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Get your Secret World goodness on sale now

Shiny Addict — Tue, 12 Jan 2016 20:00:43 +0000

If you’d put off buying The Secret World or any of its DLCs hoping for a sale, your patience has paid off. Steam’s midweek madness sale includes the base game, various packs, and even single DLCs on sale for between 50-66% off. You can even get a copy of the single-player spin off The Park (a must if you don’t have it already!) for $8.70, a savings of 33%. But don’t delay: If you are ready to finally jump in or expand your TSW experience, you only have until January 15th at 1:00 p.m. EST to buy before the sale prices poof.

What do you get in each pack and for how much? Here’s the breakdown:

TSW base game – $10.19

Issues # 1-4
30 days membership

Ultimate Edition – $20.39

Base game plus 30 days membership
Issues #5 through 11
Sidestories: Further Analysis
Sidestories: Love & Loathing
Sidestories: The Last Pagan
Beginner Weapons
AP Injection (25 cc)
3-day Ability Point Boost
The Zenith Core outfit

Fall of Tokyo pack – $14.99

Issue #9 through 11
Sidestories: Love & Loathing
Sidestories: The Last Pagan
Orochi Pilot Jumpsuit outfit

Issue #9 collectors edition – $12.49

Issue #9: The Black Signal
Japanese School Uniform outfit
Orochi Damage Inhibitor (epic-grade trinket)
Mask of Zeami
Sensei title

Issue #10 collectors edition – $12.49

Issue #10: Nightmares in the Dream Palace
Dreams of a Geisha outfit
Orochi AEGIS Disruptor (epic-grade curiosity)
unique Japanese formal bow emote

Issue #12 collectors edition – $12.49

Issue #12: To The Dark Tower Below
Orochi Scorpius Pet
Orochi Personal Devastator (epic-grade gadget)
Kitties of Ulthar t-shirt

Stream: To the stubborn go The Secret World spoils

Shiny Addict — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 19:00:16 +0000

Have you ever heard of the saying, To the stubborn go the spoils? Well, that’s what it should say, because sheer stubbornness is seriously how I finally got through the my evil tree mission in The Secret World.

One of the great things about TSW is the fact that it’s not just a matter of grabbing a couple levels and going out to smash through things with the same skills you’ve been using all along. Here you have to tailor what you are going to use for what you are going to face! I love that even combat involves planning, paying attention, and strategy. And if you don’t get things right the first time: step back, reevaluate, and readjust your plan of attack. Then, when victory is obtained, it’s all the sweeter. Nothing drove that point home better than this:

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Stream: When it all boils down to the final minutes in TSW

Shiny Addict — Fri, 18 Jul 2014 17:00:13 +0000

Sometimes, the best moment is a fleeting one that sneaks in at the very end. And sometimes, the last death is the best! Such was the case in my latest The Secret World Tokyo adventures. The night started with a decent helping of crazy and a friend (not one and the same, really!) and then ended with a test of skill and dexterity — or possibly just plain luck. In my case, I think we can agree to say unluck. But the crowning moment happened at the very end. You really have to see it to believe it. Once you do, you’ll see proof positive that TSW really IS out to get me!

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Double XP binging is bad for your sanity

Shiny Addict — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 00:00:14 +0000

If you think I’ve been a bit quiet lately, I have. And I have a very valid reason, too. You see, ’tis the season of double XP! There was double XP going on in Star Wars: The Old Republic, followed by double AP in The Secret World. And mixed in there were double XP weekends in other games, like EverQuest and EverQuest II. One is bad enough, but multiples? Thanks to all these, I lost myself, my time, and my mind.

As excited as people can get about double XP, it is actually a truly evil thing. And evil, life-sucking, sanity-stealing thing. Why? Because unless I have max-level characters already, I have a hard time saying no! Who can pass up a good deal? I simply can’t withstand that allure of two-for-one, especially if the game is super grinderiffic. I mean, passing up on the chance to get farther in less time would be totally crazy, right? What’s really crazy is that I went in and played games I wouldn’t even normally play thanks to the lure of the double XP.

Such was the case recently with SW:TOR. I don’t play the game regularly. Heck, I haven’t even touched that title in a long, long time. But with double XP (and a gaming partner driven to see every class story), we were deep in Kuat missions and PvP matches for the entire week! The good news is that we did get our Jedis to level 50 and set in a prime position to complete the class story quests. I even made some progress on my long-abandoned smuggler and started my first actual dark side character.

Next up came the double AP in TSW. Although this is a game I regularly play, I am still far from maxed out in AP so I was eager to dive in and partake in some delectable AP goodness. I missed a couple days of it because of the other double, but once I was available I was sure to take advantage of this opportunity, which allowed me to complete a couple other decks I have been working on as well as get myself a share of anniversary loot.

