Guild Wars 2

Ok, that’s weird. Normally when it’s out of place it’s gone up the upper left corner. The fix for that is to cursor over the upper right corner until you get a hand symbol (I think), and drag down until you see a white outline around the lower left corner of the screen. Let go and the whole box should move.

I play on max rez wide screen. You might be using a square monitor? Anyway, try just pulling the chat to the top of the screen and back down again as described above to see if that shifts it to your preferred location.

If they did, and it was in fact a “leak,” there would be two good reasons not to post it here.

One: Some people prefer to avoid spoilers and false rumors and expectations based on things that may be on the cutting room floor.

Two: MMO development can be more secretive than the Pentagon. Posting leaked information is asking for a game ban or even for the leaker to be fired if s/he can be identified.

The twitch link is helpful, but about how far in to the 30 minute episode is the armor preview?

edit: Found it around 11 minutes. Snipped shots from the video on my screen of Light, Medium, Heavy (all on males) and Heavy dyed all Abyss to show the undyable green sections (female).

The April 15th patch removed it without explanation. It was purely cosmetic, giving you a personality type that dictated some text responses you could get without affecting general outcomes of encounters. I think maybe some NPC’s said “You seem friendly” to my super charmer thief now and then.

I don’t know why they scrapped it. Sure it wasn’t doing anything one way or the other, but it helped RPers decide what angle to take in conversations. Seems like more work to undo it than to leave it in place. However, they were redoing the Hero Panel with the Wardrobe Tab and the new Story UI, so maybe they felt no need to port over a vestigial function?

No matter which way they did it some would wish it were the other way. I’m glad I was able to make an elegant shortbow for my thief, finally replacing the Krytan skin I’ve had for him for-freaking-ever. I miiiight find it in me to wish more of the Ambrite skins were available via the TP, as I am no longer willing to spend money on RNG chances at claim tickets. As to the Leyline, well. I like everything about their special effects and not one darn thing about their appearance. Ok, so I’m somewhat pleased with the mace, scepter, and staff, none of those needing much tweaking to look like they’d work in those functions. But the bladed items and bows? MEH. So I’m happy those are off in the RNG boxes without me feeling any urge to get any of them.

Thus my subjective opinion is that they got it right when choosing which acquisition method to assign to the two sets.

I’m not making the PS Biconics canon for my character. The overall events, yes, but not his central role in them. So my character did not have a reaction because for him it didn’t happen beyond maybe just being one of many bodies seen strangled.

I, however, am generally a sucker for tear-jerker moments in movies and this one hit me the same way, lump in the throat and sorrow for Marjory’s loss (Belinda herself, meh, her voice actor didn’t sell me on her being a soldier, nor did we see enough of her to know her as a character and directly mourn her death). I credit the music with doing that, it hit just the right chord to tell my subconscious “Hey, be sad now.” It would be interesting to get a general idea of how many people who felt no sadness were also using their own unrelated music instead of the game sounds.

I got Fire for Effect on a first run through on the 2nd alt doing it. However I was in a group, helping someone totally new to the LS chapter, and others in the group were on alts that had finished the whole thing, so I figured it was due to that. On the other hand on the same run-through others got the speed-run-Concordia achieve but I did not.

Hmm, if you don’t want warrior or guardian I’d actually start with necromancer. In the end I find mesmer the most fun but I know I had real issues on my first one before I had learned a lot of the game’s combat nuances. Let me cast my mind back to that learning curve and remember what each professions cons are for beginners:

Warrior – boring. At least with greatsword/rifle, as my first one was. Longbow/axe/sword combos did better. Still, yes, warrior doesn’t really give you the immersive flavor other prof combat can.

Guardian – my fave as a beginner, especially after thief (see below). Sturdy as all get out. However, of all the professions this is the hardest one to get solid dps out of, so if you’re going solo you’ll have long fights. Safe ones, but long. In a group you’ll shine with support.

