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TERA: Breaking Perceptions of Eastern Games
SBFord
Former Associate EditorMember LegendaryPosts: 33,129
In his latest column for MMORPG.com, Industry Relations Manager Garrett Fuller discusses TERA with specific regard to the perception of games with Eastern-style gameplay and how TERA is breaking down the preconceived notions that tend to follow games originating in Asia. Whether it's the fantastically rich lore or the interesting character archetypes, TERA is taking Western notions head on. Find out what else Garrett notes about TERA's 'Breaking Perceptions of Eastern Games'.
TERA remains on our list of highlighted games here at MMORPG.com and while expectations remain high, they still have some serious hurdles to overcome. One hurdle is the Western perception of Eastern style game play. Many players feel like games developed in Asia can be grindy, pointless farming-style games that deliver a subpar experience. With games being developed so quickly and studios cranking out MMOs blindingly fast it is easy to have a lot of them appear to be similar in nature. Companies spend a lot in bringing these games over to the North American market. Some do very well. Others suffer from their design and fail to meet Western expectations. Will TERA have to struggle with this issue?
Read more Breaking Perceptions of Eastern Games.
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Comments
Well it certainly does not look western in any shape or form! Adolescent males are looking forward to this game with all the skimpy female attire, very common with eastern developed games. They actually make the outfits more minimal than many eastern games. I guess it that is your thing, have fun with it, certainly is not something a lot of us like beyond the group mentioned previously.
We won't know about the game play until we get a chance to try it ourselves.
My initial impression is that Rift will be a better title for the western audience than this game.
Yes, it's too early to tell, but the combat system in Tera will be the main selling point. Besides the Castanic race, the others have their very own look, and they don't look like Anime, like many would expect. As the Korean version of the game gets closer to release, more information should become available. I personally would choose Tera over Rift, because of the style of combat, and no targeting mobs or players. Also there will be open world pvp servers as well as pve. The game has so much potential, and only time will tell if it delivers.
The games seem very similar to me, and I think they will appeal to similar audiences. Personally, I think whichever game comes out first will have the advantage. I'm open to trying just about every game that releases until GW2 and SWTOR release and monopolize all of my gaming time
I don't really have a problem with the eastern style for this game. It may end up being dumb, but I didn't mind it through a dozen Final Fantasies and half a dozen Dragon Quests, and tons of other Japanese games that I've played over the years. So I doubt it will truly be a problem. The combat seems to be the interesting selling point, and I'm excited to see how it plays out.
Important facts:
1. Free to Play games are poorly made.
2. Casuals are not all idiots, but idiots call themselves casuals.
3. Great solo and group content are not mutually exclusive, but they suffer when one is shoved into the mold of the other. The same is true of PvP and PvE.
4. Community is more important than you think.
"The big thing with TERA is they have said it will be subscription based. A bold statement now a days and unlike most Eastern games they will not be relying on an item mall."
Do you mind explaining to me how it is possible that choosing to go P2P is a "bold" statement? I mean other than the fact that F2P games are your bread and butter and how MMORPG.com seems to constantly keep making (not so)subtle suggestions, like what I quoted, that F2P is the way to go.
In case you havent noticed. Every time the subject comes up, be it by poll or general discussion ... MMO gamers much prefer P2P, and seem to agree that P2P MMO's are of much higher quality and enjoyment than F2P.
As for the subject at hand I agree that TERA has a lot to prove to gamers. Even though they have specifically stated that it will not be a grinding game and how questing is to be the method of leveling in TERA ... I remain skeptical. Mainly because its a Korean game and second because the devs themselves have stated that there will be about 1600 quests at launch, which doesnt seem like its near enough for a smooth leveling experience through questing 1-60. I think even Aion has more quests than that now and its still not enough. In the end though.
As for art style, ive always loved it. Been waiting for a great Asian game to come out because of it. I really dont see the similarities between Aion/TERA/etc. to anime, but call it what you will it far surpasses the bland artistry in western MMO's. Specially when we're talking about the games environment, but holds true for all other visual aspects (including animation).
