Imagine if every myth, conspiracy theory and urban legend was true. Imagine a world where you can become anything you want to be,
without restrictions such as classes or levels. This is the premise for The Secret World, Funcom’s massively multiplayer online game set
in the modern-day real world.
Ragnar Tørnquist functioned as Creative Director and Senior Producer on The Secret World.
Most famous for the The Longest Journey (1999) / Dreamfall (2006) series, he has also written the 331 page novel Prophet Without Honour
on the story of Anarchy Online (MMO from 2001) and worked on the theme of that game.
His IAMA on reddit is also hugely reccomended, lot's of good infos regarding TLJ too
without restrictions such as classes or levels. This is the premise for The Secret World, Funcom’s massively multiplayer online game set
in the modern-day real world.
- Genre: MMORPG
- Developer: Funcom
- Publisher: Funcom, EA (Origin, boxes)
- Unique features: Freeform progression (no levels, no classes), fully voiced story, unique mission system.
- Subscription plan:
Monthly fee + Cash shop for vanity items.
The Secret World includes 30 days of free game time. Each additional month has a cost of $14.99 / €14.99 incl. VAT / £12.99 incl. VAT.
Longer subscription cycles yield discounts to the monthly fee. - Now no subscription required. Buy the game and play.
- Release: 3rd July 2012 - Headstart 29th June
- Free 3 day Trial available now!
Ragnar Tørnquist functioned as Creative Director and Senior Producer on The Secret World.
Most famous for the The Longest Journey (1999) / Dreamfall (2006) series, he has also written the 331 page novel Prophet Without Honour
on the story of Anarchy Online (MMO from 2001) and worked on the theme of that game.
His IAMA on reddit is also hugely reccomended, lot's of good infos regarding TLJ too
Factions are chosen during character creation and are permanent; there are no restrictions for race, ethnicity, or abilities.
The three factions are designed to be equal and balanced in power and ability, but faction specific special abilities do exist.
The goal in choosing a faction is for players to pick based on the ideals and mindsets of the group as a whole, rather than the one with the most powerful abilities.
Each joinable faction has a headquarters where players can gather, find vendors and trainers, and other facilities.
The Dragon in Seoul, South Korea, the Illuminati in New York, United States, and the Templars in London, England.
In PvE, players of all factions are allowed to group together and finish missions. PvP will pit the factions against each other.
Players will be distinctive by both faction and role as everyone will be wearing uniforms.
Furthermore, despite any similarities to real life, all factions in The Secret World are purely fictional.
They are not tied to any religion or mindset in the real world.
Manipulators and conspirators, the Dragon have survived for millennia by playing their enemies against each other.
Since before the first empire, through the aggression of the Mongol Khans and the ebb and tide of the political change,
a whisper in the right ear, a strategic assassination, alliance carefully crafted and broken - and the world eventually
bends to the patient will of the immortal Dragon.
With a spiritual and philosophical approach to the secret crafts, as an acolyte of the Dragon you are taught to listen,
shown how to teach others, and expected to respect the balance of the universe and to be humble in the face of fate.
Yours is not the path of force, though force is often needed to clear the path.
Few know of the Dragon and their long history, and that is how the Dragon want it. You are invisible but pervasive,
silent but all-knowing, and when the other secret societies have decimated each other, you will rebuild the world from
the ruins of their arrogance.
The Dragon is too easily underestimated, but those who do so live to regret it - or die before they get the chance.
Watch the Dragon Video
Notorious bad boys and girls of the secret world, the Illuminati are also the most ambitious, cut-throat and
furtive of the secret societies. From the gilded halls of the ancient pharaohs to the private clubs and the decadent
parties of the famously rich and egocentrically famous, from leaders of industry and Hollywood agents to
presidents and popes, the Illuminati have weaved their intricate web with ruthless cunning and acute skill.
They rule their corporate pyramid with cold opportunism, and only the strongest members survive.
Their secrets can make you rich and powerful beyond compare - or they may destroy your soul and sanity with it.
The Illuminati seek to plunder heaven and hell by any means necessary, and god help those who stand in their way.
As a member of the Illuminati, you don't play by anybody's rules. There are no rules. There is no honour.
There is only victory.
Watch the Illuminati Video
Crusaders. Judges. The Holy Terror. The Templars are the world's least secretive secret society.
Their military-ideological machine has operated in plain sight since Babylon - a matter of pride, or moral superiority.
Conspiracy theorists, obsessed with the minor 'Knights Templar' offshoot, underestimate the Templars' true European empire.
Private armies. Members of parliaments. Royal families.
The Templars believe they will deliver the world from evil by force, and even their opponents,
who call them zealots and warmongers, can not deny that force. As an agent of the Templars you are not just fighting
the war on darkness, you "are" the war on darkness. Suave and sophisticated, but brutal and uncompromising,
you use history as a weapon to shape the future.
