[Gaming][Let's Play] Divinity: Original Sin - Episode 10

Hey, I may have Sticky Fingers, but at least I don't have Wandering Eyes.

[Gaming][Let's Play] Divinity: Original Sin - Episode 9

Wonder if his wife is a crazy cat lady...

[Gaming][Let's Play] Divinity: Original Sin - Episode 8

..where was the butler around 8pm...

[Gaming][Let's Play] Banished - Series Finale

It might be a bridge to _nowhere_, but it's a road somewhere.

[Gaming][Let's Play] RimWorld - Episode 4

Because our's sure aren't the copper top

[Gaming][Let's Play] RimWorld - Episode 3

It's not made of people, I swear!

[Gaming][Let's Play] RimWorld - Episode 2

We'll leave the lights on.

...provided the conduits don't catch fire.

[Gaming][Let's Play] Divinity: Original Sin - Episode 7

Ackbar! Where were you!

[ArKade][Let's Play] Divinity: Original Sin - Episode 6

No intention of returning these... ;P

[ArKade][Let's Play] Hearthstone - Episode 1

Best Player, NA; yo!



((not really. Oh the fails...))

[ArKade][Let's Play] Banished - Episode 8

I'm a slow learner :(

[ArKade][Let's Play] Banished - Episode 7

So when do I join the Farmer's Association? :D

[ArKade][LPV] RimWorld - Episode 1

Well, I'm sure we'll be able to last more than three hours...right?

Wildstar: WoW Killer #117?

"Oh joy, another company trying to 'bank' on World of Warcraft's success...."

Well, yes, a company would be foolish to try and make an MMO that didn't. But did NCsoft make enough changes to the "WoW Formula" to create something wonderful?

Maybe. Just maybe.


Opinions

The Game

Is it a "WoW Killer"

No. As has been stated by many, following many MMOs. The only one's who can kill World of Warcraft is Blizzard, or the total collapse of the MMO genre.

Just because a game borrows much of the gameplay of WoW does not mean they are trying to kill it. They just want to get people to play the game without needing to relearn everything all over again; think FPS vs MMO, you probably won't be able to pick up either and be 'good' having played just the other.

Story

The premiss is the typical 'Refuge's in a New Land being chased by their oppressors'. On one hand you have the Exiles, and on the other the Dominion. Basically, the Dominion is the Alliance from Firefly; seeking to rule the galaxy. They aren't inherently evil...just arrogant as hell. Meanwhile, the Exiles are just trying to live their own life. So, being clearly outgunned and outmanned the Exiles decide it's best to set off in search of a new home. Stumbling on a planet of a long-lost, highly advanced, people known as the Eldan, called Nexus. Naturally, the Dominion doesn't like losing control and follows them.....and then promptly claimed Nexus as their own. Because, hey, they're entitled pricks.

Now we have the setting to mold 'a game' into 'a story'. And this is where you, the player comes in. Pick a side and discover the secrets of Nexus, all while, stomping each other in the face. [Insert some witty use of their catchphrase "cupcake", because that's what everyone else seems to be doing...] 

Graphics

Why am I, once again, talking about them? Do they look horrible? Do they look good? Well, because this game is just an MMO, many will play it if it looks (or doesn't look) and plays (or doesn't play) like various other MMOs that they might be getting tired with; like World of Warcraft, EVE Online, RIFT, or TERA Online to name a few.

I feel it is important to state that this game uses the "cartoony" look of World of Warcraft. Complete with solid metal that "bounces", "cartoony" character models; ultra-thin wastes and the like, and rather goofy looking monsters. So, know what you're getting into. If you do NOT like WoW's art style, you will probably not like Wildstar.

However, as many others will tell you, graphics don't mean a thing if the story and rest of the gameplay is fun and engaging. So hold onto that hope, Wildstar may still be the new MMO for you.

 Addons...addons everywhere

As is now per-usual of MMOs these days, Wildstar supports customization through 'Addons'. In fact, like most MMOs that support addons Wildstar's entire UI is created through addons made by Carbine Studios, which would make fixing UI problems much easier as you just need to modify the offending addon's code instead of the entire UI code.

So, it comes as no surprise that players are turning out addons left and right to either fix the UI issues or add functionality to it. With that in mind, head over to places like Curse and take a gander at some of the amazing talent this game has playing in it.

