Guild Wars 2

Finally, my ’vari necro in the Oumphalos Chamber. The shapes and colors in there made for a lot of compositional fun! At the end she took up guard before Mother, determined to block any further harm to Her …

Annnd back to DR for my human guardian. I couldn’t resist doing just one wings shot. Sorry for those who don’t like bare man chests; in the second pic I just really liked the play of light over him as he did calisthenics

Then I got out of the city because my norn ranger needs nature. I got a lot of semi-color shots but the focus was odd, I had her in front of a sweeping vista in Timberline and she got more color saturation than the background. So I’m sticking to the sepia shots here:

The top of this page does not play well with the bottom of the last page.

Some more of my thief, high atop the city. I know I did most of my shoots in DR, but I was reluctant to leave once a random mesmer portal took me to the top. Plus I find the DR architecture fascinating in sepia; I think it offered a lot of compositional quality.

For the afternoon I remembered to play with the color palette offered by the Low Post Processing option. So some shots will have some interesting color effects. Note: my warrior in the last few shots never smiles, never wears fancy clothes, and never goes inside (severe claustrophobia thanks to rp plots). Also she’s missing her left eye due to friendly fire in the assault on LA. So … this isn’t her. Or someone spiked her drink.

My mesmer at the monastery:

I said I’d have more, and I do! I have far more than I’m sharing, in fact, but I’m going to post the ones I think came out best. First up, some street scenes from the Reach:

I was boring, I just jumped off the edge by the DR bank. But it was redeemed by hearing the music (it wasn’t spoiled, a guildie just told me to die by jumping off something, and I laughed very loudly when the music started) and even more by a comment of a bystander at whose feet I had fallen:

“It’s raining men!”

Right, I read that as “unwittingly led his army into a devastating ambush” because the revelation of the ’vari status came “too late to prevent … launching its invasion.” Thus Trahearne went into the ambush because he lacked crucial intel, not because he was corrupted.

Looks like today (and on tomorrow’s PoI), we hear about storytelling methods.
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/the-story-so-farheart-of-thorns-beats/

And once I read it, it’s more a “story so far.” Useful for those who didn’t play LS2.

Hmm. I think I need to a do a no-speed-boosts race with someone. It has always seemed to me that if my weapons are out while I’m running (on any race) and I toggle them to sheathed, my speed picks up. It could be an illusion of animation, but that’s easy to test via a side-by-side run on a long level stretch. Hoelbrak has some good spots for that.

/plots tests with guildies

There is such a toggle, Excludee. Bind weapon sheathe/unsheathe. With weapons drawn, you’ll run upright like the NPCs. You’ll also run slower, but then so do they (I’m pretty sure they all have weapons out when they run, too).

Iron, my nemesis. I really have to go around Kessex and similar zones more. Drowning in mithril, usually only have single digits of iron ore if that.

A node wouldn’t add much but it’d be soooo nice to get that tiny extra.

Yeah, as I’m never sure if I’m in Standard time or not, I just refer to “eastern.” Lazy of me. I should have added “so midnight to 3 am pacific time” since more people are used to converting to ANet’s time frame.

Inculpatus, I’m a she. It doesn’t matter much but I’ve made no secret of it and it might save you from future clumsy s/he constructions if you have a need to refer to me

It’ll be extra awesome if the item gives the option to use the sepia/film scratch effect (along with the colorized low-post-processing that still has the scratches) without the arms being stuck. So many screen shots that wouldn’t need creative cropping to turn into portraits!

I enjoy leading people through JPs. I don’t know all of them but I do have a bunch under my belt. I’m NA, generally available in the afternoons eastern time. Feel free to ask me if you see me on line — if it’s not right after reset and I’m not in SW or a dungeon, odds are high I’ll be able to help you. (If I’m in RP or short on time, I’ll arrange with you when we can tackle the JPs).

Exotics are fine. Many will tell you there are better stat combos to put on the gear than others, but for now just go with what you got.

Dungeons and fractals can be done via the LFG tool (your Friends panel, upper left, second tab). You’ll do best posting your own LFG, something like “New 80, new to dungeon, need help.” I believe there is also a third party site to help organize help with dungeons.

You don’t need ascended at all, except to hold Agony Resistance for higher level fractals. By the time you’re ready to do those, you’ll have a much better grasp on your preferred gear.

