Guild Wars 2

This is maybe something that’s been brought up before but I couldn’t find anything on a search.
Would it be possible to turn the outfit tonics into outfits again? The old town clothes were dye-able before and this lead to a lot more variation and enjoyment. These days seeing people in the tonics, which remove utility skills, is so rare it’s almost unheard of. With the tonics returned to outfits, skills won’t be a problem

I’m guessing that one problem is the fact that currently the tonics are tradeable on the TP and these items suddenly becoming outfits may be an issue. I can suggest a couple of ways to handle this that are a little fiddly but hopefully doable.

1) Phase out then change over.
I don’t know if this is technically doable but start the process by preventing the tonics from being posted on the TP and announce that the item will be made into an outfit. This should hopefully rapidly empty the TP of the tonics. With them not being tradable, buying more than one is pointless so hopefully people trying to hoard them wouldn’t happen so much.
Then, once the TP is empty of them, switch the tonic into an outfit-learning item and job is done. They could then potentially be re-added to the Gemstore as an outfit.

Pros: Preserves potential earnings for those with tonics on the TP
Cons: Very fiddly and time-taking.

2) Tradeable outfit.
This may be the simplest solution; make the tonic directly into an outfit-learning item and keep it tradeable. If you want the outfit, add it to your collection, if you don’t want it, sell it.
Again, once the TP is empty, if it ever is, these could be sold for Gems, or an unsellable version sold on the Gemstore. If not, could mean the outfit is considered very exclusive.

Pros: Best of both worlds
Cons: means making a second ‘version’ of each outfit tonic for the Gemstore, complaints about exclusivity of the outfit/style.

Anyone else got ideas?

These two opposing forms combined with the idea of support, once mastered, can then be combined in a multitude of ways. Once one has learned to physically manifest their will in terms of shield or ranged attack, this can easily be changed to manifestation of spiritual weapons, as per mentioned Ritualist influence. An ultimate example of this is the manifestation of a Tome. The Guardian’s will manifests as a book, allowing it to be formed into a number of either supportive or aggressive forms and powerful abilities.

This, however, can present the Guardian with a problem. All of these manifestations of willpower require a certain amount of concentration to maintain, and this can take tremendous mental concentration and discipline. Maintaining all of the manifestations at once can take a lifetime to truly master and it is the major weakness for a Guardian. Being distracted, caused to fear or interrupted in concentration in any way can be devastating for the Guardian and is a major reason why so much of Guardian training consists of focus and discipline.

In conclusion, the Guardian is a melding of multiple older philosophies of magical manifestation and ability, combined with the modern Tyrian will and strength to preserve and persevere in the face of tremendous upheaval. In these trying times, the Guardian is a beacon of discipline and focus, granting protection and support to their allies in the form of shielding and magical condition removal, and offensive capability, strengthening themselves and allies to take on greater challenges that individually would be insurmountable.

This protective manifestation can then be added to, increased and re-shaped into other forms once the young Guardian has mastered it. This includes walls and domes as well as circles. Shapes which can reflect, push back and keep enemies either outside of the area, or trap them close to the offensive guardian’s attacks. Another word that could perhaps be applied to such defensive capabilities is control, ensuring the enemy is where the guardian and it’s allies wish it to be.

With offensive abilities, these are most commonly tied to the weapons immediately in the Guardian’s hands. Unlike warriors however, these also include magical items such as scepters and foci, as well as the ability to make use of a staff, though this is more for supportive rather than offensive capabilities. These are all, generally, related to the idea of the monk ‘smiting’ mindset. Adding to the muscle-power and physical prowess of the guardian come the ability to attack multiple enemies around oneself, to inscribe symbols on the ground which both support allies and harm enemies, and to accentuate movement around the battlefield. Again, the term control can be applied, both in terms of controlling the enemy’s movement, but also your own toward or away from them.

There is, as mentioned, a third side to this which is the idea of support. This is where the Paragon’s shouts and inspirations come into play, and the third generally considered form for the manifestation of a Guardian’s will, namely, that of fire. A Guardian’s flames can be widely utilised but most often initially so for the purging of magically applied conditions or injuries, poisons and bleeding for example. The exertion of will required to remove these most often manifests as fire, as stated, and once understood and controlled this can be again utilised and strengthened. Indeed, many Guardians are able to apply it into their offensive abilities and cause burning to their enemies. It can be also noted that said Guardian fire can actually be used to snuff out mundane fire within a short range.

It can be considered that true power requires both strength and force, and the will to apply and direct said force. This can be said for all professions, both old and new, across all of Tyria, regardless of the religious faith of the wielder, or the target said power is directed at. Historically, as stated, the Monk’s force came from the Gods themselves, and their own will used to direct it through prayer. The Paragon’s power, similarly, came from their faith in the Gods, and the will was their own, directing said force as shouts and rallying calls to their allies. In modern times, however, with Guardians coming from all races, where does the force itself come from, as it is generally only humans who still keep faith with the Six, and even then, there are areas of humanity where this belief differs?

