Greetings TeraPVP! My name is Lee “Shojin” Dale and I’m the English Community Representative here at Frogster. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to answer your questions. Now, let’s get started!

TeraPVP: Will Frogster’s English version of TERA be identical to En Masse’s version from a player point of view? We understand the box art will be different along with the distribution channels. But once a player logs into their server, will there be any noticeable differences where a person can look at a screenshot or video clip and say “hey, that’s the European English version”?

Shojin: Of course there are going to be lots of similarities with the US version of the client, as the whole intention of both Frogster and En Masse Entertainment was to have a dual, synchronized launch that shares nearly the same client. There is no possibility that one side will have “more” or “better” features in terms of game content and graphics. Even in terms of service, both Frogster and En Masse are determined to provide the best possible service, and we are going to be having nearly similar background systems to ensure this. There is one thing that makes any version of a game different from the other, and that’s the community. With something like the political system, each server is going to be completely different, even within the various countries.

The intent is to create an experience that can be enjoyed by everyone and to ensure that we’re working closely with Bluehole Studio to deliver the best game and service possible.

TeraPVP: Will the French TERA and German TERA versions be identical to the English version other then text, audio, video and image translations?

Shojin: Similarly to the previous question, it’s our intention to have an identical launch across the board. Apart from the changes mentioned above, the clients will be the same in terms of graphics and actual game content. This means that the English, French and German version will be the same with the exception of game assets that require localization, such as audio and text.

TeraPVP: Any update on TERA’s PEGI rating? Are you shooting for a PEGI 16 rating? What are Frogster’s expectations on this topic?

Shojin: We have not received a final age rating but we made sure that we did not reduce or remove any content just for the sake of a lowered age rating. It’s our intention to show everything TERA has to offer to a big audience. Last year we received an age rating of 12 for TERA from the German rating board of USK, with the version we showed at Gamescom. For this year’s Gamescom we got again a rating of 12 from the German USK.

TeraPVP: Can you offer any details on how many servers you plan to open for the English / French / German languages?

Shojin: This will ultimately derive from the numbers we receive for the closed and open beta, as well as pre-orders for the boxed and digital version. We have internal numbers but of course things can change and it is much more reliable to wait until we’re a little closer to the game’s release date to determine exact server numbers.

TeraPVP: Is Frogster willing to make any commitments to players with respect to fighting gold sellers? If I log into a server and report a player for an obvious game violation such as shouting “WTS gold” repeatedly, what are the chances that same player will still be active 48 hours later?

Shojin: This is without a doubt one of the top priorities for both Frogster and En Masse. We are making sure that we’re both communicating with each other about this, as it’s important for us to get this right from the very beginning. We’re both taking big steps to ensure we can hold the trust of the community and show our dedication to the players.

TeraPVP: What will be the player capacity for your servers? How many concurrent players can be logged in at once?

Shojin: The great thing for us is that Bluehole Studio have created a great network code for TERA and we are using top quality servers, which will be used by both the EU and US, to ensure there’s minimal latency. There are still changes being made on the hardware set up as well as the engine, so we can’t announce any final details. We can say that we are aiming for quite a high number per server if you compare it to other MMOs. The more the merrier as they say!

TeraPVP: On launch day, how will you balance server loads? Will there be queues of players waiting to log in?

Shojin: We’re going to be using Channels as a means to help control server stress and reducing traffic during our testing phases. They are also going to be present at launch but we will be reducing them as the server stabilizes in term of numbers in, especially in the starting areas.

TeraPVP: We all understand that TERA won’t be released until it’s ready. Can you help us understand what you are currently working on, and what the obstacles are to setting a release date?

Shojin: We’ve got projects going on that concern the game directly and indirectly. For the EU community we are currently working hard on our new website, with lots of updated and new material, as well as a new layout which will really compliment TERA and do the game justice. Further considerations we’re taking care of before release are things like account management and support systems. These two, whilst not linked directly to the content of the game are still vital to its functioning and it’s certainly not as easy as it might sound. With a AAA game like TERA, you have to have background systems that match the standard of the gameplay. With game development projects we are looking hard at how to satisfy players in the end-game. Both the PvP system and the political system are huge parts of TERA’s end game, so we really want to make sure that we get it right from the beginning.

TeraPVP: Is there any new information you can offer fans about TERA? We are starving for news. The month of the next tests? Pre-order bonuses? Anything at all?

Shojin: We’ve got Gamescom 2011 coming up in less than one month’s time. Surely you can wait for the biggest event of the year? ^^

TeraPVP: What is your favorite Tera race/class combination and why?

