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[Preview] The Secret World: A Hands On Visit to Tokyo & What’s to Come

BillMurphyBillMurphy Former Managing EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 4,565
in News & Features Discussion

As you might be aware, The Secret World recently underwent some transition and the team became a smaller one. Yet the dedication to the promised content prevailed, and it is finally ready. We got a peek into the new content with Game Director Joel Bylos this week, who took us through what players can expect when they finally enter Tokyo.

Read on for our full preview: A Hands On Visit to Tokyo & What’s to Come

Try to be excellent to everyone you meet. You never know what someone else has seen or endured.

My Review Manifesto
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Comments

  • EvilGeekEvilGeek Member UncommonPosts: 1,258
    I for one cannot wait to start exploring Tokyo, it's been a while since I last logged in, FFXIV taking up so much time, so I guess I have significant catching up to do. May not be the best MMO for combat (certainly not the worst either) but IMHO it's the best MMO for atmosphere and story, can't wait :)

    image
  • Artair83Artair83 Member UncommonPosts: 48
    I love the setting to TSW, not a huge fan of some of the elitism in the end game, but the setting and story are great. I do wish all the new content wasn't paid DLC though, they should at least put in a cash exchange system similar to Star Trek Online, GW2, Neverwinter and/or Rift, I really think some people would buy more cash points to help the game out if an exchange system was there
  • bigbudzbigbudz Member Posts: 52
    Man the Tokyo update took forever. I think they were talking about it coming out soon when issue 5 first released about a year back.

    Current PC Build

    http://pcpartpicker.com/b/p8RBD3


    Present: Current offerings are low quality or soloable

    Past:AoC, DCUO, FFXI,FFXIV 1.0 and ARR,WoW,Fallen Earth, Tabula Rasa, TSW, SWTOR, Rift, Aion, WAR, Darkfall, STO, CoH/CoV, GW2, Diaspora, EQ2, DDO, and a bunch of forgettable ftp games

  • MirastaMirasta Member UncommonPosts: 13
    It´s soo amazing! Some cinematics are so crazy :)
  • JudgeUKJudgeUK Member RarePosts: 1,701
    Originally posted by EvilGeek
    I for one cannot wait to start exploring Tokyo, it's been a while since I last logged in, FFXIV taking up so much time, so I guess I have significant catching up to do. May not be the best MMO for combat (certainly not the worst either) but IMHO it's the best MMO for atmosphere and story, can't wait :)

    I have tried over and over with this game, but the melee combat blood/fist healing is simply terrible for me.

    Each time I go back it's in the hope that they have improved it a little, but I still see my character waving their arms wildly around like some out of control string puppet.

    If they do ever change this, I'll be straight back and give it yet another go :-)

  • OziiusOziius Member UncommonPosts: 1,406
    Yeah, the combat really hurt this game for me. I found the story to be amazing. Just hated the combat.
  • MirastaMirasta Member UncommonPosts: 13
    Originally posted by Havekk
    Yeah, the combat really hurt this game for me. I found the story to be amazing. Just hated the combat.

     

    And keep in mind that Funcom made the most fast pased combat system in AoC. Usually they could have been called world champions in creating combat mechanics. But...TSW is also easy to play but hard to master even if u have the gear and spec templates...see it every day^^

  • Pratt2112Pratt2112 Member UncommonPosts: 1,636

    I wish I could understand people's "thing" with the combat. It almost seems like the go-to complaint about this game... yet I don't think I've ever seen anyone specifically explain what's actually wrong with it. Well, perhaps a few, but their explanations were vague, at best.

     

    They just say "It's bad", basically.. and that's it.

     

    Is it the pacing? The mechanics? The skill system? What, exactly is it that makes it so horribly awful that it prevents people from playing what many of them all say is a great game otherwise. I see people say that so often.. "It's a great game and I'd love to play it... but the combat".

     

    Is that all games are to these people? The combat?  Is some people's tolerance for things that are "less than ideal" that low that it would completely overshadow something they'd otherwise enjoy?

