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Guild Wars 2 |OT3| Two Week Updates, One Box, Zero Subscriptions

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Levyne

Banned
I would like to see spider-tree updated, yes. Make Turret-Tree unable to be ranged but I hardly ever range him anymore anyways. Fyonna needs an update and maybe the overgrowth hulk thing on the second path. I love the Wurm, Spider, Leurent, and ...the Mesmer fight whose name I forget. The third tree fight with the oakhearts I like too since it tests your mobility and your ability to deal with immobilize and roots. So all in all, I hope it remains more unchanged than changed.
 

Ashodin

Member
I would like to see spider-tree updated, yes. Make Turret-Tree unable to be ranged but I hardly ever range him anymore anyways. Fyonna needs an update and maybe the overgrowth hulk thing on the second path. I love the Wurm, Spider, Leurent, and ...the Mesmer fight whose name I forget. The third tree fight with the oakhearts I like too since it tests your mobility and your ability to deal with immobilize and roots. So all in all, I hope it remains more unchanged than changed.
You're a weird one
 

Retro

Member
Once you guys see the new TA path, you'll hopefully understand why it's the main thing we worked on for Oct. We spent a lot of time getting it right/challenging/fun. You may also see some homages to the existing TA and other Scarlet alliance dungeons.

October is just going to be a hell of a month considering there's three updates, so if the new TA is it for this update, I certainly won't mind. We've still got a lot of upcoming balance changes (Jon Peters said on the first, but I seem to remember reading somewhere these were pushed back) and then Mad King at some point as well... crazy month.

Were the other paths changed at all, though? It seems like adding a new path was a good opportunity to do so, but if that path is as crazy good as you make it sound, maybe there wasn't time.
 
You guys think that the Boss chests in the new TA path will require the Aether Keys or will they work just like now but there will additional chests which are the "Aetherchests" which will require keys?

Kuraine, thanks for the post and cannot wait to get a chance to play the new path.

PS. You should join GAF guild and run the dungeon with us.
 

Retro

Member
You guys think that the Boss chests in the new TA path will require the Aether Keys or will they work just like now but there will additional chests which are the "Aetherchests" which will require keys?

I think they'll be separate chests you find tucked away in various corners of the dungeon. Getting a chest from a boss that you can't open would be... bad.
 

Ashodin

Member
I think they'll be separate chests you find tucked away in various corners of the dungeon. Getting a chest from a boss that you can't open would be... bad.

Considering Kuraine said they worked on the dungeon a lot, I'd bet the chests require... shall we say...

jumping skills to reach.

I'm getting a serious Banjo-Kazooie vibe.

maxresdefault.jpg


Aww yeah Rusty Bucket Bay
 
Holy crap what a day to really come back into guild wars 2. It helped that I was sick and home from work so I could play pretty much all day, but all but 1 boss week achievement done (just need the daily after the reset), all but 2 Teq achievements left to do. And most of my monthly is done as well, about 30 or so more events, and 150 salvages and I am done with that. Also big thanks to Hawkian for leading those dungeons groups and everyone who came along with me last night. I'm so happy to be back.
 
If I am home from work count me in. But can anyone tell me where I need to go for the power play achievement? I just need that and the treasure achievement for my title. I know to hold CTRL when I am in the vortex to find the treasure but I don't know where to stand to defend for power play.
 

Levyne

Banned
For power play you have to defend a different battery before each stun. And I believe you need to get at least silver medals on them.
 

Retro

Member
If I am home from work count me in. But can anyone tell me where I need to go for the power play achievement? I just need that and the treasure achievement for my title. I know to hold CTRL when I am in the vortex to find the treasure but I don't know where to stand to defend for power play.

You need to visit all three batteries in a single fight. They're the big mechanical-looking devices around the Taco fight area. They'll be marked in the battery defense phases. Just defend all three during a single battle and you should get it.
 
You need to visit all three batteries in a single fight. They're the big mechanical-looking devices around the Taco fight area. They'll be marked in the battery defense phases. Just defend all three during a single battle and you should get it.

Okay I have seen those, well two of them. I'll look for the one I haven't seen when I get home before the reset.
 

Retro

Member
Free Week-long Trial starts September 27th!

The free week starts Friday, 27th of September. While the page isn’t yet live, registrations will be taken through the Guild Wars 2 site. That trial is accompanied by a sale, which will see the game’s Digital Heroic Edition reduced to £27.99. The trail ends October 4th.
(source)

I wonder if this is new thread worthy. It is news, right?
 

