Guild Wars 2

Chase.8415:

Name.9625:

Botting deserves a ban and should be punished even harder in my opinion. Something like an IP ban

IP bans are so easy to bypass, you can literally google how to get passed one. Worse yet, IP addresses change often and it’s possible for a perfectly legitimate customer to get the same IP address someone else was banned from.

The worse ban they can do is a MAC address ban and even that can be solved with a simple google search.

Worse they can do is that + account ban.

Someone that dense is actually a great source of revenue. Won’t be long before they get banned again and they’re off to give Anet another $50.

It’s funny that people will spend $50 + the time needed to circumvent the MAC ban, but they exist and as long as they pay the stupid tax, honestly, what can be said.?

What can be done other than to smack them like a piñata for all they’re worth? Three things can happen:

1. Stupid learns to keep their stupid in check.
2. Stupid pays recurrent $50 stupid admittance tax for every ban stupid earns for themselves.
3. Stupid get’s tired of paying the stupid tax and takes their stupid somewhere else.

Win/win.

Shadey Dancer.2907:

Spot the odd one out—

Basic Tradeable
Fine Tradeable
Masterwork Tradeable
Rare Tradeable
Exotic Tradeable
Ascended Not Tradable but you can sell the inscriptions or insignia
Legendary Tradeable

Makes perfect sense—if your Abaddon.

Does this mean I have to eat your eyes now? Please don’t make me eat your eyes.

Dalris Thane.6314:

Cowardly or not, I fully support Evon as of now. Heck, in game (or in life), you conscript me and take my stuff, I’ll be the worst traitorous psychopathic nihilist you’ve ever seen… (assuming I have the resources of course).

o.o;

Good thing Evon’s not crazy/suicidal then.

I’m reserving judgement until more info comes out. If it comes out. As of present though, that is pretty bad if indeed Evon’s directly responsible for cutting off an escape route for fellow citizens.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Pretty sure there’s no mention anywhere of anything going on between Dwayna and Balthazar xD.

Fuzzy memory from 8+ years or so ago ain’t all that reliable. Just something that’s in the old noggin’.

A thousand pardons, Grenth. Hope you and your dad had a pleasant reunion.

LampGhost.9658:

it’s amazing to see that now it’s official these notes are fake, this thread is full of posts saying how there ‘were finally some viable patch notes’ and it ‘was to good to be true’.

I must have missed that the real notes are out there too!? or how the heck does everyone know the actual patch notes will be trash?

People are fey, fickle things. You can see the same ones going on about how terrible a patch it was, how it wouldn’t be enough, it’s a good start, etc. in the Reddit thread.

Or in short, few of the civilians know anything about war. Few of the players know anything about balancing a game.

darko.4501:

Colleting Heirlooms is the most selfish thing thant you can do in LA.

If that’s the only thing you’re doing, yes.

But if while you’re running around the whole map you’re also rallying, rezing, and generally saving citizens and making sure they make it to an exit or a whispers agent, you’re actually being incredibly helpful.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

CETheLucid.3964:

FlamingFoxx.1305:

The only human who has become a God is Kormir – and she isn’t leading humanity. The rest of the Gods are NOT humans, they come from somewhere else in the mists.

That’s debatable.

The case might be made that Grenth was a half-god, the illegitimate son of Dwayna and Malchor, who cemented his position as a full fledged god of death by overthrowing the former death god Dhuum.

The fact that they could have reproduced may prove the human gods have a mortal origin…. save for Melandru, who seems to be a more ancient and native Tyrian god… though she also has a human likeness.

But he was a half god… Not a human. Also he is not the illegitimate son of Dwayna and Malchor, he’s just their son.

The fact that they can reproduce says absolutely NOTHING about them having a mortal origin. Gods throughout real world myths and legends have been able to reproduce with themselves and with humanity – they’re gods after all so they could probably reproduce with anything.

It’s pretty popular theory that the gods, whilst gods to humanity, are really just powerful beings. We know that they came from somewhere in the Mists and we know that they didn’t create Tyria – so they’re gods in the sense of being extremely powerful – but no in the sense of creating the world.

I seem to remember Dwayna and Bathazar being something of an item. That might not be true though and I’m just weird.

That would just mean Dwayna took a fancy to Malchor’s… devotion, and summarily left the dude blind and heartbroken.

But yeah.

Unless Dwayna just magically materialized Grenth… there’s something to the idea that for whatever reason, humans and their gods are… compatible with one and other.

Kormir furthers that train of thought in that she was once mortal.

Flintgold.5761:

-You are fighting instead of healing yourself while i’m trying to rez you.

Sometimes it’s all they can do. If they were healing and they were hit, that skill is interrupted and on cool down so they can’t heal themselves.

Even a fish out of water will desperately flop, trying to return itself to water before it expires.

Lutinz.6915:

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/1yehf3/what_the_hell_evon/

This made me somewhat less sympathetic towards Evon.

I want to see that in game myself, but at present, that does look pretty bad for Evon.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

The only human who has become a God is Kormir – and she isn’t leading humanity. The rest of the Gods are NOT humans, they come from somewhere else in the mists.

