Guild Wars 2
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Guild Wars 2 Lead Content Designer expands on dynamic events system
"The game is lying to you!" Colin Johanson, the Lead Content Designer for Guild Wars 2, made a very good point when he introduced us to the dynamic events system planned for Guild Wars 2. This is a common theme in almost every MMO -- it's just the way it's always been done. While Guild Wars occasionally falls prey to this just like so many other MMOs out there, ArenaNet do have the advantage of an instanced world in which you can make things a bit more dynamic. In Defense of the Eye is a great example of this. Artificer Mullenix tells you that Centaurs are attacking the Eye of the North: "As we speak their numbers march upon us." He asks you to help defend the Eye, and when you run outside to Ice Cliff Chasms, sure enough: hordes of Centaurs are attacking. If they take you out, you have failed. Taking that sort of reality a step forward is the central goal of the event system in Guild Wars 2. An NPC who stands there calmly and presents a little black box with white text telling you that something earth-shattering is about to happen doesn't do much for immersion. Hence the introduction of dynamic events: allowing players to truly interact with and change the world of Tyria. Colin introduced the system last week to great interest from the community, and followed up by clarifying quite a few points -- an interview that sparked even more discussion among the community. Still want to know more? ArenaNet spent some time browsing through forums to see what fans were most anxious to hear about, and called upon Colin again. Follow along after the jump to see what more he has to say about dynamic events.
Rubi Bayer05.19.2010
Guild Wars 2 character artist talks costume design
One of the most prominent features of Guild Wars has always been its beautiful art style. That reputation carried over seamlessly as information about Guild Wars 2 began surfacing last year -- it was clear that the Tyria of the future would be just as gorgeous as the one we know today. One of the members of the talented team of artists at ArenaNet is Kristen Perry, the Guild Wars 2 character artist. Even if you don't know it, you're familiar with her work which she began for ArenaNet with Factions armor design, creating the majority of the Kurzick NPC clothing as well as some Ritualist and Assassin armor. In Nightfall, she designed all of the Elementalist armor as well as the most of the armor for the other professions. She's also responsible for all of Gwen's armor -- even the outfit in the Bonus Mission Pack, and her handiwork can even be seen throughout the game in the character models themselves. Kristen's no stranger to Tyria, and designing for Guild Wars 2 opened the door for a brand new series of challenges and opportunities to design something completely new. In the latest entry in the ArenaNet blog, she tells all about her latest project. Follow along after the jump to see what she had to say.
Rubi Bayer05.18.2010
Flameseeker Chronicles: Charr bags, Elementalist cleavage, Peacekeepers, and a flood of NPCs
It's been an extremely busy week for Guild Wars fans -- for starters, the Massively guild went rampaging through pre-searing again with the goal of unlocking all of the towns in pre, accomplishing this with an extension of the Charr bag giveaway mentioned last week. Instead of a single one, I wound up with a total of five thanks to the generosity of a member of [MVOP]. Once the original bag was given away, I handed out the other four through more random drawings and trivia questions, one in each new town we unlocked. It was a good time and an excellent way to help the group reach all of the towns. The Ventrilo group had a great time as usual with players assisting one another through various quests, answering questions, discussing other games, and having some hilariously disturbing conversations about what exactly a "Charr bag" is, and how ubiquitous Elementalist cleavage is in Guild Wars. Sera was the exception to this rule, as her Elementalist is entirely composed of bloom and she has no visible features whatsoever. Joking aside, the large-capacity Ventrilo server has added an element of fun to the Massively outings that would absolutely be lacking otherwise. If you've not joined us there on Thursday nights, please jump in and chat with us -- you can find the login information in the [MVOP] guild status window. All good things must come to an end, though, and most of [MVOP] is ready to move on to the Searing. Next week we're going to go Charr hunting in the Northlands for a bit, then wrap up the evening by going post as a group, so be ready! What about the other events happening in Guild Wars lately? Follow along after the jump to see what's going on in Tyria.
Rubi Bayer05.17.2010
The Daily Grind: What crazy idea should someone try?
If you want to be a cynic, or you just happen to be one anyway, it's easy to complain that MMOs have turned into something of a cookie-cutter genre. So many of the basic expectations that players have are all but carved into stone, and there's a well-understood set of basics, ranging from quests to default control schemes. Of course, there's no shortage of variances between the biggest titles, but there's certainly a general idea in people's heads of what an MMO should look like by default. Of course, any artist knows the best thing for when a genre starts to stagnate: trying something truly absurd, something that breaks down basic assumptions of what should be done. And we're seeing games with systems that do precisely that, like TERA's action-oriented combat with no lock-on or Guild Wars 2 experimenting with environmental gameplay. But those only scratch the surface of all the assumptions about MMOs that could be turned on their ear. What insane idea would you like to see a game put into practice?
