Hands of Justice

The Lounge => General Gaming => Topic started by: Dlarah on September 05, 2009, 02:28:53 AM

Title: The Secret World
Post by: Dlarah on September 05, 2009, 02:28:53 AM
No wonder AoC was launched way too early. Funcom wanted to be done with it so they could get back to work on their next mmo.  :D
http://www.darkdaysarecoming.com/

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/the-secret-world-preview

And according to the test i should join the Dragons...
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 05, 2009, 06:35:15 AM
Been following on and off the Secret World stuff already when it was called "cry gaia" or something. I'm also on their mailing list, and have of course applied to the beta :)

Not suprisingly I should be a Templar according to the test  :)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Gunnarr on September 05, 2009, 07:29:38 AM
<- Dragon

Very cool, I was just reading up on secret societies :)

Edit: Cool trailer here: http://www.eurogamer.net/videos/the-secret-world-reveal
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Goatboy on September 06, 2009, 01:11:45 PM
Illuminati.

I'm shallow. And I do enjoy a good katana.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on September 06, 2009, 01:51:17 PM
well the test say said be a dragon ;)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on September 06, 2009, 05:41:57 PM
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm?play=1407&view=videos&game=404&bhcp=1

Interview with one its Devs.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Pashur on September 07, 2009, 09:36:35 AM
Dragon
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 07, 2009, 10:05:13 AM
Seems over half of the people who taken the test (not only here, but everywhere) get Dragon as their result. Good thing there are three factions, much easier to balance the PvP (and not the situations as seen in WAR). Anyway, "Hands of Justice" sounds "Templar all the way" to me ;)

It will also be interesting to see how the system will work, it's known there are no classes or levels. Wonder if the system will be something like in EVE, or something totally different? Also, I wonder what "reactive combat" means, something like seen in AoC (or with Warden in LOTRO), or something else?

I hope FunCom doesn't rush the game to the markets too early this time. They have such cool concepts in their games, but they seem to succeed to blow them by rushing to production too early...
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Dlarah on September 07, 2009, 03:02:29 PM
If it is true they learned from aoc failures there might be hope.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on September 08, 2009, 08:25:22 AM
If it is true they learned from aoc failures there might be hope.

Thats what i got from reading the Ragnar interview as well - they really have taken on board the lessons learned this time. However AoC didn't have Ragnar writing for it. What makes me most skeptical of the game isn't even their terrible launches of the past, it's that the game is being developed for the 360 as well. Nothing good can come from this.

As for the test: Dragon.

But I'd prefer Templar they have a better raison d'etre. Religious crazies in modern day society, yeah, boring and stupid. But give me a sword or gun in one hand and a holy symbol in the other and by fire you shall be purged heathen.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Goatboy on September 08, 2009, 10:55:50 AM
*sticks a fireball up Mangala's butt*
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Gunnarr on September 08, 2009, 12:12:04 PM
Dragon still pwns Templars, Mang.
First, Eastern flegmatism rocks when dealing with supernatural freaks.
Plus, having a driving curiosity is one of the best motivations to get yourself landed in serious trouble, as Call of Cthulu demonstrates.
Curiosity, insanity and death. Not necessarily in that order. Wunderbar!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 08, 2009, 12:48:14 PM
Justice is the driving factor, not curiosity.

Is it just somebody knows more than you? No, it is not. It has nothing to do with curiosity.

Is it just something is able to terrorise others (including you)? No it is not. Power has nothing to do with that.

Is it just that freaks are allowed to exist? No it is not. They need to be purified with righteous flame.


Give me an assault rifle, flamer and some holy symbol (if short of holy symbols, just give me an AR and a flamer). And then... Justice for all.

Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jeremiah on September 08, 2009, 10:19:51 PM
Templar (figures really - it what I wanted to be and the test isn't too hard to spin)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 10, 2009, 04:19:06 PM
The embargo on the goodies revelead at PAX was lifted 15 minutes ago. The news are starting to roll in!

The setting is in 2023, and seems it is some sort of a FPS MMO, if I do decipher the articles right.

http://www.massively.com/2009/09/10/pax-2009-dark-mysteries-of-the-secret-world/
http://www.ztgamedomain.com/8299/PAX-2009-The-Secret-World-is-a-Little-Less-Secret.html
http://pc.ign.com/articles/102/1023335p1.html


A couple new screenshots are available too
http://www.crygaia.com/cgn/
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 10, 2009, 04:48:48 PM
http://mmohub.org/news/another-glimpse-into-funcoms-the-secret-world/1291/

Seems weapons will gain "sklls" too. I guess something like the legendary weapons in LOTRO?
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on September 10, 2009, 05:20:33 PM
http://mmohub.org/news/another-glimpse-into-funcoms-the-secret-world/1291/

Seems weapons will gain "sklls" too. I guess something like the legendary weapons in LOTRO?

Sounds that way after a fashion.  The sudden influx of info is very nice indeed for this - the world seems like a "fun" one.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Gunnarr on September 10, 2009, 06:08:25 PM
I'm getting really psyched about this game  :D
Too bad it's going to take another 2 years or so until release!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Dlarah on September 10, 2009, 06:57:13 PM
Isnt that a good thing? As if there wasnt enough MMO's around/on the way already. :)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 10, 2009, 07:18:08 PM
Too bad it's going to take another 2 years or so until release!
*Hopefully* that is true. I don't anybody wants to see the similar mess we saw with AoC.