Few will stand in the way of the Templars' banner. Do you have the will to stand behind it?
Watch the Templars Video
The three factions are designed to be equal and balanced in power and ability, but faction specific special abilities do exist.
The goal in choosing a faction is for players to pick based on the ideals and mindsets of the group as a whole, rather than the one with the most powerful abilities.
Each joinable faction has a headquarters where players can gather, find vendors and trainers, and other facilities.
The Dragon in Seoul, South Korea, the Illuminati in New York, United States, and the Templars in London, England.
In PvE, players of all factions are allowed to group together and finish missions. PvP will pit the factions against each other.
Players will be distinctive by both faction and role as everyone will be wearing uniforms.
Furthermore, despite any similarities to real life, all factions in The Secret World are purely fictional.
They are not tied to any religion or mindset in the real world.
Manipulators and conspirators, the Dragon have survived for millennia by playing their enemies against each other.
Since before the first empire, through the aggression of the Mongol Khans and the ebb and tide of the political change,
a whisper in the right ear, a strategic assassination, alliance carefully crafted and broken - and the world eventually
bends to the patient will of the immortal Dragon.
With a spiritual and philosophical approach to the secret crafts, as an acolyte of the Dragon you are taught to listen,
shown how to teach others, and expected to respect the balance of the universe and to be humble in the face of fate.
Yours is not the path of force, though force is often needed to clear the path.
Few know of the Dragon and their long history, and that is how the Dragon want it. You are invisible but pervasive,
silent but all-knowing, and when the other secret societies have decimated each other, you will rebuild the world from
the ruins of their arrogance.
The Dragon is too easily underestimated, but those who do so live to regret it - or die before they get the chance.
Watch the Dragon Video
Notorious bad boys and girls of the secret world, the Illuminati are also the most ambitious, cut-throat and
furtive of the secret societies. From the gilded halls of the ancient pharaohs to the private clubs and the decadent
parties of the famously rich and egocentrically famous, from leaders of industry and Hollywood agents to
presidents and popes, the Illuminati have weaved their intricate web with ruthless cunning and acute skill.
They rule their corporate pyramid with cold opportunism, and only the strongest members survive.
Their secrets can make you rich and powerful beyond compare - or they may destroy your soul and sanity with it.
The Illuminati seek to plunder heaven and hell by any means necessary, and god help those who stand in their way.
As a member of the Illuminati, you don't play by anybody's rules. There are no rules. There is no honour.
There is only victory.
Watch the Illuminati Video
Crusaders. Judges. The Holy Terror. The Templars are the world's least secretive secret society.
Their military-ideological machine has operated in plain sight since Babylon - a matter of pride, or moral superiority.
Conspiracy theorists, obsessed with the minor 'Knights Templar' offshoot, underestimate the Templars' true European empire.
Private armies. Members of parliaments. Royal families.
The Templars believe they will deliver the world from evil by force, and even their opponents,
who call them zealots and warmongers, can not deny that force. As an agent of the Templars you are not just fighting
the war on darkness, you "are" the war on darkness. Suave and sophisticated, but brutal and uncompromising,
you use history as a weapon to shape the future.
Few will stand in the way of the Templars' banner. Do you have the will to stand behind it?
Watch the Templars Video
Abilities are what players can unlock on the ability wheel and then inter-change as they progress in the world.
Players can only have fourteen abilities available to them at any one time, seven active and seven passive, but have the option to change which
abilities they use as long as they are outside of combat.
The Secret World has, at last count, 525 abilities which are divided into 9 weapons.
Melee
Your character, however, only has access to 7 active and 7 passive abilities at one time. If you’re coming from a regular MMO background
it can seem a bit limiting to only have 7 and 7 abilities, as oposed to the 25 or so you’re probabyl used to having,
but if you give it a chance you’ll see that The Secret World could never have been any other way.
Decks, suggested build paths, will be available to give players an idea of where to start with ability point allocation.
There are 10 decks available for each faction. All abilities are unique instead of just being more powerful forms of other abilities. They will scale with gear.
Players can only have fourteen abilities available to them at any one time, seven active and seven passive, but have the option to change which
abilities they use as long as they are outside of combat.
The Secret World has, at last count, 525 abilities which are divided into 9 weapons.
Melee
- Hammer - Damage and Survivability
- Fists - Damage and Healing
- Blades - Damage and Survivability
- Assault Rifles - Damage and Healing
- Pistols - Damage and Support
- Shotguns - Damage and Support
- Blood Magic - Damage and Healing
- Chaos - Damage and Survivability
- Elementalism - Damage and Support
Your character, however, only has access to 7 active and 7 passive abilities at one time. If you’re coming from a regular MMO background
it can seem a bit limiting to only have 7 and 7 abilities, as oposed to the 25 or so you’re probabyl used to having,
but if you give it a chance you’ll see that The Secret World could never have been any other way.
