[Kem0sabe]

I really don't pay attention to reviews anymore, but a lot of people still do. TSW seems to appeal to GAF in theory, but it does not work out really well, which I still do not understand.

I think it´s more down to timing than anything else.

This game comes after the massive letdown that was TOR, which i think is the last great push for the subscription business model in the genre. I think many of us saw TOR as the last time we will spend monthly to play an mmo.

Also the fact that GW2 is just around the corner, the amount of PR and community interest that GW2 is generating is simply negating any chance that people will buy SW. Maybe if the interval between the launch of the two games was greater, that would motivate players to join the SW as a stop gap game, but they are just to close to each other.

[derFeef]

I can see that. But personally I don't get the GW2 hype at all. I played all of the first one, have all collectors, but GW2 just fails to put any hype into me. It looks really unimaginative.
Also if two months of gametime is not enough of a gap nowadays than gaming is screwed. Sleeping Dogs, Darksiders 2, Borderlands 2, all coming in a short timeframe, hyped about all of them (and two of those will have long gametime, too).

[DrBo42]

Really good to see them being honest, but thay have to be of course. Tough to answer. What do you expect from the game, what do you want? I personally love it.

I already purchased it, just wondering what to expect. I literally know nothing about it, just thought the premise was cool. Looking for something a little more open in roles that doesn't suffer for it at the same time.

[INDIGO_CYCLOPS]

I already purchased it, just wondering what to expect. I literally know nothing about it, just thought the premise was cool. Looking for something a little more open in roles that doesn't suffer for it at the same time.

I think you'll be happy with it, if that's the case.

It seems like the devs are a bit weary that people are still trying to shoehorn things like "tank, dps" into the game where it wasn't intended. Wonder if this is the case?

So Feef, good to see you mentioned Sleeping Dogs. I am excited for the game but don't want to be the only one that takes a short break from TSW to play it :P

[DrBo42]

I think you'll be happy with it, if that's the case. It seems like the devs are a bit weary that people are still trying to shoehorn things like "tank, dps" into the game where it wasn't intended. Wonder if this is the case? So Feef, good to see you mentioned Sleeping Dogs. I am excited for the game but don't want to be the only one that takes a short break from TSW to play it :P

Do you find the combat satisfying even though it's so unfocused? Good animations? Fun enemy encounters?

[INDIGO_CYCLOPS]

Do you find the combat satisfying even though it's so unfocused? Good animations? Fun enemy encounters?

I wouldn't say it's unfocused, more like a bit unrefined at times. It's improved since the early iterations, but is by no means revolutionary. I enjoy the system now, and they continue to add unique animations. The addition of dodge really helped keep the combat moving. Enemy encounters can be a chore sometimes, but the enemy design is pretty damn unique. If you like things like H.P. Lovecraft, the occult, conspiracy, then there's no reason you won't love this. They really brought the influences to life.

[CaLe]

So AMD released a CAP for people with crossfire cards that experienced garbled text in the UI / Menus.... And it didn't help one fucking bit.

Never again AMD, never again.

[thundr51]

Came upon this game when after checking out info on Tera and I think I might like this better. I went to the site and according to them my PC doesn't meet the specs, specifically my vid card. I've got a 5870 ,i5 2500k at 4.1 Ghz with 16 GB ram. Is this game that graphic intensive or should I start looking to upgrade my card?

oh BTW.. Templars 4 LIFE!

[Vodh]

Your pc should be able to run the game just fine. In fact, I fired it up on a laptop with a Radeon HD 3650 and it was borderline unplayable, but it was running, and that's like miles below the card you've got. The CPU is fine, and the RAM is more than fine. You probably will have to adjust the details to somewhere around mid but I'm sure it will be just fine.

Checked out Tera myself too, it's got a free 7day trial if you want to give it a go. I must say I like Tera quite a lot, the combat is much better - but honestly the combat animations feeling a little bit clunky and unrefined is the only flaw I can find in TSW and it's nowhere near the levels where you couldn't just deal with it. In fact it kind of grows on you with time, and the animations are getting improved as we speak.