Hawkian

The Cryptarch's Bane
Did you have Irish coffee at work this morning?
definitely usually DO

I wish. Drunk and alert, how all hawks should be

Huh. I really feel like playing GW2 right now, lol. Just doing some dungeons or stuff in Orr or clearing a zone or something. I know that probably sounds pretty dumb, but it sort of still boggles me how often I have the urge to play. I don't usually stick with games to this extent over this long. Even GW1 I had way tapered off by now. Stuck at wa-ork, qq.
Once you guys see the new TA path, you'll hopefully understand why it's the main thing we worked on for Oct. We spent a lot of time getting it right/challenging/fun. You may also see some homages to the existing TA and other Scarlet alliance dungeons.
Well now it better be awesome ;D

You guys have had great instincts with the new and redesigned dungeon paths. I'm sure we'll run it an obnoxious number of times in that first week. :)
Holy crap what a day to really come back into guild wars 2. It helped that I was sick and home from work so I could play pretty much all day, but all but 1 boss week achievement done (just need the daily after the reset), all but 2 Teq achievements left to do. And most of my monthly is done as well, about 30 or so more events, and 150 salvages and I am done with that. Also big thanks to Hawkian for leading those dungeons groups and everyone who came along with me last night. I'm so happy to be back.
Oh uh welcome back! Are you uhm, Payge Roykos? :]
 
Huh. I really feel like playing GW2 right now, lol. Just doing some dungeons or stuff in Orr or clearing a zone or something. I know that probably sounds pretty dumb, but it sort of still boggles me how often I have the urge to play. I don't usually stick with games to this extent over this long. Even GW1 I had way tapered off by now. Stuck at wa-ork, qq.

I am feeling the same way, especially after the (what I would consider personally) epic day I had yesterday in GW2. I just want to be home in front of my computer.
 

Levyne

Banned
I was whining in gchat late yesterday that I run out of time each day to do all the things I want. I guess I am glad I don't have much in the way of actually real life problems to worry about at the moment.
 

Retro

Member
Hmm...IMO they should have done the trial during the Mad King update.

Yeah, but that's a lot of mini-games, aesthetic changes and (assuming nothing changes) a pretty short 'dungeon' that people just run for themed loot. Not exactly a taste of what the game is about, really.
Unless you're Kos...
Just kidding, we love you, man...

From that PC Gamer article, it sounds like there will be more to do in Caledon than just hunting keys, because they imply that all these free trial players will be able to participate with lots of higher level players. Maybe it's some kind of zone-wide event or something?

I was whining in gchat late yesterday that I run out of time each day to do all the things I want. I guess I am glad I don't have much in the way of actually real life problems to worry about at the moment.

#FirstTyriaProblems
 

hythloday

Member
From that PC Gamer article, it sounds like there will be more to do in Caledon than just hunting keys, because they imply that all these free trial players will be able to participate with lots of higher level players. Maybe it's some kind of zone-wide event or something?

Sign up for the free trial, guys, Cale-DON'T MISS IT!
 

Proven

Member
I'll honestly be disappointed if they just have him spawn at set times like he did before. I'd rather see them take a Karka Queen approach; have a series of events within Sparkfly Fen that need to be completed before he'll spawn.

The reason that's the optimal approach (in my opinion, of course) is that if a group organizes to trigger him, they're all already in the main server when he spawns. GAF never has to worry about getting into the right server of Southsun because GAF is the one who's on the ground triggering the Karka Queen more often than not.

Objectives could be existing events too. Maybe Taco only shows up if Risen invasions along the coast are driven back. If the initial wave fails, the heavy artillery shows up to wreck things, so to speak.

This would be more in line to how I originally imagined him spawning. You'd need to push out the corruption in Spark Fly and the dragon comes in to try and spearhead a new wave.

Was reading reddit today. Someone suggested switching the blood lust and out-manned buffs around so you'd get stat boosts if you were out-manned and experience and gold boosts if you held the points in the ruins.

The current winners benefit from more gold and drops and whatever, and the guys with no coverage get some stats to compensate for no one wanting to be on the map.

Isn't that genius?

....I like that idea I think.

Makes sense to me too.

I know I'm a day late on this (and missed over 10 pages of posts before) but I wanted to speak on at least this. These are separate issues to whether or not you give a stat buff to the winning side.

There are two issues with this that leaves ANet feeling scared to do this.
1. Logistics. What happens if at any point in time enough people start showing up for the buff to be removed? People on the same server might start arguing with each other. At what ratios or number counts to the other servers do you have this turn on or off? And how much of a stat buff do you give? It's a comeback mechanic that comes with all the issues with balancing comeback mechanics. The safe thing about snowball mechanics is that at least they're earned to some degree and already have a precedence of being enjoyed by players (LoL, DotA 2, etc.).

2. Incentive. ANet is very much about extrinsic rewards for these things, and the current outmanned buff doesn't have a lot riding on it that'd make people want the buff. The buff works best when all sides always want it no matter their current status, so that you can use the threat of taking it from a force with superior numbers to allow you to blitzkrieg an objective somewhere else on the map. Some might say leaving the finisher point buff would be enough of a reason, but there are a number of people that don't think so, an amount of which are working at ANet.

