Not the Typical Online RPG

While The Exiled Realm of Arborea, or TERA, as it is more commonly called, has been available in South Korea since January 2011, North America, Europe, and other areas of the world will not see the game until July of this year. Bluehole Studio, developer of the MMORPG, wants to change the way gamers think of an online RPG. The game will have the typical quests, crafting, and PVP battles, but the active combat system, played out in real-time, is what sets TERA apart.

There will be seven races to choose from in TERA. The Amani is a race of draconian humanoids; the Baraka is a race of intelligent giants; Castanics are the demon-like race of the game; the Popori are woodland creatures and animal-kin; and the Elin is a female, child-like race, split from the Popori, who believes that if it’s not good for nature it should be stopped. The other two races are humans and high elves. Players can choose from male or female PC’s for all races. The only exceptions are the Baraka, which are genderless, and the Elin, which are female Popori. However, there is limited customization for the characters.



- Tons of races interact in a vibrant world -

Eight classes can be picked from in three categories. The damage-dealing classes are Archer, Berserker, Slayer, and Sorcerer. Warriors and Lancers are considered the tanks who can take the most damage without dying easily. Supporting classes are Mystic and Priest; notice how Sorcerer is considered a different class than the other “magic” using classes?

TERA has no auto-targeting system, and you must make your character actively dodge attacks or take damage. Characters must use the third-person camera view and a cross-hair to pick which enemy to attack. Players can no longer sit back as their characters do all the work, waiting to see the outcome. In fact, players will have to think about being attacked from various directions and adjust as hits come at them. Distance and direction to counter-attack will be vital, and choosing which weapon or spell to use could be the difference between defeat and victory.

While TERA can be played with a mouse or an Xbox 360 controller connected to your PC, there won’t be a cursor. In fact, to pull up the inventory, gamers will utilize hot keys and navigate it with the arrow keys. There will also be a radial menu for chat shortcuts. Producer Brian Knox has suggested that combat and travel gameplay is done with a controller, while chatting and social interactions in the hub towns utilize the keyboard and mouse.



- Combat is not passive like in other MMORPGs -

In addition to stunning graphics, the physics, in particular, define the visual presentation in TERA. One way Bluehole is doing this is by differentiating between the player characters' and enemies' mass. If the PCs' weight is less than the enemies they are fighting, it is possible to get knocked down. This same premise is used for spellcasting, as it will also be easy to see how spells destroy the land around the PCs. Towns will be enormous, and moving from urban settings to combat areas is to be seamless.

Bluehole Studio is hoping that TERA will entice lots of players to their servers in a world of myriad MMORPGs, even in the face of competition yet to come. In July, they and the rest of the gaming community will find out if it does.

For more info, check out the TERA Leveling Guides.

? COMMENTS Posted on 04/13/2011 |

Diane Brunner Follow @dianebrunner

I have been gaming since I was in high school, before it was acceptable for a girl to do it. I have been a writer for even longer. It's only natural the two would combine. I prefer RPGs, action/adventure, and strategy games, but I also play dancing, sports titles, and shooters.

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