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Secret World Legends |OT| The Return of Cthulhu ft. Soviet Space Vampires

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Trailer

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Secret World Legends is a remake of the original game 'The Secret World' with revamped combat, updated visuals, and a newly designed progression systems and quest flow that is completely free to play.

Secret World Legends plunges players into a shadowy war against the supernatural in an adventure that crosses our world with the realms of ancient myth and legend. As players traverse the globe unraveling complex investigations into the unknown, they’ll need to uncover clues and use their own wits as much as their characters’ abilities. A highly extensive and customizable arsenal of firearms, weapons, gear and otherworldly powers will give players the strength to battle the forces of darkness as they dig deeper into these vast and mysterious lands. Players can go at it alone and enjoy the over 100 hours of story at their own pace, or team up with others as they explore the world and unravel its mysteries.


  • Genre: MMORPG
  • Developer: Funcom
  • Platform: PC
  • Headstart: 23rd June 2017
  • Official release date: 26th June 2017

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Secret World Legends is one of the few MMO's which occupies that rare space between medieval fantasy and sci-fi adventure: the contemporary, real world. There is a twist though. An entire new world opens to you, after accidentally swallowing a rather persistent insect. We call this world 'The Secret World'. In here possibilities are endless and those stories your grandfather told you? All true. Vampires, ghouls and wendigo's have been here all along, you just didn't know it. Up until now the secret societies have been able to keep the situation contained, allowing you to live in blissful ignorance. But no longer. Darkness is about to leave the shadows and it is up to you stop it. To accomplish such a feat, you apply for one of the three societies involved in The Secret War.

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  • The Templars: Proudly tracing their royal lineage back to Babylon, the Templars are the lions of The Secret World. Old Europe is theirs and the Templars marble halls dominate the old London borough Ealdwic-historic capital of the secret world. Its not just a show of strength. Nothing is just a show with the Templars.
    At the forefront of the war against darkness, they decided for themselves what counts as darkness. Never backing down from a fight, never forgetting a grudge. They have tradition to uphold. For thousands of years they have been single-minded in their mission to obliterate evil in all its forms. Where angels fear to tread, Templars kick down the doors.
  • The Illuminati: The Illuminati may have ancient roots, but they forever remain young and hungry. In every growing empire they had play for it all, and they play for keeps. Stealing the Americas from under the Templars' noses, they grew with the United States to become a shadow superpower. Their corporate headquarters, the labyrinth is in an undisclosed location beneath Brooklyn, New York.
    Acting silently, unless the occasion calls for gunshots, the Illuminati push for the New World Order. It will be empowering and ruthless. Failure is not an option. Complacency is worse than not an option. Their arsenal is the ambition of a news media startup, the rhetoric of a congressman and mogul business sense. Working hard, playing hard and fighting dirty.
  • The Dragon: A whisper of a rumor of a shadow, this asian group is the most secretive of societies. With no fixed territory or structure, the Dragon have dissolved and reformed through out history. They believe a controlled society is a sick society. Only through collapse and rebuilding, the natural chaos of life, can the world be in harmony. Recently they have taken root in a nameless district in Seoul, Korea.
    To an outsider, their strategies are incomprehensible. Fractal patterns, chaos theory, random numbers, and unrelated events. The Dragon understand there is no pattern, only acts of great change to be committed. From whispers to an explosion, they divine that an incident here, a disappearance there, can change the course of everything; acupunture applied to a paralysed planet.

As a member of one of these three factions you will investigate those places hit hardest by the darkness and uncover what exactly is happening in The Secret World.

Initiate investigation protocols - NEW ENGLAND - fog follows on ancient weapon - EGYPT - Dark Water rises and cultists drink deep - TRANSYLVANIA - putrescent radiation breeds creeping fungus - TOKYO - the Black Signal broadcasts blasphemous algorithms, infecting all ears - following the signal...

During your travels you will meet many colourful places and characters, humanoid and otherwise, with their own peculiar stories to tell.

There was no forecast. There were no screams. There was no sound. Only the fog. It crept in, and it crept out. The people walked, and the people died. Then they walked again.
The fog followed the return of the lost fishing vessel, the Lady Margaret. The crew had a story to tell, of a graveyard of ships, of the red seaweed cloaca that birthed the fog. Ask us about the Lady Margaret, sweetling. Ask us properly, and we will tell you.