The combat is the main reason I'm interested in this game. I do like the graphic style as well, but mostly the combat is what I want. I loved playing Monster Hunter Tri on the Wii and would love an MMO in with a similar combat.
"If you're going to act like a noob, I'll treat you like one." -Caskio
Adventurers wear fancy pants!!!
While you're right that TERA has some stereotypes to overcome, "eastern" or "Asian" is the wrong word for it. Was Tecmo Super Bowl an item mall grinder with anime graphics? When a new Mario or Zelda game launches, do people expect that it will be an item mall grinder with anime graphics? Korean games certainly have that (well deserved) reputation, and that's what TERA will have to overcome if they want to be successful in the west, but that's not all of Asia or the "east".
well i looking for new form of combat thats what i am looking for and great pvp im bored out of my guord with quests im looking for a fun questing system that difrent from wow and every outher dang mmo i have been enjoying vindictus style of questing it been funbut lack of pvp and all that gotten boring rift looks awsome and tera looks good to see what one is better suited for me to play who knows i migth still be bored in the mmo world and just stick to shooters for now
Seeing that the game will have an ESRB +18, I really don't see a problem with it. But I guess that comes with the perceptions too.
Velika: City of Wheels: Among the mortal races, the humans were the only one that never built cities or great empires; a curse laid upon them by their creator, Gidd, forced them to wander as nomads for twenty centuries...
i dont care, if this game is asia-syle or not and how much to pay for. if it is challenging and complex, i may stay. i dont care about grind either. killing mobs over and over, is no grind for me, as long it is challenging. but easy quests all over the place are a horrible grind.
played: Everquest I (6 years), EVE (3 years)
months: EQII, Vanguard, Siedler Online, SWTOR, Guild Wars 2
weeks: WoW, Shaiya, Darkfall, Florensia, Entropia, Aion, Lotro, Fallen Earth, Uncharted Waters
days: DDO, RoM, FFXIV, STO, Atlantica, PotBS, Maestia, WAR, AoC, Gods&Heroes, Cultures, RIFT, Forsaken World, Allodds
I don't give a fuzzy rat's tail about what it will be, asian grinder, eastern style, sexualized content who cares. As long as the game is fun enough for me to play it then I will...And it seems to be heading the right way.
Really... Is it necessary to resort to such shallow generalizations to basically say "I don't like the looks of this game"?
I'm an adult (that is, not adolescent) male and am interested in the game for a number of reasons - none of which have anything to do with "scantily clad female characters".
Seriously, if TERA's not your thing, then fine. But don't be so quick to throw around generalizations about those who might. It's pretty ignorant.
Not all adults (nor, I'd wager, all adolescents) have the same hang-ups as you.
and the cash shop selling asphalt..." - Mimzel on F2P/Cash Shops
So far everyting they have shown of Tera looks awesome. No other mmos comming out look nearly as good.
I'm 26 years old and I'm planning on playing this game just so I can roll a half naked sensual female sorcerer.
I'm sorry, but do you folks proof read these articles before posting them? It's hard to take a "journalist" seriously when they have basic spelling and grammatical errors littering their work. That being said, Tera has shown me nothing that would indicate they are making advances anywhere in the MMO genre, other than poly count. GW2 is the only title I have any faith in to deliver a fun, enjoyable playing experience in the near future.
Doc
Who is making the generalization here using the word 'hangups"?
The fact is running around in armor built around a g-string is hardly what I call protective, neither is the warrior carrying the ridiculous lance around. Sure it is fantasy, but I like the sword and sorcery part to be at least someone believable. Hard to achieve any sort of immersion when you end up laughing at the caricatures.
No, you want the fantasy to be generic western like, devoid of any imagination beyond whatever Tolkien came up with. It's precisely for that reason that Western RPG's, not just MMORPG's, are lacking in imagination.