I’m getting a bit sleepy tonight but if you’re around during the day tomorrow (I’m east coast, usually available starting around 2 pm eastern) I can spend some time answering questions and then help cue up a run to teach you the ropes.

Most everyone that I’ve heard of successfully making the move to TC in the last months has done it sometime between 3 am and 6 am eastern.

I have read in previous discussions that you do need to do a full close and open to make the new try. Something about a 2 minute cd that starts over if you just refresh. But I do not personally know if that is true.

I took a ton this afternoon. Had to break for dinner before it all ended; likely I’ll process what I got to share tomorrow. This thread ain’t finished yet!

You have mad skills, PixelPumpkin.

I think I’ll post these as I come to them. I wish I’d thought to use Low Post Processing in my shoots thus far, it gives a sweet colorized B&W look. This set is my human mesmer.

No, I thought about doing so but it seems likely enough I’d end up with the same animation after running through the whole chapter that I want to spend my time getting screenshots of all my alts instead

So many fun shots to get with these effects … here are some without the arms-wide part. A few of a watchknight, and one to prove that raptors can fly (thanks, Teq jump pads!).

I hadn’t noticed the “tinny” sound but in hindsight yeah, I think it was. I’m no audiophile, subtle sound glitches bounce right off me. The ragtime, though, that had me laughing, guffawing even! Just ask my Mumble friends!

The audio team knocks things out of the park on a regular basis, here’s to them, bless ’em.

zenleto.6179:

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

There is one screenshot I needed quite badly, and I got it.

Thank you, ANet!

The hills are alive?

My thoughts exactly. That shot is one of the best movie-scene cosplays GW2 could have, PixelPumpkin.

I’m hoping there is no blog today, at least not a serious one. Because no one will believe it and too much discussion will go in “it’s a prank” circles.

But then I will resume my wish for more than one article a week!

Lukaz.2971:

How can I disable this? I do not play in these conditions …

Go check out the “If April Fools Annoys You” thread and leave this happy thread alone, please.

I couldn’t resist. Amelia Bearhart and her trusty Fern Hound (I guess she’s a real Bear Ranger) are having fun too! (Sorry I couldn’t sepia it, I don’t have Photoshop and Google Plus wanted me to download Chrome to edit the photo).

• A quaggan wafts gently through on a balloon to drop a forum bug fixer post *

Belzebu.3912:

Have you guys tried the “How to Dance Vol. I” with this April Fools? So funny.

Yes! I got a couple of other people dancing along. Most every emote is fun — I like /bow in particular.

I’m loving it and have no intention of disabling any of it (maybe I’ll turn off post processing if I go do content that needs me seeing aoe warnings, like SW, but then I’m turning it right back on!).

However I noted the “fix” to the aviator cap. I wouldn’t mind getting screens of my alts smiling happily with their hair showing. If I do the trick to erase the aviator cap, is there a way to get it back on short of equipping an actual one?

Guys guys, don’t worry, there is a jet plane! My guildie did this (I hope he’s ok with it being shared).

I’m with Guhracie, this has been enormous fun so far. I got on Mumble with some guildies and we were all laughing loud and long.

And I don’t usually literally lol. Snorts of amusement, mostly, but full laughter? It’s rare, so thank you ANet for gifting me with it!

I love this one so much. I found myself running in circles near Fort Trinity just to run instead of harvesting herbs. I’ve done 1930’s/40’s LARP campaigns, I have a soft spot for the nostalgia.

You nailed it with the aviator caps and the sepia film flicker and that death music. I’m so glad I don’t need to go anywhere tomorrow, so many screenshots need to be set up!

I logged in especially not to get any spoilers before I saw what was up and I died laughing. I had too much fun running around to go work on dailies! Lots of shots taken, I shall limit myself. But I must share these (note for the high up shots, there was a mesmer portal. I did no terrain oddness).

Nice to know the Charr really do need their forelegs for running well ….

And here I was thinking it was Vvvvvrrrrrrrrrrrroooooooooooooorrrrrw!

Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, “and then everything went pear shaped.”

They didn’t. But forum rules say you can’t post unreleased content. There could be deletions and infractions headed your way.

OP, I recommend you remove the image.

