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Guild Wars 2's Secret of Southsun patch releases today
Guild Wars 2's The Secret of Southsun patch has released today, bringing with it new quests, a crab toss mini-game, traps in WvW and more. This patch is part of the on-going content updates that ArenaNet has brought to the popular MMO since launch, including the ongoing Flame & Frost content. Word of an expansion pack came out during the NCsoft earnings call earlier this week, although nothing has been officially confirmed from ArenaNet. Check out new screenshots from The Secret of Southsun in the gallery below, and read up on the patch at the official site.%Gallery-92890%
ArenaNet separates Guild Wars 2 WvW reset times for North American and European servers
ArenaNet has been searching for a solution to Guild Wars 2's WvW reset problem for a while now. See, thanks to the way that not everybody is on the same time, finding a unified reset time for players in both Europe and North America has been a real pain in the Alpha Siege Golem. The solution? ArenaNet is simply separating the reset times. Starting with the next matchup, North American WvW matches will reset Fridays at 9:00 p.m. EDT, while European matches will reset at 2:00 p.m. EDT (7:00 p.m. GMT). This is meant to lead to a smoother (and more sleep-friendly) experience for everyone.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Simple pleasures in Guild Wars 2
Right after finally crafting The Flameseeker Prophecies, I took my in-game efforts down a couple of notches. As a result, I've had a few fairly quiet weeks in Guild Wars 2. It's not for lack of things to do or of goals; I've still got plans for oodles of armor sets, a few of the pseudo-legendary weapons, a double-handful of additional level 80 characters, and some titles. I've just been taking a more laid-back approach to achieving those goals. For the last month or so before getting my shield I was running two to three dungeons a day along with other things like camping meta events and going into Orr for T6 mats, which is by no means hardcore but has made for a very pleasant experience switching into a lower gear. I've been taking time to enjoy the simpler pleasures of Guild Wars 2.
Guild Wars 2 changes WvW match reset time
Guild Wars 2 World vs. World players, take note: ArenaNet is changing the time that it resets the matches. According to a quick post on the forums, the time is changing from 8:00 p.m. EDT on Fridays to 6:00 p.m. EDT. This was done to balance convenience between North American and European players, although west coast players have pointed out that the reset change makes it decidedly inconvenient for them. The new reset time goes into effect this Friday. [Thanks to Vinncynt for the tip!]
Guild Wars 2's leaderboards are up and running
Guild Wars 2's big March update introduced leaderboards as an abstract concept. Things were being tracked and ranks calculated, but we couldn't really see what that all amounted to. Those of you who have been unsure of your self-worth up 'til now can rest easy, though: The leaderboards have gone live. You can check them out for yourself. Right now the leaderboards show the top 100 players for PvP, WvW, and achievement points. The PvP boards are based on tournament matches, which players will need to have participated in at least ten of before their stats are tracked by the leaderboard. The team is looking forward to expanding the functionality of leaderboards in the future, but at least we've got some sort of stick to start measuring ourselves by.
Flameseeker Chronicles: NPCs and culling and beedogs, oh my
It's good to have memorable characters. It's important, in a game, to have the sort of characters that players can look back on a month or a year or a lifetime later and think, "Yeah, I remember that NPC." In that sense, I guess ArenaNet has succeeded admirably in the case of Rox the Charr Ranger. I'll remember her until my dying day. ... Mostly because she absolutely petrifies me. Have you seen this lady's eyes? They were clearly made for soul-eating. They're half the size of her face (maybe this is why the baby devourer thinks she's its mommy?), far more cartoony than pretty much anything else in the game, and more saccharine than the fluffy pink quaggan backpacks with bows and hearts. I don't know whether it makes it better or worse that she's got a fairly normal Charr lady voice. Rox was introduced to us, of course, in the Flame and Frost: The Razing patch that came out at the end of March. Let's see what's been going down in the world of Guild Wars 2 since then.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Guild Wars 2's March update
It's patch day! Today marks the arrival of the long-awaited World vs. World patch for Guild Wars 2. There are, of course, many other things being bundled into this month's big update, but WvW might be stealing the show a bit. Of course, WvW updates probably mean hideously long waiting times as folks hop in to check out the new shinies, so how about you go ahead and queue up for whichever Battleground you prefer, and we'll talk about the details of this patch while you wait.
Guild Wars 2 dev blogs explain the bounty hunt system and WvW improvements
Two new dev diaries grace the front page of ArenaNet's Guild Wars 2 news page today as we get pumped for next week's Flame and Frost update. In the first blog post, Anthony Ordon decribes the Bounty Hunt Training Missions and how they work as a Guild Mission. Three new Bounty Hunt targets are in the works for this month with more rewards for each. The second blog post by Matt Witter details the WvW character progression system and how it will be improved with World Ability Points, more detailed World Titles based on your home world, and overhauled scoreboard and more. Check out both dev blogs at the GW2 official site.
