choice is simple, either design for each market, or accept the limited success(or out right failure) that goes along with that decision.
Well... The problem with that perspective is that its true... After a fashion. Certainly in the eastern market games should be tailored for the eastern demographics. On the other hand, games offered in the western market should be tailored for the western demographic. Those who do not understand those differences, are responsible for so many games that niche themselves at launch(or before) or which out right fail.
The conceit(not to mention laziness) is in the mind of those who refuse to understand the difference in the markets, yet still expect their products to do equally well in both. MMO history is littered with the results of such conceit. As for "shamelessly close minded" thats NOT open for debate in a *business* sense. One either plays to an existing demographic, or one suffers the consequences. Aions retention numbers demonstrate that NCsoft still hasn't grasped the differences in the markets(as just one recent example).
By the way, WoW does cater to the differences in the cultures. They offer both PvP as well as PvE servers. Yes, the choice is simple, either design for each market, or accept the limited success(or out right failure) that goes along with that decision.
I think that stating PvE servers and PvP servers is culturalization is overstretching the word quite a bit, I don't think you could say Asians dig pvp and Western people dig Pve. Wow is a classic western game made easier, then why do Asians like it? Differences might not be as big as you think.
Anyways, I've always said the same, we talk about how western games succeed and Asian "grindfests" fail...other than WoW, is there any MMO out there bigger than Aion in the western market? How did L2 get 150K western subs few months after release (not counting with the enormous private server community that game had in the so called "west"). That's right, other than WoW, no western game have become a monster (excepting EQ maybe back in the day) and that's why I don't associate product's origins with quality, because I've played more western turds than asian turds, tbh.
This game looks interesting and nice. I like the targeting requirement and I'm curious about parry and dodge. I do hope that truly mastering a character takes skill, and that not everyone in the same class looks, acts, and does almost exactly the same thing each and every time.
Thanks for the links and the info.
I really don't understand what people are seeing in this. The combat looks especially terrible. At that pace, can you imagine how excruciating it will be trying to kill the millions of creatures it will undoubtedly make you kill?
Supporting games like this hurts the future of MMORPGs.
This game is bringing action and thats what some of us want. Its something different even if its something that you may not be intrested in. Its not hurting the genre at all be trying to bring in a new combat system. What mmo out there has a system where the Tank has actually position him self and use his body to block / prevent the enemy from attacking the group? If you want to spend your time with lame auto target combat thats been done 1000 times over and over then there are plenty of games out there for you.
I have a Nvidia 9800 GTX+, $135, I'm pretty sure I can run this game just fine and MANY others out there can as well.
Let me correct you and go a bit further, You will need a larger power supply to handle that big 9800 and a larger case to fit it in in some cases.
But hark this! I've played a great deal of games that utilise the Unreal 3 Engine such as this one, you don't need a video card any where near as good as a 9800.
A simple "lowest of the series" will do.
For example a Nvidia Gt 220 (which runs about 65 dollars, 50 on sale) It does not need a larger power supply either.
In fact, nearly any new run off the mill of the shelf computer with a 220 will run this game.
4 gigs of ram
2.5 dual core processor
Gt 220
Done deal 500 dollar computer - 350 if you build it your self.
The game will likely be 50 dollar + 15 a month for a year is 185, giving you a total of 235$ more than half the cost of a computer!. simply put, if one can afford to play, one can afford the computer it requires. ......... It is as if people expect every game to run on their Amiga 3000! ........ *steps off of soap box*
Yes and no. The Developers who made Lineage 2 made what they took with them. I mean, its their work. Thing is, the publisher has claim to it, which is really where it stands.
Imagine you go to school, and the school wants to do a piece of artwork. Its amazing, and everyone loves it. Then school starts treating you like crap, and you decide to leave and take your art work with you, but the school says "no, the contract says your work is ours". Tell me, what would you do?
