Tera Online News

The day has finally come. I cannot believe it!

Today, En Masse Entertainment revealed that TERA will launch on May 1, 2012.

• There will be a Collector's Edition. (What do you think it will include?)
  
• There will be a digital Edition.
  
• TERA will launch in the EU on May 3rd. [Frogster's Announcement]

Official Post:

Quote

Remember this? Last April, En Masse Entertainment revealed TERA's box art. Can you believe this is about to be on store shelves soon?

Filed by TERA Fans News at 3:37 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Atari, Beta Sign, Beta Tests, Contests, Dedication, Entertainment Channel, Frogster, Game News, Google, Great Time, Launch, May 1, New Videos, North America, Open Beta Test, Passion, Retail Version, Tera News, Twitter, Youtube
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Update: Chris Hager responds to the fan feedback about this interview! Thanks, Chris!



Hey, TERA Fans! Here's the long awaited E3 interview! I had the chance to ask producer Chris Hager some of the questions suggested by you; the TERA fans! By the way, quick tidbit: the En Masse guys told me that they cheated by reading through our thread to see what we were going to ask. Hah!

Anyway, Check out the interview below :)





Q. When can we expect a CBT/OBT/Retail date?

A. We haven't announced a launch date on purpose. The reason for that is we want the game to be ready when we launch it. We've seen a lot of games in multiple industries fail because they didn't have the content running, they didn't have the game polished. So our first and foremost goal is making sure the game is ready. To circle back around, we won't have an official CBT and OBT schedule until we announce our launch date. We'll announce our launch and then our beta schedule

Q. What patches will be implemented alongside TERA's NA release?

A. That's a good question! I'm going to refer back to my first answer that we haven't announced a release period. Obviously we want to stay as close to our Korean counterparts as possible because we want to give everybody the most content we can as fast as we can. We are looking at different scenarios now and all of them involve getting the latest content into our launch build. As soon as we can get the Korean content localized and translated to the level of polish that we would like we'll put it right in.

Q. Any news on updated Racials?

A. No not as of yet.

Q. Bluehole recently stated that a new class will be released in Korea in 2012. Any hints or thoughts on this?

A. I can't talk about that yet but I'm excited.

Q. Any updated to the enchanting system as the game is westernized?

A. Right now we're looking at enchanting as well as a lot of the other systems. Right now at its core we think it works okay. I know that there are issues with RNG and I have the same frustrations myself. We're looking at ways that we can possibly make it better but no promises on if we're going to change it and if we do, how.

Q. Any information on Guild Housing?

A. None that I can talk about.

Q. Will character customization be changed for the NA/EU launch?

A. Right now if you look at it character creation is pretty good. We don't feel as if there are any super Eastern faces though we may change some of the presets up. Overall we're pretty happy with character crreation.

Q. Any more details on how PvP will be on both PvP and PvE servers?

A. We're in the process of working through all that right now. We're working with the development team about how our server sets will work. We don't have any news on it but it's something we're looking at right now.

Q. Will the 5 second PK rule be altered on PVP servers?

A. That is one of the things we are looking at right now. So no word on if it's going to change but we're looking at it.

Q. Will we get to learn about the Argons and their origins?

A. I can't talk about it. But the Argons are pretty cool and obviously we want to share that history with everyone but... I'll let you draw your own conclusions.

Q. Are there plans to allow us to rebind the combo key?

A. There is a build we just got in the office that's out in Korea and it has revamped the combo system. You can create your own combos. We haven't had a chance to play with it and see all it does but I believe it does allow you to rebind your combo key.

Q. Are their plans to add key roleplaying emotes like /walk and /sit?

A. Not right now, but that's something I can check on and get back to you about. I know they're pretty customary in MMORPGs.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 7:50 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Cbt, Counterparts, E3, Fan Feedback, Fans, Foremost Goal, Game, Good Question, Hager, Hey, Korea, Launch, Lot Of Games, Multiple Industries, Patches, Release Period, Rng, Scenarios, Tera, Tidbit
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Blade & Soul makes the daily item sales of TERA and Aion decline respectively by 25% and 15% since the launch of its first CBT.

Filed by vault1@mmosite.com at 4:55 am under vault1@mmosite.com  Tagged Amp, Blade, Blockbusters, Cbt, Daily Item, Decline, Launch, Tera
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Hey, TERA Fans! Recently, BHS held a press conference to discuss TERA and its future updates. TIG's coverage of the conference shows that between May of 2011 and early 2012, TERA will receive some huge additions. From the long awaited server v. server content to cosmetic items, it seems fan feedback will drive the game's development direction.

Check out our translation of TIGs coverage below and let us know what you think!



“TERA, will include SvS after the Demonic Beast of Destruction update in May”

TERA will have a major content update this coming May.

NHN and Bluehole Studios showcased TERA's upcoming content, 'Demonic Beast of Destruction', and their roadmap for future content.

