Guild Wars 2

[Omega 354]

Could be worse/Could be better. Make sure nowt is open but the downloader, don't use any wifi on any other machine, sometimes you can get a better speed if you disable anti-virus since it'll drop the firewall and file scanning but if you do this don't use the net until it's done.

 

Best thing to do is leave it downloading overnight when there are less people online to slow down the local connection. Did mine in one night running about 500KB when I checked it onec but probably ran a bit faster than that during the wee small hours.

[Guest Jamster26]

Yes! After three long nights, the game has FINALLY downloaded. Bring on tommorrow.

[Omega 354]

Did you get a beta key then?

[Guest Jamster26]

Indeed. There was only about a 25% chance I'd get one as not everybody who asks for a key receives one. It's all done at random.

[Guest Jamster26]

One thing that I really like the sound of is the "Dynamic Events" that GW2 will have. Say one of the quests you've been given is collect 10 feathers, then all of a sudden an event pops up out of nowhere, telling you to defend the village from Bandit Raiders. And loads of people will just come flocking in to save the village.

 

That's the one unique feature that I'm really looking forward to, as it's something which none of the other MMO's (that I know) have.

 

Omega / Etz - did you experience any of these dynamic events when you were playing the beta? It certainly sounds awesome but is it as good as it sounds?

[Omega 354]

Yeah, I did a few. They're pretty good on the whole. It's worth remembering that most of the dynamic events are multi-part so stick around to see what happens after the first part. What I would call "questing" is also more dynamic, there a multiple things you can do to earn the rewards for each "zone" so it;s not like you are ever forced into grinding one thing although you certainly can do that if it feels easier.

 

I think I'm on the Destruction server (or desolation maybe I can't remember) if you happen to be on that one as well. Not sure whether I want to carry on my Thief or start a new character with a different personal story...

[etz 78]

It's Desolation, and dynamic events are an awesome idea on paper, but just haven't translated all that well. The second or third time through, they're boring as **** and just grindy as shit because you have to wait for them to trigger.

 

I would legit swap it for standard quests, in a heart beat, it's not even a contest.... especially as in GW1, you could just follow the primary quests and you'd land up at roughly the right level.... that's so not the case in GW2 that it would be funny, if it wasn't so infuriating. You find yourself having to go through all the races starter zones, just to make the level requirement to progress your personal story.

Edited June 8, 2012 by etz

[Omega 354]

Lol, fuinny it's exactly the opposite for me. I'm enjoying that exploring places reveals new stuff and I've found I haven't had to do the same dynamic quests more than once so far. Much better than a million "kill X" quests.

[etz 78]

Lol, fuinny it's exactly the opposite for me. I'm enjoying that exploring places reveals new stuff and I've found I haven't had to do the same dynamic quests more than once so far. Much better than a million "kill X" quests.

 

Yeah, it's fine when you're playing one character, at least until you get to level 15 or so as a human (at which point I had to repeat events or go explore other starter areas), but when it's the 3rd time the appeal wears thin.

 

Oh, and I can't currently contact the login server to create a new character either....

[Guest Jamster26]

Enjoying it so far. I was alittle bit confused at the start, as there was no tutorial whotsoever and everything just comes at you all at once.

 

I've had one boss fight and it was awesome. A couple of server issues here and there but not bad at all.

 

One thing I don't like is the fact that the main places like Lions Arch and Divinity's Reach are already available to you from the get-go. I'd much prefer to have work towards them via the actual story; rather than just hopping there and back.

[Omega 354]

Yeah, it's fine when you're playing one character, at least until you get to level 15 or so as a human (at which point I had to repeat events or go explore other starter areas), but when it's the 3rd time the appeal wears thin.

 

Oh, and I can't currently contact the login server to create a new character either....

 

I'd say that is the same with again game. The first time you play is always the most fun, doing new things is always mroe fun than repeating them with a new character. I'm f-ing loving the game though, I;ve found two rare dyes and serioously I could spemnd HOURS just customising my gear. If WoW could have done the same thing I probably wouldn't have left. It really makes you feel like it's "your" character and not just the 99 million th reiteration of a class in the gear set. I've been taking it steady and not playing for more than an hour or two so that I don't burn myself out before the full release goes ahead. i've not done and "regular" grouping only taking part in the events which is how I've always personally wanted an MMO to be.

[etz 78]

This is double SS and LB weekend in GW1, so the beta is taking a back burner while I get those titles for my cousin. My brother is away today helping another cousin move, so we'll probably play tomorrow.

[Omega 354]

Stress test kicks of around 6pm today by the looks of things :)

[Guest Jamster26]

Omega, thanks I had no idea.

[Omega 354]

Only 4 hours as it's a stress test rather than full beta so fill your boots. Go do the WvWvW if it's up as that was really fun even if my server ruled 99% of the map.

[Omega 354]

Earlier this year I told you that 2012 would be the Year of the Dragon, and that the next few betas would help us nail down our actual launch date. Well, after the results of our latest stress test, I’m happy to announce that we’re ready to nail down that date.

 

Guild Wars 2 will officially launch on Tuesday, August 28th.

 

This is an incredibly momentous day for the studio and for me personally. This journey began in 2007 when we first announced that we were beginning work on Guild Wars 2 and that you wouldn’t be hearing from us for a while. Then in 2010 we unveiled our manifesto for Guild Wars 2: a living breathing online world that challenges convention, that’s designed for fun instead of grind, and that brings social interaction to a new level in an online world.

 

Through all the long hours and hard decisions, we were bolstered by the knowledge that we were not in this alone. All along you’ve been there for us, cheering us on, supporting us when we needed it, testing early versions of the game, and above all, giving us your honest feedback every step of the way. Guild Wars 2 is a better game for all of the work that our community has put in.

 

Now that we’re just two months away from launch, we’ll spend our remaining time optimizing, polishing, and balancing the game, to ensure that we provide you with the best launch-day experience we possibly can.

 

To this end, I’m excited to announce that our next and final Beta Weekend Event is planned for July 20-22.

 

These are exciting times; we’re on the cusp of a new era in online roleplaying games, and we’re glad you’re on this journey with us.

 

We’ll see you in-game.

 

f*ck yeah....

[Guest Jamster26]

Omega, get in the beta event! The sylvari's are awesome.

[Omega 354]

Typically work has ****ed me over this weekend, still knowing it's a month away softens the blow somewhat. :)

[Guest Jamster26]

I love this game. I can see myself locking the door at the weekend.

[Guest Jamster26]

Mob quote of the weekend: "I thought I was winning."