My own theory on this relates to the discussion of upheaval in my opening paragraph. The world has seen some devastating changes since Kormir’s ascension. The rising of the Dragons, changes to landscape and peoples, new enemies and threats emerging. With all this, the major races of Tyria are now allied, even the humans and charr, bitter enemies for generations, are now starting on the path toward peace. This gives a tremendous body of will, and it is this alone which I believe that now fuels the Guardian profession. The will to keep what we have, to protect our world, to maintain what little stability we have now gained. It is the faith in those around us, in ourselves, in our right to continue existing. That which used to direct the power of the Gods themselves now directs the magic of the Guardian.

To demonstrate my theory, I shall look at the current portfolio of abilities considered ‘standard’ for all the Guardian. As befits a form of magic which mixes two previous professions together, Guardians appear to have split, sometimes opposing, sides to their abilities; offense and defence, magical and martial weapons, vocal spells and symbols on the ground, actual physical attacks and spiritual, near ghostly, weapons and manifestations. All of these formed by the will and faith of the caster.

The first and majorly noticeable ability, and the first that is generally taught alongside proficiency with martial weapons, is the summoning of the aegis or shield of pure will and focus. Whether wielding a physical barrier or not, the aegis is a requirement to ensure the will and focus of the Guardian is maintained at all times. Similarly perhaps to mesmeric constructs, it manifests as a kite-shaped shield on the arm of the Guardian and will shatter when absorbing the next attack. Some guardians have indeed taken note of the mesmeric ability to direct shattered illusions and can cause effects on the aegis being broken.

Of the professions of old, Monks and Paragons, as stated, are the two most closely tied to Guardians. Monks were a human profession who had a direct conduit to the Six. Their abilities relied upon prayers to the Gods to bring healing and protection to their allies and call down divine wrath upon foes. With relation to the Gods, Dwayna was considered the mostly attuned to the Monks, especially in their protective aspects, and Balthazar when in their offensive pursuits.

Paragons hail from Elona and were considered touched by the Gods, having come close to death and survived, attributing their survival to the Six. However, unlike the monks,they do not directly call upon the Gods for power. Instead they aided through rallying shouts and chants, supporting and encouraging. Their use of spears and shields allowed them range on the battlefield, from which they could give greater support, rather than being at the frontline with their allies behind them.

Since Kormir’s Ascension to godhood, these two professions do indeed appear to have evolved into a single one. Guardians poses the healing, protective and smiting abilities of the monk, and combine them with the inspirational and battlefield presence of the paragon. One major difference is entirely obvious. With the spreading of knowledge to the now generally allied races of Tyria, the reliance on the power of gods or higher beings is now removed. This is especially shown as we now see Asuran, Norn and even Charr guardians, as well as newly awakened Sylvari guardians. I shall touch upon this further, later in the essay.

It would be remiss of me not to also touch upon the abilities of the Ritualist, as there are hints of these two within the portfolio of the Guardian. The Ritualist being a magic user from Cantha which actually pre-dates the arrival of the Gods. They are known for having called upon the spirits of their Ancestors for power, which they then used to summon spirit-world allies. This shows itself in the modern Guardian as the ability to summon spiritual weapons which act independently.

Been playing since early beta, and am an RPer as I’m sure many are on here. I’ve written an in-character essay (that is, essay that would have been written by my character within the setting) and wanted to get thoughts on the ideas put forward, especially as we don’t have particularly much Guardian lore to go on. So! Please find it below

(Had to split it into multiple posts sorry )

On Guardian Magic and it’s Origins and Function.
by T Kaltlicht.

It has been two hundred and fifty years since the most well-known Paragon of Elona, Spearmarshal Kormir, passed into Godhood with the death of Abaddon. During that time, Tyria as a whole has seen massive upheaval and change in it’s environment and peoples across all areas of life. This has also included development and innovation in the use of magic. In this essay I shall discuss and explain my own interpretation of where the abilities of the Guardian fit into this tapestry of change. To do so I shall look at the historical view of magic and it’s organisation. I shall also touch upon the progenitor professions of the Guardian, namely paragons and monks. I shall also discuss personal will and it’s use in shaping magic into defensive and offensive abilities.

As per historical record, Abaddon gifted the world with magic, but due to the terrible wars such a massive influx of power caused, King Doric begged the Gods to intervene, and as such the Bloodstone was created to limit and control the magic inherent in all creatures of Tyria. The stone was split into four pieces and a keystone, and thrown into the volcano, Abaddon’s Mouth, from whence the pieces erupted and were scattered across Tyria. Today we see traces of this in the Bloodstone Dust used in various crafting professions to create extremely powerful magical items and armour.

A further theory suggests that magic existed in the world before the Gods and Bloodstones. Discussion of a Draconic cycle, where the Elder Dragons slumber and leech magic into the world, only to reawaken at saturation and consume it again, only to slumber once more and restart the cycle. Evidence has been found among the Jotun of the Shiverpeaks that their society wielded magic before the Gods walked on Tyria. Yet further theories are put forth by the various Schools within Asura society.