There really is no right answer really. Legally, I would say NC Soft is probably in the right, but morally? No. The game industry is full of these kinds of abuses.
Did you know its not uncommon to have developers sign clauses that state that no matter what they work on at home, with their own free time, the publisher owns it? Its pretty sick. There is no guild or union or organization that is really able to look out for developers successfully.
Runes of Magic is a German game ya know, which means it's not Asian.
Looks amazing :L Finally a MMO that uses action style fighting
lmao: Rom is not a German mmo, the Germans just publish Rom for the euro market, Rom is an Asian mmo.
Well... The problem with that perspective is that its true... After a fashion. Certainly in the eastern market games should be tailored for the eastern demographics. On the other hand, games offered in the western market should be tailored for the western demographic. Those who do not understand those differences, are responsible for so many games that niche themselves at launch(or before) or which out right fail.
The conceit(not to mention laziness) is in the mind of those who refuse to understand the difference in the markets, yet still expect their products to do equally well in both. MMO history is littered with the results of such conceit. As for "shamelessly close minded" thats NOT open for debate in a *business* sense. One either plays to an existing demographic, or one suffers the consequences. Aions retention numbers demonstrate that NCsoft still hasn't grasped the differences in the markets(as just one recent example).
By the way, WoW does cater to the differences in the cultures. They offer both PvP as well as PvE servers. Yes, the choice is simple, either design for each market, or accept the limited success(or out right failure) that goes along with that decision.
I think that stating PvE servers and PvP servers is culturalization is overstretching the word quite a bit, I don't think you could say Asians dig pvp and Western people dig Pve. Wow is a classic western game made easier, then why do Asians like it? Differences might not be as big as you think.
Anyways, I've always said the same, we talk about how western games succeed and Asian "grindfests" fail...other than WoW, is there any MMO out there bigger than Aion in the western market? How did L2 get 150K western subs few months after release (not counting with the enormous private server community that game had in the so called "west"). That's right, other than WoW, no western game have become a monster (excepting EQ maybe back in the day) and that's why I don't associate product's origins with quality, because I've played more western turds than asian turds, tbh.
Well, from personal experience that IS one of the major differences. The majority of eastern games are PvP gank/grindfests. Lord alone knows how many of them are re skinned, re ruled clones using the same limited set of engines. Such games tend to become havens for gankers and griefers. That appears to be tolerated more in the east, than it is these days in the west. Content is one of the main differences between the two sides(and also one of the most expensive elements). In a PvP game other players provide most of the targets, and thus much of the content. That makes them less expensive to produce. But it also makes them less accepted by the majority of the western player base(look at linage2, Aion and others in terms of retention).
In the case of WoW, you have a company(Blizzard) with an established fanbase, who hit most of the elements that make a game fun and accessible. The result was the massive player base that World of Warcraft has maintained for more than 5 years now. It will be interesting to see if they can duplicate that success in their next MMO.
Wellll.....it wouldn't be such a lagfest if the States didn't have such sucky internet. Korea has like 160 Mbps internet for around 20$ a month.
Im a sucker for big weapons...what game actually uses realistically sized swords and daggers? Big weapons look more badass
Korea also has the majority of its population spread over MUCH less area than the US. I must admit that I'm in awe of their internet infrastructure, but they do have some advantages over the US. Thats leaving entirely aside the fact that much of the US system is ruled by what are effectively monopolies(cable and/or telco) who have Sweet Deals with the local/state politicians. Not to mention owning many of those at the national level. That and other factors seriously limit effective competition. If this game has PvE servers I'm going to give it a try, as it looks like fun.
If you want a game to be successful in a certain area, then you better adapt that game to the area. The customers shouldn't have to adapt to your product, your product should be made for whom you want to buy it. It's business 101.
As mentioned, NcSoft hasn't learned this leason yet as Aion proves. You can dress this game up anyway you want, but unless it's designed from the ground up for the western market it's not going to do as well as it could. Doesn't mean people won't like it or it won't be a good game, but it won't get and keep, big numbers of players in the west.
no
Hm, strange, since these two posts did describe....well, entire mmorpg market?