According to FunCom TSW is now in pre-alpha, and I sure hope they use enough time to make things actually work well before publishing a release date.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on September 10, 2009, 07:37:32 PM
i would hope theyd have learned that an awful release like AoC can kill a game.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 11, 2009, 04:49:07 AM
i would hope theyd have learned that an awful release like AoC can kill a game.
One would have thought they had learned something from the release of Anarchy Online, but instead they made with AoC all the same mistakes and then some more...
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on September 11, 2009, 07:35:08 AM
Ragnar gave a Twitter (ugh) interview recently:

Quote
RT: Okay, so here we go

chriscurrie: Are there forces in play beyond the three factions we've seen? Or do they mostly compete against each other?

RT: There are certainly other - darker, older - forces at play, and they are definitely going to be crucial to the story.

iktose: What are the tokens we got for ? ...what ? this is not a valid question ? but I'm sure many of us want to know this answer

RT: Can't tell you yet, but do hold onto them. Wait...which tokens? I don't know about any tokens.

Agrabush: Can factions group with each other on the surface? Or do all my friends have to join the same faction?

RT: We haven't announced anything yet - but the secret societies do stand united against evil.

henriksultan: Not a question about the game so i wont tag it with tswqa but where is that video they are talking about?? I wanna see it..

RT: It's on my computer.

philcsf: Yo, big fan. What's the predicted release date for The Secret World? Will the release be simultaneous, or delays for region/platform?

RT: No official release date yet, but I'm sure we'll launch simultaneously in Europe and North America.

albedo777: The articles touched on cabal pvp and cells to get anima. What about smaller cabals? Will it be difficult/impossible for us?

RT: Not impossible but probably more difficult. If you're few but strong and well coordinated you can still put up a fight.

Samozwaniec: when we will see gameplay and ingame footages?

RT: I'd love to see it released some time this autumn, but that hasn't been decided yet.

Agrabush: What kind of non-combat content will there be? And we need more info on crafting!

RT: We'll talk about trade skills another time but it's going to be fun. Many missions won't be about killing things.

Mimezu: we know that society HQ will be social places, will there be other social spots in the game (nightclubs, etc ...) ?

RT: Yes.

darkSTandrew: how will the cabal houses work?

RT: As gathering places for your cabal! There's gameplay associated with them, but we're not revealing anything more now.

Templar_unknown: I wonder how entry to Agartha will take place? Wonder if any of the lore based "entry points" are real?

RT: There will be many, many roads into Agartha. Some old, some new, some known, some very, very secret.

Ogibogi: will there be cross faction grouping in PvE? Global or north america & EU servers?

RT: Like I said above (below?) we haven't announced anything yet, but the societies do stand united against evil.

samsbase: These cells that are taken in Agartha are they only takable by NPC factions or cabaals too ?

RT: Cabals.

julienlavoie: There's no levels. Will there be specific targets/goals to always give you something to look forward to?

RT: Absolutely, definitely, yes.

Pyroclasam: what range of weapons can we expect in game and how heavily will magic figure into it?

RT: A wide range, and heavily.

Pyroclasam: is there a particular ESRB eating that you're aiming for?

RT: Right now, the game is pretty mature. Zombie head go boom. And cussing too.

bunchie007: How will the characters in TSW deal with death?

RT: In a really interesting way. We will address it. Death means something in the real world.

M0nnes: Will melee combat be similar to WoW, like right click and wait for emotes, with the occational special move?

RT: Nope.

SA_Avenger: Crucial are there sherpas in game

RT: There can't NOT be sherpas in this game.

Syntheticwhite: All the stuff so far seems very combat focused. Any hints on what the ratio of Combat vs. Socal -play will be like?

RT: That depends on how you choose to play it.

Jest118: Re: Factions and Weapons. Will players be able to wield more than one type. i.e. Pistol for ranged, sword for Melee?

RT: Of course.

agill084: IGN and Massively are reporting contrary things about cross-faction PvE play, can you clarify? Is it still undecided?

RT: Not really undecided - more like unannounced.

iktose: Is there going to be a real gameplay difference between the 3 secret societies, i.e one got some improvements the others don't?

RT: Not in terms of balancing, but there will be content differences.

RT: @psyx0r The Xbox version will be different from the PC version, and the latter will be designed as a PC game first and foremost.

agill084: There's been a loss of consumer confidence in the Funcom brand. Any plans for the TSW launch to address this?

RT: Don't know about that, but we're just going to make the best damn game we know how and hope that people will play it.

astarti_alexia: is Anima crucial for battle and spells?

RT: As announced, anima will be important for - amongst other things - weapon upgrades and trade skills.

Chtuga: I feel the economy is extremely important, will it be player and tradeskill driven?

RT: We also feel the economy is extremely important, and we're doing something about it!

fujikanaeda: Can you release any details on the nature or existence of live events within TSW?

RT: I love events, but we can't say anything about that yet.

wryterra: Are cabal housing areas a part of the Society HQs or are they seperate entities?

RT: Separate.

fujikanaeda: Will we see puzzle elements within the game? If so, how is FC planning on combating the 'alakhazam' lookup effect?

RT: There will be puzzles. And there will always be ways to make the game easier - and less interesting.

ilistyn: For those of us that do not like PvP will there be other ways to get Anima? what about non pvp equipment, etc.

RT: Yes.

Sagebigly: Any chance of seeing the great old one in the game?

RT: There will be things that are both great and old and dark and deep and wet and slimy.

Azeltir: As a non-MMO player, what do you think TSW might do to sway me to it?

RT: The story, the setting, the action gameplay, the missions, the puzzles, the characters, the sights & sounds.

Soulstrider: Will there be any plot related details released soon?

RT: Who says there hasn't been?

mr_whisper: Can you give a general idea of the projected system specs? I'm building a new computer specifically for TSW?

