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Flameseeker Chronicles Extra: A brief history of Guild Wars 2's Tyria, part two
Earlier this week we started looking at the history of everything leading up to Guild Wars 2 in what is probably a grave disservice to the lore writers at ArenaNet. When we left off, the Charr and humans were still bickering over Ascalon, players had just saved the world at the end of Prophecies, and there were still some 253 years left before the start of Guild Wars 2. Now it's time for the events from Eye of the North through Guild Wars Beyond and into the present day. This lore overview isn't even pretending to be all-encompassing, but it might help you understand what the dragon nonsense is about and what's going on with the world you're stepping into. Except where events had exceptional impact, we'll largely ignore what's going on in Cantha and Elona, or else we'd need two whole more posts. I hope it goes without saying that there are lore spoilers ahead, as well as Eye of the North, Guild Wars Beyond, and companion novel (Ghosts of Ascalon and Edge of Destiny) spoilers. You have been warned.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Big changes
The last chapter of Guild Wars Beyond's Winds of Change was released just a handful of days ago, bringing nine new quests, fancy weapons, fresh rewards, and a heaping helping of story to the land of Cantha, not to mention a significant update to the way ArenaNet is telling the tale. Miku's Tale in particular boasts a few distinct differences from earlier parts of this storyline -- largely, the consensus seems to be, for the better. There was a fair bit of griping after the first portion of Winds of Change went live and a widespread agreement that something was not quite right about the way the quests at the start of Winds of Change were being handled. ArenaNet responded to this with promises to go back and retune quests, mostly in response to the argument that mobs were too hard. While I certainly understand a fiendish level of mob difficulty acting as an intimidating gateway to players less comfortable with fighting in Guild Wars, I don't think it was really the heart of the problem with the earlier Winds of Change content.
Guild Wars: The winds just keep on a-changin'
ArenaNet has just announced that the third installment of Winds of Change, Miku's Tale, will be going live tomorrow! Part of Guild Wars Beyond, an effort to bridge the story between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, Winds of Change has been following the shifting states of affairs in Cantha. The rise of the Ministry of Purity, a new governmental organization, has had a central role in the story. First fighting with player characters against the blighted Afflicted then gangs of criminals, the Ministry slowly grew in influence and power. Guild Wars players aided the Ministry of Purity in its fight for justice until a chance encounter at a Ministry rally turned things sour. Since then, players have been rescuing captives, working with the Tengu, and generally making a nuisance of themselves as far as the Ministry is concerned. Now, with things in Cantha at the edge of chaos, we can once again pick up the story -- and dive into the final chapter of Winds of Change. If you'd like to see the new content in action, join us tomorrow, February 9th, at 7 p.m. EST for a special edition livestream. Our own Richie Procopio will be joined by ArenaNet staff as he streams the game live on our Twitch channel!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Who wants to go kill some afflicted?
These winds, they are a changin'. Sorry, sorry. I couldn't resist. Anyway, the first round of Winds of Change content dropped Thursday night, so the Guild Wars community is abuzz with talk of the new content, costumes, and enemies in Cantha. Several members of our guild were sitting around playing the "What do you wanna do? Eh, I dunno, what do you wanna do?" game when Winds of Change arrived, so we were all pretty much free. Six of us bolted for Kaineng Center, partied up, jumped on vent, and took off. We were in for a bit of a surprise. You see, most of us have been playing for a very long time and are pretty comfortable with normal-mode content. We threw in a couple of hero monks, loaded up some standard builds, and off we went. We were treating it like a casual exploration thing, heading out to see what was out there. Whoops. The Live Team has been working overtime, I see. We slunk back to town to lick our wounds and tried again, this time with more (relative) success. So how was it? Follow along after the jump and let's take a look!
The winds, they are a-changin' in Guild Wars
It's time for another major event in Guild Wars, one that's been heavily anticipated by the players -- the next installment in Guild Wars Beyond, centering around the lands of Cantha. There are changes afoot for the land, as evidenced by the title of the new multi-part event, Winds of Change. And if you want to start taking part in the history that will shape Guild Wars 2, now is a fine time to see what those winds are bringing. Players can start their newest adventure by speaking with Initiate Zei Ri at Kaineng Center, setting them down the road following the events of Guild Wars Factions. (Needless to say, you have to have finished Factions to take part in the new missions.) As was the case for the previous installment, the update brings with it new costumes for players to purchase so that the battle for Cantha's future can be done in style. Guild Wars players should get to work seeing all that the update has to offer, because the change starts now... and who knows how much will be different when all is said and done.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Expectations vs. reality
Welcome to another edition of Flameseeker Chronicles, and happy Thanksgiving several days late! I had an enjoyable weekend visiting family, eating way too much, and shopping (also way too much). In between that I managed to hop into Guild Wars and farm some pumpkin pie and hard apple cider. Earlier last week I also spent two and a half hours playing through Hearts of the North on Massively's Livestream channel, showing the content to several hundred readers. That was a bit of a nerve-wracking experience, because it's not the easiest content in the world, and there's nothing quite so much fun as having to restart over and over in front of a huge crowd. In the end I had a great time, and it was a good illustration that this isn't throwaway content that you can skate through. My thoughts on the content as well as some Guildcast discussion got me looking at the interaction between ArenaNet and the Guild Wars community, something I've been doing a lot in the absence of major Guild Wars 2 news. Follow along after the jump to see where my focus has been lately -- and as always, share your thoughts at the end!
