[GW2]New thread before bed. Go post in it when your not busy PLAYING!

Corehealer

PLEASE MOVE TO SEPARATE TS3 SERVER CHANNELS FOR LEVELING AND PVP/ETC WHEN THE GAME IS LIVE AND YOU ARE IN THE PA GUILD, SO AS TO REDUCE CONFUSION IN THE LOBBY. SEE YOU IN GAME!

PRE-ORDER/PRE-PURCHASE DETAILS HERE (LAUNCH IS 25TH OF AUGUST FOR PRE-PURCHASERS, 28TH FOR GENERAL ADMITTANCE):
https://buy.guildwars2.com/ and wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/User:Stephane_Lo_Presti/GW2_prepurchase_retailers_list
For PA GW2 Teamspeak 3 server info and FAQ, as well as Launch Server and PA Guilds Info, please scroll down to posts 3 and 4. Launch server is (ostentatiously) Fort Aspenwood.

Welcome to the Guild Wars 2 Thread! (Wherein is discussed Arenanet's upcoming font of gold plated awesome, their sequel to their original MMO hit, Guild Wars).

The Venerable Wall of Erections:

ghost_master2000 wrote: »

God... Every time I come in this thread I need a change of pants.

Joshmvii wrote: »

Every time I come in my pants I visit this thread.

Zzulu wrote: »

I feel I don't even need any more info on the game. I've been sold for many months now and I just want to buy it and play it already.

Klyka wrote: »

I have to be completely honest here:

I would pay double price if I could have the game NOW.

Chubby Bunny wrote:

I can't look at this topic any more. I'm so hard I can't even breathe.

Avynte wrote:

GW2 is going to force me to see a doctor because I don't think holding an erection until Q1/2 is going to be good for my health.

Sarksus wrote:

DROP THIS GAME INTO MY MOUTH ANET I WANT IT

naengwen wrote:

Coming into this thread is like Christmas.

Dr_Keenbean wrote: »

The most important thing I've gotten out of this thread is that ice cream is god damn delicious. So I went out and got some.

Thank you.

Enig wrote:

I'm getting pretty concerned that GW2 will just be too much fun, and people won't be able to handle it. This could really hurt the game long term.

unintentional wrote: »

YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON, COREHEALER

ironzerg wrote:

I know nothing about GW2 other that what I watched a couple hours ago. The manifesto video. My body is still trying to recover from the sudden explosion of blood that rushed into my penile extremeties.

Caedere wrote:

There is no other game coming out that I am excited for more than Guild Wars 2. In fact, there are no entertainment properties that I anticipate more than this game—no book, movie, TV show, videogame, nothing.

Rend wrote: »

I'M STILL NOT ON THE WALL

We aim to please.

Welcome to Take 9 of our ongoing saga of Guild Wars 2 game hype, MMO industry discussion and offering praise to ArenaNet. The old threads can be found in the MMO archive because I’m too lazy to waste space here linking to them, awesome as they were. They live on in an ever growing save file on my computer, brought here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy!

As you might remember, Guild Wars was an interesting hybrid multiplayer RPG game with MMO elements released during the early years of WoW's dominance in the MMO market, a stylish, robust offering most notable for being free to play without any restrictions or item shops with the purchase of the retail box. It featured six core classes, PvE content containing 25 storyline missions of epic scale and scope, and a PvP component, the fondly remembered Guild vs Guild and World vs World style combat. With the level cap at only 20, players could reach it rapidly or even start new characters for PvP at the level cap and fully trained. Since 2005, it's gotten 3 expansions and countless patch updates. It's still going strong on it's own and is one of NCSoft's most successful forays into the MMO market.
And now, ArenaNet, the developers behind the game under NCSoft ownership, are back with a new beginning for this great franchise, the highly anticipated and 6 years+ in the making...




Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em0Sd60iI2w

Guild Wars 2 Design Manifesto: (The real reason you should have a boner for this game despite past MMO genre failures)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJJA_veYQ5s

Behind the Scenes Retrospective Video: (Another reason to have a boner for Guild Wars 2)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GwKGbNKQHE

Various ArenaNet devs talking about the game and the community it has already built around it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZMJ3sw_IcY

Those videos sure are great, but how about a bit more detail on what makes GW2 different and awesome? Here's the straight poop you need to know, and if you want more details, read on!

