Tera-ble Gaming

I've been kinda looking around for another game to grab my attention.

I'll keep an eye open for what the various online people are playing, they can be really good at showcasing the new games as they come out. And some not so old games too. Plus as you watch them play, you get an idea for whether you'd enjoy the game and whether it has flaws that would really wind you up.

I'm likely to get another strategy game at some point, as I did enjoy the space strategy epic which was Moo2. The current candidate is Stellaris but ... it's a bit too new, I have no intention of paying full price (£35) and it looks like it has a few critical bugs, including AI bugs, which make it a "chuck it back in the oven and wait a bit" game.

What's the latest attempt ? I'll just leave this picture here :

There's a certain type of game. Games that looks pretty stunning in their own right. Games with ... excellent character models. Games with certain other ... assets.

After World of Warcraft made MMOs really popular, other Massive Multiplayer Online games have been coming in. There's a lot more competition for them these days. The latest trend is to take advantage of the Asian market. Koreans are nuts for their games. The Japanese too. And they have a different character to more Western games.

Some of it is the level of grinding;
A lot of it is the look;
Some is the story;
And then there are the character outfits ...

I had a peek at Guild Wars 2 when it came out but it didn't really grab me. It did have the archetype of Very Tall, Very Thin, Very Big Eyes, Huge Cutes. The anime and manga market is promoting a certain look.

Blade and Soul caught my eye too for a short time but I didn't actually load that one up. It didn't seem to have much new over older games plus I didn't like the look of the rhythm based combat system.

Gotta get on with the gameplay if you're going to enjoy a game.

The latest is one called Tera ... Which is very definitely inspired by the Korean look. My gunner character, Icegelanna (Iceangel was taken!) looked pretty smart (although there was barely any character customisation available) and had a walk that looked like she was bringing trouble. Lots of trouble.

Oh and the outfits are like the picture above.

I did try to get an outfit that covered up everything ! Honest ! Go ask google for "Tera gunner outfit" and see what abominations are available ... for a heavy armour class ... and how little they cover.

It is sexist, very much so. But that shouldn't really be important for a game, although I'll come back to that in a bit. Pretty graphics enhance a game but they shouldn't be its core reason for playing.

Gameplay ?

I looked at Tera in the hope that it might satisfy a few things : combat system, exploring a new world (big thing for me) and good character progression. The character progression and exploration are usually a given for MMOs. They have a lot of areas to venture through on your way to maximum level. Story is a great aspect of Warcraft now, although the character progression in skills and gear is very broken now (in my opinion) compared to how they used to be.

Tera's combat system is supposed to be far more hit and move than other games of its type. But ... could I get on with that hit and move ? You should really be able to do stuff like double tap left to dodge roll to the left. That should be an essential part of this game (I remember it being in Guild Wars 2).

Nah. Couldn't get on with the combat system, other gameplay and the systems for leading you into learning the game are nigh on incomprehensible. Disappointing. It's already been uninstalled.

Back to the sexism ...

Pretty graphics do not make a game. Putting ladies in there in a state of undress gives you something to look at ... but does not enhance the game in any way. Having that as a major selling point (like it seems to be in Blade & Shopping), is a massive put off point for me.

Not just games either. You know the cds in the shops with the lady on the front in a provocative pose ? I avoid those too. Cds are about listening to the music, they're not about looking at the singer.

Sex does sell ... if that's what you're buying. I'm not, I'm buying something audible or I'm buying a game.

In this case, I'm avoiding Tera and have already uninstalled it. The combat system and the systems that are supposed to lead you into the game ... are poor and I don't get on with them. If you don't think you'll enjoy a game, don't play that game. Find another one.

Not sure what that next game will be, although GoG have a tempting sale on at the moment. I do have a library full of unused games though. I kinda miss the early days of WoW with the challenge and exploration of something new. It has gone a bit gear checkish though. Item level is king. And you need to crunch through all the levels (if not the content) to get the gear.

Poor fella.

Also watched XMen Apocalypse today. I enjoyed it, it was a good continuation of the XMen series with the most spectacular bad guy. It stretched belief but ... it's an Xmen mutants movie, it's supposed to. I have no clue where they will take the franchise from here though.

Hmm - someone better drag me away from GoG ...