Filed under: Horror

Hands-on with The Secret World's mission system

by Jef Reahard May 17th 2012 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, PvE, Opinion, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Guides

So The Secret World's mission system treads well off the beaten MMO path. It's pretty cool, actually, though portions of it may irritate quest-grinders who just want to blow through zones on their way to the game's equivalent of a max-level toon.

For the rest of us, there's a nifty interface, some challenging puzzles, and plenty of well-written quest text and dialogue to keep us entertained for weeks at a time.

Hands-on with The Secret World's combat system

by Jef Reahard May 16th 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, PvE, Opinion, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, Guides

The Secret World's press beta hasn't been what I expected. To be frank, I'd say there are times I wish I didn't have to play it. See, my guild pals are on either the closed beta server or the public beta weekends server, both of which are quite crowded and therefore offer quite a different experience from the forlorn existence endured by my Massively Templar.

There's also the whole I-don't-get-to-keep-this-character thing, not to mention the wow-this-is-cool-and-I-don't-want-to-spoil-it-for-myself-post-launch thing.

On the other hand, I've had plenty of time to muck around with game systems and minutiae, something that my card-carrying membership in the crazy carebear immersionist secret society often precludes. For this week's press beta article, then, I thought I'd give you guys a primer on The Secret World's combat system.

Next beta weekend for The Secret World announced

by Eliot Lefebvre May 14th 2012 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Horror, Events, in-game, News items, The Secret World, Miscellaneous

I maintain that this really isn't all that unusual for New England.

If you enjoyed the first peek into the secrets of Funcom's upcoming game, you'll be happy to know that The Secret World's second beta event has already been announced. The next weekend event starts on May 18th at noon EDT and runs until May 21st at 3:00 a.m. EDT. Several European sites will be giving away keys for this particular beta, but players who have pre-ordered the game beforehand will automatically have access to this event.

The new event will feature a number of new areas, quests, and storylines. Players can learn more about the residents of Kingsmouth who have held out despite the town's current state as well as meet representatives of the Orochi Corporation observing the dark occurrences. Plus, all of the previous weekend's content will be available, so if you didn't get a chance to take part in the last test, you'll have plenty to explore within the horror-filled world.

Rise and Shiny: Dark Legends

by Beau Hindman May 13th 2012 at 12:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Sci-fi, Screenshots, Video, Game mechanics, Launches, New titles, Previews, PvE, Opinion, Free-to-play, Browser, Mobile, Casual, Crime, Humor, Post-Apocalyptic, Rise and Shiny, Livestream, Miscellaneous

Dark Legends, the new title from mobile MMO king Spacetime Studios, is already creating a buzz with its liberal use of an energy pool that is sapped as players go through standard gameplay. If this mechanic were packaged any differently and inside a sandbox, it's possible that people would call it "realistic" or "hardcore." Unfortunately, problems set in as soon as players realized that playing the game for hours on end would require some infusion of real-life funds or the ability to kill pretty large chunks of time in non-combat areas.

I would argue that the gameplay does not have to be designed for marathon gaming sessions. It's very possible that the "casual" part of the game's description actually means "casual." I still had issues with the mechanic; don't get me wrong. But if I was bothered by anything it would be Dark Legends' lack of borrowing features from Pocket Legends, Spacetime's flagship mobile MMO, which offers actual persistent areas and other MMO staples.

Of course, it's possible that Spacetime is simply trying something new. Heaven forbid it should attempt a new design!

The Secret World's skill system detailed in new video

by Jef Reahard May 11th 2012 at 7:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Trailers, Video, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World

If you're staring down the barrel of The Secret World's first beta weekend and you're a little bit daunted by the game's 500-plus skills or its classless progression system, don't despair. Funcom has released an eight-minute video designed to teach you the basics and get your paranormal adventures off on the right foot.

The ability wheel breaks everything down into one of three categories: melee, magic, or ranged. Each is subdivided a further three times into different types of weapons (blood magic, blades, rifles, etc.). Technically you can learn every ability in the game, but you can only equip 14 at a time (seven active and seven passive), and you're also limited to equipping two weapons simultaneously. Your 14 abilities, when paired with your weapons of choice, make up your build, and half the fun in The Secret World is trying out all the possible permutations.

Learn more after the break, and don't forget to check out our Secret World press beta impressions while you're at it.

Hands-on with The Secret World character creator

by Larry Everett May 11th 2012 at 11:00AM

Filed under: Horror, Real life, Video, Age of Conan, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions, Miscellaneous

The real secret to The Secret World is that it's the Matrix (see the above picture from the character creator that resembles Carrie-Anne Moss).

Actually, the first and most important stop for an MMO gamer is the character creator. When you're in beta, it might not be as important because the character will be tossed away in a few short weeks. However, in the live game, this character will not only be the same one you might see for years to come; it's also a reflection of you as a player. There are some players who insist on playing the ugliest races in the game, while others want the prettiest or the strongest. Personally, I lean toward playing female characters. I'm not sure what that says about me.