- No monthly fees. GW2 requires only the box purchase to play, and has a microtransaction store in game that sells optional consumables and cosmetic stuff; no pay to win items.
- Dynamic Events, or, imagine actually looking forward to running into other players in an MMO world. The dynamic event system replaces traditional questing with a system of events, some independent, some tied together, that play out in the world independent of player action. You automatically enter and leave them at will, and do not need to ask a quest giver for them or return to one after it's completion. All you need to do is participate, and everyone involved is rewarded based on how much they participate.
- A Truly Personal Storyline. Be a hero, make choices, learn about the overarching situation in the land of Tyria, Save the World, etc. Your character can experience a tailored, GW campaign style story in addition to the dynamic event system that you shape with your choices.
- Epic-scale PvP. Love sieges, keeps, chaos? Want blood for the Blood God? WvWvW, lovingly nicknamed wuvwuv, is three servers pitted against each other in vicious combat to dominate an inter-dimensional battlefield known as the Mists for glory and for the benefits victory brings to one's server. Think DAOC Borderlands skirmishes and sieges, but with no factions. Servers are unified against other servers.
- We also have Small-scale E-sport PvP. Think WoW battlegrounds/arenas, but more finely tuned and balanced.
- Sidekicking allows you to always be able to play with your friends, no matter what level you are.
- No Holy Trinity means you will always be able to play with anyone and not need to spam chat looking for tanks and heals for hours. Players need to be more skillful, self-sufficient and work as a team to succeed at challenging content.
- No grind. Thanks to the variable level sidekick system and dynamic event systems, the devs have little reason to drag out the leveling process. It follows a linear progression of about 1.5 hours per level up to a max level of 80.
- No gear treadmill. As in GW1, max-stat gear will be readily available as soon as you reach the max level. The challenge of dungeons, PvP and other high-end content will provide your character more awesome looking equipment and give marginal upgrades to stats and some unique abilities, but you can’t out-gear your problems in GW2.
- Beautiful graphics, smart user interface, extensive Armor-Dye System, and more! Such as:
- Useful and convenient Crafting system,
- Multiplayer Skill Combos,
- Complex Trait System for Character Skill Customization,
- A Fully Featured Auction House known as the Marketplace, with buy orders and other economical trend reports (like EvE) and,
- For quick fixes of fun and bar brawls, Fun Mini Activities. Think carnival games and tests of skill.

If any of this has piqued your interest, continue reading, watching and checking out the many links and articles.

---

Playable Races Section:

The 5 Races: (It isn't just humans anymore!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEdr8HHJ-zU

The Humans:

The resiliency of the noble human race has been tested many times. They have paid a dear cost for their security and liberty, yet their spirit remains unshaken. Only through courage, will, and unity can the humans retain their storied culture and reach once more to rise above. The characters you played in the original Guild Wars won't be able to follow you here, but the human race still struggles on in their name to find a place among the new scheme of things, and this time they will need your help. They have also gotten a lot of upgrades in the last 2 centuries, which will be interesting to see when compared to the original game.

The Charr:

Ascalon's conquerors, the charr are ferocious, warmongering creatures--the intractable foes of humanity. Now, as greater dangers threaten their conquests, charr legions and their war machines prepare for battle. Think steampunk meets bipedal sabertooth cats. With guns! These guys are no joke, and guaranteed to be the most rolled MMO race since the blood elves.

The Norn:

The norn are towering brawlers from the frigid northern lands who can shape-shift into mighty bestial forms. Driven from their homeland by a force beyond reckoning, the norn have regrouped among the dwarven ruins of the Shiverpeaks. The Vikings have nothing on these guys. If you ever wanted to become a polar bear and tear your opponents limb from limb, this is the race for you.

The Asura:

The asura, who once ruled the caverns and tunnels below Tyria, are an advanced race of small size and great intellect. Now that they have risen from below, the asura aim to rule the surface world with their powerful golems and ingenious plans. This aesthetic feels similar to many a small yet smart race from other lore (Gibberlings in Allods, Gnomes in WoW and elsewhere, Halflings from LoTR and D&D, etc), but what these big eyed fellows lack for in originality they more then make up for in technology and and having enough differences in viewing the world around them to make them unique among those who love being small and mischievous.

The Sylvari:

Not much is known of the sylvari, save that they are a race of sentient plant-beings, newly blossomed into the world. The sylvari are the youngest of the races, bound together by a common dream and awesome power. They are a race that was created at the end of a long quest in the original Guild Wars involving a peace loving centaur who planted his dream of a better world in the form of a tree which is now a forest from which this race has been born. I think this was a great idea for a new player race and i'll definitely be interested to see where their story goes.

---

Professions Section: All classes are now revealed. We all agree they are all awesome and alt worthy; the big question is, which one will you play first? Klyka has a helpful chart to get you started:

3 Scholar Professions:

Elementalist. The Mage/Shaman-esque caster class who calls upon the four traditional elemental powers of Earth, Air, Fire and Water to do everything from nuke things to healing allies, buffing their abilities, modifying their attacks and generally making things explode. They use an Attunement system to focus the elemental powers to the element most suited to their needs in any given situation. GW2 Site link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/elementalist/.

Necromancer. Anyone who knows anything about time honoured fantasy IPs, like D&D and Everquest, know that Necromancers are feared, dark magic using spellcasters, who create vile diseases with their evil spells and summon up terrifying undead minions from the very earth to smite their enemies. In Guild Wars 2, they are very much akin to this ideal, and can be seen as a WoW warlock turned up to 11 with more AoEs and, in this game's case, a monopoly on fear mechanic skills, as well as many deadly attacks that hurt opponents while healing allies and giving the Necromancer an exclusive energy type known as life force, with which they can fuel their most potent skills. Another fine, and certainly scary, addition to the profession list. (Now officially confirmed after the Gamescon reveal.) GW2 Site link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/necromancer/