Its not Western, its not Asian, its MARKETING.
World of Nerdtards is like that, Aion is like that, any decent western mmorpg islike that.
Now even bioware rpgs are like that (looking atyou, Mass Effect2 and crying at how much you have been ruined)
Seriously, the ammount of bias in this thread is surprising.....even if its in this "community".
THe more I see people denominating eastern mmorpg developers(considering the only decent "Western" mmorpg is EVE...), the more I want to solo in mmorpgs, or just stay out of the whole elitist community.
Well, thats certainly one perspective... But its one I don't happen to agree with. Marketing is certainly an important element, but not nearly as important as understanding the market you choose to operate in. As for the last, that has to be your decision. Only you can decide if any of the current games are worth your time and money. Eve is a fun game, but it has its limitations.
The sad part is that these people doesn't like the idea of big weapons, and thus complain about them. But what about the races? The big lizard-type people or the half-giant stone guys? Or like, fireballs?
Oh yeah! It's a fantasy game afterall...so that's acceptable. However, a giant-sword? No way sir!
Their logic is amusing.
Yea, it shouldn't be about east vs.west. Making generalized statements are nonsense. Look at the FF series, Aion, Lineage; all largely popular. Anyway, I'll take a look at anything, and look forward to looking at this too.
yet another game with females that all look like hookers wielding giant swords.... yay just what the world needs
Huh, not quite sure what your saying? Are you saying playing this game will make you want to kill in real life, which is beyond silly, or are you complaining that often you'll be fighting more then on enemy at a time???
The play style is very similar to that of action console games, where you fight multiple enemies at once. Like the God of War or Devil May Cry series'. It's meant to feel fast, fluid, and even chaotic. And all together It's meant to give you the feeling of being one bad mama-jama. The PvP it's self will feel more like playing a full on 3D fighting game. I don't get it, whats not to like? I suppose you prefer the old standing still and slowly whacking your enemie over and over again (chopping wood) method, and only fighting your enemy one at a time?
I couldn't have said it any better. Without being prejudice, though perhaps seemingly stereotypically, I just don't like the anime style of many Asian titles. Whenever I see an anime body/face style and an 800 pound sword being throw around like it's made of styrofoam I immediately lose interest. Grant it, in all of the MMO's I've played I've had to let go of this idea or that; however, never to the extent of a typical, run-of-the-mill, Asian MMO.
This isn't to say I don't like all Asian games or cultures or . . . well, anything. As far as MMO's go, I'm just sick of seeing it. That said, the graphics look great and perhaps I will check back on it just before it is released in the states for more details, but at this time I just can't seem to get past the ::: yawn ::: commonalities it has to so many other such titles.
There IS a reason that these titles exist, people love them and that is certainly fine with me and I hope TERA does well. I just have to get it off my chest that I'm so beat on the idea of another even SLIGHTLY anime-like MMO. Contrary to a few others who share my ideals, I still enjoy a lot of the animations and spell effects . . . though a lot of them would suit me better if they were toned down just a tad so that in a group of 3 or more the screen doesn't become a series of flashing lights preventing me from seeing anything else (like the enemy or the environment).
This is a problem with gaming as a whole. I think the only realistic depiction of a female that should own in combat were the female taurens. Big man-hating motorcycle vixens named Helga.
I swear we are like gossiping high school kids here.
You shouldn't have to worry about being labelled prejudice just because you have certain literary and ascetic tastes, even to hate certain styles. It's just certain groups being insecure and oversensitive or people just buying into the crap.
Eye candy is always nice ^^ Lets see how it plays.
Yes, because unless a women is all muscle and the size of a large man, she could never hold her own.