UPDATED: Win a new Guild Wars costume pack from Massively!
Yesterday's surprise reveal of Guild Wars: Hearts of the North came with some very exciting extras for Massively. First, John Stumme spent some quality time with us, giving us all the inside scoop on this new content. The second extra goes straight to you, our readers. You see, Hearts of the North includes all sorts of new costumes and headpieces for players. Here at Massively, we managed to get our hands on 10 costume packs, and we are in a sharing mood. We've got five Wedding Couple packs (which include the bride and groom attire) and five Wedding Party packs (which include the entire set of costumes). Would you like one for your very own? Then talk to us! What do you love about the new content? What are you looking forward to seeing in Hearts of the North? Let us know in the comments section below by 11:59 p.m. EST tonight and you'll be entered in a random drawing for one of these costume packs! Don't forget to check out our contest rules, and good luck! [Update: All winners have been chosen and emailed. Congratulations!]
Exclusive interview: Guild Wars unveils Hearts of the North
When we last left our heroes, a distraught Gwen was crying in the Hall of Monuments, and Keiran Thackeray had disappeared. Thankfully, knowledgeable Guild Wars fans weren't too worried over the fate of the most prominent couple in the game. Logan Thackeray and Ebonhawke in Guild Wars 2 carry our assurance that the original couple reunited and married at some point. That point has arrived with Hearts of the North, the newest content addition to Guild Wars. Hearts of the North brings new quests and missions to the game as you progress from the search for Keiran to the wedding festivities. There is plenty of variety, including a Bonus Mission Pack-style event in which you play as Keiran and a more lighthearted chance to help a Norn wedding planner arrange the ceremony. The highlight of all the new content, of course, is the wedding. There are five new costumes for you to choose from for the ceremony, so get ready to choose your favorite formal wear and help bring our lovebirds back together! Hold on though, because we have so much more for you! We are as excited to see new Guild Wars content as the rest of the community, and we inundated ArenaNet with questions. John Stumme had plenty to say to all of them, even tossing in a few extra surprises for us. Follow along after the jump for the full scoop on Hearts of the North!
Flameseeker Chronicles: What have we learned from the War in Kryta?
It was another relatively quiet week in Guild Wars 2 news, but here at Massively we had an exciting interview with some of the ArenaNet team members about aspects of Guild Wars 1. In that interview, John Stumme snuck in some hints of what's to come for Guild Wars: Beyond. We finally got the official name of the Canthan content: Winds of Change. There's much more, too -- Keiran's coming back, there's a wedding on the horizon, and we haven't seen the last of the Lunatic Court. These new details sparked a lot of talk among the fans and got me thinking about player feedback from the War in Kryta. Follow along after the jump as we take a look, and then let me know what you think!
Costume design and hints of what's to come: Massively's interview with the Guild Wars team
Halloween may be over, but it lingers on in Guild Wars. The new costumes and the new Halloween masks can still be seen all over Tyria as players show off their latest dye mixes and combine the masks with various armor sets and costumes. The event resonates in another way too. We got so many hints and details on new and old characters in Tyria: we were introduced to the Lunatic Court, we met Mad King Thorn's ex-wife, and even Palawa Joko made an appearance. All of this seemed to hint at more to come, and fans were left wondering: is this the last we've seen of all this? We at Massively were anxious to know too, so we went straight to the source. Live Team Lead John Stumme, along with artists Susan Jessup and Kristen Perry, spent some time answering our questions about the thoughts and ideas behind the creation of the new costumes and masks. In between their answers, they managed to drop all sorts of exciting tidbits about what's coming in Guild Wars. Read on past the break to see for yourself!
The Road to 50: A guide to filling your Guild Wars Hall of Monuments (I)
While I was writing today's Flameseeker Chronicles, I noticed something: It was about twice as long as my normal columns, and yet I'd barely skimmed the surface. Many players in the Guild Wars community went inactive over the past few years while waiting for Guild Wars 2. Now that we know all the details of the strongest link between the two games, hundreds if not thousands of players are coming out of retirement to max out their Halls. Today's Flameseeker Chronicles was a generalized guide to reaching 30 points on the calculator. That number will get you every reward on the scale, but so many veteran players and completionists are chasing 50 points that I wanted to do something for them too. The Road to 50 is a feature that will run for five days this week, each day focusing on a different monument. I'll give tips, suggestions, and guides for obtaining a "full score" in each one. Today's focus is Miniatures, so follow along after the jump to see how to get your hands on 50 of your little friends.
Guild Wars Community Manager talks War in Kryta
The War in Kryta campaign has garnered an incredible amount of attention from the Guild Wars community, at first because of the mystery surrounding the OBEY and DISMANTLE flyers. As time passed and it became increasingly clear that this would help bridge the gap between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, it became an even hotter topic among the fanbase. New content in game, talk on the forums, and a Facebook campaign all combined to make this the most exciting thing that's happened to Guild Wars in quite a while. We got the opportunity to chat with Community Manager Regina Buenaobra about War in Kryta, the latest round of costumes in game, and what's coming next for Guild Wars. Follow along after the jump to see what she had to say!