RT: Not quite yet but we're aiming for laptops.

Makaruda: Any info you can give us on infiltrating enemy bases as mentioned in the IGN article?

RT: It's going to be fun and exciting.

greve_tsw: At what stage is the game at right now? Pre-Alpha? Alpha? Pre-Beta?

RT: Pre-Alpha.

AnnLemay: Hi! Looking forward to the game! Q: Will gameplay be predominantly PVE or PVP? Will solo gameplay be possible, or limit the exp.?

RT: Soloing will definitely be possible. The game will have plenty of PvE. This reveal was just mostly about PvP.

brinstar: On TSW forums players are associating Templars with Christianity. Will the devs distance the faction from religion?

RT: Templars aren't about Christianity. They're about Faith. Which is different. And also about kicking demon ass.

smugas: How cabals are important? Can we enjoy most parts of game without need to join to cabal?

RT: You can play without joining a cabal, but PvP will be a lot more fun if you're in one.

Zombacon: Will the secret society you join determine your ethnicity?

RT: No, absolutely not.

Aquilus: Also, will players will be able to wear monocles? That's a dealbreaker for me

RT: Definitely. Monocles are go.

KyleHorner: @brinstar had a good one here: Will the devs distance Templars from any specific religions?

RT: Yup, like I said, no secret society is tied to any religion. Everyone's invited.

squareking: Any chance TSW could be Mac-compatible? Also, I'm a big fan of what I've seen so far -- keep it up!

RT: No Mac version planned, but there's always Boot Camp and Windows 7. Works for me!

philcsf: Another quick Q - Will the PC and 360 versions be using the same server (cross-platform gameplay)? If it's still coming to 360.

RT: Nope, no cross-platform gameplay.

Fald0n: Will combat rather be 1st person or 3rd person? Or doesn't the "character view" matter at all?

RT: 3rd person.

eXes: How far will the hate between Illuminati and Templar go? Will they actually have conflicts in the story line or only in agartha?

RT: There will be conflicts in the story, too.

eXes: Several interviews are talking about expansion (addons) any details about that?

RT: There will be extensions and add-ons and expansions, but it's a bit too early to talk about that.


derFeef: Is the look of the character somehow defined by the faction or can I have an asian templar as well?

RT: You can be anything and anyone you want.

Soulstrider: Will characters like "A friend" or Aveline Belmont have a significant presence in the game?

RT: You mean, will real crazy people who pretend to be involved in real conspiracies be in this fictional game?

GlennJPWilson: We begin in one of three citys,are we able to travel and visit the other two as we please? can we have our faction cabals in any city?

RT: Yes to the first one. Just don't go messing with anyone wearing a uniform.

RT: That's it for tonight. Thanks for participating, I hope that cleared up some confusion! Additional questions may be answered later.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 11, 2009, 08:36:23 AM
Have to say I am just as interested of this game now as I was of Warhammer. And I am (or rather, used to be) pretty close to a warhammer fanatic...
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Gunnarr on September 18, 2009, 05:42:36 AM
Some kind of encoded timer appeared on darkdaysarecoming.com (or I just missed it the first time)
Assuming it's d:h:m:s:chronograph, and assuming I deciphered it right, it's now standing at 1189 days and a bit. That's a bit more than 3.25 years :(
Looks like they're starting to create buzz early with this one....
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 18, 2009, 06:19:50 AM
Some kind of encoded timer appeared on darkdaysarecoming.com (or I just missed it the first time)
Assuming it's d:h:m:s:chronograph, and assuming I deciphered it right, it's now standing at 1189 days and a bit. That's a bit more than 3.25 years :(
Looks like they're starting to create buzz early with this one....
It's been there ages, before anything else was available of Secret World/Cry Gaia.

It is counting down to the end of the world prophetised in the Mayan calendar. The end of the world will be on 21st of December in 2012.
http://www.adishakti.org/mayan_end_times_prophecy_12-21-2012.htm


EDT: As for *why* it is there, none outside FunCom knows. It is assumed the world in the game has changed a lot in 2012 (pictures of New York, London and Shangai destroyed,  monsters emerging from the hollow earth etc), and is the reason why the Earth in Secret World is quite different from the Earth we know. The second explanation is that the countdown has nothing to do with the game, but is there just to confuse people.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Gunnarr on September 18, 2009, 06:44:18 PM
Ah right. I knew about the 2012 thing - Mayan calendar and Nostradamus prophecy...I just didn't connect it to the timer.
Thanks for clearing that up. ;)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Dlarah on September 29, 2009, 02:04:35 PM
It looks like funcom is planning to get rid of about 20% of their staff and are looking at moving some of the ones they keep to canada if possible to reduce costs. This also means a launch of The Secret World will be delayed by months(not that i have seen a launch date yet).
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 30, 2009, 04:44:42 AM
As far as I could read that Norwegian article, it said FunCom is reducing 20% of their staff in Norway, but is at the same time recruiting more people in Canada during the next 6-12 months. No doubt it will slow down the developing though.

Funcom made a big loss last year, this year they've made a ~1 million lossso far. In Canada software companies recruiting more people get tax reductions (IIRC up to 35% reduced tax) as well as other benefits.


EDIT: It's the governement of Quebec and they are not reducing taxes but re-imbursing 37.5% of the salaries (which makes it a huge deal).