In the end I'm resubbing to TSW for the next month and probably the months to come. I'm pretty sure I won't buy Tera, and as GW2 didn't really convince me during its short stress test event thingy so I will end up with TSW :)

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

Came upon this game when after checking out info on Tera and I think I might like this better. I went to the site and according to them my PC doesn't meet the specs, specifically my vid card. I've got a 5870 ,i5 2500k at 4.1 Ghz with 16 GB ram. Is this game that graphic intensive or should I start looking to upgrade my card? oh BTW.. Templars 4 LIFE!

This should be the minimum specifications for the game:

Internet Connection: 512 KBPS or faster OS: Windows XP (SP 1)/Vista (SP 1)/Windows 7 (SP 1) DVD-ROM: 8X or faster DVD drive Processor: 2.6 GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo or equivalent AMD CPU Memory: At least 2GB RAM for Windows XP / 3GB RAM for Windows Vista and Windows 7 Hard Drive: At least 30GB of free space Graphics Card: NVIDIA 8800 series 512 VRAM or better DirectX: DirectX 9.0c Compatible Input: Keyboard & Mouse

You will be fine. Your system is more than capable enough to run this with Ultra settings, but you will probably want to leave Tessellation disabled and SSAO on "Low" for the best performance. I had a 5870 SLI configuration before I switched to a single GTX 670 (OC) and pretty much ran the game in single card mode on my 5870 before then. You should get about 30-50+ FPS in most areas.

[syko de4d]

i dont know but in 2min there is the EA Event at Gamescom
http://live-event.ea.com/gamescom/index.php
maybe they will show the first Raid at this event? No Idea

[Anton Sugar]

You know, I don't play many games nowadays, but enjoyed my free weekend with The Secret World...might even ask my bro to use my "free birthday present" gift on it for me.

I REALLY loved the soundtrack--just downloaded it (yay Zune Pass).

[derFeef]

I hope the Raid is not ridiculously confusing like Fusang, lol.

You know, I don't play many games nowadays, but enjoyed my free weekend with The Secret World...might even ask my bro to use my "free birthday present" gift on it for me. I REALLY loved the soundtrack--just downloaded it (yay Zune Pass).

Cool! How far did you get, or what was your favourite thing?

[birdcity]

You guys want to try Ankh again soon? :)

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

You guys want to try Ankh again soon? :)

Yes! No one has really been on the past couple weeks during EDT prime time.

[birdcity]

Yes! No one has really been on the past couple weeks during EDT prime time.

I was out of town for the past week, but I'll be on tonight. :D

[xeris]

I was out of town for the past week, but I'll be on tonight. :D

It's been a busy couple of weeks but I may try to hop on tonight on either Ezekiah or S-Tone. If I'm on and real life lets me I'd be more than happy to try Ankh again.

[derFeef]

Im not sure I can come on today, Sleeping Dogs has arrived ;)

PVP plans!
http://forums.thesecretworld.com/sho...91#post1356191

High level PvP plans This is our overall plan for the main PvP issues (not everything is listed here): Fusang: * Fusang was never meant to be a circle zerg, we are working on pacing this down. Capping a facility will now take longer, and the faction that just lost it will most likely have a chance to regain it. * We will incentivize defense of a facility * Fusang lacks a climax, and we want to make the middle base more special * Incentivize players to play Fusang for longer. Make sure they always have something to do. * Add a respawn timer to anima wells. Eldorado and Stonehenge: * Implement incentives to get people into the minigames (Eldorado is awesome, and you should play it!) * Make map symmetrical * Make sure you can't be out of LoS from middle, and still score points. We will reduce the "score circle", so you have to be on the inside of the stones. * Allow players to sign up for any battlefield. General: * We are looking at the reward scheme for both Fusang and the minigames. The price for PvP talisman upgrade kits will most likely go down. * Constantly looking at abilities and TTK (time to kill). We will most likely not do a sweepy change of reducing damage in PvP, or buffing everyones HP. That will just shift the imbalance, and favour certain builds. However, we will look at the individual abilities, and change them if we see that they are OP. When someone complains about a certain build or ability, there is usually a counter for it. The issue is often that the fights, and groups, are too unorganized. * Adjust the World Domination buff. This might include removing some stats that are highly useful in PvE. *General terrain exploits will be fixed * Fix CC-breaker pots Edit: Yes, we're also working on faction imbalance issues. Yes, we're looking at the upgrade scheme for PvP rewards (10.3 vs 10.4) Added a point about signing up for both battlefields

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

Issue #2 info has been posted. I would post the details but I'm currently at work.