The content they revealed was literally epic. It will begin with the ‘Demonic Beast of Destruction’ patch, including server vs server content, server invasions, holding off monster invasions, and huge aerial cities.

The update schedule ran through early 2012 which was surprising as BHS usually likes to keep their distant future content quiet.


Korean TERA update schedule as translated by Kalsteine.

• Reflecting on their lack of communication with the fans.
  
  The CEO of BHS first said he was sorry for not communicating well enough with the fans. Opening 37 servers and having as much as 160,000 people online at the same time (now down to about 100,000 people), they were off to a good start.
  
  Of course, they recognized their launch had a few faults. They felt there was a lack of substantial endgame content, that it lacked the convenience and MMO should have, and it had a weak story, though they were most adamant that they had poor communication with their fans.
  
  The CEO also said “Excuses are meaningless for a developer. After the awakening patch, we decided to stop being so silent and we will start communicating with the fans.” This is the 3rd time they expressed their apology in an interview.

CEO Kang-Suk Kim

• ‘Demonic Beast of Destruction’ will be the real beginning
  
  This patch will be the first major content update for TERA, 3 months since the game's release. The level cap will be raised to 58 and new areas will open in Northern Shara. It will add 3 new zones to level in, open the Aman city of Kaiator, and add 4 new dungeons.
  
  Dungeon difficulty will also be split between normal and expert. In an April 21st patch, they will be releasing the normal difficulty of the Akasha’s Hideout dungeon. The new boss monster ‘Kelscyke’ will be challenging.
  
  Many appearance altering items like dyes and brand items as well as special weapon effects will be added. Also there will be an ‘item info lock’ system that will make for some fun yet daring trades.

The new map, North Shara on the upper left side.

TERA’s long term projects like server vs server content and factions who will fight for the ‘Dream Shard’ will be shown after the ‘Demonic Beast of Destruction’ patch. Those features are the reason BHS considers this patch the ‘real beginning’ of TERA.

In addition, players will be able to create their own combos, the lock-on mode will allow players to see through a monster to spot an ally, and a viable DPS role for warriors will be added. To get better feedback from the players, with the new major patch BHS will start a test server. On the test server, players may copy existing character or create default level 50 characters.

As mentioned above, the major content patch will be coming on May which is a month behind their original schedule and to this the CEO said “There was a lot to update and with the Awakening patch there were many unexpected updates, for that we got behind schedule.”


Kelscyke, the Angry Gryphon

• Server invasions & a huge aerial city will be implemented by early next year.
  The ‘Demonic Beast of Destruction’ patch will introduce teamwork, opposition and resistance. If the current TERA is about 5 man PvE parties, for the future it will be about server vs server opposition and large scale battles. BHS mentioned 4 updates that will bring this to life.
  
  First off, in autumn they will be adding guild wars and new battlegrounds as well as strengthening the ‘power’ of Archons in the ‘Dream Shard’ update. The ‘Dream Shard’ is a fragment of Arun and Shara's dream which contains the power of the world of TERA.

TERA, Teamwork, Opposition and Resistance!

This winter, the level cap will raise again, large scale PvE content called the ‘Black Crevice’ will be added and an area available for multiple players from different servers called ‘Agaia’ will be added. This is also when server vs server content will be implemented.


From left top, clockwise ‘Fight for the World’s Origin, Dream Shard’, ‘Floating City of Juras’ Ark’, ‘Server Neutral Area Agaia’ and ‘Monster Invasion the Dark Crevice’.

Dark Crevice will be event based. Dark Crevices will randomly appear in zones and spawn large scale monster invasions which players will have to fight off together. This content was made for all types of players, casual, hardcore and solo.

The server neutral city of Agaia will open up frequently and will be a place multiple servers will share. This area will provide different kinds of PvE and PvP experiences. Each server’s Archons will have to fight off the other servers in order to provide a better experience for their own server players.

Through Agaia, players can also invade other servers, allowing them to collect ‘Dream Shards’. To balance out the power, the server matching will change depending on how many shards a server has.


Agaia.


Lastly, early next year, the fourth major city called ‘Juras’ Ark’ will be revealed. Juras’ Ark can only be acquired through politics and the policies made through Juras will be server wide, affecting more than one continent. If Dream Shard and Agaia is about power, Juras is about how to use that power.

For example, if you are in a server that takes great care at PvP and server vs server wars, you can move Juras to the middle of Agaia, to use as a floating fortress. Along with the Juras’ Ark patch, TERA’s ninth class will be revealed.

Below is the press Q&A with the CEO of BHS, Captain of Development and Head Art Director.



Q: You said there was a lack of communication why did that ever happen?

A: To be honest from a developer’s standpoint it is true that we did our absolute best but we got a bit more hype than we anticipated and with that came an immense amount of pressure.

We also held back a lot for ourselves because our view of the game is not the same as the players and within players there will be thousands of different viewpoints of the game. If we took one player’s advice, it could end up working unfairly for the other. This was probably why we looked lacking on the communication part.

It took us a long time to figure out the wise answer and we have agreed to fix this attitude in the future.

