Tera Online News

This year at Gamescom in Cologne, Germany, both En Masse Entertainment and Frogster Interactive were showing TERA to the European public. In addition to featuring TERA's action combat, the main focus was on a few details surrounding the nature of the Argons and the cross-server invasion system.

During the press demo, Stefan Ramirez and Chris Hager described the cross-server invasion system as an end-game activity allowing players from separate servers to come together and fight amongst each other in a unique way. They stated that there will be both a PvE and PvP component and that more details will be announced later.

The press demo itself was an attack on an Argon stronghold called the "Necromancer's Cell". Prior to the demo, Argons were characterized as chaotic and mysterious "metallic monstrosities" who use a mixture of magic and technology. They reanimate fallen Valkyon Federation heroes, turning them into undead soldiers. In the scenario for the demo, a group of Argons under the leader Kaidu were plotting to attack Allemantheia and had to be stopped before damage could be done.


Image of the creation of a Gamescom TERA play station, from Frogster's FrogCast facebook page.

Following the demo, a Curse colleague asked both Stefan and Chager a few questions on TERA Fan's behalf. Check out the interview below.

Curse: What's new and exciting at Gamescom?
Stefan Ramirez: We revealed the Argon race in some more detail. They will effect players in the end game. We also touched on future development, things like server invasions, that are coming and are on the road map for TERA's future.

Curse: During the E3 press presentation, the possibility of a jailing system as part of the political system was announced. Can you talk in more detail about that?
Chris Hager: This is a cool feature the dev team had always worked on, kind of like the extension of the power of influence of the Vanarch. They worked on it a lot and as of yet they have not been able to make a solution that is rewarding to both the jailer and the jailee. As a Vanarch I have the power to put someone in jail but as someone put in jail it needs to be engaging in some way as well. We can't let players punish other players without some form of retribution. As of yet the development team has not been able to find that balance. It is not in the game as of right now.

Curse: Is this a feature you're still confident is going to make it in and you just want to make sure it's right before implementing it?
Chris Hager: It's one of those things where we would like to put it in but we can't put it in until it's balanced correctly. If it hits the chopping block because we can't find a way to balance it then I would rather take the feature out than put an unbalanced feature in.

Curse: For both the North American and European regions there's a lot of Westernization being done. Aside from language, how do the regions differ in terms of localization?
Stefan Ramirez: It's hard to speak to the European side of things. Our [En Masse's] focus has been on North America so as far as North America goes we have a renowned team of writers who are working on the game and developing this story line with the BHS writers. It's a very Western story, it's deep, and rich, and fulfilling. From there, Europe gets the same story. The over-arching story doesn't change between NA and EU.

Curse: The Elin changes are a popular topic in the community. How are they coming along?
Chris Hager: The Elin race is made up essentially of timeless goddesses in the likeness of the goddess Elinu. When we looked at the models we didn't feel like they were timeless. It didn't feel like they were beings who had been around for thousands of years. We had a bunch of internal discussions and the resulting change is very small.

I will say it has been developed, we're just waiting to sign off on it. I think everybody will be really pleased with the changes, or lack of changes, I guess. I've seen them myself both in the client and in screenshots and if you had not known about the Elin before versus after, you would never be able to tell there was a change. I think even players who know about the Elin would be hard pressed to find the changes. I think overall everyone will be pretty happy with these minimal changes.



Curse: The TERA Gamescom trailer features some massive dragons and a vengeful Mystic. What was the inspiration for this trailer?
Stefan Ramirez: It's basically the second part of a trilogy of videos, the first one being the one seen at E3 and it's kind of carried on with this heroine. The first one gives you the story of desperation. The second video adds hope as well. It's an emotional piece that was kind of showing you how big that threat is and the reason for banding together to form this federation.

Chris Hager: It also kind of beckons to our presentation on depth in terms of the story. Every player plays a game A) because it seems cool, but you play all the way through a game because it has a compelling story line that kind of sucks you in. It makes you feel like you're part of the action and part of the story and that you relate to the characters in the story. That's what we've tried to make here: an emotional piece where you can kind of put yourself in those shoes and where you can understand what it would feel like to face this field of enemies but then to have your crew and your friends at your back, knowing that you're fighting for the right cause. Getting that perspective we think helps tell a really good story of what TERA is.

Stefan Ramirez: We're very proud of the video itself. It's not CG, it's all made with the in-game engine. This is what you would see in the game.

Curse: Just a final question that Amira didn't ask, but in relation to the cross-server PvP: are there going to be any limitations to entry on that? Is it something that I can initiate myself and go do or do you have to have a guild or a certain number of people?
Chris Hager: Players should look at it as another element of TERA's end-game. The closer we get to launch the more we're going to start revealing details. We gotta hold a couple things back! But in revealing cross-server invasions we wanted to get players to see we're thinking of other things as well. It's still in the early developmental stages so there are still details we need to work out within the game as far as how this is going to function, what it is going to look like. We're going to release more details later.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 11:35 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Argon, Argons, Cologne Germany, Curse, Dev Team, End Game, Facebook, Frogster Interactive, Future Development, Game Activity, Gamescom, Hager, Invasions, Monstrosities, Necromancer, Pve, Pvp, Road Map, Stronghold, Tera
No Comments

Update: Added a new cut scene and description!

Hello, TERA Fans! Today, TERA Fans member Cori sent me three videos from TERA's Korean client. One of the videos may be the first scene of a Velika based questline and the other two scenes are probably from an Allemantheia questline. If you don't want potentially major questlines spoiled for you don't watch! Also always keep in mind that these clips are still under development, I'm sure.

All the videos are subtitled in Korean, so I've sent them to our fantastic translator, Kalestine and he's helped me understand the story conveyed in them. Remember that it's possible the story could be different in Korean TERA than it is in the West's TERA.

Check them out and enjoy the scenes!

• Introduction to Velika
  - This first video introduces the player to Velika.
  
  
  
  
  The narrator does not give his name, but describes Velika as the center of Arun, protected by the goddess Velik. The city is the capitol of the peace-keeping Valkyon Federation, however the Federation currently faces opposition from the Argons. Because of this, the Valkyon Federation has deployed much of their army overseas to fight the Argons.
  
  The narrator explains that many of his friends are currently fighting for the Federation and that monsters have begun to attack nearby villages, harming innocent people. He asks you to be brave and work with the Federation to try to restore peace, telling you that one day you may be able to be as strong as the hero Elleon Kubel. (Not making that up, Kalsteine says that in this clip, he's referred to as Elleon Kubel, one name and definitely not two people.)
  
  
  
  
• Allemantheia Questline
  - This second video is a bit long and complicated, but Kalsteine and I have made the best sense of it we can! Unfortunately, this one doesn't have sound of any kind.
  
  
  
  
  The video opens with a High Elf commander, beginning to explain the history of Allemantheia. She calls it a city of magic, saying that "the Core" is their pride. She explains that the High Elves have been fighting against the army of a nefarious being, Doolsa, who wants to destroy the High Elves and Allemantheia. Doolsa has retrieved a magical device, located in Essenia, north of Allemantheia, which could, if needed, protect the High Elves from Argon invasion. Because of that, the Commander has sent most of her army North in order to reclaim the magical device. In attempt to win over the player's help, the Commander begins to explain information she considers classified.
  
  Allemantheia is apparently completely dependent on the Core and without it, the city would be destroyed. The Core is controlled by a powerful archmage called Cerion (the High Elf in the dark colored hood) who has been alive since the War of the Ancient Gods. Cerion used the burnt Flower of Life to protect the High Elves from annihilation during the war, creating the Core. However, currently, Cerion is missing and the commander fears he may be in the hands of evil. If this were so, Allemantheia could be destroyed at any time. She tells the player about a young Aman warrior who gave a pendant she's holding. As long as the pendant is still shining, Cerion is still alive and she begs the player for their help in finding him.
  
  At 3:30 into the video, a new scene begins. It seems that the player has led the commander to Doolsa and the two have a brief exchange. The commander demands to know where he is keeping Cerion, but Doolsa does not falter, mocking her instead. An ally of Doolsa's, Akasha, cuts the confrontation short, when she teleports in and saves him from an attack by the commander.
  
  Another scene begins at 4:56. Apparently, Elleon has begun to help as he teleports members of the Valkyon Federation into a room where Cerion is being held. Immediately, Valkyon priests begin to try to heal and protect Cerion and they let the commander know that his health is failing and that she has to make a decision because the fate of Allemantheia rests within Cerion's life. The commander and Cerion discuss the situation and the commander tells Cerion she believes it is her duty to take his place after his death. Though Cerion is initially against this, the commander convinces him that it is what she must do, recounting past events and thinking towards the future. In his final moments, he takes the commander's hand and passes his power on to her. The commander appears to physically change, appearing as she does in the G-Star trailer with extremely pale skin and dark features.
  
  
  
  
• Allemantheia Questline Fight Cut-Scene
  - It seems to me that this scene takes place somewhere towards the end of the Allemantheia questline from above, so I'll describe it as such!
  
  
  
  
  At this point, the player has lead the Valkyon Federation to where Cerion is being held. Doolsa's ally, Akasha, is walking with him and she is joined by an army of monsters. Elleon flies in, catching the group of them off-guard and knocking the powerful monster off the the bridge and into the lava. Akasha and Cerion flee and the monsters charge towards where the commander is waiting. She and Elleon easily disperse of the monsters, leaving only Akasha, Elleon, Cerion and the commander to face off. Akasha powers up a spell and the commander jumps out of the way to reveal a Valkyon mage, charging a similar attack. The spells combine, knocking Akasha back and leaving her and Cerion cornered between Elleon, the commander and the Valkyon mage. Akasha taunts them, spawning more monsters.
  