The first auxiliary weapon is a Rocket Launcher. It comes with its own ability wheel and adds an 8th slot to the action bar. Based on the hints given, Chainsaw will be the next auxiliary weapon... I wish this game was a little heavier on the blood and gore now.

New investigation missions and lair action missions are in issue 2, along with the Modern Prometheus and Ocham's Razer. There will be new character customization options and hairstyles to choose from.

The auxiliary weapon and raid should be shown at Gamescom today, but it looks like the raid isn't coming until issue #3 or later.

Also, they announced a 3-day trial for anyone that signs up. If you complete 30 missions while on the 3-day trial, you get an additional 2 days and 1200 bonus points.

[derFeef]

Nice!

http://thesecretworld.com/news/the_s...digging_deeper

edit: Oh sweet the doctor is played by Peter Stormare, seems fitting :D

edit2: Raid shots!

[birdcity]

Oh man, that looks awesome!

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

edit2: Raid shots!

Can you rehost those on imgur or something? They aren't loading through the proxy here. :(

[derFeef]

Can you rehost those on imgur or something? They aren't loading through the proxy here. :(

Done :)

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

Done :)

Thanks! Looks really good.

Templar GAF needs to up its game so we can do some raiding when this is out. :)

[derFeef]

Arrived in City of the Sun God finally, nice zone so far!
I am glad I play this slowly, pays off and the updates keep coming during my playthrough.

[Anton Sugar]

Cool! How far did you get, or what was your favourite thing?

I really didn't get that far and can't remember how far I got (was fighting zombies in the Lovecraft town...?) but really enjoyed it. I put a decent amount of time into AoC and enjoyed it, and I like the unique approach they use here in terms of "classes" (or lack thereof), combat, and questions.

How have sales for TSW been?

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

I really didn't get that far and can't remember how far I got (was fighting zombies in the Lovecraft town...?) but really enjoyed it. I put a decent amount of time into AoC and enjoyed it, and I like the unique approach they use here in terms of "classes" (or lack thereof), combat, and questions. How have sales for TSW been?

According to their financial reports, it was below expectations but they set the bar above Age of Conan which had a lot more hype, press coverage, and marketing than this game and launched in a window with much less competition. Age of Conan had tremendous sales at launch but we all know how that turned out. They expect much better subscription retention and bigger growth through community and word and mouth than Age of Conan, so Secret World should do better for them overall, given time.

They added the game to Steam with Steam features recently, they are starting a 3 day trial program, and they are still pushing out large monthly content updates. This should help increase their sales quite a bit but Guild Wars 2 is on the horizon and it will definitely have an impact (on this game and others).

[kurahador]

Who's that crazy doctor? I don't remember ever seeing him.

[derFeef]

Who's that crazy doctor? I don't remember ever seeing him.

He's new and will be the one who cuts your face (to a new shiny face).

[dubq]

Been taking a break while I wait for my new pc to get built. ;)

[INDIGO_CYCLOPS]

Been taking a break while I wait for my new pc to get built. ;)

I've been on a small break as well, playing Sleeping Dogs. But now that I put quite a bit of time into it I miss TSW. It just holds my attention so much more than most things these days.

So glad to see Ockham's Razor/Modern Prometheus coming this update! Yes!

[derFeef]

I've been on a small break as well, playing Sleeping Dogs. But now that I put quite a bit of time into it I miss TSW. It just holds my attention so much more than most things these days. So glad to see Ockham's Razor coming this update! Yes!

I tried it on the Testserver, not really that much to choose from yet, but I laughed out loud to some of the hairstyles... jesus.

[INDIGO_CYCLOPS]

I tried it on the Testserver, not really that much to choose from yet, but I laughed out loud to some of the hairstyles... jesus.

Did they add some new ones? I will be glad to get rid of my blue mohawk.

[derFeef]

Did they add some new ones? I will be glad to get rid of my blue mohawk.

Yeah 5-ish per gender, not really great ones as they all seem rather punk-y or "hipster" styles, you know, ponys etc.
No new faces too by now but it says first implementation so I hope they add some.

