Guild Wars 2

They said they’re doing a full weak on each specialization. Presuming they include revenant in that, that’s 9 weeks. So let’s say they start these weeks this Monday. That’s March 23. 9 weeks later? May 18th as the final specialization week.

But it’s more likely to be akin to the “race weeks” that they had before releasing GW2. They were months apart from each other, throughout a full year’s worth. So chances are we’re looking at an August 28th release of HoT – why August 28th? Because GW2 anniversary.

Would have preferred April 28th (GW1 anniversary and 10 years of the game) but shrug

There’s actually a theory that Bangar is behind the Renegades. If I recall correctly, it’s lore that most Renegades are, in fact, former Blood Legion.

Hill Giants are not norn.

And the Snowblind Fractal obviously takes place after Svanir’s death in Eye of the North – as apparent by the Sons of Svanir – the hill giant invasion was nearly 500 years before Svanir’s birth let alone death.

It was in an interview. A rather underwhelming response, the whole of the lore community agreed, since we already knew that Jormag corrupted females (from A SPirit of Legend blog post)

First off, sorry about your father.

As to the crux of it: we only have a minor hint that what keeps sylvari from being corrupted is willpower. It isn’t a confirmed case just yet. Personally, I think/hope it’s a bit more than just willpower – which itself is a rather cookie cutter excuse and far too widespread of meaning to really be credible.

Edit: I would like to note that it is heavily implied that the Dream is related to the sylvari’s protection against dragon corruption – for all Elder Dragons, and Mordremoth simply has the “easiest time” in corrupting sylvari (aided by the fact that the Pale Tree was weakened).

There’s next to no stated lore, though some dev comments have given insights to various degrees. Such insights are on the fractal’s individual wiki articles. But to summarize what is known:

• All except potentially the Uncategorized Fractal are past events.
• Even the Mistlock Observatory seems to be a fractal – Dessa attempted to leave once, but just “reset” when walking through the asura gate, not knowing any of the visitors.
• Dessa seems to be from a time before the sylvari (she doesn’t recognize them) and post-LA reconstruction (likely in LA’s early rebuilding days, as she calls it a pirate haven which while still true isn’t as dangerous as she makes it out to be).
• Urban Battlegrounds is an alternate version of The Searing from GW1 – not the Foefire as many suspect.
• Aquatic Ruins Fractal is heavily implied to be a mixture of two times and places – one location being Elona, the other being Ascalon; the times are unclear.
• Cliffside Fractal is stated to be from the beginnings of human history on Tyria – so this would mean pre-Canthan establishment, most likely.
• Molten Furnace Fractal and Molten Boss Fractal are pieces of the Molten Facility dungeon from Flame and Frost.
• Aetherblade Fractal and Captain Mai Trin Boss Fractal are pieces of the Aetherblade Retreat dungeon from Sky Pirates of Tyria.
• Thaumanova Reactor Fractal is about the moments before the Thaumanova Reactor exploded, which happened shortly before the personal story (which took place 1325 AE).
• Solid Oceanic Fractal is of the Jade Sea while it’s petrified, the Jade Maw is a kraken that were common in the Jade Sea (though a redesigned and massive compared to GW1 krakens).

The rest we don’t really have much on. I do have theories though. And have even been thinking about making a thread on said theories.

I feel this needs to be said so bolding it so it’s not overlooked:

Just because it’s in the dat doesn’t mean it is a sure thing.

Remember the Season 1 ending? A different version, fully voiced, was found in the dat and spoiled by dat divers, but the canon ending turned out completely different.

Bathos.6341:

Since shields are almost useless, i have to ask why would you use a shield for both hands? what kind of autoattack could you do with a shield? Throwing it Captain America style? That’d just look stupid in gw2.

Engineers already throw it Captain America style (minus ricochet) though… and it’s not stupid looking at all.

Abaddon had no statues nor high priests for over a thousand years prior to Zhaitan’s rise so it had no strategic point in comparison to the other temples. There was just no interest in the temple that couldn’t be found elsewhere in Orr. It was also hidden, sunken, and sealed. Per the story, Zhaitan’s minions only recently went into the temple to take some simple magical artifacts for the Mouth to consume (which they do just before we show up). So the risen have just been taking their time systematically consuming the magical artifacts (via Mouth of Zhaitan) throughout Orr – and Orr’s not exactly small or lacking in magical artifacts, nor are they restricted to Orr with such, nor were they in a hurry – Elder Dragons function on a different timescale than mortals thus are very leisurely in comparison.

I think in cases like that it means that someone put a buy order for the amount you gave – or higher, if there’s a bigger difference between your sell order and the lowest current seller price (not highest seller) – during the time since you opened the window and placed your sell order.