Leveling...the molasses of any MMO

Obviously, the goal of any Leveling System is to keep the player paying or incentivize them into buying Experience Boosters (aka XP Boosts). All while not making it too "grindy" that players give up and leave, or too "greedy" that players quit out of protest.

So, how does Wildstar fair? Surprisingly okay. Once you get 'in the groove' with the questing (or PVPing) you find levels come fairly quickly. And thanks to several 'fair' XP boosts you practically trip over the levels.

Experience boosts come in several flavours, all of which stack! First off there's the XP boost from simply adding Two-factor Authentication to your account. The second comes from your Home's billboard and can boost any one of these: XP from PVP, XP from group content [ie Dungeons], and XP from monster hunting and quests. The third one comes from your guild and purchasing XP Flasks with the renown you earn from doing group content and such.

To top it all off you have your classic "Rested XP", which is banked up when you log out for the night (or day).

C.R.E.D.D. ..word on the street says..

One of the major social issues that plague MMOs is those pesky Gold Sellers. Pandering to those who are either too lazy or don't have the time to earn coin at a rate they find sufficient to play the game in a manner they like. But, how does one combat it? Banning? That only works if you can keep up with the influx of hacked accounts or 'Trial Accounts' being used to farm resources to sell for coin.

The other way to do it is to cut out the middle man, the Gold Sellers. By offering to sell an item for cash that can then be sold in game for the game's currency. EVE Online does this with their PLEX and Wildstar does it with CREDD.

One probably wonders if this will affect prices in the game. The answer is not enough to warrant taking it out.

The bonus is that if you do have enough time to play and / or earn enough coin you can skip using your credit card and just buy game time using the ingame currency you earn. 

Classes ..stay classy my friend

Wildstar boasts a well-rounded class system. You have your typical 'Warrior'. Followed by 'Spellslinger' (Mage), 'Esper' (Illusionist), 'Engineer' (Hunter-type), 'Stalker' (Rogue), and 'Medic' (Healer). Then you have the role within each class. For example, the 'Warrior' can roll as either a Tank role or as DPS role. Or, in the case of of the 'Esper', you can roll as either a DPS role or a Healer role.

Couple this with the Action Set (Specs) system and a player can create several types of roles, ones that may work well as Support or as a dedicated role (Tank, Healer, DPS). As an added bonus these Action Sets can be swapped at anytime when not in combat, for free. Giving each class the needed customization to appeal to a wide range of players without making them feel they "have to roll this class to be this role", and then finding out they don't really like that role and are now stuck with a class that was well-suited for that particular role.

Want to know more about each class and what they can do? Check out the Classes, in detail, and find one that fits your playstyle. 

Paths ..it's not the destination, but the journey

Paths are the added bonus of picking out a character to play. These function primarily as side-side-quest 'Givers', for a player to perform while going about completing the main story quest and the side-quests given in each zone.

Are you the type that likes to explore each zone, in search of 'easter eggs' or just looking to see what's there? Try the 'Explorer' path and be rewarded for just running around.

If you're the type that just likes to smash peoples' face in then perhaps the 'Soldier' path will be more to your liking.

Maybe you just like to build things...things that can help others. Then 'Settler' is likely the path that will bring joy to your life.

Like being able to turn the game world into your own playground? With 'Scientist' you'll find various things to hack...various things that will then turn and attack would-be assailants.

The best part? You don't need to worry that you picked the wrong class. Because, hey, just because you rolled a 'Warrior' doesn't mean you don't like building things. Or studying artifacts.

If you'd like to learn more about Paths and what they offer head over to the Paths section of Wildstar and pick one that's right for you....though I recommend you try them all if you decide to roll 'Alts', because..well....why not?! 

Combat...'clicky, clicky' or 'spray and pray'?

Usually after leveling experience comes 'combat experience'. Does the game's combat flow or does it feel clunky and untested.

Right now the current hype is what could be called a "hybrid" combat system. This system incorporates the active participation of the player; like the type you'd find in First-person Shooters. But also the automated combat you'd find in traditional MMOs; this being "you will not need to aim, we'll roll the numbers for you to see if you hit and for how much" style.

