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Game Update Notes – June 03, 2014

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

June 3 Content Release Notes
LIVING WORLD
Achievements

  • Removed some lifetime PvP achievements from the Nearly Completed list so that other achievements can appear in the rotation.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
Queen’s Pavilion Polish

  • Liadri will now regenerate health during the first phase of the encounter.
  • Boom-Boom Baines’s Healing Turret no longer spawns once the bronze tier of the Boss Blitz has been reached.
  • The champions in the Boss Blitz have grown weary of fighting players for extended durations. Once the bronze tier of the Boss Blitz has been achieved, they will begin taking increased damage and deal reduced damage.
  • The drop rate for Chaos of Lyssa has been increased.

Labyrinthine Cliffs Balance

  • Sanctum Sprint’s festival token rewards have been increased.

World Polish

  • Harathi Hinterlands
    • Fixed a bug that would occasionally prevent “Defend the skritt thieves while they steal harpy eggs” from advancing when the Harpy Matriarch was defeated.
  • Brisban Wildlands
    • Bandit Loot Chests in the “Hinder Scotta’s bandits” renown heart region now give renown progress upon opening, and they can now only be used when working on the renown heart.
  • Rata Sum
    • Asura gate map marker tooltips now list their respective gate destinations.

Dungeons
The Ruined City of Arah (Explorable)

  • Path 1 (Jotun): Fixed a bug that prevented some of the waypoints from appearing after the correct event.

Items

  • The Favor of the Festival description now explains that it can be crafted by combining a Favor of the Bazaar and a Favor of the Pavilion.

Profession Skills
Common

  • Finisher: Added a check to verify that the player’s target is within range before beginning the finisher animation.

Elementalist

  • Fireball: Added a skill fact for the maximum number of targets (3).
  • Lightning Touch: Added a skill fact for the maximum number of targets (3).
  • Arc Lightning: Updated the skill facts to show the number of hits per stage.
  • Arcane Shield: Updated the skill description to indicate that this skill always critically hits.
  • Heat Wave: Updated the burning skill fact to list the correct duration (9 seconds). Updated the might and vigor skill facts to indicate that the boons are applied multiple times.
  • Signet of Restoration: Fixed a bug that caused the passive effect of this signet to be incorrectly listed as Aura of Restoration.
  • Lava Font: Updated the skill fact to show the number of hits.
  • Phoenix: Updated the description and added a skill fact to show that this skill only removes 1 condition.
  • Earthquake: Fixed a bug that caused the skill combo notification to appear when this skill was activated rather than when the attack hit.
  • Magnetic Leap: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to trigger the passive effect of Signet of Restoration twice.
  • Rock Spray: Fixed a bug that caused this skill’s particles to emit from the hand instead of the chest.
  • Healing Rain: Added a number of pulses skill fact (3). Added a number of conditions removed per pulse skill fact (1).
  • Tornado: Added an unblockable skill fact.
  • Fiery Greatsword:
    • Fiery Rush: Added fire wall damage and fire wall duration skill facts.
    • Fiery Whirl: Added number of targets and number of impacts skill facts.
  • Fresh Air: Added a missing recharge trait fact.

Engineer

  • Packaged Stimulants: Fixed a bug that prevented Med Kit skill facts from being highlighted in blue when this trait is equipped.
  • Supply Crate: Added a duration skill fact for the underwater version of this skill.
  • Elixir X: Fixed a bug that caused the skill duration to be listed incorrectly in certain circumstances. Updated the skill facts to correctly reflect changes from the Elite Supplies trait.

Guardian

  • Radiant Fire: Fixed a bug that prevented skill facts from displaying the correct burning duration while this trait was equipped.
  • Symbol of Judgment:
    • Fixed a bug that caused this skill to have two radius skill facts when traited with Writ of Exaltation.
    • Fixed a bug that caused the healing skill fact (for living targets) to be incorrect.
    • Adjusted the skill fact for revive percentage to specify the revive percentage per pulse.
  • Protector’s Strike: Fixed a bug that caused the ending flourish to act as a short-duration whirl finisher, sending out a single bolt in a random direction.

Mesmer

  • The Prestige: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to lack its range indicator.
  • Polymorph Moa: Updated the skill facts for moa attacks.
    • Claw: Added a skill fact for maximum number of targets (3).
    • Kick: Added a skill fact for maximum number of targets (3).
    • Peck: Added a skill fact for maximum number of targets (3). Updated the skill fact for number of attacks (4).
    • Screech: Added a skill fact for maximum number of targets (4).
  • Arcane Thievery: Fixed a bug that caused the Far-Reaching Manipulations trait to reduce the cooldown of this skill.

Necromancer

  • Mark of Horror: Added skill facts for minion damage and bleeding applied.
  • Wicked Spiral: Updated the skill fact to indicate that this skill hits 6 times instead of 1.
  • Grim Specter:
    • Updated the skill description to better reflect the skill’s functionality.
    • Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from removing conditions from allies in the explosion radius.
  • Summon Bone Fiend: Updated the skill fact to show that the crippling attack applies 2 stacks of cripple.
  • Rigor Mortis: Updated the skill fact to show that the immobilizing attack applies 2 stacks of immobilize.
  • Focused Rituals: Fixed a bug that caused well skills to recharge when this trait was equipped and unequipped.

Ranger

  • Viper’s Nest: Added a skill fact for the maximum number of targets hit (3).
  • Lashtail Devourer:
    • Rending Barbs: Updated the skill fact to properly indicate that this skill hits 6 times instead of 7. Updated the skill fact to display that this skill inflicts 6 stacks of bleeding instead of 1.
  • Signet of the Wild: Updated the skill facts to show the Enlarged buff duration when activated.
    • Enlarged: Updated the description.
  • Entangle: Updated the skill fact to specify radius instead of range.

Thief

  • Cluster Bomb: Added a skill fact for the maximum number of targets hit (5).
  • Detonate Cluster: Added a skill fact for the maximum number of foes hit per impact (3).
  • Steal:
    • Exploding Venom Sack: Added a skill fact for effect radius.
    • Use Trident: Updated the skill facts and description to match its functionality.
    • Healing Seed: Updated the skill facts and description to match its functionality.
  • Dagger Storm: Fixed a bug that caused the projectile reflection effect to last longer than the skill animation.

Warrior

  • Whirlwind Banner: Updated the skill facts to correctly display its radius rather than its range.
  • Split Shot: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from hitting at its listed range.
  • Riposte: Added a skill fact for range.
  • Whirling Axe: Fixed a bug with this skill’s range indicator that caused it to function incorrectly.

Racial Skills
Asura

  • Summon Power Suit: Updated the description and skill facts for the Self-Repair skill.

Sylvari

  • Grasping Vines: Added skill facts for pulses and immobilization.

Structured Player vs. Player
World vs. World
General

  • The Battle Historian now has WvW tournament rewards. These rewards will be temporarily disabled while we resolve an issue with Tournament Ticket distribution.
  • Due to fierce financial competition, one of the armor and weapons merchants in each staging area has declared bankruptcy and moved on. Their goods have been claimed by the remaining merchants.
  • The player-count requirement for breakout events has been lowered from 10 to 5.

Edge of the Mists

  • The Grawl High Shaman champion will no longer revive destroyed Bound Earth Elementals. The number of max targets affected by the shaman’s transform skill has been increased.
  • The elite Bound Earth Elementals no longer become nearly immune to damage when near each other. Their base health and damage has been increased.
  • The Kodan Chieftain champion now creates more patches of falling ice.
  • Fixed a bug in which the staging area supply piles were updating for the wrong team.
  • Fixed a bug in which opposing teams could sometimes use captured keep waypoints.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • The Additional Crafting License is now available in the Gem Store. This license allows players to have up to three active crafting professions on all characters on their account for the low price of 800 gems in the Upgrades category.
  • The Mystical Dragon Finisher is now available in the Upgrades category of the Gem Store for 800 gems.
  • For the next two weeks, every Black Lion Chest will include an additional reward: Boost Enchantment Powder.
    • One armor, strength, speed, or rejuvenation booster can be converted to an Enchanted Combat Booster. This booster allows the player to choose from an armor, strength, speed, or rejuvenation buff.
    • One experience, gathering, crafting, or magic find booster (or two karma boosters) can be converted to an Enchanted Reward Booster. This booster allows the player to choose from an experience, gathering, crafting, magic find, or karma buff.

Improvements

  • Black Lion Chests have been rebalanced, given a new icon, and given an entirely new UI to clarify unlocking and rewards.
    • For two weeks, every chest includes an additional guaranteed Boost Enchantment Powder.
    • New additions to the chests include:
      • Boost Enchantment Powder (x4)—Uncommon
      • Custom Arena Time Token (x5)—Rare
      • Royal Terrace Pass (2 weeks)—Uncommon (during the Festival of the Four Winds)
    • Scroll of Knowledge and Tome of Knowledge drops have been slightly increased.
    • Mystery Tonic drops have been greatly reduced.
    • Mini 3-pack (Set 2) drops have been replaced with Mini 3-pack (Set 3) drops.

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed a bug that prevented players from hearing other guardians’ shouts.
  • Influence boosts sold by guild promoters are now manually consumable items, preventing a rare occurrence in which influence could fail to be applied.

Trading Post

  • The listing fee can no longer be avoided by listing an item at a lower price than the highest buy order. Items priced lower than an existing highest buy order will now be sold at the lower price. The player with the highest buy order will receive the item and be refunded any difference in price.

(edited by Moderator)

Game Update Notes - January 21, 2014

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

January 21 Content Release Notes
LIVING WORLD
The Origins of Madness
For weeks, mysterious probes have been thrumming ominously all across Tyria. Now, the Vigil has ordered a trio of crusaders to investigate three mysterious new probes that have been sighted in Bloodtide Coast. Meanwhile, the Priory in Lornar’s Pass has observed Scarlet Briar’s watchwork minions streaming into their region. What’s the connection between these events, and what exactly is Scarlet up to?
Twisted Marionette Weapon Test

  • New world event: Twisted Marionette world boss
  • Scarlet is recalling her twisted watchwork troops from all over Tyria to power her aethercannon weapon test. The results could be deadly if Scarlet is allowed to carry out her test.
  • Players must unite with fellow adventurers and allies to stop the attack!

Twisted Marionette Rewards

  • Completing The Origins of Madness meta-achievement will reward players with a Gift of Sprockets, which will create a new sprocket generator in their home instance.
  • Participating in the fight against the Twisted Marionette in Lornar’s Pass and investigating the energy probes throughout Tyria will grant players access to a hitherto secret location—with additional rewards inside.
  • Additional exclusive rewards include:
    • New power, precision, and healing power stat combinations. Includes both exotic (Zealot’s) and ascended (Keeper’s) items.
    • New Mini Twisted Watchwork Moa

Code Fragments

  • Gather code fragments from the battle at the Twisted Marionette weapon test.
  • After completing the story components of the weapon test and the great jungle wurm investigation, players can discover how to use the code fragments.

Triple Trouble

  • There’s a rumble in the jungle, and the Vigil needs help! Assist Crusaders Xutt, Yipp, and Zepp as they investigate three new probes in Bloodtide Coast.
  • After forging new allegiances to take down Tequatl the Sunless, it’s now time for players to rally their forces together in an all-new epic encounter!

Triple Trouble Rewards

  • Completing the new permanent meta-achievement, Triple Trouble, grants players the title of Great Jungle Wurm Slayer.
  • Assisting in the investigation of wurm activity in Bloodtide Coast will give players a chance at new exclusive rewards:
    • New wurm-themed ascended armor pieces
    • New wurm-themed rifle skins
    • New great jungle wurm minis
    • New exotic wurm minis
  • Additional note: Players can no longer sell sprockets to vendors, but they are still tradable at the trading post.

Achievements

  • The Origins of Madness meta-achievement will task players with engaging in the fight against Scarlet’s Twisted Marionette weapon test in Lornar’s Pass.
  • Completing The Origins of Madness daily achievements will also contribute to the meta-achievement. These are earned by participating in either the Twisted Marionette weapon test in Lornar’s Pass or the Triple Trouble investigations in Bloodtide Coast.
  • The permanent Triple Trouble boss meta-achievement will task players with successfully defeating the great jungle wurms in Bloodtide Coast while also performing various feats to help out in the fight.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
General

  • Fixed a bug that caused cooldowns to be reset while using the jump pads near the Tequatl encounter.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented players from receiving credit for completing fractal level 50.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the Endless Toy Golem Tonic to produce the wrong item.
  • Fixed a potential client crash in the Cliffside fractal.
  • Improved some of the creature descriptions.
  • User Interface: Various updates have been made to the right-hand side of the HUD to improve its appearance and functionality.
  • User Interface: Hints have a new arrow that is more visible and animated.
  • To mitigate performance issues, items that summon pets now have a 30-minute cooldown.

Profession Skills
General

  • Leave Transform: This skill can no longer be set on auto-attack.

Elementalist

  • Arcane Wave: This skill is no longer ground-targeted while underwater and will now activate the area effect on the targeted enemy.
  • Earth’s Embrace: Fixed this trait to properly have reduced recharge when traited with Cantrip Mastery.

Engineer

  • Rocket Turret—Rocket: This skill is no longer ground-targeted while underwater and will now fire at a targeted enemy.

Mesmer

  • Chaos Storm: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to stun enemies whether or not it dazed them when traited with Confounding Suggestions.

Necromancer

  • Putrid Mark: This skill will now blast an area only once when the trap executes.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • Battle of Khylo: Any destroyed trebuchets, clocktower windows, and clocktower walls will now reappear when the match begins.
  • Legacy of the Foefire: Any destroyed gates will now reappear when the match begins.

World vs. World

  • The Guard Leech boon has been renamed to Applied Strength.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • A new 3-pack of masterwork great jungle wurm minis is now available for a limited time in the Minis category of the Gem Store for 300 gems.
  • A new Great Jungle Wurm Finisher is now available to surprise enemies from below in PvP and WvW. Available in the Upgrades category for 800 gems.
  • Instant Trait Reset will be removed from the store at the end of January 27. It will still have a rare chance to be in Black Lion Chests.

Improvements

  • Deposit All Collectibles no longer deposits miniatures. However, they can still be individually deposited by right-clicking on them.
  • Double-clicking a Black Lion Chest when players do not have any keys will now open the store and show players the keys.
  • The Black Lion Weapons Specialist conversation has been tweaked for clarity.
  • The Black Lion Chest rewards have been entirely overhauled, affecting all drop rates. Significant changes are below:
    • Tonics are no longer a dedicated slot in the drop. Instead, tonics will now occasionally drop like all other rewards.
    • Players will now get two rewards plus a booster from each chest. This means they can potentially get two of anything from a single chest.
    • Rare minis are now much rarer from Black Lion Chests.
    • New drops of Endless Mystery Tonics can be traded until they are used once.
    • The following items have been removed from Black Lion Chests:
      • Karma Booster
      • Glory Booster
      • Heavy Bag of Coins
      • Name Change Contract
      • Small Guild Discovery
      • Medium Guild Discovery
      • 1 Copper
    • The following items have been added to Black Lion Chests:
      • Instant Trait Reset
      • Communal Boost Bonfire
      • Essence of Luck (50)
      • Essence of Luck (100)
      • Metabolic Primer
      • Scroll of Knowledge
      • WXP Booster
      • Gathering Booster

Game Update Notes - December 10, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

LIVING WORLD
A Very Merry Wintersday
Toymaker Tixx and his flying Infinirarium are returning to Lion’s Arch, which can mean only one thing: Wintersday is coming! Sharpen your snowball-throwing skills and pull out your warmest clothes; the festivities are about to commence!
Toypocalypse

  • Protect the gift dolyaks from waves of malfunctioning toys.
  • This activity can now be entered with a preformed group.

Winter Wonderland

  • Navigate the treacherous snowflakes, exploding presents, and narrow ice ledge to earn Wintersday gifts.
  • Toymaker Tixx will now wait at the halfway point and will give players an option to receive a present right away, receive more presents at the end (if players can make it there), or to create a temporary checkpoint.
  • There is no longer a delay to allow all players to attempt and complete the puzzle.

Bell Choir Ensemble

  • Players can show off their musical skills in this rhythm-based activity and earn Wintersday gifts each time they successfully complete a song.

Snowball Mayhem

  • Players can join a team, pick a role, and battle to return presents to their base in this PvP activity.

Tixx’s Infinirarium

  • Group up with friends to help keep Tixx’s toy-making operation under control.
  • All five paths will be available for the duration of Wintersday.

Donation Drive

  • Ho-Ho-Tron (aka Hobo-Tron) and Marcello DiGiacomo have returned, and they’re looking to collect coins and ugly sweaters for the victims of Scarlet’s attacks.
  • After receiving enough donations, they will load up their gift dolyak and make for the asura gate to Divinity’s Reach, dropping gifts for players along the way.
  • Protect the gift dolyak from greedy snowball-throwing skritt to ensure a merry Wintersday for all.

Rewards

  • Wintersday gifts have been updated for the new year. Open them for chances at crafting materials (including the coveted ascended crafting materials), Essence of Luck, new crafting recipes, and more. To show off Wintersday pride, keep an eye out for special rare items such as the adorable Mini Ho-Ho-Tron, the returning Unbreakable Choir Bell, new Endless Tonic recipes, and recipes for the new ascended back-slot items: Light of Dwayna and Shadow of Grenth.
  • The gift-exchange vendors have returned to Lion’s Arch. Players can exchange their unwanted gifts for something else.

Achievements

  • Each of the activities listed above has one or more achievements that can be earned by participating in the festivities.
  • After completing the Very Merry Wintersday meta-achievement, players will be awarded a box containing their choice of either one Wintersday toy miniature or a giant stack of Wintersday gifts.

    The Nightmare Ends
  • Return to Kessex Hills to experience the culmination of the Tower of Nightmares.
  • When entering Kessex Hills, players with an actual level higher than 25 will automatically be redirected to a story instance.
  • Players at level 25 and under may still opt to play the story instance by speaking to Marjory’s helper, Dee, in Kessex Hills.

Open World

  • The lands surrounding Viathan Lake in Kessex Hills have been forever altered by the tower. Explore the region to discover new events.
  • Toxic Offshoots and Seedlings continue to appear across Tyria.
  • Several renown hearts in Kessex Hills have been updated based on the lingering effects of the Toxic Alliance’s tower.
  • The Moogooloo Waypoint and the Meadows Waypoint have been removed.

Rewards

  • Completing The Nightmare Ends story instance will reward players with a new Antitoxin Injector Skin (back-slot item).
  • Finishing the Nightmare’s Aftermath meta-achievement will award players a Tricolor Key.
  • The Tri-key Chest can now be found in Kessex Hills.
  • Pieces of the key for the Tri-key Chest can be dropped by creatures throughout Kessex Hills or can be acquired through trade with Marjory’s helper, Dee, back at Thunder Ridge Camp.

Achievements

  • The Nightmare’s Aftermath meta-achievement will task players with exploring the fallout of the Tower of Nightmares throughout Kessex Hills.
  • Additionally, completing Nightmare’s Aftermath daily achievements will also contribute to the meta-achievement. These are earned by participating in specific The Nightmare Is Over content each day.

    NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
    Crafting
  • Armorsmith, Tailor, and Leatherworker can now be leveled to a rating of 500.
  • New ascended-material refinement recipes unlock at a rating of 450.
  • Ascended insignia recipes are now available for purchase from master craftsmen and require a rating of 500 to craft.
  • Ascended armor recipes are now available for purchase from master craftsmen and laurel merchants and require a rating of 500 to craft.
  • Crafting discoveries for exotics have been reset to allow for rediscovery that gives bonus experience and facilitates leveling to a rating of 500.

Changes to Rewards

  • Ascended armor can now drop anywhere that ascended materials or other ascended items can be found.
  • Loot dropped by the Karka Queen has been improved; she also has a chance to drop Settler’s insignias.
  • Sentinel’s insignias can now be purchased from the guild vendor.
  • Exotic armor pieces with the stat combos Rabid, Dire, Magi’s, Soldier’s, Cavalier’s, and Shaman’s now have a chance to salvage their insignia.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • Players will now have a chance at receiving Essence of Luck when salvaging PvP items.
  • Players can now earn gold while participating in PvP.
    • There is a 5-gold-per-day cap in Custom Arenas and a 15-gold-per-day cap in Solo Arenas and Team Arenas.
    • Rewards are higher in Solo Arenas and higher still in Team Arenas.
  • Added a temporary vendor to the Heart of the Mists that has items that can be purchased with both glory and gold. The vendor contains the following items:
    • Tomes of Knowledge
    • PvP dungeon armor sets
    • PvP cultural armor
    • 20-slot bags
    • Custom Arena starter kits

General

  • Fixed a bug with the dredge commissar group event in the Dredgehaunt Cliffs that would cause it to run too frequently. With this fix, the event will have a minimum downtime of 20 minutes between runs.