Eliot Lefebvre05.17.2010
Guild Wars 2 devs talk crafting, PvP
The folks over at GuildWars2Guru.com have scored an impressive interview with ArenaNet Lead Developer Eric Flannum and Game Designers Ryan Scott and Isaiah Cartwright. The trio drop a few interesting nuggets about the highly anticipated Guild Wars 2. The piece touches on everything from World Versus World (WvW) PvP, to the game's unique take on healing classes, to crafting and gathering. "We're still designing many of the specifics but players should expect crafting to enhance their adventuring experience and not be a system that tries to replace it. What I mean when I say that is that crafting will not be something players can engage in as a career without ever going out and slaying monsters and being a hero. We think that systems that allow players to do that can be a lot of fun but just aren't right for what we're doing in GW2," said Flannum. Check out the full text over at GuildWars2Guru.com. Also be sure to look at The Flameseeker Chronicles this Monday as Rubi breaks down all of the Guild Wars 2 details flooding the net in recent days.
Jef Reahard05.14.2010
Guild Wars 2 Lead Designer reveals new information about questing and content
Today brings us more Guild Wars 2 news, this time from Lead Content Designer Colin Johanson who has a few things to say about content and traditional quest systems. In Guild Wars, we're all familiar with the quest system and the giant green exclamation point. In such an immersive and beautiful world, it's admittedly a bit jarring when an NPC has that strange floaty thing that sticks out like a sore thumb -- or like a giant lime-green exclamation point. Filling your field of vision with a big black rectangle with a few paragraphs of text and a "check yes or no" acceptance option didn't exactly alleviate the problem. Once you accepted the quest and completed it, the overall world was still unchanged. You were the hero of Tyria but overall, you didn't seem to be making a difference in the world around you. As Johanson points out, if a villager is asking you to kill 10 ogres who are about to ravage his village, they shouldn't be standing around picking daisies. They should actually ravage his village if you don't help. The Guild Wars 2 team is working to remedy the questing problems of the past, offering some exciting ideas for a "living, breathing world" that changes as its citizens interact with one another and their surroundings. Take a look at what Johanson had to say about how the world of Tyria is going to change, and check out the gallery for the latest Guild Wars 2 screenshots. %Gallery-92890%
Rubi Bayer05.12.2010
Eric Flannum answers more Guild Wars 2 questions
Last week's information avalanche from ArenaNet answered a pile of questions about Guild Wars 2, then created what was possibly an even bigger pile of questions with a lot of speculation thrown in to boot. ArenaNet's been on the ball, keeping a close eye on the buzz and compiling a list of the most asked questions. Today, those questions were answered, thanks to Guild Wars 2 Lead Designer Eric Flannum. Possibly the most significant piece of news was the confirmation that the companion system is in fact dead. As development progressed and the focus on group play and casual grouping became clearer, the team decided that the system wasn't necessary. The companion system was only the beginning -- Flannum covered nine key points in this blog entry, ranging from the skill bar to non-combat activities. As with all of the latest Guild Wars 2 news, anyone with an interest in the game will find it well worth their time to read through this latest blog entry.
Rubi Bayer05.05.2010
Flameseeker Chronicles: Will combat in Guild Wars 2 be an improvement?
Last week was pretty huge for the Guild Wars community. ArenaNet released a flurry of new information: the first profession was confirmed as the Elementalist, followed by the unveiling of details on combat and profession mechanics. Two items in particular raised quite a bit of discussion in the community: the lack of secondary professions in Guild Wars 2, and the design of the skill bar. As Guild Wars fans, we've grown accustomed to the extreme freedom that we currently have. Want to play E/Rt and run a full Rit bar? Great, no problem! It looks like we're not going to be able to do that in Guild Wars 2, for several reasons, and the immediate reaction was that of concern. However, it's a trade-off. Will we gain in the end? That remains to be seen, as we can only speculate with the limited knowledge we have at the moment, but follow along after the jump to see what the possibilities are.
Rubi Bayer05.03.2010
ArenaNet reveals new combat information for Guild Wars 2
Yesterday's unveiling of the Elementalist class for Guild Wars 2, along with the new combat information, sent the Guild Wars community into information overload. Fans were incredibly excited to see so much new information, but there was an underlying reason beyond the obvious happiness at receiving so much concrete knowledge. The reveal of one class in such great detail means that others are obviously coming soon, so the excitement was increased by the knowledge that more is on the way, and hopefully soon. Of course, there were also some concerns. Are we going to hear those catchphrases -- "I'm so stunning" -- over and over and over? What about that skill bar setup -- is it going to lock us into rigid, unchangeable builds? The important thing to remember is that the team behind Guild Wars 2 is made up of gamers, people who love MMOs and the Guild Wars universe as much as us. It's what makes them great at what they do, and it means that they likely don't want to hear "Here come the flames!" a hundred times an hour any more than we do. Guild Wars 2 is still being developed, so this is only a first look at things. With that in mind, follow along after the jump, because ArenaNet has more for us today.
