I am loving TSW *so much* - they did a great job of a pretty unique MMO. It's the perfect way to release stress for me. Kill some zombies, figure out some quests and actually *use* my brain (I work retail...), and enjoy the story unfolding. I love all the little references to horror culture in the game too, with location names and even the occasional phrase in a voice over coming straight from horror fiction. Every time I recognize the source, I giggle.
What's most interesting about TSW besides the innovation of the game itself is the gamer community's reaction to it. Sure, there are always naysayers, but by and large the reaction to this game has been overwhelmingly positive.
And why not? It's a terrific game that sucks you in, in a way I haven't been sucked into an MMO universe since Eve...and I spent 3 years playing that game.
Personally, I think Funcom just may have a major hit on its hands here, and dammit I hope so! More players mean more profit and therefore more and better new content and improvements going forward.
TSW is the game those of us who are old enough to remember and loved the old text adventure games like Myst, Zork, and Planetfall, as well as the newer generation like Beyond Good and Evil, The Longest Journey, and Dreamfall have been waiting for, even if we didn't know it. It takes what made those games great and puts it in an MMO with a healthy dose of combat, crafting, great graphics, and the MMO social features we've come to know and love. How someone didn't design a game like this a decade ago is beyond me.
Another thing that helps make TSW great is the mature playerbase that's rapidly forming around it. This isn't a game for kids and the player interaction on the official forums and elsewhere definitely reflects that reality. Adults talk to each other like adults, and the pettiness and smacktalk is far less than I've seen in most games. That too, is a very welcome change from the norm.
Also, and I think this is important, you can tell how much time and effort was put into creating this game. TSW wasn't a game that was rushed out with the expectation that the final poilish would be put on after release. Aside from some to-be-expected pre-release bugs this game was ready to go in terms of content on Day 1, and that's also a refreshing change from the standard MMO launch.
Y'know, if Funcom keeps this up they may eventually have themseleves a game that rivals Eve in innovation and divvergence from the norm and maybe even WoW in terms of player population...and damn wouldn't that be great, not only for the future of TSW but also for the future of MMO gaming in general.
What's most interesting about TSW besides the innovation of the game itself is the gamer community's reaction to it. Sure, there are always naysayers, but by and large the reaction to this game has been overwhelmingly positive.
And why not? It's a terrific game that sucks you in, in a way I haven't been sucked into an MMO universe since Eve...and I spent 3 years playing that game.
Personally, I think Funcom just may have a major hit on its hands here, and dammit I hope so! More players mean more profit and therefore more and better new content and improvements going forward.
TSW is the game those of us who are old enough to remember and loved the old text adventure games like Myst, Zork, and Planetfall, as well as the newer generation like Beyond Good and Evil, The Longest Journey, and Dreamfall have been waiting for, even if we didn't know it. It takes what made those games great and puts it in an MMO with a healthy dose of combat, crafting, great graphics, and the MMO social features we've come to know and love. How someone didn't design a game like this a decade ago is beyond me.
Another thing that helps make TSW great is the mature playerbase that's rapidly forming around it. This isn't a game for kids and the player interaction on the official forums and elsewhere definitely reflects that reality. Adults talk to each other like adults, and the pettiness and smacktalk is far less than I've seen in most games. That too, is a very welcome change from the norm.
Also, and I think this is important, you can tell how much time and effort was put into creating this game. TSW wasn't a game that was rushed out with the expectation that the final poilish would be put on after release. Aside from some to-be-expected pre-release bugs this game was ready to go in terms of content on Day 1, and that's also a refreshing change from the standard MMO launch.
Y'know, if Funcom keeps this up they may eventually have themseleves a game that rivals Eve in innovation and divvergence from the norm and maybe even WoW in terms of player population...and damn wouldn't that be great, not only for the future of TSW but also for the future of MMO gaming in general.
Great post and I largely agree. I'm really hoping they give us the tools to enjoy it for a long time to come. The only bummer right now for me is that it's stil a very solo game, and that will always be a huge minus for me. This is why I will ultimately end up in a sandbox / hybrid when a good one releases.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
I think the quest system really comes into its own from the 2nd Egypt zone onwards and you begin the see how the design plays out.
Go into the zone with no quests except the story quest. Pick up the first quest from the quest giver near the entrance and follow it through to it's completion. When it ends you'll find a side quest. Do that and you'll find it takes you right to another quest giver who also happens to be part of the story quest.
So part of your story quest down and you now have another quest to follow. Take that one and it leads you on a winding path through some catacombs and at the end you find another side quest. Follow that and you reach another quest giver.
Take his quest and follow it to the end and you'll find a side quest. Take that and you'll get to another part of your story quest and another main quest.
It's even better in Transylvania. I've been following the chain of quests crisscrossing the zone for over a week now (haven't had time to play unfortunately). Pick up a quest, complete it, pick up side quest, end up at new quest giver and on and on and on until I've done 2/3rds of the zone without one having to run anywhere when I didn't have a quest to do. It's amazing really how it all ties together nicely.
If you like the first faction mission, Theres a quest in blue mountain called ghosts in the darkness which you will love, if anything its even more "stealthy"
Yup, I have to agree with everyone. The investigation missions are top notch.
I don't want to spoil anything either, but some of the things they have you looking up on their in-game browser are surprisingly deep! I remember typing something in going "nawww...it can't be that crazy can it?". And it was that crazy.
Sadly, the fallout of this is that there are a lot of impatient people in general chat. I like to keep my general chat open because that's what makes MMOs feel like I am part of a persistant world.