Dungeons

  • Pristine Fractal Relics can be converted to the Fractal Relic currency by double-clicking them.
  • Mistlock Instability on fractal level 37 has been re-enabled.

Items

  • The ascended version of the Triforge Pendant is now account bound and soulbound on use, instead of soulbound on acquire.

Profession Skills
We are introducing a new healing skill for each profession. These skills are locked in both PvE and PvP. They can be unlocked by purchasing them with 25 skill points. When a skill is unlocked on a character, it becomes unlocked in both PvE and PvP.
General

  • Immobilize can now only stack 3 times.

Charr

  • Shrapnel Mine: Updated the skill facts to indicate its proximity radius and explosion radius.

New Healing Skills:
Elementalist

  • Arcane Brilliance—Arcane: Blast the area, hit foes with critical damage, and heal yourself. Healing effectiveness is increased for each target hit.

Engineer

  • A.E.D—Gadget: Activate your A.E.D., enabling the system to heal you after a brief period of time. If you take lethal damage while A.E.D. is active, it disables and heals you for a large amount.
    • Static Shock (Toolbelt):* *Use your A.E.D. to stun an enemy.

Guardian

  • Litany of Wrath—Meditation: Heal yourself. For a brief time, heal yourself based on a percentage of damage dealt to enemies.

Mesmer

  • Signet of the Ether
    • Signet Passive:* *Regenerate health based on the number of active illusions you control.
    • Signet Active:* *Heal yourself and recharge all phantasm skills.

Necromancer

  • Signet of Vampirism
    • Signet Passive: Heal when struck by a foe.
    • Signet Active:* *Heal yourself and mark a foe. Friendly players will siphon life from that enemy.

Ranger

  • Water Spirit—Spirit:* *Summon a water spirit that grants nearby allies a chance to heal when attacking.
    • Aqua Surge:* *Heal yourself and cause your water spirit to heal nearby allies.

Thief

  • Skelk Venom—Venom: Heal yourself. Your next few attacks heal you.

Warrior

  • Defiant Stance—Stance:* *Heal yourself. Absorb all incoming damage for a period of time.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
Elementalist
The goal of this release for the elementalist was to increase the power of the Earth Magic, Air Magic, and Fire Magic trait lines, while taking away some of the need to go into the Arcana line. This was done by bringing up the base cooldown of attunements so that elementalists aren’t forced to go as deep into Arcana in order to get the old attunement-cooldown percentages. In doing so, we decided to move some of the most powerful Adept-tier traits in Water Magic and Arcana to the Master tier. This was done to avoid power creep that would have occurred by letting players gain powerful effects in the Master and Grandmaster tier of Fire Magic, Air Magic, and Earth Magic and still get the extremely powerful traits in Water Magic and Arcana by only investing 10 points.

  • Fire Magic II—Conjurer: Moved this trait to the Adept tier.
  • Fire Magic III—Ember’s Might: The effect of this trait has been changed. Burns applied now last 25% longer.
  • Fire Magic VIII—Burning Fire: This trait has a new effect and now automatically uses Cleansing Fire when the elementalist has 3 conditions. There is also a 40-second cooldown. Moved to the Master tier.
  • Fire Magic 25—Burning Rage: Increased the damage dealt to burning foes from 5% to 10%.
  • Air Magic V—Soothing Winds: Increased the conversion from 5% to 7%.
  • Air Magic XI—Tempest Defense: Decreased the cooldown from 60 seconds to 25 seconds.
  • Earth Magic 5—Stone Flesh: Increased the toughness while attuned to Earth magic to 1.5 per level (120 at level 80).
  • Earth Magic VII—Strength of Stone: Added a 10% gain to condition damage based on toughness.
  • Earth Magic XI—Diamond Skin: This trait has been redesigned. Conditions now cannot be applied to players when their health is above the 90% threshold.
  • Water Magic I—Arcane Abatement: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Water Magic III—Cantrip Mastery: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Water Magic V—Soothing Wave: Moved to the Adept tier. This trait is now redesigned to gain regeneration on incoming critical hits.
  • Water Magic VIII—Aquamancer’s Alacrity: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Water Magic IX—Soothing Disruption: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Water Magic X—Cleansing Wave: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Arcana III—Final Shielding: Decreased the cooldown from 90 seconds to 75 seconds.
  • Arcana IV—Vigorous Scepter: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Arcana V—Blasting Staff: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Arcane VI—Windborne Dagger: Moved to the Adept tier. This trait now functions outside of combat.
  • Arcana VII—Arcane Retribution: Moved to the Master tier. Decreased the cooldown from 90 seconds to 45 seconds.
  • Arcana VIII—Elemental Attunement: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Arcana IX—Arcane Resurrection: Moved to the Master tier.
  • The following changes were done to reduce the burden of putting points into the Arcana trait line:
    • The base cooldown of attunements has been reduced from 16 seconds to 13 seconds. The attunement cooldown rate now increases by 1% per point in Arcana, down from 2%. The end result is that attunements now go from 13 seconds to 10 seconds instead of the old range of 16 seconds to 10 seconds.
    • The base global attunement cooldown is now 1.625 seconds. The global attunement cooldown rate now increases by 1% per point in Arcana, down from 2%. The end result is that global attunement cooldown now goes from 1.625 seconds to 1.25 seconds instead of the previous range of 2.0 seconds to 1.25 seconds.

Bug Fixes

  • Cleansing Wave: Fixed a bug that caused the trait fact to display an incorrect number of targets.
  • Static Field: The strike from this skill will no longer be limited by range or line of sight, making it consistent with the stun portion of the skill.
  • Ring of Earth: Added a range indicator.
  • Conjure Frost Bow, Conjure Flame Axe, and Conjure Lightning Hammer: These abilities will no longer go on full cooldown when interrupted.
  • Signet of Restoration: Fixed an issue that caused the skill to heal for incorrect amounts when traited with Written in Stone.
  • Magnetic Wave: Added a range indicator. Updated the radius fact to display the proper distance.
  • Soothing Mist: Updated the trait fact to indicate its proper radius.
  • Conjure Fiery Greatsword: This skill can now be cast while moving.
  • Zephyr’s Speed: Fixed an issue that caused this trait to behave incorrectly with Lingering Elements.
  • Stone Flesh: Fixed an issue that caused this trait to behave incorrectly with Lingering Elements.

Engineer
We wanted to maintain the engineer’s core roles while still increasing build diversity. We also wanted to take out some of the random effects for some of the class’s traits. The biggest change here is allowing Modified Ammunition to work with any skills so that an engineer, regardless of build, can look at putting 30 points into Firearms. By increasing the swiftness duration on Speedy Kits, we hope to allow swiftness to be maintained more reasonably without having to constantly swap kits. This change will also bring down the total uptime for vigor due to its interaction with Invigorating Speed. We don’t like classes having permanent vigor, and this is one of the areas where we needed to tone down the uptime of the engineer’s vigor.

  • Explosives V—Accelerant-Packed Turrets: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Explosives VI—Exploit Weakness: Increased the health threshold from 25% to 50%.
  • Explosives IX—Incendiary Powder: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Firearms XI—Modified Ammunition: This trait now works regardless of the equipped weapon.
  • Inventions V—Energized Armor: Increased the conversion from 5% to 7%.
  • Inventions VIII—Power Shoes: This trait now works outside of combat.
  • Inventions X—Autotool Installation: Increased the healing percentage from 1% to 5%. Decreased the interval from 10 seconds to 3 seconds.
  • Inventions XI—Elixir-Infused Bombs: Scaling with healing power has been increased by 50%.
  • Alchemy V—Blood Injection: Increased the conversion from 5% to 7%.
  • Alchemy 15—Transmute: Increased the percentage chance from 8% to 100%. This effect can now only trigger once every 15 seconds.
  • Tools VI—Speedy Kits: Increased the swiftness duration to 10 seconds. This effect can now only trigger once every 10 seconds.
  • Tools XI—Armor Mods: Changed this to now trigger when struck instead of on incoming critical hits. Reduced the cooldown from 25 seconds to 15 seconds.
  • Blunderbuss: Increased the range of this skill from 400 to 500 (700 when traited with Rifled Barrels).
    *
    Bug Fixes*
  • Elixir U: Updated the skill facts to display the proper information associated with this skill.
  • Med Kit: Added duration facts to the skills on this kit.
  • Rifled Turret Barrels: Updated Rifle Turret and Rocket Turret to display a damage increase when this is traited.
  • Slick Shoes: Added a duration fact.
  • Grenade Barrage: Updated the skill facts to indicate the number of grenades thrown when Grenadier is traited.
  • Glue Shot: Added a skill fact for pulses.
  • Jump Shot: Increased the radius of the initial damage from 120 to 240 to match the land radius. Updated the radius fact.
  • Mortar: The global cooldown has been increased to 2 seconds, which is the actual rate of fire that it’s able to have.
  • Net Turret: Fixed an issue that occasionally caused the turret to lose its attack when overcharged.
  • Flamethrower—Napalm: Burning duration now shows the proper burning duration when traited with Napalm Specialist.

Guardian
Tank and supportive guardians are in a strong position in many game types. We do feel that damage guardians are not as powerful as they could be. While we don’t want guardians to be as strong offensively as some of the other classes (given their powerful defensive abilities), we opened up more offensive guardian builds.

  • Zeal V—Shattered Aegis: This trait now applies damage instead of burning.
  • Zeal VII—Zealous Blade: This trait now scales with healing power by 2%.
  • Zeal XII—Kindled Zeal: Increased the conversion from 10% to 13%.
  • Radiance V—Searing Flames: Reduced the cooldown from 20 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Radiance X—Powerful Blades: Increased the damage from 5% to 10%.
  • Valor VI—Retributive Armor: Increased the conversion rate from 5% to 7%.
  • Honor VI—Pure of Heart: Increased scaling with healing power from 25% to 40%.
  • Virtues VIII—Supreme Justice: Decreased the number of attacks from 4 to 3.
  • Symbol of Swiftness: This skill now applies 4 seconds of swiftness per pulse, rather than 8 seconds to players without swiftness and 1 second to players with swiftness.

Bug Fixes

  • Virtue of Justice: Updated the skill facts to indicate the number of attacks required to trigger this skill. Added a fact that indicates radius when Permeating Wrath is traited. Updated the skill to indicate the increased burn duration when Supreme Justice is traited.
  • Virtue of Resolve: Updated the skill facts to display the correct healing when Absolute Resolution is traited.
  • Tome of Wrath—Zealot’s Fervor: Fixed the range indicator so that it will now update properly.
  • Signet of Wrath: Updated the skill facts to indicate vulnerability when Binding Jeopardy is traited.

Mesmer
The bulk of the mesmer changes are focused on two things: 1) Increasing some of the mesmer support traits and condition-removal traits. 2) Reducing the dependency on certain trait lines. The changes to Mender’s Purity and Shattered Conditions as well as the move of Dazzling Glamours to the Adept tier are meant to accomplish the first of these two. The changes to Shattered Strength and Illusionist’s Celerity accomplish the second goal. Before this change, mesmers needed to place 25 points into Illusions for many of their builds. Now they can place only 15 points to get the illusion cooldown reduction, which will give them back 10 more trait points to open up some new builds. Finally, we felt that the mantra-centric traits were fairly difficult to collect. Moving Mantra Mastery to the Adept tier takes some trait pressure off of the Dueling line, allowing mantra mesmers to gain a good trait with only 10 points.

  • Domination XII—Confounding Suggestions: This trait now also increases daze duration by 25%.
  • Dueling VI—Mantra Mastery: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Dueling VII—Protected Mantras: Moved to the Master tier. Increased the toughness from 400 to 600.
  • Chaos I—Chaotic Revival: Reduced the cooldown from 35 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Chaos VII—Mirror of Anguish: Reduced the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds.
  • Chaos 25—Chaotic Transference: Increased the conversion from 5% to 10%.
  • Inspiration IV—Mender’s Purity: This trait now removes 2 conditions.
  • Inspiration XI—Shattered Conditions: Increased the radius from 240 to 600.
  • Illusions VI—Dazzling Glamours: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Illusions VIII—Illusionary Invigoration: Reduced the recharge from 90 seconds to 60 seconds. Moved to the Master tier.
  • Illusions 15—Illusionist’s Celerity: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Illusions 25—Shattered Strength: Moved to the Grandmaster tier.

Bug Fixes

  • Ether Feast: Fixed a bug that was preventing the heal amount per illusion to properly scale with healing power.
  • Temporal Enchanter: Fixed an issue that caused this trait to display multiple durations on glamour skills.

Necromancer
For the necromancer, we felt that a few traits and skills were too powerful, while others were lacking in efficacy. We brought down some of the raw damage conditions that the necromancer enjoys, while also maintaining their pressure and sustain elements. The necromancer’s mobility will remain where it is currently, as we want the necromancers to focus on sustaining themselves through the use of death shroud, health siphoning, and slowing down their opponent’s ability to act.

  • Mark of Blood: Removed 1 stack of bleed when used in PvP.
  • Spite X—Chill of Death: Increased the trigger threshold from 25% to 50%.
  • Spite 15—Death into Life: Increased the conversion from 5% to 7%.
  • Curses IV—Enfeeble: Decreased the weakness duration to 2 seconds. Decreased the bleeding to 1 stack and 6 seconds. Removed the cooldown.
  • Curses VIII—Banshee’s Wail:* *Increased the cooldown reduction from 15% to 20%.
  • Death Magic 5—Reanimator: Decreased the cooldown from 30 seconds to 15 seconds.
  • Death Magic VIII—Reaper’s Protection: Decreased the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds.
  • Death Magic 25—Deadly Strength: Increased the conversion from 5% to 10%.
  • Blood Magic 25—Blood to Power: Decreased the health threshold from 90% to 75%. Increased the power from 90 to 120.
  • Soul Reaping II—Vital Persistence: Increased the reduction of life force drain from 25% to 50%.
    *
    Bug Fixes*
  • Dark Path: Added a radius skill fact.
  • Plague: Fixed a bug that prevented both of the spectral buffs from the Spectral Walk skill to be removed when activating this skill.
  • Well of Power: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from properly converting fear into stability.

Ranger
For the ranger, we’ve adjusted the placement of some traits in order to have more build combinations. For example, by swapping Nature’s Vengeance and Spirits Unbound so that rangers can have spirits follow players in tier 2, players can now opt out of the higher damage output from spirits and still have options elsewhere. We also enhanced some Marksmanship traits and a Skirmishing trait to make power specs more appealing. We feel rangers also currently have too much endurance regeneration through traits. Due to this, we’ve made adjustments to Wilderness Survival traits, and we’ve also brought down the passive effect of Sun Spirit and the active effect for Storm Spirit.

  • Long Range Shot: Increased the damage at the less-than-500 range by 20%. Increased the damage at the 500 to 1000 range by 15%.
  • Marksmanship V—Predator’s Instinct: Increased the threshold from 25% to 50%. Increased the cripple duration from 2 seconds to 10 seconds. Increased the cooldown from 15 seconds to 30 seconds.
  • Marksmanship VI—Beastmaster’s Bond: Decreased the cooldown from 90 seconds to 60 seconds.
  • Skirmishing XII—Moment of Clarity: Stun duration increased from 50% to 100%.
  • Wilderness Survival 5—Natural Vigor: Reduced the increased endurance regeneration from 50% to 25%.
  • Wilderness Survival VIII—Oakheart Salve: Decreased the recharge of this trait from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
  • Wilderness Survival XII—Bark Skin: Increased the damage reduction from 30% to 50%.
  • Nature Magic I—Circle of Life: Cleared up the text of this trait to clearly identify that it happens when downed, not defeated.
  • Nature Magic V—Strength of Spirit: Increased the conversion from 5% to 7%.
  • Nature Magic VII—Spirits Unbound: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Nature Magic IX—Two-Handed Training: Greatsword and spear attacks now have a 50% chance to grant fury on hit. Each attack will have 3 seconds of fury. There is also a 10-second cooldown.
  • Nature Magic X—Enlargement: This trait now uses Signet of the Wild to trigger. This reduces the cooldown to 60 seconds and allows it to interact with the Signet of the Beastmaster and Signet Mastery traits.
  • Nature Magic XI—Nature’s Vengeance: Moved to the Grandmaster tier.
  • Beastmastery VI—Mighty Swap: The might from this trait now applies to players and their pet.
  • Sun Spirit: Reduced the passive burning from 3 seconds to 2 seconds.
  • Storm Spirit: Reduced the damage from the Call Lightning skill by 33%.

Bug Fixes

  • Trap Potency: Updated this trait to indicate the correct condition duration increase (100%).
  • Path of Scars: Fixed a bug that enabled the skill to be fired at enemies behind the ranger.
  • Whirling Defense: Updated the skill facts to be more precise, adding a separate radius for attack and reflection.
  • Winter’s Bite: Added a weakness skill fact.
  • Hunter’s Call: Updated the damage fact to reflect the proper amount of hits.
  • Call of the Wild: Removed the unnecessary range fact.

Ranger Pets

  • Global
    • The ranger pet health bar now displays the current health of the player’s pet as a raw number. A tooltip has been added to display the current and maximum health.
  • Fern Hound
    • Regenerate: Removed the extra radius fact.
  • Red Moa
    • Furious Screech: Added skill facts for radius and number of targets.
  • Arctodus
    • Rending Maul: Updated the facts to properly represent the two hits from this attack.

Thief
One of the issues we are working on for thieves in this release is the dependence on traits that boost initiative. We did this by shaving a significant amount of initiative gain from these traits while simultaneously boosting the generic rate of initiative gain by 33%. We have also reduced the effectiveness of high-evasion thieves by reducing vigor uptime and adding some cast time to the Shadow Return skill on the sword. This prevents thieves from evading and easily dealing with being disabled (stun, daze, fear, knockdown, etc.). Also, we are trying to improve the survivability of thieves in the Acrobatics line through easier access to the Hard to Catch trait and increased effectiveness of the Assassin’s Reward trait. This will reward thieves who are actively engaged in the fight rather than those who are just dodging over and over again. The change to Infusion of Shadow is meant to stop players from gaining initiative by applying stealth while already in stealth. This should keep thieves from being able to recharge all of their power while idling in a very long stealth. We felt that using a lot of different abilities to maintain stealth is okay, but reusing the same ability over and over for almost permanent stealth was just bad for the game, especially when gaining large amounts of initiative.

  • Increased the base rate of initiative gain from .75 per second to 1 per second.
  • Sword—Shadow Return: Renamed to Infiltrator’s Return. Added a .25-second cast time.
  • Pistol—Pistol Whip: Reduced the aftercast on the first half of this skill by .25 seconds.
  • Deadly Arts VI—Sundering Strikes: Increased the trigger chance from 33% to 50%. Removed the internal cooldown. Decreased the vulnerability duration from 14 seconds to 6 seconds.
  • Critical Strikes VI—Practiced Tolerance: Increased the conversion from 5% to 7%.
  • Critical Strikes VIII—Signet Use: Reduced the initiative gain from 2 to 1.
  • Critical Strike X—Critical Haste: Increased the trigger chance to 25%.
  • Critical Strikes 15—Opportunist: Increased the trigger chance to 50%. Increased the cooldown from 1 second to 5 seconds.
  • Shadow Arts V—Infusion of Shadow: Increased the amount of initiative gained to 2, but only when entering stealth.
  • Acrobatics III—Vigorous Recovery: Reduced the vigor duration from 8 seconds to 5 seconds.
  • Acrobatics IV—Assassin’s Retreat: Increased the swiftness duration to 20 seconds.
  • Acrobatics IX—Quick Recovery: Reduced the initiative gain from 2 to 1.
  • Acrobatics X—Hard to Catch: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Acrobatics XI—Assassin’s Reward: Increased the scaling with healing power by 35%. Moved to the Grandmaster tier.
  • Trickery 5— – Kleptomaniac: Reduced the initiative gain from 3 to 2.
  • Trickery VII—Bountiful Theft: Reduced the vigor duration from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.

Bug Fixes

  • Ink Shot: Updated the damage fact to function with Power Shots.
  • Ink Shot—Smoke Trail: This skill will now return to Ink Shot if the projectile is destroyed.
  • Dancing Dagger: Updated the cripple skill fact to display the proper duration.

Warrior
The overall goal here is to reduce the damage for very high-control warriors. This means reducing some dependency on spending 30 points for the Burst Mastery trait and making warriors spend 20 points in Arms to get the benefit of Unsuspecting Foe. We also reduced the damage on the Earthshaker skill to separate the control from the damage. We don’t mind warriors doing massive damage, or doing great area-of-effect control, but we’re trying to prevent them from easily doing both. We also increased the readability of Skull Crack, which will allow opposing players to more easily react to it. Combustive Shot on the longbow also saw some rework. It will scale better with adrenaline levels and still provide strong burning per adrenaline level, but the raw damage was toned down slightly.

