Guild Wars 2

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Guild Wars 2 is the sequel to the Guild Wars series, and has been in development by ArenaNet since 2007. The largest gameplay changes announced are the inclusion of new races, increases to the level cap, underwater environments, World PvP, an event system and a persistent world. Other changes include improvements to graphics, the movement and animation system and the skill system. When Guild Wars 2 will begin beta test or be released has not been announced.

All released information regarding Guild Wars 2 has been summarized below and further details may be found on the related pages. Currently there is little information on gameplay, more is expected early 2010.[1] If you have a specific question in mind, do check our FAQ or the offical FAQ first.


Contents

[edit] General information

As with Guild Wars, there will be no monthly fee to play Guild Wars 2. It will have a similar business model to Guild Wars, requiring an initial purchase and further purchasable content will be made available over time. It will have the same micro-transaction purchases available as Guild Wars.[2] Mike O'Brien has stated that expansions or mini-expansions are more likely than standalone campaigns, but a final decision hasn't been made yet.

Required system specifications have not been released. The aim is for Guild Wars to run great on 'mainstream' or 'mid-range gaming' PCs.

The game will be split into multiple servers or "worlds", but it will be easy to transfer between these worlds.[3] No information has been provided on the mechanism for this yet.

The original Guild Wars will continue to be supported after release of Guild Wars 2.[4] This will include continued holiday events and tournaments.

[edit] Game release and beta testing

The dates of beta testing and release have not been officially announced. An NCsoft investor conference call indicated the possibility of "at least a closed beta test" during 2010 and a probable release during 2011.[5] More information may be found on the official Guild Wars 2 FAQ page.

There will be a Collector's Edition available for players to purchase.[6]

[edit] Graphics and game engine

The original Guild Wars game engine has been improved upon with support for more detailed environments and models, better lighting and shadows, new animation and effects systems, plus new audio and cinematics engines and a more flexible combat and skill-casting system.[7] Polygon counts and texture allowances have been increased so expect it to look like a whole new game, despite the use of the same engine.[8]

Concept art will be used "one way or other" in the game as a storytelling tool. The trailer is an indication of how this may work.[9]

Guild Wars 2 will have a true 3D environment which will allow characters to jump over obstacles and swim in underwater environments. The Havok physics engine is being used[10] which can provide destructible objects and ragdoll animation of creatures in the world. ArenaNet has licensed occlusion culling technology from Umbra Software.[11] The game will support DirectX 10, but not require it to play.[12]

The control system is going to be significantly changed, in particular mouse movement in the form "click to move" will be removed from the game,[13] however target locking will still function.

[edit] Music

Jeremy Soule, who composed the soundtracks for the original Guild Wars series, will be returning to compose the music for Guild Wars 2.

[edit] Characters

A character can be used to play any game mode available in Guild Wars 2; PvE, Structured PvP and World PvP.[14] A player may still have multiple characters.[4]

The level cap will be raised, although the actual cap and mechanics of levelling have not been elaborated on. A sidekick system has been mentioned which would allow characters of a lower level to play with high level characters without disadvantage.

The skill system will be modified. There will be fewer skills than the original, with the aim for quality rather than quantity.[7] Skill animations and graphics should provide a clearer indication of the range and effect of a skill as it is used. As in Guild Wars, characters will have access to only a limited number of skills at a time.[15] Skills will have different effects depending upon the circumstances in which they are cast. For example, a skill may react differently if the caster is jumping or surrounded by enemies at the time of casting.

Early information on professions indicated the primary and secondary profession system would likely return.[16] It is currently not known if any professions from the original Guild Wars will return, and the profession count is unknown, however, as of June 2007, all ten professions from the original Guild Wars were under consideration.