There is an article available in English too now:
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/funcom-to-cut-20-percent-of-workforce
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on October 14, 2009, 02:10:29 PM
anybody else get the email from funcom inviting you to apply for beta?.

i liked the whole sign up process something different i was given the alignment of a dragon but chose templar.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on October 14, 2009, 02:29:58 PM
ahem

about 7 posts down from this one is this post

http://handsofjustice.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1409.0 (http://handsofjustice.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=1409.0)  :P
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on October 14, 2009, 02:41:27 PM
but i only got the email today:(

didnt know the postal strike also includes email :P
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on October 14, 2009, 02:42:39 PM
didnt know the postal strike also includes email :P

rofl :)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Gunnarr on November 13, 2009, 06:36:04 PM
Got a mail today from Funcom, begging me to come back to Age of Conan.
Among the presents offered was this one: Sub for 3 months, and get guaranteed access to the Secret World beta.
I don't care much for AoC, but I may just sub just for the beta.....  :-\
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on November 13, 2009, 06:49:38 PM
Got a mail today from Funcom, begging me to come back to Age of Conan.
Among the presents offered was this one: Sub for 3 months, and get guaranteed access to the Secret World beta.
I don't care much for AoC, but I may just sub just for the beta.....  :-\

Learn a lesson from STO beta giveaways with CO subs - it wont happen!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Dlarah on November 13, 2009, 07:52:44 PM
hmm... I tought i had stopped my aoc sub but turns out i am still on a 6 month sub that ends at 25th of december. Wonder if that means i can get beta access to secret world even if i cancel it then.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on November 13, 2009, 08:17:30 PM
im actually playing AOC just to fill the time but am using a timecard and im not subscribing for 3 months just to get in to open beta for TSW.

also it is a usual game company smoke and mirror stunt on the TSW forums it says secure place in the back end of closed beta but on the AOC patcher and some emails ppl have got it says open beta(though my email said closed beta) i wonder which it actually will be.

also i think you have to extend your sub by 3/6/12 months from what you already have unless you re-subbed for 6/12 months on or after 6th of october.

i will take my chances on a beta place to either the test on the TSW official site or a pre-order place if its offered.

p.s
to the guys who were in the AOC guild i cleared out the bank and sold the stuff as when i logged back in after 18 months away we had been transferred from dagon server to crom server all my gold was gone.
although i think most ppl had gone to a different guild just after i stopped playing.

p.p.p.p.p.p.s
it maybe that i gave my gold to the guild when i quit i cant remember :'(
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on November 14, 2009, 05:55:19 AM
I have a timecard which runs out soon. Haven't really been logged in to AoC though. For five minutes I thought about subbing for three months to get in SW, but then I reminded myself this is FunCom PR department sending the mail. And there are three things certain in this world:
1) You are going to die
2) You will pay your taxes
3) FunCom marketing phukks up everything always, they always "forgets" to include minor detail (like for example, you get into SW beta if the closed beta starts during the 3 month period of your AoC subscription, or something like that).

I'll either get into SW beta the conventional way, or then I won't get into beta. To be honest, I am not too hot for FunCom beta testing after the horror-experiences with AoC testing :(
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on January 27, 2010, 12:01:37 PM
Next weekend will see some big revelation about Secret World. At least Massively (http://www.massively.com/2010/01/26/the-secret-world-revealing-more-secrets-soon-funcom-confirms-ki/) will be reporting that something. Ragnar from FunCom has also confirmed a new video will be released together with this new revelation.

What will this revelation be? Dunno, but at least the TSW team knows how to build hype and tension!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on January 29, 2010, 06:43:12 AM
Some new screenshots were found by the forumites. Looks like they will be (part of?) the news supposed to be released this weekend.

http://darkdaysarehere.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=7982555
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on January 31, 2010, 07:49:58 AM
Well...

A video trailer was made available last night:
http://www.gamespot.com/pc/rpg/thesecretworld/video/6248619/the-secret-world-kingsmouth-trailer

Zombies. Hmm... I am not impressed :(
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on January 31, 2010, 11:27:33 AM
zombies be fine, it is a game based on myth and urban legend and zombies are a HUGE part of that, is it new and clever though? definetly not.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on March 01, 2010, 07:59:11 PM
An interview which was greatly waited by fans, but which doesn't really reveal that much, was released today:
http://pc.ign.com/articles/107/1072842p1.html

TSW will be a level-less and skill based system (like EVE online is for example), but seems you get experience by doing quests and killing stuff, so essentially it would be just a generic MMO #437586

Meh :(

I fear it will not live up even close to the expectations I've had on the game :(
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on March 02, 2010, 04:35:41 AM
Idd with you Jarkko, however (and Im on a slow connection so havent watched/read the interview) what if the experience you gain from killing etc you can channel into skills and so on ala EVE, but without passive SP generation.  And hopefully the skill system will be a broad one, however I'll have to find a better connection to deal with the interview.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on March 02, 2010, 05:24:45 AM
what if the experience you gain from killing etc you can channel into skills and so on ala EVE, but without passive SP generation.
Well, I think that is the second worst possible scenario really. People with no lives will dominate the game, because as there are no level caps or such, those who have time to grind grind and grind some more will after a couple months be superhumans compared to normal players (not to mention casuals). People who play more will by default have better gear, have more funds, be better in the game (know-how of the game world and system), do they really need an advantage in skills too?