The combination of the two yields a combat system where you have to use some aiming to actually hit the target, but numbers are still rolled behind the scenes to determine if they avoid the damage or how much of the damage they take if the attack has a variable damage amount (ie 456 - 723 physical damage).

The question is does Wildstar properly implement this hybrid system or does it leave you screaming that "I SHOULD HAVE HIT HIM!!!". The answer is yes, they properly implement the system.

It's rather nice being able to literally run out of the attack of an enemy, adding a whole new level to "kiting".

For further details on how the system works you can check out the Wildstar Wiki on combat.

PVP ..after combat comes...

Now that you have an idea on how Combat works in the game. You're probably wondering how it affects PVP....or maybe you're just wondering what kind of PVP the game has (World PVP; Instanced PVP; Both???). I'll answer the second first, because you may not care about PVP.

Yes, Wildstar has PVP. Yes it is World PVP and Instanced PVP (battlegrounds/arenas). And yes, it is extremely fun.

In combination with the active mechanics of combat, PVP ends up feeling less like "oh I see, you specced like that" and more akin to the PVP found in First-person Shooters, where skill more often than not, pays the bills.

In Wildstar, it's not how fast you can push your Attack buttons, but how well-timed you push them. As well as, how well you aim. You may come up to a group of baddies fighting your friends, but may want to hold off firing that attack that reduces healing. Waiting for just the right moment to hit at many of them as possible. Or even better firing off a stun that hits them all, giving your friends the advantage they need to press the attack.

And with the active dodge mechanic (known as Dash), PVP feels..well..like Player vs Player and not Player vs RNG vs Player. 

Challenges ..who doesn't like 'em?

Challenges are best described as something to reward you for doing what you're already doing. Often 'Challenges' are triggered will performing some action for a quest, usually to kill a certain amount (always greater than what the quest called for). But can also require you to reach an area, that you were already headed for, within a given time.

The rewards tend to be either for crafting, provisions, or the occasional item; this can be items for you or your house. 

Housing ...home is where the heart is

A welcomed addition to any MMO, owning your own home.

But this is more than just "build a place to get away from things". Homes aren't just some cosmetic item to be tossed into a bank slot when you're done with it. Housing also provides benefits. Whether it be a crafting station, resource gathering nodes, or buffs. 

However, they are rather expensive; as they should be. So don't waltz into the game thinking you're going to live like Bill Gates.

Neighbors / Roommates ...like fish...oh that's guests...

So you built a wonderful place to relax. But you're feelin' a bit lonely? Then invite the public to view your home or invite them to be neighbors. If you're feeling particularly trusting you can designate players are 'Roommates', giving them the ability to decorate (or redecorate) your home. --Note: they will not be able to build facilities, only decorate the ones already present.

FOT

You don't always find what you want...

Engineer feels "slow"

I, liking 'Engineer' in Guild Wars 2, decided to make this my main class. Boy, did I mess up. After the first 15 levels, 'Engineer' begins to feel slow. Monsters take "forever" to kill and you tend to die a lot because you're trying to maximize the time it takes to kill....if it takes you 40 seconds to kill one monster, and all your attacks do a cone-type AOE, why not gather up several monsters to hit at once.

Your experience may differ, but mine has not been what I expected. Though, I will say Eradicate Armor is very fun...and I do tank like a boss.

Healing is fun ...no, I'm not on drugs.

Because Combat uses the target-less approach healing becomes much more than just clicking a unit frame and pressing a button. You have to actively participate in the actual Heal itself. Maneuvering yourself to maximize the Heal's effectiveness (aka healing more than one person at a time). While also managing your resources so you can continue to heal, but not to the extent that you're watching [your] bar throughout the fight.

Mounts ....giddy up, maybe?

The starter mount that's made available upon reaching level 15 feels very slow. Roughly the speed you can 'sprint' at. Mounts have a 'sprint' as well, but even that quickly depletes. Despite being a mount, which you'd think would have a better 'sprint' duration than the player's character. This wouldn't be so bad if the mounts were expensive, for the level at which you can use them.

Difficulty ...say hello to Mr. Brickwall

This game is definitely not of the World of Warcraft casual nature. Think World of Warcraft during the Burning Crusade expansion. You'll die...a lot.