ShroomOneUp.6913:

IS it ingame allready or jsut its goin to come soon announcement?
I WANT TO KNOW

Please read the FAQ. Bobby wrote out all these answers in lovely detail. And as people have asked this in the thread the FAQ’s been quoted.

You Have Eight Weeks At Least Before This Happens

The difference is “The Personal Story was not designed to be replayable.” (other than by joining someone else’s run). The current LS was so designed. Season One of LS is not replayable at all.

I’m willing to take Bobby’s word for it in the FAQ answer you quoted that they worked on a way to reset PS and found game killing bugs beyond the scope of feasible correction.

Mo Mo.1947:

I understand you can’t give an exact time for when this goes live, but will we have at least a month to resolve our personal storylines if we are stuck in the chapter 7/8 portion that will cause issues upon update?

If not a month, then at least a week or two weeks?

You’re fine. Read Bobby’s FAQ in the first couple of posts:
Q: How long do I have to advance my character’s story past “The Source of Orr”?
A: While we haven’t set a release date at this time, we can confirm that you will have at least 8 weeks from the time of this posting to complete “The Source of Orr”, should you want to advance to step 1 of chapter 8, “Temple of the Forgotten God.” Otherwise, as stated above, you may miss out on much of chapter 8 with this character.

Read the OP’s FAQ, it says we have at least 8 weeks to put our alts at our desired PS steps.

Boy, that really sucks … So to speak.

I’m debating on it. I like the mining version but I think the vacuum effect is aimed a bit too far past the plant. Also I have more infinite sickles than any other infinite tool since I bought extra Consortiums due to liking the fast golf swing and fountain of water so much — perfect for one alt, so she gets her own forever, and then I needed sickles for others.

I’m hoping the axe version does something amusing enough for me to want to buy it.

How does it affect your PS and abilities? All humans get the exact same racial utilities (Grenth, Melandru, and Balthazar mainly, with some prayers to Lyssa and the like). Nothing in any PS changes based on your God selection when you make the character. Well, maybe somewhere there’s a line like “I can see why Melandru favors you,” but if so I don’t recall seeing it or it having any impact.

It’s a purely cosmetic choice for those who want to use it for RP purposes as far as I can tell.

That could be a lot of fun, though I can see it causing problems to some people who lose fps or even crash from the extra effects in large group combat like Breach or Vinewrath. Would it be only on full revive, or happen on a rally from downed?

Finishers are huge and noticeable, having something like that go off every time someone is rezzed could interfere with important things like seeing aoe ground warnings.

Just because people say a certain god blessed you at birth doesn’t mean you have to believe it. The game’s not making your character follow a particular god; that creation choice has zero impact on any PS step or NPC reaction that I’ve ever seen.

My main was Lyssa all the way, and quite devoted to Her (Them?). But he had a huge crisis of faith after LA burned, melodramatically declared he was at war with the Gods, and refuses to pray to or swear by them any more. All in RP, springboarding off game events without the game ever enforcing Lyssasism on him.

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

Malkavian.4516:

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

Thanks! Good to see Personal Story has been restored

You mean “being restored”

So.. Good to see personal story has being restored? :P

Ok all jokes aside, what is wrong with “has been restored”?

The point, I think, was that it has not yet been restored. It’s at least 8 weeks away from restoration. So “has been” doesn’t work, “is being” does (and the person correcting you left out the “is.”

All right, I’m trying to parse out which of my alts I need to advance and which I need to hold still until the revision. Of those not yet done completely with PS, I have these pending steps for my alts:

— Temple of the Forgotten God
— Further into Orr
— A Light in the Darkness
— Marching Orders
— Starving the Beast
— Ossuary of the Unquiet Dead

And one alt who is at level 70 PS but I don’t have noted which step.

Can anyone more savvy than me say which of these I should advance, and to which step, in order to get the most PS steps?

Side note to those saying it’s bad we can’t just go do the dungeon whenever, and others asking who repeats it on an alt already complete: I occasionally offer aid forming a group and leading a run through for people who have stumbled on the fact that suddenly they must do a dungeon, and I use alts that have finished it for the purpose. However, once it is turned into soloable content, I imagine that service won’t be needed, or I can simply join their story instance to help if they don’t want to solo.