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Guild Wars 2's Norn week starts Monday
You know you've got a surefire hit MMORPG on your hands when you're confident enough to put out a press release about a press release. NCsoft and ArenaNet have done just that by announcing that the Norn-flavored followup to the wildly successful Human Week is on its way. It doesn't start until Monday, though, so the best we can tell you at this point is that Norn Week is the second in an ongoing series of race reveals for Guild Wars 2, and the focus will be moving away from humans and toward the shape-shifting half-giants called Norn in short order. Norn Week will bring new dev insights regarding the game's lore, new art assets, and a new video. That's a lot of new, but unfortunately you'll have to wait a few more days. In the meantime, head to the ArenaNet blog for the latest official news and views from the world of Tyria.
Flameseeker Chronicles: We're only human
Last week was an exciting one for Guild Wars/Guild Wars 2 fans, myself included. GW2 might be bringing us five playable races, but ArenaNet spent the past week delving into the original Tyrian playable race: the humans. This was especially exciting to those of us who are longtime residents of Tyria, because we've got lots of new details set on a foundation of familiar history and lore. Here at Massively, we touched on each new piece of information with the promise of an overall analysis today, so here we go! Follow along after the jump and we'll take a look at the human race of Guild Wars 2.
ArenaNet declassifies Guild Wars 2's Human military files
The Humans in Guild Wars 2 may be down on their luck (and population) but they're certainly not out. As ArenaNet continues Human Week, a new blog entry titled The Line of Duty introduces us to the three main military forces representing our spunky cousins -- and why they don't necessarily get along. First and foremost are the Seraph, who act as both the backbone of the military and the police force for the Human settlements. While the Seraph are widespread in Kryta, the Ministry Guard -- the protectors of the Human government and nobility -- mainly focus their efforts in the capital of Divinity's Reach. However, watching over the Royal Family is the responsibility of the Shining Blade, an elite force of warriors and spies. The Shining Blade should be familiar to those who fought in Guild Wars' War in Kryta campaign. Each of these military branches vies for influence and authority over the others, although the Shining Blade tends to be at the top of the pecking order while the Seraph take up position as the whipping boys (and girls). As ArenaNet writes, this causes "a tug-of-war for influence and control" amongst the beleaguered armed forces. You can read about the clash of politics, position and power between these forces on the ArenaNet blog -- and stay tuned for this coming Monday, when Flameseeker Chronicles will give a colorful commentary on the whole of Human Week.
Newest Guild Wars 2 reveal includes human history and video
Guild Wars 2 fans were treated to an early-morning release of the newest dose of human information today. Today's reveal gave a brief summary of human history, a tale well-known to Guild Wars players, along with some interesting new details on familiar foes such as the Modniir. The human gods have withdrawn from their followers, and this information tells us more about their motivation and the human response. The cherry on top is the new video entitled "Kryta: The Last Human Homeland." It's a sweeping tour of Divinity's Reach and an introduction to the Krytan area of Valley Hill, accompanied by a new musical score, as well as the ambient sound and voicework that is fast becoming a hallmark of Guild Wars 2. Visit the Guild Wars 2 site for further information on the human race, and keep your eyes open for next Monday's Flameseeker Chronicles for our analysis of Human Week!
ArenaNet artist talks human character design for Guild Wars 2
Human week continues for ArenaNet and eager Guild Wars 2 fans as character art lead Aaron Coberly delves into Character Art in Guild Wars 2. Aaron covered everything involved in character design from the technical to the lore-based, explaining why overall design decisions are made as well as what technical upgrades the team is working with, but there was much more too. Some new art provided a further look at armor and clothing in Guild Wars 2 (and possibly our first look at a GW2 Mesmer). We also got some new details on how armor classes and character customization will work. Check out the new ArenaNet blog post for yourself, and don't miss next Monday's Flameseeker Chronicles for our detailed analysis of Human Week.
Newest ArenaNet blog post introduces Guild Wars 2 audio
Today's ArenaNet blog post continues Human Week for Guild Wars 2 -- a week-long look at the human race of Tyria. Guild Wars 2 writer John Ryan penned "Against the Wall" focusing on the race's history. What made this entry special, however, were the six audio clips scattered throughout the post. Each facet of human history was supplemented with voice work to illustrate what we'll hear in Guild Wars 2, giving us over five minutes of audio as a little taste of what's to come during gameplay. Check out the history and audio of the Guild Wars 2 human race, and watch for next Monday's Flameseeker Chronicles as we do a full analysis of Human Week.
A week of humanity for Guild Wars 2
Even though they've been the only playable race for all of Guild Wars, humans have never had an easy run of things. Beset by enemies that destroyed the nations of Ascalon and Orr, manipulated by otherworldly beings, and thrown into conflict again and again, human beings have always triumphed in the end. And while the 250 years between the original game and Guild Wars 2 have only served to heap more indignities on the race, the nation of Kryta has withstood the onslaughts and endured. That's why humans are the first race to be featured with a full week of discussion. Human Week is kicking off today for Guild Wars 2 with three pieces of concept art and plans for the next several days. Tuesday will see a reveal on the human story and crafting the proper tone, Wednesday will be reserved for discussing human style and clothing, and Thursday will see more background detail and a homeland video tour. Then Friday will unveil the balance between Kryta's three armed factions, no doubt one of the main flashpoints for conflict in the game's story. GW2 might be starting with the most familiar race of all, but as always, the lore and design reveals promise to be anything but pedestrian.