[birdcity]

Did you get to check out some of the body change stuff, or is that not on the test server? Or were you saying it is and there's just not much to chose from? :P

Also, we should get an Ankh group for sometime this weekend!

[derFeef]

Did you get to check out some of the body change stuff, or is that not on the test server? Or were you saying it is and there's just not much to chose from? :P Also, we should get an Ankh group for sometime this weekend!

There are no body changes, only face surgeon. And so far you can only re-chose the basic heads, will change I guess and hope.

This weekend sounds good for Ankh. Sleeping Dogs will be finally unlocked though :o

[birdcity]

There are no body changes, only face surgeon. And so far you can only re-chose the basic heads, will change I guess and hope.

That's a bummer, I thought they were adding height & weight options, too.

This weekend sounds good for Ankh. Sleeping Dogs will be finally unlocked though :o

That game is great! Been playing it all day! :X Let me know, though, if you have some time for Ankh Saturday or Sunday!

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

I'm down for Ankh on either Saturday or Sunday.

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

Issue 2 is going to kick all kinds of ass. Here are some highlights from the tentative patch notes for Issue #2 (1.2) on the test server:

LFG tool and revamped lairs with lair specific missions!

GENERAL

• Players can now access a LFG Tool using the Shift+C keyboard shortcut or via the in-game menu.
• The first implementation of the Lair Revamp is now available for testing, players will now find new missions in various lairs.

PVP updates!

PVP
Fusang Projects

• East, South and West Facilities are now classified as "Outer Facilities"
• Centre Facility is now classified as "Inner Facility".
• Outer Facility buffs do not stack, meaning you only get the buff from one of them.
• To get the max buff from Fusang Projects, you now need to control 1 Outer Facility and 1 Inner Facility.
• The mechanic for capturing a Facilty has changed. Players will now need to defend the Facility for 10 minutes before it change hands.
• New missions have been added in the playfield.

• Cost of purchasing Glyphs from the PvP vendors has been significantly reduced.
• Cost of purchasing Venice Glyph Upgrade Toolkit has been significantly reduced.
• Cost of purchasing Venice Talisman Upgrade Toolkit has been significantly reduced.

Auxiliary Weapon Moulds

• Auxiliary Weapon Mould: Original now for sale from vendors.
• Auxiliary Weapon Mould: Gold-Plated now for sale from vendors.
• Auxiliary casting toolkit now for sale from vendors.
• Auxiliary weapon mould blueprints now have a chance to drop from all Nightmare bosses.

It looks like there are plans for introducing at least 9 new auxiliary weapons. 3 ranged, 3 magic, and 3 melee. Chainsaw is coming next!

Auxiliary Weapon Screenshots:

[derFeef]

Rocket Jump? Eff yeah!
I only fear it will look goofy. *magic rocket launcher out of nowhere*

edit: Is that a Hell-ish rocket launcher? oO

[acksman]

TSW is on Sale this weekend 50% off through Amazon digital download.

Price: $24.99

http://amzn.com/B007VTVKG6

[thundr51]

Ok, so I decided to take the plunge on this. So while i'm waiting for the 14 GIG download... any tips for a noob? While this isn't my first MMO I'm still pretty new to the scene so don't expect that i'll know what you're talking about (I finally figured out what DPS means!).

BTW, I plan on going templar so any info you have on that will be helpful as well.

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

Ok, so I decided to take the plunge on this. So while i'm waiting for the 14 GIG download... any tips for a noob? While this isn't my first MMO I'm still pretty new to the scene so don't expect that i'll know what you're talking about (I finally figured out what DPS means!). BTW, I plan on going templar so any info you have on that will be helpful as well.

Once you have created your character, post your character name here or into the GAF character spreadsheet in the OP and let us know. One of us will add you to our friendlist and invite you into the GAF Templar Cabal (guild) when you are online.

Suggested Configuration Changes:

Go into options and set your camera follow option to "Never". I also recommend increasing the camera speed/sensitivity to about 30-40% or higher. This will make movement and combat a lot smoother. You might also want to disable target highlighting (removes green circles beneath targets) and remap your turn left and turn right keys to strafe left and strafe right instead, depending on your play style.

It might also be a good idea to go ahead and create some custom chat tabs for cabal chat, group chat, whispers, LFG, etc.