Shojin: I could literally spend hours telling you about all the different classes and what I’ve tried and the number of times I’ve gone back and forth. For starters I almost never play a healer class, I am just far too selfish and lusting for glory to even consider helping others (ask the rest of the team), so I’m normally a damage dealer or tank. I’ve currently settled for a slayer at the moment, as the other melee classes weren’t as flamboyant and mobile as I had liked, the Warrior being the only exception, but I prefer the damage output of the slayer, and it’s got some good combo and stun opportunities. As for race, the choice was a bit easier. I originally started as an Aman, just because they were born to fight, and that’s all they’ve ever known and it fit with the melee style I play. Then I started going towards the Humans because I like their lore. It’s different than what you would typically expect to see of Humans, that normally are at the top of the social chain, but in TERA, it’s a lot different. The Humans have had to fight to even exist, never mind being at least equal with the other races.

Thank you TERA PvP for the interview and we hope to see some of your community at this year’s Gamescom! I’m looking forward to seeing the site develop as we grow closer to launch and of course, seeing you all in game If anyone has any questions, feel free to ask me at the TERA Europe website.

We wish to extend our thanks to Shojin and the rest of the crew at Frogster who are working hard to publish this amazing game. If you enjoyed this interview you may also enjoy TeraPVP’s official interview with En Masse.

Was your question asked? Do you have unanswered questions? Would you like to offer any feedback regarding the interview? If you are not already a member of our community please join us and let your voice be heard!

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Items needed to pk someone:
-
It cost 10 rings*rings = English translation of the item name in Korean* to open pk against a player of equal or near level, cost more items if the player is more than 2-3 levels than you(2-3 lower in level will cost 20, and the lower the level the most it costs)
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The items in which you need 10 of, cost 1.5k each so 15k to pk someone, by the time you reach level 50, just from grinding to the level you will around 20-30mil just from the grind/quests/bosses. A scroll to wrap back to town costs 10.5k, Monsters at level 47 drop around 5-6k gold each. I always carry around 200 of these items on me at any given time(300k = 50~ monster kills so yeah. meh)
READ BELOW FOR MORE DETAILS OF HOW THE ITEM IS USED IN PARTIES/AND LEVEL DIFFERENCE WITH PARTIES.
-

Areas/level req:
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Level 38+ can leave the second noob zone and enter the pk zone.
^To compare to.. Aion… It is like finally being able to go into the abyss/herion/Morhiem. Everything before this zone can be considered Poeta/verteron/theo/brusttanin etc etc etc etc. Most zones of the areas before you can PK are level 38 and below monsters. Most as in not all. There is a high level zone in the non pk area. It is almost a nonfactor at the moment, but can grow to be the same thing as No rifts to Theo/brusutusitianins.

-
Capital cities are 100% no pk.
Towns(Main quest hubs that you fly to from main cities) are no pk.
Outposts(The places the Main quest hubs(Towns) send you to scattered across the fields, you can use flight paths/teleports to teleport directly to these after discovery) are sadly.. sadly… also NO PK.
[People will be able to run to quest hubs and be safe from the chase, they are scattered across the areas but a 1-2 min fight can lead into a run back to town]
Everything other than instanced zones seem to be fair game.

-
How to PK
Another sad part.
You have to actually press ESC to bring out your mouse, click on the player and click the PK menu(You can be “too far from target” if the player is moving)
This is by far the worse feature of the PK system, I would guess in the future due to the feedback there will be a /pk <name> command.
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THIS PART IS NOT BAD THOUGH.
I had to caps that because someone without logic will cry about this. There is a timer from when you click PK to when you will actually be able to attack the player. The player being PK’d can not see this time, they, and anyone else in the area will see “Naruto has declared PK against BLANK”
Logic: The idea of the 5 sec time to react, is not a bad one if you use logic and understand the gameplay. To futher explain. A system like that from Linage2 where you “Hold ctrl and are able to attack anyone instantly” Will not work in tera.
This would cause the game to be broken because a number of classes have “charge up abilities”, A Berserker for example, can come behind a player fully charged and instant go into “PK MODE” and can deal high amount of damage + knockdown. A sorc can throw a slow moving high damage skill and being to cast a high damage aoe and instantly deal a huge amount of damage to a player.– So please. Don’t be retarded, the 5 second reaction time seems almost necessary for a decently fair PK system to operate.
-