---
Takeaway

Wildstar is a fun, yet frustrating-at-times, game. This makes for a welcomed filler for this 'between the expansions' of World of Warcraft. And with the CREDD system, it might only cost you the initial box purchase. As an added bonus, Green Man Gaming also had a discount coupon for both the 'Standard' and 'Deluxe' editions.

Elder Scrolls Online: Skyrim With Multiplayer?

Just got done slaying that dragon and stealing it's soul? Wish you could have played with friends while you traverse the lands of Tamriel, while playing all The Elder Scrolls games?

But...then you see that it'll cost you $60 up front and then $15 per month. So, is it worth it you ask.

The answer is...

NO! Unless it was $60 up front and then Free-2-Play, with the option to subscribe....and none of that bullshit tiered access to the game itself, not the level design aspect, that Star Wars: The Old Republic has going on; pay for more Action Bar?!


Opinions 

The Game

The Graphics, man, the Graphics

I won't normally talk about how a game looks. Unless it's got some glaring issues that I personally find disturbing in terms of "taking a step backwards" from where games were headed.

Under the beautifully detailed World there is a glaring issue. The armor is 'tattooed on'. And by that I don't mean the typical "my armor moves as I breath" kind of 'tattooed on'. I mean the kind of 'tattooed on' that has zero depth to the actual armor; it is skin-flat. There's no 3D to it.

Now some will say it's to keep performance while in Cyrodiil's massive PVP battles. To that I say. Guild Wars 2 also has massive PVP battles, but it still uses 3D meshes on the armor.

They use the same Mesh Generation methods that World of Warcraft uses; 'tattooed on'. It's rather jarring because the rest of the game looks amazing, especially the characters' faces. Yes, even that 'flat armor' still is detailed.

Story

I was rather pleased with the story. And with the added Voice Over for each and every quest; even the alternate Dialog Trees were Voiced! I will say, however, that some of the 'key fights' in the story felt underwhelming....a Daedric Prince is trying to stop you, here, fight seven monsters. I know that the story is meant to be soloed, but still, you guys could have thrown more NPCs in there duking it out. While I proceed to the 'leader' of the particular fight. Maybe even had it where I could get help by optionally helping the "grunts" kill off the Daedric monsters.

Load Screens/Load Times

What the hell are you doing? Drawing the game a pixel at a time?!

The load times are atrocious. I know not what it is doing while the ESO "logo" spins in the corner. But it sure doesn't do it very fast. This can be rather annoying because there is (at the time of this post) still situations where players will get 'stuck' on the Load Screen; the logo still spins, but nothing happens...even after several minutes (in my case 15+ minutes).

Fortunately, the Load Screens only occur when teleporting. The game uses seamless transitioning for moving between zones, like World of Warcraft uses.

Cyrodiil (the Thunderdome of ESO)

If you don't give a rat's ass about PVP, well, this might still be 'a thing' for you. While most games are content to have a small handful of players beat each other up. ESO goes big...really big. As in "2000 players on a big ol' PVP map" -big.

Whether, you want to help storm the castle..er..keep, capture resources, or run supplies to the front line. Everyone can do something to Help the Cause.

But why help you say? Simple, everyone gets buffs that translate into even PVE. Buffs such as extra health, extra damage, and extra protection (armor and spell resistance). 

FOT

You don't always find what you want...

Horses Have Amazing Stamina

This was cited as a possible bug. In the game you can hold down the 'Sprint' key (default is SHIFT key) and gain a moderate speed increase to your Run Speed. However, it drains Stamina and once that is depleted you return to the normal Run Speed. Mounts also have a Stamina Bar and can 'sprint'. But, they do not stop sprinting when their bar is depleted.

Locked Chests and You

In the world you'll come across Locked Chests. That, if you successfully lockpick, will yield some Experience (~5% of your 'needed XP to level'), Coin (~15 - 50 gold), and items (uncommon or better). Once looted these chests "despawn". I quote that because the chests don't actually disappear from the game world, just what is flagged as 'visible' to your character.

It's relatively easy to force the client to show these 'invisible' items again...but this isn't a forum for cheating. It's probably out on the Internet Tubes; go look it up yourself.

So, being able to 'farm' these Locked Chests for XP, Coin, and Items seems to be pretty broken to me...as some of these items are quite valuable (ie Motifs).

---
Takeaway

The game is fun, well detailed; if 'flat' in particular areas. But I, like others, simply cannot justify paying $15 per month. As Angry Joe said, "the game is painfully average".