Q: Updates are mainly focused on endgame content.

A: It is because the most criticism we've received is about the lack of endgame content. However, just like the awakening patch we will be updating non-endgame contents as well in the future. Just with May’s content patch, there will be a lot of things for the convenience of the players.

Q: What will be the ratio of content for solo and party players?

A: It will be similar to the awakening patch. It will focus on solo / small parties and if the player wants 5 man party content, they can simply join a dungeon.


10 new zones to level in as well as 4 new instanced dungeons.

Q: Tomorrow (April 21st) is the patch of the dungeon difficulty settings.

A: Normal difficulty will get rid of some of the more tedious patterns within the mechanic. Monster’s attack speed and health will be lowered. First we will implement this change on Akasha’s Hideout and slowly work our way through the rest.

This change will allow players to gain items much easier as Akasha’s Hideout reward contains the ‘Plague Essence’ item which can be traded in for items better than the Gold Labyrinth.

Q: Are you satisfied with NHN as the publisher?

A: It is true NHN has a bad reputation regarding the MMORPG genre; however they do have a lot of things they learned and tricks up their sleeves. Their marketing is the one ability we thought that was amazing.

We would like to have a game that shows good teamwork between the publisher and the developing company.

Q: Current status on the foreign launch of the game?

A: It is our goal to release the game within 2011 in NA, Europe and Japan. More details will be announced through the local publishers, so we can’t reveal any more information regarding future plans. We are currently trying to provide content fitting for the cultures of the regions.

Q: When do you think you will get to the break-even point with TERA?

A: We are expecting that following the launch of TERA in other parts of the world.


Slideshow of Juras’ Ark.

Q: How many players are currently online at the same time?

A: We don’t have the right to say this, since NHN is our publisher but we can say it is in its 100,000’s.

Q: If you look at the Internet Café game play rates, the rates are not that good. How much do you wish to recover with the new content patch?

A: MMORPG is a long lasting genre, if you compare it to an athlete it is like asking when their golden age was. TERA is still at its starting line and it is not yet point in time to talk about its golden age. We did see some popularity due to NHN’s good marketing but we are not shaken by that. We will keep updating regularly and hopefully we achieve our golden age.

Q: What’s your thought on the current Political System?

A: Currently the 2nd election has finished, as we mentioned since the launch of the game political system is just getting started. The system itself will evolve on how the players enjoy the content. Right now we think the powers archons have are still weak, we want to gradually increase it so there won’t be much trouble.

We think the system still needs more care and attention and we are planning to give all the care and attention it needs.

Q: Any plans for appearance altering items?

A: It is in the works, currently being discussed with the publisher. We will reveal details soon.

Q: Are you thinking of any optional business plan that will use the TERA IP?

A: We are currently looking at it with a very positive view, we would like to if we get the chance but we would need a good business partner for it to work.

Q: When are you planning to start the Chinese service?

A: It probably won’t happen within 2011, it is not about business but rather if we include China to our plan the other countries will suffer. We will get the current ones done before we think about China, not only is China a huge place but there are some unique issues we need to resolve as well.

Q: Are you thinking of merging servers?

A: There are a few servers that do not meet our recommended population; we are currently thinking about merging some servers. We are also thinking carefully about when to merge the servers, this will probably undergo after we discuss more with NHN.

Q: There are no exact dates on when the ‘Demonic Beast of Destruction’ will be released.

A: We will first test it via the test server to perfect the patch. When we think it is ready, we will put it out.

Q: Do you have to be subscribed to the game to participate in the test server?

A: Details will be given by NHN.

Q: Large scale PvP and PvE currently causes a lot of lag, do you think you can support bigger scale battles?

A: It is a difficult assignment for the client team and things like suddenly characters disappearing and slowing downs are the major issues. We have a few ideas to resolve those issues.

Just to talk extreme, instead of showing full armor detail we might think of just delivering the info of who’s the ally and who the enemy is.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 6:51 am under Uncategorized  Tagged Additions, Apology, Bhs, Ceo, Content Server, Demon Beast, Development Direction, Endgame, Fan Feedback, Faults, Invasions, Lack Of Communication, Launch, Monster, Poor Communication, Rea, Roadmap, Server Content, Suk, Tera
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Early this morning, the Community Play Event came to a close. After a weekend of fun, it was time for us all to pack our weapons and say goodbye to the world of TERA :( The CPE served as a first TERA test for some and a fifth for others, but either way it was the largest test the NA/EU community has seen and thusly, the most fun! TERA still delivers the raw beauty it's known for with its stunning graphics, absolutely fun combat system, and fantastic concepts. The game continues to prove it has the uniqueness to carve out an important role for itself in the growing, western MMO market.

As promised, the CPE client was a translated version of the current Korean client; most definitely a good "starting point" for En Masse Entertainment and the community:

Scapes said:

I think it is important the community remembers that, as Scapes says in the quote above, the CPE is meant to be seen as a peek into the game in its most raw form-- no westernization, just translation and NA/EU servers. Even so, or possibly even more so than usual, player feedback is valuable and deserves attention.