I hope, like me, you were just being sarcastic. :)
LOL- exactly! Seriously. It's a frigging game. Whether the game is "realistic" or is translatable to the real world quite frankly is irrelevant. Games like these are designed for entertainment value--hence the "exaggerated" over-the-top appearances of the toons which of course lends itself to the theme of "fantasy" *gasps*. LOL. Discourse over the psychological & sociological impacts aside, everybody just take a deep breath. :) If the game is to your liking, play it---if not, there are other games out there. :P
Huh, not quite sure what your saying? Are you saying playing this game will make you want to kill in real life, which is beyond silly, or are you complaining that often you'll be fighting more then on enemy at a time???
The play style is very similar to that of action console games, where you fight multiple enemies at once. Like the God of War or Devil May Cry series'. It's meant to feel fast, fluid, and even chaotic. And all together It's meant to give you the feeling of being one bad mama-jama. The PvP it's self will feel more like playing a full on 3D fighting game. I don't get it, whats not to like? I suppose you prefer the old standing still and slowly whacking your enemie over and over again (chopping wood) method, and only fighting your enemy one at a time?
I have no idea how you came to the conclusion that I was talking about people going on killing sprees. I was just saying that people are getting excited about this for no good reason, just because they'll be grinding in a slightly different way.
I have watched a ton of footage, and it is nowhere near as tight as a console action game. Also, you may notice that those games are single-player and have no latency. They can never achieve the tight controls of God Of War in an MMO architecture. It is nowhere near fast and fluid. It has the button smashing of a fighting game, except in a fighting game you don't grind for weeks to unlock an uppercut (or new sweatbands for that matter.) Not to mention, for it to even come close to a fighting game, your opponents have to be on equal footing. The mobs have slow telegraphed attacks, and other players are fighting the camera and controls as much as the other players.
Considering you know nothing about me, I don't think assumptions that I enjoy the auto-attack methods of old are correct (especially since I had no mention of fearing this new system, it just isn't good.) It's not anything to be proud of, but I've been playing games all my life, and I've been playing online games since they were pay-per-hour. They have been getting consistently worse over the past few years. I don't think getting kill x of these/gather x of these quests are fun, or that fields of creatures standing in one place waiting to die are very interesting.
Just go on YouTube and see for yourself; I'll let the footage do the talking from now on.
Glad Blue Hole Studio didn't change the gameplay mechanics from way back when they showcased that boss fight. This game looks like it will play like Hellgate with collision detection around objects/players. Action RPG hybrids are the way to go these days I say. It's good to see a company go away from that old school, point-n-click (or worse, click tab to auto target and lock-on... very boring) and to a more manual/user aiming to make gameplay more immersive.
Yes, because unless a women is all muscle and the size of a large man, she could never hold her own.
I hope, like me, you were just being sarcastic. :)
It was meant to be funny but obviously muscle is the primary factor and the bigger the better. There's always an exception but it's not realistic at all for there to be armies of petite, fake-boobed women on equal standing with men or "female taurens" in melee fighting, especially if all of them are the same level or similar training. I guess I have to tell you that when a person's weight is more in their boobs and hips instead of their arms and shoulders, chest and calves that it's not conducive to fighting especially when they weigh 50-200 lbs. less overall... but I'm sure you were just being sarcastic. Female mages work great--I mean you had joan of arc who's weapon was mainly spiritual power over minds, and pictish ho's who fought alongside of men and they were mainly archers. I know it seems like making a big deal over nothing but I just think the laura croft thing is overdone.
I will grant that some styles of fighting aren't as appropriate for particular builds weight and reach, but I disagree that it has anything to do with gender. I think women can fair just as well as a man. Though they definitely will have more muscle built up than barbie doll figures. Think of it as akin to weight classes in most fighting sports. I doubt you're going to see any women get the muscle to enter in the heavy weight division. realistically speaking.
Very nice. Thanks for the link. It's good to see some real game play, as limited as it was.
