Global Agenda

With the Closed Beta sessions for Global Agenda, Hi-Rez Studios has chosen a unique method of testing their content and servers to refine their product into something that is ready for release. By only opening the servers on the weekend, it ensures that the maximum number of testers possible will be on. This also gives Hi-Rez the work week to fix bugs, balance certain aspects, and upgrade their servers if needed. For us players that means that the beta is very much a testing platform instead of an advanced demo like some other betas turn out to be. But it also creates a problem for us; what do we do in the meantime?

With the first Closed Beta weekend having come and gone, it seems like that next one is so far away. To help you with the wait, we here at GameReplays.org have created a handy list that any nail-biting Global Agenda addict can refer to and keep themselves busy.



The beta forums are your go-to place for interaction with the developers, and it is there that you will find all the details on the latest patches or bugs. As a Closed Beta tester, it is your job to keep yourself up to date on such matters and keep an open eye out for them in-game. As well, the forums will no doubt become the epicenter for the formation of the community once the game is released, so don't be shy! Get your name out there, chat with the developers, and let everyone know how you really think.

To find the beta forums, just log into the normal Global Agenda forums and if you're in the Closed Beta you should be able to see it there.

View the official Global Agenda Boards



We here at Gamereplays.org have taken Global Agenda under our wing, and already an active community has sprung up. The forums are really just a beginning, as we are planning on future additions related to the Alliance versus Alliance warfare and the more tight Team versus Team instanced matches. Aside from that, we will be providing the services every portal on Gamereplays offers: Up to the date news, articles and features on certain game aspects, and plenty interviews with developers and prominent community figures alike. So if you're looking for a place to settle down and get your Global Agenda fix while offline, we here at Gamereplays can provide for you.

Check out the official Gamereplays Global Agenda portal



Hi-Rez Studios have really outdone themselves in filling out the world we'll be fighting over. They've written quite the back story for the universe, and unlike other Massively Multiplayer Online games it doesn't end there. Aside from the plots Hi-Rez themselves will be running, much of the lore of the game will be shaped and created by the players themselves. Your agency's contribution to the war effort could appear in the next major news story, or your prowess in the PvP tournament could put your name up in lights. Keeping up on the lore will allow you, as well, to know more about the PvE zones and how they fit into the grander scheme of things, and as new zones open up you'll be on top of the changes they introduce or how they effect currently running story-lines.



Hi-Rez have been posting regular updates on the official Global Agenda site, ranging from question and answer sessions, to their Meet the Team interviews. If you ever want a look into how an independent gaming studio does it, then this is the place to be. Their Meet the Team interviews with specific members on their development team are a great insight into the individual work each person does and how they contribute to the product as a whole. You also get to see some of their original work, like Charles Vinson (Art Director) and Jerry Gardiner's (Senior. Character Artist) past paintings.

View The Hi-Rez Blog



Why Team Fortress 2 specifically? Valve's team-based shooter, released last year, seems to have a format very similar to Global Agenda's own. Although Team Fortress 2 has nine classes in total, Global Agenda seems to cover most of its bases with four. If you're going to be playing Assault, try out the Soldier for his rocket launcher, Demoman for his grenade launcher, or Heavy for his mini-gun and get a feel for how each weapon should generally be played. If you're playing Recon, the Sniper or Spy seem to best encompass the two trees of the Recon, with the Spy's cloaking ability mimicking the Recon's own and the Sniper obviously helping you improve those point-and-click skills you've gained over the years. The Robotics class parallels with the Engineer, who builds turrets, dispensers, and teleporters; at the same time, the Medic class in Global Agenda seems to flow well with the Team Fortress 2 medic, who heals teammates and buffs them with invincibility or damage multiplication.
If it isn’t broken don't fix it, right?

The Team Fortress franchise has been a long running staple of the PC industry, and many games have modifications incorporating the Team Fortress play style into their own, so if you don't have Team Fortress 2 specifically, and don't have the cash to pick it up, check the mod community for games you do have and see if there's anything that emulates the class-based game play.

View the Official Team Fortress 2 Blog



If you're the kind of person who likes to be ahead of the game, you may already be in an agency. But it's not enough to simply exist as a +1 to your agencies member count. If these are the people you are planning on spending your waking moments with, the people you're going to rely on to watch your back, now is the time to get to know them. Chat with your agency and plan on how your agency will play out when the game is released. Are you going to be more relaxed and casual in your structure? Or go with a full hierarchy officers and experts? Will you become part of a large Alliance? How will you communicate? As well, start thinking of various strategies with your teammates, put your heads together and create new tanking builds or team setups that accommodate everyone covers all your weaknesses but multiples your strengths. In the land of the unorganized, the agency is king.



With that limited space on the weekends for game play, you're going to want to make sure that you get in the most possible. That means getting all your math homework done, finishing off that thesis paper, or putting those covers on the TPS reports. Get everything done beforehand so there's nothing to fuss over or worry about on the weekend.



As the time approaches, the Global Agenda Server Status Twitter will be updated with the latest information on the servers. Whether they are up or down, what the new fixes are, or any other similar information, be sure to check that Twitter page regularly so you know when to play and what's been fixed.

Click here for the Global Agenda Server Status twitter



Really, you've been entrusted with the role of a Closed Beta tester. That means Hi-Rez is counting on the watchful eyes of people like you to help them fix the game. So get out there! Report that bug! Reply to that thread! As stated early, be honest with your opinion. That amazing tanking build you made with your agency buddies? Post it on the official boards for others to scrutinize. Found a cool article? Throw it up on the GameReplays forums! Everything from the game, to the message boards, to the various communities you will find have been made to accommodate the influx of new players, so strike early to strike rich and get your name out there.



Raise your right-hand and repeat after me, "Above all else, do not break the Non-Disclosure Agreement." All this is for nought if you suddenly spill the beans on some highly visible forum and then you're banned. Read the Non-Disclosure Agree,ent, know what you can and can't divulge to the public. Lots of things are subject to change within the Closed Beta, so getting peoples hopes up on anything really isn't worth the effort. Likewise, posting videos or screens of unfinished content probably wouldn't reflect well on the company or game, so just hold your horses until everything's been looked over then looked at again. Your data-analyzing ways will come, young padawan, in due time.

Read our notice on the Non-Disclosure Agreement.