  • Strength III—Great Fortitude: Increased the conversion rate from 5% to 7%.
  • Strength 5—Reckless Dodge: Increased the damage by 25%.
  • Arms IV—Crack Shot: Moved to the Adept tier.
  • Arms VII—Unsuspecting Foe: Moved to the Master tier.
  • Arms XII—Last Chance: Increased the threshold from 25% to 50%. Reduced the cooldown from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
  • Defense XII—Spiked Armor: Reduced the recharge from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Defense 25—Armored Attack: Increased the conversion rate from 5% to 10%.
  • Tactics 5—Determined Revival: This trait now correctly displays the amount of toughness.
  • Tactics 25—Reviver’s Might: This trait now applies 3 stacks of might instead of 1.
  • Discipline II—Thrill of the Kill: Increased the adrenaline gain from 1 to 10.
  • Discipline XI—Burst Mastery: Reduced the damage increase from 10% to 7%. Removed the erroneous adrenaline gain fact.
  • Earthshaker: Reduced the damage by 20%.
  • Staggering Blow: Reduced the damage by 23%.
  • Skull Crack: Increased the cast time from .25 seconds to .5 seconds. Updated the animation and effects of this skill to be more clear.
  • Combustive Shot: Increased the pulse duration to 3 seconds. Increased the burn duration per pulse to 3 seconds. Normalized the damage per pulse. Updated the pulses per adrenaline tier to 2, 3, and 4 respectively for adrenaline levels 1, 2, and 3.

Bug Fixes

  • Crack Shot: Added a piercing fact to the trait and to the affected skills when it is traited.
  • Healing Signet: Added an interval fact.
  • Eviscerate: Fixed a bug that caused the damage facts to display the damage levels with Burst Mastery at all times.
  • Uppercut: Fixed the damage facts in regards to Burst Mastery.
  • Earthshaker: Fixed the skill facts to indicate the damage increase when Burst Mastery is traited.
  • Forceful Shot: Fixed the skill facts to indicate the damage increase when Burst Mastery is traited.
  • Combustive Shot: Fixed an issue that caused the field to be created at incorrect locations when the warrior moved out of range of their initial target. Fixed the skill facts to indicate the damage increase when Burst Mastery is traited.
  • Skull Crack: Fixed the skill facts to indicate the damage increase when Burst Mastery is traited.
  • Kill Shot: Fixed the skill facts to indicate the damage increase when Burst Mastery is traited.
  • Berserker Stance: Rewrote the description to more clearly reflect the function of the skill.
  • Battle Standard—Whirlwind Banner: Edited the description and fixed some spelling errors.
  • Determined Revival: Updated this minor trait to indicate the toughness gained.
  • Call to Arms: Added an unblockable fact and range indicator to this skill.
  • Rifle Butt: Fixed a bug that prevented the knockback fact from displaying the correct distance.
  • Signet of Stamina: Fixed a bug that prevented this skill from properly removing all conditions.
  • Shrug It Off: Fixed a bug so that prevented the “Shake It Off!” skill triggered from this trait to properly break fear. Decreased the radius of Shrug It Off to 600 to match the radius of “Shake it Off!” Updated the facts to reflect the trait’s functionality.
  • “Shake It Off!”: Updated the skill fact for conditions removed to display the actual number of conditions removed.
  • Desperate Power: Fixed a bug in which this trait would work while above the intended health threshold.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • Increased the visibility of player nameplates and health bars while spectating.
  • To reduce the frequency of players leaving tournament matches, the maximum amount of dishonor has been reduced to 3.
  • To make Slayer and Conqueror achievements more attainable, we have added additional tiers to the achievements.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • New, exclusive faces have been added to the Total Makeover Kit. Three new faces for each race and gender have been added for a total of 30 new faces that can only be acquired from the Total Makeover Kit in the Gem Store.
  • The Collection Expander is now available in the Gem Store in the Upgrades category for 800 gems each. Each Collection Expander increases the stack size allowed for all collections by 250 to a maximum of 1000.
  • During the Wintersday celebration, every Black Lion Chest now contains 3 Giant Wintersday Gifts in addition to its usual rewards. Black Lion Chest Keys can be purchased in the Gem Store in the Consumable category for 125 gems each or 25 for 2100 gems.
  • The new Permanent Snow Globe Finisher is now available in the Gem Store in the Upgrades category for 700 gems. Drop one of four randomly selected, beautifully animated, snow globes on defeated foes.
  • Holiday Gifting Event
    • From now through December 31, players who send a gift to a friend can purchase that same item for themselves at 40% off! Let the sharing begin! All discounts must be claimed by 11:59 p.m. PST on December 31.
  • Improvements
    The Style category of the Gem Store is being streamlined, and the following pieces will no longer be available starting December 17^th^:
    • Bunny Ears
    • Aviator Sunglasses
    • Sport Sunglasses
    • Wide Rim Glasses
    • Boxing Gloves
    • Khaki Cargo Shorts
    • Riding Gloves
    • Riding Boots
    • Riding Pants
    • Layered Vest
    • Cherry Blossom Shirt
    • Ornate Ruched Shirt
    • Country Lace Gathered Shirt
    • Silk Brocade Vest with Shirt
    • Leather Hoodie
    • Casual Hoodie
    • Designer Hoodie
    • Fitted Casual Shirt
      Players who previously purchased these items will still retain the ability to use them.

(edited by Moderator)

Game Update Notes - November 26, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

Additional Patch Notes

  • Added inventory option that renders borders about items colour coded to the item’s rarity
  • Added notifications when luck and magic find level increase

Game Update Notes - October 15, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

LIVING WORLD
Blood and Madness
Halloween returns to Tyria, and the studious Magister Tassi is busy. Obsessed with everything related to Mad King Thorn, the diminutive scholar is hunting for a lost relic connected to the crazed monarch famous for his Halloween mayhem. But what she discovers is something tucked away centuries ago—and for a good reason. Join Tassi, uncover the Mad King’s ghoulish secret, and learn that some things that are hidden can return with a vengeance.
The Blood and Madness content will be available from October 15 to November 11, including rewards and achievements. The only exception is the A Royal Tradition achievement, which can only be completed when Mad King Thorn visits Lion’s Arch.
Story

  • Join Magister Tassi at the Nolani Academy ruins in the northwest corner of the Black Citadel for two multiplayer story instances:
    • The first introduces the players to this year’s Halloween story and the arrival of Mad King Thorn’s son, the Bloody Prince. As players work towards completing the meta-achievement, they can occasionally use Tassi’s relay golem to check in on her developments.
    • The second story instance requires completion of the Blood and Madness meta-achievement in order to enter and play the story conclusion. A least one player in the party needs to have met the prerequisite for the whole party to enter and begin the instance.

Lion’s Arch

  • Lion’s Arch has been decorated with Halloween flair. Decorations abound with pumpkins to carve. There are kids trick-or-treating, and merchants selling Halloween recipes. Even Zommoros has some festive spirit, turning the Mystic Forge into a cauldron. Jump in for some costume brawl fun!
  • Sonder the Seller in Fort Marriner will exchange candy corn for candy corn cobs, which can be used to buy a Mini Bloody Prince Thorn and 20-slot Halloween Pail inventory bags. He will also combine stacks of chattering skulls, plastic fangs, and nougat centers for refined versions. These resultant items are ingredients needed to craft exclusive Halloween weapons: The Mad Moon (shield), Arachnophobia (short bow), and The Crossing (staff).
  • Mad King Thorn himself will arrive in Lion’s Arch on Halloween from 9 a.m. PDT on October 30 to 9 a.m. PDT on November 1. Laugh at his mad jokes and play his Mad King Says game!

Open World

  • In the Krytan areas of Queensdale, Kessex Hills, and Gendarran Fields, the Haunted doors have returned. This time, there are two varieties: the green Mad King doors and the red-purple Bloody Prince doors. Upon interaction, each brings one of several occurrences: a trick-or-treat bag can appear, or an event will start where players will need to defeat an intrusion of either the Mad King’s army of candy-corn elementals, plastic spiders, and gargoyles or the Bloody Prince’s army of skeletons, mummies, and ghosts.
  • Just outside of each home city, players can find a tent and stage with Halloween decorations. Talk to the trick-or-treating kids, the Mad King Thorn actor in costume, or to the ghost Rasmus, who can transfer players to the Lunatic Inquisition activity in the Mad Realm.
  • The Heart of the Mists and the home citadels in the Borderlands have also been decorated for Halloween.

Mad Realm

  • The Mad Realm can be entered through the Haunted doors that appear in Queensdale, Kessex Hills, and Gendarran Fields. The Mad King and Bloody Prince doors will transport players to the west and east docks above the Mad King’s Labyrinth respectively. The Lunatic Boatmaster can bring you to the Lunatic Inquisition or the Mad King’s Clock Tower. Players can also interact with the portal seal on the ground to travel to the labyrinth below.
  • The Mad King’s Labyrinth has been thrown into conflict as the Mad King’s and Bloody Prince’s armies clash. Watch the Thorns bicker in the map as their forces fight for control. Three legendary bosses patrol the maze: the Skeletal Lich, the Grand High Viscount of Candy Corn, and the Labyrinthine Horror.
  • The Lunatic Inquisition activity pits players against one another, as Lunatic courtiers search out villagers in the labyrinth. Players must use found items and hidden secrets to survive the night.
  • The Mad King’s Clock Tower has returned with all of its jumping challenges. While ascending the tower, the player will remain fully visible, but fellow players will be shown with a mist effect.

Rewards

  • Completing the first story instance at the Nolani Academy ruins will reward the player with Tassi’s relay golem and four limited-use Halloween finishers. Summon the golem while completing Blood and Madness achievements to hear updates from Tassi.
  • Finishing the Blood and Madness meta-achievement, A Sweet Friend, will reward the player a Mini Candy-Corn Elemental. Completing this achievement unlocks the final story instance by returning players to Tassi in the Nolani Academy ruins.
  • Completing the final story instance will reward players with the Gift of Candy Corn, a personal candy corn mining node in their home instance that can be mined once a day.
  • The rewards for completing the Mad King’s Clock Tower have been updated for the new year.
  • Players who succeed at Mad King Says for the A Royal Tradition achievement will receive the Mask of the Night Skin.
  • Sonder the Seller at Fort Marriner in Lion’s Arch has an updated inventory with Halloween-themed goods and crafting materials.
  • Recipes for the Gift of Spiders, Gift of Souls, and Gift of the Moon have returned in their updated forms.
    • Recipe: Gift of Spiders requires 40 Bottles of Elonian Wine, 10 Candy Corn Cobs, 10 Piles of Crystalline Dust, and 10 High-Quality Plastic Fangs.
    • Recipe: Gift of Souls requires 40 Bottles of Elonian Wine, 10 Candy Corn Cobs, 10 Piles of Crystalline Dust, and 10 Tyria’s Best Nougat Centers.
    • Recipe: Gift of the Moon requires 40 Bottles of Elonian Wine, 10 Candy Corn Cobs, 10 Piles of Crystalline Dust, and 10 Gibbering Skulls.

Achievements

  • A Sweet Friend is the Blood and Madness meta-achievement. By besting the Mad King’s labyrinth bosses, playing Halloween activities, opening trick-or-treat bags, and completing Mad Realm door events, players can earn enough points to earn the Mini Candy-Corn Elemental, which is a requirement to enter the conclusion of the Blood and Madness story arc.
    • Successfully playing Mad King Says when Mad King Thorn visits Lion’s Arch will also count towards the meta-achievement.
    • Note: The A Stomping Good Time achievement, which tracks use of Halloween finishers in PvP and WvW, will not progress if players are in a custom arena.
  • Special Halloween-themed daily achievements during the release also contribute to the meta-achievement. These are earned by participating in specific Halloween content each day.
  • Additionally, there are three achievements that become available after completing the A Sweet Friend achievement and deal with the second story instance encounter with Bloody Prince Thorn. Completing “You, Back in the Box” will award the Gift of Candy Corn, a candy-corn node that can be mined daily in the player’s home instance.

    NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
    World vs. World
  • Introducing the inaugural WvW season:
    • North America and Europe have been split into three leagues each: gold, silver, and bronze.
    • Players will be tied to the world they are on when they first log in after the season begins. Players may transfer worlds at any time, but their final reward will be linked to the performance of their initial world.
    • The worlds in each league will be matched up against the other worlds in the league over the course of seven weeks, starting October 18.
    • The results of those matchups will contribute to a world’s Season 1 score.
    • At the conclusion of the season, players who have completed the WvW Season 1 meta-achievement will receive a reward based on their world’s ranking within their league.
  • A new achievement group has been added to the Living World category for WvW Season 1.
    • Twenty achievements have been added.
    • Completing 15 of the achievements will reward the Premier Season Veteran meta-achievement, a title, and a key that will unlock the final reward chest for Season 1.
    • Several of the achievements have reward chests with a variety of items, including ascended crafting materials.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
General

  • Condition combat floaters will now display a splash behind the damage floater to identify the condition that dealt the damage. This feature is turned on by default. To turn it off, use the new UI option, Show Simple Condition Floaters.
  • Facts have been added to trait tooltips. Skills that are fired off from traits will now be displayed in the tooltip. Skills and traits that are affected by equipped traits will now display new facts in a blue color to indicate a trait caused this change.

Living World

  • Fixed several issues with the Clockheart resetting properly. He will now remove Aetherized Shielding and relocate to the center of the room upon party wipe.

Items

  • Runes of Lyssa now work properly on all elites.
  • Sigil of Impact: Tiers 2 and 3 will now only function if the target is knocked down or stunned, instead of always applying extra damage.
  • Superior Rune of Speed: The six-piece bonus of this rune set now correctly provides 25% increased movement speed.

Profession Skills
General

  • A new option for ground-targeting is now available in the General Options menu as ‘Fast with Range Indicator’. On key-press, ground-target skills will display their range indicator. On key-release, the ground-target skill will cast.
  • AoE spells with a maximum number of targets will now count combatants that block or evade the attack towards that maximum.
  • Fixed a bug where some zero-damage spells (Tainted Shackles, among others) did not place their casters in combat.
  • Fixed a bug that disabled utility-skill swapping while transformed.
  • Stun breakers will now break launch effects.
  • Tab targeting now prioritizes players over NPCs (including minions; mesmer clones are an exception) and champions over everything else.
  • Deselecting a target will reset the tab-targeting history.
  • Fixed an issue that caused extra “Miss” floaters to display whenever an attack was dodged, evaded, or missed due to a blind.
  • Fixed an issue that made F1-F4 skills display the wrong amount of damage (displayed too little damage if the weapon was better than common rarity).
  • Weapon skills that hide the player’s weapon will no longer hide their back-slot item.
  • Engineer turrets will now target whatever enemy was last hit by their creator whenever possible.
  • Fixed an issue where stuns would always round up their duration to the nearest second if players had extra stun duration from items or traits.
  • Immobilize now stacks in duration to a maximum of five times.
  • All player-controlled minions, excluding mesmer phantasms and clones because they were already increased in a previous patch, now have 71.43% more hit points in PvE maps.
  • Dark Projectile Combo: The damage portion of the life siphon bolt now slightly scales off power.
  • Dark Whirl Combo: The damage portion of the life siphon bolt now slightly scales off power.
  • Made it easier to retarget channeled skills. Now if players try to recast them on a separate target, it will cancel the current instance of the skill and start casting it again on the other target.
  • Made it harder to accidentally waste the player’s downed 2 skill when the player becomes downed while trying to use their weapon 2 skill.
  • Skills that buff allies in an AoE now prioritize party members.
  • Invisible collision elements will no longer block click targeting.
  • Fixed an issue where players could teleport while picking up the orb in Spirit Watch.
  • Stuns: The stun and dazed debuffs are now properly removed after using a stun break skill.
  • Signets: Signet passive buffs are now properly applied upon entering a PvP map.
  • Chill: Skill recharges will now appear in teal while affected by this condition.
  • Torment: Updated the description to more accurately display the damage done while standing still and moving.

Elementalist

  • Shocking Aura: Added the shocking aura buff to the skill fact.
  • Elemental Attunement: Normalized this trait so that each boon can be applied to up to five allies within a 240 radius.
  • Evasive Arcana: Normalized the radius to 180 for each spell created.
  • Persisting Flames: The duration increase for fire fields is now consistent.
  • Burning Fire: This trait now lists the proper skill names in its description.
  • Written in Stone: Fixed an issue that caused Signet of Air to lose its effect partially through the skill’s recharge.
  • Glyph of Storms: This skill now properly displays the duration of each spell. Added AoE rings to the fire and earth skills.
  • Geyser: Increased the base radius to 180. Increased the radius to 240 when traited with Blasting Staff. Fixed an issue so that the water field radius would match the increased radius with Blasting Staff.
  • Water Blast: Increased the healing stat scaling from 10% to 25%. Slightly decreased the base heal at low levels, but it will heal for the same base at level 80. Increased the base radius to 180. Removed the heal that occurs if the water blast strikes nothing.
  • Frozen Ground: Added an unblockable skill fact.
  • Unsteady Ground: This skill no longer damages or cripples enemies. It will now prevent foes from crossing the area, knocking them back a short distance. Lasts for 3 seconds.
  • Shock Wave: Increased the projectile velocity by 12.5%.
  • Burning Retreat: Increased the retreat distance by 200.
  • Static Field: Increased the combo ring radius to match the spell radius.Windborne Speed: Decreased the radius to 300 when traited with Blasting Staff.
  • Fireball: Increased the base radius to 120. Increased the radius to 180 when traited with Blasting Staff.
  • Meteor Shower: Increased the impact radius to 180 when traited with Blasting Staff.
  • Healing Rain: Reduced the radius to 420 when traited with Blasting Staff. Updated the skill fact to display the actual amount of regeneration applied.
  • One with Air: This has been redesigned. It now will grant 1.5 seconds of superspeed when attuning to air.
  • Earthquake: Added a range indicator.
  • Arcane Wave: This skill no longer applies conditions at an infinite range when traited with Elemental Surge.
  • Signet of Restoration: This skill now heals for the correct amount when Written in Stone is traited and the skill is activated.
  • Whirlpool: Added skill facts.
  • Glyph of Elementals: The Inscription trait now functions with this skill.
  • Glyph of Storms:
    • Firestorm: Reduced the number of maximum targets per impact from 10 to 5. Added an AoE ring.
    • Ice Storm: Added an AoE ring.
    • Lightning Storm: Increased the impact radius from 60 to 90.
    • Sandstorm: Reduced the number of maximum targets per pulse from 10 to 5. Added an AoE ring.
  • Glyph of Renewal:
    • Renewal of Fire: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius.
    • Renewal of Water: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius. Fixed an issue so that it will also fully heal the target that is revived.
    • Renewal of Air: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius. Increased the maximum teleport distance to 900 to match the range of the skill.
    • Renewal of Earth: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 360 radius.
  • Conjure Flame Axe: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Lava Axe: This skill now grants 1 stack of might for 8 seconds when striking an enemy.
    • Explosive Lava Axe: This skill is now a blast finisher.
    • Flame Leap: Reduced the recharge to 15 seconds.
  • Conjure Lightning Hammer: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Lightning Leap: This skill will now hit up to 3 targets.
    • Wind Blast: Increased the launch distance to 600.
    • Lightning Storm: Increased the lightning impact radius from 60 to 120. This skill can now be used while moving.
    • Static Field: This skill will now stun a target entering the field instead of dazing them. Increased the radius from 180 to 240.
  • Conjure Frost Bow: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Water Arrow: Increased the velocity by 20%. Normalized the healing radius to 240 around the target. Increased the base heal by 20%. Scaling with healing power has been increased from 10% to 30%.
    • Frost Volley: Reduced the recharge to 4 seconds.
    • Frost Fan: Updated the chill skill fact to display the proper duration.
    • Ice Storm: Increased the impact radius from 90 to 120.
    • Deep Freeze: Reduced the cast time of this skill to 1.5 seconds.
  • Conjure Earth Shield: Fixed an issue so that the bundle now properly disappears when the timer runs out.
    • Shield Smack: This skill is now the first skill in the auto-attack chain. It will now hit up to 3 targets and apply 1 stack of bleeding for 6 seconds.
    • Shield Smash: This skill is now the second skill in the auto-attack chain. It will apply 2 stacks of bleeding for 6 seconds.
    • Crippling Shield: This skill is now the third skill in the auto-attack chain. Increased the damage by 50%. Reduced the range to 450.
    • Stone Sheath: This is a new skill. It is a channeled cast that will block one attack and then cause 3 stacks of bleeding for 6 seconds in a 240 radius.
    • Magnetic Surge: This skill can now hit up to 3 targets.
    • Magnetic Shield: This skill will now provide 2 seconds of protection per target pulled. It can also be used while moving.
    • Fortify: Reduced the recharge to 30 seconds.