Watch_Dogs: For the Dogs?

So, you've seen this really cool game that's all the rage. It involves GTA V / Saint's Row [3 & 4]-style gameplay with hacking to mix things up.

But you wonder, "is it worth the hype?".

The answer is...
...yes...kind of.

Don't worry, no story spoilers to ensue. Just some Opinions and Found Out Things (FOT) that I've experienced.


Opinions 
*Note: Both Keyboard & Mouse and Controller used

The Game

Control ...or lack thereof

Not too terrible. I personally think any Dev Team that thinks a 'Cover System' is a great idea instead of the tried and true 'Crouch & Aim' should be smacked with a Tuna. Aiden repeatedly decides "ya, no, I don't want to leave Cover. I'll just skirt around an object while I get my lead injection".
The driving is also atrocious. It seems Mr. Pearce has a lead foot and does not keep his hands at the '3 and 9' position. Luckily citizens don't seem to mind if you ram into their cars, the benches, street lights/lamps, fences, buildings, road signs, or even into them...provided you don't kill them. -- Even then you just lose a bit of Reputation that can easily be made back during the next Crime Prevention mission.

But, once you get past that you find a game/character that is very easy to handle.

Story

I did say no spoilers. So if you want it go read the wiki. But in my honest opinion it's pretty "Meh".

Online Invasion ...of the Body Snatchers

This is the part of the game that makes it worth playing for more than just the campaign. Once you get a bounty on you from hacking a Citizen's phone you never know when the Invasion will occur. But there is apparently an issue (see FOT).

CtOS Mobile App (it's like if Flappy Bird were a helicopter...and a police car)

When it connects it's kind of fun. I guess you could use it to pass the time at the airport terminal. Or in that business meeting that won't end.

But it is in no way necessary to get the full Watch_Dogs experience. You're simply playing as the cops.

FOT

You don't always find what you want...

Dat Ass-zzt

So, apparently, there's a bug that causes an immediate 'Crash to Desktop' when you try and hack any Electric Sign. Which can be rather annoying since there is now manual save (unless you count resting at a Hideout).

Must be Rank 7 Notoriety

I've recently come across an Invasion where the enemy player did not spawn for me. I was standing in the middle of a 'concrete park' near the Face Fountain check-in location. When the Invasion happened. Problem is even after tagging all the NPCs in the area of the Invasion, I was unable to find them. And no...I would have noticed a car sitting in the middle of the park; the Invasion's circle wasn't even near the streets.

Running Man

Occasionally Aiden will decide to keep running in the same direction as the he was moving even after releasing the key, which can be quite the problem if you [literally] run into a Gang group while doing one the Gang Hideout missions.

Mouse Cursor Seeks non-Commitment Relationship

This is yet another game that suffers from correctly capturing the mouse cursor on multi-monitor setups. Luckily you can use Cursor Lock to solve this problem.

---
Takeaway

Watch_Dogs is a fun game to play. But not fun enough to warrant full price. I would suggest picking it up on Steam during a sale or use a discount coupon for the title over at Green Man Gaming.

Guild Wars 2: Tequatl Rising

Harder, better, faster, stronger..um...deadlier.

September 17, 2013

It has been gathering power in the depths.
...It is faster, stronger, deadlier.
....It has returned to devour and destroy.
.......It is called Tequatl the Sunless...and it has evolved.

Events

The Dragon Tequatl - Redefined!

Something’s gotten into Tequatl the Sunless. This ancient dragon, scourge of the Splintered Coast, has become more formidable than ever, with an arsenal of new attacks and lethal tricks at its disposal. To stop this rampaging beast, you’ll join forces with old friends and new allies in a desperate battle where failure is a very real option. Tequatl has risen – and it will take an army of players to bring it down!

Developer Livestream (September 20)

Dive deeper into the Tequatl Rising release with ArenaNet devs during the livestream on our Twitch channel on Friday, September 20 at 12PM PDT.

Features

"Looking for Group" Tool (Coming Soon)We’ve added a new system to help players find others to join in on their adventures. Using our new looking for group system, you’ll be able to select the type of content you’d like to do and add in a custom description about the group you’re trying to form. Use the system alone or with friends to easily fill out your party! Read more on the forums.