It's the end of culling as we know it in Guild Wars 2 WvW
Have you noticed anything missing when participating in Guild Wars 2's world-vs.-world battles -- a little something like, say, enemies? That would be culling. In order to limit bandwidth and reduce client-side system requirements, ArenaNet instituted this process which limited how many characters would render on players' screens. However, a side-effect for those who entered WvW in large groups was that many enemies couldn't be seen even at close range. To end this invisible enemy phenomenon, culling is being culled from WvW. In place of that system, ArenaNet is offering new options to customize how characters will be rendered on the battlefield. Players can choose exactly how many characters will be rendered in each of the following ways: as high resolution models, as low resolution models, and as just nameplates. These changes will be implemented in the March 26th patch. [Thanks to Drew for the tip!]
Guild Wars 2 brings more tricks to the WvW experience, living story [Updated]
In Guild Wars 2 PvP, it's you against the world. Well, you and the rest of your world against the other world. Fans of the WvW system will be happy to learn that there are more tweaks coming to the system in the game's upcoming March patch, starting with the addition of ranks and abilities for players battling it out. The patch will also remove the culling system that prevented the game from displaying all of the players on the field at a given moment. Players will earn ranks in WvW by earning World XP, which is awarded for doing pretty much whatever your character would normally do in WvW. Each new rank provides points to spend on abilities, all of which will start off as passive improvements like the ability to carry more supplies or do more siege damage. In the future, the developers want to add more active options so that WvW players feel as if they have an alternate advancement system past level 80, giving just a little more motivation to hit the WvW maps all over again. [Thanks to Pete for the tip!] [Update: Just as this post hit the front page, ArenaNet published a dev blog by Angel McCoy that focuses on the living story. Not only does McCoy explain how the paradoxes of the living story will work themselves out, but she teases that ArenaNet has "increased the amount of content (it will) be delivering, starting at the end of March." Good deal!]
Guild Wars 2 WvW changes delayed until March
For those of you anxiously awaiting the upcoming WvW changes slotted for this month, Guild Wars 2's Game Director Colin Johanson jumped into the forums today to let players know that the update will come in March instead. But the good news is that we get a significant glimpse into the crystal ball of GW2's development as Colin details upcoming improvements such as the continual optimization of game models and data compression to reduce performance problems plus ways to draw more people in to the WvW feature. Be sure to read Colin's entire post over at the GW2 community forums.
ArenaNet devs dish on WvW, new achievements, and more
ArenaNet trotted out a trio of game devs yesterday to answer your Guild Wars 2 questions via livestream. The vidcast has since been archived on the company's TwitchTV channel, and we've also embedded it just past the cut for your convenience. Taking center stage are Anet's Mike Zadorojny, Jonathan Sharp, and Matt Witter. Topics include revitalizing deserted PvE areas, a new achievement system, and various world-vs. world tweaks.
Flameseeker Chronicles: War stories in Guild Wars 2
I'm really big on the moments in games that turn into memories, whether that's in Guild Wars 2, your pen and paper variety of choice, or any other game. I mean, you probably remember a lot of your time in-game (unless you play a lot while really tired or otherwise impaired), but there's a difference between, say, recalling some of the quests you had to complete in order to fill a renown heart and recounting that seriously epic time that you and that other Guardian (whom you haven't seen since) totally took on that Champion Jungle Troll all on your own and stomped his face, man, even though you were both underleveled -- you just swapped to scepter/focus and kited him around while the other dude was whalin' on him with the great sword and it was just so cool. (We were really proud of ourselves, OK?) Similarly, there's a difference between walking up to an NPC-defended tower and laying siege to a player-defended one. Sure, you'll probably remember both of them, but one is going to make the sort of experience that sticks with you.
ArenaNet starts teasing details for the Guild Wars 2 Wintersday patch
Guild Wars 2 is just days away from the start of Wintersday festivities, which means it's time to start getting excited! Toymaker Tixx and his technomagical workshop will be touring Tyria to spread joy and good cheer. Skip below the cut to view the teaser video for the Wintersday patch. Wintersday isn't just bringing goodies for PvE lovers, however: a recent forum post talked about some of the changes that are coming to WvW. Players will get more advanced notification of new builds. Hitting Alt+F4 or some other quick escape while in a sticky WvW situation will result in instant character death and loot and XP for the attacking party. Walls and gates won't be instanty repaired anymore but will instead need to be built up a bit before they start providing defense. Finally, "Breakout events" will be added to the game to help teams that have no defensive structures. A much larger WvW update will be delivered in February.
Guild Wars 2 provides a visual overview of World vs. World
If you felt disappointed that ArenaNet left Guild Wars 2's World vs. World out of its video splurge last week, consider this: Maybe the studio was saving the best for last. In any case, today we're finally treated to an overview of the WvW system in the game, narrated by the devs. World vs. World is arguably the centerpiece of PvP combat in the game. Taking place across four massive maps, WvW pits three factions of players against each other in an attempt to conquer keeps, control supply lines, and bring the pain to their fellow man (or Sylvari). You can check out the WvW video after the jump!