Mesmer. Do you like being FABULOUS? How about shooting laser beams? Teleporting around the battlefield and fucking with your enemies? Then mesmers are for you. These masters of illusion and charm can change the flow of a battle and distract and fool enemies with a wide variety of cool abilities, including splitting into mirror images that shatter and damage close foes, AOE invisibility and mantras, abilities which can be charged up prior to an engagement and then used in conjunction with other skills at any time for powerful combos. They are among the more complex classes in GW2, but are sure to delight anyone interested in a unique magic profession that can do some pretty incredible fakeouts and tricks. And look great while doing it! (Officially confirmed after a short pre-reveal by some European game journalists who linked the skill trailer (in French) to Youtube two days early, thus spoiling Arenanet's humorous "Minstrel" class reveal stunt, which still went ahead and was still full of fun and bad vocals. The first of many Mesmer tricks to be sure). GW2 Site link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/mesmer/

3 Adventurer Professions:

Ranger. The bow and arrows trailblazer, a survivalist of the wild who is the master of the lonely places of the world and nature, calling forth a loyal animal companion and the spirits of the elements to aid them and their party in any situation. Versatile and awesome, think WoW's hunter with less retarded pets and more interesting skillsets. This profession was a fan favourite of the original and promises to be all that and more in GW2. GW2 Site Link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/ranger/

Thief. This is the trademark rogue style class, a sneaky and stealthy assassin who sticks daggers in mans and dances around the battlefield picking enemies off at will. This incarnation of the rogue style class structure comes with some marked differences over a WoW style rogue, among the biggest being the limited, tactical nature of stealth, the use of small firearms as active weapons, and the ability to steal generic objects from a target (and not their inventory) which creates new, powerful skillsets on a whim to be used against the target with devastating results. Thieves are all about being subtle, graceful, ambushing from the darkness and keeping an enemy preoccupied, as well as setting traps, and will fit in nicely with support groups in need of a backup plan. GW2 Site Link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/thief/

Engineer. Engineers are a sexy departure from regular MMO class conventions. They throw down turrets like Team Fortress 2's beloved practical problem solver, concoct grenades and alchemical healing potions among other things to aid in battle and help allies, and generally control the tactical situation of the battlefield with mines, traps and a good old fashioned firearm at their side. This class, the much hypothesized gun class of GW2, as well possesses tool kits and other useful skills to further customize their role in the field, making Engineers that much more expert at what they do. These guys are no joke, and are sure to be the bane of many a foolhardy player in PvP. GW2 Site Link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/engineer/

2 Soldier Professions:

Warrior. The typical damage sponge plate wearing melee fighter. Warriors have a variety of skill and damage options related to the variety of weapons they can use in game. They use an adrenaline system, similar to WoW warrior's rage, to build up the energy nessecary for performing a variety of cool abilities, including burst abilities for quick attacks. They also use a variety of buffing abilities related to Shout commands and the use of banners to target enemies and buff allies on the fly in combat. (Now officially confirmed, this class was in the previous Guild Wars and has been mentioned in various Guild Wars 2 Combat and Gameplay articles released so far, side by side with the released Elementalist. It's safe to say Warriors will be returning to GW2, and their combat videos attest to not only their awesomeness, but to the fluid appearance and natural flow of combat gameplay in GW2). GW2 Site Link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/warrior/

Guardian. The penultimate paladin-esc class described aptly by Ravious of Kill Ten Rats as "a warrior steak with a side of monk potatoes and a small helping of ritualist carrots all covered in paragon gravy". Guardians excel at battle control, defence and support of their allies without the need to make red health bars go up or hold aggro on big scary monsters, preferring instead to think more like a tactician and leader. They can put up wards and shields, buff themselves and allies, and put the hurt on enemies as good as any other. Roll this profession if you want to play Guild Wars 2 as a more support minded character, minus the strict role settings of the Trinity design. (Confirmed by ArenaNet, this class is the second Solider plate wearing class in GW2 as well as the noteworthy first major game reveal of 2011. Grab your popcorn! It's only going to get better as the months pass). GW2 Site Link: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/professions/guardian/

Guild Wars 2 Skill Calculator (Work in Progress, input race, class and weapon to see preliminary skills and their descriptions available to that combo):
http://gw2.luna-atra.fr/skills_tool/?lang=en

---

Dungeon Section: (This section will expand as we gain more information on Dungeons in the game, indexed based on level requirements.)

From what we know from this article (http://www.pcgamer.com/2010/10/19/gu...ngeon-reveals/), courtesy of reVerse, dungeons are entered for the first time in a setting known as Story Mode, where your characters interact with one or more members of the adventuring group known as Destiny's Edge. These characters will guide a group through their personal story and connect it to the overarching plot as well as what's going on story wise in the instance, and aid the player in combat.
Explorable Mode unlocks afterwards for when you return each time to the instance once you've beaten it in Story Mode. Explorable mode is a random generation dungeon type where the actions you took with your group in Story Mode have consequences to what enemies will spawn and what events will occur within the instance.
This is intended as being a replay friendly mechanic, so that dungeons remain vibrant and fun after the first few runs.
Both modes will have loot, including sets for each profession, and grouping is reported to be very easy, in lieu of as of yet unreleased game systems for grouping. NPC heroes like those from GW1 will not be returning, so expect to group like in other MMOs with players for GW2, which is arguably better anyways.

UPDATE (06/24/11): Watch these videos and read this blog article for more updated info, impressions and a showcase of one of GW2's premiere mid range dungeons, Catacombs of Ascalon.

