I don't get all the complaining and whining over this article? Tera is a decent game with probably the the best combat out there.
It's true that it still has the best combat for MMO's, but the bigger picture is not fun, it's dev team are essentially morons after the original dev team were arrested for stealing most of their ideas from NCsoft's L3. Most of the article is just a pile of lies just like the company and its regional publishers. There's tons of grind in Tera, more so than any MMO out there with no end in sight, and if you want to complete your gear before you die of old age start throwing your money at the game I guess there goes your "free to play".
Tera had the potential to be one of the best MMO if not game on the market if they actually knew what to do with MMO action combat. But they don't.
I have enjoyed periodic stints into Tera. But I have to address a few elephants in the room as others have.
1. There is a grind, it's just found AFTER hitting max level. The reason leveling was curved so much was due to low pop in lowbie areas. As well as the compounding issue of grinding out all the very bland quests and hilariously nerfed BAMs. Only to then hit max level, and not be able to do anything for two reasons. First, the elitism in this game is on a whole other level compared to other games. Two friends and myself spent a few weeks just getting into a guild that was willing to help us run stuff. Most wouldn't, because we needed previous experience or a certain level of gear. I know gear checking for progression or hard content is a necessary evil. But when someone hits max level, they shouldn't be subjected to that when they're just trying to run a basic entry-level dungeon. I would be kicked from groups the moment they looked at my gear (which was quest-reward gear having just hit max level). Often times, I would be mocked and ridiculed prior to groups kicking me or abandoning the party. People are going to quit when they put a lot of time and effort into a game while leveling. Only to faceplant into the wall of gear progression and high barrier to entry Tera has.
2. INNER ARMOR- it's a cash shop purchase which grants health and minor other stats. While it is possible to purchase from the auction house. The prices on anything but the most basic version are laughably hopeless for anyone but veteran players rolling in gold could buy. So the comment about not being pay to win is complete crap. As there is stat-based purchases available.
3. Gender/Race locked classes - This ONLY made sense with the Reaver. As it was closely tied with the lore of a race that only has a single sex. The other classes, such as Gunner, being locked to females only of the Elves and Castanics. This makes no sense. Perhaps I could understand the racial locks, since both races are technologically more advanced than the others. But sex as well?? That's just a developer shortcut to cut on expenses in designing more animations and armors. While also catering to only their Korean demographic.
If the game truly wants to succeed, and not merely be good and profitable. Then they need to listen to the players in the different regions, and develop accordingly. Or at least alternate on which region the next development targets. A Baraka-only class would off-set the female-centric class focus, while staying lore-friendly and making sense both in terms of development cost. As well as giving incentive for racial diversity in the game. This would be a good middle ground to what many are asking for in greater class development diversification and keeping costs of making it down.
The game also needs to utilize it's HUGE world. Seriously, there's no reason to walk outside the main city since there's nothing in the outside area for a long distance. There's many other areas to the game which are empty, and largely unused. FILL IT! Stop recreating the new player areas and over-simplifying BAMs and leveling. Create some truly great content out in the world for people to explore. The game space is massive, and yet largely goes unused and wasted. Tera needs a way to differentiate itself from other games, beyond the "action combat and quick leveling." The huge world available for utilization is such an easy re-investment to build upon. And lastly, clean up the engine. The game does look good for its age. However, the coding is so sloppy that even current gen rigs can have issues with it. A computer built several years after the games release shouldn't have issues running it. I understand that addressing that completely isn't possible. But, there are ways to clean up the code so it's more efficiently processed without changing the actual graphics/physics. Just look at SWTOR and the new expansion. They're finally going to utilize the engine to its fullest, and they've been cleaning up the code for better performance. They don't have nearly the same number of active players or cash coming in from players as this article suggests Tera has. So, there's no reason beyond greed or laziness in why the games engine hasn't received any major over-hauls in it's five years running, after the self-proclaimed resurgence of new players and interest.
Meh. Honestly, what the fuck? It is a really strange choice - especially because you DIDN'T get paid for it. It just feeds the narrative that this site is paid off by developers/publishers to promote their games. It's a potential loss of credibility for ZERO reward. Assuming you are being honest about what they paid you (nothing), it only means that you are terrible at maintaining credibility.
