aetherblades
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Guild Wars 2 Edge of the Mists Q&A with Devon Carver
The newest addition to Guild Wars 2's World vs. World map family, Edge of the Mists, began beta testing in late November of 2013. With February 4th's content release, ArenaNet will introduce it to the live game, at which point it will be set upon by Scarlet Briar's forces and players will most likely get to punt plenty of Aetherblades right off the edge of the Mists and into the formless void of the Mists proper. Gosh darn it, Scarlet, this is why we can't have nice things. It's a good thing Devon Carver, head of the WvW design team, has penned a blog post about the real business of WvW: players punting each other into the formless void of the Mists. Massively got to chat with him about the upcoming release, so jump past the break to get the scoop on what the WvW team has in store!
Journey to the Edge of the Mists in Guild Wars 2's next content release
Guild Wars 2's new World vs. World map, the Edge of the Mists, has been in beta testing for several months. Soon, players will get to experience it in the live game, along with (hopefully) reduced WvW queue times and new opportunities to beat up players from rival realities. There's trouble in PvP paradise, though, and it comes in familiar red airships. ArenaNet's Colin Johanson and Meelad Sadat sat down with us to talk about the upcoming content release, appropriately named Edge of the Mists. Jump past the cut to grab some info and watch the teaser video!
Diving into Guild Wars 2's Fractals of the Mists changes with ArenaNet
Last November, the Lost Shores content patch brought the Fractals of the Mists, a set of bite-sized dungeon scenarios that increase in difficulty as more are completed, to Guild Wars 2. As the anniversary of FotM rolls around, ArenaNet is adding brand spanking new Fractals to the rotational lineup as well as making changes to bring the content further in line with the developers' vision for the future of the game. We were invited to attend a conference call with Game Director Colin Johanson and content designer Anthony Ordon, where they gave us some insight into the design behind the new Fractals, the updated reward structure, and where FotM will head from here.
Guild Wars 2's latest release will bring together new Fractals
Guild Wars 2 players voted Ellen Kiel into a position on the Lion's Arch captains' council during the Cutthroat Politics release. In the newest update, Fractured, Kiel will keep her campaign promises by opening up new areas in the Fractals of the Mists! You'll be able to revisit the popular Molten Weapons Facility and Aetherblade Retreat dungeons in Fractalized form, with the final bosses from each joining the Jade Maw as Fractal bosses. Kiel has also sponsored research into the Thaumanova Reactor meltdown, giving players a chance to explore that slice of history for the first time. In addition, Fractals of the Mists will be getting a coat of polish on rewards, progression and Agony resistance. This release will also include the opening of an arena in World vs. World's Obsidian Sanctum, giving players a dedicated space in which to beat on each other mercilessly for the fun of it. Have at you! Enjoy the new trailer after the break.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's rogue's gallery remixes
Guild Wars 2's wicked snake people, the Krait, are nasty on their best of days, and ArenaNet is making them even nastier in the new Tower of Nightmares release. The titular tower has been built in secret in Viathan Lake under a force field, and its unveiling will cause massive changes in the area. The trailer shows us green skies filled with black seeds and sinister winds; at the top of the tower is a plant of some kind. I'm not used to describing plants as lurking or looming, but this one is definitely doing both. I'm excited for this release because it looks creepy, and regardless of how effective it ends up being, I almost always appreciate it when MMOs attempt to be scary. I like that the lore of GW2 doesn't always take itself too seriously, but when it goes dark, it can hit some disturbing notes. My misgivings about the patch lie in this being the third enemy mashup we've seen: Dredge and Flame Legion, Inquest and Aetherblades, and now Krait and what have to be some extremely persuasive snake charmers.
Launch an assault on Twilight Arbor in Guild Wars 2's new Aetherpath
Scarlet Briar and her Aetherblades are doing a little remodeling work on Twilight Arbor in Guild Wars 2's Twilight Assault content update. No, no need to thank them -- after all, they live there too, now. We're a little concerned that the new modern industrial decor might clash with the existing creepy nature theme, but that's really the Nightmare Court's problem. Your job is to evict all of them, because as tenants go they really suck. The new level 80 explorable path for GW2's Twilight Arbor dungeon -- dubbed the "Aetherpath" -- is the brainchild of the ArenaNet content team responsible for Aetherblade Retreat, along with content designer Leif Chappelle, who worked on the Molten Weapons Facility. Chappelle and his party of professional dungeon runners were kind enough to give us a partial tour of the content, which combines feedback and lessons learned from previous content to provide a challenging new experience. Jump past the break to check it out!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's dragon evolution
I'm praying to Grenth -- not just because he's lord of the dead and my human Necromancer's supreme master but because being in Sparkfly Fen during a Tequatl-stomping session has been threatening to down my usually robust computer and I'm hoping Grenth will take mercy on it. That, or I could just upgrade it. Every little bit helps, though. I've spent most of this past week finishing up the move to a new apartment, but I've still made time to throw myself at Guild Wars 2's buffed-up Tequatl the Sunless fight. I was pleasantly surprised by the encounter and the community's reception of it, and it's definitely given me hope that ArenaNet will be able to add more complex and fun fights of this kind to GW2's open world in the future. Tequatl is like the star of a teen movie, turning every head at the prom after a radical makeover. I know you needed that mental image. You're welcome.
