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Guild Wars 2 to host its first player tourney at Gamescom
Top Guild Wars 2 players will have the opportunity to duke it out in the game's first International All-Stars Tournament during Gamescom 2014, which runs from August 13th through the 17th. ArenaNet will fly players from Europe, China, and North America to the convention in order to compete against one another. Even if you aren't participating in the tourney itself, you'll be able to visit the Twitch.TV booth to play some GW2, chat with the developers, and partake in other activities. Want to get in on the tournament or any of the other community events during Gamescom? Keep an eye out: We'll bring you more information as soon as the details are released.
Watch Guild Wars 2's official livestream show
Guild Wars 2 has a new official livestream show that you can watch at 3:00 p.m. EST. The show's called Points of Interest and stars Kate Welch, Leif Chappelle, and Theo Nguyen. The first episode will be looking back at the Living World's Season 1. You can watch the livestream after the break!
Tara Strong on Guild Wars 2's 'British Harley Quinn'
Chances are that you've encountered a character played by Tara Strong, since the prolific voice actress sports a resume that reads like a gaming greatest hits list. It includes MMOs and sort-of MMOs like Star Wars: The Old Republic, Marvel Heroes, Infinite Crisis, and Guild Wars 2. Strong's GW2 work goes under the microscope in ArenaNet's latest video release. It's basically a three-minute behind-the-scenes/interview mashup featuring Living World villainess Scarlet Briar, whom Strong describes as a "British Harley [Quinn]." Click past the cut to have a look.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2 features that time forgot
It's hard to believe it's the middle of June already. School's out, E3 has come and gone, and all that's left for us Guild Wars 2 fans to do is to pick up our World vs. World Spring Tournament rewards and kick back with a tall glass of omnomberry juice (pro tip: don't). We're still two weeks out from the start of the living world's second season, and ArenaNet has so far been especially cryptic where the future is concerned. We've speculated all there is to speculate for now, and summer heat makes me cranky, so before we blast off to any new horizons, let's take a look back at a few of the unfinished, unimplemented, and underutilized elements of GW2 that could really use some catching up.
E3 2014: Recapping Guild Wars 2's first season
With Season Two of Guild Wars 2's living story starting up on July 1st, players are eager for more information. So far, only snippets and clues have teased fans. To try and glean more details, I sat down with Associate Game Director Steven Waller and Studio Design Director Chris Whiteside at E3 2014. Before moving on to what lies in store, however, the devs wanted to look back at the impact of the first season. Oh, and they offered a new trailer that adds a bit more fuel to the teasing fire!
The Daily Grind: Should MMOs change fundamental design rules post-launch?
A few weeks ago, ArenaNet added a new buyable perk to the Guild Wars 2 cash shop: a crafting license that allows an account's entire roster of characters to pick up an extra craft skill. In other words, buying this license means your characters can run three production craft skills, not just the original two at a time. My first reaction was wooo, awesome! But after some reflection, I wondered whether the change wasn't more than cosmetic. Having three craft skills on every character affects leveling rates and PvE zone population, inflates the item market, impacts the resource market, and could even alter whether players buy other items from the cash shop (like character and inventory slots). It's definitely more than just a fun cosmetic thing. While this tweak probably won't matter that much in the long-run of a game like Guild Wars 2, fundamental changes made midstream have certainly been known to haunt some games forever. What do you think -- should MMOs change core design rules post-launch? Where do you draw the line between a little quality-of-life tweak and a major shift in design philosophy? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
One Shots: Fare game
We're starting to get a lot of WildStar submissions these days following the launch, which is something I certainly encourage (and where are you people with awesome Elder Scrolls Online pics, by the way?). Today we've got two for our player screenshot column, starting off with reader Darla and a very sour Chua. "The cabbies in this game don't shut up and my Chua is having a tough time coping," Darla moans. Secretly, I think she loves the weird chatter coming from the driver, but Chua have a reputation to maintain, you know? It's not just cabbies and expensive space fares after the break, but also pictures to vibrant that they will make your ocular cavities weep saline fluid!
Guild Wars 2 announces its second Tournament of Legends [Updated]
ArenaNet has just announced Guild Wars 2's Tournament of Legends 2, the prelim matches for which are scheduled to begin in July for European and American participants. PvP-inclined players can sign up as early as this Friday. Says the studio, The sign-ups for Tournament of Legends 2 will be handled on a first-come, first-served basis and will accommodate up to 128 teams. Participating teams will be evenly divided between four qualifier tournaments, and the top two teams from each qualifier will move on to the Tournament of Legends Championships. All matches will be hosted on the weekends, with qualifying matches beginning in July. You can expect a full schedule of dates and times to be released later this week. Prizes for the top-finishing team include legendary weapons; other competitors are eligible to win precursors, Black Lion Weapon Tickets, and an exclusive llama minipet. [Update: Signups are now live!]