That’s debatable.

The case might be made that Grenth was a half-god, the illegitimate son of Dwayna and Malchor, who cemented his position as a full fledged god of death by overthrowing the former death god Dhuum.

The fact that they could have reproduced may prove the human gods have a mortal origin…. save for Melandru, who seems to be a more ancient and native Tyrian god… though she also has a human likeness.

skullmount.1758:

Morfedel.4165:

Look at the dialogue Heal-O-Tron has with Evon Blackblade. He-ro-Tron is coming, just needs some black lion trading post upgrades!

Unfortunately he lacks the sufficient funding.

He and Evon are gonna work something out. He’ll get what he needs.

Moteris.5913:

ShinjoNaomi.1896:

Now it could be really heart-wrenching if you found the charr that kid was talking to digging and clawing at a collapsed and wrecked building, yelling,
‘Raisin! Come on, say something!’

omg my heart just broke a bit reading that!

:’(

Kitten it raisin kid, you better be alive.

I have no problem going out of my way to raise downed players. It’s the good guy thing to do.

But if you’re actually defeated and it’s really inconvenient to rez you in the middle of the demon spawn of aethers, toxics, and moltens…

And so you’re sitting there, dead, on top of players that are simply downed that I could be helping that you’re body blocking…

You’re the bad guy for not respawning, not me for choosing not to pick you up.

Person who is downed ontop of dead person, I’m sorry. I want to. I’ll try if I can find some breathing room.

But if I can’t because the game is making me target the dead guy and not you being downed, blame the dead kitten that won’t respawn.

(If you’re dead and it’s relatively safe to rez you, I will, but don’t expect a hard rez from defeated state in the middle of an event where I’m also trying to survive.)

If you have a teleport or mobile downed move, try to move to a spot away from other downed or dead people. If I see you, if I can (and I promise I’ll try), I’ll pick you up.

But please practice some common sense and some basic courtesy.

So we go from Evon Gnashblade being a decent guy and a shrewd businessman down to racially charged tensions and comments? This really is a political debate!

No but seriously, cut that out.

You can take your human/charr conflict stuff to: https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/lore/human/Would-You-Fight-To-Reclaim-Ascalon/

Stay on topic.

Zaxares.5419:

Nah, that was Captain Shudd, not Evon. She’s the one in charge of the Asura gates.

She did what she had to do. Can’t have Scarlet’s army invading Tyria’s major cities from what was once a central hub into all of them.

If Captain Shudd didn’t do that, the attack on LA wouldn’t be localized; it’d be international.

Zaxares.5419:

You didn’t hire any additional guards for your caravans (I had to save your dolyaks for you)

You don’t know that they’re his dolyaks. They’re just dolyaks with supplies. Some might well be his. It’s a safe bet.

But the BLTP isn’t the only merchant in town. Just the most prominent.

Zaxares.5419:

didn’t have an evacuation plan for your employees (you abandoned them to die in the burning ruins of the BLTC building)

No one had an evacuation plan. Including Evon. Evon’s plan was to organize a large scale one for everyone. It didn’t happen.

He fled with the rest of his workers when the place lit up. It can be safely assumed some died or are among the folks we’re saving from LA.

Evon himself could have died or been trapped just the same.

Evon assumed and was probably vigorously assured the Lionguard would be up to the challenge. Wasn’t so. Gnashblade is understandably sore about this ATM.

Zaxares.5419:

didn’t bother stockpiling medical supplies and other goods that would be in high demand during an emergency (and you call yourself a merchant…)

Umm… as you said earlier and as we know, Evon’s still the richest guy there even after the fact. He’s been conscripted by the Lionguard to outfit and supply all of the mentioned.

He’s still giving away free boosters, armor repair kits, and revive orbs during all of this. He’s loaded with cash and goods. Evon didn’t get rich by being stupid.

As less than thrilled about the situation he finds himself in, it’s a safe bet he’s gonna make this work to his benefit.

Again, bitter about it as he might be, Kiel did him a favor that he can capitalize on and Heal-O-Tron has offered another venture that looks promising.

(Though Heal-O-Tron better not be sacrificing himself! And where’s Marcello??)

digiowl.9620:

If you hang around the fort when the miasma hits max, Kiel will come in with the airship and pull Magnus and the rest of the NPCs out.

Yeah, it makes just about zero sense from a continuity POW. But thats a MMO for you…

He’s repentant. The last LS shed some light on Canach.

MrTastix.6842:

Whilst I can understand Gnashblade’s frustration, you’re all incredibly foolish if you honestly think “Kiel” is to blame. She’s simply a scapegoat, a plot device that could be called under any other name with any other personality.

Had Gnashblade been voted in Kiel would be where standing where he is right now making the same complaints as he is, making our decision pretty pointless in the long-term.

Lion’s Arch was always going to be destroyed. ArenaNet has already stated that it was in the works far before much of what we’ve been parley to has happened. The person you voted for? It was nothing more than a cheap ruse to create tension, the actual person could be have anyone, the votes could have been rigged and none of it would have made a lick of difference.