The creation of our character says so much about us, so it is extremely important that western RPGs and especially MMORPGs allow us to express ourselves. The Secret World's character creator has its good elements and its bad, but the most important part is how much Funcom's version allows us to express our personalities.

Hands-on with The Secret World's Illuminati experience

by Matt Daniel May 11th 2012 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World

Dark days are upon us, and I, for one, couldn't be more pleased. For the past few days I've had the pleasure of exploring the dark corners of the press beta for Funcom's upcoming horror-fantasy MMO, The Secret World, and now the embargo is up and I'm finally able to share my impressions with all of you.

You may recall that I got some hands-on time with the title at PAX East earlier this year and came away from the experience fairly pleased. But that was an hour of playtime at the most, so how does the game hold up with extended play? I decided to hop into the (rather stylish) boots of an Illuminati initiate to find out for myself.

Hands-on with The Secret World's Templar experience

by Jef Reahard May 11th 2012 at 8:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Galleries, Screenshots, Game mechanics, MMO industry, New titles, Previews, Opinion, Hands-on, The Secret World, Massively Hands-on, First Impressions

The Secret World - Don't mind this hollow earth portal

Believing in The Secret World takes a certain of amount of... faith. And I'm not just talking about Funcom's less-than-stellar reputation when it comes to bug-free MMO launches. No, the very foundation of this particular title rests on a narrative about things unseen, and that cryptic, otherworldly esoterica informed every moment of my time spent in the press beta over the last couple of days.

The basic premise, of course, is that everything is true. Every myth, legend, and spook story that our rational minds scoff at has a place in this particular riff on reality.

The Secret World is also quite heretical when it comes to gameplay. It eschews the tried and true class-based approach for a complex grimoire of a skill system featuring an ability wheel made of hieroglyphs and higher math (or so it first appears). To come right to the point, though, I bought into the game almost immediately.

Gallery: The Secret World - Press Beta (Templars)

The Secret World reaches one million beta signups

by Justin Olivetti May 10th 2012 at 9:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Horror, Sci-fi, MMO industry, The Secret World

It's hard to fathom how you can have "secret" societies when over a million new people know about them, but somehow we don't think Funcom's sweating the security breach. In fact, the studio seems quite proud of the fact that a million players have signed up to test The Secret World. The Facebook tie-in is also getting record views, with almost two million visits over the past few weeks.

Senior Vice President Morten Larssen sees this as a shining omen for a dark world: "Shattering our previous beta records gives us great hope for The Secret World's launch and its future. Combining this positive number with the excellent feedback we have received from both beta testers and the press that have played the game, make us very optimistic for a successful launch of The Secret World."

Anyone who's pre-ordered The Secret World can get in on tomorrow's beta weekend, the first of several that Funcom's planning in the lead up to release. This beta weekend will be focused on the Templar starting experience and the area of Solomon Island.

The Secret World announces first beta weekend

by Matt Daniel May 8th 2012 at 6:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, Events, in-game, News items, The Secret World

Beta weekends are all the rage these days, and now Funcom is getting in on the action. The studio has announced that its upcoming fantasy-horror MMO, The Secret World, will be the subject of a series of weekend beta tests, the first of which is beginning this weekend.

From Friday until Sunday, players who were lucky enough to get their hands on beta keys via preorders or giveaways will be able to jump into the boots of a Templar initiate. After undergoing the proper procedures for joining the less-than-secretive secret organization, players will be whisked away to Solomon Island, New England, where they will be tasked with finding the source of the ancient evil threatening Kingsmouth. The full details of the beta weekend, including a handy-dandy FAQ, can be found over at The Secret World's official site.

Dark Legends launches on Apple devices, hits 500K players

by Justin Olivetti May 7th 2012 at 5:00PM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Launches, Free-to-play, Mobile

The tortured souls of the underworld Apple users have twiddled their thumbs and sharpened their canines for over a month now, a month that Android and Chrome users have played Dark Legends to their hearts' content. After that long wait, iOS owners can stop penning brooding poetry on Livejournal and start playing the game proper: Spacetime Studios has released Dark Legends on the App Store.

Apple users can now joining the 500,000-plus Dark Legends community by simply downloading the game from the store and getting their vamp on. Edward-wannabes have a daunting task in front of them, however, as all of the darker fantasy forces are out to be a serious pain in their neck.

Dark Legends follows in the wake of Spacetime's enormously popular Pocket Legends and Star Legends. It's available as a free download with optional in-app purchases and can be played over wifi, edge, 3G, and 4G networks.

Our own Beau is livestreaming Dark Legends today on Massively TV, so be sure to see what he thinks of the game!

