Guild Wars 2

https://heartofthorns.guildwars2.com/en

PAX EAST WILL HAVE THE FIRST PLAYABLE HEART OF THORNS VERSION (MARCH 6-8). NOTE THIS IS NOT A RELEASE DATE

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Q: Is the expansion “buy to play”?

A: Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is a paid expansion to Guild Wars 2, but once you buy it, there are no subscription fees. This means that you can continue playing and access future updates for Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns with no subscription fee.

Q: Will this expansion only be available digitally, or will there be a boxed edition as well?

A: Both. Once Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is available, you’ll be able to buy it digitally or get boxed editions at retail stores.

from https://help.guildwars2.com/home

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Listing the features mentioned thus far in the stream.

New Region: The Heart of Maguma, three “Biomes” (roots, ground, canopy)

No level cap/gear tier increase: We were very specifically told that no new tier of gear or level cap was coming so people’s work on characters wouldn’t be invalidated

Masteries: post-80 character progression allowing new skills, abilities, etc (mentioned were: hang gliding, learning languages of the locals)

New Class: Revenant, heavy armour class, channels power of the mists and GW legends that change skills

Class Specialisation: Allowing new class mechanics and weapons to be used (mentioned were staff ranger and greatsword necromancer)

New WvW and PvP maps: New WvW map (Borderland) involving dynamic keeps and objectives. New PvP map, Stronghold

GvG and Guild Halls: guild vs guild pvp and guild halls for guild socialising, etc

Precursor collections: completing complex collections to obtain precursors

New legendaries and precursors: no specific details on this

Sounds amazing. Although did notice they didn’t mention dungeons. Think that’s pretty much granted or did they want to move away from dungeons?

It’s not just a new zone. It’s a new area most likely containing multiple zones. There will almost certainly be at least 1 or 2 new dungeons.

Definitely not just a new zone. They said a new region specifically so yeah

Thaladred.1406:

Sounds amazing. Although did notice they didn’t mention dungeons. Think that’s pretty much granted or did they want to move away from dungeons?

I am quite confident Anet commented at some point that they were not interested of releasing new dungeons as the game isn’t cenetered around gear-treadmill.

A simple, more understandable explanasion would be: players won’t play new, harder dungeons, unless Anet changes their whole reward-system where they offer exclusive rewards for harder dungeons which would make casuals rage.

Mesmer specialization includes a shield weapon and a clock skill.

ahem

CHRONOMANCER SPECIALIZATION FOR MESMERS CALLING IT NOW

New legendaries, mentioned something about completing storyline or whatever it was to get a precursor. New precursors. Wasn’t really listening only interested in WvW

Yeah, I found it disconcerting that they didn’t say how much it would cost. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more than $50.

That was the most important piece of information they left out, for me.

I figure dungeons will come with the new region, just something that will be announced as time progresses. Also I am sure there are other details that will come out over time as we get closer to the expansion.

I was a bit disappointed that there will be no new race but a new region does lend to entry of new race or races eventually.

Yeah, having dungeons with the new areas are totally normal.

Aerinndis.2730:

I figure dungeons will come with the new region, just something that will be announced as time progresses. Also I am sure there are other details that will come out over time as we get closer to the expansion.

I was a bit disappointed that there will be no new race but a new region does lend to entry of new race or races eventually.

To be honest with all the clipping issues all the current races have with armor I’m kind of glad there aren’t any new races.

fellyn.5083:

Yeah, I found it disconcerting that they didn’t say how much it would cost. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s more than $50.

That was the most important piece of information they left out, for me.

Probably won’t be more than $50, but I’ll be happy to pay it if it means supporting more new content.

About Class Specialization, will it be available from the start? Like you create a Range and you can use the staff right away or its one of those Jungle skill thingy?

I was a little surprised at the lack of launch date and price, but how it was presented makes me think it’s not actually ready to ship for a while.

With Anet releasing the new expansion, we can await more expansions faster like how it took WoW more than 2 years to release their first but then 1, each year.

@Rapthorne: there is no way, this is before summer, they may want to hype it up over-time to not end up with: 1 announcement – 7 months of waiting.

Solomon.8501:

About Class Specialization, will it be available from the start? Like you create a Range and you can use the staff right away or its one of those Jungle skill thingy?

I thought they said it was something you get at 80 in the new expansion area, but I could be wrong about that.

Q: Is the expansion “buy to play”?
A: Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is a paid expansion to Guild Wars 2, but once you buy it, there are no subscription fees. This means that you can continue playing and access future updates for Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns with no subscription fee.

Q: Will this expansion only be available digitally, or will there be a boxed edition as well?
A: Both. Once Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns is available, you’ll be able to buy it digitally or get boxed editions at retail stores.

from https://help.guildwars2.com/home

I’d be mighty surprised if it ran more than fifty bucks; they’d lose quite a few sales if it did.

I’m a bit disheartened at the lack of details.

- No date or even a time frame for release (Pax east first playable demo)
-What content can we expect in game prior to release?
- No pricing
- No quantity or size of PVE zones
- No quantity of new PVP maps
- No quantity of guild halls, only a few sentences uttered on such a favorite feature.
- No brand new weapons?

All in all everything we got was pretty vague.

Q. How long have you been working on the expansion
A. MO: “A long time” :/

Also, this is quite telling on release date. From the official Q&A page:

“Q: Will there be a collector’s edition for this expansion?