Engineer

  • Bomb Kit—Bomb: Increased the base radius from 120 to 180. Increased the radius to 240 when traited with Forceful Explosives.
  • Bomb Kit—Fire Bomb: Increased the base radius from 120 to 180. Increased the radius to 240 when traited with Forceful Explosives.
  • Bomb Kit—Glue Bomb: Decreased the radius from 360 to 300 when traited with Forceful Explosives. Added an unblockable skill fact.
  • Kit Refinement—Magnetic Bomb: Decreased the radius from 360 to 300 when traited with Forceful Explosives.
  • Self-Regulating Defenses: This trait now functions with Fast-Acting Elixirs.
  • Hidden Flask: This trait now functions with Fast-Acting Elixirs.
  • Autodefense Bomb Dispenser: This trait now functions with Short Fuse.
  • Sharpshooter: Increased the critical chance from 30% to 33%.
  • Metal Plating: Increased the damage reduction from 30% to 33%.
  • Homing Torpedo: This skill will no longer fail to strike larger wurm creatures.
  • Smoke Vent: This skill now has a range indicator.
  • Steel-Packed Powder: Fixed an issue so that the vulnerability condition will be granted to the grenade skill when this is traited, but will not apply to the Reserve Mines trait.
  • Elixir C: This skill now functions with Potent Elixirs.
  • Toss Elixir R: This skill now functions with Potent Elixirs. Resurrection has been normalized to 17% from a random percentage chance (14% to 20%). Underwater version now functions the same as well.
  • Toss Elixir S: This skill now only grants stealth. Base duration of stealth has been increased to 5 seconds.
  • Toss Elixir B: This skill now grants stability to allies, in addition to a random boon. Increased the base recharge to 30 seconds.
  • Elixir H: Decreased the protection duration from 7 seconds to 6 seconds when traited with Potent Elixirs.
  • Mine Field: Increased the base explosion radius from 120 to 180.
  • Reserve Mines: Increased the base explosion radius from 120 to 180.
  • Throw Napalm: This skill now leaves a fire field behind for 3 seconds when it lands, which burns enemies for 1 second every second. Burning duration of Throw Napalm on impact reduced to 4 seconds from 5.
  • Rifle Turret—Automatic Fire: Bleeding has been removed. This skill now applies 8 seconds of vulnerability on each hit.
  • Turrets:
    • All base (non-ground-targeted) turrets will now indicate when the engineer is in range of the target.
    • Turret models, nameplates, and health bars no longer linger after being destroyed.
  • Net Turret: Updated the rate-of-fire skill fact to indicate the correct rate of fire.
  • Supply Crate: Added a duration skill fact.

Guardian

  • Symbol of Judgment: Added skill facts for revive percent, pulse, and number of targets.
  • Symbol of Faith: Removed the range skill fact.
  • Zealot’s Speed: The Symbol of Wrath created by this trait will now have a 180 base radius and 240 radius when traited with Writ of Exaltation (to be consistent with other symbols).
  • Perfect Inscriptions: This trait now increases the effectiveness of the passive condition removal on Signet of Resolve.
  • Protector’s Strike: Updated the damage skill fact to more accurately display the correct amount.
  • Healing Breeze: Doubled the base heal when healing allies. Scaling from healing power has been increased from 20% to 40% when healing allies.
  • Merciful Intervention: This skill is now instant as a baseline skill.
  • Smite Condition: This skill is now instant as a baseline skill.
  • Focused Mind: This trait now grants fury when using a meditation.
  • Purging Flames: Base functionality has been reworked. This skill now removes three conditions from allies in an area effect around the guardian while burning enemies (enemies that enter or exit the flames are still burned). This skill now reduces the condition duration for allies who remain in the consecration areas.
  • Hallowed Ground: This skill now increases the boon duration for allies who remain inside the consecration areas.
  • Signet of Mercy: This skill is now ground targeted with a 900 range and a 180 radius.
  • Pure of Voice: Fixed an issue so that this trait no longer removes a second condition. It will only convert one condition into a boon on allies affected by the shout.
  • Glacial Heart: This trait now delivers an area strike on the target it activates on, damaging and chilling up to five enemies in a 180 radius.

Mesmer

  • Descent into Madness: Fixed the Chaos Storm created by this skill to match the actual Chaos Storm skill functionality.
  • Illusionary Defense: Fixed this trait to properly decrease damage taken by 3% per illusion.
  • Feedback: Added a radius skill fact. Updated the skill facts to display changes from traits.
  • Medic’s Feedback: Increased the duration of the feedback bubble created by this trait to match the actual duration of the Feedback skill.
  • Winds of Chaos: Fixed the bleeding skill fact to display the proper duration when Chaotic Dampening is equipped.
  • Mender’s Purity: This trait now functions with racial skills Healing Seed and Prayer to Dwayna.
  • Power Cleanse: This skill now removes 2 conditions from up to 5 allies in a 240 radius.
  • Power Break: This skill now applies stability to up to 5 allies around the player in a 240 radius.
  • Illusionary Counter: Reduced the recharge from 12 seconds to 10 seconds.
  • Confusing Images: Reduced the recharge from 15 seconds to 12 seconds.
  • Mantra of Pain: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Mantra of Resolve: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Mantra of Concentration: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Mantra of Distraction: Reduced the underwater cast time to 2.75 seconds to match the on-land cast time.
  • Phantasmal Duelist: The Illusionary Duelist’s attacks now have a 20% chance for a projectile combo finisher instead of 100% when traited with Duelist’s Discipline.
  • Arcane Thievery: This skill will now have a consistent animation when used with a greatsword.
  • Illusionary Wave: Updated the skill to indicate its actual attack distance, which is 450.

Necromancer

  • Life force meter improvements:
    • The meter has been resized in order to properly display the entire bar. Previously, about 10% of the bar was hidden.
    • The current life force value is now displayed on the bar.
    • The current and max life force is now displayed on the tooltip.
  • Spectral Armor: Increased the duration from 8 seconds to 9 seconds when traited with Spectral Attunement to match the intended duration increase. Added a duration skill fact.
  • Lingering Curse: This trait will no longer increase the duration of blind on the Deathly Swarm skill.
  • Target the Weak: This trait will now properly increase damage when the target has the torment condition.
  • Mark of Revival: Increased the base radius of the Reaper’s Mark created by this trait to 180 to be consistent with other marks.
  • Mark of Evasion: Increased the base radius of the Mark of Blood created by this trait to 180 to be consistent with other marks.
  • Spinal Shivers: Added a damage fact for each damage value based on the boons the target currently has on them.
  • Locust Swarm: Increased the base cripple duration to 2 seconds.
  • Spectral Grasp: This skill now grants bonus life force when traited with Spectral Attunement.
  • Tainted Shackles: This skill now uses radius instead of range.
  • Banshee’s Wail: Normalized this trait to increase the effectiveness of warhorn skills by 50%.
  • Vampiric Precision: The life siphon now correctly scales with the Bloodthirst trait. The damage portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on power. The healing portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on healing power.
  • Vampiric Rituals: The damage portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on power. The healing portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on healing power.
  • Vampiric Master: This trait will now cause minions to properly deal damage when siphoning life. The damage portion of the life siphon from this trait now scales slightly based on power. With the new damage addition, base siphoning from this trait’s minions has been reduced by 16%.
  • Unyielding Blast: Fixed an issue so that this trait will now properly apply vulnerability when using Life Blast underwater.
  • Vampiric, Vampiric Precision, Vampiric Rituals, and other life siphon skills: Increased the base siphoning by 20%.
  • Bloodthirst: This trait now grants 20% bonus siphoning, down from 50% more effectiveness (which results in no change when combined with the change to other siphoning traits).
  • Deathly Invigoration: The base heal from this trait has been increased by 100%.
  • Transfusion: This trait now scales with healing power at a rate of 20%, where it didn’t previously scale.
  • Well of Power: Fixed an issue so that this skill will properly convert burning, chilled, confusion, immobilize, and torment on allies.

Ranger

  • Nature’s Voice: This trait no longer carries the effects of Evasive Purity as well as the on-shout swiftness and regeneration.
  • Soften the Fall: Increased the number of maximum targets from 3 to 5.
  • Barrage: This skill will no longer have reduced condition duration when traited with Eagle Eye.
  • Companion’s Defense: Protection is now applied to the ranger at the end of the dodge-roll, while the ranger’s pet gains it at the beginning of the dodge-roll.
  • Spike Trap: This skill’s tooltip now appropriately displays when Trapper’s Expertise is equipped. Updated the skill tooltips to include the immobilize condition that occurs.
  • Healing Spring: Reduced the field duration to 10 seconds. It now pulses every 2 seconds instead of 3, so it will still provide the same amount of regeneration and condition removal, just in a more condensed time frame.
  • Vigorous Renewal: This trait now grants vigor to the ranger and nearby allies when the Healing Spring skill is cast and not on every pulse.
  • Maul: Damage for this skill has been increased by 7%. Vulnerability has been increased from 3 stacks to 5 stacks, and the duration has been increased from 6 seconds to 8 seconds.
  • Muddy Terrain: The maximum number of targets for this skill has been increased from 3 to 5.
  • “Sic ’Em”: This shout now applies 4 seconds of revealed on the targeted enemy. Updated the range skill fact to 2000 to match the maximum usable distance of this skill.
  • Intimidation Training: This trait now has an attack that cripples enemies (600 radius), instead of directly applying cripple to enemies around the area.
  • Vigorous Training: This trait now grants 5 seconds of vigor to nearby allies (600 radius) when swapping any pet type in combat.
  • Shout Master: This trait now properly reduces Search and Rescue’s cooldown while in PvP.
    Ranger Pets
    • Juvenile Jungle Stalker
      • Mighty Roar: Increased the might duration from 10 seconds to 15 seconds. Reduced the recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
    • Juvenile Brown Bear
      • Shake It Off: This skill will now remove two conditions from nearby allies.
    • Juvenile Black Bear
      • Enfeebling Roar: Reduced the recharge from 45 seconds to 40 seconds.
    • Juvenile Blue Moa
      • Protecting Screech: Reduced the recharge from 40 seconds to 30 seconds.
    • Juvenile Red Moa
      • Furious Screech: Reduced the recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
    • Juvenile Cave Spider
      • Weakening Venom: Increased the vulnerability from 1 stack for 5 seconds to 3 stacks for 10 seconds.
    • Juvenile Fern Hound
      • Regenerate: This will now also heal nearby allies for 1000 base and up to 1350 when traited with Compassion Training.
    • Juvenile Hawk
      • Lacerating Slash: Hawk and Eagle now have separate cooldowns for this skill.
    • Juvenile Lynx
      • Rending Pounce: This skill’s tooltip now displays the correct amount of bleeding applied.

Thief

  • Shadow Refuge: This skill now functions with the Meld with Shadows trait.
  • Shadow Pursuit: This skill now functions with the Meld with Shadows trait.
  • Blinding Powder: Stealth duration has been decreased from 5 seconds to 4 seconds when traited with Meld with Shadows. The skill remains with a base of 3 seconds. This skill is now a blast finisher.
  • Merciful Ambush: This skill now functions with the Meld with Shadows trait for the recipient of stealth.
  • Fixed an issue where some skills would remove the visual effect of stealth from the player.
  • Destroy Shadow Trap: This skill now has a 1.5-second cast time. It plays an effect on the thief and on the trap location when it is being cast. Added 5 seconds of regeneration.
  • Hide in Shadows: This skill now only increases Blinding Powder stealth by 1 second so it is consistent with the trait’s functionality.
  • Venomous Aura: Increased the venom share radius to 360.
  • Larcenous Strike: This skill now steals only 1 boon.
  • Body Shot: This skill now applies 1 second of immobilize. Reduced the number of vulnerability stacks from 10 to 5. Increased the initiative cost from 3 to 4.
  • Lotus Poison: The recharge is now set on each individual target that this trait triggers on. Reduced the recharge to 15 seconds.
  • Shadow Strike: This ability now has a distance skill fact that represents the distance retreated.
  • Withdraw and Roll for Initiative: These skills now properly remove immobilize upon execution.
  • Basilisk Venom: Petrify is now removed on stun break.

Warrior

  • Sharpened Axes: The adrenaline gain on critical hits now applies to all axe skills.
  • Battle Standard: This skill no longer applies boons until the end of the cast to prevent unintended behavior when canceling it.
  • Mobile Strikes: This trait now functions with the elementalist’s following skills:
    • Conjure Lightning Hammer skill—Lightning Leap
    • Conjure Flame Axe skills—Burning Retreat and Flame Leap
    • Conjure Earth Shield skill—Magnetic Surge
    • Rampage skills—Dash and Seismic Leap
  • Reckless Dodge: Increased the radius to 180. Increased the number of targets from 3 to 5.
  • Vigorous Shouts: Increased the base healing by 25%. Increased the scaling with healing power stat from 80% to 90%.
  • Lung Capacity: This trait has been moved to tier 1.
  • Empower Allies: This trait has been moved to tier 2.
  • Staggering Blow: This skill can now be used while moving. Reduced the cast time to 0.5 seconds.
  • Final Thrust: This ability now uses a more fluid animation.
  • Combustive Shot: Updated the effects and skill facts to reflect the radius of the actual attack (240). Rank 1 of this ability now attacks at a 180 radius, down from 240.
  • Quick Breathing: Fixed an issue so that this trait no longer removes a second condition. It will only convert one condition into a boon on allies affected by the warhorn skills.
  • Fear Me: Added an unblockable skill fact to represent its functionality.
  • Vengeance: Players are now granted the same duration of invulnerability as rallying upon activation (1 second from 5 seconds).
  • Mobile Strikes: Fixed an issue with some skills that wouldn’t remove immobilize until after the player had started moving.

Racial

  • Sylvari
    • Summon Druid Spirit: Reduced the cast time to 2.75 seconds. This skill can now be cast while moving.
    • Healing Seed: This skill now functions with the ranger trait Vigorous Renewal.
  • Human
    • Prayer to Dwayna: This skill now functions with the ranger trait Vigorous Renewal.

World vs. World

  • Fixed a display issue that caused the Borderlands ruins to incorrectly indicate which world owns which ruin.
  • Fixed an issue that prevented sentries from appearing in the center of some borderlands maps.
  • WXP boosters no longer affect WXP consumable items.
  • Static siege sites will no longer be affected by the siege decay timer.
  • Flame Rams now correctly apply structural vulnerability to neutral gates.
  • Borderlands Bloodlust has been changed:
    • One stack provides +30 points to power, precision, toughness, vitality, healing power, and condition damage as well as 1 War Score per player killed via a finisher.
    • Two stacks provides a total of +50 points to power, precision, toughness, vitality, healing power, and condition damage as well as 1 War Score per player killed via a finisher.
    • Three stacks provides a total of +60 points to power, precision, toughness, vitality, healing power, and condition damage as well as 1 War Score per player killed via a finisher.
  • The WvW rank-up bonus chest now provides greater item rewards.
  • Fixed a common buff-related client crash in WvW.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • New Halloween weapons are available for 1 Black Lion Weapon Ticket from Black Lion Weapon Specialists. Weapon tickets and ticket scraps can be found in Black Lion Chests.
  • The trick-or-treaters are back in miniature form with the Costumed Mini 3-Pack in the Minis category for 500 gems. Combine these three adorable youngsters with a candy corn cob in the Mystic Forge to get a Mini Ghost Carlotta.
  • Every Black Lion Chest opened before November 11 will also grant an additional personalized trick-or-treat bag. Black Lion Chest Keys are available in the Consumable category for 125 gems each, 5 for 450 gems, or 25 for 2100 gems.

Improvements

  • Mad King and Witch’s Outfit items have been upgraded to rare status.

Bug Fixes

  • The Glory Booster buff icon has been modified to look more like a buff and not an item.
  • Mad King and Witch’s Outfit items can no longer be put in the Mystic Forge.

(edited by Moderator)

Game Update Notes - September 17, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

LIVING WORLD
Tequatl Rising
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, players will 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!
Tequatl the Sunless

  • Recruit friends and forge new allegiances to battle against Tequatl the Sunless in an all new epic encounter!
  • Earn new rewards not available elsewhere:
    • Exclusive ascended weapon skins
    • Mini Tequatl the Sunless
    • Rare quality underwater breathers

Track the Dragon

  • Meet up with Rox in Sparkfly Fen to help her track the dragon and gain recognition in the warband.
  • Scour Frostgorge Sound, Blazeridge Steppes, and Sparkfly Fen for evidence of Tequatl and other dragons.

World Boss Updates

  • Jungle Wurm
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 15 minutes.
    • Increased the boss’s health.
    • Fixed a number of issues that caused the boss’s skills to miss enemies.
  • The Shatterer
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 15 minutes.
    • Increased the damage dealt by the mortars set up near the Lowland Burns waypoint.
    • Increased the boss’s health.
    • Shard Storm now targets enemies instead of predetermined locations.
  • Claw of Jormag
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 30 minutes.
    • Phase 1: Skill locations have been adjusted to eliminate “safe spots.”
    • Phase 2: Golems no longer die instantly after encountering an ice pillar.
    • Phase 2: Increased the damage dealt to ice pillars by Pact charrzookas.
    • Added two gilded strongboxes to the daily reward chest awarded for killing this boss.
  • Fire Elemental
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 15 minutes.
    • Increased the boss’s health.
    • Standing too close to the elemental now causes players to be set on fire.
    • The boss now summons flame vortexes that move around the room and inflict burning and blindness.
    • Added two deluxe gear boxes to the daily reward chest awarded for killing this boss.
  • Frozen Maw
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 15 minutes.
    • Increased the boss’s health.
    • Frost vortexes summoned by this boss now move around the battlefield.
  • Shadow Behemoth
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 15 minutes.
    • Portals will now summon veteran or champion minions when multiple players are present.
  • Inquest Golem Mark II
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 15 minutes.
    • Increased the damage dealt by electrified platforms.
    • Fixed a number of issues that caused the boss’s skills to miss enemies.
    • Added two deluxe gear boxes to the daily reward chest awarded for killing this boss.
  • Taidha Covington
    • The event now fails if it’s not completed within 10 minutes.
    • Increased the boss’s health.
    • Fixed a number of issues that caused the boss’s skills to miss enemies.
  • Megadestroyer
    • Players will now receive a daily reward chest for killing this boss.
    • This boss now has an updated visual appearance and skills.
  • *
    Achievements
  • A rotation of Tequatl and other world bosses has been added to the Daily achievement category.
  • Completing the Boss Week meta-achievement awards the player the Wings of the Sunless back-slot skin. Completion of this meta-achievement requires players to complete 12 achievements from either the Tequatl Rising story or the world-boss-related dailies.
  • Completing the Tequatl the Sunless meta-achievement awards the player with the title “The Sunbringer.”