The videos:

Catacombs of Ascalon Intro:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-rgNxFkQW4A

Dungeon Gameplay:

Corehealer

Part 2 of the OP:

---

PvP Section:


I considered writing something thoughtful and provocative here, but really, all you need to know about how amazing this game's Player versus Player components are can be found in the below image:

The WvWvW map. 3 server territories and one neutral area in the bottom middle. Takes about a half hour to walk from one end to the other, for size scale, though you probably will never need to do that as there is plenty of fast travel waypoints between key areas available.

And some videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyMRoB8Xff8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxeffOuV_5o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pk06sCaB0l4&feature=plcp&context=C4d2cf69VDvjVQa1PpcFMc28lyYkGpjV3hVRvtVv7h-QgyH5q85hA=

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0ay5np0078

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygFJ1n7f1eo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHzuwBOzH6w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnZmnY6J3k0&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvHV7HB2BDc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXc1JwHGNik

You got World versus World versus World, which is three servers fighting over an inter-dimensional battlefield filled with castles and stuff to capture, and you have more structured PvP formats like the Battle of Kyhlo, where the focus is smaller and more traditional and very skill based. All of this is separated from the PvE experience to prevent griefing and factional server splits. ArenaNet is committed to creating a PvP experience that is both accessible to the wider playerbase found in PvE and making it exciting and engaging for them to try from time to time, while also making the system balanced and deep enough so as to support competitive E-sports style PvP on both a large and small scale.



You better believe a lot of us here on the forums will live and breathe GW2 PvP. Commander Corehealer is looking for a few good men to take that keep up on the hill...

If you haven't got the patience to play EvE's PvP scene or you missed out on DAoC's borderlands skirmishes and keep sieges, or you are simply bored of WoW's stale format and want something different, here is where your server pride will be resurrected in a crucible of fire. Get ready to kill some mans.

---

OCD Guide to GW2's economy and resource system:



Gems = Currency bought with real money which can be traded within the in game economy for gold and services. Gems are used to purchase in game store vanity items.
Gold = In game currency, acquired through various means, such as selling in game goods and services, PvP and PvE dynamic events. It is used for the majority of in game item and service purchases, much like in other games.
Karma = A resource procured along with gold and experience from dynamic events and completing personal story objectives, among other things. It is used to purchase the PvE versions of gear upgrades for every 5 levels, up to the max of 80.
Glory = The PvP version of Karma acquired in WvW and battleground PvP. Used to purchase the PvP versions of gear upgrades for every 5 levels up to a max of 80.
(Note: All gear acquired in PvP and PvE, regardless of how, is useable in both PvP and PvE without any serious handicaps, and both can be upgraded using crafting skills as well).
Supply = A WvW exclusive resource acquired from various control points and resource nodes found across the WvW maps. After they are captured for your server, players and caravans must transport limited amounts of supply from them in waves to keeps and other strong points to build up the defensive structures and traps of said areas, as well as hire NPC guards to defend them. They must also transport supply as well as a schematic (acquired at any large keep from a quartermaster for gold) for the specific type of siege weapon they wish to build at the site of a keep siege as an attacking force. Siege weapons include battering rams, catapults, trebuchets and Asuran siege golems. Supply cannot be used outside of WvW.
Another resource, Renown, exists for guilds, but we do not presently know what it's function is in relation to guild advancement and the rest of the game economy.

---

Press/Media Section:



Video Compilation Section: See previous OPs for video of 2010 video releases, primarily PAX Prime 2010 and Gamescon 2010 videos). Also check Google and Youtube.

PAX East 2010 Guild Wars 2 Designing Dynamic Events Panel Playlist!: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_lis...69292ECAAB7B5E

PAX East 2011 Demo Videos (For 2010 PAX Prime Demo videos, see Youtube and the previous thread OP, linked at the top of this one; this Demo focuses on the norn, the guardian, the thief, and various gameplay systems such as crafting and has an improved gear stat system in place over last year's Demo):

Guild Wars 2 PAX East Panel, Parts 1- 4:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RgPS1jHUMbw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lctnKVlj-Zs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMFqmxXP71c

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSfuEqtHse8

Alienware Booth Presentation of the Thief Class in the Demo at PAX East (Long video from a streamed original, the good parts start at 14 min in and end at 45 min in, good quality): http://www.justin.tv/alienwarearena/b/281335903

Gamescom 2011 Video Compilation: (Featuring Cynical Brit Totalbiscuit, PvP first looks and Playable, Redesigned Sylvari and Asura)

New GW2 Gamescom Game Trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x83sQfGJBmg

Totalbiscuit's interview with Izzy Cartwright on GW2 PvP:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvHV7HB2BDc

ArenaNet faces off in 5v5 Battlefield PvP with a Pro e-sports German team on the demo feature map, the Battle of Kyhlo:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXc1JwHGNik

Tequatl the Sunless, presumed Dragon liutenenant of ethier Zhaitan or the unnamed sea based dragon, battles a demo raid group:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1JfSbKjHHI

Totalbiscuit's WTF is Guild Wars 2 Parts 1 and 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ttfOuxB6Gc&feature=BFa&list=WLFB28825DDA3768FC&index=19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnVGEYGE8hs&feature=BFa&list=WLFB28825DDA3768FC&index=20

Work in Progress Revealed and Detailed Character Customization Compilation Video (Shows all Race appearence customizations for both genders currently available):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhPMysnqFwc

ArenaNet showcase of the Tequatl fight and related mechanics and scaling:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNtwF6UjkR0