Basically:

• You open Trading Post item window
• Other person places buy order; your window does not update to reflect this
• You place order for equal or lower than other person’s buy order
• You get instant sell

Alternatively, it’s as Wanze said and the sell order is bought very fast after you place it.

Seishiro.7468:

the problem is, the “rightful king of ascalon” would have to be the descendand from either king adelbern or duke barradin, but adelberns son prince Rurik died to an ambush of the stone summit dwarfs, and his wife, the daughter of duke barradin, got killed in the searing. Both were only childs and both died before they had children, therefore everyone who had any form of bloodright to the ascalonian throne died.

Wade Samuelsson, Commander of the Ebon Vanguard and Duke of Ebonhawke, descends from Ascalonian royalty.

Barradin likely had siblings or cousins that we didn’t know about. Royalty rarely have singular lines, but are often lines of kittens and younger siblings left to rule lesser lands.

Also, according to the Prophecies manual, Rurik was simply the eldest son. There was another kid we know nothing about – though Rurik was also the last child of Adelbern by the time the former died, so any younger sibling of Rurik was likely either dead or thought to be dead before 1072 AE.

Aldaryn.4376:

Adlebern was not of royal blood either, yet he became king. Check out Ascalon’s Chosen. I think it would be entirely plausible that somewhere in Logan’s and Kerian’s ancestry there’s an illegitimate heir, unless ANet clarifies otherwise

While of commoner title, Adelbern was descended from King Doric, making him of royal blood.

Stephen.6312:

What is ascension all about? What happens when an individual enters into a state of communion with the “Old Gods”? I’m not sure that any player could actually answer that. Nevertheless, ascension may play a pivotal role in our understanding of dragon.

Ascension is shown to be the ability to see into the spirit realm (aka part of the Mists) with better ease, disallowing those who slip between the fabric of reality (ghosts, mursaat, etc.) to hide from their mortal eyes. Weh no Su and Ascension are the same thing.

Stephen.6312:

What happens next is fascinating. Snaff is transported through Kralkatorrik’s eye into another plane, similar to an ascendant’s ability to travel into the Mists. Did Snaff actually travel into the Mists? It is unclear. Some players have theorized that the dragons may in fact be realms, or planes of existence, within the Mists, and this portion of the story of Snaff’s battle with Kralkatorrik does lend some credence to the theory.

There’s a massive issue with your theory here:

Snaff didn’t go anywhere. The entire battle was a battle of minds between him and Kralkatorrik – not himself – and when Snaff won, he entered Kralkatorrik’s mind where they fought again.

Kralkatorrik’s mind is not another plain of existence or the Mists. The theory presented by the Priory Scholar isn’t so much that the dragons are realms or planes of existences – but that they’re tied to them. Tied to those spheres of power.

Logan and Jennah do the same thing with the whole “communication within a field of the mind” earlier in the novel.

Stephen.6312:

Just as importantly, Snaff realizes something: that he knows how to calm the storm that is Kralkatorrik’s mind. What is Snaff metaphorically doing at this point? He is assembling a broken crystal. Which crystal? The vision crystal, perhaps, or maybe something even more profound. However, we cannot ignore the subtle reference to the vision crystal that is made here.

I… don’t see this reference – subtle or otherwise. At this point, as per usual in your theories, you’re stretching a lot.

There’s no assembling or broken crystal mentioned in the novel afaik.

Plus, in your relation to Ascension, the vision crystal comes before the doppleganger – so your theory is out of order.

Stephen.6312:

Furthermore, it is clear at this point that Snaff has unlocked hidden powers. The nature of the text suggests that Snaff always knew what he realized, he just lacked the spark of purity to help him see it clearly.

That is in reference to the physics of hurricanes – what Kralkatorrik’s mind is constantly related to. This isn’t any “spark of purity” or the like, but basic meteorology that is used to relate to how the Elder Dragon’s mind works.

So no hidden powers unlocked. Just science!

Stephen.6312:

1) Mathematics.
2) The smile on Zojja’s face when she invented a new ankle joint for her golem.
3) The look of shock and betrayal on Klab’s (Snaff’s rival) face when he became the director of pest control.

Like Abaddon, Snaff fell. Why? Think about the nature of Snaff’s thoughts. The first two are altruistic. The last, however, is selfish and proud. The final thought isn’t about reconciliation, but competition. You see, Snaff was too proud to receive the award, “Director of Pest Control”, so he manipulated the prize-giving ceremony at which he might have received it in order to avoid the ignominy of his peers.

You missed the point of the thoughts.

It isn’t purity. It’s happiness.