Lion’s Arch would still be burning.

Cutthroat Politics was supposed to be fun. The story behind it really doesn’t mean much in the long-term.

I don’t blame Kiel. She tried to warn the council like Gnashblade did. They pooh-pooh’d her. Few people listen to “the end is upon us” types of warnings, even if it might well be.

Don’t know if Gnashblade is privy to that info, but yes, she tried to warn them like he did. From the sound of it, I don’t think that Gnashblade knows that.

In general, you can warn people that something bad is coming but unless they take you up on that warning and act, there’s nothing anyone can do for them except to pick up the pieces or to bury them after the fact.

The sky really was falling. It fell. On LA.

That’s weird. I saw Canach in LA helping us rescue people and fighting off Scarlet’s forces out in Fort Marriner with Captain Ellen and Captain Magnus.

inazuma.7021:

Evon is a selfish coward, and in this patch he has proved it. When the Lionguard conscript him to act as a quartermaster in this emergency, he threatens to “pull up stakes” and leave. He’d rather abandon everyone than help. The only reason he stays is the threat of execution. It takes a -death threat- to get that son of a grawl to do his civic duty.

#TeamKiel

Actually, Evon warned everyone about the imminent attack. As did our PCs, Marjory, and Vorrp.

You can’t “force” people to be prepared and largely, everyone didn’t take the warning to heart. Disaster happened.

Evon was right.

Gnashblade’s stuck between a rock and a hard place in terms of running his business and being a conscripted hero he never especially signed up for (kitten that Kiel!)

If they had listened to him (and us), perhaps LA would have been in a marginally better position to defend itself.

Or at least more lives could have been saved via a pro-active evacuation rather than a reactive one.

But ironically enough by that action on Ellen’s part, she’s making Evon something of a hero… whether he likes it or not.

I don’t think Ellen Kiel knows how much Gnashblade resents her efforts with him so far.

But I think once he realizes he’s doing a lot of good and this situation actually makes him something of a hero (Evon outfits our heroes and doesn’t afraid of anything), he’ll warm up a bit.

He’s a big grumpy cat.

You’d be grumpy too if you were chased out of your home, suffered heavy losses, and suddenly made to play hero with a person a former rival you don’t exactly see eye to eye with.

Can’t criticize the guy for being mad. He has some pretty good reasons to be.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

Asumita.2174:

Astraea.6075:

Sins.4782:

Warlord.9074:

Stats matter when they give a clear advantage, Ascended armor by itself not including ascended trinkets do not give a clear advantage in this game. If you can prove that if 1 player with ascended armor and another with exotics that the player will 100% beat the other player in a 1v1 with exotics Ill hear you out. Or have any numerical real world advantage outside a calculator or spread sheet id eat my words.

Do you not understand how stats work or something? If someone has 50 power more than someone else, then they are 50 power stronger. It’s not hard math.

And without context, 50 power more is just 50 power more. A meaningless number.

Right. Say it takes and average of 10 hits to kill something. Ascended zerk armor have 14 more power, 11 more precision, and 1% more crit damage. From a pool of say 2000 power (if you spec for DPS), do you think that difference will bring the average down to 9 hits? I don’t think so. Maybe it will bring the average down to 99 from 100 hits.

as shown in the math literally right above you… it would take the hits down a lot more than that… ~14% damage increase for zerkers.

2000 health 10 hits to kill so an average of 200 dmg per hit is what you are saying. 200*1.14 = 228 dmg

That lowers it all the way down to 8.77 hits from 10.

“all the way down”… by 2… rounded up.

Lol

Seven Star Stalker.1740:

Not sure why you’re quoting me, considering I neither addressed you, nor did anything you say have anything really to do with me. .-.

Of course. Honest mistake, the quote doesn’t show the entire convo which included Dark Catalyst’s relevant quote. This is what I was addressing.

After that, a much appreciated impromptu recap by you. Spared me a lot of BS you did. Sorry for the mix up.

Sirendor.1394:

CETheLucid.3964:

Sirendor.1394:

CETheLucid.3964:

Sirendor.1394:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

This argument has been used countless times. It has been countered countless times too… so stop using it. It doesn’t change the nature of ascended armour.

Yes. Your counter is that the minor stat gain from ascended is a huge game changer. The argument is that, no, it really isn’t.

Okay, so why do we need ascended at all if they are just a tiny stat gain anyways?

COUNTERED

You’re a little late with that argument, as it’s already there. We have it. It’s done. Non-sequitur. Try again.

No actually, this proves that ascended should not have been introduced AND should be deleted.

Hahahahahahahaha

Seven Star Stalker.1740:

echo.2053:

Dark Catalyst.1028:

Lévis.5489:

The bad part about ascended is getting shoehorned into crafting, instead of giving us easier ways to acquire them.

Then there would be “nothing to do”. I would prefer it if they gated ascended gear behind challenging, but instanced, content. That way you would earn it by doing challenging, heroic content instead of sitting at a crafting station and stretching the limits of your patience. Not to mention your wallet as well.