I may change my mind about Tera. This wasn't a MMO that I was taking seriously previously, but it's starting to look fairly interesting.
geeez ppl are so obsesed with real life , what the hell is wrong with u ppl , is a FANTASY game , it is supposed to be nothing like the reall world , were the hell have u seen your dog caring a friking sword hacking and slashing your nighbour chikens or loundry set up for drying , wth is the point with tight females carring big swords, i like them that way, i am sure nobody would wan't to play a female character that looks like helga talks like hitler and waves a 2 tone hamer/sword arround her. wth , u are playing a game to escape reality so stop point stupid things like that , if u wanna point something point at the running stile of those female character's who looks like they is running to get a gang ban.g .
Anyway suppositions are nothing until we play the game , and the fact that is a eastern game doesn't mean is bad game. eastern mmo gaming = aion, FFXI, L2 , a ton of f2p games , Guild wars , etc.
western mmo gaming = eve , wow , ao, AC, DAOC, LOTR AOC and no f2p ( oh maybe DDO)
from eastern almoust all have minim 500k subscribers , even the older games ( doesn't mater if they are asians or not money has no collor )
from western only eve , wow, DAOC, LOtR go over 500k subscribers that should mean somoething.
So stop bashing eastern games they are more profitable the western and surely more inovative then western ( let's not forget that wow has copied almoust half of it's ideas from other games )
Very nice. Thanks for the link. It's good to see some real game play, as limited as it was.
I may change my mind about Tera. This wasn't a MMO that I was taking seriously previously, but it's starting to look fairly interesting.
just tube the gameplay, and you will have ALOT of vid showing gameplay.
Or until the so-called 'Western audience' learns they're not the center of the gaming universe and the Eastern audience has as much right to a playstyle they enjoy as Western players do to theirs.
What many in the Western audience need to realize is that if they don't like a specific playstyle, they have every right to not play it. I find the conceit some possess that somehow if a MMO is available in the Western market that it must cater to the Western market to be shamelessly closed-minded. That would be like saying since they can play WoW in Asia, that WoW should cater more to that region's typical playstyle (ie. the so-called "Asian grindfest"). Of course that would be ridiculous to us. And, as such, the concept that the more "Asian styled" MMOs should cater more to us in the West is equally ridiculous.
There's also this conceit demonstrated by many who seem to think that if *they* don't like the way something is set up, then there *must* be something wrong with it. It's not as simple as them not liking it, even though others do. Oh no no no. They don't like it, therefor, and needs to be changed, and the devs are clueless... and on and on... /facepalm Some people need to get over themselves, seriously.
The choice is simple... Play the game if you think you'd enjoy it. Avoid it if you think you wouldn't.
Aion tried to melt Asian and Western style and still it's not my cup of tea. Nor it won't be for any MMO that keeps all things mentioned by Arshoon.
I agree WoW too has some of the above but they were able to tailor the style to suit eastern and western players. For example the weapons while oversized are not so huge. The elves don't run half bent either. Also I don't see panties nor very short skirts that let you see the female underwear in WoW.
While western players aren't the center of the gaming universe, I expect developers to tailor their games towards the end users when they publish them in the west.
You saved me from posting a list of reasons why this game will not work for me. This game will never "bridge" the eastern and western MMO market for all those reasons above.
You saved me from posting a list of reasons why this game will not work for me. This game will never "bridge" the eastern and western MMO market for all those reasons above.
TO me the only game play orientated point on that list is the heavily Combat Orientated point.The rest is just subjective comments about art style and eye candy.If the game is fun and the game mechanics engaging I can grow to love the art style
Also 90% of game sin general not just MMOS are "Heavily Combat orientated",hell most of our actual sports are derived from combat training exercises or combat simulation.Asian MMOs aren't any more combat heavy than Western ones and have just as many non combat activities and in some cases more varying from game to game.
