Chaos Theory: TSW's whips and trains and vet rewards -- oh yes!

It was a pretty close vote there at the end, with folks rallying to their factions, but the Templars ultimately won out. I have to say, I am kinda pleased with the result. It's not that I was rooting for any one faction over the others; I was quite sincere in requesting direction in my The Secret World adventures. It's just that with Issue #6 The Last Train to Cairo coming out, my Templar is my only character in Egypt and in the perfect position to partake in all the new stuff. And am I excited for the new stuff! Among the new missions, the veteran reward system, and the PvP ranking, my all-time favorite weapon is coming to game. Squeee!

Join me in eagerly anticipating these new adventures and offering the devs a round of applause.

Don't hold the applause.

I'll admit -- as much as I have been looking forward to some word about the next update, the announcement surprised me. Knowing full well what's involved in relocating, I was honestly expecting Issue #6 to come out later than it is, with perhaps a smaller update offering a few morsels hitting servers before that. Instead of a little something to tide us over, we are getting goodies galore at the beginning of next month. Oh trust me, I am not complaining! On the contrary, I am both impressed and extremely glad that the TSW devs have it so together they could pull this off. So my hat's off to you guys. You deserve this hearty thanks!

As a major fan of Indiana Jones, I personally can't wait to see his influence in this update. Heck, I even tried to get his style included in the next Aion expansion! I am doubly excited for Last Train to Cairo because not only do I get a load of new things to experience, but I get to live out my own adventures in Indy's style, brandishing arguably the best weapon ever! I am itching to get my hands on a whip; I am saving all my skill points so I can nab it the moment the update hits. Did I mention you can use the whip to encourage your friends to run faster? Who hasn't wanted to do this?

And if I happen across the infamous hat, you better believe I will be grabbing it as well and perching it (slightly crooked, of course) on my noggin.


Now, I've heard rumblings from some folks who feel that this reference has been played out extensively in World of Warcraft and are tired of it. At the risk of pointing out the obvious, let me remind you: This is not WoW! The Secret World is nothing like WoW, a point for which I am eternally grateful. I am so looking forward to getting my Indiana Jones fix in in a game where the theme totally fits.

Of course, if Marty McFly is more your style, the whole time-traveling to the past to help your future self out scenario that's also included will be right up your alley.

So, as difficult as it may be to move past the whole OMG-I-finally-get-a-whip aspect of the update, Issue #6 offers folks a whole lot more. And I don't just mean the chance to fight atop a speeding train (which is top-notch awesome to be sure). There's plenty more where that whip came from.

The veteran reward system talked about previously will be implemented when the update deploys. Much as in Age of Conan, the system will run off of an alternate currency introduced specifically for this purpose. The veteran points will accrue every month that a player is subscribed and can then be used to purchase such goodies as a secondary teleport, portable bank, mail, and auction house items, special veteran outfits and pets, and auto-repair consumables. There will even be a special combat dummy players can whip out to measure their DPS. Of course, this list isn't all-inclusive; more will be added over time.

A recruitment system will also reward anyone who gets their friends in to play, and who doesn't want her friends to join her? It's rewarding you for something you are already doing! Who knows, maybe once those last hold-outs know that you will be rewarded with a month's worth of points to spend, they'll break down and hop on in just to help you out. Friends are like that, ya know.

The offerings don't stop there, either. TSW players who thrive on a bigger challenge will have the chance to come face-to-face with another raid-sized adversary. The fact that it's "surely a trap" in no way dissuades this crowd; in fact, it even encourages them!

Next up, the PvP minded-crowd. This group is getting an all-new ranking system that includes separate PvP experience points. Finally, a chance to more effectively measure your PvP prowess against that of others! When you or your team defeat an opponent (we don't say "kill" here because we all know the bee-blessed don't die), you climb that ranking ladder, collecting new tokens along the way. The tokens themselves can buy new PvP uniforms that will set you apart from those PvEers.

And last but certainly not least, The Last Train to Cairo is bringing even more of the mummy who really needs to avoid white before, during, and after Labor Day. Said, that semi-well-preserved arms dealer, will play a prominent role in helping players thwart the evil that is growing among the dunes in Egypt at the hands of prophet Abdel Daoud and the Atenist cultists. Why not? It stands to reason that someone who has been around the block a time or two hundred will have some sage advice to dole out to adventurers. This arc is just the latest episode of one of the best parts about TSW -- delving ever deeper into the story.

I hope you will join me in enjoying all the tasty treats coming our way. The Secret World may not be a sandbox per se, but I am definitely looking forward to playing more in its sand. Now, hurry up March!

Conspiracies, paranoia, secrets, and chaos -- the breakfast of champions! Feast on a bowlful with MJ every Monday as she infiltrates The Secret World to bring you the latest word on the streets of Gaia in Chaos Theory. Heard some juicy whispers or have a few leads you want followed? Send them to mj@massively.com and she'll jump on the case!