Surely this wouldn’t be a problem for the people who run around in blue gear and “play how they want”. Because ascended doesn’t matter, right?

Lol so your saying if they guaranteed ascended through content then you’d all of a sudden stop caring about the player in blue gear? Exotic dungeon gear that has been easily obtained has been available since day 1 of the game. If he is still in blues chances are putting it behind content still won’t make him change out of his blue gear.

Let’s stop beating around the bush: fact is you want the instant gratification of bis gear with the least amount of effort and cost all the while complaining how mats and loot holds no value and is in overwhelming supply.

With all this posting you do in the forums, you should put it towards learning to read what people say.

I have a high post count. That says nothing for how often I post. If you’ve read 20+ ascended threads, you’ve read em’ all.

Though I am posting in one, so hey. I might be insane. You got me there.

But telling me to be insane and read these countless QQ threads about ascended gear is bad advice. I never needed you to tell me to do that. Here I am.

You’ll find me in others.

But I figure I’ll spare the sane ones. You’re giving crazy advice. No one sane or a non-masochist should subject themselves to that.
_

Appreciate the recap though.

I wouldn’t protest if they gated ascended gear behind challenging content with a crafting option. That would make everyone happy.

Instanced, no. That’s stupid. It’s an MMO.

If you want to work for it with like minded people in the game, that’s a good, fun, community building way to do it.

You’ll be directly contributing to getting those exotic (and less) noobs into ascended gear. Win/win.

If you want to craft it without all that teamwork business, the option remains.

But to say to make it an instance is essentially taking the community out of the game. That’s antithetical to what an MMO is.

In short, Dark Catalyst I agree with you. In part.

Sirendor.1394:

CETheLucid.3964:

Sirendor.1394:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

This argument has been used countless times. It has been countered countless times too… so stop using it. It doesn’t change the nature of ascended armour.

Yes. Your counter is that the minor stat gain from ascended is a huge game changer. The argument is that, no, it really isn’t.

Okay, so why do we need ascended at all if they are just a tiny stat gain anyways?

COUNTERED

You’re a little late with that argument, as it’s already there. We have it. It’s done. Non-sequitur. Try again.

Phi Is Sly.1857:

lvl 30 takes what, 2 days at most :S

Shhhhhh. Don’t tell the pedants that. It hurts their inner being.

Dark Catalyst.1028:

CETheLucid.3964:

Sirendor.1394:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

This argument has been used countless times. It has been countered countless times too… so stop using it. It doesn’t change the nature of ascended armour.

Yes. Your counter is that the minor stat gain from ascended is a huge game changer. The argument is that, no, it really isn’t.

You say yes, they say no, back and forth and back and forth.

Blah blah blah, you’re not going to change someones ideology. Further, you can’t force them to quit arguing because you don’t like their perspective.

He can use the same tired argument as often as you use your same tired argument. Learn something.

Then gate it behind challenging, instanced content. You guys don’t need ascended anyway, since the stat gains are meaningless, right?

You might have to elaborate a teeny tiny bit there. Don’t assume I know what you’re on about or that I’m one of “those guys”.

It’s bad form.

Sirendor.1394:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

You don’t need Ascended armor. The stat increase over Exotics is minor. So if you’ve given up on getting these, you can still play the game as normal.

This argument has been used countless times. It has been countered countless times too… so stop using it. It doesn’t change the nature of ascended armour.

Yes. Your counter is that the minor stat gain from ascended is a huge game changer. The argument is that, no, it really isn’t.

You say yes, they say no, back and forth and back and forth.

Blah blah blah, you’re not going to change someones ideology. Further, you can’t force them to quit arguing because you don’t like their perspective.

He can use the same tired argument as often as you use your same tired argument. Learn something.

kylwilson.9137:

Nah, you -are- wrong, I’m sorry to say.

Neither face or hairstyle is accessible currently.

I’d know. I just gave my Mesmer and new name and makeover today.

Yes, I was wrong. It’s not actually undiscovered/newly found Guild Wars 2 China art. Duly noted.

Sobat.8650:

I believe that this was determined to be fan art because the same faces appear in many of the artist’s works.

Guild Wars 2
http://ryanreos.deviantart.com/art/Guild-Wars-2-Pact-Forces-Jormag-Supression-Squad-430065941

Granado Espada
http://ryanreos.deviantart.com/art/Granado-Espada-Fuego-s-Deception-408211294

Good stuff. Seems his GW2 work is based on stuff we already have.

Soulmyr.8094:

Nope CETheLucid you are wrong.

Okay. You’re clearly the expert and authority on these things.

AeriaElara.4297:

Both of their faces would be new to our game, as well as the female hairstyle.

I’m not so sure. Could be. But you can do some pretty amazing things with the face customization if you put in the time and have a vision.

None of that is new. The male looks to be wearing the named set top (leather) and kodan heavy bottoms.

The female seems to be wearing armor we already have mixed with something else like the male.

Right away the male is wearing that new exclusive hairstyle you can get from the grooming kit.

The female hairstyle might be new, but I’ve not enough experience with a female PC to really know.

It’s a safe bet she’s following the male precedent.