[Source: Spacetime Studios press release]

The Secret War draws over 200,000 players to its Facebook battle

by Justin Olivetti May 3rd 2012 at 3:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Horror, Sci-fi, Events, in-game, The Secret World

Funcom's Facebook prologue to The Secret World is a sizable success, even if it had a rocky beginning. The studio reports that over 200,000 players have taken the side of one of the game's three factions and are supporting their side through this "unique browser-based social experience."

Over the course of two weeks, participants have unleashed 50 million agents as part of the event, visited the site 1,200,000 times, and spent an average of 20 minutes each visit participating in the game. Since launching The Secret War, Funcom's added goals for the factions to work toward each week. The current prize is a Heart of Africa health talisman.

Two-hundred thousand participants is a solid win for Senior Vice President Morten Larssen, who sees this as an excellent way to prepare players for the factional struggle of the MMO: "This conflict has always been a key driver for activity in our own community, and we are excited to see that more and more people are coming in to join the conflict from outside the community as well."

[Source: Funcom press release]

World of Darkness creative director talks design and the MMO mainstream

by Jef Reahard Apr 24th 2012 at 10:30AM

Filed under: Fantasy, Horror, Game mechanics, Interviews, MMO industry, New titles, News items, World of Darkness, Sandbox

A new interview at Gamasutra posits that CCP is gunning for mainstream success with its upcoming World of Darkness MMO. The EVE Online developer has cornered what's left of the hardcore sandbox market, so now it's looking to marry EVE's emergent gameplay with more familiar MMO staples. "The way to drag people in will be traditional themepark-style PvE play. Once players get into the setting, they'll see the appeal of the sandbox play," says WoD creative director Reynir Hardarson.

Despite the concessions to mainstream accessibility, EVE's influence on World of Darkness will be more than superficial. "The live-action roleplayers of the Vampire the Masquerade tabletop game play this way," Hardarson explains. "It's really about politics and power plays."

Why don't more MMO developers try their hand at sandbox mechanics? Hardarson says designing for emergent play is difficult because you can't test it. It's worth it, though, because MMOs that hand-hold and limit players to a linear path miss the point. "I'm not a five-year-old. If I want to go in the cave and I want to die, that's my problem," Hardarson says.

Funcom temporarily takes The Secret World Facebook tie-in offline

by Jef Reahard Apr 19th 2012 at 2:00PM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, MMO industry, New titles, News items, Browser, The Secret World, Casual

Earlier today Funcom pulled its new Secret War game from Facebook. The minigame launched yesterday in an attempt to drum up interest in the upcoming The Secret World MMO.

We've received a few news tips and heard a few rumors as to why the game was taken offline, so we decided to contact Funcom directly for the full scoop. Director of communications Erling Ellingsen gave us the low-down:

What's happened is that the activity levels on sharing to Facebook has been significantly higher than expected, and we have been asked by Facebook to make certain adjustments. So we are taking down the experience now and will be bringing it up again once the necessary adjustments have been made.

Even shortly after launch yesterday we had tens of thousands of people playing and sharing actively, so the interest for the experience has been very high.

And there you have it. We'll update the story as Funcom brings The Secret War back online or if there are any further developments.

[Thanks to Adam for the tip!]

Funcom giving away in-game prizes, studio trips via The Secret World Facebook tie-in

by Jef Reahard Apr 18th 2012 at 10:00AM

Filed under: Betas, Fantasy, Horror, MMO industry, New titles, News items, The Secret World

The Secret World - all your personal info are belong to us

There's something decidedly ironic about a conspiracy-laden game rife with (fictional) secrets and sensitive information taking to Facebook to advertise itself. Funcom's new The Secret World MMO is doing just that, though, thanks to a tie-in game called The Secret War that kicked off last night.

Docholidaymmo.com reports that the new Facebook game grants in-game prizes for The Secret World (in the form of cosmetic gear, potions, and starter weapons). Funcom is also giving away eight trips to its Montreal development studio as well as a chance to get your name embedded in The Secret World's retail client. Still not enough for you? How about chances to win access to the title's upcoming beta weekends?

You'll need to head to the official Secret War site and link your Facebook account (or your fake Facebook account, according to the report). After you've done so, each of your Facebook friends who is playing the game will go into your pool of agents and may be assigned toward the ultimate goal of world domination.

The Secret World is now available for pre-order and launches June 19th.

Massively Features

Events Calendar

Name	Date
Cataclysm Launch	Dec 7, 2010
DCUO Launch	Early 2011

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Brendan Drain	Contributing Editor
Eliot Lefebvre	Contributing Editor
Jef Reahard	Contributing Editor
Justin Olivetti	Contributing Editor
Krystalle Voecks	Contributing Editor
Larry Everett	Contributing Editor
Beau Hindman	Columnist
Edward Marshall	Columnist
Greg Waller	Columnist
Jeremy Stratton	Columnist
Karen Bryan	Columnist
MJ Guthrie	Columnist
Patrick Mackey	Columnist
Ryan Greene	Columnist
Lisa Poisso	Columnist

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