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

Hey guys and girls and welcome to the first installment in a series of articles covering TERA Online (but we’ve had video coverage in the past). The aim of this quick and painless preview series is to introduce you to the game, make you familiar with some of its more exciting features, as well as cover the current issues and debates surrounding the recent release in Korea. Please keep in mind that as the game gets localized for the Western market, things will improve and change accordingly, and I’ll be reminding you of this fact in the future.

For those of you who have only recently found out about the title, here’s a quick break down of what it’s all about. TERA stands for The Exiled Realm of Arborea – an MMORPG created by the Korean developer ‘BlueHole Studio’ (BHS for short). The development team includes key members of the studio behind Lineage II, who after a dispute with their publisher, decided to break away and do their own thing. The approximate release is expected in 2011.

TERA promises us dynamic action, truly stunning graphics and an enhanced community experience. The game will feature non-targeted combat, where you have to actually aim your attacks and spells in order to hit the opponent, a collision detection system that will help immerse players in to the action, as well as a chance to delve into the politics of your server.

TERA has been in development for quite some time, with BHS being formed late in 2007. The game has already undergone several beta tests in Korea, the most recent one being open to the general public. On the 25^th of January, TERA officially launched in Korea, with its 37 servers being home to more than 160,000 players. The previous betas were held to measure the quality of the game and test the basic gameplay features that were on offer. There have been several Focus Group Tests carried out by the Western publisher of the game, En Masse Entertainment, in order to concentrate on adapting TERA for their audience.  More tests were promised for the Western audiences in the future, so you might get a chance to try out the game for yourself.

The art direction and visuals in TERA are superb and really help it stand out among the other upcoming titles out there. With stunning environments, imaginative creature designs and fluid animations, I’m not afraid to call TERA an artistic evolution of the MMOG genre. The music in the game is also on par, with some beautiful tracks that really fit the theme and tone of TERA’s world segments. Currently, there aren’t any plans for localizing the music for different audiences so hopefully, we will end up with the original score.

I could keep going on and on about the game, but this is an introductory article after all. Instead, I’ll leave you with a couple of videos below the cut. Look forward to the next article fairly soon, where I will cover the lore and races of TERA. Next on the list, is a preview of all the available classes with my commentary (I played all of them, in case you were wondering) and lastly, I’ll share some of my concerns on the game’s future and direction. Stay tuned for more! Continue Reading