Thief – my very first character, and still my RP main guy. Squishy beyond belief until you learn all the dodges and evasions. I’d say only my elementalist died more. Can be quite frustrating to play when you don’t know the game well. On the other hand, stealth is a great way to flee combat if you’re in over your head, or to get to an objective without having to slug it out.

Ranger – meh. Some do great things with this but I’m not a fan of pet classes in any game, so color me biased here. Plus pets come down to choosing which 2 to slot for a fight (and losing the custom name you gave the pet if you swap it away), and having all of one special ability you pick when to fire, the rest being somewhat kitten ily AI’d.

Engineer – I wouldn’t do this as a beginner. It requires the most keyboard dancing as you swap kits in and out with the 7-9 keys, your F1-F4 skills change based on what kits you have slotted, and you don’t learn the weapon swap that most professions use. Playing it effectively takes a lot of skill.

Elementalist – another one I would not suggest for a beginner. I thought thief was squishy, but my ele, man. I hadn’t learned attunement dancing yet when I started her at launch. You have to use all four F1-F4 keys constantly, be aware of how your 1-5 skills change based on which weapon and which attunement you’re in (the key that sends you rapidly away from the enemy on one set will charge you into their midst on another), have extreme situational awareness to dodge hits … this is imo the most complex profession in the game, though at least the keys you hit are closer together than for Engineer.

Necromancer – actually a solid prof to learn on as noted above. Once you get staff fully unlocked it gives you a ton of aoe, and if you want minions to distract mobs you can slot those in your utilities, though I tend to avoid minions as needing too much micromanagement (personal opinion only, remember, I don’t like pet classes). Death Shroud gives you an oh-s—t button when combat’s going poorly. Cons, hmm. The staff is almost pure ground targeting, so it can be hard to use that while moving around if you mouse move like I do. A number of utility skills involve hurting yourself, such as taking on Bleeding or Weakness to inflict a harsher amount of the same thing on the enemy. Also a lot of skills are fairly indiscriminate in what they hit, so you may pull more mobs than you meant to.

Mesmer – very fun once you know how to play it, but it starts out rather confusing on when to summon clones or phantasms and when to blow them up and how. It also needs a number of higher level skills to really shine. At least it doesn’t feel like a “pet class.” The clones etc. are really just fire and forget spells with an off toggle that does damage when used.

That all sounds negative, I know. I’m trying to let you know the pitfalls you’ll face when brand new, not scare you off! I really love playing most professions, mesmer and guardian the most (medium armor classes and elementalist the least), and could give you a much longer pros description of each of the eight. You should certainly try out every single one, because what you love and hate about them will be highly individual to you. I’m sure one of them will turn out to be your absolute favorite, and it may be one I can’t stand

Cultural clothing is the best way to quickly distinguish your race. However, no Asura will ever be mistaken for a Norn. The body shapes are too different. I think the only time anyone is ever unsure of a character’s race is with very short slim Norn women, because you have to check nuances such as hair style and tattoos to be sure it’s a Norn.

Also the idle animations are very distinctive between races and even genders within races.

Back to clothing: Charr and Asura get a lot less armor differentiation because very few armors get “female” versions for them. The women wear the “male” sets. Sylvari get the dimorphism but be advised there are some issues with male sylvari in that shoulder pieces can be grotesquely oversized and floating above the shoulder, and skirts on robes and coats tend to bell out in a bizarre manner.

Note that if you hide your helm and have a very distinctive sylvari head, with branches and twigs or whatever, you will be quite obviously sylvari no matter what armor you’re in. Especially at night if you have set your glow brightness to full when creating the character.

Alright, here’s my Scarlet Pimpernel sylvari. When he’s being all “sink me, I got a spot of dirt on my cuff, woe,” he’s in Country Mask, Masquerade Mantle, Nightmare Court Robes, Student Gloves, Snapdragon Leggings, and Snapdragon Boots. Colors mostly Lifeblood, Redemption, Strawberry Breeze. I’d prefer no weapons show; I was using Zenith to add gold glow while leveling but don’t need double weapons just to match the outfit when he’s no fighter while in his cover identity.

