TSW Thoughts and Following Breadcrumbs

Randomessa pretty much said everything I wanted to about The Secret World, so I’ll send you over there to read her excellent insight and musings.  As for me, before I get the lovers or the haters, let me fade the public for a moment:

Things I liked about TSW that most people didn’t:

• I don’t care about graphics.  I’m happy with the way they stand now, with the exception of the glitches that need to be fixed.
• I like the fact that I have to go outside the game to get answers for the Investigation quests.  Bring it on!
• I don’t mind the fact that my character doesn’t speak.  The honest truth is that TOR was an RPG firmly in the Eastern tradition (Final Fantasy, et al), while I am firmly in the pocket of the Western tradition (Ultima, Wizardry, Might&Magic).   I want a less firmly defined character so I can put *my* stamp on them.  I don’t want your preconceived voices, your god-awfully long cutscenes, your vision of how I should play my character.  So I’m glad TSW doesn’t force that crap on me.

Things I didn’t like that most people did:

• The Anima/Gaia rhetoric.  Quite frankly, I wanted Conspiracy Theory, not New Age Mysticism.  I wanted Ancient Aliens, Forbidden Technology, Psychic Powers, and Weird Science.   Instead I got a different brand of superheroes/mutants, who all operate based on the same awakened mechanic of being able to manipulate a hidden energy source tied to the earth.  Blah.  Quite honestly, I was hoping that everything the introductory Illuminati character was saying was true.  So far its just been a bunch of hooey.

But enough of that.  TAGN also challenged us all to enjoy a fun game of Blogroll Breadcrumbs.   I decided to have fun, I would go with 4′s (fourth name on every list, etc.).  Here’s my journey out:

Harbinger Zero >

1) Casual Is As Casual Does >

2) Ardwulf’s Lair > Deadend.  Ardwulf apparently has no blogroll?  So I picked the 4th most recent comment >

3) Inventory Full >

4) Fluff Factor > Deadend.  Again, no blogroll. All the comments were nonlinked or broken links.  Same with pingbacks, so finally I found a post on other gaming blogs.  4th one was broken, and the 5th was…>

5) Epic Slant >

6) Malchome’s Mind  >

7) Mana Obscura >

8) Psychochild’s Blog >4th link I had already visited (Epic Slant), so I went down one to the 5th >

9)  Confessions of an Aca-Fan: The Official Weblog of Henry Jenkins >

And that’s about as far as I got before running into spam comments and the non-mmo, non-gaming portion of the internet (again no blogroll).  A fascinating voyage through TSW, GW2, Diablo III, and Mists of Pandara posts.

For the return journey, I started with Psychochild’s Blog, since Confessions was a bit of a dead end…and that was easy, because I just had to click on Ysharros‘ blog, wher I’m linked, to find my way home again!

Good stuff!

The Secret World Serves Up a New Conspiracy…

As in, what happened to the Collector’s Edition?  Turns out, that instead of that whole onerous name and label, you can instead choose optional upgrade packs (and even go ahead and buy more character slots – because you only get 3!) that range from an extra $15 to an extra $200!!!

 

Initiate Pack ($15):

• Blood Raven – social flying pet
• Faction Leather Jacket – three color sets, one for each type of society
• Set of Weaponry – better quality beginning weapons of every type

Master Pack ($60)

• Game Time – one additional month of game time
• One Extra Character Slot
• One additional Name Reservation
• Set of Talismans – one high end beginner talisman for “every slot” (7 apparently) – this makes you “better”
• 10 XP Boost potions
• 10% lifetime discount on purchases from the social clothing store

Grand Master Pack ($200)

• Everything in the Master Pack
• Lifetime Sub
• Exclusive Snakeskin Jacket

 

Click for full size...

No word on whether the Master Pack also includes the Initiate Pack, though I assume not.  Oh, and additional slots and name reservations are $10 each…

 

The pre-order process itself just smacks of “incomplete”: an in game t-shirt that will have some kind of unknown monster design on it, a ring that will boost XP for the “earlier parts of the game”, and a “powerful combat pet” (one of which is a cat…not like a mountain cat, like a house cat…).   Plus I don’t think any of us really believed the game would be launching this soon.

 

On the other hand, maybe I’m just biased that I’ve been following the game since day one, and, like with TOR, have nothing to show for it.

 

Unanswered mysteries, conspiracy bias, and myths aside, its apparently for real.  So go get yours now…if you dare.

The Secret World Needs Friends

So I got the email many of you I’m sure have gotten as well, that The Secret War (TM?) has begun.  And gosh, while we got your registration for the Beta, you know we can’t guarantee anything, but hey, if you sign up for this new phase of the process, including linking us on Facebook, you could play our many games and maybe earn yourself Guaranteed Beta Access (TM?)!

So now I’m trying to decide if its worth it or not.  As time has gone on, I have been less and less impressed withe what (little) I’ve seen from TSW releases.  Partner that with the problems that faced Age of Conan (including some questionable design decisions) and I’m both more and less anxious to follow the game.  More because I want to see if Funcom has improved their proverbial “game” any (pun intended, and I think they may have) and less because I’m just not really into using Facebook for games.  I know its like, a billion dollar industry now, but…I think the games are hideous and they bore me greatly.  So there is that stigma to overcome as well.

Anyway, if any of you decide to sign up and give a run, let me know.  I’m interested to see how it works and I’m at least open to the idea.  But I’m also a little irked at the suggestion that my beta access sign up is worth less because I’ve been following the game longer.   But hey, that’s apparently a common trend in the MMO industry right now.