Flameseeker Chronicles: The news doors haven't shut... yet
More news! More updates! Be still my heart! No, seriously. It does my fangirl heart such good to see all of these cool updates and details about Guild Wars 2 over the past few weeks. Between the animation updates, the skill updates, and the earnings call, there's plenty to discuss.
I was so excited to see the updated cutscenes, although I couldn't stop giggling at the male character shifting from foot to foot -- I kept waiting for him to ask the Priestess of Dwayna where the bathroom was. That's not a reflection on ArenaNet's design team so much as a testament to my years as the mother of a boy. It's all about the bathroom humor around here.
The new skill acquisition system was great in my book, and the news from the earnings call... well, why don't you follow along after the cut and we'll delve into all of that more deeply.
Let's start with the earnings call. Martin Kerstein summed it up perfectly: "The essence of the earnings call is: Nothing changed from what we have said in the past. We will enter CBT before the end of the year, and depending on the results we get from it, we will decide on Open Beta and Launch." The end. There was really nothing new there, but people got so worked up.
I've got a funny take on these periodic uproars. I don't blame the fans for being so incredibly anxious to get their hands on the game, but I simply cannot make myself join in the excitement. I was talking to a friend recently and explained that at some point in the past year or so, my brain stopped viewing Guild Wars 2 as something that I could eventually play in my own home. Guild Wars 2 is a game I play when I travel, be it to PAX or GDC or E3 or wherever. Because of that, I've accepted "when it's ready" pretty calmly. When I see class reveals or updates, I get really excited, but I'm excited for my next trip. This recent flood of news has me so anxious for GDC next March, hoping that ArenaNet will be showing GW2 there.
Is it a bad thing? I suppose you could take the view that part of me has just given up on this game ever launching, so I've passed through all of the "omg hurry up and launch!!!" flailing about and frustration and come out the other side. However, I get pretty stressed out these days when I think about trying to get into the closed beta, so maybe not all is lost.
In the end, though, there's a lot to be said for that sort of equanimity in this case. I read through the earnings call information, nodded my head, said, "Yup. That's what they've been saying," and moved on. Dissecting every inflection change, word, and pause is a recipe for frustration. The best thing here is accept that there are no big revelations and get back to enjoying the good stuff.
Speaking of the good stuff, I'm very happy with the latest skill revamp. The concept of unlocking skills by using a weapon -- literally becoming more proficient with it through practice -- is so appealing to me. It makes sense, and I always love that. Unlocking healing, utility, and elite skills falls into that happy little category for me as well. While the concept of unlocking healing or utility skills through practice amuses me (picture a ground-targeting heal accidentally benefiting the enemy as the player tries to learn it, or an Engineer's flamethrower blowing up in his face), they're different than your standard skills and should be treated as such. I'm excited to find out more about earning skill points. The developers have such a great sense of humor about the little things in Tyria that things like answering riddles and drinking special drinks have a lot of promise for fun and laughter.
Finally, the updated cutscenes. The seemingly random gestures are something that always snagged a bit for me. Nothing huge; it didn't drive me crazy or make me hate cutscenes, but in the back of my mind I always raised a metaphorical eyebrow when a character sort of randomly waved his hand around while talking. I'd try to remember whether I did things like that or saw people doing things like that while having a real-world discussion. Nope.
On the other hand, ducking your head a bit and rubbing the back of your head and neck in confusion (and maybe a bit of soreness) is exactly what you'd do if you were standing there trying to catch up with events after being unconscious for several days. It's perfect, and it's those little details that help make the world of Tyria one of my favorites to spend time in.
I can't wait to see what's next!
Rubi is a longtime Guild Wars player and the writer of Flameseeker Chronicles here at Massively. The column keeps a close eye on all the events in Guild Wars, Guild Wars 2, and anything bridging the two. It's also the home of a weekly summary of the travels of [MVOP], Massively's Guild Wars guild. Email Rubi at rubi@massively.com.