Armor and weapons will no longer be profession specific.[17] Armor will use a system of light, medium, and heavy armors.[18] Guns, specifically rifles and pistols, are confirmed weapons available to all races.[19]

[edit] Races

Guild Wars 2 will introduce several new playable races. The five playable races confirmed to be playable at release are:

It has been implied that other playable races may be available with expansions.[16]

Different races will have different racial abilities, for example the Norn will be able to shapeshift into bestial forms, the Asura will control Golems to fight for them.[20] It is presently not known what abilities other races will have. Each race will have a few traits which will not increase the power of the character but provide a background flavor for a character, examples are the racial heritage of the human or the sylvari seasons.[20] Professions will not be restricted according to race, the developers hope to ensure that each race is effective at each profession.[21]

[edit] Companions

The system of heroes, pets and allies is being reworked from Guild Wars and is still being designed.[22] Each character has the option to take a single companion with them, a companion would have customization similar to Heroes and is aimed to round out a character compensating for any weakness in the character's skills. This companion would not take up a slot within a party and any player who did not want to take a companion would be buffed to compensate.[13] Henchmen or an equivalent are said to be making a return,[23] after early information suggested they would be removed.[13] Whether henchmen will be available for all areas of the game is unknown.

[edit] Original Guild Wars characters

Characters from the original Guild Wars campaign will not be migrated to play in Guild Wars 2. Guild Wars 2 will be a fresh start. Some items and titles will be available to players of Guild Wars 2 through a Hall of Monuments which is available to players who have Guild Wars Eye of the North. Names will also be able to be reserved.

[edit] PvE

Underwater exploration is said to be a major part of Guild Wars 2.

Guild Wars 2 will employ persistent environments more extensively than Guild Wars. Like other multiplayer online games, it will provide persistent explorable areas which will be divided into zones, allowing players to meet and interact while exploring. Instances will still be used to further storytelling within the game and for missions and dungeons.

Extensive underwater explorable areas are being added, accessible to players through an easily obtainable consumable item. The underwater areas will have new friendly races and their own events and are designed to be fun places to explore for all races. A day/night cycle, faster than real-time, is being added to the game and some events will occur and monsters appear depending on the in-game time. There will be weather effects in-game. The interior of houses and buildings in the environment will be accessible to players.

A 'robust' crafting system will be added to the game. Other non-combat ways of interacting with players and the game world will also be introduced.

Guild Wars 2 will still tell a story but will depart from a single monolithic storyline. It will instead use smaller story arcs - allowing the player more of a sandbox environment to play in.

Most PvE content is being designed to be 'solo-friendly' for any profession but will often employ content scaling for difficulty if there are more players involved. A character would be able to reach maximum level without joining a group. Not all activities will be soloable, some will require a character to group with other players.

[edit] Event system

Guild Wars 2 will utilize a very different system for quests than Guild Wars 1. Instead of the standard green exclamation point above an NPC's head to mark a possible quest, Guild Wars 2 will use a new Event system in persistent areas. In this system, event chains will happen with or without the presence of the player. If a player happens to be present at the time of an event, then the player can complete the quest by participating in the event, and the outcome of the event may effect if, or what kind, of event may happen soon thereafter.

[edit] Setting

The Guild Wars 2 story is set about 250 years after the events in the Eye of the North expansion. The world of Tyria is drastically changed from its original form. These changes are caused by elder dragons resurfacing after millenia of slumber. The first of the dragons, called Primordus, awoke during Eye of the North and proceeded to take over the underground network of Asuran tunnels under Tyria, driving the Asuras to the surface. Other dragons also resurfaced during the intervening centuries; Zhaitan rose about the sunken holy city of Arah in the ruined kingdom of Orr, and severed the sea route between Kryta and Cantha; another arose to the south of the Crystal Desert, cutting off the link to Elona; a third arose in the Far Shiverpeaks and pushed the Norn south into land previously controlled by the Dwarves. The story will primarily focus on just one of these dragons, but the others will be present in the world.

The human faction is much reduced. The resurfacing dragons caused massive floods that destroyed many coastal cities in Kryta, including its capital city, Lion's Arch and the PvP Battle Isles. The humans have established a new capital in Divinity's Reach after moving north from the coast. They're governed by a constitutional monarch and senate which attempts to balance all the human factions there. Many refugees flocked to Kryta from the rest of Tyria; most importantly, the humans from Ascalon. Ascalon now belongs entirely to the Charr apart from a single fortress, Ebonhawke. Ascalon City itself is a ghost town, populated by the vengeful spirits of its former citizens who slay all who dare enter.