The worst case IMO would be if you get the exp only for the skills you use. If you shoot you get exp for shooting skills, etc. While it is certainly realistic you can only gain more experience in things you do, it just would make it a horrible system in a MMORPG.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Jarkko on September 01, 2010, 06:13:58 AM
As this hasn't been posted here yet, here we go. Developer diary #1, a video on explaining a bit of the start of a new character in TSW, with in-game footage:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXccegjoRIM
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on January 10, 2011, 03:30:30 PM
EA seems to be getting in on this by jointly publishing it with Funcom:

Quote
Durham, USA – January 10, 2011 – Funcom, the award-winning game developer responsible for titles such as ‘Anarchy Online’ and ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’, and EA Partners, a division of Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ:ERTS), today announced their agreement to co-publish Funcom’s highly anticipated modern-day massively multiplayer online game ‘The Secret World’. Hundreds of thousands of gamers have joined the ever-growing community surrounding the game, and have – even before launch – become active members in the game’s secret societies: the Illuminati, the Dragon and the Templar.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Funcom, one of the world-leaders in the development of massively multiplayer online games,” says David DeMartini, Senior Vice President and General Manager of EA Partners. “We are very excited to be able to take part in the growing online gaming category with such a highly anticipated title as ‘The Secret World’.”

‘The Secret World’ is a next-generation massively multiplayer online game for the PC platform, where players are given total freedom to create and progress their characters, unbound by the restrictions of classes and levels. Players will get the opportunity to join one of the three secret societies and fight for power over important locations throughout our own world.  Players will also journey through familiar places across the globe, such as Egypt, New England, London, New York and Seoul and battle monsters of myth and legend.

“We are tremendously excited to be working with what is undoubtedly the world-leading games publisher for the past decade, and it is also a great testament to the fantastic work of our development team,” says Funcom CEO Trond Arne Aas. “The experience and the knowledge that Electronic Arts brings to the table will be instrumental in allowing us to realize the full potential of ‘The Secret World’.”

‘The Secret World’ is Funcom’s third massively multiplayer game, having previously developed the award-winning ‘Anarchy Online’ and the best selling new MMO of 2008 ‘Age of Conan: Hyborian Adventures’. No release date has been announced.

For more information, visit the official website at www.darkdaysarecoming.com.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on March 18, 2011, 11:06:05 AM
recent newsletter pointed to this vid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMnJD7Dt1GY


looks very pretty, still need more info
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on March 18, 2011, 01:21:04 PM
looks like its coming along nicely still not sure im up for an mmo where you dont level i like the leveling process myself.

one to keep my eye on and i will no doubt give it a go.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on August 16, 2011, 10:36:06 PM
Quote
Funcom and EA Partners have announced that the modern-day MMO The Secret World will release for the PC in April, 2012. If that seems like too long to wait, don’t worry – starting August 26 gamers can register to join upcoming betas, through a unique interactive social media campaign that will be made available on via the game’s official website.

“It has never been more rewarding working on ‘The Secret World’ than it is now,” says Senior Producer and Creative Director Ragnar Tørnquist. “The progress we are making in development allows the whole team to really enjoy just playing the game for hours on end. We are all looking forward to bringing in players through upcoming betas, and their feedback will be crucial to the further development of the game as we progress toward the April, 2012 launch.”

For more info on the beta and the game, visit The Secret World‘s official website.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on August 17, 2011, 09:25:28 AM
fucking social media.

if it doesnt include google+ then fuck them.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on August 27, 2011, 08:59:26 PM
Quote
Due to technical difficulties we have decided to postpone the first phase of the Secret War experience and the beta registration until further notice.


We are deeply sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused those of you who had taken time to visit our website on August 26th to sign up for the beta and take part in the first phase of The Secret War. We will be working relentlessly to make sure the experience and the beta registration are up as soon as possible.


We appreciate your patience and understanding.


Sincerely,
Funcom


P.S: The delay has also been picked up by the Council of Venice, who are already on the case!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on August 30, 2011, 01:46:09 PM
beta registration live

http://secretwar.thesecretworld.com/
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on August 30, 2011, 07:50:34 PM
beta signup without facebook

https://register.funcom.com/signup/ctrl/register/gb/tsw/TSW-BETA1
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on March 05, 2012, 01:08:27 PM
Just thought i'd give this a bump. It's going to be released in June, and I can honestly say I am well impressed with what i've seen/read/heard about it. The skill/leveling concept, the IP, the general style..everything. It's a shame i can only really play this or SWTOR. At the mo I think i've seen enough of TSW to pull me away from SWTOR to give a go at least.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on April 09, 2012, 11:49:32 AM
From another forum I use:

Quote
My impressions from spending time with TSW:

1. It's a much more complicated game system than Rift or SWTOR (I think than GW2 as well, but I haven't gotten to try that yet, so I can't compare directly). That means it may be more interesting in the long run, but it is more prone to flaws in the short run. For example, the UI has a number of components including an ingame web browser...all of these are moveable and resizable, but they can get cluttered and I've seen elements of it get stuck open in the past. Overall, I really like the interface....it's very clean and simple on a piece-by-piece level. But there are a lot of pieces, and that's important to keep in mind if you prefer something simpler like a more traditional Rift/SWTOR style game.

2. The graphics, at least using DX11, are quite smooth. Sure, the jumps are a little high, but they're no worse than watching a tauren jump in WoW (seriously, those hooves must have springs). The graphics and environments are definitely prettier than WoW, Rift, and SWTOR. However, the animations, especially lip syncing, are not up to SWTOR levels. (SWTOR cheats a bit here, since when you're in dialog you're actually not viewing the world and the rendering details roughly doubles....nonetheless, it's a very good cheat, and it makes you really feel like you're talking to someone...TSW doesn't do this, the detail level remains the same).

3. After SWTOR, there is something a bit disappointing about not being actively involved in conversations. TSW has a lot of voiced dialog, and it's generally much better written, better delivered, and more interesting than the average SWTOR dialog. However, in SWTOR you can respond two or three times per conversation. In TSW, you're a passive observer. This makes a big difference.

