Guild Wars 2

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/august-20-2013/

Looks interesting and fun. I personally can not wait!

What is everyones opinions on it so far?

And… This is everything? Looks like the smallest update this year.

Where is the more rewarding PVP?

I believe they are holding some things back for the sake of surprise (mostly dealing with the living story and the Aetherblades). I hear you get gems on the anniversary of the release of gw2 if you log in, so there is that too. So yeah expect some major things to happen for the living story, but it seems that the rest is all the features I know of. Hopefully well see some big balance changes, maybe not though. If it isn’t big, I doubt that they are just not doing anything. My money is on if it is small that they are working on some other big projects that require the teams attentions.

They didn’t really tell us much. Just that there is going to be a speech (most likely an instance) and a surprise (which could range anywhere from a new dragon hunt, a new mini dungeon, finally breaking the sea blockade of Zhiatan and going to Cantha, or opening the door to the Elonia desert, or we all get a cupcake)

Sounds rather dull compared to past updates, unless this surprise they mentioned turns out to be something good.

Even tho I’m really happy about the www improvement and removing of culling in PVE, I’m very disappointed about this update. Colin said there would be something big for their first anniversary update. I hope and think there will be alot more. I really hope so, if not…I’m very disappointed at them.

‘’Ten Days of Black Lion Sales: Each day for 10 consecutive days – starting Friday, Aug. 23, at 12:01 a.m. (PT) – players will be able to purchase items and weapon skins that had limited sales during the game’s first year from the Black Lion Trading Company.’’
And
‘’Infinite Watchknight Tonic: Players who complete the Queen’s Speech meta achievement will receive a tonic that allows them to transform into a Watchknight at any time.’’
From http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/473/view/news/page/1/read/28323/Guild-Wars-2-The-Queens-Speech-Detailed.html
So thats a little improvement too

Wallace MacBix.2089:

They didn’t really tell us much. Just that there is going to be a speech (most likely an instance) and a surprise (which could range anywhere from a new dragon hunt, a new mini dungeon, finally breaking the sea blockade of Zhiatan and going to Cantha, or opening the door to the Elonia desert, or we all get a cupcake)

My money is on the cupcake.

Not getting much of a sense of an epic birthday celebration here but I look forward to when I’m proven wrong.

ummm ok so much for a whole host of content.

‘’The update is the last before the game’s one-year anniversary’’ according to http://www.guildwars2guru.com/

That being said, maybe the anniversary update will be on september 3rd or we will get an update on august 28th?

Deified.7520:

Looks interesting and fun. I personally can not wait!

A pretty lady is going to… Talk… What’s so special about that?

I wonder if the birthday gifts character bound (like one set per character) or account bound? Not that it matters, but I don’t know how many experience scrolls I’m ever going to realistically need.

And I hope the sales include the infinite use tools.

Looks good.
And I am rather sure there will be more stuff than have been posted on that page.

It would be quite silly to spoil any big surprises one week before the update hits after all.

Pifil.5193:

Wallace MacBix.2089:

They didn’t really tell us much. Just that there is going to be a speech (most likely an instance) and a surprise (which could range anywhere from a new dragon hunt, a new mini dungeon, finally breaking the sea blockade of Zhiatan and going to Cantha, or opening the door to the Elonia desert, or we all get a cupcake)

My money is on the cupcake.

Not getting much of a sense of an epic birthday celebration here but I look forward to when I’m proven wrong.

Heh, I just remembered the birthday cupcakes from gw1. Honestly, if it’s going to be a “big” surprise it’ll most likely do with the aetherblade pirates (which I’m only mildly interested in so far) or out of my wild suggestions I think opening the door to the desert would be the most likely (and in her power to actually do).

Queen’s Speech….
Not too epic title if we’re talking about the end of living story (this living story).

What she’s going to say?
“Citizien of Kryta… I’m a boy!”

I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist.

I think she’s going to say: “I love Logan and I’m going to marry him.”

HiddenNick.7206:

Deified.7520:

Looks interesting and fun. I personally can not wait!