     

    I don't know... maybe it's just 'cause I can't crawl inside these people's heads to understand, first hand, exactly how it is that they're perceiving things... but to me, saying "I like the entire rest of the game... but this one thing isn't up to my standards so.. nope... won't play it"  hints at something more going on.

     

    I can say that in my time playing it, I saw a lot of people who clearly were not using the combat system to its fullest. They were literally spamming 1 or 2 basic attacks (builders)... all the time. For an entire fight. Many times they died. Would run back... and continue spamming the same attack button over and over again. Die... and repeat the process.  In a few cases, those people would go on to complain, in-game, about how much the combat sucked. Truth is.. they weren't even using the combat system. They were spamming the same 1 or 2 keys and then, apparently, concluding that's all there is to it. Clearly that's not the case. Not even close.

     

    One person I remember would get out-numbered and just stand there and keep swinging, not even attempting to retreat. He'd die, of course. And then blame the combat system for sucking... I mean really?

     

    And really, I've played TSW, plenty. I've fought things - ranged and melee - plenty. It's not the best combat system all around that I've experienced. But it's not bad, either. It's certainly not nearly so bad that it would make the rest of the game "unplayable".

     

    Not even being condescending or snarky. I seriously don't get it.

     
     
     
  • JudgeUKJudgeUK Member RarePosts: 1,701

    It probably just comes down to personal preferences. I'm pleased that games like this, a little different from the norm, are continuing.

    Some people, like the above poster, obviously don't have a problem with the combat. Others do.

    But that's just liking different things and no problem with that.

    - and yes, staying out of the red stuff on the ground always helps :-)

  • flizzerflizzer Member RarePosts: 2,455
    Originally posted by TangentPoint

    I wish I could understand people's "thing" with the combat. It almost seems like the go-to complaint about this game... yet I don't think I've ever seen anyone specifically explain what's actually wrong with it. Well, perhaps a few, but their explanations were vague, at best.

     

    They just say "It's bad", basically.. and that's it.

     

    Is it the pacing? The mechanics? The skill system? What, exactly is it that makes it so horribly awful that it prevents people from playing what many of them all say is a great game otherwise. I see people say that so often.. "It's a great game and I'd love to play it... but the combat".

     

    Is that all games are to these people? The combat?  Is some people's tolerance for things that are "less than ideal" that low that it would completely overshadow something they'd otherwise enjoy?

     

    I don't know... maybe it's just 'cause I can't crawl inside these people's heads to understand, first hand, exactly how it is that they're perceiving things... but to me, saying "I like the entire rest of the game... but this one thing isn't up to my standards so.. nope... won't play it"  hints at something more going on.

     

    I can say that in my time playing it, I saw a lot of people who clearly were not using the combat system to its fullest. They were literally spamming 1 or 2 basic attacks (builders)... all the time. For an entire fight. Many times they died. Would run back... and continue spamming the same attack button over and over again. Die... and repeat the process.  In a few cases, those people would go on to complain, in-game, about how much the combat sucked. Truth is.. they weren't even using the combat system. They were spamming the same 1 or 2 keys and then, apparently, concluding that's all there is to it. Clearly that's not the case. Not even close.

     

    One person I remember would get out-numbered and just stand there and keep swinging, not even attempting to retreat. He'd die, of course. And then blame the combat system for sucking... I mean really?

     

    And really, I've played TSW, plenty. I've fought things - ranged and melee - plenty. It's not the best combat system all around that I've experienced. But it's not bad, either. It's certainly not nearly so bad that it would make the rest of the game "unplayable".

     

    Not even being condescending or snarky. I seriously don't get it.

     
     
     

    Perhaps the game is too cerebral for the likes of us who dislike the combat system then.  I, too, find the combat system lacking.  I agree the story/lore are top-notch and keep debating about returning due mainly to this. Maybe I will venture back with this update and check it out again.  

  • alivenaliven Member UncommonPosts: 346
    K, i cant find definite answer so - do i need to buy Issue to go to Tokyo or just i can go to Tokyo but i get extra missions when i buy Issue?
  • XthosXthos Member UncommonPosts: 2,740

    I wish I would of bought the lifetime sub for this, I had stopped playing, but between the time I did pay for a sub when it first came out, and the time I have played since coming back, it would of been the only 'newer' mmo, I would of gotten my money out of with a plan like this.