Rubi Bayer04.29.2010
Down you go: ArenaNet unveils the Guild Wars 2 Elementalist and combat details
The floodgates of Guild Wars 2 news continue to open, and ArenaNet has revealed the first confirmed class for Guild Wars 2: the Elementalist. Not only do we get confirmation of the Ele class, but we get an exciting amount of detail and another huge update on overall combat. Guild Wars Elementalists are formidable foes as it stands now, but it looks like the class will advance quite a bit in GW2. In 250 years, the Ele will have learned to change elements on the fly as well as summon items as weapons. That's only the beginning, though. The Guild Wars 2 site contains some stunning screenshots to go with all the information as well as videos, the first of which we have also embedded after the jump for your viewing pleasure. What about combat in general? Lead Designer Eric Flannum gave us an outline of combat that reveals some extremely exciting details about what's to come. Ten slot skill bar? Yes please. Increased importance placed upon tactical strategy and movement? Any Guild Wars fan worth his or her salt should read through this several times -- there is a significant amount of new information. Personally, as a huge fan of the Elementalist class, I found this to be the most exciting GW2 news in quite a while. There is certainly more to come from here on out, so keep your eyes on Massively for all the latest -- we'll be keeping a close eye out for it!
Rubi Bayer04.28.2010
ArenaNet reveals new Guild Wars 2 blog and image
It's that time in the Guild Wars 2 information cycle again: just as we are beginning to despair of ever getting new information, the floodgates open. ArenaNet's been dropping some very broad hints over the past few weeks, most recently sending out a couple of very mysterious images. Today dropped a couple of significant new pieces of information. First, one of the figures in the image (by the incredibly talented Kekai Kotaki) changed to reveal itself as what is almost certainly an Elementalist. Hopefully this is the first in a pattern, and we'll get a look at the other figures still waiting in the background. Our excitement over the new image barely had time to register when ArenaNet dropped a second bomb: a Guild Wars 2 blog. Talk about starting off with a bang: this first blog entry -- accurately labeled a manifesto -- takes the main points of GW2, things that we already knew, and expands upon them in a big way. Many points that we've wondered about are clarified, and the blog entry is easily the biggest piece of information we've gotten from ArenaNet since the last trailer. If you're one of the many waiting for Guild Wars 2, this blog entry is a must read, and be sure to check out next week's Flameseeker Chronicles as we go over all the new information in detail.
Rubi Bayer04.27.2010
ArenaNet's Design Director looks at past and future of Guild Wars
As the citizens of Tyria celebrate the fifth anniversary of Guild Wars, we at Massively have been looking both at the future of Guild Wars as well as the past. The things in store for Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 are of great interest to fans, but what came before set the stage for this long-running game. We had the opportunity to spend some time with ArenaNet's Design Director James Phinney and talk about how far Guild Wars has come in five years. Follow along after the jump to see what he had to say.
Rubi Bayer04.26.2010
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!
Rubi Bayer04.22.2010
The Daily Grind: Have MMOs prompted you to read books?
There's no denying the fact that MMORPGs come with a lot of reading built-in (Exhibit A: the quest text box). But for some folks, they can't get enough of their favorite MMO and look to read about the world elsewhere. Perhaps it's the desire to stay connected with the online world even when you can't be near a computer, or perhaps you want to learn more about the lore and backstory of the places and people you encounter in your daily gaming sessions. Whatever reason it might be, have MMOs prompted you to pick up and read a book based on the same world? Has an MMO gotten you excited enough about an IP that you've gone back and read novels that the game is based on, such as The Lord of the Rings or Conan the Barbarian? Or did you dive into paperbacks derived from the MMO, like the Warcraft series or the new Star Trek Online novel, The Needs of the Many? Or are you eagerly snatching up books based on upcoming MMOs to tide you over, such as Guild Wars 2's Ghosts of Ascalon and The Old Republic's Fatal Alliance?
Justin Olivetti04.01.2010
ArenaNet releases fourth Guild Wars 2 concept art video
The final Guild Wars 2 concept art slideshow is finally out, and ArenaNet finished up with a bang. Monsters, armor/clothing, and landscapes were the theme of this video, with the camera panning across some truly breathtaking locations both above and below the sea and enough creature images to qualify as a bestiary. While the last video seemed to focus more on details, this one contains plenty of long, sweeping views that give us an overall view of areas that are becoming very familiar to us. The distinct look and feel of each of the five races has become more apparent with each round of art released, and it's fairly easy to identify what we're looking at in that respect. While we know the focus is mainly on the art, we'd be amiss in not giving a nod to those who added the music and sound effects. These added a dimension to each slideshow that became very apparent during the brief technical difficulties of the second video. We -- and the Guild Wars community -- say thanks to the amazing talent behind the art, animations, video, and music given in these four slideshows. Follow along after the jump to see for yourself. As with the last slideshow, it couldn't hurt to watch all the way to the end. Just in case.