Asura Character customization (In German, no sound):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtN3ncmDIjk

Asura Guardian Gameplay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cobq3Z4KOmo

GW2Live's Youtube Demo Videos in HD (good quality and played by people who played the first game extensively and know what they are doing, shows off skills and other gameplay features in some videos):

Elementalist Showcasing the Fire, Water and Air Attunements Tactically to great effect:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW4sGjWJK_0

Charr Ranger with Pet Action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofUCav0GTww

Dye System Demonstration:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sBvWMF44JA

Elementalist and Thief General Gameplay:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDEwfWHiXis

GameSpot Norn Interview/Customization Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tFTSv4CSTAI&feature=related

10 Minute General Combat Montage Video:

GameSpot 10 Min Combat Video

A Q&A Video from June 2011's Fanday chalk full of interesting tidbits:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Los-MliDhY

GW2 Fan Trailer Contest:Winners got to go with a friend to ArenaNet's new Seattle Development Studio and play the game with the developers.

Winning Entries (First one is better then second but they are both good and informative):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wm9NMZDN-A

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtAREKLnyzI

Art Section: (Some of the most beautiful fantasy artwork I've ever seen, watch in HD.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8KdzIvzY1I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORRilzOugyc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61H5yzj0jyQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0PWUBOdzmI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxIhTZEEWL8

---

Relevant Site Links Section:

http://www.guildwars2.com/en/ The Official Game Site.
http://www.arena.net/blog/ Official ArenaNet Blog
http://twitter.com/#!/guildwars2 Official Guild Wars 2 Twitter Feed (Best place for updates and FAQ clarification).
http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/473/Guild-Wars-2.html MMORPG.com's GW2 Page, (With frequent updates on the game.)
http://www.guildwars2guru.com/ MMOGuru's Guild Wars 2 Community Site.
http://www.massively.com/category/guild-wars-2 Massively.com's Guild Wars 2 News and Updates Page.

Be sure to check the thread as links with new info come in all the time as well!



And to tie up the end of the link roundup, a really weirdly awesome comic shared with us courtesy of reVerse, creator unknown:

reVerse wrote:

To conserve OP space, and because the FAQ has changed somewhat in the years this thread has been following the game, I'm providing a link to it rather then a wall of text from now on. Read the official site's Frequently Asked Questions here: http://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/game-faq/

Also (as a outsider opinion piece attachment to the somewhat old FAQ page), a really good article you should read which eloquently details various innovative design systems and functions which will be in the game, why they are innovative and awesome, why they will most likely be pulled off, and why you might not like them now, but might learn to love them later:

sidhaethe wrote:

I don't like much about mmorpg.com, but this article by a regular forumer (and GW2Guru denizen) really nails, in exquisite detail, what has me so excited about GW2:

The Tao of Arenanet

If you have any suggestions for the OP/info that should be in it, let me know here and i'll get it updated.
A big thanks to reVerse, Sidhaethe, Loki, Enig, zZulu, Arthil and everyone else who has contributed to the OP and the thread, and our resident ArenaNet insider, World as Myth, for providing us with art assets, up to date info and kind words. Let the LAUNCH DAY dissection commence!

Corehealer

Because it's just as much about the people you're with as it is about crushing skulls and storytime.

This post is reserved for future guild(s) information/how to get in/PA community stuff concerning release. PA community being these guys and gals:


LAUNCH/POST LAUNCH STUFF:
Official Beta Server was and Official Launch Server is FORT ASPENWOOD. Overflow servers should no longer be necessary but any pertinent server information for the main PA guild at least will be posted here for your convenience as needed. Please go to Fort Aspenwood if you wish to play with the main PA peeps guild. Our guilds are all cross server and account/character wide anyway, so once you join, you'll be able to chat with people regardless of server. Server transfers should be available post launch after some stabilizing of the servers for free, but it will take some time to certify and you will be locked into one server at any given time for PvP WvW purposes.

Guide for switching Servers:

In character select, right after login. In the Bottom left corner of the screen.

Select "World Selection" > Select "Transfer World" > Select "Server you want".

Beta events are over, though we have had periodic stress test mini events available to pre-purchasers. The game will be going live in late August (August 25th for Pre-purchasers, August 26th for Pre-orders and August 28th for General Admittance).

---

OFFICIAL PA GUILD(S):
- What A Nice Guild [NICE] (GM: Corehealer/Sarah Corehealer)
- Your guild name here [Your tag here] (GM: Your name here)
This list is subject to change in release, but will serve for now as a list of guilds we create now or later for more specific purposes in PvP and PvE. The GW2 Guild system allows players to be in multiple guilds simultaneously, so we will be using a prime guild (NICE) for networking between smaller, specialized guilds that will be focused on specific aspects of the game. More on all that later as we get closer to release. If you have suggestions for this list, names, or are creating a guild for EU/AU or a subset of one of the main guilds, please contact me or one of the officers in NICE.

Guilds are also trans-server and account wide; as long as you select to represent a specific guild on a specific character, you will be able to chat with and see the status of anyone on any server in that guild. You will not lose membership in your other guilds, you will simply not be actively representing all but one of them on a given character.