General Tips:

Do not treat this like a conventional MMO where you head straight for the NPCs, grab a bunch of quests, click through all the dialog, and follow map markers to your objective. This is more like a traditional RPG with rich lore, characters, and a fully realized world and theme. Explore everything and don't rush to the end of the game as there is no point in doing so.

Take your time with the missions and quests. Listen to everything the NPCs have to say, exhaust all dialog options, and read all the additional information. This includes the quest log, reports you get for completing quests, collected items and lore, etc. There is usually some additional information and background to be discovered outside of what is being said by the NPCs.

There are multiple dialog options for every NPC. The dialog will continue with new information until there is a green check mark next to the option.

Do not cheat on the investigation missions by looking up guides and hints. Though it can eat up a lot of time and test your patience, it is extremely rewarding figuring out the quests on your own. You can always "pause" the mission and come back later to continue where you left off it you get too frustrated. You can also try asking for subtle hints in general or cabal chat if you get really stuck.

For character building, the decks are a good starting point but can easily be surpassed by custom builds and are not a good reference for specific builds in tanking or healing. You will need to do some research and experiment! Also, don't get discouraged by the inner abilities as a lot of the best abilities are unlocked on the outer part of the wheel. There are over 500 abilities which adds a ton of variety and once you start unlocking later abilities and doing some of the dungeons, the combat will really start to click.

Bosses and monsters have tells or patterns that appear on the ground which warn you of their attacks. They can be dodged using an active dodge ability or avoided by moving out of range.

Weapons build "resources" which are like combo points that allow you to unleash stronger attacks. Make sure you equip two weapons as soon as you can and that you have resource consumers equipped for each weapon as you will build up resources for both simultaneously. Additionally, you don't always have to build 5 resources before consuming. Unless an ability specifically notes that you need x number of resources, you can use them as soon as you have any resources saved up. This will increase your damage output and allow you to exploit your targets much earlier. Many abilities have bonus effects that can process on a mob or player and once processed, other abilities can process further bonus effects.

Don't vendor your old items! Break them down in the assembly window and use the materials to craft stronger items.

Participate in PVP. It's a lot like playing Team Fortress 2 in that there are clear objectives and it is very fast paced and team oriented. You will be rewarded with AP and SP to build your character for completing certain quests (e.g. capture anima well, capture facility, kill 10 players) and if your faction controls the majority of the Warzone, you get some really nice PVE buffs like increased damage and an experience points bonus. Also, the tokens you get from completing objectives can be used to purchase high quality gear from vendors at your Faction HQ. It can get repetitive after a while but it's great in short bursts and a nice way to break up the questing.

There is a significant update coming in version 1.2 that should make PVP even better.

[INDIGO_CYCLOPS]

