Gaia Rocks! TSW's Anniversary Event

So Funcom pulled out a great anniversary event, at least at the start. We had an awesome time putting on the "Stir of Echoes" Investigation Contest on Beyond the Veil last Wednesday evening as part of the anniversary celebration kickoff. Some most excellent prizes were given away (Read that like Bill & Ted would). The devs had a little thing of their own going on, too.

It seems that the Bees and their chosen have not quite been working hard or fast enough, so Gaia is taking things into her own hands to combat the Filth, sending out massive Guardians to eliminate the problem. Unfortunately, that risks exposure of the whole Secret World to the general population, and the various secret factions can't have that. So the Council is coordinating efforts to eradicate this additional threat to the safety of the human population.

I gotta say, it's been pretty spectacular. Scooterz and I had a lot of fun all weekend, running from fight to fight. Or rather, "Meeting up" from fight to fight. You see, the fights are in every zone across all dimensions. The only way to jump dimensions is through a meet-up with someone already there. So a special chat channel (#anniversity) was set up by players (as far as I know) to call out locations and arrange for meet-ups. I now have a couple dozen extra "friends" with whom I have met up and fought the beasts together. Brothers in Arms, so to speak. I don't think I've ever seen such coordination across an entire community to respond to a special in-game event. That alone is pretty awesome. And let no one tell you that nobody plays TSW. Plenty of folks do, I've got the pics to prove it.

There are several different special items, like minipet versions of each Guardian, rare eyewear, and drops of Black Bullion (end-game currency) and signets (gear boosts). I actually got two signets for major talismans; which like bullion, normally only drop in Nightmare-mode dungeons as I understand it.

Killing each Guardian in all eight PvE zones nets you an achievement and an awesome T-shirt, as modeled above by the deadly LoneStarBelle. There is a ninth Guardian in the PvP warzone Fusang Projects, but the queue is crazy, so they removed it from the required achievement. Check in tomorrow for the not-so-greats of this anniversary event.

Pic of the Day: In It Together

As MMOGC said:

The couple that slays together stays together.

Blog Spotlight: Geek Fitness—With a Quote for the Day.

Just like in a video game, you really need some support to take on those fitness bosses. If you want to blow up the Evil Lords of Gluten, you’re going to need help. If you want to smash the Council of Three Fats, bring some friends. If you plan to pulverize the Princess of Pilates, pull in a party of positive influences. If you want to escape the seductive grasp of Lady Laziness, you’re going to need someone to slap some sense into you.
~Professor Beej, It's Dangerous to Go Alone

I started following B.J. Keeton a while back on Twitter and on his gaming & literature blog appropriately named Professor Beej. A man of many talents, B.J. is an English professor, indie writer, MMORPG enthusiast, and—more recently—amateur athlete. I really only included the above pic so you know that B.J. ain't playin' around.

I, personally, have not made the great strides he has in losing weight, but I am working on it. I need to include more movement in my routine, though. B.J. and others, like Psynister and Fynralyl over at The Chubby Couple, inspire me that it can be done, and it doesn't require a crazy diet that I can't stick to and is probably unhealthy. It takes determination, subtle lifestyle changes, and the support of family and friends. Don't go alone.

The Secret World: Year One

Wow, it's been a year! I'm not sure I've ever been as involved in a game a year after starting as I am with TSW. I think I played WoW more after a year, but I wasn't involved with the community. And of course, WoW has always been a powerhouse.

The Secret World was always going to be a niche game. Creepy, smart . . . literary. But that sort of Intellectual Property inspires some serious loyalty. Once Funcom adjusted its expectations and its operations plan, TSW turned into a profitable enterprise (Chrome will auto translate).

Lots of greats stuff is planned for the Anniversary event. Issue 7 is on its way. And of course tonight is the big celebration of Beyond of Veil: Night of the Living Anniversary, commemorating both our own first year and that of TSW. If you're online, I hope to see you there.

BtV: Stir of Echoes

It's been a great week for Beyond the Veil and our loyal listeners. We kicked off our First Anniversary celebration with a Fashion Contest at the Crusades in London. For creative types, Holosuite Media is running two contests, one is the opportunity to Design BtV's new Logo for the new season—codenamed "Issue 2"—and the other is for a fun in-universe Commercial that will be aired on the show during Issue 2. Follow the links for details, but realize that . . .

THE DEADLINE FOR BOTH CREATIVE CONTESTS IS TODAY!

Of all the contests we're running as part of Beyond the Veil and The Secret World's Anniversary Event, I'm personally most excited about the special Investigative Mission contest hosted by the BtV crew. We took it through a closed beta on Sunday afternoon; and after a few tweaks, I think it's quite challenging without being crazy impossible. We've managed to include a little bit of everything in this mission; it's got elements of Investigation, Sabotage/Stealth, Combat, even a little PvP (only in the sense that you're in a race against other players). Don't worry, no need for experience with Morse Code or the ability to distinguish Baroque from Rococo. Xander really outdid himself with the quest design. With significant contributions from the BtV crew, and a little final wordsmithing from Yours Truly, I honestly think we have a mission worthy of The Secret World.

A native of Kingsmouth has been awakened by Gaia unexpectedly. Each faction races to bring the young woman into the fold, equally confused as to why she didn’t come to their attention sooner. As a widely-traveled resident of the island, she could be anywhere. And your faction rep has made it clear to use every asset at your disposal to bring this woman into the fold. Who will get to her first? And what does her awakening mean in the larger scheme of things?

You can find details on prizes at Holosuite Media, as well, as some helpful reminders about the mission itself. Join us tomorrow, 3 July 2013, at 7 PM Eastern (UTC-4 hours) on Holosuite Excess to listen in on the show as you solve the mystery behind the Stir of Echoes.