You can find PA people using GW2 UI's social networking style Contacts tab, shown in a few of the press beta videos, to search for familiar faces and the above guild. When I am in the beta, I will do my best to manage the guild and get the PA peeps in each event networked, so PM Trajan/Sarah Corehealer in game to get in touch with me (all my characters have the last name Corehealer). If nothing else, try asking in general chat for any PA people, specifically in starting areas or cities.

USEFUL/FUN TOOLS TO KEEP YOU FROM GOING CRAZY OVER LACK OF GW2:
Allows for you to go through the character creation process, even 'choose' your look via screenshots.
Streamchan

Useful all around tool that has most skill/trait information. Disclaimer: It's in french, but there's a little button to make it show in the Queen's English. *Monocle*
LUNA-ATRA

Only provides the traits but all around seems to have a bit more information, sadly neither tools have info on all traits.
GW2Tools

VC INFO:
For the April BWE we will be using the following Teamspeak 3 server provided by Draygo (seriously, look at how much effort he put into this thing):



Server IP: 66.135.59.185:9999
Password: pa
Admins: Corehealer, Entaru, Draygo, Enig, Geod

This is most likely a permanent setup for the BWEs and future events/release now because Draygo has put a lot of work into this solution and has swayed myself and Entaru with it's beauty, icons, functionality and abuse of admin power. It also holds 100+ seats up to a maximum of about 300, more then we really need but excellent nonetheless.
It is very unlikely that we will need help funding any server upkeep at this time. If we do we will put it up here.

Livestream: (ON HIATUS AGAIN WHILE I GET IT SET UP AND PLANNED OUT BETTER FOR POSTLAUNCH. WILL DO SOME TESTING POSTLAUNCH. HELP APPRECIATED).
Also, I have a livestream that I'm currently playing around with and tweaking in preparation for GW2, with it being the main focus of my channel. Expect to see it and assorted other games there with live commentary by yours truly with some guest commentary via our GW2 Ventrilo/Skype. Link is here and in my signature. http://www.twitch.tv/corehealer

Corehealer

This post is now the Penny Arcade Guild Wars 2 Teamspeak FAQ, written by Draygo for everyone's convenience. Server seats 100+ people and everything you want to know about it can be found below or by asking Draygo, as he put it together and has been hosting these servers for years.

Q) Where do I get it:

Download teamspeak here: http://www.teamspeak.com/?page=downloads
You can get teamspeak for windows, mac, and linux. As well as your Ithing and your android, if you so prefer.

Q) Cool, I installed it, now what?

Now you must connect to our totally awesome server. In order to do that you must first run teamspeak. Then hit Connections at the top. Select Connect.



Now you must enter the server details:

Server Address: 66.135.59.185:9999
Nickname: Your forum or In Game Name
Password: pa



Q) What does the banner in the top right do?



The community thread banner when clicked on will open the most recent guild wars 2 thread on penny arcade.

Q) How do I add a class or race icon next to my name?

You do this by right clicking yourself, put your mouse over server group, then left click any of the categories named with the race or class you want to choose. You can uncheck them at any time to remove the icon.

Q) Who are the server admins?

They are Draygo, Corehealer, Entaru, Geod, and Enig.

Q) So is there a skin/theme for this?



Yes and you can download it from our lobby. Right click the lobby, and select open file browser. You will see the installer file at the top. Download and run that file to skin your client.



In order to activate the theme/skin you need to go to settings->options, and click design on the left.



Then select Theme and change it to PA Guild Wars 2.

Q) Who made the theme?

Draygo did.

Q) How do I change my name?

Right click yourself and select change nickname. You can do this at any time. Do not change your name to impersonate an admin.

Q) What rules can I expect?

Don't be a dick. No personal attacks except 'silly goose', forum rules apply. If it is not appropriate on the forums, it is also not appropriate in teamspeak.

Q) Someone is breaking the rules, or is being disruptive, but no server admins are online. How do I complain.

First, I hope you can all be gentlemen and resolve disputes by yourselves. If someone is being a dick, you can fill out a complaint. Right click someone and click make a complaint. Do not abuse this feature. If 5 people complain about one person in a short amount time, that person will be temp banned from the server. Do not abuse this. Admins will see the complaints that lead to the temp banning and will be unhappy to fix it.

Q) Can I make my own channels?

Yes!
Teamspeak is setup that you can make your own channels in any of the major channels (Except Admin HQ, Lobby, and Afk, for obvious reasons) First enter the channel you want to make the sub-channel in. Right click the parent channel and select, create sub channel. You can enter a name, even a password, as well as set any description you want. After you create the channel, make sure the Audio Codec selected is high enough audio quality.

Right click the channel you created and click edit channel. Click the audio tab and increase the Quality slider. Also decrease the latency slider to reduce lag time. Quality 7, latency 1 are the recommended settings.
These channels are temp only, when the last person leaves them they are automatically cleaned up.





The person who created the channel is the op of the channel and can kick people from the channel (not server). So if you created your own channel and want to remove someone, you can password protect it and remove the troublesome individual.


Q) Is there an overlay plugin?

Yes. There is a built in overlay plugin. To enable it, select settings then plugins. Check the teamspeak overlay plugin and then click settings on the bottom to configure it. Here you can configure any color of each of the elements, as well as transparency settings. I recommend you change the input settings to enable mouse polling, and change the initialization mode to minimal. Minimal mode only displays the one person who is talking, the other mode displays everyone in your channel even those that are talking.