Who gets PK’d?
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Player1 is killing monsters. -> Player2 starts pk on Player1. -> Player1 and Player2 can fight each other.
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Player1 is killing monsters solo. Player2 is killing monsters solo. -> Player3 starts pk on Player1. -> Player1 can fight Player3.
^To explain in more detail, there is no “Flag” system, Think about this as forced duels, more so than Open world FFA. If you open PK against someone, only the person/s you open PK against can attack you, even if you kill one/two/three/106 of them, only they can attack you. Others can open PK against you while you are PKing others to be able to attack you.
READ BELOW FOR MORE DETAIL BECAUSE TUNNEL VISION IS BAD.
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Player1 and Player2 are in a party, sitting in a tree KISSING. -> Player3 starts pk on Player1. – Player1 and Player2 can fight against Player3.
^ If you start PK on a group, everyone in that group can attack you
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Player1 and Player2 are in a party. Player3, Player4, and Player5 are ganking. -> Player3 declares PK on Player. -> Player3/4/5 can attack Player1/2.
^If you are in a group, and you declare on a player, everyone in your group can fight that player(and his group if he has one)And this will cost Player3 a total of 10*rings*pk items This means 15k can buy you potentially a 5v5 pk war.
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Player1 is solo. Player2 is solo. Player3 declares on Player1. Player1 is a scrub and cant fight his own battles, and while running types “/invite Player2″. Player2 is now instantly flagged to fight Player3.
^You CAN be invited to group post-facto, and be instantly flagged into PK. You are not limited to only fighting ___, you can constantly force declares on other people.
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Player1 and Player2 are solo leveling and are both in Guild1. Player3/4/5 are in Guild2. Player3/4/5 declare on Player1. Player2 will not be able to attack unless invited to group or declaring pk on Player3/4/or 5.
^So far with testing, Guilds do not get fully declared during fights.
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Parties with different levels fighting parties with with different levels.
Party1 has 3 level 50s and a level 40. Party2 has 3 level 40s and a level 45.
Party1 gets the level 40 to declare on Party2. This will bypass the extra amount of pk items*rings* needed to pk lower levels. So 3 50s can fight 3 40s and a 45 for the cost of 15k/ aka 10 items*rings*.
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Party1 is flagged and fighting Party2. Party3 sees their buddies in Party2 getting attacked. They are able to flag on Party1 even during Party1′s fight against Party2.
So now Party1 is fighting Both Party2 and Party3.
During this fight, Party1 can also declare on more people, if they found the need to.
You are free to declare PK on people already pking/getting pk’d already/jacking off in a corner. Everyone can be killed.
—

Umm that are the major points..
For MISC stuff, (I am probably missing somethings, and if I remember, I’ll just add them)
You must remain out of combat(You can not attack/or be attacked) for around ~15seconds to successfully get out of combat. Out of combat, your Movement speed is increased, you can use potions to recover your Condition or increase movement speed. And you can get on your mount.
–
If you kill someone, you are not instantly removed from the “PK state”, The player you killed has around 1min~ to return and attack/get attacked by you, before you are removed from the “PK state”.
This means group PK session near a town, where players can constantly respawn and run back into combat, can last a long time, until either they are all wiped for a period of 1min~ and not attacking, or they go and sit inside of the town, which is a no PK zone, Where again.. you will not be able to attack thus removing the PK state after the 1min~ timer of inactivity.
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Groups/solo/anyone can pk anyone. Whether they are currently pking or not.
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I think I figured out why I think most people posting here are ridiclous. Because they do not know what a “PvP Server” compared to a “PvE server” is.
A “PvE Server” is generally a server that has no PK(Forced Player killing/Open world pvp).
A “PvP Server” in reference towards a “PvE Server” is one that has PK*Forced player killing/Open world pvp).
So this would be the system for the PvP servers, which have the PK option.
All because a server is a PvP server, doesnt mean it is havoc FFA PK everyone omg no safe zones Extreme biting into a slim jim action.
It means one server type will allow PK, the other will not.

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1. Increased Rewards for Shara continent:
We will be increasing the rewards for all types of quests in the Northern & Southern Shara continents.

2. Re-balancing Monsters:
Some monsters have been balanced to be of an appropriate difficulty for their level range.

3. Token Item Distribution:
We changed the way dungeon tokens are distributed. Right now the token items only go to the player who wins the roll. To address this issue, we will be distributing token items to all party members who successfully clear the dungeon.

4. Increasing Dungeon Drop Rates:
On July 7th we’ve made changes so that the end boss of any instance would drop a Unique level items on a 100% ratio, we will also be increasing the drop rate of Legendary items so it feels more rewarding for the players to complete an instance.

5. Lowering the difficulty on the “Black Tower and “Labyrinth of Fear:
Everyone who recently hit level 58 has been complaining that the above two dungeons were too hard; to address this issue we’ve decided to lower the difficulty on some of the lower tier dungeons. We will try to make a gradual increase in difficulty to help players be able to practice on lower tier dungeons, then conquer higher tier dungeons as well.

6. Battleground abuse:
Battleground abuse has become a big problem and we have been working on some ways to fix it. Some of the fix will be applied within July and we will continue to work to solve this issue.