A: At this time, we do not have information available about specific versions. Rest assured that well before launch, we will reveal all the versions of Guild Wars 2: Heart of Thorns that will be available both digitally and physically"

If we aren’t at well before launch now this might take awhile.

Colin said in the first interview during the post show(paraphrasing here): “Everyone will be on equal footing when playing as the Revenant, everyone will be level 1.” So what does that mean for using tomes of knowledge?

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Mesmer specialization includes a shield weapon and a clock skill.

ahem

CHRONOMANCER SPECIALIZATION FOR MESMERS CALLING IT NOW

That would make sense. I’ll throw my hat into that ring with you Konig.

Ranger with staff….

Honestly.
Some stupid ideas were given a birth.

Anet so far didn’t fix and make viable previous weapon skill sets along with utilities.

Latest support and development of the game will force me to reconsider purchasing expansion.

rapthorne.7345:

No level cap/gear tier increase: We were very specifically told that no new tier of gear or level cap was coming so people’s work on characters wouldn’t be invalidated

That means all my ascended gear for my guardian should transfer pretty easily to the revenant ?

fadeaway.2807:

rapthorne.7345:

No level cap/gear tier increase: We were very specifically told that no new tier of gear or level cap was coming so people’s work on characters wouldn’t be invalidated

That means all my ascended gear for my guardian should transfer pretty easily to the revenant ?

Pretty much, its a new heavy class.

updated with date of showcase, Mike stated on stream that “the first playable version will be available at pax east”

Guild halls was a given. Not so surprised that it has come this quick. As some pointed out, it pretty much was coming. Whilst others argued that it wasn’t set in stone, which is understandable.

rapthorne.7345:

updated with date of showcase, Mike stated on stream that “the first playable version will be available at pax east”

Playable for the masses or playable for a few select people on their payroll?

PookieDaWombat.6209:

rapthorne.7345:

updated with date of showcase, Mike stated on stream that “the first playable version will be available at pax east”

Playable for the masses or playable for a few select people on their payroll?

It will most likely be exclusive only to people going to pax east.

PookieDaWombat.6209:

rapthorne.7345:

updated with date of showcase, Mike stated on stream that “the first playable version will be available at pax east”

Playable for the masses or playable for a few select people on their payroll?

I would expect it will be a showcase available at booths at pax (ie, play in premade test accounts for a small period of time on on-site machines with presentation showcases of more in-depth content)

Right, so at the end of the day we are not seeing an actual expansion for about another year.

PookieDaWombat.6209:

Right, so at the end of the day we are not seeing an actual expansion for about another year.

I’m just wondering what we are going to get before it’s released.

We will see about the year assumption.
People also assumed that this is a 3rd Living Story season.

I will save the facepalms for later.

Given the amount of time between play>feedback>talk>changes/dev test>second “open” test with non-Anet staff I just can’t see them getting this out the door before a year’s time. If they do, then color me both impressed and very worried.

PookieDaWombat.6209:

Given the amount of time between play>feedback>talk>changes/dev test>second “open” test with non-Anet staff I just can’t see them getting this out the door before a year’s time. If they do, then color me both impressed and very worried.

well that sneaky profit report that got dug up predicted profits in Q3-4 2015, so probably summer

Perhaps they’re aiming to release it on the Anniversary of GW2’s release date?

videoboy.4162:

Perhaps they’re aiming to release it on the Anniversary of GW2’s release date?

:O Didn’t think of that, could be.

I’m very interested in the staff-wielding ranger. Reminds me of my Guild Wars 1 ranger. I could go with a ‘druid’-type class update.

I wonder if they’ll be new pets to tame. . . .

If the ‘zone’ is more of a region, and includes multiple zones in abundance, with Heart quests and the like, I’ll happily eat crow.

CalamityO.2890:

Guild halls was a given. Not so surprised that it has come this quick. As some pointed out, it pretty much was coming. Whilst others argued that it wasn’t set in stone, which is understandable.

A given. The only question that really needed to be answered was how viable they will be for small guilds.

I shouldn’t have to leave my guild of close personal friends to join a large guild because it will take 100x longer to build a guild hall otherwise.

fellyn.5083:

CalamityO.2890:

Guild halls was a given. Not so surprised that it has come this quick. As some pointed out, it pretty much was coming. Whilst others argued that it wasn’t set in stone, which is understandable.

A given. The only question that really needed to be answered was how viable they will be for small guilds.

I shouldn’t have to leave my guild of close personal friends to join a large guild because it will take 100x longer to build a guild hall otherwise.

yeah, I’m concerned about that, too. I hope they take in to account that not everyone’s in a huge guild

My thoughts about maps are that “Heart of Maguma” is only one of many explorable regions within the 2 territories in the expansion. Maguma Jungle and Maguma Wastes. Why Maguma Wastes because we are not in the jungle yet and on the video we see Rytlock walking in a new wastes region. Looking at the present map what was known in GW 1 as the Maguma Jungle is now shown as Magus Falls. However Magus Falls was only one explorable region in GW 1 it is also where Mordremoth was hibernating. We will also see at least 2 new civilizations or cities. One of them is a second Sylvari city tree which I think we see being attacked but I could be mistaken. We also see a Hyleck city in the trees. I’m freak’in in and out about this we can also see as allies something that looks more like Margonites than Mursaat.