Decks, suggested build paths, will be available to give players an idea of where to start with ability point allocation.
There are 10 decks available for each faction. All abilities are unique instead of just being more powerful forms of other abilities. They will scale with gear.
Investigation
Investigation Missions, or Puzzle Missions, are a type of mission unique to The Secret World. They will ask players to do everything from code-breaking on locks,
hacking into computers, or even research on the internet. An in-game browser will be included, for out-of-game research methods similar to that of ARG's.
Ranking
Ranking missions are faction specific. It is unclear whether these missions are a type of main or a type of story. At this time we do not know if Ranking missions
occupy their own category within the game.
Action
Action missions require the player to perform tasks such as defeating enemies, fighting back invading forces, and discovering behaviors and weaknesses
of certain monsters. Map markers or waypoints will appear in some action missions, but not all.
Sabotage
Sabotage missions require stealth game play. They involve sneaking, evading, and hacking in enemy bases and utilities in order to disrupt their efficiency.
Traps can be enabled/disabled by players to hinder or assist players in their actions.
Dungeon
Dungeon missions give you access to the dungeons. These are repeatable, and unlike the other mission types, they are not on a timer, so can run the same
dungeon back-to-back.
Item
These are "flavor" missions that tie back into the story mission. They are obtained by using an item found in the world, rather than speaking to an NPC.
Investigation Missions, or Puzzle Missions, are a type of mission unique to The Secret World. They will ask players to do everything from code-breaking on locks,
hacking into computers, or even research on the internet. An in-game browser will be included, for out-of-game research methods similar to that of ARG's.
Ranking
Ranking missions are faction specific. It is unclear whether these missions are a type of main or a type of story. At this time we do not know if Ranking missions
occupy their own category within the game.
Action
Action missions require the player to perform tasks such as defeating enemies, fighting back invading forces, and discovering behaviors and weaknesses
of certain monsters. Map markers or waypoints will appear in some action missions, but not all.
Sabotage
Sabotage missions require stealth game play. They involve sneaking, evading, and hacking in enemy bases and utilities in order to disrupt their efficiency.
Traps can be enabled/disabled by players to hinder or assist players in their actions.
Dungeon
Dungeon missions give you access to the dungeons. These are repeatable, and unlike the other mission types, they are not on a timer, so can run the same
dungeon back-to-back.
Item
These are "flavor" missions that tie back into the story mission. They are obtained by using an item found in the world, rather than speaking to an NPC.
Assembly is used to create consumables, talismans, and weapons which support the player and their build choice(s).
There are no Assembly classes to choose from or skills to be raised; as long as the player knows the shape and has the materials they can create the item.
Assembling an item increases experience and is a component of a variety of location-based story-lines.
Before an item can be assembled, first, it must be disassembled. Disassembling items reveals the "shape" of the item and provides the base materials to create future items.
Once you have the shape and the materials, a toolkit must be obtained and then the item can be created.
Assembled items can be similar to those available from loot or quests but assembly will also allow the creation of unique combinations, unavailable from other sources
Check out this crafting guide if you need help.
There are no Assembly classes to choose from or skills to be raised; as long as the player knows the shape and has the materials they can create the item.
Assembling an item increases experience and is a component of a variety of location-based story-lines.
Before an item can be assembled, first, it must be disassembled. Disassembling items reveals the "shape" of the item and provides the base materials to create future items.
Once you have the shape and the materials, a toolkit must be obtained and then the item can be created.
Assembled items can be similar to those available from loot or quests but assembly will also allow the creation of unique combinations, unavailable from other sources
Check out this crafting guide if you need help.
The rules of engagement are set and regulated by the Council of Venice who control the interactions of the three societies
by dictating the rule-set and location of each battle. At each location, the three factions battle for control ancient relics.
There is no open world PvP and there will not be separate server rule set for PvP and PvE.
Battlefields
Battlefieds, also called arenas and mini-games, are matches of instanced PvP, each having certain rule sets about team size and
winning conditions. Factions bonuses and buffs from battlefields will contribute toward winning warzones
Persistent Warzones
The Fusang Projects requires players to gain control of "ancient relics that contain great magic."
The objectives for the zone include gaining control of anima wells, which allow the faction to create anima charges, powerful spells capable of doing large amounts of damage,
which are used to blow open the temple gates while holding off the other faction attempting to complete the same objectives.
Then attackers must make their way to the heart of the temple, holding off defenders, where an ancient automaton, from the third age, must be battled and disabled.
An attack on the temple is successful when the automaton changes from the defending faction's color to the attacker's.
At this point the attackers would hold 2 of the 3 objectives for the war zone, which is still officially held by the defenders.
Persistent Warzones are Dimension specific.