It's not sword & sorcery I'm afraid. If you are looking for immersion then this is also clearly not it, although it does have some amazing sceneries. The game you are looking for is probably Rift a classic old-school MMORPG reborn with better graphics and dynamic gameplay. I don't see any point in stating the obvious "this game will not be s&s", the people who are going to play this game know who they are and I'm definitely one of them.
"talk about how the game is not a grind."
No, really, that's as far as they can go? Talk about how something that can most clearly be defined as a "grind" isn't? I had some hope yet for TERA, since it was largely presented as a much better version of Aion (and the graphics are indeed stunning in both), but I guess disillusionment's creeping in again.
By the way, the article's pretty badly written. It could do with some cleanup.
Forums: The best real-time interactive MMORPG you'll ever be in.
Art style, upskirt animations, tits-almost-out gear: none of that matters.
What matters is:
- Gameplay
- Content
- Polish
- Value for money
And until the game launches in the West, most of the bleeters and nay-sayers on here are just speculating - just like they do with every other game pre-launch.
I love the look of both TERA and RIFT, but if TERA's combat interface works and the lore, PvP, etc are good then TERA will likely be getting most of my free time.
Eitherway, I'll buy both and vote with my monthly sub or cash shop dollars, whatever.
Playing: Ableton Live 8
~ ragequitcancelsubdeletegamesmashcomputerkillself ~
Just to add:
What I like about TERA over say GW2 and RIFT is the promise of engaging gameplay, via the combat interface.
It's all very well having an immersive world but you can get that anywhere in this day and age, whether it's WOW, a good book, a decent movie, etc. The whole point of computer games as I see it is INTERACTION and for me, point-and-click gaming is not it.
Like someone who once described EVE as the lovechild of a pretty screensaver and an Excel spreadsheet. That sort of thing suits certain people - EVE's popularity is testimony to this - but FFS can we please have something that has the engagement of an FPS and the immersion of an MMO. I hope this game is it.
Playing: Ableton Live 8
~ ragequitcancelsubdeletegamesmashcomputerkillself ~
What? Show me an eastern game with any imagination in it. Right, zip, zero, nada. They are mostly copies of each other, who knows what the original one is. Nothing wrong with wanting something believable. Go read the Diablo III thread, you have people complaining about the dual xbows across the thread. Players do expect some kind of realism.
Hey TERA could be a great game if they can control the exploiters, because combat systems like theirs are very open to such. Auto targeting systems were not introduced only for ease of the players, it also eliminated many exploits.
I'm pretty sure the biggest reason why Korean games don't do well over here is because they're grindy in the most mind numbing way possible. Western player's prefer faster progression, and a significantly smaller curve than what Korean developers tend to put in their games. When a Korean-made game launches over here you almost instantly see the complaints (as you will with most new games). But the difference is with Korean games they almost all say the same thing and that's "It's too grindy". Sure, you can argue that progression through quests is a grind of it's own, but that's how most Western players prefer to play a game that has the genre "RPG" attached to it. We want substance, and plenty of things to do aside from kill a million monsters and PvP.
The latest example is Aion, people just aren't willing to pay for something like that over here.
Well I dont know what you mean by substance and plenty of things to do because if a game is not heavily quest based that does not mean that it lacks substance or plenty of things to do. I have played both kinds of games from Everquest 2 and Lord Of the Rings to Lineage 2 and Aion and I dont find any more substance in the quest based games then I do in the grind based games. The only difference is that in a quest based game a NPC tells you to go kill mobs and in a grind based game you just go find what ever mobs you want to kill on your own. I find grind type games to give more freedom because nobody is telling you to go do something and thats why I prefer those type of games.
I really think westerners just want a game where they can level fast and get to cap as easiest as possible. If there was a grind type game where you got really good xp and levels at a fast pace I dont think people would complain about it at all.
EnMasse is aware that Western players don't enjoy the grind, and are making adjustments to offer Western players what they want. I am sure the Korean version of Tera will be much harder to level, so in the end everyone gets what they want. I personally hope you can't hit max level in a month of casual play (4) hours a day. I like a challenge and want to enjoy the leveling process. If a game isn't enjoyable on your way to end content, why even play?