ArenaNet presents WvW improvements and server list for final Guild Wars 2 beta [Updated]
With the final Guild Wars 2 beta just days away, ArenaNet has been putting out scads of information regarding what players can expect over their weekend in-game. We've already told you about the Asura and Sylvari being playable, new areas being opened up, and the new PvP map. Today ArenaNet added to the heap of updates with some information about world vs. world. The last BWE helped the team find some issues and bugs in the WvW matchmaking system, leading to some rather unbalanced matches. As a result, the server standings from that weekend won't be published, but systems designer Mike Ferguson says that those bugs have been patched up and more factors have been added to the formula to improve its accuracy. In answer to some concerns about launch, Ferguson announced that the 24-hour match length that players are familiar with from the betas will be used until servers are consistently being matched properly. At that time, matches will move to the two-week format that WvW is meant to take. In the same post, Ferguson listed the servers available for the final beta, which is noticeably shorter than the previous list. The world population limit has been "greatly increased," due both to the additional areas that will be open for player exploration and to some adjustment in how the team is handling its tech. Players should note that this is the initial list and the team is prepared to launch new worlds should the need arise. Refer to the original blog post for the full world list. [Update] ArenaNet has posted a few extra details on the official forums, world transfers will be free from the start of the beta until 9:00 p.m. EDT on July 21st. Gem cost for transfers after that time will be 1800 gems to transfer to a high-population world, 1000 gems to transfer to a medium-population world, and 500 gems for a low-population world.
Flameseeker Chronicles: The game at the end of Guild Wars 2
Let's hear it for information! Last week ArenaNet developers Eric Flannum and Colin Johanson streamed a "TAD talk" (that apparently stands for The ArenaNet Developers, but I prefer to think it's something along the lines of Truthy And Designerrific or The Answer Dump) about endgame in Guild Wars 2. There was some pretty neat stuff. This, as a necessity, pretty much all relates to PvE. Sure, you could argue that PvP is endgame, as in it's something-to-when-you-are-level-80, but when you consider the way that PvP works in Guild Wars 2, it's actually something you do anytime you like. That might be all the time; that might be none of the time. So PvP and WvW will always be waiting there with open arms for you when you need to spice up your in-game life. They are constant. You don't fight your way up to level 80 and then think, "Gee, I'm competitive in PvP now!" That's part of ArenaNet's design philosophy. The team has a stated goal of not wanting to change the game drastically for endgame. If you're at the point in time that's marked "endgame," you've ostensibly enjoyed the game for the last 80 levels (otherwise, why on earth would you not quit?), so what ArenaNet doesn't want to do is suddenly give you something completely different to fill your days. That leaves some people feeling like there is no endgame because the endgame in Guild Wars 2 is strikingly similar to the rest of the game.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Slow news week for Guild Wars 2
I've had it up to here, ArenaNet. We, your community, are dying for some real information. You can't keep putting out flimflam posts and expect us to be happy. We've given you our money, for goodness' sake, we deserve a -- Release date, you say? August 28th, you say? Well then.
Eric Flannum talks Guild Wars 2 mechanics
We know you Guild Wars 2 fans are over the moon about the recently announced release date, but the news doesn't stop there! Eric Flannum, the game's lead designer, has just tackled some questions from Guild Wars 2 Junkies. The interview took a good hard look at World vs World. To begin with, Flannum addresses concerns about people not being able to play WvW on busy servers during peak hours, saying that there's a queue for the center WvW map that players can enter while playing PvE or any of the Borderlands home maps. Additionally, for a short while around the game's launch, players will be able to transfer servers at a reduced fee, which will hopefully aid in the even spread of players across servers and help people find the WvW server that suits their style. He states that the current looting system for WvW is under review, with the goal of keeping WvW looting similar to that in PvE. In response to concerns about the travel time around WvW maps, Flannum points out that captured keeps can be upgraded with waypoints for quicker travel. He also highlights WvW-specific armor, achievements, and titles as character advancement options for WvW players. A few other aspects of the game were covered as well. The question of allowing players to choose their starting weapons in character creation was brought up; Flannum says that's actually a part of the game at one point, but it was discarded once it was clear it gave newer players a disadvantage. He explains that some of the animation issues players complained about are due to bugs that will be fixed, while others are due to the fact that while transition animations are in place for switching directions, characters actually start moving immediately in the new direction as opposed to transitioning from one movement to another. For all the little details, be sure to catch the full interview, complete with a teasing non-answer about whether or not we'll see the Sylvari or Asura in the last beta weekend.
Guild Wars 2 gears up for beta weekend with a producer video and WvW article
Guild Wars 2 players, are you ready for this weekend's beta event? That's the question that Marketing Coordinator David Campbell and Lead Producer Chris Whiteside want to help you with, and the duo's put together a three-and-a-half minute video to chat about the creation and hopeful execution of the game's second public beta test. What can we expect from this beta event? "A much more evolved experience which breaks down into roughly two areas," Whiteside said. "One area is the feedback that we've gotten from the community... the second part is the content evolution that includes a new zone and the Mystic Forge." Over on the ArenaNet blog, Systems Designer Mike Ferguson penned a post detailing all of the tweaks, fixes, and changes that the team has made to the world-vs.-world PvP for this weekend. He even posted a chart showing off the wins and losses for each server from the past beta event. The beta weekend event starts tomorrow, June 8th, at 3:00 p.m. EDT. Hit the jump to watch the full producer's video to get ready for it!