I find the major difference between modern Western and Eastern MMOs is ,apart from the artistic graphical flourishes, that Eastern MMOs never grew from the mob camping grindfests that Western MMOs first pioneered and later moved away from.Western MMOs have evolved to disguise the grind and try to keep things engaging,
Also Western MMOs have tried to evolve to minimize the negative impact players can have on each other outside of consensual PvP.This is because this is what the majority of players seemed to of asked for.It is why Instancing was invented for boss Encounters/raids,why mob tagging was introduced instead of whoever does the most damage takes the loot..
On the other hand most Eastern MMOs are for the most part still using the exact same mechanics that were used in AC and Everquest and DAoC and older games.Where Eastern MMOs have tried to evolve is in in the combat itself whilst ignoring everything else and keeping it the same as it has been for a decade.
Just My Opinion of course.
Aion tried to melt Asian and Western style and still it's not my cup of tea. Nor it won't be for any MMO that keeps all things mentioned by Arshoon.
I agree WoW too has some of the above but they were able to tailor the style to suit eastern and western players. For example the weapons while oversized are not so huge. The elves don't run half bent either. Also I don't see panties nor very short skirts that let you see the female underwear in WoW.
While western players aren't the center of the gaming universe, I expect developers to tailor their games towards the end users when they publish them in the west.
Part of that is Blizzard is a western gaming company, and thus has to keep its games "family friendly" so as not to provide targets of opportunity to various "concerned citizen" groups and the political bottom feeders that pander to them.
Its too bad that NCsoft didn't learn much about the western markets from their linage2 experience. I would have enjoyed playing Aion, if it had PvE servers.
I think its quite funny some already claim this game won't do well because it looks like an eastern game. The argument that a game has to look like a western game to be successful is silly. Aion and Final Fantasy XI are doing quite well. If we look at the free to play market, we see there are even more mmorpgs doing well.
A lot of people enjoy the eastern artistic style.
The argument that a game has to look like a western game to be successful is silly
Not its not silly, if it were silly, then we would of had good games but with stick figures as characters. That would make it so much easier to create a game (from the developers perspective). But we don't see many stick-figure MMORPGs, do we?. The artistic style matters a lot in games. The quality of graphics on the other hand (i.e. sharper textures, better texture variety, more unique textures/skins/characters/models) doesn't matter that much.
If you compare artistic style of the west and east, there is a huge visual difference. If you compare a game with lets say 1000 unique models and a game with 2000 unique models, you wont really see much difference. The latter does not immediately jump out into your eye like the first one. That's why art matters more then graphics details.
Aion and Final Fantasy XI are doing quite well. If we look at the free to play market, we see there are even more mmorpgs doing well.
Can you provide links to their current PC subscription numbers? Because I was under impression that they aren't doing that well. not bad, but not great too.
A lot of people enjoy the eastern artistic style.
No doubt, but many more do not. The best way to see who is right and who is not is compare games with western-style art and eastern-style. That number will not be absolutely correct due to gameplay differences, but at least we have some comparison to whether eastern-art games are more popular then western-art or not.
Aion tried to melt Asian and Western style and still it's not my cup of tea. Nor it won't be for any MMO that keeps all things mentioned by Arshoon.
I agree WoW too has some of the above but they were able to tailor the style to suit eastern and western players. For example the weapons while oversized are not so huge. The elves don't run half bent either. Also I don't see panties nor very short skirts that let you see the female underwear in WoW.
While western players aren't the center of the gaming universe, I expect developers to tailor their games towards the end users when they publish them in the west.
Part of that is Blizzard is a western gaming company, and thus has to keep its games "family friendly" so as not to provide targets of opportunity to various "concerned citizen" groups and the political bottom feeders that pander to them.
Its too bad that NCsoft didn't learn much about the western markets from their linage2 experience. I would have enjoyed playing Aion, if it had PvE servers.
while I agree with you that the main reasoning behind the "no panties" was legal issues, but also the eastern-styled art differs significantly in that retrospect from western. In the eastern-style the art tends to have those eccentric and over-sized features - huge weapons 2x or more the size of the wielding character, over-sized eyes, over-sexed characters (panties, boobs, tiny bikinis, beautiful hair, beautiful and almost underage character models, etc). Some of those features would not cause conflict with legal department, yet we don't see them in most western-stylized MMORPGs.
