Posts Tagged ‘amani’

PAX Prime 2011: TERA First Impression

8 September 2011 | 6 Comments » | LHStaff


Editors Note: This guest article was written by Beararms.

During PAX Prime 2011, I was given the chance to sit down (finally), and try out En Masse and Bluehole Studio’s new MMORPG, “TERA.” TERA takes place on the world by the same name where the Amani, Barakas, Castanics, High Elves, Humans, Poporis and Elins have gathered together to fight against the Argons.

As Mordil and iTZKooPA conducted their interview (coming up soon), I was offered the chance to join a few of my PAX media brethren in playing one of TERA‘s many dungeons, “The Necromancers Cell.” The developers sat me swiftly down in a room with three other media members, and one of the developers then briefly explained that the dungeon we were in was one that is found sometime later in the game, and that we would be going after one of the bosses in the dungeon.

As fate would have it, I would be providing the role of the tank, playing as an Amani Lancer. The Lancer class is one of the eight classes you can play in TERA, sporting heavy armor, an over-sized shield, and of course, a lance. I was pretty sure that this guy could take more than few blows. The team was a classic five-man team consisting of me as the tank, the three other PAX media members as the DPS, and the developer playing the role of the healer.

As we started, one of the first things I noticed was TERA‘s amazing art style and smooth textures, although we were in a dark and “spooky” dungeon, everything  just looked top notch – even each character’s armor looked very in-depth and detailed. As we started our first pull to get us accustomed to the controls of the game and to get a general feel for it, I realized that this was not like any other MMO I had played before. Continue Reading

World of Warcraft Patch 4.1 “Rise of the Zandalari” Now on Live Servers [Update 2]

26 April 2011 | 5 Comments » | Amatera

This is more or less a heads-up for people who haven’t checked their client or tried to log on today, but Patch 4.1 has indeed gone live! The files for the update round out to about 325 MBs, so it shouldn’t take long to download at all. If you’d like a more comprehensive look at everything this content patch has to offer, you can either click here or just scroll down the page a bit.

To those who have been living under a rock or just re-entered society from their decades-long hermitage and are still getting the hang of this whole “internet” business, Patch 4.1 does not include a new raid instance, PvP season, or tier of gear. While this is atypical for what we’ve come to expect from a content patch, we should see Patch 4.2 much sooner after this one than normal, and it should contain all of these things. In fact, I’d expect to see it in testing on the PTR within the next week or two.

For the time being, let’s all do our best to enjoy both “new,” arguably more challenging 5-man Level 85 Heroics, and handy UI features. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to log in and make sure that my guild still exists. And if it doesn’t, it looks like I’ll be giving an extensive report on just how well the Guild Finder works!

[Update 1] Patch day blues. Anecdotally, I experienced a lot of problems trying to enter one of the new instances through the Dungeon Finder and I know some friends had similar troubles. Officially, the first round of hotfixes has been applied. They certainly won’t resolve all current issues, but you can find the list of changes here.

[Update 2 -- April 27] Second round of hotfixes have been applied.

Introducing TERA: Races – Part 2

16 February 2011 | No Comments » | Ronix

Welcome to the second part of the preview dealing with various races in the word of Arborea. In the previous installment, we looked at the history and interactions of the dedicated amani, the composed baraka and the mischievous poppori. Today, the other half of the cast of TERA will be covered.

Humans

We have humans who are, of course, average in everything. I mean come on, is this the destiny of the human race in every single MMOG? Just being good enough and never excelling at anything? That’s just depressing. Or do we, as players, prefer it that way? BioWare certainly seems to support this notion.

Not all is lost, however, as TERA manages to spice up the standard elements of lore with a couple of nice twists. Once you start paying attention, you’ll notice that humans in TERA have an intriguing past and an active role in the present. Cursed and betrayed by their god, the human race was forced to roam the lands of Arborea without a place to call home. Despite this disadvantage, mankind did not lose faith and made the best of their exile, learning all kinds of knowledge and mastering various crafts.

At last, the goddess Velik took pity on humans and lifted the curse of their creator, granting them a place of their own. The human race today is a respected ally and an important player in the politics of the Valkyon Coalition. It was humans who first realized that nobody could beat Argons single-handed, and only through cooperation with other races could the world be preserved. Although some races are wary of the overbearing enthusiasm and relative youth of this species, no-one can deny their importance in protecting Arborea from the Argon invasion. Way to go, humans! *Pats mankind on the back Continue Reading

Introducing TERA: Races – Part 1

8 February 2011 | 1 Comment » | Ronix

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