What TERA do prove about stupid asian grindfests:
1. You mostly slay mushrooms and fluffy animals.
2. Every female character is either slut or jail bait.
3. You wield oversized and impractical equipment.
4. It aint attack unless you have lasorz with it, do acrobatics or scream "Hai!".
5. It is perfectly reasonable in fantasy setting to have mechs or machineguns.
6. You can play character with a tailt. Mammal tail.
7. Quests are boring as fuck.
8. Male characters are murica wrestlers at best, emo or trans at worst.
9. You cant make old fuck as character. Middle aged at best. Female characters are only available in their teens.
10. You think people play mmos because of combat...
you just nailed it man! exactly my thoughts! i just cant stand manga / anime. when i tried tera i felt like a fuckin paedophile! yeah - game full of transsexual or teen - school porn characters... horrible
cant agree with the most points and have to say this article makes me think mmorpg.com got payed for this to share. its just comercial for the game nothing more
We did not. If we did, we'd have marked it Sponsored, as we do all paid articles.
I still think you guys need better ways to differentiate what's yours and what's... comercial like news. Cause sometimes things like this frustrate readers.
You must be new to this site.
The only difference is that most companies like Square pay freelance writers for these usually, that way it's less obvious. Square pays for writers to make these all the time about XIV.
Just En Masse, and it says in the news blurb, will add it here. It's Patrick Sun, the Producer. Dev Journal of sorts, and rallying cry from En Masse.
If he actually reads comments in here, hear this from a veteran Tera player that's been around the game since 2nd NA CBT: please bring more interesting and diverse/robust end game content. And for god's sake, remove limited dungeon entry times! Being forced to guild up for end game content, as PUGing rarely nets you a dungeon completion, isn't the answer.
Cheers.
Wow these forums have become hate parties. No real discussion, no constructive criticism just bile. How very sad.
I agree with the above posters. There are so many comments filled with ridiculous negativity that are attempting to make En Masse look bad so they themselves look like some anti-establishment hero and criticism that has no base or is based on inaccurate information/assumptions. It's perfectly fine to not like a game but at least give legitimate reasons and constructive criticism.
I love Tera. No, it's not perfect. No MMO is. There are several things I wish Tera did differently. For example, I actually don't mind the grind of Asian MMOs. Making it so easy to get to max level for the NA version results in a population of people who just rush through the few absolutely necessary quests and spam instances until they're 65. Or they'll just buy a level 60 scroll. They don't want to do the work to get to that level and it just makes Western players look lazy and impatient. I met a level 65 Reaper not that long ago who didn't know where Bastion was. That was really sad.
This isn't limited to Tera, however. Most, if not all, Asian MMOs that are brought over get overhauled so that leveling is faster and easier because apparently all Western players seem to care about is getting to the max level for endgame, which is currently repeatedly doing the handful of level 65 instances for PvE and/or PvP gear. That's not a grind how..? I suppose I'm one of the few who actually take the time to do all the quests to immerse myself in the lore while enjoying the gameplay and don't really care for PvP.
Despite that and the other issues I have with Tera, that doesn't change the fact that I enjoy most everything else about the game.
TERA has the most generically boring questing system I've seen in a while. The world and enemy placement are lazily designed as evidenced by the same patterns, 1 large enemy surrounded by like 10 small ones. This is cut and pasted everywhere. The world also doesn't have very much thought put into it either. Sure it does action combat well, but that's about it. The rest of the game is disappointing. It didn't bust any myths. It only reinforced the notion that KMMOs are about making a quick buck by cutting corners and being lazy. As a company, I like En Masse just not the MMO they publish. Also put a big ol SPONSORED tag on this seeing as it's En Masse PR.
While i can agree with most of the points, still #1 and #10 are completely off. Even with so-called "action" combat a grinding is still a grinding. And oh god, TERA is one of the worst and most repetitive grindfests i've played.
And yes TERA is an extremely fan-service loaded game. Most of female armor is impractical and downright rediculous, with the exception of the latest gunner armor maybe. And most outfits that cover female bodies from top to bottom are things like tuxedos, maid and schoolgirl costumes that compltely break immersion.
Asian MMOs may have quite a few nice features going on for them from time to time but they always are heavily grind based and oversexualized games.
It's not about articles having opinion, it's about an article plastered on the front page being written by a company purely to promote that company's own game. That is a bad road to go down and does nothing for the site's reputation.
Wow these forums have become hate parties. No real discussion, no constructive criticism just bile. How very sad.
The funny thing is if you go to the FF14, GW2, ESO, TOR, or other game forums and spout the same drivel you can see their nerd rage meter pop.
I think if someone posts a myth busting thread, it should bust the myths. This is a blatant marketing/ad under the guise of myth busting. The net result, for me, is a loss of respect for the author and his company. Many people don't like deception in this type of situation.
Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what
it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience
because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in
the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you
playing an MMORPG?"
It's not about articles having opinion, it's about an article plastered on the front page being written by a company purely to promote that company's own game. That is a bad road to go down and does nothing for the site's reputation.
Oh, it does something for the site's reputation. That is adding up to the reputation it already has.