In this case Blizzard hit 2 rabbits with 1 stone - it eliminated legal issues with more conservative groups in the west and it is much better received by the western audience. The eastern audience doesn't seem to mind it as well. Furthermore, by having less of the "sexual" appeal, it is much more family friendly (as you mentioned), thus the target audience is bigger, which means more money. And more money is good. Right?
I know I do. With some of my criticisms aside (such as over cute characters) I have yet to see a western game that had an avatar art design I actually liked.
I would even say, regardless of one's own personal preferences regarding the art design, the eastern games just tend to do their avatars better. flowing hair, good sense of proportion, a lot of detail yet not necessarily required high end machines.
In eastern games you'll see the hair move naturally. LOTRO? Nope. Vanguard? Nope. CoH? Not that I can remember. Everquest 2? Nope.
Warcraft? Nope.
The argument that a game has to look like a western game to be successful is silly
Not its not silly, if it were silly, then we would of had good games but with stick figures as characters. That would make it so much easier to create a game (from the developers perspective). But we don't see many stick-figure MMORPGs, do we?. The artistic style matters a lot in games. The quality of graphics on the other hand (i.e. sharper textures, better texture variety, more unique textures/skins/characters/models) doesn't matter that much.
If you compare artistic style of the west and east, there is a huge visual difference. If you compare a game with lets say 1000 unique models and a game with 2000 unique models, you wont really see much difference. The latter does not immediately jump out into your eye like the first one. That's why art matters more then graphics details.
Aion and Final Fantasy XI are doing quite well. If we look at the free to play market, we see there are even more mmorpgs doing well.
Can you provide links to their current PC subscription numbers? Because I was under impression that they aren't doing that well. not bad, but not great too.
A lot of people enjoy the eastern artistic style.
No doubt, but many more do not. The best way to see who is right and who is not is compare games with western-style art and eastern-style. That number will not be absolutely correct due to gameplay differences, but at least we have some comparison to whether eastern-art games are more popular then western-art or not.
I don't think you quite understood my point. My point is that a game does not have to look like a western game to be successful in the west. There are plenty of successful asian games doing well in the west.
According to Square Enix, Final Fantasy XI has over 600k subscribers as of 2008. I would guess a lot of those are on western countries where Final Fantasy is also pretty popular. Aion also has a lot of subscribers but i have not found information how many players it has. The western version had 400k pre orders so that alone shows that a lot of people find the art style appealing or acceptable enough to try the game.
Its not which artistic style is more popular, its if there is a market for it or not and there clearly is.
I happen to like both art styles. But thats not what many mean in terms of the differences. All too many eastern games become havens for gankers and griefers. Thats tolerated much less in the west(these days), than it is in the east. The fact remains that PvP games are less expensive and time intensive to create(the players themselves provide much of the content). Look at the number of PvE realms vs PvP realms in World of Warcraft in the west, as an example of this tendency.
Not to mention that success is relative. Aions retention numbers are rather low for such a game. Its on par with what happened to Linage2(and for pretty much the same reason). The Korean suits over at NCsoft still remain clueless about the differences between the two markets.
You are right to some degree. Personally, I do not like the eastern-style artwork (oversized weapons, etc etc), but if the gameplay is right, I may play it. However, to say that artwork does not matter is very wrong. It does matter and it does matter to a fairly large degree.I would say artwork is somewhere in the top 5 of the things people demand from a game. I would rank it # 3 on my list, the #1 being gameplay, #2 being economy.
To further illustrate my point is that a game with kick-ass game play and artwork designed for geopolitical area it is being sold in would do substantially better then the same game with the same game play, but artwork not designed for that area.