Guild Wars 2 introduces DVR-like functionality to the Living World
If you're already a fan of Guild Wars 2's Living World feature, you may also be happy to hear about the Living World Journal announced today by developer ArenaNet. The Living World Journal allows players to save and revisit each new episode of the Living World with what is described as DVR-like replay functionality. With more than two dozen free Living World updates, and Season 2 dropping on July 1, the new journal will especially help those who haven't had a chance to keep up with the intense update schedule for the game. Game Director Colin Johanson comments, "With this addition to the story Journal, content from Living World episodes will be a mix of new story steps and open world content. Story steps will work just like existing story steps in the game today by taking you on a journey specific to your selected episode, which ties into a broader narrative from the season's continual story progress. Open world content additions to Living World updates will permanently expand or change the world of Tyria and will tie to the theme and story of the episode."
Flameseeker Chronicles: The strange case of Guild Wars 2's reward system
Every now and then I'll hear someone say that Guild Wars 2 has no rewards. They'll say it's extraordinarily grindy, that there's nothing to work toward, and that ArenaNet is intentionally making things harder than they should be so that we'll all give up and buy gems. This is confusing and frustrating to me for two reasons: The first is that all of those things are demonstrably untrue. The second is that I can nevertheless see where those people are coming from to some extent, and it's been difficult to put my finger on why. GW2 showers players with loot and rewards. In an hour's normal play, I can fill my bags with items and come out of it with a tidy sum of cash; nearly everything in the game is designed to reward players for doing stuff, no matter what that stuff is. Some of it, like Edge of the Mists, is almost ludicrously generous. Even with the changes to the way Queen's Pavilion fights work this time around, it's possible to grab huge numbers of Champion loot bags if you land on an organized megaserver. So why does GW2 feel so stingy?
Guild Wars 2 starts Season 2 of the Living World on July 1st
It's happening, all right. Season 2 is coming to Guild Wars 2 starting July 1st, meaning that we've got a month of what will no doubt be teasers, hints, and taunts. That image above is a teaser. If you stare deeply enough, you may be able to uncover its mysteries. For within its depths lie... well... who knows? No, seriously, we don't know either. It could be anything. Speculation has already begun, but that first image is all we have to go on for certain right now, and that means... what? Take a gander at a larger version of the image just past the break and start your speculation engines. Or just wait a month if that's your speed.
A video preview of Guild Wars 2's brand-new character faces
As part of yesterday's Festival of the Four Winds patch, ArenaNet updated Guild Wars 2 with a slew of new face options, three new faces for each race and gender. The faces are available in the Total Makeover Kit purchaseable in the cash shop. Friend of Massively Richie "Bogotter" Procopio has uploaded a video to his YouTube channel previewing all of the new faces so you can see whether it's worth shelling out for the freckles and rhinoplasty of your dreams. Enjoy it below!
Jukebox Heroes: Guild Wars 2's living story soundtrack
I'm going to make a bold statement here that might net me some haters, but here goes: I think that Guild Wars 2 is better off now that it's cast off Jeremy Soule and moved on to in-house composers. Soule's soundtrack was great in parts, but he's not the be-all, end-all of good video game music. And his company's unexplained decision to yank the soundtrack from its store (and not even offer a digital version) irks me beyond the telling of it. Good luck finding it! So today I'm going to give tribute to the two men who have been forging ahead -- spectacularly, I might add -- with scoring Guild Wars 2's ongoing living story updates. Maclaine Diemer and Leif Chappelle have been whipping up a wide variety of tunes to go with the various story elements and events. To ArenaNet's credit, the studio has been posting these downloadable tracks for free on SoundCloud. And while rumor has it that Diemer and Chappelle are already composing music for season two, I thought it'd be worthwhile to go back and share some of my favorites from their season one portfolio. I won't be dipping into Super Adventure Box, however, as we did that last year.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Why we don't have Cantha in Guild Wars 2
How about those predictions, huh? Last week I guessed that Guild Wars 2 would get a visit from the Zephyr Sanctum soon, and boom: Festival of the Four Winds exploding all over the place. Having used up my allotment of precognitive accuracy for the year, I plan to gorge myself on delicious sky candy and spend the next week or so literally bouncing off the walls. Before the festivities start, though, we've got just enough time to visit a topic near to my heart: Cantha. ArenaNet receives very frequent requests to revive the setting of Guild Wars: Factions in GW2, and between GW2's Chinese release, the level of mystery surrounding season two of the living world, and the return of the Zephyrites, it's natural that people would start talking about Cantha again. It might seem baffling that ArenaNet hasn't rushed to steer the living world story in such an obviously popular direction, but unfortunately it's not as simple as loading us on the next airship and flying away to Seitung Harbor -- at least not yet.