So can I just ask all of you playing to please...PLEASE don't spoil things in general chat?
Sorry, but I have to disagree about the quests. I have been playing for 3 days now, and have not seen anything thats made me go "Wow thats awesome!". The quests so far are very generic, have me running literally from one side of the map to the other and back again just to pick something up, have me going out and killing X zombies, or have me going into an instance - killing all the monsters in the area and leaving again. Its not an enjoyable experience so far, but I'm hoping things improve once I am allowed to leave Kingsmouth.
"When people don't know much about something, they tend to fill in the blanks the way they want them to be filled in. They are almost always disappointed." - Will Wright
Comments
I am loving TSW *so much* - they did a great job of a pretty unique MMO. It's the perfect way to release stress for me. Kill some zombies, figure out some quests and actually *use* my brain (I work retail...), and enjoy the story unfolding. I love all the little references to horror culture in the game too, with location names and even the occasional phrase in a voice over coming straight from horror fiction. Every time I recognize the source, I giggle.
~ Trina, Grimm dimension, currently Rank 3 Dragon
Actually I think I would play some TSW clones if they are well made
What's most interesting about TSW besides the innovation of the game itself is the gamer community's reaction to it. Sure, there are always naysayers, but by and large the reaction to this game has been overwhelmingly positive.
And why not? It's a terrific game that sucks you in, in a way I haven't been sucked into an MMO universe since Eve...and I spent 3 years playing that game.
Personally, I think Funcom just may have a major hit on its hands here, and dammit I hope so! More players mean more profit and therefore more and better new content and improvements going forward.
TSW is the game those of us who are old enough to remember and loved the old text adventure games like Myst, Zork, and Planetfall, as well as the newer generation like Beyond Good and Evil, The Longest Journey, and Dreamfall have been waiting for, even if we didn't know it. It takes what made those games great and puts it in an MMO with a healthy dose of combat, crafting, great graphics, and the MMO social features we've come to know and love. How someone didn't design a game like this a decade ago is beyond me.
Another thing that helps make TSW great is the mature playerbase that's rapidly forming around it. This isn't a game for kids and the player interaction on the official forums and elsewhere definitely reflects that reality. Adults talk to each other like adults, and the pettiness and smacktalk is far less than I've seen in most games. That too, is a very welcome change from the norm.
Also, and I think this is important, you can tell how much time and effort was put into creating this game. TSW wasn't a game that was rushed out with the expectation that the final poilish would be put on after release. Aside from some to-be-expected pre-release bugs this game was ready to go in terms of content on Day 1, and that's also a refreshing change from the standard MMO launch.
Y'know, if Funcom keeps this up they may eventually have themseleves a game that rivals Eve in innovation and divvergence from the norm and maybe even WoW in terms of player population...and damn wouldn't that be great, not only for the future of TSW but also for the future of MMO gaming in general.
100% true. I realy think Funcom have nailed it with this one. I just LOVE it !!
Great post and I largely agree. I'm really hoping they give us the tools to enjoy it for a long time to come. The only bummer right now for me is that it's stil a very solo game, and that will always be a huge minus for me. This is why I will ultimately end up in a sandbox / hybrid when a good one releases.
A sure sign that you are in an old, dying paradigm/mindset, is when you are scared of new ideas and new technology. Don't feel bad. The world is moving on without you, and you are welcome to yell "Get Off My Lawn!" all you want while it happens. You cannot, however, stop an idea whose time has come.
I think the quest system really comes into its own from the 2nd Egypt zone onwards and you begin the see how the design plays out.
Go into the zone with no quests except the story quest. Pick up the first quest from the quest giver near the entrance and follow it through to it's completion. When it ends you'll find a side quest. Do that and you'll find it takes you right to another quest giver who also happens to be part of the story quest.
So part of your story quest down and you now have another quest to follow. Take that one and it leads you on a winding path through some catacombs and at the end you find another side quest. Follow that and you reach another quest giver.
Take his quest and follow it to the end and you'll find a side quest. Take that and you'll get to another part of your story quest and another main quest.
It's even better in Transylvania. I've been following the chain of quests crisscrossing the zone for over a week now (haven't had time to play unfortunately). Pick up a quest, complete it, pick up side quest, end up at new quest giver and on and on and on until I've done 2/3rds of the zone without one having to run anywhere when I didn't have a quest to do. It's amazing really how it all ties together nicely.
The Enlightened take things Lightly
Yup, I have to agree with everyone. The investigation missions are top notch.
I don't want to spoil anything either, but some of the things they have you looking up on their in-game browser are surprisingly deep! I remember typing something in going "nawww...it can't be that crazy can it?". And it was that crazy.
Sadly, the fallout of this is that there are a lot of impatient people in general chat. I like to keep my general chat open because that's what makes MMOs feel like I am part of a persistant world.
So can I just ask all of you playing to please...PLEASE don't spoil things in general chat?
Eurogamer have their review of TSW out now. 7/10, about what I'd give it (I was closed beta tester).
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-07-13-the-secret-world-review
Sorry, but I have to disagree about the quests. I have been playing for 3 days now, and have not seen anything thats made me go "Wow thats awesome!". The quests so far are very generic, have me running literally from one side of the map to the other and back again just to pick something up, have me going out and killing X zombies, or have me going into an instance - killing all the monsters in the area and leaving again. Its not an enjoyable experience so far, but I'm hoping things improve once I am allowed to leave Kingsmouth.
"When people don't know much about something, they tend to fill in the blanks the way they want them to be filled in. They are almost always disappointed." - Will Wright