Q) Does teamspeak work with my G15 keyboard.

Yes. There is a plugin for that. Pretty easy to configure again settings->plugins, and enable the G15 keyboard.

Also:

Geod wrote: »

TS3 Overlay for GW2:

Here's how to get the overlay working without graphical glitches:

1. Go to Settings->Plugins in TS3.
2. Select GW2.exe in the Profile dropdown.
3. Uncheck all the Direct3D options, except for Direct3D 9 (which is what GW2 uses).
4. Switch to Input tab
5. Check "Enable Mouse Poll" and "Use in-game" cursor
6. Switch to extended, and check "Used ID3DDevice:Present hook..." (This is what fixes the animations not showing in GW2)

unintentional

we weren't even on page 93 lol

you're just too hype for your own good

unintentional

YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON, COREHEALER

TolerantZero

7 pages from the last thread being locked at page 93

7 posts so far in this thread

7 days before GW2 comes out

Coincedence? I think not.

doomybear

New thread yay!

Corehealer

unintentional wrote: »

YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON, COREHEALER

Gotta stay fresh for that midnight launch baby.

Darkewolfe

Corehealer is just making sure no one ninja's his OP. Next remake will be at page 46.

Corehealer

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Corehealer is just making sure no one ninja's his OP. Next remake will be at page 46.

Only if I'm making sure no one snatches it while I am busy PLAYING LAUNCH MARATHON HEAD START MAGICAL CHRISTMAS TIMES GW2 EARLY ACCESS.

Fairchild

Blizzard will then announce a new patch on page 45.

Mx. Quill

While tweaking my Mesmer build a bit, I came across a thought: does your critical hit chance transfer over to the clones and phantasms?

doomybear

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Corehealer is just making sure no one ninja's his OP. Next remake will be at page 46.

Or at page 103, 6 and a half days from now. WE CAN DO IT!

Huggles

Regarding the last thread:

Corehealer wrote: »

Hey guys, new thread: http://forums.penny-arcade.com/discussion/165680/gw2taste-the-rainbow-in-7-days-just-7-a-week-wow

Just to make sure you don't devour what's left of this one before I can replace it.

After much reflection and gentle consideration, my reply may be summarised thus:

OMNOMNOMNOMNOM

Seidkona

I can hardly fathom the fact that the thing I have been waiting for for five years is now only 7 days away.

cant0r

World as Myth wrote: »

Huggles wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

ironzerg wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

Topia wrote: »

World as Myth wrote: »

The biggest difference between an auction house and our trading post is just substantially better. Otherwise, it's not that different.

Oh, you!

(You guys are welcome to heap praise on the trading post all you want, as that's the thing my team did that I'm most passionate about.)

@World as Myth Quick question, to clarify things. The gem market IS player driven, correct? As in (within limits) I decide how much I want to sell my gems for, and other players decide how much they're willing to spend, correct?

From the GW2 Wiki: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Trading_Post

It looks like Gems are traded for gold in exactly the same way as everything else.

Yes, within limits, it is player driven. At any given time, the gem-gold conversion rate exists on a curve that is set based on the most recent conversions. What this hopefully does is create supply and demand in a semi-organic way: if the value of gold for gems is particularly good, for instance, people will trade their gold in more often, driving up the scarcity of gems and the availability of gold. This in turn makes the conversion rate for gold much more attractive to those who want to trade gems for it. Even if there's a huge imbalance, somebody (hopefully several somebodies) will see that crazy high price and go "shit, I've got 500 gems, I'm gonna get rich off 'em" and balance the scales.

To say that you can just set any old price for your gems and wait around for someone to buy them, however, is incorrect. There are definitely limits imposed to keep things from going too bananas.

Thanks for the clarification! +1 to the Black Lion fan club from me. I'll bet you can't wait to see how it pans out at release.

I watch the forums on about a half dozen sites nervously during every beta, looking for some angry mob to start yelling "I HATE THE TRADING POST. WHOEVER DESIGNED THIS NEEDS A LOBOTOMY." So far there's been very little of that, so I count it as a smashing success.

[Oops! Not sure if this is proper protocol, but I posted this on the old thread after it was retired; hope it's ok to re-post on this (mostly) virgin thread.]

WaM, the trading post UI and functionality is absolutely lovely, you deserve mad kudos!

I did have a couple questions... Anyone know if the historical price trend feature that (I believe) existed in BWE1 is going to make a comeback? I hope so, because I fear without it, the market sharks will make easy profits by causing short-term price spikes. Non-savvy market players will be the prey due to, you know, information asymmetry n stuff. Damn rentier class.

Also, I wonder if there a "saved search" feature has been discussed? Or searches by a broad range of criteria? I mean, what if every morning I want to do a quick check for some "level 35 Purple Pants of Dopeness", for example.

Or what if I wanted to put in a buy order for some class of item. You know, like "I'll buy any level 10 pants for 5s" or something.

Bobble

doomybear wrote: »

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Corehealer is just making sure no one ninja's his OP. Next remake will be at page 46.

Or at page 103, 6 and a half days from now. WE CAN DO IT!

That would probably be a very heavy froth:content ratio, but we're kind of trending in that direction already.

Sterica

@Corehealer, you can wait the eight pages next time.

That's what, five minutes for this thread to accomplish?