It’s armor that we already have, maybe mixed up in ways we can’t mix them (male leather named top + kodan heavy bottoms).

This is likely to satisfy Chinese sensitivities with regards to their culture. It’s nothing “new” though.

Just armor moved around and some slightly edited (no bones on the armor, things made a little more modest, etc).

We get the better deal.

Astralporing.1957:

That argument doesn’t count.

Says you?

Astralporing.1957:

It’s still bought with real currency – it’s just the money comes from someone else.

Your argument is akin to saying the money in your wallet right now isn’t really yours.

Malediktus.9250:

Time is money

Okay. See zamalek’s response. There you go. A much more time effective way to have permanent access to sprockets.

Any way you wanna slice it, it is not P2W in definition. The obtainment is not exclusive to a real world monetary format.

It really isn’t a big deal.

zamalek.2154:

VOLKON.1290:

only available with premium currency

As previously stated it is possible to get a sprocket node in your home instance by completing achievements. Therefore the pickaxe is not the only way to acquire sprockets after Scarlet disappears.

Further, since you can convert gold to gems, it’s not exclusive in it’s means of obtainment. You can get one without spending a cent if you want one so badly.

Raine.1394:

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

So, does this all matter? Not really. Guild Wars 2 is doomed to fail due to simple, inevitable entropy. Eventually, at some future time, the game is going to shut down. Next week, next year, next decade. In the face of that inevitability, nothing matters.

I was right there with you right up to this. It does matter. It is the human condition that we oppose an inevitable entropy. Herein we are heroes.

Raine.1394:

Shakkara.2641:

salutes

Finally someone that understands.

I’m not going to play a game that renders all my efforts useless and keeps me on an endless treadmill to nowhere, especially not if this endless threadmill keeps milking me of my money. I play Guild Wars 2 because I thought it’d not have endless vertical progression and planned obsolescence. GW1 was king at this. And I’ll be up on the barricades to make sure that GW2 will eventually live up to its legacy and not stray from the path even as the developers stray away from what makes this franchise special and turn their back on every principle set forth in the manifesto.

And by the way, entropy isn’t that inevitable at all. One can only break the laws of nature when one understands that they’re not set in stone.

Yes, I too oppose the mandate that we ride a power curve. I still count that the worst decision by Anet to date. Entropy, I suppose, is only inevitable if you consider the universe a closed system. I believe that, even if that is true, order is free to increase in any corner where it is sought. And, furthermore, I see the opposition to entropy as being, perhaps, the singular vocation of humans.

Standing against entropy isn’t humanities vocation or calling. We are mere victims of it. The problem requires us to go beyond ourselves.

The beginning of which is to concede we are powerless against entropy.

Obsidian.1328:

Eh, all the different Legions were given an area to be called their “homeland” with GW2, it wasn’t a historical thing. The very separation of the Charr into Legions came about because of GW2 development. But that’s a tired argument on my part though.

Canon is as canon does. It’s established as such and so it is. I could understand where you’d be coming from if it was some outrageous stretch, but it really isn’t.

There are legions and essentially all of Ascalon was originally charr land.

The humans came in, pushed the charr out in spectacular fashion, and built up a kingdom for themselves.

Years later, the charr drove out the humans at great personal cost and reclaimed the land for themselves again.

It was charr land before the humans claimed it from them via war, and via war the charr won it back again.

Kalavier.1097:

Because the charr were there first, fought to reclaim it, and promptly dropped the hatred. In the intro to the charr tutorial (Iron legion, maybe all of them) they go “They have paid for it in blood” Note, they give no kittens about the rest of humanity. Infact, they were only kittened off at Ebonhawke, the last Ascalonian settlement.

However, now there is the peace treaty, and in that region the charr are freely letting humans set up camps and such outside of Ebonhawke. The war would have no point.

To go a step further, the charr have no qualms with humans who recognize their authority. Only the ghostly ones and the bat kitten crazy ones.

If you can respect you’re in charr land, the top brass has no problem with humans in Ascalon.

That says nothing for the old culture (both people have those within that can’t stand one and other)…

But officially, all races are encouraged to come to Ascalon and the Black Citadel to spend their money.

Have a good time, etc. You see all types in the Black Citadel, adventurers, weary travelers, etc.

Many multiracial organizations such as the orders have operations within Ascalon and the Black Citadel and they are allowed without exclusion.

The treaty with the Ebonhawke humans granted them that swath of land and the charr have honored their word, even going so far as to help the humans with the ogres and other threats in the area.

It would just be supremely stupid for humanity to go LOL STOOPID CHARR GIB BCK ASCALON and decide to shatter that peace and built up trust over a lost cause.

When in fact for all that’s been done, we have solace in that we won a place in Ascalon that the charr are willing to recognize.

The queen would never be so foolish.

Dustfinger.9510:

The conversation between the two definitely does offer deeper perspective into the lore world. Two different priorities in the spiritual lives of two different species. So insulting or not aside, the conversation is a good find.

Agreed.

Obsidian.1328:

CETheLucid.3964:

Obsidian.1328:

You realize they literally just changed that a few months ago right?

