Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Quick Links
TERA: Review in Progress - Part One
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
MMORPG.com is committed to giving our readers the best and most informative reviews of today's hottest MMOs. With that in mind, we're taking a new tack with TERA and giving it a multiple week timetable for review. In today's installment, we take our first baby steps into TERA and give you our thoughts about the game. Read on!
Now, let me tell you something: I didn’t find myself overly fond of TERA in its earlier beta tests. I enjoyed the combat, but found myself tired of the questing early on. But after this past weekend’s Open Beta? Well, I’m level 21, I’ve run Bastion of Lok several times with random groups and guild mates, can tank like a pro, and I’ve spent all my money leveling Alchemy to make helpful potions for solo-Bill. I’d say I’m finding myself quite attached to my Amani Lancer, and it just goes to show you what the right class and keeping an open mind with a new MMO can do.
Read more of Bill Murphy's TERA: Review in Progress.
.jpg'))
Comments
I have the same feeling as far as wanting the early release to start. Saturday couldn't come fast enough. The most exciting aspect of this game is the combat. No longer do I click a skill and watch the results as if I'm just participating in a game already p;ayed for me, blocking, dodging and aiming is new to me and something that actually takes a little skill to master. This is the only game I've played that reuires me to be an active participant, not just a participant. I have only leveled to 13 but have tried most of the classes aside from the Sorcerer. I do notice the difficulty playing some of them, including the Warrior.
All in all, the graphics are brilliant and I am not put off by the scantly clad characters other than the fact that the female priest seems to be wearing a casual dress which seems a little out of place versus my Lancers very cool outfit.
See you all in game!
The early level is a real shame (speaking from 1 closed beta weekend), because it doesn't introduce any of the complexity that TERAs combat supposedly has.
I wanted to like this game a lot, but if I'm going to spend a majority of my time questing, and those quests are painful to do and read, then I'm not going to have fun. I was hoping the combat might liven things up, but I'm not willing to purchase the game and play until level 20 to find out.
I feel the EXACT same way as the reviewer except one thing: I thought the leveling was way too fast early on.
I like the fact that there are quest to go kill this or collect that, i liek the fact most of the time it is only 3 creatures or items to collect. Gives me the option to continue killing if i just want to have fun in combat, or turn in the quest right away and move on to an area that i might like more.
This might be a great year for MMOs, sleeper hit in Tera, and GW2 right around the corner.
Might i ask how many hours you put into the game? I have watched friends go from 1-23 playing after he got off work on a weekend (works mornings and free after). The quest tracker and map are very well done to the point where you don't need to read a line of text to know where to go and what to kill.
There hasn't been a major MMO release with open pvp in quite a while. There also hasn't been a major MMO released with a political system for years I think. There isn't a full action MMO in an open world to date. I'd not call TERA a typical MMO because it has kill x and collect x quests. This game has more to offer that is different than recent titles such as SWTOR and maybe other future titles people are waiting on.
You do the same thing in GW2 and Diablo 3 as in other MMORPG's. What would be so different about those? Sure in GW2 you have dynamic quests but you still do the same fights only how quests are brought to you is different. And diablo is a dungeon crawler in its old form, nothing new there so if you are tired of how Tera plays then you are tired of how D3 plays as well O.o
I gave this game a shot during its closed beta phase, got to level 20 playing a castanic sexy female priest but the game aside from its combat which was different than the same old tricks other mmos offer didnt really pull me in and I made up my mind not to purchase it after I completed my first dungeon.
Maybe I've outgrown MMOs, playing GW2 over the weekend will help me make up my mind on whether to stop bothering and just stick with FPS from now on.
Next MMO: Guild Wars 2
Tera Castanic Priest Retired
Aoc Bear Shaman Retired
WoW Undead Mage Retired
LOTRO Hobbit Minstrel Retired
I just want a lower price on the sub hehe. Say $10?
got 90% of character names that i wanted ,dang it.
first mission done!
Let's internet
If you set up a subscription for several months, you can get a good deal before May 31st.
https://tera-support.enmasse.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/218/
I got pretty bored from the open beta from the quests, and it didn't help that Diablo 3 was competing for my attention, but I snagged a head start key and plan on playing it a little more, hopefully making it to lvl 20 that everyone is saying it gets better.
Although, I'm kind of finding myself moving away from subscription games so I'm not real sure if I'll buy Tera even if I do end up liking it more.
I had been interested in this for a while. After playing in the open beta, I had a thorough dislike for the games design philosophies, but after reading this, maybe I missed something important. I've heard it said all over that you have to get past lv 20 for the game to shine, and that is something I did not do.
Anyone who wants to give this game a chance should commit to at least 20 lvs of play.
Well I am enjoying Tera so far. During open beta I was able to get a high elf warrior to 21 on dragonfall and join the site guild.
The only down side I have seen so far is that I have not been able to learn how to craft items in game, have checked their game guide at the Tera.com web page and could not find any information that was usefull for crafting.
I that I think the folk at MMORPG could take the lead and come up with a How to craft guide like you have done for enchanting.
One thing I believe that have forgot to put into the game is climbing down the object that you have climbed up for a quest instead of having to free fall jump off the top and loseing most of your hit points when you hit the ground.
game play tip, so don't read if you want to go into the game cold.
For close in combat, I have found that holding down the A or D key while you spam your attacks and doges, help to side step you around the mob your are attacking and keeps you out of being directly in front of the mobs attacks so you take less damage.
For those playing in the head start on Dragonfall, I will see you in there and once I learn to craft items will be putting more items in our MMORPG guild bank.
Aloha
I don't think TERA will attract casuals tbh. I see TERA more as a niche game. Because of the art style (which I love but some people don't) the combat system (which require some skill) and maybe the political system will be too much for casuals.
I think TERA will attract certain group of players (mostly pvp hardcores) and will do just fine. Just like L2 did fine for years even in the west.
I think the company who produced Tera has some serious management skills. Some of the articles I've read suggest a very creative team behind this production. I think we're only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
Tera looks to be a decent mmo and most of the negative comments are coming from gamers with the old mentality that a person can only be loyal to one mmo at a time. The gaming industry is plenty big for more than one mmo.
It's perfectly fine for gamers to state their waiting for 'X' mmo to come out, but using that to base their opinion on a current mmo is weak at best.
I liked this review. It mirrors most of my own opinions on the game. I don't mind the quest grind, in fact I prefer them to just grinding on mobs, but aside from that, I pretty much agree with every bit of it.
Saturday cannot get here fast enough. I'm so antsy to play!
In a P2P game often the most hardcore fans will turn into the worst haters of it, once they hype fade and their inlusions are shattered.
I saw happening with almost any mmorpg since wow.
They'll start to spam every forums / chats with how that mmorps is failing leading the people on the fence if giving the game a chance to unsub or to stay away from it.