When he’s masked and rescuing those in need or doing other sneaky Whispers stuff, he’s in Gas Mask, (shoulders hidden), Aetherblade Light Vest, Apostle Wraps, Ascalon Performer Pants, and Aurora Shoes. Colors are various dull shades with a touch of Abyss here and there. I haven’t finalized the vest hues yet, I want to see how I like the current layout, as I only applied it minutes ago. Weapon shown is Ebon Vanguard GS; he also uses Priory’s Historical Scepter and Seraph Focus to keep the low-key dull silver look going. I might swap to Ebonblade for the GS.

I’ll add a shot of his stealth outfit from before I decided to fully cover his head with the gas mask and build an outfit around that.

edit: Oops, got a shot without the shoulders showing for the foofy outfit, so now that’s at the bottom out of order.

Without patch notes or dev comments it’s hard to say, but I have noticed a lot more RP in cities than right after the megaserver, and a greater likelihood that I’ll be in the same server as my guild members when we assemble for a gathering.

They haven’t done a complete job. When I want to swap a look, I can’t do the drop down from the Hero Panel item icon like before. I get a list with four Rubicon Coats and no tool tip on them to say if this is my Scout or Magitech or whatever. I have to root around in inventory. (I am not going to use a transmute charge for every RP change, so I’m keeping fully statted various skinned versions in my bags).

If the drop down list of coats/hats/etc from the item slot included a tool tip, that would alleviate the problem a lot, but not as much as having the item named for the skin.

I don’t see the contradiction. A country is a culture that occupies an area. Humans “established Ascalon” the country, on the “large portion of the land” that they conquered. The name has now stuck, but it wasn’t Ascalon until the humans made it so.

Side note: I’m waiting for Maleficent on Blue Ray/NetFlix. Now I’ve had spoilers I didn’t expect in a thread unrelated to that movie. /sad

Plot favoritism? While I identify with the humans most, and most of my alts are human or sylvari, I really like that ANet has spun things in Tyria so the humans are the dwindling race, nation after nation lost. Humans still have spirit (see the character creation opening cinematic with cities exploding as humans vow not to give up) but they live in the shadow of possible extinction. That gives so much more story possibility than the tired old “we rule creation we can do everything super well yay team” that you usually see.

I still think it needs a human to undo a human crafted curse, though, when the curse was designed to require someone King Adelbern would consider the “rightful king” to break it.

The male one has some physics but overall is fairly plastic, too. And when you sit, it sticks out to the rear with a tiny bit of flutter as if a wind’s blowing it back.

My preference is to stick with a single name, but adding titles like “of the Dawn” or “Warden (name)” can help.

Try thinking about the name you want. Is it because it has a meaning, or because you like the sound? Is it a name you’ve used in other games?

Solution for meaning: Use a Gaelic/Celtic dictionary to find something else that means generally the same thing, or go to the roots used in Arthurian names and derive syllables that indicate that general meaning. Anything Gaelic/Celtic or Arthurian will fit in Sylvari nomenclature.

Solution for sound: add a syllable, or think why you like the sound. For instance, I read an Edgar Allen Poe essay once in which he discusses which sounds are most melodious, and that stuck with me. If you like the flow of syllables, fiddle around with something else following the same pattern.

Solution for it being “your” name: Harder. Try some variants. When I started WoW I had a character named Erelle. Then I made my long time main, Frelle. I had an Arelle, Yrelle, etc etc etc. It became a theme (much as in pre-MMO tabletopping I tended to always start names with M for some reason). In other games I used all sorts of names playing off words meaning merriment and laughter. You could go for something much like you’ve used before, but ring changes on the theme.

