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[Column] The Secret World: The Voice on the Phone: Why Faction Matters
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
Much of The Secret World is the same no matter which faction you chose to go with. The open world where nearly all of the game takes place is identical no matter which group you pick. If you’re a Dragon you can even team up with an Illuminati and a Templar at the same time. So the question becomes, if most of the game is the same no matter which side you join, does it really matter? I would say that yes, it very much matters and not for the reason you might be thinking.
Read more of Shannon Doyle's The Secret World: The Voice on the Phone: Why Faction Matters.
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Comments
Sometimes I read, other times not so much.
Been playing the game with a Twitch streamer....Jooygirl.
She reads all the text and does it with all different types of voices. Makes the questing so much more enjoyable.
She typically streams TSW on Mondays.
CaptainRedWolf is another TSW streamer.
"It is just for the reports via text message that I recommend people make three alts. Play through them one at a time and it’s like you’re playing three different games."
Wish Shannon had a bit of objectivity left.
Though this is nowhere near as bad as her previous columns with the tl;dr saying:
Only what I say counts - your opinion doesn't matter.
this MMO is its own artform, it encourages reading like no other. An intelligent MMO! Who would have thought that could ever happen.
The Halloween stories last year, for example. Brilliant short stories. Never enjoyed collecting and reading virtual text pages as much as in TSW.
TSW may be the only one MMo where reading is interesting and sometime very necessary.
Though i didnt play all mmo out there so i may be wrong. Anyway, MMO Lore rock but i hope
they'll put more faction mission in the future.
Stop complaining and move your ass.
Actually I made a similar post somewhere around the b2p switch when folks asked around, what's the point of having alts in the different factions. It was a nice column, but if you don't mind I'd add an element: (no, not the different outfits, even if those make a pretty big difference for fashionistas)
I agree, replies are great, especially KG (and if she's pissed atm, Leah used to text cool stuff as well). Let's not forget about the thread either, where folks tried to decypher the codes in the Dragon replies, I admit I still don't know what's behind those...
But -this is what I wanted to add- sometimes NPCs are also reacting differently based on your faction. Not that much as in AoC (or just I was sloppy and wasn't remembered everything, but I plan to replay once the missions while switching between factions... once, in the future, when I'll have nothing else to do
), but it's there, and even funny sometimes.
Have to disagree (for some extent), since I play rpg for exactly that part, so my fav games have that too. AoC is great, writing has nice ties to Howard's works, and in the case of a few missions it really helps if you had a long convo before with the NPCs.
LotRO's writing is also great, and before the convenience additions it was very necessary to paying attention, NPCs were giving the directions, suggestions and help, etc. (those are still there, if you turn off all the quest tracker options you can play the exploration part based on only the guiding of the NPCs)
And STO's Foundry is strong for this very reason (at least with the missions from good creators), nice writing, ties to the lore, and sometimes even helpful hints too, hidden between the lines. There are Foundry missions which are almost like an adventure game.
As for the question, yes I absolutely stop and read the text messages as soon as I am in a safe place. I also watch each of the cut scenes and spend time with the background info.
Shannon Doyle got was for the most part correct. Each faction may end up running the same missions, but the faction feedback really makes a difference.
In fact played with a friend of mine who wanted to go Dragon. We made it up to Transylvania but the Dragon messages were so negative that we stopped playing those toons and rerolled Templar. Have been very happy since. Can't wait to try out the Illuminati.
Although I think Ms. Doyle missed it on her description of the Illuminati, they are in this game the epitome of a soulless uncaring corporation. They are just one step above the Orochi. It is in fact the Templars who are the "good" guys". :-)
Brrrr... And to think I was considering playing The Dragon at one moment. Nothing worse then bad command. Besides, I would probably just stick with it no matter how bad it got just because replaying Kingsmouth and Egypt is not an option. Same reason I don't have alts.
TSW is not WoW and replaying 6 game locations is not a joyride.
Actually I find the Illuminati end mission texts the most off putting as you are endlessly put down by your handler for being too slow, wasting time on unimportant things, etc...
The Templar ones are rather matter of fact and direct.
The Dragon ones are more mystical and cryptic but they do make some sense in an overall way, but I find them the best as these are meant to be secret societies, and the Dragon is hinted at to be more than just an organization and possibly being some sort of multi-dimensional entity, in which the individual Dragon members are like cells or body parts.
To get the full experience, one really has to create an alt in each faction or read all the mission completion texts from the wiki as each faction offers its own angle on the situation, and sometimes all 3 texts are needed to arrive at the full truth.
For example, one mission involves a conspiracy theorist and his website. The Templar end mission text expresses curiosity at how this one individual's website remains up despite Illuminati efforts to shut it down. The Illuminati one rages at how the website or copies of it keep surviving all attempts to suppress it. The Dragon one reveals the Dragon has been secretly aiding the conspiracy theorist without his knowledge and helping to keep his website up.
Yes, I remember that mission.
Looks like is is good idea to roll other characters after all.
While I can watch faction videos on youtube these little bits should be experienced first-hand and no way around it.
Very good info toxicmango, agree with RolanStorm you really need to experience this first-hand. Looking forward to the holiday events!