Besides the humans, the other sentient races have a comparatively better time. The Norns and the Charr continue to honor their peace formed from a mutual respect. The Asuras spread through all cities, maintaining a network of teleportation gates but also remaining strictly neutral. The Charr achieve victory over Ascalon and settle into the former human capital of Rin. A new race, the Sylvari, appear fully formed from the mysterious tree that the centaur Ventari tended to until his death.

The Dwarves, who pursued the Destroyers deep and long at the end of Eye of the North, are now deathless creatures of stone; the few who remain watch the ages go by, interacting little with the other sentient races, if at all.

Lion's Arch has been rebuilt from the floods and is the new portal into the Mists; it takes the place of the Battle Isles.

In Cantha, the successor of emperor Kisu defeated the Kurzick and Luxon factions and reunited Cantha under one banner. Cantha then became much more isolationist; all non-human races were pushed out and the borders fortified. With the ancient dragon's undead corsair fleet disrupting travel, there has been no contact with mainland Canthans for a generation.

In Elona, Palawa Joko, successfully rebuilds his undead army and lays siege to Elona. Vabbi is all but destroyed, its former splendor ruined by a famine caused by Joko diverting the river Elon. The Sunspears are broken by Joko's armies. The land bridge between Elona and the Crystal Desert is blocked by Joko's minions and the dragon, and the only news that slips through is carried by the Order of Whispers, who are now spread over all of Tyria.

[edit] PvP

There will be two types of PvP available in Guild Wars 2; World PvP and Structured PvP. There will be fewer game types in an attempt to reduce the complexity of balancing a skill for the different formats.

[edit] World PvP

World PvP will allow you to play characters of any level, using the skills that you have in your possession at that particular time. It is intended to be a more relaxed bridging point between PvE and structured PvP. It will be on a larger scale than the original Guild Wars PvP with large battles which could take place over a long period with people coming and going.

Each battle will have a number of different objectives which can be met such as taking guard towers or defending choke points or joining a larger battle to take a castle. Battles will take place in the Mists.

Victory in World PvP will confer benefits to your world. This may include improved drop rates, better energy regeneration or other bonuses.

[edit] Structured PvP

Structured PvP is similar to Guild Battles in Guild Wars 1. It will allow you to enter the game at maximum level with all skills, races, items and classes automatically unlocked.

[edit] Notes

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Official FAQ — ArenaNet
  2. ^ GCO9: Guild Wars 2 Interview — Gamereactor
  3. ^ Massively's interview with ArenaNet: Let's talk Guild Wars 2 — Massively
  4. ^ a b Guild Wars 2, part two — Computer and Video Games
  5. ^ 3Q 2009 earnings releases — NCsoft
  6. ^ Wiki post — Regina Buenaobra
  7. ^ a b GC 2009: Guild Wars 2 - First Details and Q&A — IGN
  8. ^ NCSoft Dev Corner: Imagining Guild Wars 2 — NCSoft
  9. ^ Guild Wars 2 Impressions — Gamespot
  10. ^ Important Guild Wars 2 Questions Answered — ZAM
  11. ^ ArenaNet® Licenses Umbra for Guild Wars 2 — Umbra
  12. ^ Forum post — Gaile Gray
  13. ^ a b c Guild Wars 2 (magazine article transcription) — PCGamer
  14. ^ Guild Wars 2, part one — Computer and Video Games
  15. ^ Guild Wars 2 - Interview — Gamona
  16. ^ a b The best things in life are free — Eurogamer
  17. ^ Guild Wars 2: Der Status Quo - 10 Fakten auf einen Blick + Interview (article translation from original German) — PC Games
  18. ^ Guild Wars 2: Exclusive Interview — mmorpg.com
  19. ^ Guild Wars 2 Teaser Trailer — Regina Buenaobra
  20. ^ a b ArenaNet im Interview - Teil 1 — Online Welten
  21. ^ ArenaNet im Interview - Teil 2 — Online Welten
  22. ^ The Future of Tyria: An Exclusive Guild Wars 2 Interview — TenTonHammer
  23. ^ Guild Wars 2 (magazine article translation from original Dutch) — PCGameplay
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