Meet Theodore Wicker. He was Oxford born and bred, a leading scholar of demonolgy, this Age's greatest master of portal magic, of stepping between worlds. He came to Hell and adapted to the hallucinatory wilderness, thrived among the ashes and eldritch. An impossible mortal, now immortal, with knowledge of the Second Age. He preaches to the demons, and they listened. This man, born of dirt, became the spiritual leader of those born of fire. A misbegotten movement turned army. Soon, Wicker leads a power that tips the scales in Hell.

Let us say there was a Soviet fort, hidden in Transylvania. This seems plausible. Let us say secret experiments were done there - of course that is what happens in such places. There were secret documents, obviously, marked by the Red Hand. Let us say that cosmonauts showing psychic promise were brought in for testing. They were taught to detect and channel particular energies that we shall call anima and anti-anima. They sought the stars - first up, then down - first out, then in. It would not surprise you, sweetling, if we said something went wrong. Horribly wrong. Everyone died - some screaming - some laughing - some singing, "We are all made of stars!" Everyone died, except for Halina. Of all the cosmonauts, she had best mastered the exploration of the inner-outer spaces, and she alone survived the discovery of their crawling truths.

All these stories and mysteries make up The Secret World. To get the full picture of what is happening here you will be required to perform some extensive research. This is not a game that spoon-feeds you what you need to know. It is for people who like their questions to be left unanswered, shrouded in a layer of fog and possibilities.

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Combat

The combat is reticule-based with skills from a hotbar, a system similar to the one used in Elder Scrolls: Online. You can equip two weapons at the same time, a primary and a secondary weapon. The system is based around builders (to generate resources) and consumers (powerful execution skills). Your primary weapon generates resources twice as fast as your secondary weapon.

You can equip six active abilities and five passive abilities at the same time. Those abilities can be unlocked during your progression throughout the game.


Are there classes?

At the start of the game you can pick a class but it's not a strict system. Your skills are defined by the weapons you equip and you can equip whatever weapon you want during the game. So no, there aren't really any classes. The game does feature the traditional holy trinity of tank, healer and dps but if you have unlocked enough skills you can play any role on one character.

How many skills are there?

Every weapon features around 15 slottable active skills and 20 slottable passive skills (and also 20 permanent stat boost). Seeing as there are 9 weapons, there are in total around 300 skills to unlock.

Click here for a video on the new combat system.

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Missions in Secret World Legends come in multiple varieties.

Main missions: These missions are an integral part of the overarching storyline in The Secret World and must be completed in order to advance to further areas. They are usually a combination of action, investigation and sabotage missions.
Action missions: Combat-heavy missions which usually require you to kill enemies. Don't be mistaken though, these quests are still very story-heavy and are accompanied by excellently directed and voice-acted cut-scenes.
Investigation missions: Best put on your thinking hat for these missions. They follow the same pattern as traditional adventure games. From translating morse code to interpreting Bible verses, these quests really put your reasoning and out-of-the-box thinking to the test. No quest markers and no help except for your own brain matter.
Sabotage missions: Stealth and subterfuge are key here. These missions usually require you to infiltrate a place unseen and avoid traps. Combat to be avoided!
Dungeon missions: Every dungeon in The Secret World is accompanied by its own story. From Soviet space programs to the Viking landing in America, these stories are as diverse as you could possibly imagine.
Item missions: Smaller missions which add flavour to the world. More akin to your traditional MMO fetch quests.

All missions except for the item missions feature directed cut-scenes with fully voice-acted NPC's. No longer will you have to put up with throwaway quests for the majority of your playing time. The Secret World truly takes storytelling and questing to another level in the MMO genre.

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Why is The Secret World being relaunched?
Good question! Funcom goes in detail here on the decision to release Secret World Legends.

In what way does SWL differ from TSW?
One major difference is that the game is free to play for everyone. But just as importantly, Secret World Legends has updates befitting a modern-day action RPG. This includes a redesigned combat system to make action feel more natural, more intuitive systems to interact with, enhanced visuals, an improved flow of quests, and improved structure of the early game for new players.

What is the subscription model?
Secret World Legends is f2p. This means that you can go download the client right now and play. All current and future content will be free.

So the game is pay to win?
The answer is no, according to the developers at least. You will be able to earn (almost) everything without spending money. There is a cash shop running on a currency called Aurum. Aurum is used to purchase a variety of in-game items and services in Secret World Legends. This includes but is not limited to: additional weapon pages, extra inventory space, additional characters, exclusive vanity items, and much more.

I need to buy additional character slots?
Yes. Every account gets one character slot by default.