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
Looking For Group Tool Beta
The new Looking For Group system is just about ready to be added to the game to aid players in finding additional party members for content. We will start rolling out the beta version of this feature over the next several days. The quality of the system is our paramount goal, and to ensure that the demand for the system doesn’t negatively impact performance, we will be allowing access to a subset of the player base initially. We will roll out the feature to additional players as the beta test continues.
When the feature is fully activated, here’s what you can expect:

  • Players can access the new system from the second tab on the Contacts panel, which has been renamed to “Contacts and LFG.”
  • Players and parties can now join listed parties or host groups looking for additional members through the LFG system.
  • Players and parties can create custom party descriptions to attract additional players.
  • Parties that include mutual friends and guild members will be listed at the top of each subcategory.
  • A new LFG chat filter has been added so that all messages from this new system can be filtered out.
  • Players can report inappropriate party listings or individual players directly from the list of displayed entries or by right-clicking their names in the chat window.
  • All party postings can be seen and joined by anyone near the player’s region, with the exception of Living World’s open world content, personal story, and WvW, which are restricted to the player’s home world only.
  • Party entries are separated into the following categories and subcategories:
    • Living World
      • Open World Content (world-specific)
    • Dungeons
      • Ascalonian Catacombs
      • Caudecus’s Manor
      • Twilight Arbor
      • Sorrow’s Embrace
      • Citadel of Flame
      • Honor of the Waves
      • Crucible of Eternity
      • The Ruined City of Arah
    • Fractals of the Mists
      • Scales 1-9
      • Scales 10-19
      • Scales 20-39
      • Scales 40+
    • Personal Story
      • General Personal Story (world-specific)
    • Player vs. Player
      • Team Arena
      • Custom Arenas

World vs. World

  • Introducing Bloodlust in the Borderlands:
    • The lake in the center of the Borderlands maps has been replaced with new ruins of power.
    • To make way for the ruins, the quaggan and krait have been removed entirely, as well as all the content related to them.
    • The five ruins have unique art, and each contains a capture point that ties into the Borderlands Bloodlust buff.
    • If players can hold three or more of the ruins simultaneously for two minutes, all players currently in WvW on that world will receive one stack of the Borderlands Bloodlust buff, to a maximum of three stacks.
    • Every stack of the buff applies +50 to all stats, healing power, and condition damage. In addition, using a finisher on an enemy player while under the effects of the buff will award one point to the player’s world.
    • The buff is not removed until players on an opposing world can capture and hold three or more of the five ruins for two minutes and acquire the buff for themselves.
    • Control of the capture points at the ruins will slowly decay if no players from any team remain to defend them, until the ruins revert to neutral control.
    • Each ruin has a master cannon build site. The site is controlled by the team that holds the ruin and requires 10 supply to build a cannon, which can be used for defending the point.
    • Two sentry points have been added to the area around the ruins.
  • Flame Ram Mastery has been added to the Rank and Abilities tab.
    • Gain Iron Hide (damage reduction) while using the Flame Ram.
    • Flame Blast now applies Structural Vulnerability (1% increased damage) to gates.
    • Reduced the recharge of Flame Ram skills.
    • New skill: Impact Slam—Applies damage to the gate and launches any enemy trying to repair the door.
    • New skill: Iron Will—Applies Iron Hide to allies in a small area.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
Twisted Watchwork Invasions

  • Molten Alliance and Aetherblade phases now occur in between Twisted Watchwork phases.
  • Fixed a scaling issue with Molten Alliance manhole gadgets.
  • The bulk of the bonus rewards for battling Scarlet’s invasions are now given to players who successfully defeat an invasion. There is still a small bonus reward for each additional wave defeated.

General

  • Fixed an issue whereby a character’s stats were not being immediately updated when selecting new stats for an equipped item.
  • AoE Loot On Interact is much more responsive and will now properly function if the “Search” dialog is on-screen for a non-resource node. The text will now be replaced with “AoE Loot On Interact” to further indicate when these conditions are met. Using the mouse to click the prompt will only loot the specified target, regardless of the previous conditions. The AoE Loot On Interact functionality and the AoE Loot key binding have not been changed.
  • The inebriated citizen who kept redecorating for Dragon’s Bash out of season has finally been apprehended. All out-of-season decor has been removed.
  • Modified the LOD distance on some of the supply crates in Orr.
  • Fixed an issue with the sonic tunneling tool by decreasing the falloff distance to 5 meters and lowering its volume.
  • Fixed a client crash that would occur when selecting sylvari physiques.
  • Fixed a bug that sometimes caused players to shadowstep into terrain.

UI

  • Fixed some bugs with item-link colors in chat.
  • Updated minis that shared the same icon to have new icons to avoid player confusion.

World vs. World

  • Fixed a bug with the defend event at Lowlands Keep in the Eternal Battlegrounds to prevent the event from failing on the death of the keep lord.
  • Fixed a bug with multiple supply camp capture points in the Eternal Battlegrounds that caused AI to attack an invisible enemy.
  • Adjusted the shape of a capture point at Rogue’s Quarry in the Eternal Battlegrounds to better fit the terrain.
  • Fixed the spawn of a missing outfitter merchant in the Blue Keep in the Red World Borderlands map.
  • Fixed an issue causing players to get trapped in walls when trying to repair them.

PvP

  • Fixed an issue in the Battle of Kyhlo where players were able to enter the Red Team base with rocket boots.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • The World 2 Super Boom Box is now available in the Gem Store in the Style category for 800 gems. This boom box plays five songs from World 2 of Super Adventure Box and is the perfect companion to the World 1 Super Boom Box, which is also still available in the Gem Store.
  • The Tequatl Rising Mini Pack is now available in the Gem Store in the Minis category for 500 gems. These three risen are horrible and adorable. Put them all in the Mystic Forge with a Superior Rune of the Sunless to get a Mini Risen Abomination.
  • The Permanent Vigil Megalaser Finisher is now available in the Gem Store in the Upgrades category for 700 gems. Can’t beat Tequatl? Use the Vigil Megalaser Finisher to destroy enemies in PvP and WvW instead!
  • Magic find boosters are still 30% off in the Boosts category in the Gem Store. This special discount will only last until September 18.

Improvements

  • The maximum number of bank tabs a player can have has been increased from 8 to 12. Players who have eight bank tabs can now purchase up to four more. Bank tabs can be purchased by clicking the lock icon at the bottom of the bank tab or by visiting the Upgrades category in the Gem Store. Each bank tab costs 600 gems.

(edited by AidanTaylor.3872)

Game Update Notes - August 6th, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

August 6 Content Release Notes

LIVING WORLD
Queen’s Jubilee
A celebration to commemorate 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!
Hot Air Balloons

  • The queen’s court has sent out hot air balloons to transport celebrants! Look for balloon towers all over Tyria.
  • Ascend to the top of a balloon tower to claim a royal gift before embarking on the journey to Divinity’s Reach.
  • Watch for all-new dynamic events as the balloon pilots may need help keeping everything running smoothly.
  • A special hot air balloon souvenir will be given to players who are festive enough to visit 30 towers.

The Crown Pavilion

  • The arts district in Divinity’s Reach that was destroyed by the Great Collapse has been rebuilt into the Crown Pavilion, a grand arena that will host Kryta’s biggest events.
  • Enter the Queen’s Gauntlet to battle mighty representations of humanity’s most vicious enemies.
  • Visit the emissaries from six major nations of Tyria. A unique set of boons to improve magic find and combat stats will be available to those who wish to represent the emissaries.
  • Earn Watchwork Sprockets, a new trophy from the Watchknights, to purchase rewards from the emissaries. Purchasable rewards include:
    • New Sovereign weapon sets
    • New crafting recipes for runes and sigils
    • Cultural weapon sets

The Queen’s Gauntlet

  • Face increasingly difficult challenges in single combat against a variety of unique bosses.
  • Take a risk with special gambit conditions to earn even more prestigious rewards.
  • Each entry and gambit costs one Queen’s Gauntlet ticket. Tickets drop regularly from creatures in the Crown Pavilion and around the world. Players may also purchase tickets from the emissaries in the Crown Pavilion.

Opening Ceremony

  • Witness the unveiling of the Crown Pavilion in a brand new Living World story instance featuring familiar faces such as Queen Jennah, Logan Thackeray, Countess Anise, Lord Faren, Rox, and Braham.
  • Rumors are running high that the queen will be taking volunteers for the inaugural contest with the Watchknights. There’s no telling who might show up!
  • Enter the instanced area simply by visiting the Crown Pavilion for the first time.

Beacons of Kryta

  • Find torchbearers around Divinity’s Reach to activate a special time-limited race to light several beacons around the city.
  • Successfully complete all four torch runs to earn the Flames of Kryta, a permanent item that can be used to illuminate the player’s path through darkness.

Achievements

  • A rotation of Living World achievements has been added to the Daily Achievement category.
  • Completing the Queen’s Jubilee meta-achievement awards the player a Mini Watchknight. Completing this meta-achievement requires players to complete 18 achievements from either the Queen’s Jubilee category or the jubilee-related dailies.

Exotic Drop

  • Play Queen’s Jubilee content for a chance at the exotic Watchwork Portal Device recipe.
  • The recipe requires a level 400 artificer. It requires 5 Orichalcum Ingots, 1 Master Tuning Crystal, 1 Charged Lodestone, and 75 Watchwork Sprockets.
  • The Watchwork Portal Device is a one-time use consumable that allows players to create a portal between two points. It cannot be used in conjunction with the mesmer’s portal.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
World vs. World

  • Supply Mastery has been added to the Ranks and Abilities tab.
    • Picking up supply is now instant.
    • Gains swiftness when the entire supply is spent.
    • Gains courier speed and increases movement speed by 50% after picking up supply.
    • Gains a chance to recover some supply after it’s spent.
    • Deployed siege sites gain 3 seconds of invulnerability.

Currency Wallet

  • All players now have a new currency wallet that can be found in the Hero panel. All currencies on a character are transferred to the player’s currency wallet when they log in with that character. Players will need to log in with all of their characters to get all of their currency transferred.
  • All currencies are now account bound.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
General
Champion Loot

  • All champions now drop containers based on their family. These containers have coin, skill points, crafting materials, weapons and armor, and rare chances at unique weapon skins based on family.
  • “Defeat the Claw of Jormag”: The champions in this event no longer drop loot.
  • Citadel of Flame—Ferrah: Blaclan Firetooth is now a veteran instead of a champion.

Improved Effects Culling

  • In the open world, dungeons, PvP, and WvW, the new effects-culling system will slowly start reducing the detail of each effect in order to increase combat visibility when many effect types are overlapping.

World Polish

  • Risen nobles: Decreased the damage on the symbol created by their shadowstep skill.* *

Dungeons
Dungeon Reward Changes

  • All bosses no longer directly drop gold.
  • All explorable dungeon paths now give out 1 to 3 gold based on the path. This is an account-based daily reward.
  • All story dungeons now give out 50 silver upon completion. This is an account-based daily reward.
  • Ascalonian Catacombs—Hodgins’s Plan: Kendrick’s Sarcophagus will not be interactable until “Search the secret room for the scepter” is active.
  • Ascalonian Catacombs—Hodgins’s Plan: “Defend Hodgins by destroying graveling burrows” will not activate until “Slay the spider queen” has been completed.
  • Ascalonian Catacombs—Hodgins’s Plan: “Find the scepter pieces” will not be active until “Join Hodgins in finding the first scepter” has been completed.
  • Ascalonian Catacombs—Detha’s Plan: “Defend Detha from gravelings” will not activate until “Slay the spider queen” has been completed.
  • Ascalonian Catacombs—Tzark’s Plan: “Defend the essence collectors” will not activate until “Slay the spider queen” has been completed.
  • Caudecus’s Manor—I’ll look for the Seraph: Mad Martha will not become hostile until “Overwhelm the bandit defenses” is activated.
  • Caudecus’s Manor—I’ll look for the Seraph: “Search for the captured sergeant” will not activate until “Place powder kegs near the blocked gate” has been completed.
  • Caudecus’s Manor—I’ll help you find the missing butler: “Search for the missing servants” will not activate until “Destroy the bandit turrets” has been completed.
  • Citadel of Flame—Ferrah: “Breach the Sanguine Vault” will not activate until “Find a way into the Enkindling Chamber” has been completed.
  • Citadel of Flame—Magg: “Find a way into the ritual chamber” will not activate until “Travel to the ritual chamber” has been completed.
  • Honor of the Waves—The butcher: “Defeat the Ice Dragon minion to continue” will not activate until the doorway leading to its location has been opened.
  • Honor of the Waves—The plunderer: “Defeat the corrupted Son of Svanir” will not activate until “Stop the Svanir vandals” has been completed.
  • Honor of the Waves—The zealot: Icebrood Goliath and guards will not be attackable until the doorway leading to their location has been opened.
  • Honor of the Waves—The zealot: “Defeat Sorge’s disciple, Svánigandr” will not activate until the door leading to its location has been opened.
  • Crucible of Eternity—All paths: Mark T-B34RC3 will not be attackable until “Shut down the advanced golem” is activated.
  • Crucible of Eternity—Teleporter: “Defeat the Evolved Husk” will only activate after “Kill Subject Alpha” has been completed and the “Teleporter” path has been selected.
  • Crucible of Eternity—Front door: “Defeat the laboratory specimen” will only activate after “Kill Subject Alpha” has been completed and the “Front Door” path has been selected.

Profession Skills
General

  • Reaper of Grenth: This skill can now be cast on the move. Added an unblockable skill fact to indicate its functionality.
  • Prayer to Lyssa: Fixed a bug that allowed Lyssa to grant more than one boon or condition.
  • All signet skills now play their overhead bang effect at the start of the skill to help telegraph these skills.

Elementalist:

  • Tornado: Added a duration skill fact. This skill can now be used while moving.
  • Glyph of Renewal: Improved the readability of this skill so enemies can see it more clearly when players are casting it.
  • Magnetic Wave: This skill is now blockable.
  • Signet Mastery: This trait will now properly reduce the recharge of Signet of Restoration in PvP.
  • Arcane Power: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Arcane Retribution: Increased the duration to 30 seconds to be consistent with Arcane Power. The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Arcane Shield: Added the buff to the skill fact. The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Final Shielding: The buff provided when this trait is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.

Engineer:

  • Packaged Stimulants: This trait now properly increases the duration of the boons provided by the Med Kit skill Throw Stimulant instead of lowering the recharge.
  • Elixir X: This skill will now display the proper skill facts when underwater.
  • Mortar—Mortar Shot: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to have increased recharge time when Elite Supplies was traited.

Guardian:

  • Healer’s Retribution: Fixed a bug that caused this trait to provide more retaliation than intended with Healing Breeze.
  • Sword of Justice—Command: Added a range skill fact.
  • Sword of Justice—Removed the range skill fact on the summon.
  • Bow of Truth: Removed the range skill fact on the summon.
  • Hammer of Wisdom: Removed the range skill fact on the summon.
  • Hammer of Wisdom—Command: Updated the range skill fact to better represent the range of this skill.
  • Shield of the Avenger: Removed the range skill fact on the summon.
  • Purifying Ribbon: Fixed a bug that caused the projectile to hit targets further than its intended maximum range.
  • Virtue of Justice: Added a radius skill fact.
  • Virtue of Resolve: Added a radius skill fact.
  • Virtue of Courage: Added a radius skill fact.
  • Shield of Wrath: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.

Mesmer:

  • Counter Blade: The projectile velocity has been doubled and is now wider with an increased effect size.
  • Phantasmal Duelist: This skill now has its range increased with Duelist’s Discipline. Fixed a bug that enabled the duelist from being cast at 1200 range at all times.
  • Illusion of Life: Updated the animation and effects on this skill to make it easier to read when it is being cast in combat. The timing and effectiveness remains unchanged.
  • Polymorph Moa: This skill should now animate when used with a greatsword.
  • Veil: This utility skill now acts as a light field as its description indicates.

Necromancer:

  • Fetid Ground: Added a radius skill fact.
  • Well of Blood: Added a radius skill fact.
  • Wail of Doom: Increased the spell effect to better represent the actual spell area.
  • Tainted Shackles: This skill’s damage tooltip now displays the appropriate damage.
  • Doom: Added an effect that plays on the necromancer when this skill is used.
  • Reaper’s Mark: This skill now uses a distinct animation compared to the other mark skills on staff to help improve readability when this skill is cast. The timing and effectiveness of this skill remains unchanged.
  • Summon Bone Fiend/Rigor Mortis: Added a range fact to these skills.
  • Reaper’s Touch: Updated the skill fact to display the proper regeneration amount.
  • Crimson Tide: Fixed a bug that allowed this skill to ignore line of sight.

Ranger:

  • Entangle: Updated the damage and immobilize skill facts to reflect the actual amount of pulses.
  • Sharpening Stone: Counters will no longer decrement on every attack going, but only on attacks hit, evaded, missed (from blind), or blocked. The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Keen Edge: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Precise Strikes: This trait now functions correctly with Remorseless.

Thief:

  • Shadow Assault: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to have a longer than intended range. It will now properly match the range skill fact.
  • Assassin’s Signet: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Nine-Tailed Strike: Updated this skill’s skill facts.
  • Concealed Defeat: Fixed a bug that caused this trait’s effect to have a longer than intended recharge.
  • Basilisk Venom: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Devourer Venom: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Ice Drake Venom: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Skale Venom: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Spider Venom: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.

Warrior:

  • Signet of Might: The buff provided when this skill is activated will now properly display the remaining number of charges.
  • Counter Blow: This skill will now properly set its recharge with the Sundering Mace trait when players strike an enemy after blocking.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • Removed the Tournament panel.
  • Added an Arenas tab to the PvP panel.
    • Replaced “Rated Matches” with “Team Arena.” The rankings and leaderboard are the same.
    • Added a Solo Arena. Only individual players may queue for the Solo Arena; players will also have a separate ranking and leaderboard from the existing Team Arena.
  • Moved the Custom Arena browser to the PvP panel.
  • Added a Leave button to PvP games.
  • PvP games can now be joined from any location in the game, including outside of the Mists.
  • Leaving PvP will send players back to their last non-instance location.
  • Spectators can now see the currently selected target of the player being followed instead of their autoattack target.
  • Leaving rated arena games will punish players with a Dishonorable debuff. Each stack of dishonor lasts for 72 hours. If a player has the maximum amount of dishonor (5 stacks), they will be prevented from joining rated games.
  • Players in an arena game cannot switch characters after the game has started.
  • Added a Finisher tab to the Hero panel. Use the Finisher tab to choose and activate a finisher.
  • Finishers may now be unlocked either permanently or on a limited, per-use basis.
    • Using a finisher item now adds five uses of that finisher. Each finisher use is consumed when players successfully use the finisher on a downed enemy.
    • Using a permanently unlocked finisher will never consume it. Players may switch between any unlocked finishers at any time outside of combat.
    • Rank finishers are now unlocked permanently and automatically when players achieve a new rank in PvP. Rank reward chests will no longer contain Rank Finisher items.
  • Updated the capture point progress animation for all maps.
  • Heart of the Mists: Replaced two of the training golems with indestructible training golems.
  • Skyhammer: The cannon can no longer be reconfigured while the player is in stealth or invulnerable.
  • Skyhammer: Updated a couple of spectator camera positions.
  • Temple of the Silent Storm: Increased the cooldown of Mediation on Ferocity from 2 minutes to 4 minutes and increased the buff duration from 45 seconds to 2 minutes.

World vs. World

  • Keep and castle assault events are now group events and will count towards monthly achievements.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • The Royal Pass* *gives you admittance to the Royal Terrace, the queen’s own shopping area in Divinity’s Reach, with easy access to crafting, merchants, banks, entertainment, and more. Each pass is good for two weeks and available in the Consumables category for 300 gems each.
  • There are three new helmet skins available for purchase to celebrate the Queen’s Jubilee: Mask of the Crown, Mask of the Jubilee, and Mask of the Queen. These are combat armor skins usable by any weight class and available in the Style category for 400 gems each.
  • Players can now purchase permanent finishing moves usable in PvP, WvW, and select content throughout the game. Change the finisher at any time after purchasing Cow, Whump the Giant, Thornroot, and/or Spectre finishers in the Upgrades category.
  • Aetherblade weapon skins are no longer in season and will now cost 5 Black Lion Weapon Tickets at a Black Lion Weapon Specialist.

(edited by Moderator)

Game Update Notes - July 23rd, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

July 23 Content Release Notes
LIVING WORLD
Cutthroat Politics
The Bazaar of the Four Winds is in full swing in the Labyrinthine Cliffs, but no one has forgotten the assassination that created a vacancy on the Captain’s Council of Lion’s Arch. War hero Ellen Kiel and prominent merchant Evon Gnashblade both want that empty seat! If one of them can secure a trade agreement for Lion’s Arch with the people of the Zephyr Sanctum, the Captain’s Council will deem it lucrative enough to secure their seat.
And now, after weeks of getting to know Kiel and Gnashblade, the Zephyrites are ready to work a deal. There’s just one catch: they’ll sign the agreement with whomever the people of Tyria support! So the stakes are raised—Kiel and Gnashblade are making promises and providing entertainment to try to garner support. But they need the players’ help. Play their games, support a candidate, and influence the future of Tyria!
The Labyrinthine Cliffs

  • To secure a spot on the Captain’s Council of Lion’s Arch, Evon Gnashblade and Ellen Kiel are trying to work out a trade agreement with the Zephyr Sanctum. Players can drop their support tokens in the containers on the Zephyr Sanctum to help Ellen or Evon in their bid to secure the trade agreement.
  • Each support token turned in will award a support button for the chosen candidate. Using a support button will grant one hour of support to the chosen candidate and allow limited-time achievements to be completed by the player.
  • Players can choose to help Evon or Ellen, alone or with a group, in the Candidate Trials. Players can test their battle skills by facing off against waves of Aetherblade pirates and holding out for as long as they can to earn support tokens and loot, including a rare chance at an Aetherized weapon.
  • To help garner support, Evon is hosting a daring game of Southsun Survival. Players can scheme, kill, and scavenge their way to the top in this new competitive activity. Armed with only a bow and whatever supplies they can find, up to 20 players will face off in a battle to be the last one standing. Players can earn karma and coins for each round played, plus a rare chance at an exclusive back-slot item.
  • Not to be outdone, Ellen is hosting a competitive game in the Aspect Arena. Pick one of the Aspects of Sun, Wind, or Lightning, and face off in teams to collect crystals. Each Aspect will grant players different skills with which to maneuver and fight. Players can earn karma and coins for each round played, plus a rare chance at an exclusive back-slot item.
  • Players can enter the story instance “Audience with the Master” on the Zephyr Sanctum.
  • Players can still participate in Belcher’s Bluff, a new and permanent activity where players drink omnomberry juice competitively and can seek out masters around the world to learn their signature skills. Players can also still challenge other players in a PvP version that can be purchased from bartenders around the world.
  • The fortune scrap vendor is still trading fortune scraps for unique Zephyrite items. Fortune scraps can be found in kite fortunes, which have a chance to drop from all creatures in the game, or can be purchased in the Gem Store.
  • The scavenger hunt in the Labyrinthine Cliffs continues, allowing players to use their mastery of Wind, Sun, and Lightning movement skills to activate Sky Crystals.
  • The bazaar is still in full swing in the Labyrinthine Cliffs. Merchants still have bulk orders of cooking ingredients from all over Tyria.
  • The Zephyrites are still looking to trade various resources (such as ore, wood, candy, and more) for Zephyr Sanctum supply boxes.
  • The Sanctum Sprint continues! Players can still use cunning, agility, and some special skills to navigate this dizzying obstacle course.