     

    I like the mmo a lot, didn't think I would, I am not usually a horror/zombie or even big quest person, but the stories and how well things are done sells it. 

     

    I have not played Tokyo yet, but I would love to see some extra play areas added (I know it is expensive and time consuming to do it correctly, but it would be nice, and not sure if Tokyo has this or not, it hints at it, but I have to wait and see it myself.).

     

    I don't mind the combat system at all, do wish they would maybe make some of the skills more viable, so you could see a little more variety, but that is probably inevitable, once people crunch the numbers and decide what is optimal.

  • XthosXthos Member UncommonPosts: 2,740
    Originally posted by aliven
    K, i cant find definite answer so - do i need to buy Issue to go to Tokyo or just i can go to Tokyo but i get extra missions when i buy Issue?
     

    I would say to go to Tokyo, you have to buy the issue, it is closed for 3 days, unless you are a subscriber I believe.

  • dreamscaperdreamscaper Member UncommonPosts: 1,592
    Originally posted by TangentPoint

    I wish I could understand people's "thing" with the combat. It almost seems like the go-to complaint about this game... yet I don't think I've ever seen anyone specifically explain what's actually wrong with it. Well, perhaps a few, but their explanations were vague, at best.

     

    They just say "It's bad", basically.. and that's it.

     

    Is it the pacing? The mechanics? The skill system? What, exactly is it that makes it so horribly awful that it prevents people from playing what many of them all say is a great game otherwise. I see people say that so often.. "It's a great game and I'd love to play it... but the combat".

     

    Is that all games are to these people? The combat?  Is some people's tolerance for things that are "less than ideal" that low that it would completely overshadow something they'd otherwise enjoy?

     

    I don't know... maybe it's just 'cause I can't crawl inside these people's heads to understand, first hand, exactly how it is that they're perceiving things... but to me, saying "I like the entire rest of the game... but this one thing isn't up to my standards so.. nope... won't play it"  hints at something more going on.

     

    I can say that in my time playing it, I saw a lot of people who clearly were not using the combat system to its fullest. They were literally spamming 1 or 2 basic attacks (builders)... all the time. For an entire fight. Many times they died. Would run back... and continue spamming the same attack button over and over again. Die... and repeat the process.  In a few cases, those people would go on to complain, in-game, about how much the combat sucked. Truth is.. they weren't even using the combat system. They were spamming the same 1 or 2 keys and then, apparently, concluding that's all there is to it. Clearly that's not the case. Not even close.

     

    One person I remember would get out-numbered and just stand there and keep swinging, not even attempting to retreat. He'd die, of course. And then blame the combat system for sucking... I mean really?

     

    And really, I've played TSW, plenty. I've fought things - ranged and melee - plenty. It's not the best combat system all around that I've experienced. But it's not bad, either. It's certainly not nearly so bad that it would make the rest of the game "unplayable".

     

    Not even being condescending or snarky. I seriously don't get it.

     
     
     

     

    I love TSW, but I do have gripes with the combat. For me, it's not the combat system itself (I really like the skill wheel), but rather I find the animations to be both poor and rather stiff. It's not just combat - movement animations by themselves are strangely rigid. There's no fluidity to the characters whatsoever.

     

    This is super obvious if you also play a game like GW2, which has superb character animations.

    <3

  • alivenaliven Member UncommonPosts: 346

    Well i take anytime good mechanical combat with maybe poor animations than superb animations with poor mechanics. I like the guts.

     

    Still dont know, can i go to Tokyo if i dont but Issue or not? Or i can after 3 days for Subscribers have passed?

  • DakeruDakeru Member EpicPosts: 3,803
    Originally posted by dreamscaper
     
     

    I love TSW, but I do have gripes with the combat. For me, it's not the combat system itself (I really like the skill wheel), but rather I find the animations to be both poor and rather stiff. It's not just combat - movement animations by themselves are strangely rigid. There's no fluidity to the characters whatsoever.

     

    This is super obvious if you also play a game like GW2, which has superb character animations.

