Tokyo Drift (aka TSW Game Director Letter for May)

[Vallikat]

(sorry I can't post the pics. I'm at work and time crunched. However...OMG THIS WEEK!!!)


Game Director Letter – May 2014

Hi everybody,

Tokyo is coming this week.

I’ve been waiting a long time to be able to write those words. It has been a journey – one that has been fraught with bumps in the road – but ultimately one that has taught us a lot as a team and prepared us for the next step of our journey.

For the first time, The Secret World is expanding with the addition of a major new playfield, all new story mission and completely new characters and stories to explore at the same time. In addition, Issue #9 includes the first part of the new AEGIS system which introduces a new form of horizontal progression to the game, as well as preparing players for future content and challenges.

As you explore Tokyo, keep an eye open for one of our other additions to the lore system. As always, The Buzzing is there to offer its unique perspective on events, but now it is joined by a second voice, with another point of view. The truth of an event, after all, is really determined by your perspective. Keep an eye out for the black lore pieces scattered across the Tokyo landscape for more information.

If you want a quick taste of what awaits in Tokyo, check out this teaser I released on Firday.

The journey through Tokyo is only just beginning...

Within a short period of time (no I am not going to give a date, stop asking!) we’ll be launching the first of two mission packs that will accompany Issue #9: The Black Signal.

The Sidestories will introduce a series of new main missions of every type; Sabotage, Investigation and Action. These missions will expand upon the stories of the characters that you will meet during Issue #9, as well as a new character with several missions of his own:

Meet Ricky Pagan, rockabilly rogue and defender of Ginpachi park and the sacred roots of the cherry-blossom tree. In the aftermath of the Tokyo Incident, Ricky has lost his band, his jacket and very nearly his identity. Join him to strike back at the very forces that seek to undermine the environment and be introduced to a foe that will follow you through to Issue #11.

Follow the mad directions of Daimon Kiyota and undergo a bank heist in the depths of Faust Capital – a corporation under the umbrella of the Orochi group – and use Daimon’s unconventional methods to uncover a secret that may or may not be relevant to the future of the Dragon faction. With the Dragon, you never really know.

These are just a couple of the missions that the content team is currently working on for Sidestories.

The Upcoming Anniversary
It’s hard to believe, but the 2nd Anniversary of The Secret World is approaching fast. Has it really been two years since launch? Time flies when you’re having fun.

This year will see a return of the Guardians of Gaia event from last year, but as with all of our holiday events we will be adding something new to the mix. I won’t spoil the surprise (or I’ll save the spoilers until next month’s letter) but something big is coming to Tokyo.

During our anniversary celebration we’ll also be providing all kinds of great bonuses for everyone to enjoy.


The Whispering Tide
I’d like to take a moment to mourn the passing of Flappy (not the official name, but Bird of the Zero-Point Pathogen doesn’t roll off the tongue in quite the same way). Or should I say Flappies, as those of you who are/were there for the end of the Whispering Tide event should know. The Whispering Tide was not created to be an event that ran for such a long time, and we have been continually amazed and humbled by the number of people who gave it their all to cleanse Agartha.

You can expect the vendors from the Whispering Tide event to remain in place for a while yet, and you can expect to see Flappy return at some point in the future, albeit in a different location.

Finally, as we turn our focus towards the future, I want to talk about a few of the things in the pipeline.

The Future of Tokyo
The plan is that in Issue #10 you will see a new story mission, new NPCs, a new Auxiliary weapon, a new scenario, expanded AEGIS system (including expanded AEGIS levels and quality upgrades) and the rest of the Tokyo playfield to explore.

Issue #11 will see a new story mission that takes place in Orochi Tower, new NPCs (and the return of some old ones as well), a new dungeon area tuned for both regular groups and raids, a new lair that includes a revamp of the entire lair system in the game, a new aux weapon and further upgrades to the AEGIS system.

As I have mentioned in the past, we will be aiming to have our updates coming more regularly, whether in the form of Issues or Sidestories (and for Grandmasters we are updating the autobuy to work with Side Stories) and you will see that as the year progresses.

Thanks everyone for your time,

Joel