4. TSW is a much harder game than any other modern MMO (think vanilla WoW). If you don't plan out your initial ability build carefully, you might be stuck (like me) with no healing and no AOE....in which case it's really easy to die to the 3-zombie packs that you pull in Kingsmouth. There are no training wheels. This is actually pretty awesome. At the same time, it means that it's harder to casually play the game like you would GW2 or D3 or other upcoming pseudo-competition.

5. TSW is a much slower game than most modern MMOs (though SWTOR has its fair share of artificial slowness..."run way over there and deliver this! .... ok, now run way back over there and deliver the receipt!"...which TSW, thankfully, seems to avoid). But TSW involves planning ahead, saving up ability points, doing investigative missions of the sort that haven't really been seen before in MMOs (relatively little direct guidance as to what to do, but lots of interesting clues in dialog and environments), etc. It's slower paced, and if you want to power through it, you'll find it to be somewhat mediocre. If, instead, you treat it more like an old school RPG/adventure game, you'll really come to enjoy it. But it will take a few hours to get into it. (actually, that makes me think a bit of similar experiences getting into vanilla WoW back in the day...I think I spent a good 8-10 hours getting through the Barrens...but I'll admit that expectations have changed since 2004)


That's my two cents. By making a more difficult, slower paced game, Funcom is probably cutting its potential userbase down to about 10% of "average WoW players" or however you want to measure it. At the same time, a lot of us have been advocating for a game that's a bit more complicated and difficult and story based for years now. For us, this game will be an absolute gem. (Even acknowledging that it won't be perfect at launch...it's already more playable than AoC was at launch, and it doesn't have the strange post-Tortage let down that that game did. It is not, however, as playable as Rift was at launch.)


I amy eventually pick this up, but not in the first few months - and I'll certainly not read any reviews on it or anything in that time.

Just the thought of something cerebral in the none sandbox side of the MMO world makes me moist.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on April 09, 2012, 01:44:58 PM
well all i can add is its definitely slower paced AT TIMES than traditional MMOs but when you get in to combat its fast paced.

Investigation missions are fantastic, im sure you saw me post in shoutbox about one in particular that had me referencing dutch painters, bible quotes and translating latin, failure to do so can result in false leads which are a fantastic addition.

Sometimes the missions involve following trails, that you need to take your time to look for carefully, can be annoying but inevitably rewarding.

Also at times it does feel like your banging you rhead against a wall, but all you have to realise is that by going away doing something else and maybe gaining another tier in your chosen weapon or unlocking that new ability to complement your hinder/burst/leech abilities could make  ahuge difference.

Juggling skills to suit your build is needed pretty quickly into the game, you get no real tutorials, no hand holding, and do die a lot.

You do get teh modern mission circles on minimaps at time, though not for tracking or investigations usually, even when there are circles youll find yourself having to hunt inside the highlighted area to find whatever you seek, it wont always be in teh centre.  mission interactables do glow red but only when you get quite close to them, so not from half the map away like some otehr MMOs.

all in all im finding it fun. It will be a niche title, it will scare away the gief it now crowd, and did i say im enjoying it ;)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on April 10, 2012, 10:21:05 AM
OMG, you got in beta?

muthaf*cka!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on April 18, 2012, 09:37:54 AM
browser based online social game which you can earn "stuff" for real game

http://secretwar.thesecretworld.com/ (http://secretwar.thesecretworld.com/)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 08, 2012, 10:48:21 AM
First beta weekend and lifting of NDA this week

All i can say is last huge patch improved everything with this
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on May 08, 2012, 05:23:34 PM
First beta weekend and lifting of NDA this week

All i can say is last huge patch improved everything with this

is the client available yet for the beta weekend ?
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 08, 2012, 05:29:16 PM
not sure. I do know they are sending out keys, Gamespot are giving some away and all preorders get access as well as those playing the facebook game and reaching "secret agent"

so its not an "open" beta and is limited to Kingsmouth first area of the Solomon island zone
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on May 08, 2012, 05:56:39 PM
yeah the clien dl was halfway down my account page dl'ing now :)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 09, 2012, 09:46:42 AM
Ok some advice before you play this weekend ;)

The game can be brutal (seems not as much as previous builds but still can be a challenge)

During Investigation missions dont be afraid to use google to solve clues (in fact its required unless you have knowledge of Dutch artists,the bible and Latin, and thats just for the first one you get)

There are also missions that require following trails/tracks, take your time look around and dont run too far ahead or you could get frustrated.

If stuck on a clue reread and think, the answer is there ;)

enjoy :)

p.s. decks are in so use them as a basis for your initial build, makes it easier.

and dont worry about crafting during your weekend unless you are a masochist.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 09, 2012, 06:02:47 PM
also of note

doing missions works like this

mission log is limited

1 story mission (this is the main arc, explaining the secret world and the faction in it )
1 slot for an action mission (red, yellow or green icon)
3 slots for item missions (light blue icon)

Action missions are usually picked up from "real" people
Item missions are stumbled upon/found or in plain view on bits of paper/blood trails/books/RC aeroplanes etc

if you for instance are on a red action mission (which usually involves killing x of y) and you stumble across a person giving an investigation mission (think current icon is a computer) then it will ask if you wish to pause the action mission you were currently on and start the new one. To unpause you have to go back to the original giver and begin again where you left off (i.e. having already killed 3/5 slow moving and dry zombies it remember s im at 3/5 on that mission)

its different and can cause head scratching but its growing on me
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Warcold on May 10, 2012, 01:00:00 PM
i.e. In the Secret World, humans have cognitively degraded to only being able to maintain two things in conscience. Tools to remind ourselves of things (pen/paper, computers, etc.) have been lost to society.