It all sounds pretty good, right? So you may be wondering what the problem is with any of this. Topping the list of double XP negatives is how incredibly stressed I feel when it happens. Double the XP definitely does not mean double the fun! In fact, fun isn’t in the equation much at all really. When I am in game, I feel like I have to take advantage of this temporary boon above all else, so I ignore the funner aspects of gaming in order to just power through and soak up as much of the advantage as possible. Even more than that, when I’m not in the game I actually feel guilty that I’m not there taking advantage of it! Dinner? Family time? I’m going to admit that the thought of postponing those other daily activities do cross my mind (hence more guilt, even though I do not succumb to them). My time in other games, however, is definitely sacrificed along with my sanity.

I know where this drive comes from. It’s that feeling — or more accurately that fear — of losing out. During double XP that fear drives me instead of my desire to play and enjoy the game; it turns me momentarily into a destination player instead of a journey player. Technically the logic behind it is so that I can go back and enjoy the journey better with my elite skills, but still! If getting there is (more than half) the fun, and I race at a breakneck speed to get there, then where’s my fun? It’s my own personal iteration of Jekyll and Hyde.

As if guilt and stress (and a dual personality) weren’t enough, double XP has other negative side effects. Just like during other enhanced XP stints, we weren’t just partaking in XP, we were gorging on it! You think you can stop whenever you want, but you can’t. And overindulgence in anything is rarely healthy. Have you ever felt great after stuffing yourself to the gills? Not only does this super binging begin to interfere with other things in life and throw your balance out of whack, but you have to deal with the withdrawals when it’s gone. That’s right — let’s talk about the letdown. Once you’ve imbibed in a steady stream of double XP, how do you go back to the snail pace of regular gaming? Will I log back into those new classes I tried on SW:TOR now that the double XP is over? Suddenly the regular game is too slow, interest wanes. Your enjoyment in the journey has been compromised. The question is, can you recover?

Double XP is an addictive rush that you feel obligated to pursue. Tell me how you can maintain sanity when dealing with that? I sure can’t. I know I should break the double XP cycle, but dang it is hard! I am already looking forward to — while simultaneously dreading — my next fix.

Happy birthday The Secret World!

Shiny Addict — Thu, 03 Jul 2014 16:00:17 +0000

Happy happy birthday! Welcome to the terrible twos, The Secret World!

Not that I think it will be terrible; quite the opposite in fact. You are the game that has brought something so fresh to the table — with your amazing storylines, your deep and memorable characters, and your willingness to allow gameplay to focus on brains instead of just brawn — that I am looking forward to another suspense- and fun-filled year with you.

On this, your special anniversary I just want to say thanks for being one of my all-time favorite games. Ever. I will unabashedly proclaim that TSW is awesome from all the rooftops. If any readers don’t know what all my fuss is about, do yourself a favor and get the game. I’ll see you there!

Stream: TSW’s Issue #7 knocks my socks off (then incinerates them)

Shiny Addict — Mon, 30 Jun 2014 21:00:33 +0000

If I had to describe The Secret World’s Issue #7 in one word, I don’t think I could do it. Because during my first full play-through (my previous tour with Director Joel Bylos just hit many of the highlights and skipped the ending!), I uttered a slew of descriptive contenders. Whoa! Wha… ? Holy Cow!!1! And that’s just to name a few. I also screamed in surprise and laughed maniacally in glee.

A Time to Kill was an emotional roller coaster, which is really a good thing. And even though I know what lies in store, I can’t wait to do at again on my Templar — not just for the flamethrower, but to experience the story again.

If you don’t want any spoilers on how things turn out and want to experience it all fresh for yourself, then be be warned: You do not want to hit play!!

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Stream: Healing is a Nightmare in The Secret World

Shiny Addict — Sun, 08 Jun 2014 21:00:49 +0000

For as nervous as you may be, healing your first dungeon could be called a nightmare. So what do you call it when you heal your first Nightmare Mode dungeon? Or even your second? Even though you can change up your build in The Secret World, many people — myself included — get used to playing a certain roll. And while I play healers regularly elsewhere, I never play them in our dungeon groups here. But when you’re needed, you step up, right?

So how did it go? In all, I think I fared pretty well. Of course, you can watch and judge for yourself. Ironically, of all things I proved that my team didn’t even need a need a healer! Well, at least at times. No, no ego bruising there…

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Stream: Solving The Secret World’s “The Animate Clay” problem

Shiny Addict — Sun, 25 May 2014 14:00:48 +0000

Brains need a workout just as much as trigger fingers, and that’s what I love so much about the investigation missions in The Secret World. And the newest additions to the investigation family have certainly been worth my while. Want to watch as I take viewers through Dr. Aldini’s latest fiasco, The Animate Clay? Now’s your chance.

Warning: This is your spoiler alert! If you want to solve the full thing yourself without any interference, don’t watch.

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