Popular opinion basically agrees that in the CPE, the story was tough to follow due to rough translations. However, with all the work the En Masse writing team has been putting into the story this past year, I doubt this will be a problem for TERA in the west. It is very likely that future tests will showcase the En Masse writing team's goals for TERA's story.



Traversing the various TERA forums and communities reveals echoes of a few specific pieces of criticism in the wake of the CPE.

A major point seems the be that players feel mob AI is currently too easy to overcome and most normal mobs' damage is too low to be of any concern. Without directly referencing the past FGTs, it seems to many that the overall difficulty of the levels we were permitted to test has been greatly decreased over the past year and a half or so. Folks who have spent time on the Korean TERA servers promise that the game becomes a lot more difficult as you level higher, so this feedback may well be due to the CPE's level limit. In the same vein, the NA, EU and Korean playerbases all seem to agree that leveling feels too fast right now, with most players hitting the CPE cap of level 17 in well under a day.

Crafting is a feature that the community has been fairly vocal about. In the level range we were able to test, crafted gear was as good as or worse than gear earned from questing, yet it was costly to make and based heavily around RNG. The community would also really like the ability to re-bind the combo key to something other than spacebar.

With the level cap set to 17, the playerbase needed to create some endgame content for themselves... and did we ever!



Possibly the most important endgame activity in the CPE were deathmatches. This highly anticipated feature allows up to 20 players to sign-up for a two team deathmatch. The host may freely move players on to whichever team they choose for balance, players may bet gold on their team's victory, players can strategize with their teams in a special team channel, and all players must select that they are 'ready' before the host is able to begin the match. Once the match begins, it's all out team versus team warfare and it became very addictive.

The amount of time players spent doing deathmatches and duels lead to some specific feedback pertaining to both. Fans of deathmatches have been calling for a more intuitive deathmatch info panel, including the ability to track wins and loses per team, an indicator for who has been eliminated in an ongoing round, and rematches with the click of a button (currently, all players have to re-sign up after a match is over.)

Players eliminated from both deathmatches and duels faced a few important issues. At the end of the fights, their HP remained at 1 and the only way to fix that was to stand at a campfire for a long time while it regened or to have a healer heal you. The trouble with the healing option was that healers couldn't see health bars above friendly player's heads while not in combat, making it impossible for them to eyeball who needed healing. Although being near a campfire spurs health regeneration, currently it still takes several minutes before one will entirely fill a player's healthbar. With these two points in mind, players have been asking for the ability to turn on player healthbars out of combat, for campfires to regenerate player health more quickly, and have suggested that at the end of duels and deathmatches, players be returned to the amount of health they went into the match with.

At level 17, many players also stuck to exploring, fighting elite mobs with their guilds, and testing different classes through alts. Even with a low level cap like 17, players found tons to do in the lively world of TERA.



Overall, I think I can speak for the vast majority of testers when I say it was wonderful to be back in the world of TERA. Right now the game is in a great place needing only polishing and tweaking from the team over at En Masse Entertainment.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 7:33 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Afterglow, Combat System, Cpe, Current State, Echoes, Elf, First Test, Good Starting Point, Launch, Peek, Player Feedback, Popular Opinion, Raw Beauty, Rough Translations, Shara, Showcase, Stunning Graphics, Uniqueness, Westernization, Writing Team
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Early this morning, the Community Play Event came to a close. After a weekend of fun, it was time for us all to pack our weapons and say goodbye to the world of TERA :( The CPE served as a first TERA test for some and a fifth for others, but either way it was the largest test the NA/EU community has seen and thusly, the most fun! TERA still delivers the raw beauty it's known for with its stunning graphics, absolutely fun combat system, and fantastic concepts. The game continues to prove it has the uniqueness to carve out an important role for itself in the growing, western MMO market.

As promised, the CPE client was a translated version of the current Korean client; most definitely a good "starting point" for En Masse Entertainment and the community:

Scapes said:

I think it is important the community remembers that, as Scapes says in the quote above, the CPE is meant to be seen as a peek into the game in its most raw form-- no westernization, just translation and NA/EU servers. Even so, or possibly even more so than usual, player feedback is valuable and deserves attention.

Popular opinion basically agrees that in the CPE, the story was tough to follow due to rough translations. However, with all the work the En Masse writing team has been putting into the story this past year, I doubt this will be a problem for TERA in the west. It is very likely that future tests will showcase the En Masse writing team's goals for TERA's story.



Traversing the various TERA forums and communities reveals echoes of a few specific pieces of criticism in the wake of the CPE.

A major point seems the be that players feel mob AI is currently too easy to overcome and most normal mobs' damage is too low to be of any concern. Without directly referencing the past FGTs, it seems to many that the overall difficulty of the levels we were permitted to test has been greatly decreased over the past year and a half or so. Folks who have spent time on the Korean TERA servers promise that the game becomes a lot more difficult as you level higher, so this feedback may well be due to the CPE's level limit. In the same vein, the NA, EU and Korean playerbases all seem to agree that leveling feels too fast right now, with most players hitting the CPE cap of level 17 in well under a day.

