Funcom reveals The Secret World skill deck templates

The Secret World - Illuminati dude with a swell goatee

Funcom has penned a new dev diary at MMORPG.com, and the piece reveals three new skill decks from the firm's The Secret World title.

What's a skill deck?

It's The Secret World's answer to the how-do-you-make-a-level-free-MMORPG question, and it allows players to select from 500 abilities to create "exactly the type of character they want." Funcom thinks the system will seem daunting to players used to simpler class-based mechanics in competing MMOs, and as such the firm is adding a few deck templates to offer players a helping hand.

Three of these are profiled in the new diary, including one from each of the game's factions. The Witch Hunter focuses on big damage spikes and represents the Templars, the Warlord is your basic swordfighter from the Dragon faction, and the Thaumaturgist is the Illuminati's answer to the gunmage archetype.

[Thanks to fallwind for the tip!]

Reader Comments (17)

I don't think I will ever be able to actually play the game.
I would spend all the time testing decks...

@Sephirah Yep I have a feeling that is going to be hardcore Porn for Min/Maxers

Good maybe then I won't have to listen to them scream at me because I used that one point in a slot I shouldn't have.

I just can't help but think that this many open abilities is eventually going to lead the community down a cyclical road of "New Uber Bug Build", "Uber Bug Squash", repeat.

What do I mean? Well considering they are scattering 500 abilities that are open to everyone, these can be combined into millions+ of potential combinations. Eventually someone will put together a *very special* combination of abilities that was never play-tested before that either combines to be very powerful in relation to other combo, or even has a very unique bug. Word will get out, people will flock to it, and the devs will have to do something about it in the name of Balance. People playing it will be pissed and then another Uber build is discovered.

It's a cool concept, but geez, what a big risk development-wise.

@(Unverified) true, but considering anyone can change their actives and passives at the drop of a hat it is not like balancing a build will cripple players (like nerfing a class in a class-based mmo... you cant just make your paladin into a mage)

I'm also anxious to see how one build will be able to counter another in PVP... cc's, cc breakers, range, melee, cleanses, purges.... since everyone can potentially get all those (though I hope not in the same deck), will be really cool to see how one popular build gets destroyed as someone finds out what counters it, then someone counters the counter, etc. Knowing what shuts down what will likely be extremely valuable knowledge.

@(Unverified)

A similar approach is used by GW (but with less freedom since it uses classes): not everyone uses the same build and of course when some skill or combo goes out of control it's nerfed by devs.
In a skill based game, if you favorite skill is nerfed, you can always take another one, while in a class based game you only can complain and eventually reroll.

Anyway, a single uberbuild is unlikely, you will probably have the best AoE tanking, the best single target CC, the best burst healing, the best DoT dps and so on: if mobs/bosses abilities are sufficiently different, you'll be forced to use many of them.

@fallwind Ignore my misplaced later comment that makes no sense out of context!!!

Seems like it's Rock-Paper-Scissors PvP at that point.

"Damn I picked a 'Crit-buster/sustained dps' build because I thought he was heavy crit build, but he's a 'sustained-dps-interrupter' build so I'm screwed"

Hopefully skill beats build at the end of the day.

@(Unverified). lol, welcome to the world of MMOs, so it has been,as it will always be.

@Sephirah

This is exactly why I loved SWG point system. You had 250 points to literally do whatever you wanted. Sure people came up with defense stacker templates and whatnot. But it was fun as heck changing your points around to suit whatever whim you wanted.

So a game you can just buy and play immediately without any level grinding to that end-game in the horizon, what a concept. If the story is good and the maps are as good as they appear should be great. I am not sure a lot of traditional MMO players will be able to live without that level up mechanic, but there will hopefully be enough open minded players to sustain the game.

Hmm, just me who get vibes from "Bernie", by looking at the article image?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iRMlvBfSBYQ

@Meurik THANK YOU!

Seems like it's Rock-Paper-Scissors at that point.

"Damn I picked a 'Crit-buster/sustained dps' build because I thought he was heavy crit build, but he's a 'sustained-dps-interrupter' build so I'm screwed"

Hopefully skill beats build at the end of the day.

Boooooooooooooooooooring.

One thing I get from this is that I may have to change from Templar to Illuminati. The Templar looks like he got his gear out of a dumpster.

@donweel

This is only 3 of the 'deck' appearances that we'll be getting (30 total, or 10 per faction), so don't jump ship so fast.

Also, note that although it's billed as a 'templar deck', anyone of other factions can build the same deck, they just won't get the snazzy duds.

NOw im beginning to get excited - finally some detailed information being released. Cant wait!

I;m suddenly interested in this game. Love GWs style of play, and Atlantica Online which sort of was deck based but using an assortment of mercenaries of different classes/playstyles. You don't have to worry about lag or circle strafing - its a fun playstyle.

Funcom reveals The Secret World skill deck templates

Reader Comments (17)

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 2:21PM Sephirah said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 3:56PM Dunraven said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 2:33PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 2:47PM fallwind said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 3:16PM Sephirah said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 3:30PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 10th 2012 5:43AM Snichy said

Posted: Feb 10th 2012 10:10AM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 2:33PM donweel said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 2:43PM Meurik said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 2:47PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 3:29PM (Unverified) said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 3:39PM djodars said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 3:48PM donweel said

Posted: Feb 9th 2012 4:18PM Nerves said

Posted: Feb 10th 2012 5:45AM Snichy said

Posted: Feb 10th 2012 10:34AM deluxe2000 said

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