Rubi Bayer03.26.2010
ArenaNet releases third concept art video
ArenaNet has released the third of four slideshows of Guild Wars 2 concept art that was presented at GDC nearly two weeks ago, and all is not lovely and idyllic in the land of Tyria. This newest video gives us a look at what are presumably Orrian undead, as well as a decaying ship and something huge brandishing a pair of severed heads. The video runs the full spectrum, however, and the architecture, armor art and newborn Sylvari scenes provide a beautiful contrast to some of the older areas. We enjoyed a peek at details of all five playable races, and art ranging from basic creature sketches to some fully fleshed-out areas that are beginning to look familiar to us. The technical difficulties -- now fixed -- in part two gave us a new appreciation for the music and sound effects added in, and this round is just as impressive as the last two, and -- hey, wait a minute, what was that at the end? Follow along after the jump to see for yourself!
Rubi Bayer03.24.2010
Guild Wars wants to know: will you obey or dismantle?
Daniel Dociu's panel and interview weren't the only things keeping Guild Wars fans interested at GDC recently. A few days ago, fans began posting here and there that they'd received some intriguing flyers at both GDC and Emerald City ComicCon. The flyers read "OBEY" (in support of the White Mantle) or "DISMANTLE" (backing the Shining Blade), depending on which you received. Each carried an image indicating support of the White Mantle or the Shining Blade and a QR code, which at the moment leads only to an image of the flyers on the official Guild Wars site. Given that the Guild Wars 2 site began with a simple image, it's probably a very good idea to keep a close eye on these two pages. Guild Wars will celebrate its fifth birthday in just over a month and this may well be our first hint at new content. In the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to start choosing a side. Just don't forget: the Shining Blade has Livia. The White Mantle has this. [Via Kill Ten Rats]
Rubi Bayer03.23.2010
Flameseeker Chronicles: A look at the concept art of Guild Wars 2
The Guild Wars community, as always, is anxious for any and all news of Guild Wars 2, and the information coming from ArenaNet is increasing on a regular basis. (Hopefully this means we won't have to resort to anything drastic to get news.) GDC was the most recent source of new information thanks to our chat with artist Daniel Dociu, and his panel discussion showed off enough concept art both old and new to keep the community buzzing for weeks. Even better -- or worse, depending on how impatient you are -- they're releasing it to the general public via Youtube in a four-part slideshow to make it last longer. As we mentioned the other day, it's important to keep in mind that concept art is just that: concept art. It's an idea of how the artists see the world of Guild Wars 2, a way to get a feel for things rather than something concrete saying "you will definitely be able to get 'x' item in 'x' town, and here is exactly what it will look like." We can learn a lot from ideas and sketches though, so follow along after the jump for a closer look at some of the concept art.
Rubi Bayer03.22.2010
Second Guild Wars 2 concept art slideshow released
When the first slideshow video of Guild Wars 2 concept art was released, fans immediately saw the "Part 1" in the title and were thrilled to know that more was on the way. That "more" arrived Friday afternoon in the form of Part 2, a video that seemed to drop some very broad hints via current game load screens (such as one from Elona), Dhuum concept art, and an image of the Grenth costume recently made available to players. (There are some technical difficulties with the sound right now, but hopefully they'll get resolved.) Much of it is subject to change, of course. Concept art isn't a concrete set of plans so much as it is ideas that help develop the look of the game -- much of the old concept art from Factions, for example, is wildly different than what we ended up with. It gives a good idea of where the game is going, though. Keep an eye out for Monday's Flameseeker Chronicles as we take an in-depth look at the current art. For now, follow along after the jump for the latest slideshow, or check it out on YouTube.
Rubi Bayer03.21.2010
GDC10: ArenaNet's Daniel Dociu discusses the art of Guild Wars 2
Daniel Dociu, Senior Art Director for Guild Wars 2, was one of the panelists at last week's GDC, and Massively was fortunate enough to sit down and chat with him about the art coming up in Guild Wars 2. The information on this highly-anticipated game is starting to increase bit by bit, and Daniel had some interesting things to say about designing art for Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2. As a bonus feature, we've got a video slideshow of some of the gorgeous concept art featured at his panel at GDC. Keep your eyes peeled -- you might just see something you've not seen before. (Check Youtube for the HD version as well.) Follow along after the jump, and enjoy!
Rubi Bayer03.16.2010