The basic skins are realistic but have horrible textures. No shiny to them a’tall. I would love weapons that show some care and fineness in crafting while looking like actual weapons. Give them excess detail if needed in decoration and blade etchings, in tassels and shining gems, not in adding so much width you may as well be — as another poster put it so well — wielding a kayak.

I wouldn’t mind the 30/30 so much if there was a way to log which ones you found. I got a bunch on my own, then decided to take the Dulfy tour. I visited every spot again, even the ones I’d found on my own … and ended up at 29/30. Even with a guide that was a long time investment doing just that and nothing else as I needed to track where I was and keep my “train of thought” going on it. Ending up with 1 still missing was frustrating as the only way to find which one is missing would be to retrace my steps again, with no guarantee it would work any better the next time.

If nothing else, one should be able to see something where the coin used to be, to verify that one had found that one. A little hole in the ground, a different sparkle color, anything to mark “you’ve been here.”

It’s entirely possible to do the dungeons at level, though it helps if you have at least one party member who knows the fights. Make sure to start the instance yourself and then advertise on LFG, clearly stating sub 80’s welcome, not a speed run.

Also check the responses here for those who are friendly to sub 80 runs (me included). I’m on NA. Feel free to add me to friends and to ask me for help. I’m on vacation leading into retirement and most of my guild doesn’t show up until the evenings so I am looking for ways to help people out and be sociable. (PM me here if you don’t see me in game, I have other projects and games atm so I’m not in GW2 100% while at the computer).

Any profession makes sense for a sylvari, they are very curious and looking to do anything that’s new. Also the professions have a wide range of interpretation. I’ve just tried googling for the direct quote, but I distinctly recall when they announced the Thief they said it didn’t have to be a shadowy rogue, it could be a con man, a swashbuckler, an entertainer, etc. I built my RP main around that, he’s a dashing nobleman who spent time with a traveling troupe and has a lot of entertaining skills with juggling, acrobatics, banter .. and pickpocketing, lockpicking, misdirection, and the like.

Your sylvari Thief could be good at silent movement, detail perception, scouting, and the like. S/he doesn’t have to be an amoral stealer of stuff or an assassin, as far as the character concept goes.

Ranger works in a more iconic fashion, of course, playing on the sylvari connection to nature.

That’s all going to lore! If you meant in terms of game play, as others have said race has zero impact on profession utility beyond some flavor racial skills that are designed to be weaker than universally available ones.

I want more Lord Faren. I had such hopes for him in the beginning, and we have indeed gotten more of him in the LS than any other starter buddy.

Beyond him, I’d love to have all 5 racial starter buddies showing up. Maybe only in the PS parts of the LS, since character creation choices determine just who you have (hmmm, guess Human Street Rats would have to see Riot Alice, and she IS in Dry Top).

I’m completely against those skins being available without going through the GW1 process. They were designed for the players of the old game and show that the person using them has Been There.

I say that as someone that would love the skins but is not willing to play GW1. I knew months before launch of GW2 that I could go through GW1 and secure some lovely skins. I chose not to. At that time I was looking forward to GW2’s lack of grind, totally sick of the WoW dailies and treadmill, and simply could not face the idea of learning a new game just to grind out stuff.

Then GW2 launched and totally absorbed me for a long time. Now and then I considered trying out GW1 despite not wanting a game that requires min max skill in complex builds (I suck at min max in every game I ever play). People in my guild play it, they’d help me out with learning the ropes and gathering the HoM things. I’d see the story first hand. But … I don’t want to spend my time on that.

So I can’t have the skins. End of story. Asking for them in the gem store is like asking for the Dungeon Master title in the gem store so you can pretend you’ve completed every path of every dungeon when you haven’t.

Here’s another possible spin — we know there’s a locket showing Doric’s heir. That person would count as the “rightful ruler” under the terms of the curse. I don’t buy a Charr being able to fit that role; they may have true claim to the lands, but the curse was laid down by a human thinking it was rightfully his. He’d never set the curse to allow one of the hated enemy to count.

