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Flameseeker Chronicles: PvP in Flux
As we enjoy the calm before the storm that is Sylvari Week, I want to take some time to look in a different direction briefly: PvP. Specifically, I want to talk about Flux. It's been in place for several months now, giving ArenaNet time to adjust things here and there, and giving the Guild Wars community time to get used to it. The Flux effect, if you're not familiar with it, is a regularly changing environmental effect that is present in PvP areas. It changes the damage you give or receive based on varying factors such as movement, profession, death penalty, and so on. It's been a big deal in the PvP community, serving to shake up the meta a bit and keep things interesting. Now that we've had several months to settle into it, I took the opportunity to chat with a few PvP players about Flux. Follow along after the jump to see what they had to say!
Flameseeker Chronicles: And this is a big deal why?
ArenaNet revealed some exciting news this week -- well, technically it revealed exciting news about upcoming news. Gamescom is just a few short weeks away, and Community Team Lead Martin Kerstein penned a blog post telling what fans can expect to see at the event. Fasten your seatbelts, Guild Wars 2 fans, because whatever you've been waiting to see is probably on the to-be-unveiled list for Gamescom this year. Sylvari, Asura, PvP, mid-level play, character customization -- you name it and it's there. While exciting, all of this upcoming news has the potential to be really confusing, particularly if you haven't been following Guild Wars 2 news closely for the past year or two. This week I've put together a little primer to help explain the history and basics of each of the big reveals coming to Gamescom. Follow along after the jump to make sure you're up to speed!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Brace for the flood or get out of the way?
Convention season 2011 is in full swing, and two of the upcoming events got a lot more exciting for Guild Wars 2 fans over the weekend. The Guild Wars 2 crew had a presence at Comic-Con, and as always, Community Manager Regina Buenaobra kept up a steady stream of information on Twitter for those playing along at home. One of those tweets caught the eye of the fanbase in a big way: "Panel is over! Kristen let the crowd know that Sylvari will be playable at Gamescom & Sylvari week will happen before Gamescom!" GamesCom, of course, is the European game convention and trade fair held in Cologne, Germany from August 18th through the 21st. The Sylvari race (and its much-talked-about redesign) has been one of the most fascinating aspects of GW2 for those who have been following the game's development for a while. After months of talk, curiosity, and speculation, it looks like we're finally going to get everything we wanted to know in the next few weeks. The end of a long wait is the hardest part, so follow along after the jump and let's pass the time with some discussion!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Come one, come all. Except you.
Today's Flameseeker Chronicles is all about the current Guild Wars community: Elements I love, elements I dislike, and some I'm just unsure about. As with any older game community, you've got a wide variety of personalities and playstyles, and seeing how they mesh with the community at large is always interesting. It would be great if everyone moved through their social circles and the general population while never conflicting or disagreeing, but ... well, we all know how often that happens on the internet. So without further ado, follow me past the cut and let's take a look at some of the current standout groups in the Guild Wars community!
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!
Flameseeker Chronicles: This might just work!
OK, it's confession time. I hated the idea of 5-man dungeons in Guild Wars 2. Well, "hated" may have been too strong a word, but since I'm an MMO gamer whose fun largely centers around playing with my friends and guildmates, the thought of being forced to only play with four of them was sort of a turn-off. My mind has been changed, so let's cut right to the chase. Follow along after the jump and I'll tell you why!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Why you need to play Guild Wars right now
The fourth pillar is story. Raise your hand if you are completely sick of hearing that statement or some variant of it. It was about a year ago that "story" became the watchword for MMO studios, and since then it's been tossed around a lot. I've honestly gotten to the point that I sort of roll my eyes when I hear it, but I've been rethinking lately thanks to Guild Wars 2. I know it sounds fangirly, but hear me out -- follow along after the jump and I'll explain further.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Of revolutionary design, babies, and bathwater
The "revolutionary" aspects of Guild Wars 2 might be an old topic, but it's one that's been on my mind lately for two reasons. First, a couple of my colleagues and I got some hands-on time with Star Wars: The Old Republic at E3. One consistent feeling was that it's a good, solid game but nothing revolutionary. (I was very impressed with it overall, even though I feel it's not a game for me.) That sparked a lot of discussion regarding the fact that BioWare never claimed that the game would be revolutionary, so the argument is pointless. I can certainly get on board that train of thought, but it still set me thinking about this aspect of game design. The other incident was a conversation in Massively's staff chatroom the other day. Two Massively team members were discussing the pros and cons of the Guild Wars 2 class setup -- specifically, the elimination of the holy trinity. Watching the two of them discuss it, combined with my recent thinking on revolutionary game design, set me thinking. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look at the pros and cons of blazing a new trail!