7. Changed Instance cooldown period:
Currently, dungeon reset timers last 24 hours from the last time you cleared the dungeon and this makes organizing groups difficult. To make it easier on people to gather groups, we’ll implemented a reset time that is shared by everyone.

8. Relocation of named monsters:
Having some named monsters spawn near normal leveling areas caused massive amounts of PK and other abuses so we’ve decided to relocate named monsters that caused those issues.

9. Raising the level bar for voting:
We’ve made the voting level 40 so people can’t abuse the voting system by just hitting level 20 to cheat.

August’s Sneak Peek

1. Warrior & Sorcerer class, rebalanced:
Many of you have been asking for this and we will bring it to you: the rebalancing of Warrior & Sorcerer classes. The warrior class will be reborn as an offensive class with the upcoming August patch. They will still do some defensive work but in parties they will be taking on offensive roles much more often.

Sorcerers will have an easier time maintaining their mana during battle with skill balances and MP Leech skills; also they will get some new devastating spells that will aid them.

More precise notes will be available with the August patch notes.

2. New method to gain items:
We will add new methods to gain items, not only the dice rolling option but also an option for party members to bid against each other for a dropped item.

3. Bind on Pick-up items:
We will be adding a bind on pick-up quality to items that are extremely hard to get.

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Also on display at Stand B-011/C-010 in Hall 9.1 will be a brand new test version of TERA , as well as Runes of Magic’s new fourth chapter ‘ Lands of Despair’ . Show visitors can also try out Star Trek – Infinite Space , Elsword and Wizard101 at the stand shared with Gameforge. Games fans will have large numbers of computer stations available to them for extensive testing of the games, equipped with high-class 23” Eizo monitors as well as gaming mice, keyboards and mouse pads from ROCCAT.

Eligium – The Chosen One will bring players face-to-face with hordes of demons returning to the surface from their centuries long exile underground, which are intent on spreading fear and terror among the surface-dwellers. It is now in the hands of the chosen one to reunite the five humanoid nations and stand up to the evil forces rising from the depths below. Eligium – The Chosen One boasts a large assortment of features including an atmospheric scenario, a vast number of gloomy dungeons with demanding boss battles and large scale raids, an ingenious PvP- and ranking system, open world events, an unique item upgrade system, and mounts that players can train and watch as they grow – a whole world of opportunities and challenges for all kinds of discerning players.

There will be a diverse show program on a 20 square metre stage at the Frogster stand covering Frogster and Gameforge’s various games. Players will get their first glimpse of Tergothen Bay, the brand new region in Runes of Magic . There will be regular dungeon runs giving MMO players the chance to win loads of TERA , Eligium – The Chosen One, and Runes of Magic merchandise. At 4:00 p.m. every day a range of goodies will be up for grabs during the main daily raffle.

In the Business Center, Frogster will be presenting media representatives the most current version of its Unreal Engine 3 based MMO game TERA , in a detailed hands-on demo at Stand B-021/C-024 in Hall 4.1. The PR team will also be introducing Eligium – The Chosen One which is slated for release in the first quartile of 2012. All other business contacts can expect a warm welcome at the joint Frogster/Gameforge stand.

Frogster and Gameforge will also be promoting corporate social responsibility through a press conference on Thursday the 18 th of August at 11:00 at their stand in the business centre, where the German industry association G.A.M.E and the youth protection organisation USK will present the new child protection software ‘JusProg’.

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First up is our friend the wendigo, and what a clever, inventive, and unabashedly large friend he is. Despite being a BAM, the wendigo is known for his nuance, particularly when it comes to his unique vocalization techniques.

Next we have the ice giant, and as his name implies, he’s also quite massive. Unlike the wendigo, ice giants are about as lacking in subtlety as it’s possible to be, and most examples of the species spend their days plotting the return of their glory days while trampling unwary adventurers who stray too close their domains. Read up on both new BAMs and check out the exclusive screens after the break.

Wendigos

Masters of the icy wastes, wendigos are a proud race with deep ties to the dream. Clever and inventive, the crystalline wendigos fight to survive in a world that has all but passed them by. Wendigo tribes are often categorized as brutes, but Mysterium scholars claim the wendigos communicate through resonant frequencies and vocalizations. Without that resonance, the nuance in wendigo speech is lost. Federation prospectors covet the same eldritch shards the wendigos need to survive, but the outnumbered wendigos can’t compete on even footing. The wars on Shara force everyone to make hard choices. If the wendigos can’t adapt, they’ll die.

Ice Giants

Powerful and bitter, the ice giants are among the few survivors of the Day of Fire, the day when the gods unleashed their fury to extinguish the rebellious giants. The few survivors hide in the corners of the world, plundering what they can to survive. The giant civilization is gone, as are most of their technological marvels. The giants that yet live are insular and angry, not bold and innovative. Like all giants, the ice-dwellers dream of power and ache for their long-gone age of supremacy — and plot its return.