Do we really have to start over again?
Yes. Everyone starts from scratch. Players from The Secret World can link their account though. When you link your account, you will be able to copy over any remaining membership from TSW to Secret World Legends. In addition, you will be able to copy over some vanity items from the previous game. You can also exchange your Funcom Points for Aurum.

Help! I am a TSW Grandmaster. What happens to my lifetime subscription?
Link your Secret World Legends account to your old TSW account and you will become a Patron in Secret World Legends forever!

Why didn't you say something about PvP?
No one cares about PvP in The Secret World.

When can I play?
If you signed up for the beta (and even if you didn't get in), you can start playing right now. Otherwise you will have to wait until the 26th.

Why is this game an MMO again?
No one knows.

Where can I download the game?
https://secretworldlegends.com/

Can I play this on Steam?
The Steam version releases on July 31st.

Well His Majesty this thread is a shambles. You should feel ashamed of yourself.
Please keep in mind that Funcom has kept most information hidden until now and the NDA has only recently lifted. As time progresses, hopefully everything will become clearer. In the meantime feel free to look at some screenshots.





Also be sure to type ./chat join #sanctuary in-game. This is a very friendly chat aimed at helping newcomers.
 
Wait, they took out all the good mechanics and progression choices from the original game? Why?

Streamline it a little? The ability wheel was a mess to be honest and 80% of the skills on there were useless.

Guess we'll find out later if it has been for the better or not.
 

Slayven

Member
One of the reason is dropped the OG game was i found out i was gimping myself after putting in 15 hours. The ability setup was too esoteric
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
I assume the OP should read "headstart JUNE 23rd" and not july? Otherwise the thread is way too early on GAF's rules

yeah he did, and the OP should really add that its on Steam, that's kind of a biggie for a lot of people
 

Mozendo

Member
Wow I didn't know any news after the reveal, signed up for the newsletter too. I'll download it when I get home
 
I assume the OP should read "headstart JUNE 23rd" and not july? Otherwise the thread is way too early on GAF's rules

yeah he did, and the OP should really add that its on Steam, that's kind of a biggie for a lot of people

oops thanks, changed it to June.

I have TSW on steam, can I play this?

It's completely free but you can't play on Steam yet. You'll have to download a new client from the Secret World Legends main site. It goes live on Steam July 31st.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
oops thanks, changed it to June.



It's completely free but you can't play on Steam yet. You'll have to download a new client from the Secret World Legends main site. It goes live on Steam July 31st.

I'm downloading it on steam right now?

or am I downloading OG Secret World? This is confusing, the steam page for Secret World Legends has the "play now" buttong, but the icon on my download is the OG icon /shrug
 

Htown

STOP SHITTING ON MY MOTHER'S HEADSTONE
damn, I don't know if I like the removal of the ability wheel

yeah it was made for crazy people, but it also allowed for a lot of different builds

I just hope they don't gimp the investigation missions; they're the coolest thing about the game really
 
I'm downloading it on team right now?

That's still the old version I think?

The company reiterates that the reboot of The Secret World as Secret World Legends will make its recently announced June 26th debut, but the Steam launch will be delayed until July 31st as a result of ”crowded market conditions with multiple MMO releases in May/June on Steam" — those being Black Desert's Steam launch, Elder Scrolls Online's Morrowind launch, and Final Fantasy XIV's Stormblood. Seriously, nobody else should even try launching that month.

You need to go here

https://secretworldlegends.com/

and hit the download button. That's the only way right now I think.
 

Slayven

Member
damn, I don't know if I like the removal of the ability wheel

yeah it was made for crazy people, but it also allowed for a lot of different builds

I just hope they don't gimp the investigation missions; they're the coolest thing about the game really

You can still play the old version
 

Won

Member
Oh wow, wasn't aware they went so far and split it off the original. A bit weird.

Might give this a shot after it releases on Steam. At this point I would have started a new character anyway to get back into things.
 
so what happens when the steam version is out? can I use the same account?

No, you need to create a new account like everyone else. Then you can link your old TSW account to your new SWL account to receive some bonuses and carry-overs.

You don't need to wait for the Steam release to play by the way. You can download the new client right now, link your account and start playing. It's free to play.

Just created a character. I had a Templar and Dragon in the original game so now rolling a Lummie of course.


Class selection screen is new. Classes are fluid by the way but they steer you in the direction of your preferred role a little. They also unlock two weapons for you.

Who gets to headstart?