Once you have created your character, post your character name here or into the GAF character spreadsheet in the OP and let us know. One of us will add you to our friendlist and invite you into the GAF Templar Cabal (guild) when you are online. Suggested Configuration Changes: Go into options and set your camera follow option to "Never". I also recommend increasing the camera speed/sensitivity to about 30-40% or higher. This will make movement and combat a lot smoother. You might also want to disable target highlighting (removes green circles beneath targets) and remap your turn left and turn right keys to strafe left and strafe right instead, depending on your play style. It might also be a good idea to go ahead and create some custom chat tabs for cabal chat, group chat, whispers, LFG, etc. General Tips: Do not treat this like a conventional MMO where you head straight for the NPCs, grab a bunch of quests, click through all the dialog, and follow map markers to your objective. This is more like a traditional RPG with rich lore, characters, and a fully realized world and theme. Explore everything and don't rush to the end of the game as there is no point in doing so. Take your time with the missions and quests. Listen to everything the NPCs have to say, exhaust all dialog options, and read all the additional information. This includes the quest log, reports you get for completing quests, collected items and lore, etc. There is usually some additional information and background to be discovered outside of what is being said by the NPCs. There are multiple dialog options for every NPC. The dialog will continue with new information until there is a green check mark next to the option. Do not cheat on the investigation missions by looking up guides and hints. Though it can eat up a lot of time and test your patience, it is extremely rewarding figuring out the quests on your own. You can always "pause" the mission and come back later to continue where you left off it you get too frustrated. You can also try asking for subtle hints in general or cabal chat if you get really stuck. For character building, the decks are a good starting point but can easily be surpassed by custom builds and are not a good reference for specific builds in tanking or healing. You will need to do some research and experiment! Also, don't get discouraged by the inner abilities as a lot of the best abilities are unlocked on the outer part of the wheel. There are over 500 abilities which adds a ton of variety and once you start unlocking later abilities and doing some of the dungeons, the combat will really start to click. Bosses and monsters have tells or patterns that appear on the ground which warn you of their attacks. They can be dodged using an active dodge ability or avoided by moving out of range. Weapons build "resources" which are like combo points that allow you to unleash stronger attacks. Make sure you equip two weapons as soon as you can and that you have resource consumers equipped for each weapon as you will build up resources for both simultaneously. Additionally, you don't always have to build 5 resources before consuming. Unless an ability specifically notes that you need x number of resources, you can use them as soon as you have any resources saved up. This will increase your damage output and allow you to exploit your targets much earlier. Many abilities have bonus effects that can process on a mob or player and once processed, other abilities can process further bonus effects. Don't vendor your old items! Break them down in the assembly window and use the materials to craft stronger items. Participate in PVP. It's a lot like playing Team Fortress 2 in that there are clear objectives and it is very fast paced and team oriented. You will be rewarded with AP and SP to build your character for completing certain quests (e.g. capture anima well, capture facility, kill 10 players) and if your faction controls the majority of the Warzone, you get some really nice PVE buffs like increased damage and an experience points bonus. Also, the tokens you get from completing objectives can be used to purchase high quality gear from vendors at your Faction HQ. It can get repetitive after a while but it's great in short bursts and a nice way to break up the questing. There is a significant update coming in version 1.2 that should make PVP even better.

This post has me glad I can allow myself to log back in. I had to finish Sleeping Dogs, you see...

[thundr51]

Annd i'm in.
Character name = Aiden "Masaie" Randolph
(I'm terrible at names, so my wife picked it)

Thanks for the tips, hope to see you guys online.

I finished the first tutorial missing but it was kinda awkward. Is there a better control scheme? should I be using my mouse at all? I guess I'll figure it out as I go along.

[derFeef]

The subway mission throws you right into mass combat with abilities you are unfamilar with, I hate that part. You character and the combat will grow on you as you move along slowly.

[ROBOKITTYZILLA]

I'll be on for the next few hours if anyone wants to do Ankh.

[derFeef]

Sure I'm on!

[thundr51]

OK, spent most of the day playing and I'm already starting to get bored. So far all I've been doing is just fighting a bunch of zombies. I've got the same gun and sword that I've had since I started. I've tried to create some other stuff but I can't find the imperfect materials that I need... and yes I've been disassembling stuff to get materials. According to my character sheet I'm now a 'follower' and I can get mobility training but were do I do that? I checked HQ but didn't really see any trainers.

Any ideas? I feel like I'm missing something.

[xeris]

OK, spent most of the day playing and I'm already starting to get bored. So far all I've been doing is just fighting a bunch of zombies. I've got the same gun and sword that I've had since I started. I've tried to create some other stuff but I can't find the imperfect materials that I need... and yes I've been disassembling stuff to get materials. According to my character sheet I'm now a 'follower' and I can get mobility training but were do I do that? I checked HQ but didn't really see any trainers. Any ideas? I feel like I'm missing something.

As far as crafting, when you disassemble stuff at your level it becomes "basic" whatever. Put a stack of 5 basic in the main crafting grid and it'll upgrade them to imperfect.

Mobility training is back in your starting hub. If you're a Templar it's in the big building where you did your initial weapon training. You're looking for a merchant called something like "Mobility Trainer." To get your tier you'll need around 100k. If you're short let me know and I may be able to toss you some cash.

As far as the zombies, most of the hook is in the story of the game so make sure you watch all the cutscenes and talk to everyone. Beyond that, I assume you've been taking the main and side quests and not just doing the story quests? By now you probably should have fought the Draug and possible one or two other mob types along with 3 or 4 types of zombies if you were on as long as it sounds.

My play time is kinda sporadic, but feel free to friend Ezekiah, my main and an Illluminati, and S-Tone, my Templar.