    This is kinda it - combat on tsw feels like you are wearing a full knight set or something. "Slow paced" would be a nice term for it but clunky and sluggish suits it better.

    Also spamming 1 to build up charges for the stronger moves is stupid. The fans will jump in and say that there is more to it than that. Of course there is but it doesn't change the fact that 80% of your combat will be spamming 1 on your keyboard.

     

    PS: Beaten issue #9 today - that was a small content update...

    Though I enjoyed the story enough to buy issue #10 when they add it.

    Harbinger of Fools
  • whilanwhilan Member UncommonPosts: 3,472
    Hopefully with this update as they are actually in Tokyo maybe now i can finally get that Kimino so i make the character look the way I want it to. Please, yes...no? unless i already missed this in which case i'll check it out again.

    Help me Bioware, you're my only hope.

    Is ToR going to be good? Dude it's Bioware making a freaking star wars game, all signs point to awesome. -G4tv MMo report.

    image

  • JeroKaneJeroKane Member EpicPosts: 7,098
    Originally posted by aliven

    Well i take anytime good mechanical combat with maybe poor animations than superb animations with poor mechanics. I like the guts.

     

    Still dont know, can i go to Tokyo if i dont but Issue or not? Or i can after 3 days for Subscribers have passed?

    Tokyo is blocked behind a portal. So yes, you have to buy the issue to go through the portal.

  • Pratt2112Pratt2112 Member UncommonPosts: 1,636
    Originally posted by Dakeru
    Originally posted by dreamscaper
     
     

    I love TSW, but I do have gripes with the combat. For me, it's not the combat system itself (I really like the skill wheel), but rather I find the animations to be both poor and rather stiff. It's not just combat - movement animations by themselves are strangely rigid. There's no fluidity to the characters whatsoever.

     

    This is super obvious if you also play a game like GW2, which has superb character animations.

    This is kinda it - combat on tsw feels like you are wearing a full knight set or something. "Slow paced" would be a nice term for it but clunky and sluggish suits it better.

    No real rebuttal to this. It's personal taste. I never had a problem with the animations in TSW. To each their own.

    Also spamming 1 to build up charges for the stronger moves is stupid. The fans will jump in and say that there is more to it than that. Of course there is but it doesn't change the fact that 80% of your combat will be spamming 1 on your keyboard.

    Wow... what a tangle of a paragraph.

    The problem with that paragraph is that you completely undermine your own argument... which is basically projection.

    First, the statement about what "fans will tell you..." regarding combat sounds like a strange, kind of indirect attempt to dismiss those remarks. What does it matter if a fan says it, a non-fan says it, or anyone else says it for that matter? The point is... the system  is more involved than just spamming 1 key.

    Second, it might be a "fact" that you, perhaps... and certainly others will spam 1 key. But whose fault is that? The player's or the game's?

    TSW offers plenty of variety and options to ensure that combat is far more than just 1 key.. or even just 2. Even builders work off each other, so taking advantage of synergy at all guarantees you're using more than 1 key before you even get to using finishers.

    The differences in effectiveness between "spamming 1 key" and actually using the system as it's intended and designed to be is glaringly obvious. I gave examples of people I saw spamming the same attack and either having a really slow/difficult time of it, or simply failing to defeat mobs over and over again. Meanwhile, I'm right next to them, fighting those same mobs, using the system as it's actually intended... and having little trouble. The results are self-evident.

    That someone chooses to spam 1 key is a result of their own choice. The game doesn't limit you to that. And, in fact, it actually encourages you not to through its very design.

    So... If someone is going to complain about it, at least do so honestly and say "Yeah, I don't enjoy the combat, but that's because I insist on spamming 1 key 80% of the time".  Because that's exactly what's happening.

     

  • ElRenmazuoElRenmazuo Member RarePosts: 5,361
    Originally posted by Mirasta
    Originally posted by Havekk
    Yeah, the combat really hurt this game for me. I found the story to be amazing. Just hated the combat.

