Queen B.

En Masse Entertainment announced first details to “the game’s biggest update yet”, The Argon Queen. Sticking with the action-combat motif of TERA, En Masse made it a point to highlight upcoming class changes that are sure to make everyone happy.

Clearly, that’ll never happen. One such example is increased the capacity for a Warrior to be a tank.

In addition to a parade of class changes, TERA will see the addition of the kitchen sink, complete with garbage disposal. New battlegrounds, raids, dungeons and big-ass monster encounters are all planned for The Argon Queen. Speaking of, the venerable beast will be a part of Manaya’s Core and player can take on even larger foes in the 10-man raid of the Nexus Traverse.

Not sure who or what the Argons are? We’ve got that covered.

En Masse Entertainment will have more on The Argon Queen next month, likely during the Lore Hound-attended Gamescom 2012 in mid-August. For now, hit the jump for the first media bits.

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I have had numerous guilds collapse because of summer over the years. Vacations, school breaks, Honey Do lists, gardening, general desire to go outside, there are plenty of reasons one’s indoor entertainment may be curtailed during this time. Mine certainly has. Drastically.

No matter my current state of MMOG enjoyment, I still keep my ear to the ground (gotta write about something!). Trailers, cinematics, class reveals, screenshots, no matter the form of information, I gobble it up on a variety of titles. I continue to absorb information on each for very specific reasons.

Let me tell you them.

Guild Wars 2: ArenaNet’s second crack at the market is the closest thing to a WoW-a-like on this list. The game continues to draw me in with innovative ideas and iterations to last-generation MMOG tropes. Streaminlined questing, advanced public quests, fast-action combat, resurrections for all, a new, deep world. Each time I’ve seen the title at a convention there’s been a new feature that leaves me impressed.

TERA: TERA has been a joy to play. The world is unique with hardlined races, genders and classes. The combat is fast paced, dependent on intellect and positioning and flat out fun. Warfare is visceral enough to set hearts a pumpin’ and adrenaline a flowin’. The battles against the epic monsters, random mobs of enormous proportions and angry demeanors, are so enjoyable that it raiding isn’t even needed. I’d be as happy starfish in a clam shoal with a swath of dungeons as the endgame. The visual are absolutely stunning to boot.

Dragon Nest: Dragon Nest’s art scheme is rather deceiving. It’s not some quirky casual game. In fact, it’s quite hardcore, with much the same combat mechanics as TERA. TERA light, if you will. That fact, and its F2P business model, keep it on my radar. Not something that can be said for any other anime styled title.

World of Warplanes: World of Tanks is boatloads of fun. Boats that are full of Mauses (Mausi?). The new WoW (WoWp?) intrigues me on a variety of levels. Blowing crap up chief among them. Planes, well, they’re always fun. However, on a design level I am eagerly waiting for more details on its strategy and replayability. Much of the fun of WoT comes from the randomly chosen map, instantly devising a strategy for it and adopting to the terrain as the blitzkrieg rolls. Being in the air adds the z-axis, but I fail to see how it can remain as engrossing with the loss of environmental strategy.

It’s been a while since we’ve covered TERA, and I figured it’s time to change that. This time, we talk about an important choice you will make at the start of the game – your calling. The game features 8 classes: 4 melee, 1 ranged, 1 caster and 2 support. Today, we are going to cover the melee classes and their associated gameplay styles. So, if you like getting up close and personal with your enemies, read on.

First off, we have Lancers who are the main tanks of the game and are able to have the best protective equipment, as well as the ability to protect allies with their shields. They are a melee class, but due to the length of the spears they carry, they can easily attack from medium range. Due to particle collision in the game, your shield isn’t just a fancy piece of gear that you wear to impress ladies, but also a vital tool you have to rely on in order to prevent damage both to yourself and to the allies behind you.

In between blocks, you’ll also be making active use of the various taunts and guards available in order to keep aggro. When the going gets tough, expect to add a dash of offence skills as well. The Lancer brings reliability and survivability to the party. Skillful tanks in other games will feel right at home with this class.

We also have Slayers who use greatswords to maximize the reach of their swings, and are a melee class geared for fighting groups of enemies at once, while still being able to dodge enemy blows. Slayers do not have ‘spike’ damage like their cousins Berserkers, but they do make up for it with their versatility. This class has a wide range of skills for AoE damage, but can also utilize a couple of abilities that focus on a single enemy. Continue Reading

Glad you could join us for the third installment in a series of preview articles covering TERA Online. Today, we are going to take a look at the various races whose interactions drive the narrative of the game forward.

Baraka

TERA features an impressive cast of races within its lore. Each one has a well-developed and largely interesting background, with sparks of originality here and there. You have baraka, the peaceful descendants of giants who tower above all other species.  Despite their impressive presence, one should not assume that this race is a simple collection of fighters and brawlers, for baraka value balance in all aspects of life. As a result of this philosophy, a baraka will train himself diligently in the art of combat, as well as strive for the hidden depths of arcane knowledge.

Having long abandoned the cruel ways of the Republic of Giants, baraka were spared when the gods decided to annihilate their evil brethren at once. Since then, the baraka clan has assumed a nomadic way of life, its members traveling from city to city in an attempt to gather knowledge and chronicle the flow of life in all of Arborea.

Amani

After the death of the deity who created them, this race of fierce warriors was conquered by the Republic of Giants. As slaves they fought countless battles, conquering land and destroying anyone who disobeyed their masters. Having been born and bred in the atmosphere of constant struggle, bloodshed and death, the amani inherit savageness and aggression through the genes of their dead ancestors. Their cruel past still haunts them, for amani prefer to keep their distance from baraka, who remind them of endured hardships and oppression.

Eventually, the race was freed by the goddess Kaia who called upon the help of the castanics. After they were granted free will, the amani have transformed into a species that values honour, integrity and loyalty above all else. These days, they serve as the first line of defense of the Valkyon Federation. Their hardened bodies and the sheer power they exhibit on whim, allow this race of reptilian-like fighters to be the bones that hold the alliance together.

Few need to ask these warriors to prove their words, for they will be the first ones to sacrifice themselves for the right cause. They still long to be in the thick of a fight, slashing brutally and carving their way into the enemy. Only this time, it is for the right reasons. Continue Reading