Crafting is a feature that the community has been fairly vocal about. In the level range we were able to test, crafted gear was as good as or worse than gear earned from questing, yet it was costly to make and based heavily around RNG. The community would also really like the ability to re-bind the combo key to something other than spacebar.

With the level cap set to 17, the playerbase needed to create some endgame content for themselves... and did we ever!



Possibly the most important endgame activity in the CPE were deathmatches. This highly anticipated feature allows up to 20 players to sign-up for a two team deathmatch. The host may freely move players on to whichever team they choose for balance, players may bet gold on their team's victory, players can strategize with their teams in a special team channel, and all players must select that they are 'ready' before the host is able to begin the match. Once the match begins, it's all out team versus team warfare and it became very addictive.

The amount of time players spent doing deathmatches and duels lead to some specific feedback pertaining to both. Fans of deathmatches have been calling for a more intuitive deathmatch info panel, including the ability to track wins and loses per team, an indicator for who has been eliminated in an ongoing round, and rematches with the click of a button (currently, all players have to re-sign up after a match is over.)

Players eliminated from both deathmatches and duels faced a few important issues. At the end of the fights, their HP remained at 1 and the only way to fix that was to stand at a campfire for a long time while it regened or to have a healer heal you. The trouble with the healing option was that healers couldn't see health bars above friendly player's heads while not in combat, making it impossible for them to eyeball who needed healing. Although being near a campfire spurs health regeneration, currently it still takes several minutes before one will entirely fill a player's healthbar. With these two points in mind, players have been asking for the ability to turn on player healthbars out of combat, for campfires to regenerate player health more quickly, and have suggested that at the end of duels and deathmatches, players be returned to the amount of health they went into the match with.

At level 17, many players also stuck to exploring, fighting elite mobs with their guilds, and testing different classes through alts. Even with a low level cap like 17, players found tons to do in the lively world of TERA.



Overall, I think I can speak for the vast majority of testers when I say it was wonderful to be back in the world of TERA. Right now the game is in a great place needing only polishing and tweaking from the great team over at En Masse Entertainment.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 7:33 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Afterglow, Combat System, Cpe, Current State, Echoes, Elf, First Test, Good Starting Point, Launch, Peek, Player Feedback, Popular Opinion, Raw Beauty, Rough Translations, Shara, Showcase, Stunning Graphics, Uniqueness, Westernization, Writing Team
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Hey TERA Fans! Today some information on the long awaited community play event was announced! Here are the important points:

• Invitations will be sent out on March 25th.
  
• A CPE forum will be open on the official site for CPE participants on March 25th.
  
• The game servers will only be open on April 2nd and 3rd.
  
• Future tests will be coming sooner than later.

Check out the full release below or on the official forums!

Quote

Filed by TERA Fans News at 9:32 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged 28 April, Community Members, Contests, Current State, Fellow Fans, Focus Group, Game Server, Game Servers, Good Luck, Greetings, Guilds, Invitations, Lamb, Launch, Little Slice, March 25, March Comes In Like A Lion, Participants, Private Area, Social Calendars
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Ello TERA Fans! Today I have the answers to our PAX interview with Senior Producer Brian Knox! All of the questions were based on questions you all asked so thank you very much for that!

While choosing questions, I noticed a lot of repeat questions which we already have the answers to and so I chose not to have them asked. Here are some examples!

• EME has already said over and over again that there will be "as little delay as possible" between K-TERA and Western TERA updates.
  
• There won't be a sub-class system.
  
• There won't be any large scale/siege style battles at launch. There may be later in the game's life.
  
• TERA may have "item remodeling" or a "dye system" someday, but it is not a serious priority.
  
• Guild v. Guild rivalries are to play out through politics.

With that out of the way, enjoy the interview!





Q. A few months ago an En Masse Entertainment post alluded to guild housing, but we never heard about it again. What happened to guild housing and will we see it in western TERA?

It's something I'll say is "in development," I'm not sure when we'll get to it or if it will make our launch, but it's definitely something we're looking at for Western TERA.

Q. At level 60, what will keep players coming out into the open world?

There's a lot of good named bosses that kind of roam the fields. There's some good challenges that, you know--epic boss fights--as well as if you're on a PvP server, there's going to be political intrigue with guild-vs.-guild combat. Hunting zones you can get badges in.

Q. There are some concerns about how damage scales with armor. Will these numbers be tweaked in time for TERA's western release?

A lot of it is through the leveling up process, you have to balance PvE and PvP. So as you're going through, that's consistently tweaked just to make sure you can find that kind of sweet spot. Armor and weapons do make a difference in TERA--it's still going to set people apart when everything else is equal, by quite a bit.