Just my two cents. Part of me seems to have decided to skip this update and probably the next update so I'll just make it official and say that I'll play and post more often around Halloween. GW2 and player pulse is still fun to look at though, so I'll be lurking.
 

Arkanius

Member
Crossroads time:

Level up Armorsmith on my Human Warrior, which is like, lvl 10 in crafting.
Level up Armorsmith in my Engineer, which is lvl 20 and 0 in crafting.

This is in preperation for a future Ascended Armor pieces. I rarely play with alts by way.
 

Retro

Member
Crossroads time

Armorsmith would benefit your Warrior more than your Engineer, who I assume is the alt. If you're more likely to play the warrior, craft on the warrior. If he's already 80, you won't get any free levels out of it, but if you don't play alts often they'd sort of be wasted on the Engineer too.
 

Katoki

Member
I know I'm a day late on this (and missed over 10 pages of posts before) but I wanted to speak on at least this. These are separate issues to whether or not you give a stat buff to the winning side.

There are two issues with this that leaves ANet feeling scared to do this.
1. Logistics. What happens if at any point in time enough people start showing up for the buff to be removed? People on the same server might start arguing with each other. At what ratios or number counts to the other servers do you have this turn on or off? And how much of a stat buff do you give? It's a comeback mechanic that comes with all the issues with balancing comeback mechanics. The safe thing about snowball mechanics is that at least they're earned to some degree and already have a precedence of being enjoyed by players (LoL, DotA 2, etc.).

2. Incentive. ANet is very much about extrinsic rewards for these things, and the current outmanned buff doesn't have a lot riding on it that'd make people want the buff. The buff works best when all sides always want it no matter their current status, so that you can use the threat of taking it from a force with superior numbers to allow you to blitzkrieg an objective somewhere else on the map. Some might say leaving the finisher point buff would be enough of a reason, but there are a number of people that don't think so, an amount of which are working at ANet.

Just my two cents. Part of me seems to have decided to skip this update and probably the next update so I'll just make it official and say that I'll play and post more often around Halloween. GW2 and player pulse is still fun to look at though, so I'll be lurking.

Oh wait, the blood lust and out-manned buff switch would lead to anti-social game play. Never mind. "You guys that just joined need to leave so we get back our out-manned stat boosts!"

I realized that later on yesterday. The dev even mentioned that one scenario in that one half-hour long video.

What about.. 2 stacks for the server in last place and 1 for second ? It's too early for me to start thinking about consequences though.
 

jersoc

Member
hm, so I guess the halloween stuff must be the 2nd patch in Oct. I see no mention of it.

Though maybe some bits might go in too.
 

Proven

Member
I realized that later on yesterday. The dev even mentioned that one scenario in that one half-hour long video.

What about.. 2 stacks for the server in last place and 1 for second ? It's too early for me to start thinking about consequences though.
I mean yeah, there's that, but the main point of my post was that it's a multi-faceted issue. The buff was is in the game before and the update was more about brining the game back to that point.

Personally, the best thing I think they could do is go back to smaller matches. Either a combination of 3 and 4 day matches alternating or just straight 24 hour matches. The three chosen in the matchup are only changed on Friday, but their standings within the matchup can spin around (also helping world completion people I guess). This would do a lot for morale and making things more "competitive" by having the score reset and clearing out some of the negativity in losing servers, plus minimizing the issue of a coverage problem while still valuing off peak players' efforts. On the other hand there are a number of issues with this change such as the fact that the map and server design didn't come with this time limit as a goal, the server rewards system may have to be retooled, and the point counts from all objectives might have to be changed, not to mention that it'd definitely hasten burnout in a number of people...

With the way software development works any decision will take a couple months to come into fruition. And once the operation starts to build it you can't just change it trivially. Any change has to be made into a certain undertaking which means an in depth talk, but at the same time there are multiple issues, multiple ways of attacking them, and as always unknown consequences. The best analogy is like a ship going out to see. You plan the personel. The equipment and food. The cargo. The destination. And then you set off and you can't just turn the ship around without incurring major costs, but you still need to wait the however many months for the ship to arrive at its original destination before it can do anything else.

The worst part is that the more complicated solutions could take up to a year or more to implement properly, while the "simple" solutons need to be bundled with a number of other "simple" changes to keep things in balance to the point that the deployment becomes a complex issue. And if there are any problems at the end then fixing them causes this entire process to start over again.

This rant is more for the official forums now. But you get the point. The simple swapping of the buffs solution is closer to a hot fix that would bring its own problems. Or at least perceived problems that need to be taken into consideration. The more complex solutions I see bandied about in other places don't take into the fact that they'd take a long time to implement, and what would you have people do until then? And then there are the opportunity costs when liked with the other parts of the game and other problems to be solved. Even I fall into this ditch repeatedly when thinking up ways to to make sPvP more popular and that's considering the fact that I usually disregard any solutions that want to drop or minimize conquest mode considering the sunk costs and intended designs of the initial sPvP implementation and eSports aspirations.
 
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