Open World

  • Zephyrites are still launching kite baskets into multiple explorable areas in Tyria. The kite baskets contain a chance at quartz (a new resource used for crafting), armor and weapon recipes for the new stat combination, and kite fortunes.
  • Players can still locate a handful of kite baskets at the top of several jumping puzzles throughout Tyria and open them for achievement points.
  • Zephyr Sanctum will be leaving when the Bazaar of the Four Winds ends on August 6.
  • Support tokens for Evon Gnashblade and Ellen Kiel will no longer be accepted at Zephyr Sanctum after 11 a.m. PST on August 5.

Achievements

  • New achievements have been added to the Living World, Support Ellen Kiel, and Support Evon Gnashblade categories that involve participating in Candidate Trials, Aspect Arena, Southsun Survival and showing support while participating in other content.
  • Completing the Gnashblade Supporter meta-achievement awards the player a Mini Evon Gnashblade. Completion of this meta-achievement requires players to complete 6 of the Support Evon Gnashblade achievements.
  • Completing the Kiel Supporter meta-achievement awards the player a Mini Ellen Kiel. Completion of this meta-achievement requires players to complete 6 of the Support Ellen Kiel achievements.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
General

  • A Player Instrument Volume slider has been added to the Sound Options panel.

World vs. World

  • Catapult Mastery has been added to the Ranks and Abilities tab.
    • Increases damage done to walls.
    • Gravel Shot now does bleed on hit.
    • Increases radius on all skills.
    • Increases damage on all catapult skills.
    • New skill: Siege Bubble
      • Creates a shield that destroys all projectiles around a catapult.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
Items

  • Rune of Melandru: Fear duration is now only reduced once by this rune set. The negative stun duration bonus no longer reduces incoming fear duration. This is also true for food consumables that offer a negative stun duration bonus.
  • Rune of the Centaur: Fixed a bug that caused the swiftness internal cooldown to be 15 seconds instead of 10.
  • Flute: This item has been updated to allow players to manually stop a note that is currently playing.
  • Marriner’s Horn: This item has been updated to prevent two notes playing simultaneously.
  • Unbreakable Choir Bell: This item has been updated to prevent combat sounds from triggering during use.

Profession Skills
Elementalist:

  • Magnetic Wave: Added a skill fact for the cripple effect of this skill.
  • Cleansing Fire: Removed the hidden stun-break functionality from this skill.
  • Flame Wall: Fixed the damage skill fact to display the proper damage done per tick.
  • Glyph of Renewal: Reduced the cast time from 4.25-seconds to 3.25 seconds.

Engineer:

  • Launch Ice Mortar: Equipping the Elite Supplies trait will now correctly increase this skill’s recharge.
  • Magnetic Inversion: Added a radius skill fact.
  • Elixir X: This skill now uses the updated version of Rampage.

Guardian:

  • Virtue of Courage: Updated the aegis skill fact to display the proper duration.
  • Tome of Courage/Wrath: Using these elite skills will now drop the player’s currently equipped bundle instead of destroying it.
  • Leap of Faith: Fixed a bug that caused a longer than intended blind when hitting multiple targets.
  • Sword of Justice—Command: Removed the range indicator for this skill, as it was unnecessary.
  • Monk’s Focus: This trait now scales 40% with healing power, up from 10%.
  • Merciful Intervention: This skill’s recharge has been lowered from 80 seconds to 50 seconds. Base healing for this skill has been increased by 48%. Scaling with healing power has been increased to 60% effectiveness, up from 20%.
  • Symbol of Judgment: Increased the spell effect and AoE rings to match the actual radius of this skill for both the base and when traited with Writ of Exaltation.
  • Symbol of Wrath: When traited with Writ of Exaltation, this skill now applies retaliation to the correct radius. Increased the spell effect and AoE rings to match the actual radius of this skill for both the base and when traited with Writ of Exaltation.
  • Symbol of Protection: Increased the spell effect and AoE rings to match the actual radius of this skill for both the base and when traited with Writ of Exaltation.
  • Symbol of Faith: Fixed a bug that caused this skill to hit 3 targets instead of 5 when traited with Writ of Exaltation. Increased the base radius to 180 and a 240 radius when traited with Writ of Exaltation. Increased the spell effect and AoE rings to match the actual radius of this skill for both the base and when traited with Writ of Exaltation.
  • Symbol of Swiftness: Increased the base radius to 180 and a 240 radius when traited with Writ of Exaltation. Increased the spell effect and AoE rings to match the actual radius of this skill for both the base and when traited with Writ of Exaltation.
  • Writ of the Merciful: Fixed a bug so that the healing area provided from this trait will correctly scale its radius with the Writ of Exaltation trait.

Mesmer:

  • Null Field: Reduced the recharge to 40 seconds.
  • Signet of Domination: Increased the stun duration to 3 seconds.

Necromancer:

  • Damage taken while in death shroud will now overflow to the necromancer’s health pool if the damage taken is greater than the remaining life force.
  • Fixed a bug that caused the necromancer to take increased damage from direct attacks while in death shroud.
  • Necromancer—Dark Path: Fixed an issue that caused this skill to strike enemies further than 1200 distance away.
  • Shadow Fiend—Haunt: When this attack hits an enemy, it will grant the necromancer 10% of their life force.
  • Ghastly Claws: The total life force granted from this skill has been increased from 10% to 12%.
  • Spectral Armor: Incoming hits now grant 8% life force; has a 1-second internal cooldown.
  • Spectral Walk: Incoming hits now grant 2% life force; has a 1-second internal cooldown. This spectral skill now grants life force while Spectral Armor is active.
  • Spectral Grasp: This skill now grants 15% life force (up from 10%).
  • Mark of Blood: The base radius of this skill has been increased from 120 to 180.
  • Chillblains: The base radius of this skill has been increased from 120 to 180.
  • Putrid Mark: The base radius of this skill has been increased from 120 to 180.
  • Reaper’s Mark: The base radius of this skill has been increased from 120 to 180.
  • Greater Marks: This trait has been moved to the Master tier.
  • Spiteful Vigor: This trait has been moved to the Adept tier.
  • Terror: Reduced the damage by 17%. Fixed a bug so this trait now checks for the torment condition as well.

Ranger:

  • Entangle: Updated the damage and bleeding skill facts to properly display their actual effects.
  • Rapid Fire: This skill now applies vulnerability on each hit.
  • Hunter’s Shot: This skill no longer applies vulnerability on each hit, but now grantss the ranger stealth for 3 seconds.
  • Point Blank Shot: Increased the range from 600 to 900.
  • Maul: This skill now applies vulnerability instead of bleeding.
  • Counterattack—Crippling Throw: This skill can now be used while moving. Increased the cripple duration to 5 seconds.
  • Whirling Defense: This skill now grants 4 seconds of retaliation for the duration of the skill.
  • Call of the Wild: This skill is now a blast finisher.
  • Remorseless: This trait now reapplies Opening Strike when the ranger gains stealth or kills an enemy.

Thief:

  • Poison Tip Strike: Fixed the skill fact for poison so that it displays the correct duration.
  • Tripwire: This skill no longer indicates that it has a range.
  • Thieves Guild: This skill now displays a duration skill fact.
  • Tow Line: Increased the skill-fact range to 900 to match the actual skill range.
  • Tactical Strike: Fixed the damage skill fact to display the proper amount of damage done.
  • Shadow Strike: This skill now applies 2 stacks of torment for 5 seconds.

Warrior:

  • Rampage: This elite skill now also provides 20 seconds of swiftness.
    • Smash: This skill now causes a 2-second cripple. Increased the maximum number of targets to 3.
    • Bash: This skill no longer causes cripple. It now causes 5 stacks of vulnerability for 5 seconds. Increased the maximum number of targets to 3. Fixed a bug so that this skill properly displays in the attack chain.
    • Uppercut: This skill no longer causes vulnerability; it now dazes the target for half a second. Increased the maximum number of targets to 3. Fixed a bug so that this skill is properly displayed in the attack chain.
    • Dash: This skill no longer knocks back the player’s target. Reduced the recharge to 6 seconds. Increased the damage by 100%. Cleaned up the animation so that it will hit the target more quickly when used at close range.
    • Throw Boulder: This skill now causes a 2-second stun. Increased the damage by 65%. Increased the projectile velocity by 50%.
    • Seismic Leap: This skill has replaced Stomp. It is now a ground-targeted, 2-second AoE knockdown with a 600-unit range.
  • Bull’s Charge: Cleaned up the animation so it will hit the target more quickly when used at close range.
  • Staggering Blow: Fixed an issue that caused players to stop in place after using this skill.
  • Signet of Might: The activated unblockable buff now lasts for 5 strikes.
  • Impale: This skill now applies torment instead of bleeding. Two stacks of torment are now applied upon the sword’s impact.
  • Mending: Reduced the recharge to 20 seconds. Decreased the base heal by 6%. Scaling with healing power has been decreased by 20%. This skill now removes 3 conditions.
  • Healing Signet (Passive): Reworked the formula that this passive heal uses. At level 80, this skill goes from 392 healing per 3 seconds to 467 healing per 3 seconds with 1500 healing power.
  • Healing Surge (Stage 0 Heal): Increased the base heal by 12%. Scaling with healing power has been decreased by 10%.
  • Healing Surge (Stage 1 Heal): Increased the base heal by 11%.
  • Healing Surge (Stage 2 Heal): Increased the base heal by 19%. Scaling with healing power has been increased by 25%.
  • Healing Surge (Stage 3 Heal): Increased the base heal by 16.5%. Scaling with healing power has been increased by 50%.
  • Rush: Cleaned up the animation so that this skill will have a smoother transition when approaching the target.
  • Heightened Focus: This trait now applies the appropriate crit chance per adrenaline level.
  • Berserker’s Power: This trait now applies the appropriate damage increase per adrenaline level.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • The Black Lion Chest now has a common chance to drop Black Lion Ticket Scraps and a rare chance to drop Black Lion Claim Tickets, which can be redeemed for Aetherblade weapon skins. Players can visit a Black Lion Weapon Specialist to preview Aetherblade weapon skins. Black Lion Chest Keys can be purchased in the Consumable category for 125 gems each or 5 for 450 gems.
    • Collect ten ticket scraps and turn them in for a whole ticket.
  • Aetherblade weapon skins* have been added to the Black Lion Weapon Specialist. For two weeks only, Aetherblade weapon skins cost only one Black Lion Claim Ticket! After August 5, Aetherblade weapon skins will cost their regular price of 5 Black Lion Claim Tickets. All Aetherblade weapon skins *are soulbound on use and can be traded until used.
  • Election Support Bundles can be used to help players support Evon Gnashblade or Ellen Kiel in their campaign to be elected to the Captain’s Council. Each support bundle contains a buff that will double the players’ votes cast for 30 minutes and display five banners that can be placed to visually show the players’ support in the world. Support bundles are available in the Consumable category for 125 gems each or 5 packs for 500 gems.

Improvements

  • Black Lion Chest Keys are now a rare drop from the Black Lion Chest. Most key drops have been replaced by Black Lion Ticket Scraps. This guarantees progress toward a reward rather than a simple retry.
  • Tickets and ticket scraps will continue to drop from the Black Lion Chest and can be used for select future weapon sets.
  • New weapon skins purchased with a Black Lion Claim Ticket are now tradable until used.

(edited by Moderator)

Game Update Notes - July 9th , 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

July 9 Content Release Notes
LIVING WORLD
Bazaar of the Four Winds
The Bazaar of the Four Winds is gathering; merchants are converging from all corners of Tyria to sell their wares. It’s not just shady characters and risky trades—the mystical, flying Zephyr Sanctum has landed, bringing passengers and their magical quartz crystals and amazing movement skills to savvy traders and daring adventurers alike! What a joy it will be to experience the thrill of the trade—and the race. Let’s go!
The Labyrinthine Cliffs

  • A bazaar has sprung up in the Labyrinthine Cliffs. Merchants have brought bulk orders of cooking ingredients from all over Tyria to the bazaar. The Labyrinthine Cliffs can be reached through the Sanctum Harbor docks in Lion’s Arch. Talk to the Transport Facilitator for passage.
  • Zephyr Sanctum, a large-sailed flying ship populated by people called Zephyrites, has landed at the cliffs in order to trade. The Zephyrites have learned to master Wind, Sun, and Lightning skills that can be stored in their magical crystals.
  • Wind Aspect crystals have a blue glow and allow players to leap high into the air. Sun crystals glow reddish-orange and grant players a burst of speed that can also get players through waterfalls. Lightning crystals are purple and allow players to launch themselves across wide gaps and leap with precision.
  • The Zephyrites are looking to trade various resources (such as ore, wood, candy, and more) for Zephyr Sanctum supply boxes. These supply boxes contain new items, including recipes that use quartz for weapons and armor with a new stat combination.
  • Players can participate in the Sanctum Sprint, a competitive race of up to 12 participants, where they’ll need to use Wind, Sun, and Lightning movement skills to complete the course for a reward chest and a rare chance to win one of the three Aspect back-slot items.
  • A scavenger hunt in the Labyrinthine Cliffs allows players to use their mastery of Wind, Sun, and Lightning movement skills to activate Sky Crystals.
  • Players can participate in Belcher’s Bluff, a new and permanent omnomberry juice drinking activity where players can seek out masters around the world to learn their signature skills. Players can also challenge other players in a PvP version that can be purchased from bartenders around the world.
  • A fortune scrap vendor has been added who will trade fortune scraps for unique Zephyrite items. Fortune scraps can be found in kite fortunes, which have a chance to drop from all creatures in the game, or can be purchased in the Gem Store.

Open World

  • Zephyrites are launching kite baskets that are landing in multiple explorable areas in Tyria. The kite baskets contain a chance at quartz (a new resource used for crafting), armor and weapon recipes for the new stat combination, and kite fortunes.
  • Players can locate a handful of kite baskets at the top of several jumping puzzles throughout Tyria and open them for extra achievement points.
  • A new conversation will play when players visit Braham in Cragstead.

Achievements

  • New achievements have been added to the Living World, Bazaar of the Four Winds category that involve traveling to Zephyr Sanctum, participating in the Sanctum Sprint race, collecting crystals, locating kites, and watching a quaggan show, among others.
  • Completing the Bazaar Ambassador meta-achievement awards the player a permanent quartz crystal resource node for their home instance. Completion of this meta-achievement requires players to complete 16 of the Bazaar of the Four Winds achievements.
  • Belcher’s Bluff has been added as a new achievement category in the Activity section.
  • A new title, “Omnomnivore,” has been added for players who complete the Belcher’s Bluff meta-achievement.
  • Completing the Lessons from the Sky scavenger hunt awards players a miniature model of Zephyr Sanctum, which allows players to view the ship at any time while in a city.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
Account Achievement Rewards

  • Added a reward structure to achievement points. As players complete achievements and increase their achievement score, they’ll unlock new, exclusive rewards for their account. The rewards are retroactive for all achievement points earned prior to this update. Backlogged rewards will be given out once per day until the backlog is completed.
  • As part of the account achievement reward system, permanent account bonuses have been introduced. This will apply across all characters on the player’s account, including magic find, experience from kills, karma gain, and coins from kills.
  • Rewards include gold, gems, karma, laurels, consumables, PvP and WvW rewards, new exclusive armor and weapon skins, and more.

Updated User Interface for the Achievements Panel

  • Added a summary page to the achievements panel that gives quick access to unlocked account achievement rewards, upcoming rewards, account bonuses, and recent achievements.
  • Achievement categories are now grouped for easier navigation.
  • Added details pages for all achievements. The details page holds additional information about an individual achievement, including rewards, requirements, point breakdowns, and suggested locations.
  • Added a watch list. The watch list tracks up to 20 specific achievements and displays the top 6 in the user interface.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • New PvP Map: Skyhammer!
    • This is a 3-capture-point Conquest map, wherein players also compete for control of a devastating floating energy cannon. The map’s setting is a high-tech asura lab spread across a series of tall desert plateaus, featuring jump pads and a multitude of ways to make enemies fall to their deaths!

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
World Polish

  • Rata Sum
    • The Arcane Council has outlawed swimming in the waters beneath Rata Sum after reports of pollution by non-asuran races. Trespassers will be jailed!
  • Wayfarer Foothills
    • It’s no longer possible to distract Ulfred by speaking to him repeatedly.

General

  • Item icons that appear on the right side of the screen while autoloot is on will be correctly positioned when rapidly acquiring items.

Dungeons
Crucible of Eternity

  • In the explorable version, it’s no longer possible to use portals to bypass the turrets defending the advanced golem.

Personal Story

  • Enemies in the final story steps in Chapter 3 for norn (Assault the Hill, Silent Warfare, Sever the Head) have all been equalized to level 28.

Items

  • Fixed a bug that caused the art on the Beaded Lancea and Beaded Harpoon Shooter to be swapped.

Profession Skills
General:

  • Sigil of Paralyzation: This sigil no longer impacts fear duration.

Elementalist:

  • Fresh Air: This trait now has its proper 5-second recharge instead of a 3-second recharge.
  • Shatterstone: This ability will no longer cancel when autoattack is engaged.
  • Rock Solid: This trait now has the appropriate icon.
  • Stone Splinter: This trait now correctly adds 10% more damage when within 600 units of the target.
  • Geyser: This skill will no longer cancel and go on interrupt recharge when immediately casting another skill.
  • Flame Wall: This skill will no longer cancel and go on interrupt recharge when immediately casting another skill.

Engineer:

  • Added a damage skill fact to all Detonate Turret skills.
  • Elixir C: This utility skill will now correctly remove Torment.

Mesmer:

  • Chaos Armor: This skill no longer automatically applies protection when activated. This buff now provides an equal chance to trigger regeneration, swiftness, or protection on hit with a 1-second internal recharge. The random condition applied now has a 1-second internal recharge per target. These changes apply to the Chaos Armor provided through combo finishers as well.

Necromancer:

  • Mark of Blood: Updated the skill fact to display the proper regeneration duration.
  • Dark Path: This skill will now cause the necromancer to shadowstep the full 1200-unit distance when hitting at max range.

Ranger:

  • Pets: Updated the pet-damage skill facts so they better represent the actual damage done.
  • Spotter: The buff that this trait applies now displays the correct text and reflects the actual effect of increasing precision by up to 150 points.
  • Evasive Purity: This trait will now functions as expected.

Thief:

  • Shadow Trap: This skill now has a maximum duration of 120 seconds.

Warrior:

  • Berserker Stance: The duration of this skill has been increased from 4 to 8 seconds.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • Target Golem—Light: Health increased from 10,000 to 14,000.
  • Target Golem—Medium: Health increased from 12,000 to 18,000.
  • Target Golem—Heavy: Health increased from 14,000 to 22,000.