A pretty lady is going to… Talk… What’s so special about that?

I dont know if you’ve been keeping up on the theories about the living story and what not. The developers heavily hinted that something big is going to go down soon in DR. “Keep watching the skies”. Then you have the WP theory on the living story. If his theory is true, then DR may be turned into a big battleground. IF that were to happen, which I’m hoping it does, I would be very happy. Also it would be interesting if the Queen is fake. Imagine if Ansie is the real queen and she has just been using mesmer illusions to put up the act.

Oh, also:

“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.”

Does that mean that the Queen’s Jubilee and the Queen’s Gauntlet meta events will go away when the Queen’s Speech starts? (I know the gauntlet will return eventually) I guess I just got used to each LS team have a month long event, and then 2 weeks later add a bit to it, not do two separate two week patches.

Wallace MacBix.2089:

Oh, also:

“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.”

Does that mean that the Queen’s Jubilee and the Queen’s Gauntlet meta events will go away when the Queen’s Speech starts? (I know the gauntlet will return eventually) I guess I just got used to each LS team have a month long event, and then 2 weeks later add a bit to it, not do two separate two week patches.

They have confirmed that everything will stay till September 3rd

WhatLiesBeneath.9018:

They have confirmed that everything will stay till September 3rd

Ah, thanks! I must have missed that on the forums somewhere.

At least we probably get another festival “Celebrate the first ever anniversary bash on august 31st” god that what I want more parties.

I believe they focus on the story.

They didn’t tell much.

Pisak.8507:

And… This is everything? Looks like the smallest update this year.

I hope so! I’d actually appreciate a nice, modest little story-driven LW component after all that achievement grind the past few months.

Gorgaan Peaudesang.8324:

I believe they focus on the story.

They didn’t tell much.

Yeah it seems that way, which I’m happy for.

I believe they said this living story patch is supposed to be the one where we will see more perm. content added from the living story. So that coupled with developers saying “watch the skies” and then they are really pushing the whole “Major surprise!” I’m excited for it. While it is disappointing that the other parts of the game aren’t getting a whole lot of focus (the trebuchet mastery should be interesting and the world exp changes will be welcome addition), I do not doubt that the teams for them are still working hard. We do know we got better PvP rewards coming, some kind of raids, and probably more.

SPOILERS

At the end of the initial ceremony for the Jubilee Logan says that he is going to be investigating the Aetherblade attacks on the jubilee. I wouldnt be surprised if this living story focused on that investigation and since Braham and Rox were at the ceremony I think they will be involved somehow. I have heard (could be speculation or rumours cant remember where i heard it) that Aetherblades are somehow connected to the molten alliance and that the story will entwine both of them together.

My guess would be one of the following:

1) The queen makes a speech and the Aetherblades launch an attack mid speech which changes everything (Deified mentioned the WP theory)

2) The queen reveals something along the lines of an investigation/attack on the Aetherblades. and the story is all about the launch/carrying out of this investigation/attack.

Thats just my 2 cents.

Can a dev clarify about the character receiving a gift when they are a year old?

I myself had my computer break down on the day of headstart so i didn’t get to play till a week later was wondering if ill still get the award just 10 or so days later or im not gonna get these prizes at all?

Emmet.2943:

Can a dev clarify about the character receiving a gift when they are a year old?

I myself had my computer break down on the day of headstart so i didn’t get to play till a week later was wondering if ill still get the award just 10 or so days later or it i get it for logging in during this update?

If I made a character on the first day of the headstart, on that date I would receive my birthday gift. If I mad my character on December 1st, I would receive my gift then.

Whenever you first made your character. No matter the level or how much you played him, you will get a gift for him. So if I made a level one on the day of released, and immediately logged out. He would receive a birthday gift.

Emmet.2943:

Can a dev clarify about the character receiving a gift when they are a year old?

I myself had my computer break down on the day of headstart so i didn’t get to play till a week later was wondering if ill still get the award just 10 or so days later or it i get it for logging in during this update?