New Ruins of Power in World vs. World

Big changes are coming to the eternal war in The Mists!  Each borderland map in WvW has been redesigned to include five new Ruins of Power—capture points that armies can battle over in order to earn lethal Bloodlust boosts for everyone on their server!

Bosses Updated

We’ve adjusted all of our bosses to make them more challenging and fun! From the Megadestroyer to Golem Mark II to the Fire Elemental, bosses in Tyria are more dangerous than ever!

New WvW Ability: Flame Ram Mastery

Prepare to knock some gates down and set stuff on fire! Become tougher and more effective in those heated siege situations by earning ranks in the new Flame Ram Mastery ability!

Rewards

Wings of the Sunless

Earn this ominous new animated back item by waging war against Tequatl the Sunless!

More info

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (Beta - Final Phase)

This is it...the last beta (unless the game gets another reboot) starts tomorrow, Friday August 16, 2013 at 2AM [PDT]. This phase will end on Monday, August 19, 2013 at 2AM [PDT].

I believe you need to re-download the game. I noticed when I re-installed with the 'Final Beta / Live' client "Beta" was removed from the Add or Remove Programs entry.

This also would mean a complete uninstall of Phase 3's client and data. No copy-pasting those multi-gig files into the new installation and hoping to avoid re-downloading the entire game.

...See you in Eorzea!

Guild Wars 2: Queen's Speech

Is this going to be long?

August 20, 2013

The celebration of Queen Jennah’s rule continues in Divinity’s Reach! All over Kryta, people are talking about The Queen’s Speech, which is rumored to contain a major surprise. What will the Queen reveal to her people and the world? Find out on August 20!

Events

Developer Livestream (August 20)

Take an inside look at the features in the Queen’s Speech release with ArenaNet devs during the livestream on our Twitch channel on Tuesday, August 20 at 12PM PDT.

The Queen's Speech (Begins August 20)

Don’t miss history in the making as Queen Jennah wraps up her gala Jubilee with a momentous speech to her loyal subjects and visitors. Starting August 20, be sure to visit Divinity’s Reach and hear what the Queen has to say!

Guild Wars 2 Anniversary Bash

On August 31, we’re holding our first-ever Anniversary Bash and Guild Wars 2 Invitational Tournament! The event will be held in the Renaissance Hotel in Seattle, WA over PAX Prime weekend – if you’re in town, come and join the fun! We’ll be streaming the entire event for you to watch from home.

New Rewards

Birthday Gifts

As characters created right at the launch of Guild Wars 2 hit their first birthdays, it’s time to introduce our first Birthday Gift! Characters that are one year old will receive a Mini Queen Jennah, a 24-hour Birthday Booster, and a Scroll of Experience.

New Features

World vs. World XP and Point Adjustment

We’re making it easier to earn World XP points for playing normally in World vs. World by increasing the WXP rate across the board! As an added bonus, we’re adjusting World vs. World Ability Points so that your total points are equal to your current rank. New characters will start off with one ability point, and all existing characters will receive one more!

World vs. World Trebuchet Mastery

Become a master of destruction with the new Trebuchet Mastery ability line! Increase your efficiency with Trebuchets by upping your basic shot damage, increasing your Trebuchets’ hit radius, adding a new supply-draining effect to your basic shot, and learning a new Healing Oasis skill that provides healing to your teammates.

The End of Culling in PvE

On August 20, we’re turning off culling, which will remove the limit on the number of characters you can see on-screen at once. The cities of Tyria will now be even more vibrant and bustling than ever!

More Info

Guild Wars 2: Queen's Jubilee

God save the queen (of Tyria)!

August 6, 2013

A celebration of ten years of Queen Jennah’s rule is about to kick off in Divinity’s Reach! The queen has commissioned a new gladiatorial arena for the occasion—the Crown Pavilion—as a shining symbol of her people’s endurance.

Take a hot air balloon ride with dignitaries from across Tyria to the capital of the Krytan nation, and be there for the opening ceremony. Join in the festivities and compete in ceremonial combat in Her Majesty’s honor!

Events

Developer Livestream (August 5)

Enjoy an early look at the Queen’s Jubilee release with ArenaNet devs during the preview livestream on our Twitch channel on Monday, August 5 at 12PM PDT.