I liked ten. Tramp stamping your female character is entirely your choice and it is a choice.
Taking it out of the Tera factor, Two images of the same character in FF14. The same choices are available in Tera. It depends on the mood I'm in, what one I will go with.
How much did Tera pay for this "article"?
I've played more than two years, and i can tell you that:
Tera is a grindfest. You won't grind leveling up (i leved toons in less than a day, some people even maxed toons in 8 hours) but you will face the worst grind you'll ever see trying to get your gear (and enchant it, which is even worse than getting it)
Tera combat becomes super boring after a few weeks of playing a certain class. Rotations are pretty static, builds are pretty static, you just do the same things over and over again like in any other mmorpg, albeit with a more fluent combat system.
Boss battles... man. Not only the battles themselves are rinse and repeat, you also have to kill each boss 50 times for a piece of gear, and the next patch will bring the exact same bosses with a different color scheme and call them new.
Tera is not blatantly p2w, i give you that.
Have mentioned the ENDLESS GRIND FOR GEAR? And enchanting mats? I Believe i had.
Tera's graphics are already showing their age, especially if you compare with games like Black Desert or Bless.
Most of the playerbase in Tera just hangs around the cities showing off their stupid, immersion breaking loli characters.
This is also true, i have no objections.
Tera has so little RPG elements left that i wish it was more of a running sim. Since the expansion, you don't even need to visit the mailbox to send a damn mail. Why build a huge world if you can do everything from your UI. IMO, that breaks immersion and is essentially detrimental for the game's atmosphere.
Tera has the most overly sexualized female characters i have ever seen. The fact that you can't customize the body of the female toons and they all MUST look like bombshells speaks for itself.
so many negative nancies
a) the guy said he's a tera dev
b) tera is a great game, for its type (action, fantasy mmo) probably the best in the genre. it's even got more depth than most themeparks., and a sense of humor.
RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
cant agree with the most points and have to say this article makes me think mmorpg.com got payed for this to share. its just comercial for the game nothing more
We did not. If we did, we'd have marked it Sponsored, as we do all paid articles.
Shame. If you got paid then you had a reason to run it. If you are not getting paid please don't give this type of self promoting rubbish the light of day.
I don't agree with 1 as leveling was mostly same thing over and over grinding.... or 2 combat is a hit and miss, was a miss for me pretty much not to exciting. As the rest I agree with some and other don't know to much to say anything.
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Kyleran: "Now there's the real trick, learning to accept and enjoy a game for what it offers rather than pass on what might be a great playing experience because it lacks a few features you prefer."
John Henry Newman: "A man would do nothing if he waited until he could do it so well that no one could find fault."
FreddyNoNose: "A good game needs no defense; a bad game has no defense." "Easily digested content is just as easily forgotten."
LacedOpium: "So the question that begs to be asked is, if you are not interested in the game mechanics that define the MMORPG genre, then why are you playing an MMORPG?"
Tramp stamping your female character is entirely your choice and it is a choice.
Taking it out of the Tera factor, Two images of the same character in FF14. The same choices are available in Tera. It depends on the mood I'm in, what one I will go with.
- Tera is a grindfest. You won't grind leveling up (i leved toons in less than a day, some people even maxed toons in 8 hours) but you will face the worst grind you'll ever see trying to get your gear (and enchant it, which is even worse than getting it)
- Tera combat becomes super boring after a few weeks of playing a certain class. Rotations are pretty static, builds are pretty static, you just do the same things over and over again like in any other mmorpg, albeit with a more fluent combat system.
- Boss battles... man. Not only the battles themselves are rinse and repeat, you also have to kill each boss 50 times for a piece of gear, and the next patch will bring the exact same bosses with a different color scheme and call them new.
- Tera is not blatantly p2w, i give you that.
- Have mentioned the ENDLESS GRIND FOR GEAR? And enchanting mats? I Believe i had.
- Tera's graphics are already showing their age, especially if you compare with games like Black Desert or Bless.
- Most of the playerbase in Tera just hangs around the cities showing off their stupid, immersion breaking loli characters.
- This is also true, i have no objections.
- Tera has so little RPG elements left that i wish it was more of a running sim. Since the expansion, you don't even need to visit the mailbox to send a damn mail. Why build a huge world if you can do everything from your UI. IMO, that breaks immersion and is essentially detrimental for the game's atmosphere.
- Tera has the most overly sexualized female characters i have ever seen. The fact that you can't customize the body of the female toons and they all MUST look like bombshells speaks for itself.
You have no shame at all, op.RIP Ribbitribbitt you are missed, kid.
Currently Playing EVE, ESO
Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed.
Dwight D Eisenhower
My optimism wears heavy boots and is loud.
Henry Rollins