Flameseeker Chronicles: A method to the madness
The June 2nd update is the talk of the Guild Wars playerbase this week -- especially on the PvP side of the community. It was certainly enough to pique my interest, even though my PvP project fell victim to a complete lack of free time this month. (Don't worry on that front, by the way -- I plan to pick it back up as soon as I return from E3.) What really interested me about this update, however, is that it feels like such a response to feedback and the current vibe of the player community. Not that ArenaNet doesn't pay attention as a rule, but so many of the huge updates are focused on the Hall of Monuments and Guild Wars: Beyond in preparation for Guild Wars 2 that it's nice to see one that is all about Guild Wars 1 -- not to mention one that is a pure response to the state of the current game. Follow along after the jump as I look at some of what stood out to me about this latest update!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Analyzing the Engineer
The big Guild Wars 2 news of the week, of course, was the Engineer reveal. This was possibly the most interesting reveal to me because it was so controversial. It was such a love-it-or-hate-it class, and even those who loved it had a few reservations here and there. I count myself among that number -- the Engineer looks like all kinds of awesome to me, but even I had to pause here and there and say, "Wait what?" The skill videos, for example, looked like some sort of weird Rube Goldberg version of combat to me at first -- doing things in five steps that could be done in one. I got over that pretty quickly because it was so obvious that the videos were designed to show off as much of the Engineer's arsenal as possible in a relatively short amount of time. There were so very many points of contention out there, some I took into consideration, and some I bypassed. (ArenaNet stole the Engineer from RIFT? Seriously?) But a couple of points stood out to me, so follow along after the jump as I delve into them!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Lion's Arch unveiled
What a week this has been for Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 fans! ArenaNet has been doling out interviews right and left, we're expecting another class reveal soon, and the icing on the cake was a gorgeous flythrough video of Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2. There were some great blog entries from Matthew Medina and Ree Soesbee to go with the video, and while I loved reading those and was delighted to see the new map, there was a lot to be gleaned from the video. I loved the ambient sound, the NPCs, and the overall feel of the city, but there was much more beyond that. Follow along after the jump to see what else we can see from the video.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Sharing the love
It's been a busy week in Guild Wars 2 news! Some might argue that point because of the lack of big reveals, but a large number of little details can be just as good as one or two huge unveilings. I think the real problem is that we're at a point in the cycle right now when everyone's feeling weary of the endless road toward launch. There's no definitive end in sight; maybe this year, maybe next year, who knows. That feeling comes and goes -- it's been a regular part of the hype for a very long time now. Sometimes the fans just go into a lull because they're tired of the whole mess and all they really want is a closed beta window. I'm hearing quite a bit of that in the community lately and even feeling a little of it myself, but since it's usually followed by a big upswing of excitement among the fans, I'm looking forward to what the coming weeks will bring. For the time being, though, follow along after the jump and let's look at we learned this week.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Afterparty
Boy, did I ever blow it. I've been on a streak of correct predictions for months now, but either I'm losing my touch or my insight only applies to Guild Wars 2. I've been convinced for over a month that the sixth anniversary of Guild Wars would bring us Winds of Change, and I had my heart set on a Commando minipet. See? I missed the mark so far that I wasn't even on the same continent! Well, there's plenty to talk about this week as we look back on the anniversary celebration. I want to touch on two of the biggest changes, so read on past the break while I pick up the pieces of my poor broken hopes for that mini-Commando.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Charr week
I have to admit I waxed nostalgic over Charr Week. It all brought back memories of my first real encounter with this race: a PUG in Great Northern Wall. One member of the group suggested we fight the horde of Charr approaching us at the end of the mission, to which the group leader responded, "Hell no! They're level 8 -- they'll kill us!" That panicked, heart-pounding race back to the Wall was the moment I became hooked on Guild Wars. That's when I truly fell for the game, hook, line, and sinker. These days Bonfaaz Burntfur looks mostly like an angry Pomeranian in a cloth diaper to me, but back then, he and his army were truly fearsome. What strikes me most, looking back, is how the Charr have evolved in every way, both within the story and without. Lore, design, characterization, ability... you name it and it's grown amazingly. Follow along after the jump for an in-depth look at how far the Charr have come.