Type /age in game chat. If your character at 28th (or later) will have 12 months, you will get mini-pet.

It’s a date of creation your character, not online time spend.

Emmet.2943:

Can a dev clarify about the character receiving a gift when they are a year old?

I myself had my computer break down on the day of headstart so i didn’t get to play till a week later was wondering if ill still get the award just 10 or so days later or im not gonna get these prizes at all?

I’m not a dev or anything. But from gw1’s past, the presents were character bound, on their birthdays. So you should get your reward, just 10 days late, on your characters b-day. Though, some data miners said that there may be a free (small) gift given if you log on, on the actual gw2 anniversary.

OK thanks for the responses guys I assume Anet wouldn’t forget about the rest of us but just wanted to make sure.

Deified.7520:

Also it would be interesting if the Queen is fake.

I suspect that to be the case… kidnapped, err, reginapped and missing!

Though (and I thought this for the Queen’s Jubilee in general), why does my Norn care about what a human Queen has to say. The best I could come up with, is to show that humans are still weak by beating their challengers/random bits of bolts.

We went from Mad King Thorn exploding through the ground and a massive Karka invasion of LA to … anticipating a politician’s speech. Kinda telling progression, huh.

Queen Jenna = Final Villain

You heard it here first.

I enjoy mini-pets but why Queen Jennah? We’ll be getting mini-Jennahs long after the Queen’s Jubilee is over. I’d rather have had either a mini-pet that could logically be our character’s actual pet, or a character that has been vitally important to the living story over the last year.

However, if Jennah turns out to be Scarlet then I take it back and it’s an appropriate 1 year gift.

Wallace MacBix.2089:

Though (and I thought this for the Queen’s Jubilee in general), why does my Norn care about what a human Queen has to say. The best I could come up with, is to show that humans are still weak by beating their challengers/random bits of bolts.

If he doesnt care he can just ignore it and keep chugging ale in a tavern somewhere. Did he care about who gets voted into the council, or for some trader’s market and a suspiciously fragile flying homestead, or about an undead invasion somewhere far off in the south while Jormag is threatening his kin?

Suprise me with Elona expansion please.

I am just inordinately excited Commander Shepard Jennifer Hale is getting a full speech. This should be pretty good.

DragonWhimsy.6489:

I enjoy mini-pets but why Queen Jennah?

Honestly, thinking they chose a mini of her just for that rather hilarious Logan picture.

Also: All hail, the end of (pve) culling! (The fact we suddenly have twice as many citizens as we used to better not be Jennah’s surprise, though. >_>)

Got to say I’m a bit disappointed by the anniversary gifts. 1 Queen Jenna mini is ok but what the heck am I going to do with 8 of the same one? I’m guessing they will probably be account bound so we can’t sell them and/or throw in the forge like the 19 Risen priests of Balthazar minis I have wasting away in storage.

Then we get a 24 hour birthday booster and an experience scroll. A lot of people have all or most characters to level 80 already so what good are these going to do?

Silencer.7614:

Got to say I’m a bit disappointed by the anniversary gifts. 1 Queen Jenna mini is ok but what the heck am I going to do with 8 of the same one? I’m guessing they will probably be account bound so we can’t sell them and/or throw in the forge like the 19 Risen priests of Balthazar minis I have wasting away in storage.

Then we get a 24 hour birthday booster and an experience scroll. A lot of people have all or most characters to level 80 already so what good are these going to do?

Yeah, I believe I’m going to get about 8 of these mini’s, scrolls and boosts in the next month. I would have preferred 1 Queen Jenna mini for my account and 7 random minis.

About the scrolls, it’s odd giving a gift that can’t be used on the character that receives it (assuming it’s over level 20) but maybe there’ll be a Mystic Forge recipe to convert them to 10-20 Skill Points or Laurels or something?

Edit: or better as zityz.6089 said in this post why not just let them add 20 levels to the character that uses them?

I would have preferred 1 Queen Jenna mini for my account and 7 random minis.