     

    And keep in mind that Funcom made the most fast pased combat system in AoC. Usually they could have been called world champions in creating combat mechanics. But...TSW is also easy to play but hard to master even if u have the gear and spec templates...see it every day^^

    You call AoC the fastest combat system? lol

  • DakeruDakeru Member EpicPosts: 3,803
    Originally posted by TangentPoint
    Originally posted by Dakeru
    Originally posted by dreamscaper
     
     

    I love TSW, but I do have gripes with the combat. For me, it's not the combat system itself (I really like the skill wheel), but rather I find the animations to be both poor and rather stiff. It's not just combat - movement animations by themselves are strangely rigid. There's no fluidity to the characters whatsoever.

     

    This is super obvious if you also play a game like GW2, which has superb character animations.

    This is kinda it - combat on tsw feels like you are wearing a full knight set or something. "Slow paced" would be a nice term for it but clunky and sluggish suits it better.

    No real rebuttal to this. It's personal taste. I never had a problem with the animations in TSW. To each their own.

    Also spamming 1 to build up charges for the stronger moves is stupid. The fans will jump in and say that there is more to it than that. Of course there is but it doesn't change the fact that 80% of your combat will be spamming 1 on your keyboard.

    Wow... what a tangle of a paragraph.

    The problem with that paragraph is that you completely undermine your own argument... which is basically projection.

    First, the statement about what "fans will tell you..." regarding combat sounds like a strange, kind of indirect attempt to dismiss those remarks. What does it matter if a fan says it, a non-fan says it, or anyone else says it for that matter? The point is... the system  is more involved than just spamming 1 key.

    Second, it might be a "fact" that you, perhaps... and certainly others will spam 1 key. But whose fault is that? The player's or the game's?

    TSW offers plenty of variety and options to ensure that combat is far more than just 1 key.. or even just 2. Even builders work off each other, so taking advantage of synergy at all guarantees you're using more than 1 key before you even get to using finishers.

    The differences in effectiveness between "spamming 1 key" and actually using the system as it's intended and designed to be is glaringly obvious. I gave examples of people I saw spamming the same attack and either having a really slow/difficult time of it, or simply failing to defeat mobs over and over again. Meanwhile, I'm right next to them, fighting those same mobs, using the system as it's actually intended... and having little trouble. The results are self-evident.

    That someone chooses to spam 1 key is a result of their own choice. The game doesn't limit you to that. And, in fact, it actually encourages you not to through its very design.

    So... If someone is going to complain about it, at least do so honestly and say "Yeah, I don't enjoy the combat, but that's because I insist on spamming 1 key 80% of the time".  Because that's exactly what's happening.

     

     

    You implied that people who don't like the combat aren't very good at it. Let me tell you that I easily solo elite scenarios with platinum rating.

    1 to cause inflicted on the enemy

    2 for the big aoe that exploits the afflicted state

    11111

    2

    3 for a leech burst to recover hp

    reroll

     

    I have yet to see a mission I couldn't do with this so your statement of the game encouraging me to do things differently is kind of meh

     

    You can argue about this all you want but the truth is the game is about building charges so whether you use one builder or two - you will still end up spamming those buttons.

    Harbinger of Fools
  • alivenaliven Member UncommonPosts: 346

    @up

    I have seen build who spam consumers but, oh well :) You prolly know better

  • DakeruDakeru Member EpicPosts: 3,803
    Originally posted by aliven

    @up

    I have seen build who spam consumers but, oh well :) You prolly know better

    Go ahead and show us the build - best together with a vid showing how that build fares in elite scenarios and similar situations.

    Harbinger of Fools
  • alivenaliven Member UncommonPosts: 346

    http://forums.thesecretworld.com/showthread.php?t=77550 - here. It compose mainly on spamming bloodshot ASAP, you use it everytime it is possible, no matter how many resources you have :) 

     

    Also it is top end dps build, there are variations of it ofc but every single one is spam bloodshot. Also it is 2nd highets dps build in the entire game (maybe something changed when 1.9 came), best one is Hammer/something, dont recall. And the best one (hammer/something) has so unforgiving rotation than you cant spam it, if you spam it, you will suck at it. 

  • drbaltazardrbaltazar Member UncommonPosts: 7,856
    you have to have done the issue 8 to access issue 9
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