What a lame game.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Bethor on May 10, 2012, 04:43:17 PM
Its also not that secret a world with this many people writing about it etc.

Perhaps they can start calling it "The world that used to be completely secret but now is much less so, but still is secret to some" OR TWTUTBCSBNIMLSBSISTS
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 10, 2012, 04:55:34 PM
Its also not that secret a world with this many people writing about it etc.

Perhaps they can start calling it "The world that used to be completely secret but now is much less so, but still is secret to some" OR TWTUTBCSBNIMLSBSISTS

just wait till the NDA drops and the "solution" sites start appearing ruining the actual fun of the game for those that dont/ cant be bothered to think.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Goatboy on May 11, 2012, 06:13:22 AM
Its also not that secret a world with this many people writing about it etc.

Perhaps they can start calling it "The world that used to be completely secret but now is much less so, but still is secret to some" OR TWTUTBCSBNIMLSBSISTS

All my votes are belong to you!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on May 11, 2012, 05:55:18 PM
gave it ago tonight lots of issues as expected with hundreds of thousands trying to get on the same server.

so not bothering really with the betas(unless the populus spreads out abit) what i did see of it looks promising setting is something i have always been interested in secret societies and conspiracy.

avatars in the cut scenes mainly look really crap tbh but they are ok ingame(and graphics arnt really the selling point of the game so can be forgiven)

gameplay is a bit slow at the moment but is to be expected as the scene is being set and the story is unfolding so lots of cut scenes.

only got to the templar hq so far so cant comment any further though i do have a shotgun and i know how to use it :)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 11, 2012, 05:59:43 PM
Game doesnt start until you hit kingsmouth ;)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on May 11, 2012, 06:03:54 PM
tbh im only going to play the game casualy so im glad its not all guns blazing all the time. ;D
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on May 12, 2012, 10:49:36 AM
ok got to kingsmouth and done a few missions

those zombies move dammed fast when you spray them with bullets ;D

looking at the forums it seems there are a lot of things not put in yet ragnar saying via tweets that there will be alot more customization of characters at char creation which i thought was a bit sparse so thats good. 8)

did i say i was going to play this as a casual  :o
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 14, 2012, 08:54:54 AM
So what was your thoughts of the weekend matey?

personally i like what i see, although as ive fallen out of love with ALL MMOs i wont play.

I also see potential for huge damage to the game from the huge number of abilities and the PVP crowd always needing balance or "that is OP" syndrome ;)
  Though this may be mitigated by the ability to (eventually) be able to learn all skills.

I love the feel and the story.  Investigation missions are a fav, pity there isnt more of them.
Once they sort out the various little nigly bugs it will be  a great game on release for those sick of fantasy. (but will always be a niche game, its just too hard for mainstream internet entitled kiddies)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on May 14, 2012, 12:42:39 PM
yeah thought it was good and i will play but try to keep it casual as i seem to get burnt out pretty quickly nowadays it does seem that it will fit with a more casual playstyle.

but in other news i may give guild wars 2 ago as after box price its basically free i didnt like the first one with the instanced world but with 2 being a persistent open world i think i will like it better.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on May 14, 2012, 12:44:41 PM
just please tell me you did the joy that is the kingsmouth code?
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on May 14, 2012, 12:47:10 PM
nah didnt get that far wanted to leave as much as possible for live was just trying out different weapon choices.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on May 14, 2012, 01:51:35 PM
god I am so impressed with this game. Not just 'happy' or 'satisfied'...impressed. Finally a breath of fresh air. I love the way they have managed to give it that single player feel yet still maintain it's MMO-ness. It plays more like Alan Wake or Silent Hill, and it even has that Stephen King esque atmosphere to it. good stuff! Oh and the skill wheel is tasty. Very tasty.

I did Kingsmouth code, Garry. Took me half of Saturday, but finally got there, and it was well worth it!
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on July 03, 2012, 08:19:02 AM
Well...

It's stunning. Take all the MMO's you've ever played and completely forget everything about them. TSW has pretty much taken the MMO rulebook and thrown it on the fire and broken all ties with the norm. And it's about fucking time somebody did, as this is just something else. Reading stuff on here, I know a lot of you have the MMO burnout, and some are ummin and ah-ing....but I guarantee this will take you by the short and curlies and fist fuck you into total immersion.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Keggi on July 03, 2012, 05:38:26 PM
yeah im still in kingsmouth tried about 4 different builds so not rushing it.
my favorite is my duel pistol templar and for someone who has always said microtransaction burn in hell i actually bought some funcom points and bought my avatar 3 outfits :o
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on July 03, 2012, 05:40:54 PM
yeah im still in kingsmouth tried about 4 different builds so not rushing it.
my favorite is my duel pistol templar and for someone who has always said microtransaction burn in hell i actually bought some funcom points and bought my avatar 3 outfits :o

you have the barbie bug my friend
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on July 04, 2012, 10:05:58 AM
I've re-teamed up with Pandion Knights as Illumunati and primarily gone for blade/hammer tank and dps, but filled inner trees for fist/blood healing too. I'm mixing and matching too. Getting to the last set of missions in kingsmouth now, and hoping to give Polaris a go. Good thing is that you can group up cross faction for dungeons/missions etc, so makes finding groups so much easier. And you only need to look for 'others' rather than looking for a 'tank' 'dps' or 'healer'. Full of win. You guys who arent bothering are missing out.