Source: http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/06/24/massively-exclusive-tera-shows-off-two-new-bams/

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Priests derive power from their devotion to the gods, nonetheless it’s their devotion to others that earns them fame and friends on the battlefield. A priest has killing skills enough for you to solo through the toughest situation, and enough support skills to powerful, cleanse, and resurrect party members in need. In fact, priests possess more skills available than any other player class. In TERA, playing a priest means you get to show off the widest spectrum of talents available.

Arms and Armor

Cloth armor keeps priests nimble on the battlefield, ensuring they are always in a position to reach their allies with a healing hand, or their enemies by using divine wrath. While not as tough or effective against damage because heavier armor, the priest’s ability to self-heal makes upward for any shortcomings of priestly robes.

Whether using power to injury or to heal, priests channel the power of the gods by means of their staves. The long staff signifies the connection between those exactly who walk the world and those who reside in the heavens, as well as uses this connection to focus the priest’s devotional energies in to spectacular targeted and area-affecting abilities.

Skills Overview

Priests blast, burn, sear, implode, and shock their foes. They also heal, cleanse, boost, teleport, and resurrect their friends. Their range of ability is varied, containing abilities to attack, heal, and support in any number of ways, including area of effect and targeted heals along with buffs.

Priests enter the world of TERA with a fast-precise attack and a self-heal, then add a wide spectrum of useful and deadly skills, including the ability to teleport entire parties to their location. Their impressive collection of damage-dealing and restorative healing abilities make them the heart and soul of any adventuring celebration.

Party Role

Priests are a support class that can also hold their own against foes. They can keep themselves and their particular allies alive and regenerated while guarding them from critical damage, and still spare the time to target foes for a searing blast of divine energy, or rains of arcane arrows. They lock onto specific comrades in need of healing, or remove poisons and curses from any nearby friendly player. They can stand up allies who have been knocked down, or put their own enemies to sleep. It’s no wonder that some say the party with the most skilled priest is the most likely to win victory in the field.

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The main feature discussed at E3 that hadn’t been talked about previously was the Political System. There have been a couple games in the past who have tried to work politics of some manner into their games, but nothing ever on this level. It adds a huge level of depth to player engagement. Through the political system, players will actually influence the world around them. What’s that? That’s what EVERY SINGLE MMO EVER MADE AS SAID? I know right? And yet, we’re all still sitting here waiting for one that will actually let us change the world in even the slightest way. Well, let me give you some examples of how you can change the world in TERA through the political system: you can raise and lower taxes on the shops in your region, you can enable or disable PK-ing in your region, and you can imprison players. Yes, you read that right… that naked person who won’t stop annoyingly dancing on top of the mailbox in the middle of town: throw them in jail! You can run events in your region, host tournaments, etc. There are all kinds of things that have an actual, direct impact on the world and other players in it. Your name will even be on the world map for everyone to see.

So how does one go about obtaining such a glorious position you ask? Well I’m glad you did, because I was just getting to that. There are actually two manners you can rise to the position of Vanarch: through the popular vote, and through PvP.  Either manner requires that you be maximum level though. The two examples they gave us were Landon and Xander. Landon is an elite healer on his server. He’s always nice and helpful. He’s the Guild Leader of the most helpful guild on the server. He’s constantly helping people finish quests, giving the newbies advice and help, randomly buffing people, etc.  He becomes quite popular on his server, and before you know it, people start mentioning that he should try for the Vanarch spot. So he starts campaigning. And when you campaign, there’s no limit on how you can go about it. If you want to take it outside of the game, to the forums, or even create your own website or Youtube channel for campaign videos and commercials, more power to you. The devs’ take on it is they’re giving you the tools to do it, then sitting back to see what you build with them.

So Landon campaigns, and since he’s helped so many people and everyone likes him, he wins the election in a landslide. And being the nice person that he is, Landon immediately starts giving back to the community. He lowers taxes in his region.  He opens specialty shops with discounted prices. He gives the income he’s getting from being Vanarch back to the less fortunate.

And then there’s Xander.

Xander is that guy who runs the super-elite PvP guild. All they do is hang out in the Battlegrounds. They have PvP down to an art and are just dominating everyone. Eventually they destroy everyone so much that they basically take control of the region by brute force. And Xander is the power hungry sort. It goes to his head and he goes crazy with it: raising taxes, enables PK in his region, imprisons anyone who utters the simplest complaint about his rule and just reigns with an iron fist in general. Now you may think this is the way to go. For starters, the taxes come into your pocket, so raising taxes is a quick way to become super wealthy. And you can throw anyone who doesn’t like it in prison; it’s a win-win. The problem is that you need to stay in power to continue enjoying all your new wealth, power and fame. And you need support to do that, and this comes in the form of recommendation points.