World vs. World

  • Siege blueprints are no longer account-bound and can now be mailed to other players and traded on the Trading Post. Players who already have any siege blueprints and want the tradable version can either obtain another or use the one they have and then use the “2” skill to pack it up again.
  • The Outmanned buff has been renamed to Outnumbered.
  • Build Master: Decreases the amount of time it takes to build siege engines. Build Master has been added to the Ranks and Abilities tab.
    • Build Master I: Spend 4 supply at a time when building siege engines.
    • Build Master II: Spend 6 supply at a time when building siege engines.
    • Build Master III: Spend 8 supply at a time when building siege engines.
    • Build Master IV: Spend 10 supply at a time when building siege engines.
  • Repair Master: Decreases the amount of time it takes to repair walls or gates. Repair Master has been added to the Ranks and Abilities tab.
    • Repair Master I: Spend 4 supply at a time when repairing.
    • Repair Master II: Spend 6 supply at a time when repairing.
    • Repair Master III: Spend 8 supply at a time when repairing.
    • Repair Master IV: Spend 10 supply at a time when repairing.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

  • Kite fortunes are now available in the Gem Store in the Consumable category and can be purchased in bundles of 5 for 120 gems, 10 for 200 gems, or 25 for 400 gems. These little boxes contain a fortune, a random boost that lasts 10 minutes, and some fortune scraps. Collect fortune scraps and bring them to the fortune scraps vendor in the bazaar (or the Black Lion Weapon Specialist in Lion’s Arch) to get a unique prize. There is also a chance to get a golden fortune scrap, which can be redeemed immediately for a prize.
  • The Bazaar Quaggan Mini Pack is now available in the Gem Store in the Minis category for 500 gems. This pack contains three new quaggan minis: Poowulpi the Persnicketous, Peggellegg the Pirate, and Kookoochoo the Incredulous.
  • Bring your fortune scraps and golden fortunes to the fortune scrap vendor in the bazaar (or the Black Lion Weapon Specialist in Lion’s Arch). This vendor has Zephyrite helms of Sun, Lightning, and Wind in all armor classes for 250 fortune scraps or 1 golden fortune scrap, as well as three back-slot items: the Lightning Catcher, Wind Catcher, and Sun Catcher, each for 150 fortune scraps or 1 golden fortune scrap. The vendor also has a Zephyr Sanctum Supply Box for only 10 fortune scraps.
  • The Dragon Bash Mini Pack is still available in the Gem Store in the Minis category for 500 gems. This dragon-bashing pack is available until July 14.
  • The Chop-It-All Logging Axe is still available in the Gem Store in the Services category for 800 gems. This electrifying logging axe is available until July 29.

Improvements

  • The Tome of Knowledge has been added as a rare drop from Black Lion Chests. Using the Tome of Knowledge will grant the character one level and all associated benefits. If a level 80 character uses the tome, they will gain a skill point.

Bug Fixes

  • Should players receive an error while purchasing gems, they will now be able to click a link in the error message to go directly to the Customer Support site.

(edited by Moderator)

Game Update Notes - June 11th, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

June 11 Content Release Notes

LIVING WORLD

Dragon Bash

The Ship’s Council of Lion’s Arch is sponsoring Dragon Bash, a celebration of the Tyrian spirit and resolve to defeat the elder dragons. Bash on dragon piñatas in cities and shoot fireworks at the giant holographic Shatterer dragon projected over Lion’s Arch. Revel in activities such as the Dragon Ball Arena and bet on moa racing. Across the countryside, players will discover mini-projectors that will test their mettle versus holographic dragon minions!

The celebration includes two must-see events: The fireworks show during the first weekend repeats every two hours, and attendees who watch the finale will receive a dragon helm. Then the week after, players can enter the effigy ceremony and witness the cultural representatives as they join the Captain’s Council in burning the dragon effigies in the Grand Piazza of Lion’s Arch. It promises to be an exciting time for all.

“Bash the dragon! Smash the dragon! May it never rise up again!”

General
  • Dragon Coffers have been added to the list of potential loot drops for all creatures in the world.
Lion’s Arch
  • Lion’s Arch has been decorated with Dragon Bash decorations. A projector has been set up, where the Lion’s statue normally resides, to display the holographic Shatterer dragon that will circle the city. Zommoros has dressed up for the occasion, and various kites, posters, torches, and targets have been placed throughout the city. Firework launchers have also been added for players to join in the celebration.
  • Players can enter the new Dragon Ball Arena activity, which takes place in the sewer beneath the city, by talking with Finolla in the Mystic Court.
  • In Farshore Ward, players can bet on their favorite moa to win in the moa race and win various prizes.
  • The Captain’s Council will appear in the Grand Piazza to inform and direct players to all of the Dragon Bash festivities.
Explorable Areas Leading to Lion’s Arch
  • The explorable areas leading up to Lion’s Arch (Queensdale, Kessex Hills, Brisbane Wildlands, Caledon Forest, Metrica Province, Plains of Asford, Diessa Plateau, Wayfarer Foothills, Snowden Drifts and Gendarran Fields) has been seeded with mini hologram projectors that will create hologram minions to bash. In addition to normal loot drops, these minions have a greater chance of dropping Dragon Coffers and candy.
  • A new rock formation now appears in the Gendarran Fields.
All Major Cities
  • Heralds have been updated to announce the arrival of the Dragon Bash festival.
  • Dragon piñatas can now be found in all of the major cities for players to bash and collect festival candy.
Fireworks Event
  • During the first weekend, between 9am PDT June 14 and 9am PDT June 17th, a grand fireworks show will repeat every two hours. Players who witness the finale will be awarded a container holding three account-bound commemorative dragon helms, one for each armor class in the game.
Achievements
  • A new Dragon Bash category has been added for achievements involving the Dragon Bash festivities.
  • The Dragon Bash Experience meta-achievement will reward a set of Holographic Shattered Dragon Wings back item skin for players who have completed 10 out of the 14 total Dragon Bash achievements (Case Closed not included).
  • Fourteen new Dragon Bash festival achievements have been added. Please note that The Big Boom in the Big City, Case Closed, the Ceremony and Acrimony achievement line, and Burn Down The Dragons cannot be completed until additional Dragon Bash content is unlocked at a later time.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH

General

  • Added a new combat/movement toggle option: “Right-Click to Attack/Interact”.

World Polish

  • Living World
    • The chest that spawns after the Crazed Karka Queen is defeated is no longer limited to once a day.
  • Bloodtide Coast
    • Living Covington Pirates should no longer respawn when the player helps Bill and Hekja fight Risen Pirates.
  • Straits of Devastation
    • The Champion Ooze in the Zho’qafa event has been demoted to a veteran.

Personal Story

  • “Bad Blood”:
    • There is now a slight delay between the time the wind starts up and when it knocks the player off the wall. The audio cue has also been cleaned up to make it clearer.
  • “They Went Thataway”:
    • The Ministry guard now appears at the base of the stairs.

Items

  • Globs of Ectoplasm can now be salvaged into Piles of Crystalline Dust. This change should help Globs of Ectoplasm maintain a strong value in the economy and lower the cost of Crystalline Dust.
  • Master Tuning Crystals, Master Maintenance Oil, and Superior Sharpening Stone recipes now take more Piles of Crystalline Dust to craft. This change is to help these consumables maintain a high value with the new influx of dust.

Profession Skills

General:
  • Fixed a bug that caused sigils to be removed when the player died while transformed.
  • Fixed a bug that let teleport skills teleport players through certain walls, most notably the clock tower’s walls in The Battle of Khylo.
  • Fixed a bug that made line-of-sight checks frequently succeed when they shouldn’t.
  • Fixed a bug where skills that draw allied conditions would instantly cure any condition that was self-inflicted.
Elementalist:
  • Signet of Restoration:
    • This skill now has its cooldown reduced by the Signet Mastery in PvP.
Necromancer:
  • Parasitic Bond:
    • The healing from this trait will now display properly in the combat log.
  • Reaper’s Might:
    • Removed misleading text.
  • Reaper’s Touch:
    • Fixed a bug with this ability’s damage that caused an inconsistency when not traited with Spiteful Talisman. Damage while un-traited has been increased by 50%.
  • Spectral Grasp:
    • This ability will now pull the full 1200 range, instead of 900.
  • Spiteful Talisman:
    • This trait now works with Reaper’s Touch in PvE.
Ranger:
  • Coral Shot:
    • This ability now lists bleeding dealt at different ranges. Bleeding damage has been increased from a maximum of 2 to a maximum of 4 at a range of 900.
  • Signet of the Hunt:
    • This ability now displays a skill fact for the damage increase of its active effect.
  • Quicksand with Stone Spirit:
    • This skill’s facts will now display properly.
Warrior:
  • Counterblow:
    • This skill now has a range fact.
  • Endure Pain:
    • Updated the text of this skill and its buff to make it clearer.
  • Versatile Rage:
    • The effects of this trait will now only trigger once every 5 seconds.
Guardian:
  • Strength of the Fallen:
    • Fixed a bug with this trait that makes it lose health 33% slower while downed instead of the previous 11%.
Engineer:
  • Explosive Powder:
    • This trait now functions with detonating turrets.
  • Reserve Mines:
    • This trait now functions with other traits, such as Shrapnel, Steel Packed Powder, and Forceful Explosives. In addition, fixed a bug that caused the mines to not strip boons correctly. Explosive radius has been increased from 60 to 120.
  • Rifled Turret Barrels:
    • This trait no longer makes Rocket Turret fire invisible rockets.
  • Toss Elixir R:
    • All of the effects of this skill are now normalized to the correct radius of 180 units. Previously, some actions were only effective at 120 units.
  • Toss Elixir U:
    • This profession skill now functions with Acidic Elixir.
Mesmer:
  • Blurred Frenzy:
    • Updated the duration tooltip to indicate the actual duration of the evasion.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • Added a menu for custom arenas to reset to standard or tournament defaults from the configuration UI.
  • Added a name and owner search box to the game browser.
  • Added a default filter to the game browser to search for recently joined custom arenas.
  • Fixed a bug with ratings that caused inaccurate updates when players left before the end of a match.
  • Updated the matchmaking algorithm to better match new players.
  • Updated the ratings algorithm to reduce volatility.
  • Updated the profession icons on the map to use brighter team colors.

World vs. World

  • World Ability Points have been refunded to all players who earned them. Changes were made to Arrow Cart Mastery, allowing players to reallocate their points. This is a one-time reset.
  • Arrow Cart Mastery skills have had their range reduced to be better in balance with other siege weapons.
  • The WvW Ranks and Abilities tab now displays how many bonus rank-up chests a character has remaining.
  • Superior Siege and Omega Golem blueprints now have different icons from regular siege blueprints.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE

New Items and Promotions

  • The Rich Dragon Coffer is now available in the Consumable category of the Gem Store for 100 gems each, or 5 for 400 gems and 25 for 2,000 gems. This special festival box always contains Dragon Bash candy and also has a chance to contain fireworks, a Mini Holographic Risen Knight, and rarely a Dragon’s Jade Weapon Skin Ticket. Rich Dragon Coffers contain all the same items as the Dragon Coffers* *that drop commonly from Dragon Bash enemies, but have better chances at rare items.
  • The Dragon Bash Mini Pack is now available in the Minis category of the Gem Store for 500 gems. The Dragon Bash Mini Pack contains three exclusive holographic minis to commemorate the Dragon Bash festival. If you place all three minis from the Dragon Bash Mini Pack in the Mystic Forge along with the Mini Holographic Risen Knight (which can be obtained from either Rich Dragon Coffers or Dragon Coffers), you will receive a Mini Holographic Colossus.
  • Polla, Biviane’s doll, is now available in the Upgrades category of the Gem Store. This special doll commemorating Cobiah’s sister can be equipped in the accessory slot and is available for free to all players.

(edited by Moderator)

Game Update Notes - March 26, 2013

in Game Release Notes

Posted by: AidanTaylor.3872

AidanTaylor.3872

European Community Manager

Build 3/26/13 March Content Update Release Notes

LIVING STORY

Flame and Frost: The Razing

A hybrid army erupts through fiery portals in the Shiverpeaks. This “Molten Alliance” between dredge and Flame Legion has created an enemy powerful enough to massacre any who stand in their way. One ranch, one homestead at a time, they’re wiping out all resistance. The razing has begun.
In Flame and Frost: The Razing, the third installment in this four-part series, we meet Braham and Rox, two fervent Tyrians who believe in doing what’s right, even if it means putting themselves in danger. They’re defending the people and places they love, and they’ll need your help.

Open World

  • The Molten Alliance has begun spying on the people of Wayfarer Foothills, Diessa Plateau, the Snowden Drifts, the Plains of Ashford, and the Iron Marches. The Vigil have stationed collectors in these areas to reward adventurers who return logs of all data collected by the enemy.
  • Rumor has it that an Order of Whispers operative has been openly seeking assistance in the Black Citadel. As always, details are classified until disclosed.
  • The Molten Alliance has been arming units with what looks like a fused technology—the molten heat of the Flame Legion combined with the iron-forged brutality of the dredge. Adventurers are advised to stay wary when traversing near the Shiverpeak Mountains.
  • Those brave enough to survive against the Molten Alliance have reported seeing charr and dredge utilizing strange and new combinations of technology and magic.
  • More refugees located in all known camps have begun opening up about their experiences.
  • A Durmand Priory scholar named Aiti and her archival golem LOR-748 have moved into Lion’s Arch at the Durmand Dig Site to answer all queries regarding the Flame Legion and dredge.
  • The Consortium has begun construction of their refugee aid project in Southsun Cove.
  • The Molten Alliance’s loot tables have been updated to better reflect their shared resources.
  • One new area and one new point of interest have been added to Wayfarer Foothills. Another new point of interest has been added to Diessa Plateau. Players who have previously finished map completion and the Shiverpeak Explorer achievement will not need to discover these new locations in order to maintain map completion. Players who have not reached map completion in Wayfarer Foothills or Diessa Plateau, or who have not finished the Shiverpeak Explorer achievement, will need to discover these new locations.

Instances

  • Living Story instances telling the stories of both Braham the norn and Rox the charr have been added to the world. In-game mails and achievements have been implemented in order to aid guidance to the relevant locations. These instance locations are marked on the world map with a golden portal marker.
  • After completion, Living Story instances can be experienced again by speaking with the Replay NPCs stationed inside each completed instance location. In the case of Rox and Braham’s combat instances, repeatable rewards can be earned once a day per account.

Achievements

  • The Secret Contact achievement has been added to the Living Story achievement category.
  • The achievements for Braham: Help from the Legions, Braham – Eirsson, Braham – Retake Cragstead, Rox: Critical Mission, Rox – The Hatchery, and Hero’s Aid have been added to the Living Story achievement category in order to track progress in Living Story instances.
  • All prior Living Story achievements can still be earned.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT

Leaderboards

  • We’re pleased to announce that Guild Wars 2 leaderboards begin recording data on March 26th.
  • Initially, the leaderboards will feature WvW rankings, PvP player rankings, and total achievement points—something for all player types in GW2.
  • As of March 26th, your existing scores will silently be posted to the leaderboards while we watch for the top leaders to stabilize. These scores will take into account some of your past accomplishments/rating.
  • Once stable, we will display the leaderboards for players. We currently don’t have an exact date for leaderboard public release.

World vs. World

  • We are happy to announce the addition of World Ranks. When you participate in World vs. World events and defeat enemy players, you will earn World Experience (WXP). When you earn enough WXP, you’ll unlock World Ranks. Every World Rank earned will come with a World Ability Point, and some ranks can even give you a new World Title. World Ability points can be spent on unique World vs. World abilities. Click here for more information on World Ranks.
  • Server-side culling has been removed from World vs. World. For more on the culling removal, read the blog post here.
  • Added client options for various character representations (high-res, low-res, nameplate only).
  • Added more armor and weapon options to vendors inside World vs. World.

Guild Content

  • A new mission type, Guild Bounty Training, is available in Tier 3 of the Art of War line. Completing guild bounty training earns influence for your guild.
  • Three new Guild Bounty targets have been added.
  • Added new weapon skins to the Guild Commendation vendor and sorted the vendor’s available items into tabs.
  • Guild mission activations, completions, and failures are now logged in the Guild History tab.
  • The maximum number of Guild Merits that a single guild can store is 250. This is now displayed alongside the current count.
  • Guild creation is now limited to two guilds per week.
  • Fixed various small bugs on the existing Guild Bounty targets.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH

World Polish

  • Changed the way guaranteed rare drops are delivered for defeating world mega bosses. See the post about this here.
  • Blazeridge Steppes: Fixed a stalling bug in the Rupek and Porgar event chain.
  • Bloodtide Coast: The Bloody Buccaneer event chain should now restart properly.
  • Caledon Forest: Fixed a stalling bug affecting Talaith in the Soundless event chain.
  • Cursed Shore: Fixed a bug in the Meddler’s Summit Pact event chain that caused Pilot Ripsky to become unresponsive.
  • Cursed Shore: Fixed animation on Captain Rotbeard’s reward chest.
  • Cursed Shore: Fixed a bug in the event “Get Warmaster Chan to Shank Anchorage before the troops’ morale breaks.”
  • Cursed Shore: Fixed a stalling bug in the event “Escort Tactician Almonia and her force to secure a new camp.”
  • Cursed Shore: Helping Tactician Footi set up her cannon will now properly award event participation.
  • Cursed Shore: The Champion Risen Gladiator will now appropriately swap his objective back to his health bar when revived.
  • Cursed Shore: Risen Rotmouth will no longer be under the ground when rescuing Tactician Megill.
  • Fields of Ruin: Fixed a bug that prevented some Separatists from counting for the event “Assist the charr delegation.”
  • Fields of Ruin: Fixed an animation bug which caused skills on the Ogre Maul weapons to not animate for characters of some races.
  • Gendarran Fields: Fixed a stalling bug in the event “Keep Bamm safe while he gathers components for his engineering.”
  • Gendarran Fields: Fixed a stalling bug in the event “Defend the merchant caravan.”
  • Gendarran Fields: Fixed a bug that caused centaurs in the Bloodfields to spawn and immediately die.
  • Iron Marches: Fixed a bug that prevented displaced spirits from rejoining their bodies.
  • Iron Marches: Fixed a stalling bug in the event “Defeat Victurus and his Branded army” that occurred if players tried to pull away the Branded army without killing them.
  • Iron Marches: Sentinel Whiptail will now revive the seige devourer in the event “Defend the siege devourer while it assists the troops.”
  • Malchor’s Leap: Fixed a blocking bug in the event “Escort Pact troops and equipment to Wren.”
  • Malchor’s Leap: Fixed a duplicate tent near the Waste Hollows waypoint.
  • Malchor’s Leap: Adjusted creature levels in and under Lyssa’s temple to better match the region’s level.
  • Mount Maelstrom: The Infinity Coil Commander should no longer spam his taunt over a large distance.
  • Mount Maelstrom: Players will no longer become trapped in Krewe Apprentice Blork’s golem suit.
  • Queensdale: Fixed a stalling bug in the event “Protect the brew shipment” that could prevent the Shadow Behemoth events from running.
  • Sandycove Beach: Fixed a stalling bug in the event “Escort the iron shipment to Cowlfang’s Star.”
  • Snowden Drifts: Ice Raking can no longer die before the Claw tournament.
  • Straits of Devastation: Fixed a stalling bug in the Zho’qafa event chain.
  • Shelter’s Gate: The chopper should no longer attack players.
  • Wayfarer Foothills: Fixed a stalling bug that prevented Rani from building his snowman army at the end of the event.
  • Wayfarer Foothills: Reduced the frequency of grawl attacks on Tor’s supply tent in the Frozen Maw event chain.
  • Tactician Megill has been moved out of the briar patch.
  • Juvenile Pink Moas found in Brisban Wildlands can now be tamed appropriately.
  • Fixed a stalling bug that prevented some players from completing the Keg Brawl Kegmaster achievement.
  • Cursed Shore: Changed the objective for the giant fight at the beginning of the Promenade assault.
  • Angvar’s Trove Waypoint has been added to the Snowden Drifts.
  • Iron Marches: Fixed an issue where players would sometimes be unable to plant emblems or evidence in Sonjaw Redclaw’s event chain.
  • Risen Putrifiers will no longer immobilize themselves when attempting to snare players with their anchor.
  • Champion Risen Drake Broodmothers should now have appropriate stats and nameplate borders.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented players from interacting with the pipe organs in Caledon Forest and the Fields of Ruin.
  • Quaggans will now breathe at a normal rate, and child quaggans will sound appropriate for their age.
  • The volume on the Greatsaw and the Chain Sword weapons has been increased.
  • Contested Lyssa statues in Orr will appropriately stun and daze enemies and should no longer apply a nonfunctional “mesmerized” condition.
  • Enemies in Garden of Ilya have had their levels adjusted.
  • Orichalcum Ore locations in Southsun Cove have been moved to locations reachable by players.
  • The Fire Rocket skill on Charrzooka weapons obtained from karma vendors and events has been updated to inflict burning.