Fight Clubs
TSW will feature areas called "fight clubs" which are located in each of the games main hubs (New York, London and Seoul) where players can engage in FFA PvP.
They have described these areas as self policed and have stated that one faction can take over a different faction's fight club, requiring the home faction to kick them out.
by dictating the rule-set and location of each battle. At each location, the three factions battle for control ancient relics.
There is no open world PvP and there will not be separate server rule set for PvP and PvE.
Battlefields
Battlefieds, also called arenas and mini-games, are matches of instanced PvP, each having certain rule sets about team size and
winning conditions. Factions bonuses and buffs from battlefields will contribute toward winning warzones
Persistent Warzones
The Fusang Projects requires players to gain control of "ancient relics that contain great magic."
The objectives for the zone include gaining control of anima wells, which allow the faction to create anima charges, powerful spells capable of doing large amounts of damage,
which are used to blow open the temple gates while holding off the other faction attempting to complete the same objectives.
Then attackers must make their way to the heart of the temple, holding off defenders, where an ancient automaton, from the third age, must be battled and disabled.
An attack on the temple is successful when the automaton changes from the defending faction's color to the attacker's.
At this point the attackers would hold 2 of the 3 objectives for the war zone, which is still officially held by the defenders.
Persistent Warzones are Dimension specific.
Fight Clubs
TSW will feature areas called "fight clubs" which are located in each of the games main hubs (New York, London and Seoul) where players can engage in FFA PvP.
They have described these areas as self policed and have stated that one faction can take over a different faction's fight club, requiring the home faction to kick them out.
Forget everything you thought you knew about the world, and embark on a journey through the secret world.
Explore real and mythical locations, from primordial forests to bustling city streets, from secret research facilities to alternate dimensions.
Additional to the three hub cities, there will be three regions to visit for the players, each divided into several big adventure zones.
Those zones contain Missions, Dungeons, Lairs and Lair bosses. Exploration is key to solve the mysteries and to get to know each area.
The Storyline drags the player through the regions and zones, but there are no restrictions of where to go and when!
The player may encounter dark forces he can not fight yet, as there will be the need for better gear and knowledge to defeat the creatures.
Explore real and mythical locations, from primordial forests to bustling city streets, from secret research facilities to alternate dimensions.
Additional to the three hub cities, there will be three regions to visit for the players, each divided into several big adventure zones.
Those zones contain Missions, Dungeons, Lairs and Lair bosses. Exploration is key to solve the mysteries and to get to know each area.
The Storyline drags the player through the regions and zones, but there are no restrictions of where to go and when!
The player may encounter dark forces he can not fight yet, as there will be the need for better gear and knowledge to defeat the creatures.
HUGE thanks to the crygaia wiki and the work they do, without the infos they assembled there would be no OT.
You should also check out their main site, as it provides useful info for every aspect of the game.
As always thanks to GAF, EviL, the admins and mods!
Important:
>> GAF Spreadsheet for characters <<
TSW account management
TheYanger's explanation/introduction to the Ability Wheel
Soundtrack (Spotify link)
Character Chronicle
Game Manual
Unfair.co - Very good, if not best walkthroughts and mission guides- SPOILERS!
Steam group! Join us!
GAF chat channel:
#SecretGAF
Type in /chat join SecretGAF
Note that you have to add the channel to the window once you opened it (small plus sign).
To join/add channel automatically:
- Go into your "The Secret World" folder.
- Go into or create a "Scripts" folder.
- Create two files in there named "auto_teleport" and "auto_login" without any extention.
- in both files add two lines:
- Launch game!
Videos:
Everything is true
World and settings
Freeform progression trailer
The Secret War trailer
Five essential tips for playing The Secret World - by pheseus
Screens:
You should also check out their main site, as it provides useful info for every aspect of the game.
As always thanks to GAF, EviL, the admins and mods!
Important:
>> GAF Spreadsheet for characters <<
You can play, group up, form and join a cabal with everyone, no matter what Dimension they are on. The only restriction is the the persistant PVP zone (Fusang), as it is Dimension specific.
TSW WebsiteTSW account management
TheYanger's explanation/introduction to the Ability Wheel
Soundtrack (Spotify link)
Character Chronicle
Game Manual
Unfair.co - Very good, if not best walkthroughts and mission guides- SPOILERS!
Steam group! Join us!
GAF chat channel:
#SecretGAF
Type in /chat join SecretGAF
Note that you have to add the channel to the window once you opened it (small plus sign).
To join/add channel automatically:
- Go into your "The Secret World" folder.
- Go into or create a "Scripts" folder.
- Create two files in there named "auto_teleport" and "auto_login" without any extention.
- in both files add two lines:
Code:
delay 5000
/chat join SecretGAFVideos:
Everything is true
World and settings
Freeform progression trailer
The Secret War trailer
Five essential tips for playing The Secret World - by pheseus
Screens:
