June 11, 2010
TERA Focus Group Test 2 – Postmortem: Technology
Good Afternoon, TERA Fans! A few minutes ago, CM Scapes on the official forum posted the final FGT2 Postmortem.
Read the full report below!
This is the third and final article in our series recapping what we learned from Focus Group Test 2. We’ve enjoyed sharing the feedback with everyone, and sincerely thank those of you who hopped on our forums to offer opinions on the subjects we raised in the first two articles: the gameplay experience and the Westernization process. This article covers an important and highly-anticipated —but oft-overlooked —part of the testing process: the technology behind the game!
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Technology
We’ve made references in the past to TERA’s minimum specs, and part of the great news from FGT2 is that the overwhelming majority of testers either had a rig to run TERA, or could find one to participate in the test. The general requirement to run TERA, at least in its current state, is a gaming rig made in the past four years. The test confirmed this and helped us take a peek at a few behind-the-scenes ways to optimize the code to make the experience better. TERA is a gorgeous game, thanks in no small part to the Unreal 3 engine and Bluehole Studio’s excellent artists, and we want as many people as possible to see just how amazing TERA looks.
For reference, the current system requirements are:
• Intel Core Duo 2 Processor (or equivalent) or better
• 2 GB of RAM or greater
• NVidia GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon X1800 GTO (or equivalent) or better
We got a good deal of feedback on in-game voice chat as well. No huge surprise: voice chat is very important to TERA players. We polled focus group testers about third-party voice chat vendors, and they almost unanimously indicated that an in-game solution would be best, provided it outperforms currently available third-party voice chat solutions.
As a result we’re exploring options and deciding how to engineer a high-quality approach to TERA’s in-game voice chat. This will be an extremely important aspect of working together when your fingers are busy with TERA’s action combat, and unable to type messages!
Last, but certainly not least, we encouraged as many focus group testers as possible to try one of TERA’s best upcoming features: the use of a game controller. Controller support will be native to the release version of TERA, and quite a few testers gave it a whirl in FGT2 using free third-party programs. The consensus was positive: people found the controller provided an interesting experience, and most who tried it said they’d be willing to use one permanently—at least part of the time, swapping between the controller and the more traditional keyboard-and-mouse combination. The ability to remap the controller is critical to its success, as well as preset key combinations that players could switch between easily—e.g., for rapid reaction to PvP challenges.
As we move into potential future testing and the beta test phase of TERA’s development, we encourage everyone who has the opportunity to test the game to give the controller a spin—you may be surprised at how well it works with TERA’s action combat system.
That’s it for the feedback roundup from Focus Group Test #2! Join us on the TERA forums to voice your opinion about the game. We’d also like to thank our focus group testers one last time for all their excellent feedback and helping make TERA an amazing game!
Thanks!
- The TERA Team -
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We welcome your questions and comments in this thread. We ask that our Focus Group Testers be mindful of the non-disclosure agreement as it is still in effect.
- This recap reports on specific technological aspects of the game. It claims that...
- TERA was easily run on most testers computers and that computers up to four years old were able to run the game well, even with its gorgeous graphics.
- Testers felt that an in-game voice chat system would be useful.
- Controller testing seems to have been overall positive and controls will be able to be remapped on the controller, for easier play.
Read the full report below!
Quote
TERA Focus Group Test 2
Postmortem: Technology
Postmortem: Technology
This is the third and final article in our series recapping what we learned from Focus Group Test 2. We’ve enjoyed sharing the feedback with everyone, and sincerely thank those of you who hopped on our forums to offer opinions on the subjects we raised in the first two articles: the gameplay experience and the Westernization process. This article covers an important and highly-anticipated —but oft-overlooked —part of the testing process: the technology behind the game!
---
Technology
We’ve made references in the past to TERA’s minimum specs, and part of the great news from FGT2 is that the overwhelming majority of testers either had a rig to run TERA, or could find one to participate in the test. The general requirement to run TERA, at least in its current state, is a gaming rig made in the past four years. The test confirmed this and helped us take a peek at a few behind-the-scenes ways to optimize the code to make the experience better. TERA is a gorgeous game, thanks in no small part to the Unreal 3 engine and Bluehole Studio’s excellent artists, and we want as many people as possible to see just how amazing TERA looks.
For reference, the current system requirements are:
• Intel Core Duo 2 Processor (or equivalent) or better
• 2 GB of RAM or greater
• NVidia GeForce 7600 / ATI Radeon X1800 GTO (or equivalent) or better
We got a good deal of feedback on in-game voice chat as well. No huge surprise: voice chat is very important to TERA players. We polled focus group testers about third-party voice chat vendors, and they almost unanimously indicated that an in-game solution would be best, provided it outperforms currently available third-party voice chat solutions.
As a result we’re exploring options and deciding how to engineer a high-quality approach to TERA’s in-game voice chat. This will be an extremely important aspect of working together when your fingers are busy with TERA’s action combat, and unable to type messages!
Last, but certainly not least, we encouraged as many focus group testers as possible to try one of TERA’s best upcoming features: the use of a game controller. Controller support will be native to the release version of TERA, and quite a few testers gave it a whirl in FGT2 using free third-party programs. The consensus was positive: people found the controller provided an interesting experience, and most who tried it said they’d be willing to use one permanently—at least part of the time, swapping between the controller and the more traditional keyboard-and-mouse combination. The ability to remap the controller is critical to its success, as well as preset key combinations that players could switch between easily—e.g., for rapid reaction to PvP challenges.
As we move into potential future testing and the beta test phase of TERA’s development, we encourage everyone who has the opportunity to test the game to give the controller a spin—you may be surprised at how well it works with TERA’s action combat system.
That’s it for the feedback roundup from Focus Group Test #2! Join us on the TERA forums to voice your opinion about the game. We’d also like to thank our focus group testers one last time for all their excellent feedback and helping make TERA an amazing game!
Thanks!
- The TERA Team -
---
We welcome your questions and comments in this thread. We ask that our Focus Group Testers be mindful of the non-disclosure agreement as it is still in effect.
Filed by TERA Fans News at 9:32 pm under Uncategorized Tagged Bluehole, Chat System, Focus Group, Game Technology, Game Thanks, Game Voice, Gameplay Experience, Gaming Rig, Good Afternoon, Gorgeous Game, Gorgeous Graphics, Group Test, Intel Core Duo 2, Intel Core Duo 2 Processor, Minimum Specs, Official Forum, Scapes, Technological Aspects, Unreal 3 Engine, Voice Chat
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Game Overview for TERA Online: TERA is a massively multiplayer online roleplaying game (MMORPG) in which you fight to protect the Valkyon Federation—an alliance of the world’s surface races—while also battling for glory and power. With action-filled gameplay and riveting visuals, TERA promises a thrilling, engaging ride. TERA is breathtaking, with stunning graphics that fully immerse players in its varied environments. Couple that with an exciting new combat system that provides fast-paced, intense battles and engages characters of all classes, and you’ve got a recipe for the best MMO experience to date. Craft the finest gear, form a group with your allies, conquer a world filled with treacherous monsters, and maneuver your way to the pinnacle of power on your server! TERA offers a unique endgame experience, one where players and guilds vie for control of the Federation. In a world where gods slumber and demons scheme, the Federation needs brave heroes to take up the mantle of leadership. Through martial power and arcane might, you can join the ranks of heroes and save the world of TERA! Official TERA Page: tera-online.com German Fan Page tera.onlinewelten.com Trailers used: Official Trailer 2 + 3 Song used: Rammstein feat tATu – Mein Herz brennt. Made with Sony Vegas. I don’t own any copyrights for the …