Nah, that’s been established in the game since launch.

Rytlock Brimstone goes into the short version of it in the AC dungeon. That’s just a case of the print catching up to the reality.

Uhh…no? Rytlock’s speech was simply, “this land used to be ours, then Humans came and built Ascalon on top of it.” Everyone already knew that since GW1 Proph, that was nothing new. What is new is the contention Ascalon is their homeland. There’s a giant area on the map northeast of Ascalon in GW1 that says in big, bright letters “Charr Homelands.”

And now we know that particular area is the Blood Legion’s homeland. Not the charr’s homeland as a whole.

Iron Legion’s homeland was always what used to be the human kingdom of Ascalon.

Ash Legion’s homeland borders the Crystal Desert to the extreme south of Ascalon somewhere around Ebonhawke in the Fields of Ruin.

Who knows if the Flame Legion even has a homeland anymore? Where you see the Flame Legion’s main base of operations is in Fireheart Rise.

That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s their homeland though.

Dustfinger.9510:

I’m hung up on the word ‘repent’ because it is a major part of the preists message. Im not however, hung up on the fact that it can be read as an insult. Because im not the one being defensive about it.

I’m sorry you feel that way. I’ll stop trying to explain it to you.

Obsidian.1328:

You realize they literally just changed that a few months ago right?

Nah, that’s been established in the game since launch.

Rytlock Brimstone goes into the short version of it in the AC dungeon. That’s just a case of the print catching up to the reality.

If people want to argue that before that small blurb was added that it wasn’t somehow official, meh. Have fun with that.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Welp, back to my other plan testing siege machines on asura.

I mean, with asura.

(Pics courtesy of Uber.7623)

Dustfinger.9510:

I doubt he is trying to be insulting. But the fact is that his message isn’t “Hey, we are all already chums”. his message is that the norn should change what their doing. That’s what ‘repent’ means. To turn away from what you are doing. And his reason for the norn needing to “turn away” is that the Spirits they worship already “answer to” the Six. he’s essentially saying “Why worship the servant when you can worship the master?”

“Hey, we’re already on the same aisle you and I, here’s a little insider info for you.” You have to read an insult into that. It’s not inherently insulting.

You’re hung up on the word repent, which means to change your mind. That’s not insulting in of itself.

I mean unless you’re this fragile flower that can tolerate absolutely no challenge to your established thinking, lest a fuse be blown upstairs?

Maybe it’s ‘insulting’ in this sense? Offensive is a better word I suppose? Me thinks the norn are a little more sturdy than that.

Dustfinger.9510:

It changes the tone of the entire conversation. The priest sais to repent and follow the six. The norn said “no”. The priest reasons that they might as well since they already follow an aspect of the six in fashion. The word ‘repent’ implies that the priests message is not that they are already dandy with each other but that the norn should turn from their ways and do what the human is doing.

if it is already happening then there is no reason to repent. But if the priest is basing his message off of his flawed understanding of norn/SotW relationship then he isn’t even speaking the same language as the norn. either way the priest is wasting his time.

So the priest message is actually pretty insulting. he is saying stop your Spirit worship and worship the six because the Spirit answers to (Is a servant of and therefor, below) one of the six.

So how do you explain the whole being blessed thing regardless?

If the puny human priest were being insulting, I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t be long for Hoelbrak or this world for that matter.

You’re being too sensitive about it if you find him insulting. He doesn’t have a qualm with the norn spirits even going so far as to say they’re a part of his own faith.

He’s trying to ‘enlighten’ the norn from a human point of view.

Since the norn are so individualistic and varied in their beliefs, he might convince somebody.

The fact that an old human priest is worried about the norn so much that he puts himself out there among them is endearing in a way.

He just offers another perspective, another glimpse into the games world.

Gene Archer.8560:

Because that’s how you hardcore uber!elite tryhards treat it. If someone doesn’t fall in line with your level of skill, they’re trash to be tossed aside. MMO as a genre would be better if your kind didn’t exist, because you take every ounce of fun out of every game you touch. Gaming would be better without you or your ilk.

Dude, have you looked at my post history? I defend the casual player, I’m hated because I think ranger is more than viable and suppose ele is the best thing since sliced bread.

Seriously, I’m holding you to that. Now I have street cred. I’m an uber elite try hard! Now all you other uber elite try hards have to confess I have a point, I’m one of you!

Ahahahahahahaha~ ^-^

-popularity intensifies-

Ben K.6238:

You’re thinking of this one, I suspect. http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Tactical_armor

Nope. Has the meshy/net look of the PvP Masquerade bottoms, the pair of batwings on the side.

Couldn’t tell you if the entire PvP Masquerade exists in PvE, but I can say with almost certainty those leggings do. And maybe the chest.

Maria Murtor.7253:

He is talking about the PvP-Version of the Masquerade-Armor. It has a uniqe skin: http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/PvP_Masquerade_armor

Maybe it will be available in PvE later, when you can earn PvE-Skins in PvP (it was announced).