Landon is probably rolling in recommendation points, since everyone loves him. Xander on the other hand, not so much. He may have a bit from his guild, but in general, he’s not getting many from the community at large. But all is not lost; there is another option, because if there wasn’t, it would just be impossible to play the jerk. There are some pretty intense quests you can undertake to gain recommendation points. During the presentation they ran through one of these quests, which was to kill a big ole dragon named Sabranak.

Because of the devs’ approach of giving the tools and then just sitting back and watching what happens, this is a very player driven system; some of the first truly player driven content in the MMO sphere. No two elections are likely to be the same. It will be very interesting to see some of the more creative players out there trying to be elected who make political mudslinging commercials and such.

Melinda handled the hands-on part of the presentation and you can see her article here on the site as well, but I stuck around to watch her play, and I have to admit, I see where they’re coming from with all the “first truly action MMO” claims they’re making. The ranged classes have a crosshair and have to actually aim their spells/bows/etc. The game features collision detection, which will hugely impact combat. I also liked the “big numbers”, meaning the amounts, not how big of a font they used, for things like damage and healing and XP amounts. It felt very reminiscent of the Final Fantasy games where you’re hitting things for 8,453 damage and such. And rather than using UI aspects to indicate when a mob is about to use a special ability or has a buff on it or something, they’ve gone with a more visual cue route, which leaves your eyes focused on the combat/action in the center of the screen, rather than having to constantly glance off to the edges of the screen.

And if you thought the political system as described above wasn’t cool enough, as the presentation was ending, they dropped a not so subtle hint that we were just starting to scratch the surface by mentioning the Exarchs who control the whole continent… I can’t wait to hear more about that!

The developers of TERA have created a new combat system to differentiate this MMO from the other games on the market.  Called “Real Action Combat” it’s meant to blend the control of a console game with the style and types of play typical in MMOs.  So no more tabbing to hit the next target for anyone, including heals. Focused and attentive play becomes the standard rather than only for those high end players with their macros set on the mouse rampant in so many games.  You use your mouse to target and to cast or throw your most common attacks. Your left hand moves your avatar as well as controlling keyboard commands for advanced attacks and heals. The system does seem to work well, though takes a bit of getting used to. The demo had the option to use a console controller as well, which may end up being the better choice over mouse and keyboard controls.

For the demo I played an Archer, one of the two ranged DPS classes. The archer has a nice blend of solo attacks and a few AOE type shots. The framerate was smooth and the graphics were exceptional, even in a game that does have a lot going on at the same time.  The developers did make The Archer experience different than a typical ranged DPS. The real action combat adds a new dimension to class.  It pushes some of that heart-pounding adrenaline rush of PVP into PVE combat. Movement is a must and that makes targeting very challenging in the heat of battle, especially when your tank is yelling at you to pick up those adds before they gank the healer.

I typically play healer in my MMOs and TERA has added a new twist there as well.  Healing spells also have to be targeted.  No more just looking at the UI until your eyes bleed.  In acknowledgement of the priority needed for heals to hit as well as the type of players who typically gravitate towards healing, the targeting is a bit “softer” than for DPS. While some heals have to target a single player, many spells are area effect. The area heals have a helpful blue circle on the ground to indicate to players where those zones are located. Unlike typical MMO area effect heals, it doesn’t automatically hit all the players in your group. Players actually have to be in the blue circle to receive the heal. With the fast paced action inherent in this type of combat system, healers will have to do more than hit the target: they will need to anticipate where other players are moving and coordinate with them.

Another interesting twist in TERA is the collision detection.  You can actually run into the monsters and get knocked around by players and foes alike.  Group tactics can include “boxing” a monster in to allow more effective targeting and damage. This was pretty fun though a bit alarming to watch the dragon’s tail swipe knock your avatar across the field.  I liked the sense of realism it added to the combat though.

The Real Action combat system also allows for more advanced group dynamics. A tank’s shield will not only shield themselves but other players as well. The medieval “shield wall” becomes a viable tactic in the TERA combat system. This is the first time I’ve been able to play TERA and the game does have a deeper feel for combat than traditional MMOs. The combination of amazing graphics and fast-paced action makes TERA an exciting game to watch and I’m anxious to play more.

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TERA Senior Producer Brian Knox has once again answered questions from players on Twitter, and it looks like this Q&A will become a regular feature. En Masse Entertainment plans to host a developer chat on Twitter on the third Friday of every month at 3 p.m. PT, so start thinking of your questions for next month’s chat.

Many of the questions from this month’s developer chat focus on TERA’s political system, which we checked out at E3. Other topics include PvP, server types, end-game content and more. You can read the full transcript of Knox’s Twitter Q&A after the jump.