Flameseeker Chronicles: The power of community
I hope ArenaNet appreciates what a fantastic community it has. I don't mean to suggest that the developers and community team are not appreciative, but this time of year it always strikes me anew what an incredibly dedicated fanbase this company enjoys. The community talks freely with (and often at) the Guild Wars development and community teams, usually in a very casual and comfortable fashion -- inside jokes and off-topic chats are as common as serious game discussion and feedback. I'm sure it can get overwhelming for the ANet team sometimes, but it speaks volumes about the community that it's so entrenched, consistent, and knowledgeable about ArenaNet and the people behind it. In the absence of official forums, the core Guild Wars community stepped up and did the work for ArenaNet, creating some fantastic gathering places for fans: Both Guild Wars Guru and Guild Wars 2 Guru, as well as Guild Wars Online, are commonly regarded as the "official" forums. The community-created events are second to none, and while they happen year-round, this time of year they're everywhere you look. Whether it's for charity, for competition, for love of lore, for a holiday, or just for the sake of having a party, there are some amazingly well-coordinated events going on, all from the community. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look at the stellar Guild Wars community.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Going Commando
Yes, we all made the commando joke, so I couldn't very well leave it out. As my excited and frequent Tweets indicated Friday, ArenaNet carried off full honors for April Fools' Day in the MMO world. Not that there wasn't good stuff out there. World of Warcraft simultaneously cracked me up and charmed me with Crabby the Dungeon Helper -- seriously, could the little guy be any cuter? I loved the introduction of Dungeons and Dragons Online's Broccoli class. Sadly, the page is now gone, but the description pointed out that since broccoli has no legs or arms, it's the perfect class for weaponless fighting. I loved it. However, the ArenaNet team arrived fashionably late to the party and promptly carried off full honors in every category. The April first prank spanned both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2; had text, video, images and wallpapers; and gave us new (albeit temporary) content. Follow along after the jump for a complete rundown!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Let's review!
The ArenaNet team has been quiet lately in the news department and deservedly so. Between GDC, PAX East, the Guild Wars 2 Thief, and Embark Beach and heroes in Guild Wars 1, I imagine the developers are ready to catch up on frivolous things like eating, sleeping, sitting, and breathing. We've got Winds of Change and Guild Wars' sixth birthday to look forward to, but in the meantime, I want to take the opportunity to play catch-up. When there's a pause in new information, I always enjoy backing up a bit and spending some quality time with newer players. I know that there's been another influx of new players recently, particularly after so many saw GW2 at PAX. Follow along after the jump for a roundup of Guild Wars basic guides as well as an update and information on Massively's official Guild Wars guild.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Is ArenaNet approaching the pay-to-win line?
The addition of Guild Wars Mercenary Hero Packs to the NCsoft store is the latest step in ArenaNet's effort to highlight Guild Wars "microtransactions." (I am ambivalent about using the word microtransactions in this context -- "micro" in my eyes says under 10 dollars.) The mercenary heroes are probably the most controversial addition to the current store to date, and the ongoing debate fascinated me. I can see both sides of the argument, so I thought I'd take today and explore this new addition to the store and what it means. Follow along after the jump and let's look at the perceived pros and cons of the newest not-very-micro-transaction in the NCsoft store!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Feast or famine
Wow! I've joked to other Massively staffers that some weeks I really struggle to find content for Flameseeker Chronicles, while other weeks I struggle simply to stay ahead of the information avalanche. That has never held truer than it has this weekend. I had planned to cover the huge Guild Wars update this week, then focus on the Guild Wars 2 Thief next week after its reveal at PAX. Thanks to an information leak on the Thief, ArenaNet was forced to hastily rework the release schedule and lift the embargo on the class. We'll be getting much more information on the Thief all this week, but for now we've got a pretty good first look, so I'll give both Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 equal time. We've got a lot to talk about, so let's get started. Hit the jump and let's see what's going on in Tyria!
Flameseeker Chronicles: Norn week
Last week, ArenaNet treated eager fans to an in-depth look at the Norn race of Guild Wars 2. The new details -- the release of which was similar to Human week's release -- gave us a deeper look at who the Norn are, how they see the world around them, and what's important to them. I've enjoyed it as much as anyone, and I spent the week indulging in repeated viewings of the video, poring over the new art, and reading the write-ups for every scrap of information. Before we continue, however, I want to give a quick update on what [MVOP] has been up to. We began Nightfall a few weeks ago and continued our new practice of making progress in our regular campaign then switching to other content for the second half of the evening. Last Thursday night's choice was Sorrow's Furnace, one of the most visually impressive areas of the game. We ran through the quest Unspeakable, Unknowable, both for the chance to enjoy the view of the zone and to do a quest involving the Great Destroyer. If you missed our Livestream of the evening, make sure you find time to check it out on our on-demand channel. For now, follow along after the jump for my analysis of Norn week!