Ben K.6238:

The PvP locker seems to have slots for almost the same skins you can get in PvE. Didn’t realise there was a difference in the Masquerade skin until I read this thread.

That would be a good one actually.

Yeah, isn’t that a karma armor set in PvE? Different name, but I certainly recognize the leggings as being a Karma piece from a few of the heart events.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

If that’s really the case, why are we even discussing the lore at all? Ascalon was always doomed, and will always have been doomed until a lore writer decides otherwise.

Actually, yes. Pretty much. But a human definition of a doomed Ascalon and a charr definition of a doomed Ascalon are very different.

Ascalon is far from doomed. It’s a charr nation now. They won, they have their ancestral home back. Greater Ascalon is theirs.

Good times for them!

Humans have consolidation that they both survived the ordeal and yet thrive in the land, in spite of the charr’s best efforts to eradicate them.

They earned a place in Ascalon and even have charr recognition of this fact. Ebonhawke is conceded to the humans.

With any luck, the ordeal is over. A further consolidation would be the humans, Queen Jennah with Logan Thackery and Rytlock Brimstone and the charr legions ending the Ascalonian ghost affair by uniting Sohothin and Magdaer.

No more ghosts, no more human threat (Separtist/Renegade dwindling yahoos not withstanding)… just Flame Legion and dragons overall.

Humans officially gain the friendship of the charr against whatever will come. The living Ascalonians of today can “go home” if they so choose.

Of course it could happen any other way. Who can say but the writers? It’ll be interesting to watch develop.

I’m not complaining about it so far, it’s very well done with a few caveats aside.

I’ve expressed as much before. So if you generally hate the direction overall and I like it, we’re not gonna see eye to eye on that.

My opinion about these things isn’t any better than yours, nor yours any better than mine. It comes down to what actually happens.

That’s cannon, for better or for worse. You’ll end up liking it or not so much.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

I agree with everything you’ve saidCETheLucid, I think the funny thing to me is that Shiro was made to become an Envoy as punishment xD.
After the events of Factions he was sent to the Realm of Torment and became one of Abaddon’s generals. I assume that when we once again defeated him his soul died for good.

If there’s any justice among the gods, hopefully he’s found rest. Not Hall of Heroes worthy obviously, but it’s not his fault he won the “who’s Abbadon gonna troll today” lottery.

Obsidian.1328:

Perhaps, but if that’s true…why did it take them 900 years to raise an army?

Well at the rate they’re poppin’ em’ out, it’s a very big army obviously!

But then you have to factor in, not all charr are created equal. Some become cattle farmers, some are simple foot soldiers that aren’t much against hero or god-tier humans, and others are legendary and eat god-tier humans for breakfast with a hero for brunch.

And actually such legendary charr usually met their end at the hands of… humans. Other times, at the hands of their own kind for their in-fighting.

Not all those charr that exist (quite a number) become a force on the battlefield so much as a support to the legions in other ways.

The charr you do meet on the battlefield are the best of the best and trained for that job from their childhood.

You won’t find the same challenge in a charr who was raised as a rancher or blacksmith, though all charr have at least some battle proficiency.

Ergo, a charr sniper VS a charr cattle rancher who knows how to work a gun. This of course worked/s the other way too, or generally applies to all the races to some extent.

In our position in time though, charr are still a massive force in the world of Tyria. Humanity is just hanging in there.

Charr have a much larger pool to work with than humanity. Though humanity with it’s smaller pool still has a grossly disproportionate amount of heroic blood going for it.

I want to think all the PCs from GW1 contributed to that. Those frisky devils.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

To be fair Shiro was still under Abbadons influence when he was turned into an Envoy, so it’s not so much that it wasn’t good enough, more just that once Abbadon tricked him the first time he became a different person.

I want to think being dead, he was freed of any such taint, but for the fact that Abbadon was a god (fallen one at this point), you probably have a point there.

I think I do remember something being said about anyone being touched by Abbadon being consigned to the realm of torment regardless of being good or bad.

Shiro would be more to be pitied.

That didn’t dissuade the punishment meted out to him if it was known to the gods that this was the reason why Shiro did what he did in his afterlife, so I’m suspicious.

That’s either not true or else the gods are cruel and unjust.

Perhaps his sentence to being an envoy in the afterlife was an act of mercy, but for Abbadons corruption being so thorough, Shiro was just gone and doomed to act as he did.

Doesn’t change the fact that Shrio Tagachi always had anger issues, so he’s always been prone to a bit of emotional trickery.

But yikes. Sucks to be the guy some dead god wants to mess with. Cruel fate…

FlamingFoxx.1305:

He chose to forgo any help or assistance and he considered holding Ascalon more important than getting his people to safety. That’s not admirable, that’s horrific.

He was a proud, stubborn old king. He was human. Fighting for your nation and people isn’t horrific. It’s noble and patriotic.

The charr did (and will do if need be) the same thing, so they’re also ‘horrible’ by that definition.

If you agree, you must then agree that humanity as a whole is also likewise ‘horrible’. We do that all the time.

Charr and humans are really quite identical on this front. That said, Prince Rurik shared your (wiser) thinking there.