  
  
• Save the Hero of Westonia Cut-Scene
  - No sound in this one either :(
  
  
  
  
  The scene opens with a woman proclaiming that the player has gotten in "his" way before she teleports off. Next, a goddess like figure emerges, introducing herself as Mystel. She shows the player a vision of the High Elf commander's young Aman friend, referring to him as the Hero of Westonia. She says he's trapped in a nightmare and she asks the player to save him.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 11:19 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Argons, Army, Arun, City Of Magic, Elf, Faces, Fans, Goddess, Hello, hero, High Elves, Monsters, Narrator, Nearby Villages, Opposition, Peace Keeping, Pride, Questline, Tera, Translator, Video Player, Videos
No Comments

G*Star 2010 is just nine days away! Set to be held from November 18th to 21st at BEXCO Convention Center in Busan, South Korea, we are bound to hear some exciting TERA news. The TERA Fans staff and translators will be hard at work, day and night translating important information as we find it so that you hear the news first!

I'll echo Brian Knox's sentiments by reminding you all that indeed, TERA in the West will differ from TERA in the East; anything shown at G*Star is still in development unless noted otherwise. I don't advise focusing on any numbers you may see in videos or screenshots, as those are bound to be adjusted as the game is not only Westernized, but tested by players internationally. However as dedicated TERA Fans, I think it's perfectly fine for us to be interested in what's being released overseas, so keep an open mind, take everything with a grain of salt, and enjoy!

Regardless, today some new posters for G*Star 2010 have popped up, via http://popori.ru. Check em out below!



And one more thing to help get us into the G*Star spirit... remember this :D?



A year later, it's only more epic to me! Now I can identify those terrible, smoke breathing creatures as Argons, I can recognize some of the zones with nostalgia having played in them myself and I can feel the pride of knowing all of that was indeed created with in-game graphics. I can't wait to see what machinimists do with TERA :D

Okay, enough rambling! Let's get excited for all the news we're going to get out of G*Star 2010!

Filed by TERA Fans News at 3:08 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Argons, Busan South Korea, Creatures, G-Star, Game Graphics, Grain Of Salt, Important Information, Nine Days, Nostalgia, Popori, Posters, Pride, ru, Sentiments, South Korea, Spirit, Tera News
No Comments

Good evening, TERA Fans! Today we're happy to feature a TERA Fans exclusive! Remember the Gamescom trailer released last month? Just in time for PAX, En Masse Entertainment has re-released the trailer with an additional ~20 seconds of footage and new voice acting.

The extra few seconds of footage show a massive army of Argons preparing for battle. It's pretty awesome, so check it out!



Also, just a reminder, PAX starts this Friday! Keep an eye on TERA Fans for all kinds of goodies including pictures, my experience with the build of the game they'll be showing, coverage of the TERA party and anything else I find there!

Filed by TERA Fans News at 11:11 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Argons, Fans, Game, Good Evening, Goodies, Massive Army, New Voice, Pax, Reminder, Tera
No Comments

Good morning, TERA Fans! Yesterday, TERA's interactive map was updated with the lore of the Human city, Velika . Velika is the first major city players will be able to visit in TERA and you can learn more about what you'll experience there from one of our TERA Fans Korean to English translations here!

This new lore brings life to Velika, including a rich history of political drama and war. Enjoy!





Velika: City of Wheels

The human city of Velika dominates the southern half of Arun, serving as the political, economic, and cultural center for the Valkyon Federation. Though it's far from the battles of the Argon front, the war against the Argons is always on the minds of Velikan citizens. Velika's architecture may be as stunning as ever, but rationing, shortages, and crime provide a dark side to life in the City of Wheels.

Though tempered by wartime concerns, the boundless vitality of the city is infectious. Many who visit Velika find it hard to return to the logging towns and farming villages of southern Arun.

The Wheel of Velik, a 500-foot gear in the center of the city, marks the passage of time just as it did when the goddess Velik set it into motion 500 years ago. The central wheel provides magical power throughout the city, fueling much of Velika's industry. The city is also famous for its statuary, especially the many falcons considered sacred to Velik's followers and the 100-foot-tall statue of the goddess herself in full huntress regalia.



History

Among the mortal races, the humans were the only one that never built cities or great empires; a curse laid upon them by their creator, Gidd, forced them to wander as nomads for twenty centuries. When the age of human wanderings came to an end, they sought a place not already claimed by another nation or race.