I think Funcom changed it to people who played the original game. So as soon as you have linked your old account to your new SWL account you should be ready to go.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
no I mean, what happens if I start playing now, and then I want to play on steam, will I need to start over or can I use the same account?

and yeah I got a email saying I Can play, I assume because I had the old one.
 
Oh shit didn't know this would be so soon.

Everyone should check this out. One of the best writing/story/setting experiences in gaming tbh.
 

Andrin

Member
As some additional information, there's also an ARG connected to the relaunch running right now that will reward all participants with some nice little bonuses, as well as providing some extra insight to the history of the first adventure zone (Solomon Island).
You can access the ARG by heading over to kissoftherevenant.com. It's run on mmorpg.com's website, by the company behind the Black Watchmen, a persistent ARG based on TSW. According to the devs it should be running up until the 26'th.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
Majesty are they adding classes or just revamping the existing ones? Is there still no pet class?

I need my pet class damn it >_<
 
Majesty are they adding classes or just revamping the existing ones? Is there still no pet class?

I need my pet class damn it >_<

The original game didn't really have classes, just (crappy) starter decks. From what I've played so far this is more a push into traditional classes but you can still play whatever you want.

no pets sorry =(
 
Didn't realize this was launching so soon. Have a lifetime membership and debating starting back up...never managed to finish the main story.
 

StMeph

Member
Played some TSW way back in the day, and stopped right around the release of the first paid expansion DLCs.

Will probably peek in to check out the revised/refreshed version, but expectations are low. The game's atmosphere/environment/writing was great, but actual gameplay felt lifeless and repetitive, just mashing 2-3 buttons.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
welp, I dont see this drawing any new crowd tbh, it still looks and feels as janky as ever. Spell effects seem flashier at least, thats good. Little tutorial introduction thing is neat. I dunno man...

Also, only 1 character slot? really? :/
 

Alastor3

Member
I finally upgraded my graphic card so I can play in transylvania without lag (yeah, old computer) and now i need to redo all of the story if I want the new gameplay? *sigh*
 

Stiler

Member
I played this at release for a couple months, the storylines were great, especially the adventure-like ones and also the great horror nods and even using great voices from people like Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator/The Frighteners).

Combat was eh, the open skill system was nice though, being able to mix/match abilties and not tying yourself into some restricted class role.

I thought the combat revamp would be a bit......bigger tough, like take it straight up actiony and less hotbar/cooldowns and mmo style stuff.

Will give this version a shot when I have some free time.
 

Slayven

Member
As some additional information, there's also an ARG connected to the relaunch running right now that will reward all participants with some nice little bonuses, as well as providing some extra insight to the history of the first adventure zone (Solomon Island).
You can access the ARG by heading over to kissoftherevenant.com. It's run on mmorpg.com's website, by the company behind the Black Watchmen, a persistent ARG based on TSW. According to the devs it should be running up until the 26'th.

how do you collect the prize?
 

Stiler

Member
Anyone else having trouble getting their password recovery email?

Put in my username and it's been like 3 hours now, no email or anything.
 

Stiler

Member
Thanks that worked.

Something seems fubar for me though.

It says that that account should work on TSW: Legends, but when type in that username/email I get a login failed message.

I made a secret worlds legends account a while back (for beta) so not sure what I messed up now.
 

Rhaknar

The Steam equivalent of the drunk friend who keeps offering to pay your tab all night.
TSW owners really should be able to make more than 1 character, come on :/
 
Did they made changes to the combat? Or is still stiff as hell?

Combat is radically different. They removed tab targeting and you now use a reticule. Furthermore they streamlined the whole character progression and introduced new skills. During combat you can use two weapons: a primary and a secondary weapon.

Every weapon has 15 active abilities, 22 passive abilities and some 28 (?) permanent stat boosts you can unlock. From those you can create a build with 6 active and 5 passive abilities from what I've seen so far.
 

Joey Ravn

Banned
I kinda want to try this. I've always been fascinated by the idea of TSW and its story-driven approach to MMORPGs, but never wanted to pay a subscription for it. Hopefully it's really not pay-to-win, as devs claim.

Did they made changes to the combat? Or is still stiff as hell?

First line in the OT :/

Secret World Legends is a remake of the original game 'The Secret World' with revamped combat, updated visuals, and a newly designed progression systems and quest flow that is completely free to play.

There's also a video up there.
 

Patison

Member
Just played for about an hour, questing and community are still the best in genre, everyone on the fence - go and try it asap!
 
Headstart is open to everyone, by the way. Not just old players or people who participated in beta.

Also put some extra information on the combat system in the OP.
 
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