Enig

Entaru wrote: »

I can hardly fathom the fact that the thing I have been waiting for for five years is now only 7 days away.

Yeah. We have had these little beta weekends, which were tons of fun, but next week... GW2 with no more limits, adventure as far as the eye can see. We'll get to be proper heroes, explore the full world of Tyria, customize the heck out of our characters (and alts, oh the alts).

So. Excited. 8-)

naengwen

Is true, Core. Just strike up a conversation about power builds, thread woulda been over 2 seconds after hitting the post reply button.

Cobalt60

It's silly that we post on a forum where people are worried about being beaten to remaking a thread when it hits 100 pages..

Qanamil

I like that group shot in because I'm a giant moa with an elixir canister sticking out of my chest.

Of course, flamethrower + snake transformation was the best though.

Tyberius

unintentional wrote: »

YOU'RE A LOOSE CANNON, COREHEALER

But dammit he gets results!

Arch

well you guys we did it

we killed the other thread before launch

high fives all around

unintentional

Arch I wanna play this vid game with you

interrobang

can i just like hibernate for a week?

who can help me make this happen?

unintentional

interrobang wrote: »

can i just like hibernate for a week?

who can help me make this happen?

Let asterius punch you in the face, it usually takes folks about a week to recover

interrobang

unintentional wrote: »

interrobang wrote: »

can i just like hibernate for a week?

who can help me make this happen?

Let asterius punch you in the face, it usually takes folks about a week to recover

rude

Stupid

Ah... that new thread smell!

Huggles

Does anyone have the argument recap post from a previous thread so we can get it all over and done with in the next page or so?

Draygo

@World as Myth
Kate,
My biggest crit of the store right now has nothing to do with the UI and is probably out of your control.

It's why do they not give a bonus for purchasing a larger amount of gems all at once. Like Riot does with its riot points.

The store is wonderful and pretty. (love the aviator picture).

Please, help me give you all my monies.

grizwhirl

Arthil

Draygo wrote: »

@World as Myth
Kate,
My biggest crit of the store right now has nothing to do with the UI and is probably out of your control.

It's why do they not give a bonus for purchasing a larger amount of gems all at once. Like Riot does with its riot points.

The store is wonderful and pretty. (love the aviator picture).

Please, help me give you all my monies.

grizwhirl

This is actually surprising, most of the time you get a nice little boost if you buy larger amounts of fun bucks.

Enig

Well they do put gem store items on sale periodically ("promotions"), so you can still get potentially more for your money. They probably want a flat rate for stuff like character slots though.

Arch

why do you keep saying grizwhirl

i feel i missed something a while back

shryke

I'm assuming they want to maintain a consistent exchange rate.

Draygo

grizwhirl... grizwhirl... grizwhirl...

Caedere

Why is it that the first thing that someone who is drunk wants to post is, "I am so drunk right now"? It's stupid.

So, I will resist that impulse, and instead talk about how excited I am for GW2.

So excited. I was talking with my boss at work about the game, and he was asking when it was out (he hasn't prepurchased yet). I mentioned that it was a week from Friday, and he was all, "So, a week from tomorrow?"

It was then that it sank in.

Fucking Guild Wars 2, the game that I have been waiting for so long for, the single thing I have been anticipating more than ANYTHING else, will be out in a WEEK. Holy. Crap.


... wow.

Also, I'm tempted to make the first character I level to 80 be my planned crafter character. Leveling to 80, with no combat whatsoever. Just crafting. Lots and lots of crafting. I'm not sure, though, yet.

doomybear

Bobble wrote: »

doomybear wrote: »

Darkewolfe wrote: »

Corehealer is just making sure no one ninja's his OP. Next remake will be at page 46.

Or at page 103, 6 and a half days from now. WE CAN DO IT!

That would probably be a very heavy froth:content ratio, but we're kind of trending in that direction already.

Oh, at this point we're always frothy, regardless of proportion. ArenaNet has done a good job of that, stringing us along with a few hours of play every now and then...

By the way, the Black Lion Trading Post is the best trading post I've seen in a game. I haven't necessarily played too many games with trading posts, but it still stands.

shryke wrote: »

I'm assuming they want to maintain a consistent exchange rate.

I would guess as much. Considering the kind of odd legal place MMO currency kind of exists in, it would be easier for bookkeeping, too.

jkylefulton

Caedere wrote: »

Why is it that the first thing that someone who is drunk wants to post is, "I am so drunk right now"? It's stupid.

So, I will resist that impulse, and instead talk about how excited I am for GW2.

So excited. I was talking with my boss at work about the game, and he was asking when it was out (he hasn't prepurchased yet). I mentioned that it was a week from Friday, and he was all, "So, a week from tomorrow?"

It was then that it sank in.

Fucking Guild Wars 2, the game that I have been waiting for so long for, the single thing I have been anticipating more than ANYTHING else, will be out in a WEEK. Holy. Crap.


... wow.

Also, I'm tempted to make the first character I level to 80 be my planned crafter character. Leveling to 80, with no combat whatsoever. Just crafting. Lots and lots of crafting. I'm not sure, though, yet.

This sounds like the plan of a drunk person. :P You're going to have to go out into the world to collect mats!

Draygo

Nah you dont. Crafty use of the market place can keep you in the mat zone, or just use an alternate character and the shared bank.

grizwhirl