The past week has been
very busy for me, as I had to work on multiple projects from my other courses, but
nonetheless I have lots of exciting game design talk for this week’s blog. This week, I
will be talking about a new MMORPG that I have recently played,
called Tera Online, which is currently in the final stages of its closed beta test.
I recently got picked to participate in the last closed
beta weekend of the new MMORPG Tera Online, and was very excited to play it. They
have already done several closed beta tests in the previous months, and those
who were accepted into it were allowed to play test the game from Saturday
morning to Sunday at midnight. One of the biggest features that set Tera apart
from other similar MMORPG games is the fact that the mouse is connected to 2
skills, which can be modified by the player, and the mouse controls an aiming reticle,
similar to first-person-shooter type games. The default skill for the left
mouse button is the default attack for each class, and the right mouse button
is usually a defensive ability that allows you to dodge a monster’s attacks. Players
must aim at each monster with their mouse during combat, and also when talking
to NPCs. I have played almost every class, varying from melee, ranged, and
magic, and I must say, some of the ranged classes are very easy to play,
compared to other games where the melee classes are usually easier to play. My favourite
2 classes in Tera would be the archer and the slayer, and both are very
distinct and fun to play. The archer is a ranged class, so the player must aim precisely
with the reticle or else the arrows will not hit the target. I have heard that
the developers of Tera had to increase the size of the hit box for each monster
in order to make it easier for ranged classes to hit them. The slayer, on the
other hand, is melee class that specializes in aoe (area of effect) abilities,
and can easily take out groups of enemies. The melee classes in Tera also have
to aim with the reticle in order to hit enemies, but the hit box feels like it’s
much bigger for melee classes, making it feel easier to play. The drawback of
melee classes is that the player must be on their toes during the entire fight,
as you have to dodge enemy attacks constantly, unlike the ranged classes who
have ways to slow down enemies before they can reach the player. The only
negative comment that I have for this game would be the fact that it feels very
similar to other MMORPG games that I have played in the past, such as Aion,
especially the map function and the crafting and gathering aspects of the game.
Overall, I feel that this game proves to be very fun, and should entertain me
for several months at the very least. 
That’s all for this week, stay tuned for more game design
talk next week!
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