TERA : Races, the Archer and Westernization
The En Masse TERA team was very busy last week with site updates and lots of great information about the game set to launch later this year. Fans have new specifics about the Baraka and Popori races and about the Archer class. In addition, the team has tackled the specifics of how a game is 'Westernized'.
Developers want fans to know that westernizing a game is not a simple matter of word-to-word translation but also includes feeling and textual ambiance. After all, devs opine, no one wants another "all your base are belongs to us..." situation, least of all En Masse. The assurance is that translation will be deep and inclusive and will give players the feeling that the game "was created for them".
Two new races were profiled on the site, the Baraka and the Popori. Baraka are descendents of giants and are considered the most scholarly of TERA's races. As devs describe them, "It is never wise to cross someone who not only knows the proper way to crush a skeleton, but is strong enough to do it."
Popori seem to resemble the 'fae' in more traditional MMOs in that they are somewhat childlike in their approach to the world and seem to lack impulse control in situations where decorum may be a good thing. From all reports, while cute, Popori are not afraid of battle and seem to be true neutral in their feelings towards their actions. No guilt or remorse seems to plague them after a victorious battle.
En Masse has also recently profiled the Archer class. Archers are adept at beginning engagement with an enemy at a distance and then using their agility to run in and finish the job. "Some take this manipulative tendency out of battle and bring it into their social circle, where they focus on controlling conversations and social situations to suit their needs or desires. It wouldn't be fair to say that you can't ever trust an archer's motives, but staying alert is always wise."