Q. Currently due to the extremely high critical strike damage, damage in PvP is very high. Do you have anything in mind to address this to take it down a notch?

Yeah I mean, that's all stuff that comes with balance over time. We're looking at it--I'm guessing they're playing on the Korean servers, so I can't really comment on that. But at the same time, all that stuff is looked at.

Q. In one of last year's demos the media was able to experience traps and other kinds of interactivity in an instance. Will there be more content added with traps and puzzles?

Yeah we want the world to be as interactive as possible. So in the PvE dungeons, one boss in particular has a couple traps so that you can get the boss hurt as well on them, so I think you'll find a few surprises like that.

Q. How will the PK system work on both PvP and PvE servers in North America?

On the PvE server we're just removing the PK system, so any open world PvP isn't gonna happen unless it's consentual through a duel or a death match, or in the battlegrounds. On PvP servers, there's going to be some slight variance from the Korean rule system, but the Korean rule system is gonna be our base. We'll work off the community feedback on that to tweak the PvP servers.

Q. Will players be able to queue for BGs anywhere in the world in western TERA?

That's something we're evaluating right now, kind of going over that with the lead designer, both in the times it's available as well as where you can queue. So the answer is: not sure yet.

Q. Are there any plans to let players disable or rebind the combo hotkey (spacebar)?

That's a good question. It hasn't really been brought up, but that's definitely something I could ask about.

Q. Are there plans to include more movable, separate, non-paged action bars?

Not at this time, but that's another good suggestion we can queue and see as players play the game more. Stuff like that isn't terribly difficult, but there's a lot of stuff in the queue from other feedback as well.

Q. Are there any plans to change racial bonuses for the western release?

We're going to keep the racial bonuses, but we are going to make sure they're balanced and tweaked appropriately. I think there are a couple that are off right now, but it's more about finding a balance than changing them for the Western market.

Q. Is there any information on a pre-selection service allowing players to reserve their name on their chosen server etc for the NA release?

No official information on it, but we're definitely investigating it. We really liked how it went for NHN, so that's definitely a feature we're seeing how we can best implement for our market.

Q. Will leveling in western TERA be less group oriented than it currently is in Korean TERA?

That's probably the major focus that we're looking at, here and the development team. Korean players want a little bit more soloability as well, so it's very high on our list.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 11:40 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Armor, Badges, Boss, Challenges, Dye System, Fans, Game, Hunting Zones, Large Scale, Launch, Pax, Png, Political Intrigue, Priority, Producer Brian, Pvp Server, Remodeling, Rivalries, Scales, Sweet Spot, Weapons
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Hey TERA Fans! Today we have a new translation for you featuring another This Is Game Q&A.

In the Q&A, TIG puts a lot of pressure on BHS's lead developers, forcing them to confront specific issues Korean TERA players have been complaining about since the game's official launch. BHS's answers revolve around promises for the future of the game as they discuss impending bug fixes and future content updates.

Its pretty detailed but well worth the read, so check it out below!







On the 10th, NHN revealed TERA's launch statistics, announcing that the game had 170,000 players at launch and earned an estimated profit of 80,000,000,000 won (~$71,383,958 USD). However, the faces of the development team over at Bluehole Studio are not so bright. Even with overall player satisfaction with the combat system and look and feel of the game, players complained about balance, the leveling curve, and an extreme focus on party play.

“Even with great news about the game we still don’t have time to celebrate,” says development team leader Hyun-Kyu Park. He believes there are still mountains of things to fix and tweak. He also stated that, “Even if we diagnose problems early, they still take a while for us to fix, and we also have a lot of content to release. We would like the players to have faith and patience and wait for us to make things right.”

• The first issue to solve is class balance.
  
  TIG: We heard that balance is the first thing you're trying to adjust.
  
  BHS: Class balance will always be an issue. We need to balance the game so that many different people will be able to play it their way and have fun.
  
  Firstly, we have released a Sorcerer balance patch, and recently we’ve been looking at Priests and Mystics. Before the OBT, Mystics were really bad off so we buffed them a little. We feel we may have overdone it.
  
  When we make decisions, the statistics become the foundation. There are many things we could not acquire through just in-house testing. We’ve been looking at the balance between crafted items and droped items and changes to some of the glyphs and skills that are not very popular to people. Class balance and change are determined thorough statistics collected.
  
  TIG: As the game goes on the difficulty level skyrockets.
  
  BHS: With a game like TERA, balancing the difficulty of a dungeon is a big issue. Unlike many MMORPGs out there, TERA’s difficulty greatly varies on how good the player is. We thought we had good balance before the OBT but we are now reconsidering it.
  
  We’ve raised the difficulty level because most of the max level characters now are those who were trained through FPS or other action games. We are thinking it is too hard for players new to action games.
  
  Right now we are looking towards balancing the dungeons so that with enough preparation you can clear them. For example, if a dungeon’s entry level is 40, if a player is good, they can probably clear it as a level 40. If a player is not as skilled, they may have to come back in 2 or 3 levels with better gear to clear it.
  
  Of course we will patch it if we think the difficulty is too hard.
  
  
  
  (A boss in Gold Labyrinth. Is is known for doing massive amounts of damage.)
  
  
  TIG: The balance between ranged and melee classes is an issue too.
  
  BHS: Monsters don’t really react very well to ranged attacks at the moment. No matter how much speed boosting buffs and attack speed buffs we give, ranged still have enough time to dodge and prepare for the monster’s upcoming attack. This is also on our radar as an issue to solve along with class balance. We are thinking of adding a few different monster patterns.
  
  TIG: Many people are calling you out, saying low item drops are simply your tactic to stall players.
  
  BHS: It is true that playtime is important. We constantly keep an eye on item drop rates; we thought players could use a challenge and that's why we’ve created the droprate we have. Of course the drop rates can always change in the future and it is simply at a monitoring stage.

• Some issues are already recognized and solutions are coming soon.
  
  TIG:TERA is too focused on party play.
  
  BHS: There were pros and cons to this situation. Firstly the party matching system was really inconvenient; some saying it is hard to find party for quests. We will take all of that feedback positively and try to make content easier to solo or just enjoy the game with party but more conveniently.
  
  We will also try to fix the current content, it just depends on how we do it, we hope players give us some time to fix it.
  
  TIG: Different animations among races cause efficiency issues.
  
  BHS: We are still looking at how greatly animations affect the efficiency of each race. We were actually hoping players would choose races based only on aesthetics. It is true that the time between attacks differs depending on race but we’ve designed it so that it is similar as possible.
  
  We thought the difference was minor but when actually being played the difference was pretty significant. We think character animation should be solely based on taste and not efficiency. We will definitely fix the issue if it is hurting game balance.
  
  However, some animations may look slower or faster even though they actually aren't. For example, the Elin archer’s bow shooting might look slow because of their spin but in reality their attack speed is the same as the other race's. We are working on the class balance issue first, but we will look into this issue as well.
  
  TIG: When you raise your attack speed, the range of your attack decreases.
  
  BHS: It is a bug, we are currently working on a fix.
  
  TIG: The auction house is really inconvenient.
  
  BHS: I have tried it myself and I agree, it is inconvenient. We will fix it.
  
  TIG: When players go to certain areas in-game, there is a huge dip in FPS even with high end machines.
  
  BHS: Our engine team is currently looking at that. They are aware that certain situations still need tweaks. It is actually something we will constantly be working on, so we are not noting each time we make a change on the patch notes. We will constantly try to improve it and it is an issue that must be resolved.
  
  We will be improving major city graphics bugs as well.
  
  TIG: Any plans for the botters?
  
  BHS: We’ve made lists of players who abuse it and we are constantly monitoring it. We think we are pretty strict about botting.
  
  
  
  (Some of the players who were banned due to being caught botting.)

• Tweaked battlefields will be open, next up is politics.
  
  TIG:Max level players are asking for more content.
  
  BHS: We are currently working on tweaking battlefields and will be updating them in the near future. After that we will release politics and raise the level cap.
  
  We have made group-matching faster and easier in battlefields. We’ve also worked on balance so that even if the situation looks grim you can still turn the tides and reach victory.
  
  TIG: How developed is the political system?
  
  BHS: It is almost finished being developed. We are currently determining the right time to implement the system. Archons are chosen through battlefields and votes so we are going to implement it when Battlefields are used widely. Also to give everyone a fair chance we are waiting for more people to reach max level.
  
  TIG: How will the political system work?
  
  BHS: First, there will be mounts exclusive to those in the Archon’s guild. A white horse with an insignia and fast run speed, it will be the fastest mount available for its time.
  
  Archons can also collect taxes and make closed brand shops open and active. They can batch auctioneers across the continent and can make NPCs active as well as place new NPCs that are not already available in villages. An Archon can also make areas in his continent PK free zones.
  
  We are also looking to give Archons the ability to do the opposite, to disable some of the PK going around. However, we feel this can work negatively to players so we are approaching this carefully.
  
  
  
  (Archons will be picked continently.)
  
  
  TIG: Any plans to raise the efficiency of consumable items?
  
  BHS: There are. Take bombs, there is a throwing type but also there will be a planting type like “Monster Hunter” and also we are thinking of adding other items exclusive to classes.
  
  TIG: Any plans to make the body proportions of the races changeable?
  
  BHS: This is a sensitive topic. Because the attack range of each race is made through their height, it is hard to say we will let people actively change it. When we implement body proportions the customizing will be for efficiency reasons, not for the player’s taste.
  
  Many people seem to prefer really short heights and we think in TERA that will be more the case, so we are trying to prevent that from happening.
  
  TIG: Will look, name, and race changes be offered?
  
  BHS: Probably. We are not sure about allowing race and sex changes, but we will probably allow the change of appearance. We are still deciding if we will make this a premium service or one made with in-game currency. We will have a chat with the business department. We definitely have plans to make such service available but it all depends on the timing and how it will be done.
  
  
  
  (Character proportions won’t change.)

• The next goal is to create content catering to the players.
  
  TIG: What are the goals set for TERA in Bluehole Studio?
  
  BHS: We do have a roadmap for the development of the game over the year but this is not as important as the players’ reactions. So we are still trying to find the important issues.
  
  We’ve tried our best, there are many pros and cons of this game. I always think “This has to get fixed soon.” So tweaking is always my priority so we never really had time to celebrate our successes.
  
  TIG: What is one piece of feedback that has stuck in your head since launch?
  
  BHS: There were two. Players were calling TERA “Kumas Online” and “Deep Sea Fishing” because the Kumas and the giant crabs were such good sources of XP. This will be solved.
  
  TIG: Were there some things you wished the players would have enjoyed though they didn’t?
  
  BHS: We didn’t like players just swarming over one area. We thought we’d tested the game well but apparently it was not enough. We hope the players won’t just repeat the same area over and over and that they get out there to explore the world.
  
  As the Graphic Team Captain I don’t like the fact that all the players just run dungeons. We gave the outside world so much care and detail… but we are still happy that some players go out and explore. However, they were too good. They even found this one part where you HAVE to look from the sky to see under development areas on the ground. We don’t even know how they got there.
  
  
  
  
  
  (One player’s screenshot of an area under development.)
  
  
  TIG: Many people say the characters are too sexual.
  
  BHS: When we were designing the outfits for each race we had a few goals. However, we agree we may have gone a bit too far with how much skin the female characters show. We thought it wasn’t a big problem when developing but once players started to play and rotate the camera around it became a problem.
  
  To give the each race its own style, we always worked on the race first then the outfit but the quality sometimes had drastic differences. Aman females and Elins are the primary examples. They were both worked on at the end but their quality is completely different.
  
  We thought both of them would only be played by minorities but Elin gained a lot of attention. We are still thinking about what the priority should be when developing characters.
  
  TIG: Will there be cosmetic items?
  
  BHS: This will be added slowly and consistently. The players’ gear will always come first but as the updates go on, there will be more importance placed on cosmetic items. We are considering adding an undergarment slot for characters.
  
  TIG: Are you going to make the story stronger?
  
  BHS: It is hard to show story in MMORPGs, especially because of the element of party play. Even I had to turn off cut-scenes because when I finished watching the clips other party members were already back in town.
  
  We are thinking of different methods to deliver the storyline. Cut-scenes are the biggest match for our game but it does not seem to be efficient. We are thinking of a system that does not use text and is not a clip but yet makes you feel the story during gameplay. We will take advantage of this system during future updates.
  
  
  
  (Many people feel the story is lacking even with cut-scenes and clips.)
  
  
  TIG: Many people complain that the patch notes are not descriptive enough.
  
  BHS: If we put every detail in the patch notes they will be too long. Instead of giving specific numbers we just like to give the players the feel of what changed. We are still discussing how transparent we will be with NHN, we hope to come a conclusion that will satisfy both NHN and the players.
  
  TIG: Lastly, is there anything you want to say to those currently enjoying TERA?
  
  Hyun-Kyu Park: I am happy that many people are enjoying our game, and I am aware there are still things that we lack. The developers play the game and feel the gravity of the problems so we understand your complaints. We will try to make the game more enjoyable, all we ask from the players is to have a little faith in us.
  
  Chul-Woong Hwang: There is still a lot of content we have not gotten to show. We still have a lot of things to reveal so we ask for everyone to wait a bit. TERA’s client size is 22GB but that is not all. Once again I ask everyone to wait a bit for us to show some really enjoyable content.

Filed by TERA Fans News at 1:38 am under Uncategorized  Tagged Bug Fixes, Chul, Combat System, Content Updates, Curve, Dev Team, Development Team Leader, Game Players, Graphic Team, Great News, Hwang, Kyu, Launch, nhn, Patience, Png, Promises, Sorcerer, Tera, Tig, Two Men
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Hey folks!

The long awaited Ep. 19 is finally upon us! It's been a little while since the last one, mainly because I've picked up a 2nd job which is also considered full time, so my spare time is suffering :( booo... But I digress!!!

Ep. 19 marks the one year anniversary of TERACast, and to all of you still listening, thanks a ton! I hope to bring lots more player interviews, guild events, and conversations with En Masse Entertainment to all of you in the coming year, and through TERA's launch.

I'm still looking for fan submissions of any kind! Send letters, articles, or requests to Caelixian@gmail.com. I'm also available for guild promotion, if you'd like to have me come into your guild vent and record from there! Remember, TERACast is aout community, so let's keep it going as such!

Ok, without further ado:

Filed by TERA Fans News at 11:33 pm under Uncategorized  Tagged Ado, Conversations, Ep, Fan Submissions, Full Time, Guild Events, Hey, Job, Launch, Player Interviews, Png, Spare Time, Vent, Year Anniversary
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