Hot Air Balloons (Begins August 6)

Need a lift to Divinity’s Reach? The Queen’s court has sent out hot air balloons to transport celebrants! Find one of these balloons out in the open world, and use it to find the party in short order.

The Opening Ceremony (Begins August 6)

In honor of her Jubilee, Queen Jennah is opening a new gladiatorial arena! Attend the dedication of the Crown Pavilion arena and watch its inaugural contest!

Ignite the Beacons (Begins August 6)

Special Beacons of Kryta, symbols of humanity’s hope, have been set up in Divinity’s Reach. Take a torch from a torchbearer, then race around a course to light all of the Beacons of Kryta!

Enter the Crown Pavilion (Begins August 6)

Test yourself in an entirely new mini-zone featuring mighty representations of humanity’s enemies. By representing various cities of Tyria, you can be named champion of a nation and gain access to unique reward vendors.

Fight in the Queen's Gauntlet (Begins August 6)

In the special Queen’s Gauntlet, you will face increasingly difficult challenges of single-combat against unique bosses. Cheer on your friends or show off your skills to the world. Take a risk with special gambit conditions to earn even more prestigious rewards!

New Rewards

Watchwork Mechanisms

Watchwork tech is the latest and greatest innovation in Tyria. Watchwork parts can be used in new crafting recipes or as currency in the Crown Pavilion to buy items like new rune and sigil recipes, Watchknight Tonics, or the new Sovereign Weapon Set. You might even find the recipe to assemble a Watchwork Portal Device, allowing you to create a personal portal!

Mini Watchknight

Once you complete the Queen’s Jubilee meta achievement, you’ll receive a miniature Watchknight, modeled after the Queen’s new mechanical sentinels, to follow you into battle.

New Features

Account Wallet for Currency

Keep all of your currencies in one easy-to-find location! This Wallet holds dungeon tokens, coins, karma, laurels, Guild Commendations, Fractal Relics, Badges of Honor, gems, and glory and makes them accessible to any character on your account. Upon logging in with each unique character for the first time after the Wallet has gone live, that character will have all of their currencies deposited into the account-wide collection.

PvP Solo Queue

Solo Arena matches allow you to get right into the action of PvP matches in a competitive environment without gathering a full team or finding yourself fighting against a pre-formed group. Solo Arena has its own leaderboard so players can earn rank without affecting their Team Arena standings.

Bonus Rewards for Dungeons

Each day when you finish a unique path for any explorable or story dungeon, you’ll receive a bonus reward for completion—1 to 3 gold for explorable dungeons depending on their length and difficulty, 50 silver for story dungeons. Guaranteed coin rewards that previously dropped from bosses in dungeons have been removed in lieu of these new rewards for dungeon completion; all other drops off of bosses have not been changed. Now you have even more incentive for braving the hazards of the dungeons of Tyria!

Champion Loot Updates

All of the champions in the game will now award a new bonus loot bag upon their death if you qualify for loot rewards on that boss when it is killed. These bags have a chance to contain rare crafting materials, items that award skill points, and more!

Mini-game Rotation System

Both Captain’s Council candidates have promised to introduce a new rotation of exciting competitions each day. The initial rotation includes the well-loved Sanctum Sprint, Keg Brawl, Southsun Survival, and Crab Toss. Speak to the activities NPC in Lion’s Arch to participate in the competition of the day!

Improved Effects Level of Detail System

Effects like fireballs, streaks that trail behind a sword, players’ footsteps, and even the fiery breath of dragons are all part of the beauty of Guild Wars 2. In situations where all of that beauty can start to take away from the visual clarity of the battlefield, this new system will slowly start reducing the detail of each effect in order to increase combat visibility when many effect types are overlapping. When action gets intense in dungeons, PvP, the open world, and WvW, this system will let you see more of the action.

World vs. World Supply Mastery

Become a master of supply with the Supply Master World vs. World ability line. This line includes benefits like increased supply pick-up speed, Courier Speed when you pick up supply, and a chance to get supply back when you use it!

Permanent Finishers

We’re adding support for permanent Finishers! With this release, you’ll be able to sort through your available Finishers and choose the one you’d like to use as a default. Change your mind and change your Finisher! Rank up for rank Finishers, or keep an eye on the Gem Store for a new selection of Finishers. Finishers can be used in both PvP and WvW!

More Info