However, if the rightful heir persuades Rytlock to do this, and is there at the scene — just off camera from that short clip — that might fulfill the spirit of the conditions. S/he needn’t necessarily be handling the blade, right? Maybe after all this time using it the thing has in some way bonded to Rytlock and he has to voluntarily give it up.

Just brainstorming here, and I never played GW1 or focused heavily on its lore so the true mavens can probably shoot many holes in this.

I cannot answer your question, sorry, though my general feeling based on forum commentary is that farming lodestones is sheer hell and the best way to get them is to more reliably farm the gold to buy them on the TP.

However, I am laughing at the forums using the feline filter on the name of an in game item. Even in the link to their own wiki /rolls eyes

I still want a juggling toy, with choices of balls, clubs, flaming torches, daggers …

Metal Maniac, as far as I know you can still use tonics and get Brawl skills with them. There are Forge recipes to turn Mystery Tonics into the specific one you want, check the wiki on your desired tonic for details.

I was lucky the other day to find myself in a map with a leader who constantly called out the imminent events, which come up every 5 minutes, and noted which ones needed more people. Two T4’s in a row there. I had a blast hopping event to event, especially when I could help knock out a fast one and then get a 2nd one in the same 5 minutes. The time frame was around 11:30 pm eastern, my home server is TC.

I do wonder if that will still be happening later as the LS moves on.

I love the wolf snarling at the view! (And thanks for the video, that was marvelous). But I have to say, spiky ooze wins my heart.

I think you may run afoul of
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/bltc/These-forums-are-not-a-grey-market/first#post913290

Terminology time!

WvW: World versus World – Wandering around a large map engaging large groups of other players, using the skills and gear gained in PvE. 3 home servers are involved. You can party up with your friends.

sPvP: Structured PvP – Arenas, essentially, with teams of two colors duking it out for capture points. You get in a match with random people from your megaserver.

Look to the other posters for which home server suits your WvW needs best.

The OP isn’t asking for 8 starter slots, s/he is asking for 8 slots to show on the selection screen once purchased, rather than 7. I’m all for that.

I believe the maximum number of slots is 64 anyway, so why not show a number that divides evenly into that?

The problem is that was just a few months into the game. People hadn’t yet gotten tired of the “standard” skins, they had just tossed a lot of money buying the box in the first place, and the skins were interesting but not very weapon-looking. They also hadn’t gotten into the mindset of buying gems with gold, or even having a lot of gold to spare for it anyway.

I think the dynamic is different now and gem store skins will sell a lot better.

It’s all subjective, but I have to say that for me it’s not a sword if it doesn’t have a cutting edge and decent proportions. I like the ley weapons that are sticks with something on the end (staff, scepter, mace), but the rest look like odd decorations for a tropical resort.

There are two other vendors near the minigame NPC, they have the Sovereign and Festival items.

A note for Thieves: use Steal on the husks. You get a lovely knockback on your F1. It even affects the husks themselves, or you can save it for a wolf or plant beast (just not on the tendrils/roots, they are immune).

It spawns in one of 4 places every time, actually. I failed miserably at it solo on my thief despite knowing what to do, but a fellow thief came and saved my rear, then we teamed up with more guildies to help them through. Worked pretty well with 4 of us, one on each spawn point, using blinds, roots, snares, anything to stymie the wolf attacks on the minions.

I’ve had my human nobleman’s hair neatly short since beta (got him designed, made the same look at launch), but this convinced me to grow it out for the ponytail. One issue I found once I was running around in game with it is that the hair looks a bit plastic, or like he’s loaded it with more pomade than Elvis. I’d like it textured better, but I still love the style.

S/he didn’t do well with LFG but we got 2 more people in need during a taking of the Arah gate and have finished the Story run! 4 manned it pretty well with no wipes and only a few deaths here and there, go go Guardian team.