Guild Wars 2's Festival of the Four Winds launches today
As promised, today ArenaNet will update Guild Wars 2's western servers with the Festival of the Four Winds, a Chinese-themed patch that will return the Zephyrite festival to the game and mark the game's launch in China. Says the studio, The Zephyrites have returned to Labyrinthine Cliffs in their large-sailed flying ships to support Lion's Arch in its time of need. Although Lion's Arch suffered a devastating blow as a result of Scarlet's nefarious plans, Captain Ellen Kiel of the Captain's Council is grateful to see the Zephyrites return with their generous offer of materials and moral support. And to help reinvigorate trade and provide some joy to its citizens, the Zephyrite Master of Peace and Queen Jennah of Kryta are hosting a festival to honor Lion's Arch. Visit Labyrinthine Cliffs and experience the rush of Aspect movement skills, take part in the Sanctum Sprint, or enjoy one of the brand-new events; then take a hot-air balloon to Divinity's Reach and enjoy the reopened Crown Pavilion, including a new version of the Queen's Gauntlet, the Boss Blitz. Join Braham, Rox, Marjory, Kasmeer, Taimi, and Scruffy as they enjoy the festivities and usher in the return of Lion's Arch services! We spoke to ArenaNet Game Design Lead Mike Zadorojny and Associate Game Director Steven Waller about the update and how players will gradually aid in the rebuilding of the Tyrian capital.
Guild Wars 2 teases Crown Pavilion bosses
The Guild Wars 2 team has just posted a new primer for the baddies entering the game with tomorrow's patch. "Learn more about the bosses from the Crown Pavilion before you meet them on the battlefield tomorrow," reads the tweet. We think you'll grok the theme; the NPCs include Sparcus Firesplash, whose fighting style involves "flame and fire lying and flying around," and Pyroxis, who prefers "lava and flames, front and left." And then there's good old Boom-Boom Baines (seriously; we are not making this up) with her "fiery and clever" personality. Enjoy the full image with all six bosses via Guild Wars 2's Twitter.
Rebuild Lion's Arch in Guild Wars 2's Festival of the Four Winds
Guild Wars 2 officially launches in China this coming Thursday, but folks in the rest of the world have had little reason to get excited... until now. ArenaNet and Chinese publisher KongZhong have just announced a global in-game festival to celebrate the launch, one we'll get to enjoy ourselves come next week. The Festival of the Four Winds arrives on May 20th for North American and European players, who will "get the opportunity to help rebuild the beloved city of Lion's Arch that was destroyed by Scarlet [Briar] in Season 1." Future game updates will be "synchronized" across the eastern and western regions so that they launch within days of each other. We've embedded the (brief but beautiful!) teaser trailer for the festival after the break, and you can listen to Chinese singer/songwriter Jike Juan Yi's version of iconic Guild Wars 2 musical piece Fear Not This Night on KongZhong's promotional website. [Source: ArenaNet press release]
One Shots: Dance like nobody's watching
Boy howdy, my screenshot challenge from a couple of weeks ago for you folks to take pictures of your characters dancing was pretty popular! I received a slew of entries, so why not dedicate an entire column to Massively readers shaking what their developers gave them? First up is reader Duncan, who wins the internet (for a minute at least) with this picture: "Hey Massively! Here is a snapshot of my Chua character BuzzCracker in WildStar taking time off from his adventures on Nexus to get down and funky on the dance floor at 'Wild William's Tiki Bar' in the tree tops of Wilderrun. Don't ask me why the Mechari and the two Loppi are dancing with no clothes behind Buzz; it must be something in the drinks being served by old Bill at the bar. Next stop for BuzzCracker is a spring break beach party ongoing in Malgrave!" Really, this should go to show that the world is primed and ready for an all-dancing MMO. Let's shake our groove thang with the rest of this week's entries!
Working As Intended: What Guild Wars 2 got wrong
Back in March, I spent an entire Working As Intended column discussing the game mechanics that Guild Wars 2 got right. But that's just one side of the story. In order to be completely fair to the game and to myself, I want to grump about the things it got wrong. Don't take this as utter condemnation for the MMO; we're most critical of the things we love precisely because we love and know them so well and want them to be so much more. And in spite of all the things I love about Guild Wars 2, it's far too often living in the shadow of its older sibling.
The Daily Grind: Should MMOs require minimum guild sizes?
A listener recently wrote in to Massively's podcast to express his frustration with recruiting in MMOs since so many players avoid chat and guild advertisements. The community situation in many games can make it difficult for smaller guilds that refuse to spam to build up enough players to access basic guild functions, like guild banks. I myself have been testing out a game with player-run villages that requires guilds to have 25 active guild members settled there lest it lose its instanced town, which is a lot of people for a tiny, indie game, and a number that almost requires players to artificially inflate their rosters. But the problem is that games impose arbitrary player minimums for guild charters and banks and ranks and so forth to begin with. For every Guild Wars 2 that lets you have a lonely solo guild if you want it, there's a World of Warcraft that requires you to summon 10 warm bodies first -- even if you then immediately boot the other nine, making the requirement a pointless and tedious exercise. What do you think: Should MMOs require minimum guild sizes? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
