Tera Online News

That’s right, six hours with hardly a bathroom break. While hanging out with the guys at En Masse to talk about the latest news they had recently announced about their highly anticipated true-action MMO TERA, I was alerted to the fact that these two guys had been playing the game non-stop all day. As the convention was coming to a close, they refused to leave the terminal, so naturally, I interviewed them!!

From this point on, the guy in the blue shall be referred to as Nerd 1, and the guy in black as Nerd 2. While conducting this interview, these guys did not stop playing the game for one second, or even take their eyes off the screen . . . even the guy who wasn’t playing.

DO: Somone told me that there’s been two guys on this console all day, is that you!?

Nerd2: Haha well, we we’re playing together but they made me move so this kid could get on, so now I’m just watching him play.

Nerd1: But yah, we’ve been here since like 11am

DO: Wow, that’s hardcore . . . so what MMOs have you played before and why are you so into TERA right now?

Nerd1: Well, I played World of Warcraft for years, thats pretty much the only one, and I’m into TERA right now because for PvP and PvE it’s more skill based.

DO: So you mean its not just pressing buttons in a rotation and waiting for cooldowns?

Nerd1: Yah, in WoW I’m basically my friends personal healer. I heal by pressing a button and spinning in a pretty circle. Here, I actually have to aim my heals and dodge attacks and get into the battle.

DO: Interesting, How else is it better than WoW? I played WoW for almost five years, and only now is it starting to feel old

Nerd1: I still like WoW, but these graphics are amazing, the environment, all the races and classes too, its very well balanced

Nerd 2: Its beautiful, its perfectly rendered


Nerd1: I also like how the PvE monsters follow your every move. They actually will watch you jump, they try to encircle and flank you, the AI is no joke. Also, this game takes skill, you can almost solo a boss by yourself if your that good

DO: So the AI is actually proper? They don’t just path and go through the motions?

Nerd1: Exactly, TERA is skill based while WoW is all about gear and rotation and group comp. In TERA theres no need for a gearscore and having to get geared. There’s no way to get carrried by pressing 2 buttons here, you have to get involved and be skillful. You actually have to get in there, it feels real, your not just going through the motions

DO: Absolutely, I can see you’re really into it (I LoL to myself)

Nerd1: Hell yea, the collision detection is awesome, everything is just awesome, I can’t wait for it to come out

Awesome indeed. So awesome that I even filmed these guys playing TERA for a few minutes, enjoy.



So, do you agree? Is TERA the future of MMO’s while games like WoW are the past? Only time will tell, but no matter what you think, it looks like TERA is the real deal.

Q: How was E3 2010, did you go in with a set goal in mind, and do you think you achieved that goal? Also, what expectations do you have for Comic Con in San Diego?

A: E3 was great! Our goal was to introduce TERA to a wider gaming audience, and we succeeded admirably. We already had some visibility in the MMO community, but often people weren’t very familiar with the game even if they knew the name “TERA.” So, we set out to change that, and change it we did.

Comic-Con is a bit of a different experience because it’s a wide consumer show as opposed to a more focused industry show. For Comic-Con, we want to get as many people as possible to try TERA and experience firsthand what makes it different and unique from other MMOs. Of course, in a show with 150,000 attendees and a huge convention hall it’s even harder to make a splash, so we’re not looking for huge media coverage (although we’re not turning it down either!). Rather, we want people to see the game at our booth, say “hey, this looks interesting,” and then give it a try.

On the community side, we’ve got a fun event planned for Thursday, July 22 (Check out our RSVP thread the TERA-Online forum here: http://www.tera-online.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7854). We've heard the comments that we haven’t given you enough details about the game, and we plan to change that at our party. Prepare to hear some new, previously undisclosed details about the game!

Q: Could you please give a brief description of your role at En Masse?

A: I’m the Community Director here, which means that I plan out community stuff at a more strategic level, similar to a marketing or PR director. It’s a great position for me because I can bring a lot of my PR experience to bear on an industry and game that I love. Plus, it allows me to get back to doing some of my favorite aspects of community work that I did in my past positions with WizKids and Edelman for Xbox.

Q: How will the minimum system requirements handle having large amounts of players on screen?

A: According to the data from our focus group tests, there shouldn’t be a problem with large numbers of players and mobs onscreen, even if a player meets only the minimum required specs.

Q: How has the information gathered from the previous Focused Group Testings been used to improve the overall game?

A: There have been improvements in many areas! We played a new build recently, and the changes even within this short timeframe have been remarkable. The early areas are more streamlined, the Island of Dawn quests flow much better, mob placement has changed, and the new skill system we’ve talked about has been implemented for future testing. There have been smaller changes too—improved textures, new models, and a facial features slider that makes characters far more customizable than before. A lot has been added and changed, and we’ll start showing more of these changes soon.

Q: With all races starting on the Island of Dawn, how will the mass-rush of players on launch be handled? How will players become immersed into their race without starting in a unique zone for their race?

A: Channels will help regulate the launch rush and keep server loads balanced. Once you get off the Island of Dawn the world opens up considerably, so players can start stretching their legs and delve more deeply into the lore of each race.

Q: How will item trading be handled? Will items end up having a Bind on Pickup, or will all items be trade-able even after you equip it?

A: We are still tweaking this system, so please pardon my somewhat vague answer. The final release of the game will feature a form of binding. That said, we want to encourage crafting and trading as much as possible because the in-game economy is extremely important, so we’re currently working to find a suitable balance.

Q: Are there any features in the game currently, that allows a player to take his current equipment and 'enchant it' in order to make it stronger or more suited for a specific purpose (such as a healing/damage increase, or a tank enhancement)?

A: Yes, there is an enchantment system in place for items.

Q: How many players can we expect to be in instanced-raids? Will there be multiple raid sizes, or will it stick to just one?

A: The game is being balanced for five-person groups, although that number could feasibly vary among players. After launch we’ll begin adding raids for larger groups.

Q: How much freedom is given to the players with the political system? Are there any limitations that players will encounter?

A: I suppose the level of freedom will in some part depend on who gets elected. Some leaders might be benevolent, while others might become outright tyrants. Some who start with the best of intentions will probably end up tyrants. In other words, it’s going to be a bit like real politics.

Q: How much of an affect will the political system have on the Economy, PVE and PVP of a server?

A: A lot, not a lot, and a medium amount, in that order. PvP will influence the political system more than the other way around. Think Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, but on a much larger and more common scale.

Q: Previously, you answered a question about the declaration system and whether or not it would apply to PVP servers. The answer was it will be examined in the FGTs and upcoming betas. A lot of forum users who support full PVP servers are worried about this declaration system limiting them. Do you have any more information on whether or not the declaration system is going to be applied on PVP servers?

A: The declaration system is still under development. I can’t share anything new at this time, because we haven’t finalized it yet. Sorry!

Q: What kind of risks / rewards are going to be associated with PVP?

A: Political power, fame, money, treasures, land. All the good things in life.

Q: Will player clipping be a factor in PVP? For example, a group uses archers and staggers them behind lancers in which melee players would have to "break through" the melee in order to reach the ranged DPS.

A: The short answer is yes, and the example you gave is an apt one. Lancers are designed to create damage-mitigating shield-walls to cover their allies.

Q: What is your picture for large scale PVP?

A: Well, there’s open PvP, of course, which big groups can use ad-hoc, and battlegrounds that allow for some fun group PvP options. There’s also something very large-scale and very epic that's never been done before . . . but unfortunately, I can’t talk about that yet. Stay tuned for more details!