As anticipation builds up for the surprise MMOG that no one knew about
until recently, TERA
builds a larger fanbase daily. We got a chance to href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/events/gdc2010/TERA">speak
with the devs at GDC, but now it's time for the fans to ask
their own questions. We got in touch with En Masse Entertainment
Producer, Sam Kim, to answer your questions. style="font-weight: bold;">


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kitsunegirl asks: Will there be different armor sets in both look and
stats? 



Sam Kim: Most
definitely.  Aesthetics are an important part of MMO play that
we
can’t ignore. We know that you demand your character look different
from every other Human, High Elf, or Baraka exploring the world of
TERA. We
also recognize that stat assessment—figuring out which gear
works best for you and your play style—is a key way you demonstrate
your skill and knowledge as a player.


style="width: 600px; height: 375px;" alt="A Typical TERA Battle"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/84928/preview">

A typical battle in TERA



ZeroMerc asks: What kind
of death penalty is there?




Sam: Death
should sting, but it shouldn’t maim. It varies by level and by
“frequency of demise,” but suffice it to say that the consequences of
death include some degradation in your performance (paid off with a
brief time away from battle). The biggest death penalty is the obvious
one: If you died, you probably didn’t achieve what you set out to
accomplish when you put yourself in harm’s way. 



kitsunegirl asks: Will
there be social tools, like walking and sitting animations, cosmetic
outfits and the like?




Sam: We’re
working on a lot of that now. You’ll have a whole arsenal of emotes and
other RP-friendly tools in the game.



revolution77 asks: What
sort of advantages does each race have?

style="font-weight: bold;">


Sam: That’s
something we’re still working on, but far and away the most important
factor in race choice is the aesthetic one. You’re going to be staring
at this character for hundreds of hours, so we’re giving you a wide
array of options at character creation so you get something you like.
We also want to avoid the situation where  every member of
Class X
must be a member of Race Y, or you’re just 5 percent less effective.
That’s no fun.



ZeroMerc asks: Will there
be personal or guild housing?

style="font-weight: bold;">


Sam: While
we’re considering all of our options, we aren’t ready to discuss
details yet.  Stay tuned.



revolution77
asks: Since the IP is original, how much of the lore is worked out? Do
you have a clear vision of the past? And how far ahead is the story
planned?




Sam: We’ve
got hundreds of pages of lore, stretching from thousands of years in
the past to…well…let’s just say “some time” in the future. Our writers
have a wiki of staggering complexity to keep track of our cast of
thousands.




style="width: 600px; height: 375px;" alt="Vivid TERA landscape"
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/84929">

Vivid TERA style="font-style: italic;"> landscape



ZeroMerc asks: Will duels
be just one on one, or can you have teams?

style="font-weight: bold;">


Sam: We
have full support for both. Around the office, we’re finding group
duels to be a fun way to spend that inevitable “five or ten minutes
while you wait for everyone to show up” time.



renoduv asks: Is there a
microtransaction store planned?

style="font-weight: bold;">


Sam: We’ll
talk about details of our revenue model when we’re closer to launch.



ZeroMerc asks: How many
character slots will be available to each account?

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Sam: Lots!
(Though we aren’t announcing the number just yet.)



style="font-weight: bold;">vintrex
asks: Zerging in open world PvP is a pretty big issue, as it
becomes a tab targeting button mashing fest where it takes no skill.
Will TERA
have any mechanics to avoid zergs from massing up, or allow
small guilds to survive in open world pvp without having to join in the
large mess of a battle?



Sam: Well,
for starters, kiss tab-targeting goodbye. You have to actually aim in
TERA, and
thus focus-firing becomes a matter of player communication
rather than a target-of-target macro. You can assemble a zerg, but
keeping it cohesive is a matter of leadership skill. 



One
thing we’re noticing as we play TERA
at the office is that small groups
employing hit-and-run tactics can rule the day. You’re small enough to
communicate efficiently and act without delay, unlike that big
disorganized group you’re facing. While there’s certainly strength in
numbers, that strength isn’t the sole factor that determines who wins.



ZeroMerc asks: Will
"boxing" be possible, where one player controls more than one character?

style="font-weight: bold;">


Sam: With
our action-based combat, where everyone is moving around and actively
targeting (that means you too, healers!), I’m having a hard time
imagining it. The limiting factor is the player’s ability to actually
pull it off. Subject to the usual limitations of multiboxing, however,
there’s no inherent barrier.


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our TERA: Rising Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

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