I think the fact this game has slipped under the radar a little, and not brought on massive expectation, exposure and hype (as what you get with the usual AAA cookie cuter MMOs) has really given Funcom a lot of breathing room to just try something different and do it their way. They've thrived on it, bigtime! They deserve all the kudos in the MMO world for this game.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on July 04, 2012, 10:26:34 AM
which server you playing on?
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on July 04, 2012, 11:16:04 AM
Well...

It's stunning. Take all the MMO's you've ever played and completely forget everything about them. TSW has pretty much taken the MMO rulebook and thrown it on the fire and broken all ties with the norm. And it's about fucking time somebody did, as this is just something else. Reading stuff on here, I know a lot of you have the MMO burnout, and some are ummin and ah-ing....but I guarantee this will take you by the short and curlies and fist fuck you into total immersion.

Does it have multithousand player fps battles? featuring 3 factions one of which wears yellow & blue?

If so them im sold if not then I'll wait for PS2 :)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on July 04, 2012, 11:37:27 AM
I'm on Huldra, but server does not matter apart from doing Fusang PVP. You can group up cross server to do content.

Jon, Fusang is a massive pvp area. Persistent (drop in drop out), 3 faction, 60 a side to take and hold 5 facilitites. The number of facilities you hold/own in Fusang (as well as the other 2 smaller PVP zones) determines on how awesome the buff your faction gets outside in PVE. Illuminati wears blue, so haflway there :p Also, at the end of the gaming week when they take servers down for maintenence, the devs look at who held what for longest and give an overall reward for who won that week.

Planetside 2 looks good if you want a bit of simplistic pedal to the metal shooting. This is something to captivate you in a completely different way.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on July 04, 2012, 11:46:01 AM
Tbh, i dont want a game that has a story anymore.  I want to make that story myself in a near sandbox environment or make someone cry by shooting them in the face.

And PS2 for me is going to be my last MMO as PS1 was my first. And while it may be a shooter its not the likes of the console shite battleofduty541 :D
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Mangala on July 04, 2012, 11:47:42 AM
But I do wish you theme parkers luck with your game :)
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on July 04, 2012, 11:48:23 AM
Fair enough. It's a shame though, I honestly think this could be the most important MMO ever made providing it gets the deserved TLC by Funcom.

I think I might be giving PS2 a go anyway. Seen some top notch vids
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Kurtt on July 05, 2012, 07:43:02 AM
Fair enough. It's a shame though, I honestly think this could be the most important MMO ever made providing it gets the deserved TLC by Funcom.

I think I might be giving PS2 a go anyway. Seen some top notch vids

Now you sound like me and SWTOR, and look how that turned out ;D
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on July 05, 2012, 08:10:54 AM
Try TSW for yourself and then see what you think, dude.

We all knew SWTOR was a cookie cutter MMO with a different (albeit much more interesting) IP and a tonne of hype to fill even before launch. It did start off fatastic, the leveliing process the first time was top notch, but it falls into the traps. You level up, you do dailies. and so on. TSW has no levels, all of the game is endgame. It's as much of a 'Silent Hill' or a 'Left for Dead' or a 'Myst' than it is an MMO. If SWTOR pioneered the 'story driven' theme park MMO, then TSW has taken the model, improved on it, and stuck it into a much more semi-sandbox game.

Doesn't have that boxed in and sterile feeling you get from SWTOR. Compeltely different style of game.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Warcold on July 05, 2012, 11:28:02 AM
What is the subscription fee?
Not that I'll join, prolly, but still...
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Goatboy on July 05, 2012, 11:32:12 AM
What is the subscription fee?
Not that I'll join, prolly, but still...

This.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Chug on July 05, 2012, 12:23:06 PM
Quite expensive. £12 a month expensive (about 14 euros i guess). Shame if it puts you off. It is expensive, but If you don't mind paying for quality it's worth it.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Warcold on July 05, 2012, 01:42:48 PM
Quite expensive. £12 a month expensive (about 14 euros i guess). Shame if it puts you off. It is expensive, but If you don't mind paying for quality it's worth it.

My gaming time being under pressure by a little alien from innerwomb, I'm not going to sprinkle out cash over a game that might or might not turn into a big dissapointment within a month or two, while I prolly won't be able to play much either way.

Hence: yay Steam! and move yer bloody asses with the summer sales!
Anyway, games that I can easily pause or idle for several hours are the way to go atm. LA Noire, Civ5, TW-series. And focus on SP over MP, as I don't feel comfortable having ppl to wait for me. L4D(2) is goodish, as my char will be AI'd when I go idle.
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on July 05, 2012, 02:08:37 PM
Quite expensive. £12 a month expensive (about 14 euros i guess). Shame if it puts you off. It is expensive, but If you don't mind paying for quality it's worth it.

My gaming time being under pressure by a little alien from innerwomb, I'm not going to sprinkle out cash over a game that might or might not turn into a big dissapointment within a month or two, while I prolly won't be able to play much either way.

Hence: yay Steam! and move yer bloody asses with the summer sales!
Anyway, games that I can easily pause or idle for several hours are the way to go atm. LA Noire, Civ5, TW-series. And focus on SP over MP, as I don't feel comfortable having ppl to wait for me. L4D(2) is goodish, as my char will be AI'd when I go idle.

True that

although Ai in L4d i dont seem to shoot in the head as much as i do you
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Warcold on January 17, 2014, 07:56:22 PM
Is anyone still playing this?
Is it worth paying 10E for, over the F2P games that are out there?
Title: Re: The Secret World
Post by: Caradir on January 18, 2014, 04:07:46 PM
Is anyone still playing this?
Is it worth paying 10E for, over the F2P games that are out there?

Ive not logged in for a long time, when i do i find it fun. is it worth 10E depends what else you wish to spend that on ;)