Are you NA or EU? If NA I can come in game to help out.

That’s a good point, Filaha. Remember, current Tyrians have gone through an enormous disaster, 40K people wiped out in a day, and that on top of a dangerous world with a lot of death and destruction happening quite frequently. They’re not insulated from death, they’re immersed in it, and anyone who can’t see it and keep coping isn’t out adventuring.

That being said, I do hope the story can move into more depth and shades of grey. Just because the game has to allow for younger participants doesn’t mean it can’t go deeper. I read an author’s comment once that Young Adult fiction is done well if you write an adult’s book with young protagonists and no sex … just look at Diana Wynn Jones’ young adult stories such as Fire and Hemlock or the Christopher Chant/Chrestomanci series to see compelling tales with very dark moments that are nonetheless suitable for young teens to read.

I think the point others are making is that in a few months there may not be T4 maps to let newcomers buy the recipe. Though one would hope ANet would adjust the requirements for getting it if that comes to pass.

Wayward and flimsy? This woman is the driving intellect behind the Shining Blade, formidable in combat, fingers on the pulse of royal security. That’s like calling Judi Dench’s “M” in the new Bond movies wayward and flimsy.

However, there may be something hinky going on with Jennah. I don’t know why she’d bother to brainwash a gladiator in an arena into becoming her lapdog (maybe his bloodline matters too), but I don’t think Logan fell for her at all naturally. Still, I believe she is the Doric descendant sitting on the throne and that ties in to why she’d be a target for Elder Dragon ire.

I’d put him or her in whatever order suited his/her personality the best. Or, failing that, whichever order I haven’t played a lot of recently. A profession is a very broad brush to paint a character with. Is your mesmer a fop with a secret side? A scholar of the mathematics of solid light projections? A crowd-pleasing performer who can motivate the troops? Choose what fits! Or, what’s most fun. Whispers usually keeps me most interested in the missions, Priory takes me to Lornar’s Pass before I really want to go there.

This is why I’m glad I can keep getting more character slots! I have … 14 or 15 now? At least 12 80’s?

It’s easy enough to make another after you’ve tested one a while. I freshen things up by focusing on different weapon sets and trait lines for each one.

I was hoping someone would do Ventari. Lookit them limbs a’sprawlin’ …!

My bad, it has been pointed out to me that one purchases the inscriptions from the Zephyrite vendor for 50 geodes. Phew. If you have the insect, you’re good.

Whew, thanks guys! I missed that was a purchasable thing. So now I only need that darn insect. /relieved

I noted this in the Entanglement forum — it’s not just the insect. You will also need the inscription to drop from a chest for you. I can’t make my shortbow until I have both an insect to turn into a mosquito (at least that part is a choice we make, rather than getting a random useless bug) AND an account bound Nomad’s Imbued Orichalcum Inscription, made from an account bound recipe dropped randomly in a Dry Top chest.

I just need one insect. I haven’t been grinding for it, though, I simply took part in a couple of T4 runs and used keys from the LS.

However, as I was able to buy the shortbow recipe thanks to those T4’s, I have to report something sad. You don’t just need the insect, guys. You also need the Nomad’s inscription (for the shortbow, it’s Nomad’s Imbued Orichalcum Inscription) … and that is also RNG account bound from the Drytop chests.

So I have all the mats sitting on my Huntsman, just waiting for the insect AND the inscription recipe to drop during whatever time I can be in Drytop during a sandstorm while holding keys.

lakdav.3694:

Soooo… we shouldnt start new characters anytime soon that has the potential to be stuck forever on specific parts of the original Personal Story with the Living World continuously messing up the maps of old/historical events.

Not at all. You can still do the story, you’ll just have to deal with the terrain not exactly matching the character attitudes and actions. You won’t be “stuck.” I took a new alt through Whispers stuff and had Tybalt cheerfully selling apples in an LA on fire.

It may confuse new players, though.