Meanwhile, the hunter goddess Velik, weary after the Divine War among the gods, built a palace on the plains of southern Arun. She then proclaimed “an end to games of war and plunder” within sight of the falcons that roosted outside her windows, entered her palace, and closed the gates behind her.

Attracted by the notion of a peace enforced by a goddess, human clans began to congregate around Velik's palace. Within a century, a rudimentary city grew to surround it. First in disguise, and later in her true form, Velik began to walk the streets of the city, aiding in its construction and eventually creating the Wheel of Velik that still turns today.

Velika's reputation as a place of peace spread throughout Arun and Shara, and refugees from wars elsewhere traveled there to start their lives anew in the City of Wheels. The new residents strained Velika's ability to feed and house them, and tensions rose between longtime residents and newcomers. Racial differences exacerbated the division; many of the newcomers weren't human, but almost all the "native" Velikans were.







Revolution

The crisis reached a flashpoint when Velika's aristocracy, the patriarchs of the first human clans to settle there, tried to forcibly deport all nonhumans from the city. Protest marches in the new neighborhoods led to mob violence on both sides. In some places, house guards from the human aristocracy marched through the streets, arresting or killing any nonhumans they could find. Elsewhere, ragtag bands of nonhumans gained the upper hand, sacking and looting several human villas.

The violence outside her palace infuriated Velik. As the sun set over the burning city, Velik stalked the streets, ending anyone with the temerity to break her proclamation. Hundreds died on that "Night of Black Arrows"—human and nonhuman alike.

The next morning, the city braced for another day of mob violence, followed by another night of Velik's arrows slaying both sides. A hastily gathered conclave of merchants, previously neutral on racial issues, threw their support behind the nonhuman contingent—a decision motivated equally by prior rivalries with the noble human families and a hard-nosed assessment of who was likely to win. Bolstered by hundreds of caravan guards, the nonhumans expelled the human aristocrats, doused the fires, and set about remaking the city. Everyone held their breath as night fell, praying that Velik would realize that the battle for the city was over, and thus abandon her campaign of death.

Velik remained in her palace that night, which the merchants and nonhumans regarded as tacit approval of their actions. Months of tense, fractious meetings followed while Velika evolved from oligarchy to democracy. Gallian, a philosopher who called an elf "mother" and a human "father," emerged as the city's first leader.

As a child of two cultures, Gallian was well-suited to lead the world's first truly integrated society. From the elves, Gallian adopted the rule of law—laws created through the democratic process, not by a tyrant's decree. From the humans, Gallian took an egalitarian approach: in Velika, anyone was eligible to contribute and govern, regardless of race or creed. Under Gallian's guidance, Velika rose from the ashes of civil unrest to rule almost all of southern Arun.


Velika Today

Five centuries after the first humans settled near Velik's palace, Velika stands as the capital of the Valkyon Federation, the largest city on the continent of Arun, and the world's most important hub for travel and trade. Thousands gather in the agoras in the southeast, where Gallian delivered his legendary "I am a child of Arun" speech.

Most visitors arrive in Velika from the trade gates to the north and west, although the wealthy and the well-connected use the Pegasus platform instead. Many stop to get their bearings under the copper "Welcome Dome" before exploring Velika's canyon-like streets.

Although it's far from the front, Velika is on a wartime footing. New recruits for the Valkyon Federation army often drill in the courtyard south of the Legion of Arms, and officers scheme over their maps at the Garrison Headquarters. The great craft bazaar, the Creator's Workshop, now makes far more swords than it does plowshares. The citizens have grown accustomed to rationing, but that doesn't mean they don't grumble about it.

Finally, the Argon War affects Velika by depriving it of the famous Falconcrest Guards that once patrolled its streets keeping the citizens safe. The Valkyon Federation sent those elite protectors of the city to the front in northern Shara. Now certain dark alleys harbor a criminal element—and perhaps more sinister dangers as well.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 4:05 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Argon, Argons, Arun, English Translations, Falcons, Farming Villages, Foot Gear, Great Empires, Huntress, Interactive Map, Lore, Magical Power, Mortal Races, Nomads, Passage Of Time, Plunder, Political Drama, Regalia, Rich History, Statuary, Wanderings
No Comments

Good Afternoon, TERA Fans! Today, En Masse released lore concerning the northern portion of the Shara continent!

This marks the first addition to TERA's interactive world map. The rest of the lore concerning other sections found on the map will be released and published in the coming weeks.

Below you can see the Northern Shara lore article in its entirety. Enjoy!

Quote

Filed by TERA Fans News at 9:02 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Argon, Argons, Armies March, Arms And Armor, Brutal War, Drillers, Fortress City, Fresh Troops, Further South, Good Afternoon, Interactive World Map, Lore, Mass Armies, Mysterious Underworld, Northern Portion, Stalwart Defenders, Steel Walls, Surface World, Swarms, Thirty Years, War Effort
No Comments