For his noble actions and ultimate sacrifice, many Ascalonians were saved and have lived on to this day in relative peace and prosperity in Kryta.

For King Adelbern’s work, humanity has carved out not only survival but a place for humanity in Ascalon.

The Ebon Vanguard and so Ebonhawke was the seed of King Adelbern’s planting and the harvest of Gwen and Kerian and the other founding heroes of Ebonhawke.

That humanity has a place in Ascalon at all anymore is indirectly by King Adelbern’s work pre-M.A.D. option.

Both men did great things. Prince Rurik died a hero. King Adelbern lived long enough to see himself become the villain.

He’s a more tragic one in my book.

Gene Archer.8560:

Risingashes.8694:

Josh: Love the Marri- despite the frustration caused by watching a group of baddies fail.

Can I suggest a more focused training program for the individual for a future patch?

You’d need to make it essentially mandatory, either by rewards or locking Legendaries, level 80 or something behind it.

Have something that specifically teaches dodges, something that specifically requires trait swapping, something that specifically teaches positioning.

I’d love some harder content, and if the only way to get it is ensuring the playerbase is competent then it’s really up to you guys to actively push it forwards systematically and not just hope people pick things up while being carried by others.

The moment you do any of this, it stops being a game and becomes a job. It becomes work.

That isn’t fun, period.

I’m sorry, challenge seekers. The time of the WoW raid and excluding content from the masses is over. You can’t force people to get better. You can’t keep turning games into jobs.

If you think beating the marionette is a job, seriously. Go home.

Or you know what? On second thought, I’d love to hear your thoughts after trying the new wurm event. I could use a good laugh.

Dustfinger.9510:

That priest doesn’t quite understand how the relationship between norn and Spirits of the Wild work. A-net has specifically stated that norn don’t actually worship the SotW, so much as they rever them.

That doesn’t change anything with regards to what the priest is getting at.

If the norn revere an aspect of Melandru from a devout humans POV, than the devout norn and devout human are just dandy with one and other.

Moreso if the human is a Melandru kinda guy. From the human POV they might as well be worshiping the same god.

Bit like the quaggans, though they openly disagree with the humans regarding Melandru being dead.

Some quaggan must by virtue love humans per the hope that their god yet lives, or hate us for telling them she lives but they believe her dead and humans liars.

That would mean norn, like the other giants, were stripped of their power but through the Spirits of the Wild/Melandru, gained renewed favor.

Melandru <3’s the norn.

And the charr, for that matter. But they’re a bit more touchy about it… I wouldn’t recommend bringing it up or anything.

I wonder how devout humans think of the Asura? The Sylvari/Melandru connection would be almost instantaneous in my mind.

But I don’t even know where to begin with Asura. Maybe Lyssa?

Obsidian.1328:

I assumed that at first too. But actually, the way ANet wrote it was that all the humans in the entire Ascalon basin were engulfed by the Foefire, not just those around Ascalon City. Ebonhawke was supposed to be just outside its radius. Heckuva spell eh?

No kidding? Yikes. That’s a lot bigger than I thought! It’s funny though.

If you do the events over in Iron Marches by what used to be the Piken Square area from GW1, we’re told the ghosts there don’t really bother anyone unless you mess with their stuff.

A big event there is a Flame Legion effort to get some kind of ancient warhorn out there to stir all the ghosts to action. Essentially to make the ghosts do their bidding.

One priory charr there advocates simply putting the stuff back where it belongs (their graves) to put the spirits to rest, and this works.

Obsidian.1328:

So essentially, ANet wanted to portray Adelbern as a sort of Khilbron 2.0.

Possibly. But even compared to Khilbron, I still see Adlebern as the ‘better’ man.

Khilbron was always a shady character even if you think the best of his intentions and he went from shady to outright unapologetic megalomaniac.

King Adelbern was a noble hero who with tragedy after tragedy and much time became a tragic villain.

I know some people who could relate to Shiro being ‘tricked’ by a demon to do the unspeakable. I feel Adelbern more so than Shiro fits the bill of a tragic villian.

Shiro, if tricked, just wasn’t a very bright man… very, very impulsive on very little, enough to kill somebody over.

And he went from somewhat sympathetic to angry angry all the time.

Even the gods saw fit to make Shiro Tagachi an envoy given his circumstances and that wasn’t good enough for him.

King Adelbern offered Foefire as a very last resort, as the charr overran the city slaughtering everybody.

I’ve seen people offer ideas that a surrender to the charr would have been a better alternative both in Orr and in Ascalon, but that’s not viable.

For the longest time, charr were not known for their mercy.

Free of the Flame Legion’s theocracy, this did change over time, slowly. But in the time of Orr and Ascalon’s war with the charr? No. Surrender really wasn’t an option.

King Adelbern’s “solution” wasn’t any better mind you, but I get the reasoning behind it. A bit like M.A.D. or the Sampson Option.

The man was crazy enough to do it and so he did.

Obsidian.1328:

Charr spawn timers must have instantaneous.

Charr breed like rabbits. Problem solved. ;3