TERA June Developer Chat

Welcome to our next #TERA developer chat with Senior Producer Brian Knox! We’ll be doing these the 3rd Friday of every month moving forward.

Disclaimer: we’re not announcing release dates or the next events, nor will we be answering any questions about dates or events. Sorry!

Remember your question has to be something we can retweet. So no comparisons to other games, cursing, etc. Thanks!

Before we start answering questions today we want to take the opportunity to answer a few leftovers from the last chat posted on our forums.

Without further ado, the questions first, followed by our answers. Then we’ll open the virtual floor.

Q: What kind of guild tools will be available in #TERA ?

Guilds can participate in quests, assign ranks, level up, have a bank and eventually own provinces.

Q: Are their any plans for the Lore of #TERA to be released as an online story or novel? If so when?

We have kicked the idea around of a novel but nothing concrete. I know our writing team is itching to write more #TERA fiction.

Q: Will there be any servers for Aus/NZ players, in NA with our local time? #TERA

No there is no plans for a server or distribution to Aus/NZ players.

Q: What level can we begin PvPing at on PvP servers?

We are currently setting it to allow PK, or open world PVP, after the island of Dawn (level 12). Subject to change as we test and balance.

Q: Will we have to buy items in order to declare PK on NA PvP servers or will we have truly open PvP?

Right now items will be required. We like the cost associated with killing someone so far below your levels to discourage griefing… [more]

[cont] …but think the system may still need tweaks once in the wild.

Q: Will there be any PvP penalties for killing someone (or being killed by someone)?

Right now the death penalties are the same for PVP and PVE but this may be adjusted. They are fairly light weight penalties.

Q: Will there be any benefits or penalties for GvG?

This system is still in the works so I can’t say much on it yet but we think it will be a big boost for PVPers.

Q: Can you use pvp gear and pvp potions only in the BG’s or can you use them in the open world?

Currently you can use them anywhere.

Alright, that clears our backlog. And now to open the floor to your #TERA questions – fire away!

acerbot: Q:Will healing be point and click, or will it be using your target system?

Healing will consist of AoE circles you must position on the ground. You can also paint up to 3 targets for heals. Healing is VERY active

acerbot: Since this is a Korean game, and coming to North America. Will there be XP lose in this game from deaths?

There is no exp loss on death in #TERA.

TeraHispano: How the Vanarch PvP rules, exactly fits in a PvE server?

No due to different rule sets we will have to tweak some of the political rules. Details are still being fleshed out.

terafanboy: So doesn’t sound like the PvP servers are truly open-world PvP … more like “duel-anywhere” servers?

Open world PvP isn’t consensual. Declaration is necessary to attack. Otherwise our non target system would be a friendly fire nightmare.

Daneth54: If you are in a party on a PVP server and a group mate initiates a PK on somebody, are you also able to participate in that PK?

Yes. As your party does so do you…

Soul2k3: This will be bashing on the issue but why not… Q: Will the 5 second rule be taken out of our westernized #TERA?

This is something we are looking at. We haven’t locked down the PvP rules yet and I hope to have more testing and feedback on it soon.

terafanboy: During the CPE, it was quite difficulty to right-click on a moving target to declare PK.

I agree. Guild v Guild will help this but I still want to look further at it.

TeraMusicGuru: How is TERA regarding it’s world design. Will it feel linear, very open-wide, or a mix of both? #TERA

The game starts linear but spreads out as the user levels up. By the halfway point the user will have multiple paths to advance in.

Tecprincesself: What sorta things do you have in place to keep Vanarks from jailing random people. (don’t know if my last tweet went through)

The jailing system is still under early design. The bottom line is we want it to be fun for both parties and this isn’t an easy balance.

LuciferiaV: Are there any plans to fix the issue of the right-click skill firing when trying to use/equip items? Causing item to not be used

This was a bug with controller support. It is fixed in the latest version and we added some nice enhancements to controllers as well.

MrX1001: does that mean u cant duel in pve servers?

Dueling, deathmatches and battlegrounds can all take place on a PVE server.

BigNastey: Will there be any stat differences between the races in TERA?#TERA

No the only differences will be visual and racial skills, both passive and active ones.

MattMyersJr: Is the political system something we can expect Day 1 or in a future content patch?

Day 1. It is up and working now and will be available at launch.

Uruvion: How long do Vanarchs stay in power?

There are one month cycles for Vanarchs.

Tigorasou: Will we be able to bet on the outcomes of duels/deathmatches etc?

Yes on deathmatches.

RodaSmash: How can a “charismatic” (“vote for me”) Vanarch candidate compete with a more “warlike” (PvP) one? (And Vice Versa)

Each province is assigned a type. Battle or popular vote. You don’t have to compete with the battleground election Vanarchs.

