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Part 3: PvP

Ragnar explained that while The Secret World’s three factions – the Dragons, the Templars, and the Illuminati – can fight alongside each other in the game world (Funcom wants to support grouping whenever and wherever it makes sense), the three factions also have their own secret war brewing. In three locations around the world, the factions wage war to control ancient relics of great power. The Council of Venics, a neutral party, sets the scope and rules for these conflicts., and all factions abide by this “gentleman’s agreement.”

The three PvP scenarios just announced for The Secret World are:

Stonehenge – Perhaps the eeriest looking of the maps, this one is also the most straightforward. The team with the most players inside Stonehenge gains points. Points tick upward toward victory, though players also gain points for pulling players out . Martin promised extremely fast-paced combat, and I predict loads of AoEs.

Cimbala – This lost city in the Himilayan Mountains is The Secret World’s ranked arena. Players will join in premade teams and are matched against other teams.  Thunderdome rules are in effect: last man standing wins – no resurrections allowed.

Eldorado – The Secret World’s large scale PvP and easily the most gorgeously goldeny jungliest one, this map hosts 30 people total (15 a side). On this map are four moveable idols to control – the longer you hold an idol (and the more of them you control), the faster your team gains points. Martin pointed out that this is an asymmetrical map favoring defense – it’s designed to force players to grab those idols quickly and choose a spot to defend.

Ragnar ended the presentation with a look at the latest demo. The filmed-off-screen version is just a placeholder – we’ll be posting the source video as soon as Funcom passes it our way.  Thanks to the Funcom crew for making the trek to GDC 2011 and unveiling a little bit more of The Secret World. No release date has been announced for the game,