User interface, servers and endgame
The user interface and combat system are the things that really make TERA standout from other MMOs. The biggest difference here is that you actually have the option to play the game with a controller as well as standard keyboard-and-mouse combination. TERA fully supports the use of an Xbox 360 controller or the PS3 Dual Shock controller, although the PS3 controller is a bit awkward to get working as it has to be wired and, annoyingly, you also have to install non-approved third-party software and drivers to allow Windows to actually accept input from the device.
The user interface itself looks very similar to other MMORPGs', with a mini-map top-right, character info top-left, chat box bottom-left, quest tracker on the right and the skill bars in the centre at the bottom. The first thing I noticed once I got a few new skills was that you can't actually use them by clicking on them with your mouse; you are forced to use the Function / Number Keys and combinations of the F keys with Alt & Ctrl. So if you are like me and prefer clicking your skills you may have a little difficulty being forced to play in this way. It will be fine for players that are MMO veterans and people who prefer to play with keyboard/mouse, though I suppose it has been setup in this fashion so that the combat flows like an Action RPG though.
After struggling a bit with the keyboard and mouse I decided to give the Xbox 360 controller a shot and have never looked back, because the game plays so much better using this control method. Granted, I don’t have as many skills available to me as when playing with a gamepad but I find that after putting a good few hours in I get upgraded versions of the basic attacks and will have honed the skill combinations that I frequently use.
One doesn’t actually need extensive combat skills to get through the battles, because a good team of players works wonders. Mapping the gamepad initially is a little confusing as the skill boxes at the bottom of the screen don’t tell you the mapping as you drop them in there. After putting a few skills in though it becomes self-explanatory and when swapping something out I know where it will end. The gamepad uses the A, B, X, and Y buttons for skills and to get alternatives one needs to use either the LB or RB shoulder buttons, giving a total of 16 slots in total to map items and skills for quick use.
The reason the mouse-pointer cannot be used on the user interface for skills is that there's a crosshair on-screen at all times. Oh yes, a crosshair! The enemies have hit boxes on legs, arms, head and torso so a skilled player can knock an enemy over with a well-placed leg chop or do high amounts of damage by hitting the head. The game still has to engage in number-crunching in the background, like any other RPG, but there's a lot more control over what's happening during combat, including being able to dodge enemy attacks, block with a shield, and then chain attacks together with ease.
The player can’t lock-on to an enemy, meaning you aren’t always facing them during combat. However, in games such as Dungeons and Dragons Online you’re expected to be skilled enough to hold your target, and so it is in this game. Another small gripe with this is that, at times, you can be doing a forward-swipe and will actually travel through the enemy, or an enemy will be circling around you, making it difficult to keep locked-on. That said, having to manually engage the enemy is a worthwhile test for the ardent gamer, and this type of challenge is reminiscent of the combat in Kingdoms of Amalur, which is very action-orientated and free-flowing.
Servers
Now let’s discuss online play. There's the usual selection of servers available on TERA, both player vs. environment (PvE) and player vs. player (PvP). This pretty much works in the same was as any other MMO, that is, PvE concentrates solely on teaming up, questing and following the story arcs from area to area. The PvP server side of things sees safe zones such as cities, outposts and towns where the lead character cannot be attacked, but once you go out adventuring everything is fair game. Once you reach level 11 and have left the Isle of Dawn on a PvP server you gain a skill that lets you set your status to outlaw. Once done, you can attack any player that is at least level 11, or higher, who is also flagged as outlaw status. Bear in mind that you, too, are fair game. There is also an infamy scale at play where points are received on a per kill-basis. The stats are reduced the higher you go up the scale resulting from each kill. The points do drop over a period of time, however, so any stat reduction is not a long-term hindrance. I have not experienced too many high-level players hunting around the starting areas, picking-off new low-level players, so this reviewer was happy.
Deathmatch is as the name implies, where you and a few friends can get together and do battle against another group. Sides don’t have to be evenly numbered and you can also place wagers on the outcome of the battle. Finally there are the Guild vs. Guild battles, where for 24 hours warring guilds can attack each other on sight gaining points and kills as the time passes. These can be as small as one-on-one or currently up to a maximum of 15 vs. 15. The Guild battles also come into play for the endgame content on the PvP servers.
There will also be Battlegrounds becoming available in the near future, according to reports, where there will be control points to capture, but at the time of writing, they are currently being revamped. Success in these events will give Guild buffs and reward points for specialist gear and consumables.
Endgame
So, having played this extremely enjoyable and skill-demanding game, what else to endear it to you, your wallet and your PC? The endgame, the extra depth within TERA is a very unique experience, if you choose it.
There are glimmers of what's to come during, shall I say, 'instances' that first become available at level 20 for those who like to do 'dungeon runs,' but the interest can lie with the political system. Every three weeks a player is promoted to Vanarch (effectively the leader of the realm), and to do this they have to be the guild leader of a level 3 or higher guild. There are 15 provinces where you can win votes from other players, by doing deeds, helping people out, holding public tournaments with prizes from your own stash of loot, and maybe even have a campaign leader to spread the word and even post campaign videos online - Facebook, Twitter and a few other places - for people to watch. If you are on a PvP server you can also go up against competing Guilds in a show of power and strength. It’s fun and is much different to most endgame content that are laden with raids, etc.
Once elected, the Vanarch has to gain Policy Points, and to do this they have to complete specialist Vanarch and guild quests. These are special quests that pose a threat to the people of TERA. Once they have enough policy points they can add specialist vendors and skill trainers in the far reaches of the lands - very handy for offloading loot and buying new gear when miles away from a town - adjust whether certain areas can be used for PvP (PvP servers only, of course), raise and lower taxes and upgrade NPC stats. Quite a task juggling all that! After they have been in power for a week then the whole process starts again. So after early learnings in this game, your rise through the ranks, and increase battle skills. You can wield true power, political, game-changing power! Stick THAT in your long, thin Gandalf-esque pipe and smoke it!
