Guild Wars 2

Putting this here since I can’t ask a question in the announcement forum.

So, next weekend we are able to invite a friend to try out the game free for a couple of days.

But, the dat file is getting near 17 Gb in size which, on some internet connections, may take a great deal of time to download. So….if the client and dat file are not available for download ahead of time our friends are going to waste most of the available play time downloading the dat.

I assume you will have some way for them to begin downloading that information AHEAD of time?

The person I would like to invite will need this info within the next couple of days if he is to be prepared. Otherwise there is no point in inviting him.

Thanks

If your geographic location in relation to the person you want to invite allows it, you can transfer your game folder to him on an external harddisk or usb thingy before the trial weekend. That way he will be more or less ready and would only need to:

1. download and run the installer when it’s available to your friend on the official site (or just download it yourself and send it to him).

2. when the game launcher is installed and starts to download the big chunk of data, he can close the launcher and replace what he has in his freshly created game folder with the content of your usb device.

3. start the game launcher again and let it patch up the difference between the time you copied your dat file and the current version.

The steps are probably not 100% necessary (he could just copy your game folder to his computer and run the exe), but doing the 3 steps simulate the actual installation, including any values written to the Windows registry etc.

But otherwise, of course it would be a good idea if the client download was accessible in good time before the trial weekend. 17 GB is a lot, even on connections with bigger bandwith.

How do we invite a friend? Using guildwars2.com interface? Email? Or in-game options?

You can copy the entire game folder and run the .exe and it will create the additional local files needed in the my documents path and read the existing .dat file without have to cancel anything. Same as GW1.

Yes, I realize you can use the .exe to download the dat – but it is getting the exe to him in the first place that is the problem.

You can not access it from ANet without and account (or I assume, an official invite for the weekend)

I can’t copy it and snail male it to him in time to do any good for the coming weekend

His email provider will not allow an .exe as an attachment

And I certainly don’t want to direct him to a 3rd party site to get the .exe

So, I’m just reminding ANet that the people we invite to this special weekend need that access early enough to make it workable.

Ah – NVM

They had said we would have more information as the event drew near. Now they are saying the refer a friend option will be turned on today. Assuming that goes through correctly that answers my question

please close thread – thanks.

Refere a freind please?!!!
I read the main announcement, its almsot end of 12th and I have no clue how to get my GF into the trial yet.
Please advise!