No matter what theory is ascribed to, if not all at once, the fact that Tyria is suffused with magic is an undeniable fact, and it is down to the sentient races of the land to research and interpret how it works and how to apply it to daily life. Within the historical context again, humanity split it into four schools, hence the four Bloodstone parts, namely Preservation, Destruction, Aggression, and Denial. The forms of magic within the schools aptly match the names, and the professions of old, and their new interpretations, draw from more than just one school.

SAB SAB wanna go to SAB yes please SAB. SAB SAB. Go to SAB.
What’s your favorite thing about SAB? Mine is SAB.
SAB going to SAB can’t wait.
You are the farthest ever in SAB . Why me, SAB ? Because you are the best. I’m the best at SAB? Yes.
Going to SAB going there can’t wait gotta go. SAB. Going.
Are we in SAB yet? What’s the hold-up? Gotta go to SAB . Gotta go to SAB!

/signed

How about a compromise.
Leave Salma main gate shut as an instanced salma entrance

but open up the side gate and let us in Means uninstanced salma is part of DR.. but the instance entrance doesn’t need to be changed in any way

Last night I bought around 3200 gems.
I bought a bank tab, which happened instantly, all well and good.
I then go to purchase a pirate outfit, which doesn’t arrive in the mail as you’d expect, so I think ‘maybe it didn’t work’, an so buy another.
And notice I’ve lost gems for BOTH purchases
I then buy a dye pack, this too doesn’t arrive.
Having left it 24 hours, still no pirate outfits or dye pack. I did, however, just now buy a dye pack and that arrived instantly.
I’d like my pirate outfits and other dye pack please. I did make a ticket but got an automated response about not being able to refund gem purchases. I don’t WANT a refund, I just want my two outfits and dye pack

Thanks

Elu

Same, logged to character screen and game crashed out, then got that message

Accidentally bought two lots of gems due to lag..
then have now twice tried to buy pirate outfit, thinking it had failed due to lag but should have two pirate outfits on the way to me….

no sign yet

As with other MMOs, Keg Brawl seems to be the sort of side game that could garner a lot of competitive play, especially if there can be teams formed, ladders made etc, to allow groups to work together and earn rewards.

Please can we have this?
Thanks
Elu

Remember that there are both EU and US based unofficial roleplay servers, the EU one being Piken Square

You can get a lot of info on roleplay events, guilds and players at http://www.guildwars2roleplayers.com

:)

If you’ve been paying attention to the development, you will have seen that the entire game is ‘endgame’ as has been said.. and the point isn’t to ‘hit 80’, but to keep exploring. The levels simply set waypoints and mean you can’t simply go to all content at once.. they force you to follow the story and that’s it. Unless you have completely explored all maps, finished your personal story and conquered every dungeon, got all of your professions up and got all of the legendary gear items… you aren’t done. As the game has hardly been out long enough to allow you the time to do that..
you’re not done with endgame.

To me there is some form of holy trinity , but it’s far ‘softer’ and the edges blurred. That trinity being control, support and damage.
Everyone can damage, but some are better at controling where the enemy is or where it can move, and others are better at throwing boons to everyone else.. whereas yet others focus on damage.

As has been said, dust drops from ghosts a lot, skale and drakes drop blood, I’ve had asura enemies in asura areas drop tiny totems etc.

I use longbow mainly and either greatsword or sword/dagger (when falling off ledges isn’t a problem.. there’s lots of movement abilities that I fall afoul of ¬¬)
as for utilities, again situational and preference.

There’s also a fisherman Karma vendor in Queensdale that sells them

As with most weapons, it’s down to playstyle
I tend to stick with rifle and use the flamethrower

The town clothes items are account bound and can be used on any character
the armour sets are ‘skins’ and can only be used once on one character, but you can transmog with them afterward to keep the skin

Am personally running on an i7 with Nvidia 580GTS and 8gig ram with no issues…
So I’d say either the 3rd or 4th

Guildhead is indeed an awesome resource
Guildwars2guru.com also has information I think as it’s connected to GW2DB as well. There are a few slowly building fansites out there, both along the lines of WoWhead.

Love this game.. so much..

You’ll likely need to make a support ticket about this as there have been some payment issues with some types of debit cards.

The two soldier classes are good.. but all classes tend to have fun melee options. I’m loving sword/dagger and greatsword on my ranger for example
Only thing you can do is play ALL the things and try it out

I’ll need to be getting human heavy tier 3 for roleplay reasons ¬¬
It’s a problem rping a member of the Seraph ^^

Same materials for equivalent normal bag plus ‘dust’ component for level
Hey presto, discovered bag \o/

Also remember, this does include the runes of holding for bags above basic crafting

Transfers will be remaining free until server population has settled, but I bet Anet will give information and warning for when they are going to close that, so you’ve time to move back if it doesn’t work out

Agreed.
I don’t mind occasional language used as an enthusiastic comment, nor am I against various levels of humor

but having a game where people ARE punished for obviously taking thekitten which ‘Fittle Lucker’ is.. is a refreshing change. Besides.. a 3 day suspension isn’t bad.. and hopefully will teach you not to push it so far again.