Uncover Scarlet's latest plot in Guild Wars 2's Twilight Assault update
You're probably just as shocked as we are, but Scarlet Briar is up to no good again: Rumor has it that she's messing around in Twilight Arbor, the former stomping ground of Duchess Faolain and the Nightmare Court. Players will join Caithe (who is probably so over bad Sylvari at this point) for a round of anti-Aetherblade maneuvers in a new dungeon path intended for level 80 players. You can look forward to achievement rewards in the form of a Slickpack backpack skin and miniature Twilight Arbor foe; a new version of the classic Nightmare weapon skins will drop in the dungeon itself. Aether key pieces can also be collected and combined to open chests inside Twilight Arbor because if there's one thing that brings us all together as a family, it's stealing stuff from Aether-jerks. Additionally, ArenaNet has announced that Guild Wars 2 will be hosting a free trial week, running from September 27th to October 3rd. If you decide the game is for you, GW2's Digital Heroic Edition will be on sale for $39.99 from September 27th to October 6th.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 election postmortem
We were young. We were trusting. We didn't understand the power we wielded. When the voting booths closed and the last ballots were cast, a dark portal yawned wide in Lion's Arch, unleashing the terrible titan version of candidate Ellen Kiel upon the unsuspecting Guild Wars 2 playerbase. ArenaNet didn't see fit to warn us of the true consequences of the Cutthroat Politics update, but at least we can take some comfort in the fact that Evon Gnashblade didn't win the election. He's got claws. And really pointy teeth. Fortunately, the citizens of Tyria have been distracted from their inevitable doom by the current Queen's Jubilee patch, which is showering us with loot in the manner of a quenching summer rain. I'm the kind of person who will happily farm for multiple hours if given the opportunity, but I'm going to try to drag my hollow eyes from the slaughter long enough to talk about how the previous living story chapter was a great experiment in evolving the world of GW2 -- and how it didn't quite hit the mark.
Fight for your chosen candidate in Guild Wars 2's Cutthroat Politics update
Whether you're a fan of the Black Lion Trading Company's Evon Gnashblade or you're rooting for Lionguard-investigator-turned-airship-captain Ellen Kiel, chances are pretty good that you like playing games. Heck, even if you don't like either Kiel or Gnashblade, you probably still like playing games. On the other hand, if you hate games and just like to vote, you're in deep trouble because the Lion's Arch political process is all about games, which sounds like a great way to let off steam when you feel like literally pummeling the supporters of the candidate you hate. Maybe Tyrians are on to something. In a recent conference call, ArenaNet released plenty of details about what Guild Wars 2 fans can expect to find when they head to the voting booth on July 23rd. Or is it more of a voting arena? Either way, jump past the cut to find out exactly what you'll need to do in order to exercise your ruthless, hardcore, no-holds-barred right to democracy.
Massively's video preview of Guild Wars 2's Sky Pirates of Tyria Patch [Updated]
It's a new week, and that must mean we're ready for new content in Guild Wars 2. ArenaNet continues to pump out content quicker than a long-tailed Charr in a room full of rocking chairs, and tomorrow players will experience the Sky Pirates of Tyria game update. The main feature of this patch is the new five-player dungeon, Aetherblade Retreat. This limited-time dungeon pits players against the lightning-wielding aerial pirates known as the Aetherblades. Two unique boss encounters await players to test their skills, and new rewards, such as an infinite tonic recipe and a monocle, can be earned by those who succeed. The third Guild Wars 2 novel, Sea of Sorrows by Ree Soesbee, also releases tomorrow; players can partake in an in-game scavenger hunt that ties into important locations from the book. Finding the 12 marriners' plaques scattered around Lion's Arch (and Orr) won't be easy, but players tenacious enough to uncover them all will be rewarded with a consumable worth five skill points. There are many other exciting additions going into this patch, so check out the video preview past the cut for more details. (Minor spoiler warning to anyone who hasn't yet done the effigy lighting ceremony and subsequent investigation yet.) [Update]: In the video, I mention killing Horrik first during the end boss fight of the Aetherblade Retreat dungeon. It should have said kill Mai Trin first as that is the correct tactic. My apologies!
Guild Wars 2 introduces the Aetherblades
Who are the Aetherblades? ArenaNet is glad you've asked and has prepared a well-researched essay on the topic. The Aetherblades are a new group that has crashed the Dragon's Bash and is looking to make all kinds of trouble as players head into Guild Wars 2's living story for July. The devs struggled with how to make a new pirate faction that wasn't quite like all of the other pirates in an already piratetastic title. The solution, the article says, was to combine steampunk, lightning, and airships to make a dashing group of electric buccaneers: "We imbued the Aetherblades a lightning aesthetic: They arrive in a bolt of lightning and their skill effects, traps, and weapons are all laced with electrical effects." The article also outlines some of the mobs players will face when they tangle with the Aetherblades, from the basic minions to the razzle-dazzle officer corps.