What Snaff realized by relating Kralkatorrik’s mind to a hurricane is that it’s constantly trying to get at the center – the eye of the storm – which is everything the hurricane is not. So he focuses his thoughts not on being pure, but on being the opposite of Kralkatorrik. And Kralkatorrik is cruel and angry. So Snaff focused on happy and kind thoughts.

Stephen.6312:

It would seem from the guild’s experience that Turai Ossa’s people may have succumbed to Glint’s test.

Curious notion but it’s outright stated why they turned on each other:

Ritual Priest Hehmnut: “It was greed and mistrust that drove my brothers and I apart.”

Furthemrore, the Elonians that Turai led never got close to Glint’s lair – unlike Destiny’s Edge. They were centralized around Augury Rock – which houses the Hall of Ascension. Glint and her tests are 100% unrelated to Ascension. Glint’s lair was adjacent to the Tomb of the Primeval Kings, which was in the northern reaches of the desert – likely not far from the Crystal Sea’s shores, given that the tomb predates the sea drying up.

Stephen.6312:

The question is what Glint’s test was intended to do. Was it meant to keep her safe? Glint didn’t parade herself before humanity; she hid in a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert – the point being that her hiding-place was deserted. Its almost as though Glint didn’t want to be found. Even her custodians had the kind of name that one tends to forget.

The purpose of her tests were also explained in GW1:

Why would she trust someone who has breached her defenses?
“No. No. The great dragon has little to fear from intruders. Little indeed. Her defenses are not to protect her. They are to test those who wish to gain her audience. The task she has foreseen in your future is not one for the weak. Oh no. She wants to be sure, sure that only those strong enough to complete this important task reach her.”

Stephen.6312:

Is it any wonder that the she-dragon entrusted the last of her eggs to someone other than a member of Destiny’s Edge?

Glint didn’t entrust her egg to anyone. The person who gave the Master of Peace the egg was a male voice. Far too different from Glint’s.

Stephen.6312:

Which is why neither Logan nor Ogden are technically correct about the uniqueness of Glint. Sure, she could read minds, but there is evidence that Zaithan could too. In the Personal Story instance “The Source of Orr”, the Sovereign Eye of Zaithan discerns the intention of the PC upon beholding him or her, then appeals to the PC during the ensuing fight, stating, ‘“I see in your heart that you have lost someone to Zhaitan…Come to Zhaitan, and find everything you have lost”’. Nor is the PC the only person to experience this phenomenon. Several instances earlier, in “A Light In The Darkness”, the sylvari Tegwen remarks on eyes she saw in the darkness, “Great glowing eyes that cut into [her] soul”. The link between the eyes of a dragon and it’s ability to read minds seems fairly certain.

Wrong instance with Tegwen, you’re wanting A Vision of Darkness. But there’s an important thing to take note:

It’s not Zhaitan, it’s the Eyes of Zhaitan, that are peering into minds and souls. And they are mesmers – and royalty of a magically powerful nation. It’s only natural for mesmers, especially powerful ones, to be able to read minds. Jennah does it, after all.

It’s actually Mordremoth and Jormag that’s curious with their mind-related abilities.

Eh, not really OP.

They worship Jormag, and call him Dragon, considering him to be the Spirit of Dragon.

Norn do not revere all bears so much as just Bear, though they find some relevance in all bears as they’re tied to Bear.

Which does call into question how the Sons of Svanir view non-icebrood dragons and the other Elder Dragons, but the one they worship is Jormag plain and simple. It should also be noted that the Sons of Svanir faith differs greatly from the standard norn – it’s far closer to monotheism than the respect-of-nature that norn typically hold (though rather than monotheism it’s probably closest to a pagan god that is greater than all other “lesser” deities – a polytheistic faith that worships the strongest out of many).

Seishiro.7468:

And I don’t say that they might not as well worshipp the destroyers, after all they do so with the icebrood. The only thing stopping them in my eyes is that the sonst never stepped outside of the shiverpeak borders, and no other dragonminionrace made it there(well except for sylvari as we now know).

This isn’t really true – the sons don’t worship icebrood. They do see them as sacred (like a norn would find a special bear would), but they don’t worship them.

In fact, they outright kill various icebrood. Female norn get turned into icebrood? It’s an affront to Dragon – kill. And there are Sons in Frostgorge (the camp where the newer meta from Episode 3 happens) which mention hunting icebrood to learn from them.

So while the norn worship Jormag (aka Dragon) as not only a Spirit of the Wild, but the strongest Spirit of the Wild, they revere (not worship) standard icebrood in the same way that norn would see the animals which are tied to the Spirits. To be hunted and honored. But it’s rather skewed due to misogyny.

The dwarves had dealings with norn, but most races knew nothing about them beyond charr and dwarves. But the dwarves also had some influence up north so it’s not clear whether the dealings between dwarf and norn was due to dwarves going north or norn going south.

