Guild Wars 2

Project Name: ArenaNet – Guild Wars 2 – Heart of Thorns. Closed Beta Stress Test.

Test Platform Specification:-

CPU: Intel 8 Core i7 5960X

RAM: 16GB Quad Channel DDR4

Storage: 2x 512GB Samsung 840 Pro SSD’s (OS Installed here)
1x 1TB Samsung 840 EVO SSD (Game is installed here)
1x 4TB Western Digital Green Mass storage HDD

Video: 2x 6GB GeForce GTX Titan in SLI Configuration Driver version 348.52

Sound: Creative Labs Sound Blaster ZxR PCIe Driver Version 1.0.23

Motherboard: Asus Rampage V Extreme

Network: Wired Intel Ethernet I218-V Gbit Connection.

Router: Draytek 2830VN+ ADSL2 Router/Firewall Device

Input Devices: Logitech G710+ Keyboard, Thermaltake Level 10M Mouse

OS: * Windows 8.1 Pro x64

*Location: Perth, Western Australia

Game Configuration.

Resolution: 1920×1080
Enabled: Hi resolution character textures
Enabled: FXAA
Enabled: LoD
Enabled: Depth of Field

All other settings are set to High.

Overall Experience of Play

I’m impressed. The expansion looks beautiful and the expansion runs admirably on my computer. I enjoyed the increased level of voicework on the characters in the opening scene, it is very absorbing and helps with pulling the player into the world. I played with the Revenant (big surprise) which I found to have a diverse and interesting mix of skills. I have to say however that it seems engineered specifically to fight Mordremoth. The real test of balance will be when I decide to use my (lets say) Elementalist to battle the Wyvern. Would that character be effective without Forceful Engagement? It seems that balance may be a problem for the older character classes.

In addition to this the starting/initial areas of the demo had an open playfield that involved two distinct playstyles. Snipers in a high perch and a group of close combat fighters on the ground with players split between the two. This works right now, but I’d be concerned about the workability of this as the population dwindles. Let me give you an example, there are multiple areas dotted around the Jade Sea region of Guild Wars 1 that are essentially unreachable because they require player elements on both sides of an artificial divide in order for either side to progress. Such design has frustrated efforts for new GW2 players to go back and acquire HoM points in the Eye of the North. I’m concerned about issues like this going forward in GW2.

Issues experienced during play.

No specific technical issues other than expected lag. I played alongside a fellow guild member who experienced 48ms ping response while I experienced 480 ms. I live in Australia however and the server I use is European because my guild are located there.

Notable items.

Great environments and I particularly enjoyed the Revenant. The play was fun and The Wyvern though challenging was largely disarmed through Forceful Engagement, I wonder how a Warrior or Elementalist will achieve this.