LuciferiaV: Will you be considering reducing the price of PK items, and/or reducing the amount needed?

Yes. We are currently balancing. Attacking someone your level shouldn’t be penalized but killing noobs should cost.

Whitestarforum: How much group content will be left for NA/Eu Tera? Will you follow the last patch in KTera or will it be changed?

We will launch with everything Korea has launched so far plus some.

Chelladox: Will there still be a number of elite quests, or are all of those removed during westernization?

Our goal is to make the journey to max level soloable but still have fun challenging quests against BAM’s and story characters along the way

Soul2k3: What other mounts are planned for #TERA besides the common brown horses, Vanarch mount all pimped up and retail box white mount?

We have a few more up our sleeves and hope to keep adding up until and after launch.

RodaSmash: Is @En_Masse_Ent and BHS considering large scale PvE (such as raids) for the future? If so, how will you work around collision?

We know how badly the community wants raids! We are looking very hard at this and is one of the reasons we have focused on 5 man content.

RozesTera: Will there be zones and zone loading? Or is it seamless transitions? #Tera

Seamless world unless you are teleporting across the ocean or into an instance.

Tecprincesself: How big are the battle grounds? are they huge? or small and fast?

5 on 5 and 10 on 10. Each with their own map designed for that size of players… 10 on 10 gets the special commander skills too…

XGTV: 5 Man content isnt a raid FYI

We know. To clarify we wanted to get 5 man right before tackling bigger.

RozesTera: And will there be certain places on PVP servers that are safe “AFK places” or will you come back dead? #Tera

Yes cities and a few other areas will be safe.

WolfpackCasey: You need to focus on more then 5mans if you want the game to be uber successful. Don’t drop the ball on endgame.

I agree. The political system is one part but our focus internally right now is around ensuring epic content in the end game.

DKLDarkRaven: Will people look unique or will it be the same look/armor/weapons for everyone every couple of levels?

We have added the ability to combine item looks as well as dyes recently. We hope this prevents the clone syndrome.

Hirokiti_87: With recent Internet security breaches will you implament some sort of authenticatortohelpsecureouraccountsfromgettinghac k?#tera

We are doing our best to be as secure as possible, but it is a never ending battle against an endless army.

Soul2k3: From kTERA’s wiki info, current BAM’s are just “medium size”. How BIG can they get later on?

They can get pretty large but we need to avoid battling a giant foot as well. That isn’t fun for anyone but odor eating products.

_croel_: Will there be RP servers, or just two types PvE, and PvP?

There is no plan for official RP servers at this time.

Akeenasun: Have you all rested up after your trip from E3 and ready to get back to the work caves?

Those who didn’t get sick are back in the office getting after it. Next up is GamesCom and PAX.

Hirokiti_87: Can we assassinate a vanarch or impeach one before their term is up? #tera

Interesting suggestion on the assassination. Will pass it along.

Liandreth: No RP servers? Bummer.

This doesn’t mean the community won’t designate a server as the unofficial one.

2 More questions!

BigNastey: Are there any plans on adding underwater content? #TERA

Not yet, but never say never. We can only pack so much into launch or we won’t ever launch.

Buraka_Wicae: Can multiple people declare PK on someone if not in a group?

Yes declaration is more about enabling you to attack them so it doesn’t matter how many declare.

The graphics for the game are extremely attractive and enticing.  In many respects the creatures and landscape remind me of the movie Avatar.   The landscaping is very lush with beautiful vistas and dark, scary dungeons.

Tera’s producers focused very strongly on player engagement stating that the combat is extremely gratifying and is all about player’s skill.  The political system adds a whole new depth to player engagement beyond just guilds and chat boards.  Players influence the world around them with taxes, imprisoning characters, opening shops, getting votes and rising to power.  The world of Tera involves seven races (human to elin) and eight classes (warrior to mystic) with hundreds of monsters to battle and the possibilities for thousands of quests.

Tera players needs a combination of strength, popularity and influence to gain power and get voted in.  Once in power, you are influential and can control what happens in your province.   You can run events so that players come into your province and spend money in your province.  Everyone will know who the person in power in that territory is.

I had the opportunity to sit down with Chris Hager, Producer on the new Action MMO game, Tera.  We discussed accessibility in relation to game play and how our users can access this game.  Not only is the game completely customizable in terms of key mapping but they even support control plug-ins so that users can use their favorite peripheral.  This will mean that users with precision issues will have comfort in knowing that they can play the game like they play any other game on their PC.  Chris also went on to tell me that users who are colorblind should not have any issues playing the game because any color indicator is accompanied by a visual indicator that explains exactly what they are to do.  Overall, he and his team seem like great people and I think that the game is on the right track to being a very successful title.