General

  • The point amounts obtainable from existing repeatable achievements have been capped as follows: Hobby Dungeon Explorer—200 points; Agent of Entropy—250 points. This change was made to support competitive PvE leaderboards and to lay the groundwork for a reward structure for total achievement points that is coming in a future update.
  • Fixed a bug where Map Completion tooltips on the world map would sometimes display the wrong map.
  • Global: Increased scaling on several events to support up to 50 players.
  • Automatic camera rotation while defeated will no longer restart after the camera is moved.
  • Lip-flap has been enabled for all voiced lines on Players and NPCs in world.
  • The Special Event UI can now be clicked to open up the relevant Achievement Panel.
  • Added missing families to the Daily Kill Variety achievement.
  • Fixed a bug where a player could be removed from an instance they were exploring without a party.
  • Fixed a bug which allowed players to commune with places of power while downed.
  • Fixed an issue with water movement sounds playing either too many sounds or none at all at the surface for playable races.
  • Players who are alone in an instance will no longer be kicked from it when they are invited to and uninvited from a party.
  • Character selection will now show PvE armor, PvP armor, or town clothes as appropriate, depending on what was worn last.
  • Fixed a bug where equipment would get destroyed when unequipped while encumbered.

Dungeons

Fractals

  • Changed the Imbued Shaman’s Enraged buff icon on the Volcanic Fractal.
  • Parties will no longer be killed if they return to the Hub from the Volcanic Fractal.
  • Players should no longer be downed if they have a reflecting crystal when the Jade Maw dies.
  • Fixed an issue where players could be repeatedly killed if they failed to save the captives during the first part of the grawl boss event.

Personal Story

  • “Bad Blood”: Reduced difficulty of spike traps; other minor polish changes made.
  • “Containment”: Fixed a stalling bug that occurred if players talked to Sieran immediately after the cinematic.
  • “Hazardous Environment”: Fixed a stalling bug that occurred if players rushed ahead of Krasso.
  • “Intercepting the Orb”: The head slaver no longer has the ability to summon.
  • “Retribution”: Reduced some enemy levels to make them consistent with the story step’s level.
  • “Ships of the Line”: Fixed a stalling bug on the event “Regroup with the team and assess the situation.”
  • “The Steel Tide”: Improved the tank so it won’t kick players off repeatedly.
  • “The Tribune’s Call”: Fixed a possible stall caused by skipping the cinematic.
  • “The Battle of Fort Trinity”: Upon completion of this story, players can now use the asura gates in any of the order headquarters.
  • “Fixing the Blame”: Players can now speak to Warmaster Gurnn regardless of which events are running.
  • “The Battle of Fort Trinity”: Fixed bug that caused some undead at the end to display as nonhostile.
  • “Tower Down”: It’s no longer necessary to make sure the pack marmox approaches each tower before Tonn can blow it up.
  • “A Grisly Shipment”: Fixed a potential blocking bug that occurred after placing the ghostfire charges.
  • “Twilight of the Wolf”: Reduced Ormi’s level to match the story step’s level.

Items

  • Added a 20-second recharge to the Stunning Strike skill on the Broken Prison Bar.
  • Fixed a bug that caused several pieces of gear to not apply their bonus boon or condition durations.
  • Weapons sold by vendors are no longer salvageable.
  • Transformation tonics cannot be used when already transformed, and leaving transformations has a 3-second cooldown.
  • Removed nonfunctioning sigils from several jewelry and accessory items sold by karma vendors in the Iron Marches.
  • Removed the streaks from the stowed state of Mystic Forge weapons, while ensuring the glow and strobe remained. Streaks should only be visible while swinging the weapon.
  • Updated icons for the Duelist armor set.
  • Updated the miniature siege golems to be account-bound instead of soulbound.
  • Updated Mystic Guardian Weapons with a material with a low depth fade and a slight strobe so they remain visible while stowed.
  • Reduced the range and damage of the Sentinel Rifle obtained in Blazeridge Steppes.
  • Fixed the size and location of the chains of Foefire’s Essence so it is properly hanging from the hilt.
  • Rune of Speed: Updated the 6-piece effect to display its actual constant effect: +5% to movement speed.
  • The totem offerings that can be purchased at the shrines in Wayfarer Foothills now give the same benefits as other food consumables.
  • The “Weapon – Axe” PvP collections tab has been updated to no longer be out of order with the “Cultural Armor – Heavy” PvP collections tab.
  • The PvP Commando’s Helm item has been updated to use the correct model.
  • The PvP Gargoyle Scythe has been updated to now have staff weapon skills.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented players with high amounts of Hall of Monuments points from seeing the PvP Fiery Dragon Sword skin on the Hall of Monuments vendor.
  • Etched Wartorches and Orrian Torches no longer use trident icons.
  • New ascended rings from the February build now have Mystic Forge infusion recipes available.
  • Disabled the use of some consumable items in dungeons.
  • Fixed a bug with the one-time purchases on the laurels vendor that prevented some players from being able to buy these items.
  • Transmuting a legendary item before equipping it will no longer prevent players from getting the achievement.
  • Fixed a bug that caused several Half-Eaten weapons to give an inappropriate amount of bonus attributes for their level.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented some weapon sigils from functioning underwater.
  • Fixed a bug that prevented the Skale Venom consumable from working with projectile attacks.
  • Changed the Commander’s Compendium to not be consumed if used by a character who is already a commander.
  • Updated Ash Legion and Order of Whispers spy kits to work while underwater.

Profession Skills

General

  • Endurance can no longer be negative.
  • Conditions can no longer be transferred to creatures immune to them.
  • Stealth: The duration of Revealed has been increased to 4 seconds when coming out of stealth via an attack.
  • Added evasion duration skill facts to skills.
  • Pets now benefit from their owner’s agony resistance.
  • Reduced quickness from 100% attack speed to 50%.
    As we push to improve balance in both PvE and PvP, a few mechanics in the game will be receiving updates to promote fun and balanced play. In the past, quickness has granted double the action speed normally available to players. In PvP, this speed gives most players almost no chance to react to incoming abilities and allows for massive spike damage in extremely short periods of time. In PvE, the increased attack speed can trivialize a lot of content that would otherwise provide a good challenge. Therefore, we are reducing the speed that quickness allows by half of its current potential while slightly increasing the duration on player-activated skills.

Elementalist

  • Arc Lightning skill: Now strikes enemies that it passes through.
  • Conjured weapons:
    • Now stop autoattacks and cannot be autocast.
    • Now properly appear in the player’s hands upon casting.
  • Signet of Air skill: Updated the passive buff’s description to appropriately indicate the movement speed granted.
  • Elementalists can no longer use the Mist Form skill to instantly rally if they go down exactly at the end of the Tornado skill.
  • Changing attunements no longer causes players to start autoattacking.
  • The Sunspot, Electric Discharge, and Earthen Blast traits no longer trigger when changing attunements while out of combat.
  • Evasive Arcana trait: Plays an effect if the elementalist dodges while in water attunement.

Engineer

  • Packaged Stimulants trait:
    • No longer increases the recharge time on the Drop Bandages skill.
    • No longer reduces the recharge time on the Drop Stimulant skill.
    • No longer applies incorrect fury and swiftness durations to the Drop Stimulant skill.
    • No longer prevents acquisition of the Drop Stimulant pick-up while the player is under the effect of swiftness or fury.
  • Rifled Barrels trait:
    • No longer applies incorrect bleed and weakness durations to the Tranquilizer Dart skill.
    • No longer reduces the recharge time on the Elixir F skill.
  • Forceful Explosives trait: No longer reduces the radius on bombs dropped by the Evasive Powder Keg trait.
  • Fireforged Trigger trait:
    • Correctly lowers the recharge on Elixir F and Super Elixir if the Rifled Barrels trait is also equipped.
    • Correctly lowers the recharge on Acid Bomb.
  • Grenadier trait: No longer removes the recharge when the player stows the Grenade Kit.
  • Super Elixir skill: Displays the correct tooltip information when the Rifled Barrels trait is equipped.
  • Toss Elixir H skill: Displays the correct boon duration on the tooltip while the player is underwater.
  • Throw Mine skill: Correctly turns off the Detonate skill if the mine times out.
  • Automated Response trait: Grants immunity to conditions when the inflictor has over 100% duration.
  • Elixir U:
    • Removed Quickening Zephyr from the base elixir.
    • Removed Veil from the toss mechanic.
    • Now casts instantly and breaks stuns.
  • Stabilized Armor trait: Reduces incoming damage by 5% while endurance is full.
  • Super Elixir skill:
    • Increased both impact base healing and scaling with healing power by 100%.
    • Increased base heal multiplier by 50% and healing power scaling by 100%.
  • Tool Kit skill: Increased potency of skills that heal turrets by 100%.
  • Acidic Coating trait: Now has its intended 10-second cooldown.
  • All utility turrets now detonate after 5 minutes.
  • Thumper Turret skill:
    • Damage from base attacks increased by 66%.
    • Base attacks now cripple for 3 seconds.
    • Self-destructs after 5 minutes.
  • Shockwave skill:
    • Increased damage by 66%.
    • Cooldown reduced from 90 seconds to 45 seconds.
  • Rifle Turret skill: Increased damage from this turret’s base and overcharged attacks by 50%.
  • Surprise Shot skill: Increased damage by 50%.
  • Rocket Turret skill: Reduced recharge from 60 seconds to 50 seconds.
  • Net Turret skill: Increased turret’s health by 25%.
  • Net Attack skill: Reduced cooldown from 60 seconds to 45 seconds.
  • Flame Turret skill:
    • Reduced recharge from 40 seconds to 25 seconds.
    • Increased main attack’s arc from 30 degrees to 60 degrees.
  • Throw Napalm skill: Reduced cooldown from 60 seconds to 30 seconds.
  • Flame Blast skill:
    • No longer double-detonates when the projectile expires naturally.
    • Turns off Detonate after the flame blast ball is gone.
  • Grenade Kit skill: Grenades no longer require the player to have line of sight of the target area to throw them.
  • Kit Refinement trait: Reworked kit skills to balance their effectiveness. All kit skills are now on a static global recharge (20 seconds). The changes are as follows:
    • Med Kit: Equipping this kit applies Magnetic Aura.
    • Bomb Kit: Equipping this kit creates a Magnetic Bomb that pulls enemies toward the center after a brief delay.
    • Elixir Gun: Equipping this kit activates a Glue Trail that follows the player for a short time. Enemies that step in the glue are briefly immobilized.
    • Tool Kit: Equipping this kit grants the user Super Speed for a brief duration.
    • Flamethrower: Equipping this kit grants the player Flame Aura for a time.
    • Grenade Kit: Equipping this kit drops a mine at the player’s location that deals damage and removes a boon.
    • Skills that activate this trait can now activate in midair.
  • Blowtorch skill: No longer displays “miss” on attacks that connect at medium and far distances.

Guardian

  • Wrath skill: Now strikes enemies that it passes through.
  • Symbol of Protection skill: Now correctly hits five maximum targets and applies boons to five allies.
  • Symbol of Faith skill: Now correctly hits five maximum targets.
  • Virtue of Courage skill: Aegis correctly reapplies when stripped.

Mesmer

  • Spatial Surge skill: Now strikes up to two enemies that it passes through, in addition to the primary target.
  • Confusing Images skill: Now strikes enemies that it passes through.
  • Magic Bullet skill:
    • The traited version is now a projectile combo finisher to match the base skill’s functionality.
    • No longer hits targets beyond maximum range.
  • Blade Training trait: Properly reduces the recharge of Illusionary Leap.
  • Illusionary Duelist skill: Reduced the range to 900, matching its current listing.
  • Arcane Thievery skill: Now has the correct range when the Far-Reaching Manipulations trait is equipped.
  • Confounding Suggestions trait: Reduced the frequency of stunning targets when Diversion is used from 100% of the time to 50%.
  • Dazzling trait: Now functions with Chaos Storm and Illusionary Riposte’s secondary attack.

Necromancer

  • Bone Fiend: This creature now properly fires two projectiles while underwater.
  • Dark Path skill: Now unblockable.
  • Epidemic skill: Now requires line of sight of the main target to spread conditions to nearby enemies.
  • Spiteful Talisman trait: Properly grants bonus damage to Spinal Shivers for each boon removed.
  • Staffs now correctly play the visual effects of necromancer staff skills at the tip of the staff rather than at the player’s hands.
  • Life Siphon skill: Updated skill facts.
  • Death Shroud skill: No longer uses a custom skill bar interface, thereby allowing players using Death Shroud to see buffs, health, and endurance. The screen and sound effects are unchanged.
  • Necromancer trait: Now allows life-stealing on walls in World vs. World.

Ranger

  • Black Widow Spider pet: Now has the correct amount of vitality.
  • White Raven pet: Now has the correct amount of vitality.
  • Drake pet Chomp attack: This skill no longer heals enemy targets.
  • Maul skill:
    • Increased bleeding duration from 4 seconds to 6 seconds.
    • Increased base damage by 26%.
  • Counterattack skill: Reduced recharge from 20 seconds to 15 seconds.
  • Hilt Bash skill: Reduced recharge from 30 seconds to 25 seconds.
  • Ranger pet cooldowns are now properly preserved when stabled.
  • Feline pets: Maul now applies consistent critical hits.
  • Quickening Zephyr skill: Now breaks stun. Increased duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.
  • Pet-revive skills no longer fail to heal their target.

Thief

  • Corrosive Traps trait:
    • Applies the correct vulnerability duration with Shadow Trap.
    • Now applies vulnerability with Ambush Trap.
  • Healing Seed skill:
    • Increased radius slightly.
    • Now displays the combo field ring.
  • Caltrops:
    • Reduced duration from 15 seconds to 10 seconds.
    • Now indicates its radius.
  • Steal skill: No longer initiates autoattacks.
  • Uncatchable trait:
    • Now displays an active combat area to both allies and enemies.
    • Increased effective radius by 50%.
  • Basilisk Venom skill: No longer immobilizes targets in addition to stunning them.
  • Haste skill: Increased duration from 4 seconds to 5 seconds.

Warrior

  • Kick skill: Now lunges toward the target slightly, extending the range.
  • Rampage skill:
    • The Kick skill now lunges towards the target slightly, extending the range.
    • Players can now use the Throw Boulder skill while moving.
  • Banner of Defense skill: Increased toughness and vitality granted to allies from 90 at level 80 to 170.
  • Banner of Discipline skill: Increased precision granted to allies from 90 at level 80 to 170.
  • Banner of Strength skill: Increased power and condition damage granted to allies from 90 at level 80 to 170.
  • Banner of Tactics skill: Increased healing granted to allies from 90 at level 80 to 170.
  • Bladetrail skill: Can no longer be fired at enemies behind the player.
  • Frenzy skill: The duration of quickness and its debuffs are now 5 seconds and 6.25 seconds when the player is affected by the Sure-Footed trait.

Racial Skills

  • Charr: The Charrzooka elite skill no longer consumes ammunition when the player uses healing and utility skills.
  • Norn: Players in raven form are no longer prevented from using skills after using Wind Blast.

Structured Player vs. Player

  • Disconnecting from the game removes you from your roster before a match has started.
  • Rosters that lose their submit status opens the roster UI.
  • Scoreboard refreshes when players join, leave, or change teams.
  • Disconnecting gives kill credit to opponents.
  • Daily and monthly laurels can be obtained through either PvP or PvE achievements. You cannot earn additional laurels from doing both, players can simply chose to do one or the other. They will still receive all other normal daily/monthly rewards should they chose to do both PvE and PvP achievements.
  • Party members now show on the map while in the Heart of the Mists.
  • Spirit Watch:
    • Personal points awarded from scoring the orb have been increased from 10 to 15.
    • Updated the voiced line that plays whenever the orb resets.
    • Commune no longer interrupts itself if you interacted multiple times in a row.
  • Temple of the Silent Storm:
    • Updated the voiced lines that play whenever a meditation appears.
    • Commune no longer interrupts itself if you interacted multiple times in a row.
  • Raid on the Capricorn:
    • Updated the scoreboard to include a statistic for cannon hits.
    • Fixed the cannon to reduce camera issues that could occur while a player is operating it.
  • Heart of the Mists: Disabled the Wall of Champions.

World vs. World

  • Updated World vs. World UI screen to include a new ranking system and score breakdowns by map.
  • Updated Outmanned bonus to increase World XP, receive no armor damage on death, and increase experience.
  • Fixed areas where terrain could be exploited to gain access to World vs. World objectives by unintended means.
  • Aldon’s Ledge siege upgrade now successfully completes.
  • Ballista bonus damage to siege no longer has the chance to apply to players.
  • Armor and weapon vendors
    • Updated their positions slightly.
    • Updated the items and their costs for some merchants.
  • Sigil of Leeching no longer affects gates.
  • Catapult damage no longer affects rams through gates.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE

New Items and Promotions

  • Until April 1, 2013, it is free to transfer to all Medium population worlds! Players are still restricted to one world transfer per week, so choose wisely.
  • Added the Name Change Contract to the Gem Store. Each Name Change Contract can change one character’s name once. Place the Name Change Contract in the inventory of the character whose name you want to change and then double-click to activate it. Name Change Contracts are available in the Service category of the Gem Store for 800 gems each.
  • Added the Communal Boost Bonfire to the Gem Store. Place the Communal Boost Bonfire in the world and choose a boost to experience, karma, or magic find. Once the fire is fully stoked, anyone can interact with the bonfire to receive the chosen boost. You can increase the speed at which the fire is stoked by throwing more firewood onto it. Firewood spawns automatically when the boost type is selected. The Communal Boost Bonfire is available in the Boost category of the Gem Store for 300 gems each or 5 for 1200 gems.
  • Added Fused weapon skins to the Black Lion Chest. Each Black Lion Chest has a rare chance to give a Fused weapon claim ticket. Take this ticket to Evon Gnashblade in Lion’s Arch or to the Vigil Weapons Specialist at the refugee camps in Hoelbrak and the Black Citadel. Trade the ticket for one of 16 new weapon skins inspired by the fiery alliance between the dredge and Flame Legion. All Fused weapon skins are account-bound. You can preview the weapons at the Vigil Weapon Specialists even if you do not have a ticket. Open a Black Lion Chest with a Black Lion Key, available in the Consumable category of the Gem Store for 125 gems each or 5 for 450 gems.
    • Fused Axe
    • Fused Dagger
    • Fused Focus
    • Fused Greatsword
    • Fused Hammer
    • Fused Longbow
    • Fused Mace
    • Fused Pistol
    • Fused Rifle
    • Fused Scepter
    • Fused Shield
    • Fused Short Bow
    • Fused Staff
    • Fused Sword
    • Fused Torch
    • Fused Warhorn

Improvements

  • Replaced the Hot and Featured item sections on the front page of the Gem Store with a single item carousel that shows all featured items. To scroll the carousel right or left, click the arrows on either side. To select a specific page, click its gray dot at the bottom of the carousel.
  • The banner carousel on the front page of the Gem Store now has page indicators at the bottom of the banners. To select a specific banner, click its gray dot at the bottom.
  • Selecting an item from the featured item carousel or the banner carousel will take you to that item’s category, automatically scroll down to that item, and highlight it.
  • In item preview, a red exclamation point now appears on an item that your character cannot equip.
  • Costume Brawl now stays on players up to 5 minutes when they exit a transformation to allow them to switch transformations while brawling.
  • Renamed the following items for clarity:
    • “Black Lion Key” is now “Black Lion Chest Key”
    • “Evon Gnashblade’s Box of Fun” is now “Box of Fun”
    • “Black Lion Merchant Express” is now “Merchant Express”
    • “Personal Black Lion Merchant Express” is now “Personal Merchant Express”
    • “Black Lion Trader Express” is now “Trading Post Express”
    • “Personal Black Lion Trader Express” is now “Personal Trader Express”
    • “Fine Transmutation Stone” is now “Transmutation Crystal”
    • “Basic Transmutation Stone” is now “Transmutation Stone”
    • “Permanent Trading Post Pick Up Contract” is now “Permanent Trading Post Express Contract”
    • “Plush Charr Backpack Cover” container is now “Plush Charr Backpack Set”
    • “Tiger Charr Backpack Cover” container is now “Tiger Charr Backpack Set”
    • “Plush Quaggan Backpack Cover” container is now “Plush Quaggan Backpack Set”
    • “Pink Quaggan Backpack Cover” container is now “Pink Quaggan Backpack Set”

Bug Fixes

  • Fixed some display and clipping issues with shields and back items in item preview.
  • Traits are no longer active during Costume Brawl.
  • While players are in Costume Brawl, the right-side skills are now replaced by a time-out brawl skill so players can always exit Costume Brawl.
  • The autocomplete drop-down no longer gets stuck on the Trading Post search bar.

GUILD WARS 2 USER AGREEMENT

The Guild Wars 2 User Agreement has been updated. As of March 26, 2013, each player is required to accept the amended agreement upon logging in to the game.

The amended content is as follows:

  • Changed “NCsoft” to “NCSOFT” throughout.
  • Added content to indicate whether the specific agreement applies to an EU or Non-EU player.
  • Added link to the second regional User Agreement.
  • Added definition of Guild Wars 2 Account Display Names in Section 1c.
  • Added references to Guild Wars 2 Account Display Names where relevant.

(edited by AidanTaylor.3872)