Its not which artistic style is more popular, its if there is a market for it or not and there clearly is.
That sentence is contradicting itself. If something is popular (as in people like it and want to buy it) then there is a market for that something. There is definitely market for eastern-styled games, but I would go as far as calling that market a niche market. The majority of the MMORPG population seems to prefer western-style MMORPGs. Whether it is western style game-play AND artwork or just western-style game play alone, that I don't know.
You are right to some degree. Personally, I do not like the eastern-style artwork (oversized weapons, etc etc), but if the gameplay is right, I may play it. However, to say that artwork does not matter is very wrong. It does matter and it does matter to a fairly large degree.I would say artwork is somewhere in the top 5 of the things people demand from a game. I would rank it # 3 on my list, the #1 being gameplay, #2 being economy.
To further illustrate my point is that a game with kick-ass game play and artwork designed for geopolitical area it is being sold in would do substantially better then the same game with the same game play, but artwork not designed for that area.
Its not which artistic style is more popular, its if there is a market for it or not and there clearly is.
That sentence is contradicting itself. If something is popular (as in people like it and want to buy it) then there is a market for that something. There is definitely market for eastern-styled games, but I would go as far as calling that market a niche market. The majority of the MMORPG population seems to prefer western-style MMORPGs. Whether it is western style game-play AND artwork or just western-style game play alone, that I don't know.
I think you should reread my post because you're placing words in my mouth. I never said that artworkd does not matter. The sentence you underlined is not contradicting either. Obviously a game needs a certain amount of popularity to be successful, but i didn't say that popularity isn't important. I said it isn't important which is more popular because there is a market for it.
Is it a niche market? Well considering the success of games like Final Fantasy XI, Aion, Maple Story, Silkroad and many more, i'd say it is quite a big market.
I want to play the NA version now! Argh! All this waiting is driving me nuts!
I for one will wait and see, and most likely give it a try. If its good (my view point & not yours) I just might stick with it. If not oh well, it wont be the first time I left a game in the dust.
there is "something" about this game that "caught my eye". could it have been the beautiful female characters, maybe. could it have been the stunning graphics, maybe. could it have been the intriquing classes and races, maybe. could it have been the different style of combat(non click and point) maybe. could it have been the secretive political system that will shape the tera world, maybe. i, myself will keep a watchful eye on this game and try to keep out the bias of west vs east mentality. bottomline. if i like the game i will play it.
Definitely has the potential to be a gigantic success if the westernization is handled well. Although it might not be a complete revolutionary MMO, it's definitely a step in the right direction is way refreshing given the combat system, fantasy graphics, and environments.
Hmm lemme guess, nother Korean MMO grinder ? Only diff is that u aim and that the chicks dress even less than in L2 or AION ?
Woo-Ha for the novelty... good if u wanna get a carpal tunnel, but that's bout it imo.
As part of the Westernization of Tera for the North American market they have added 1000s of quests as an alternative to grinding.
Some other things most people may not realize the will make Tera an amazing game.
1. Tera is a "Sandbox" MMO not a theme park
2. Tera has a huge seamless world with minimal instancing and zoning
3. Pay to Play game with retail box and subscription
4. Non-cookie cutter classes and races
Lets hope its not a sandbox in terms of it being a FFA gankfest. If I remember right, they have said there will be PvE servers for us CareBears. ^^
Depends on the server. I have heard there will be both PvE and PvP servers as well as a hybrid server with PvP flagging so you can PvP when you feel like it. Gankfest maybe but it looks like fun.
Well i hope it'll work out well, but i'm afraid it won't. Koreans are quite straightforward when it comes to games...
Now a good MMORPG would be awesome, didn't play anything decent since EQ2 PVP server :(
Everything depends on the Westernization process. If En Masse & Frogster do it right, TERA can bring back the thrill L2 offered, and more. It has all the makings of a blockbuster MMO.
-Ryan www.TeraPVP.com