Q: “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.” – so if my account was hacked, my character deleted, does it meam me (or somebody else) get no gift? Just because you didn’t help hacked people and instead of help you just sat and did nothing.

Maranwe.6513:

Q: “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.” – so if my account was hacked, my character deleted, does it meam me (or somebody else) get no gift? Just because you didn’t help hacked people and instead of help you just sat and did nothing.

You will get your birthday present when you character turns 1. Simple as that.

Maranwe.6513:

Q: “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.” – so if my account was hacked, my character deleted, does it meam me (or somebody else) get no gift? Just because you didn’t help hacked people and instead of help you just sat and did nothing.

Each character on your account, as they reach 12 months in age, will get the birthday gift. Nobody gets left out of birthday gifts. A character you make tomorrow will get their birthday gift 12 months from tomorrow. A character you made 6 months after the game launched, is going to get theirs in a little over 6 months. When the character was made makes no difference, how much they are played makes no difference, just how long they exist.

Man In Zero G.8312:

Maranwe.6513:

Q: “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.” – so if my account was hacked, my character deleted, does it meam me (or somebody else) get no gift? Just because you didn’t help hacked people and instead of help you just sat and did nothing.

Each character on your account, as they reach 12 months in age, will get the birthday gift. Nobody gets left out of birthday gifts. A character you make tomorrow will get their birthday gift 12 months from tomorrow. A character you made 6 months after the game launched, is going to get theirs in a little over 6 months. When the character was made makes no difference, how much they are played makes no difference, just how long they exist.

So I’m getting 12 mini’s of the Queen?

Biggest thing about this update for me: no more pve culling.

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!

So is that going to be a one time thing? Or something we can only visit once (if we can’t make it on the 20th)?

skullmount.1758:

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!

So is that going to be a one time thing? Or something we can only visit once (if we can’t make it on the 20th)?

The fact that they say “Starting August 20, be sure to visit Divinity’s Reach and hear what the Queen has to say!” makes me think it’s not just on the 20th.

Hold on, I thought people were complaining because the 2 week updates were too much, too soon. Now people are complaining because this update isn’t big enough. I wouldn’t blame Anet if they didn’t pay attention to this forum.

Wallace MacBix.2089:

They didn’t really tell us much. Just that there is going to be a speech (most likely an instance) and a surprise (which could range anywhere from a new dragon hunt, a new mini dungeon, finally breaking the sea blockade of Zhiatan and going to Cantha, or opening the door to the Elonia desert, or we all get a cupcake)

It seems too soon for a new dragon hunt. If they gave us a new dragon every year, then after 5 years, it would be done.

DarcShriek.5829:

Wallace MacBix.2089:

They didn’t really tell us much. Just that there is going to be a speech (most likely an instance) and a surprise (which could range anywhere from a new dragon hunt, a new mini dungeon, finally breaking the sea blockade of Zhiatan and going to Cantha, or opening the door to the Elonia desert, or we all get a cupcake)

It seems too soon for a new dragon hunt. If they gave us a new dragon every year, then after 5 years, it would be done.

Er, sorry, that was all basically hyperbole (except for the cupcake part because those did drop in gw1). Colin has already said that there would be no new dragon fights this year (and I didn’t know this at the time of that post) or any new zones.

My money was going to be on the crystal desert opening (we need her permission for the gates to open after all), but it’s most likely going to be aetherblade related.

When did Colin say there would not be any new zones this year? Or the dragon fight line? As far as the dragons are concerned, we could easily have story involving them without a “dragon fight”. I’d like a source so I can see the actual wording, if you have it pls.

Alleluia.1320:

When did Colin say there would not be any new zones this year? Or the dragon fight line? As far as the dragons are concerned, we could easily have story involving them without a “dragon fight”. I’d like a source so I can see the actual wording, if you have it pls.

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/1k104u/guild_wars_2_teases_anniversary_plans/cbkcz7p

You won’t be seeing a new region this year. This is however an example of living world content as discussed in the blog post in July that has a wider affect on the world, and more permanent impact as well.