There isn’t. Arah story requires a minimum of two players due to the first gate you have to open.

Story dungeons are designed for 5 players, but because everything from initial release is so simple in mechanics they’re easily solo’able except for certain gating mechanics that require multiple people – like said Arah gate.

But technically speaking, the story dungeons aren’t part of the personal story – Arah is the one and only exception – and the personal story was repeatedly stated to be solo’able.

I honestly would prefer if they rework the story mode dungeons to be solo’able but properly scaled up for 5 players. Like some of the Season 1 dungeons (e.g., Scarlet’s Playhouse, Canach’s Layer, Nightmare Incarnate).

Add another name to the “want the lore text back” wagon.

Kentaine.4692:

This is only an issue with events, and that is only an issue because of the new dailies.

Because level 80s don’t go to under level 60 zones to farm champions. Or world bosses. Because killing ambient mobs that low levels don’t get credit for due to being killed too fast by the roaming single level 80 doesn’t count to hearts.

Because content was a kittening bore due to too simple when going anywhere but level 80 areas with simple exotic gear.

I have to disagree with your opinion that downscaling was only ever an issue with events and that in turn was only an issue due to the new dailies. The issue was there LONG before the new dailies. It was there before the world boss timer. It was there before champ bags were introduced. The issue was always there. It just became a bigger issue with champ bags, the world boss timer, and the new dailies.

Now there is the separate issue of most events in the game not scaling up properly, but this happens even in level 80 areas and it is unrelated to downscaling.

But in all honesty, I don’t feel much of a difference going through my half-exotic half-ascended necromancer. Or my full exotic ranger. Or my 75-25 exotic-ascended thief. I’m not seeing this nerf to downscaling.

Anet must maintain their homage to the worst character in the series of Guild Wars that they have this peculiar fascination with. It will not change, for Scarlet did it.

Scarlet is eternal. Scarlet is forever. Scarlet is you. You are Scarlet.

murderofcrow.6109:

Just to be clear, up to what chapter can I safely complete with regards to the future fix? I completed Part VI: Suspicious Activity, next instance will begin The Battle of Claw Island.

You want to stop BEFORE A Light in the Darkness.

So it’s best to stop after the racial sympathy.

BobbyStein.2315:

Malkavian.4516:

So, Mr. Stein. Any word on the progress of the personal story fix?

I’m working on the messaging and am working out some design issues on a few details. I should have more info to post before the end of the month. Thanks for your patience.

Thanks for the update.

triggerhappy.3871:

I have a character who finished ‘Steel Tide’ (last one of Vigil tank storyline).
In launch-time storyline order, ‘Against the Corruption’ should be the next storyline.
Currently, however, It says ‘Victory or Death’ is next one.
It looks I missed from ‘Against the Corruption’ to ‘the Source of Orr.’

After patch, which one will be the next storyline, ‘Against the Corruption’ or ‘Victory or Death’?

Based on how things happened and forum posts, it looks like you’re stuck with Victory or Death because you already began Victory or Death.

You’ll have to do a new character to experience the changes.

Invictus.1503:

All I can say is that I hope (though not holding my breath) that they add the maps in PvE that don’t currently count. I don’t think they will though, and that is frankly Bull kittycats (didn’t want the filter to change it so did it myself).

Currently the following don’t count, but should since they are perfectly integrated pieces of PvE content:
- Southsun Cove
- Dry Top
- Silverwastes
- Claw island (I think)

Claw Island does count but has no map completion due to the fact that you can only access it during the personal story.

I would love for it to be turned into an instance you can visit at any time though, and map normally.

But I really, really do hope they add Dry Top, The Silverwastes, and Southsun Cove – and expand Southsun Cove with some vistas and skill challenges.

BobbyStein.2315:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

BTW, Trahearne has the aggro line “die by my blade!” before he gets Caladbolg (he said it in my sylvari C2 storyline the other day). Seems kind of weird when he’s wielding a staff.

That’s one of the lines we’ve rewritten.

Oh, I know.

I’m just saying it’s weird that it triggers when he isn’t using a blade. And that feels a bit off.

Would it be possible to use the old aggro/death/deaggro lines for before A Light in the Darkness, and the new ones (which feel more confident-filled) after? I think it’d match his personality evolution better, though few would notice the change I’m sure. Still, to those who do catch it – just like for those who catch all the other small awesome things (like Caudecus’ face being made out of the floating stones in his garden at the right angle) – would find it awesome for the attention to detail.

Bristingr.5034:

Why Anet? What’s the point of it being called WORLD completion, if they don’t even have to explore the entire world of the game anymore?

1. Don’t have to explore Heart of the Mists or PvP maps (the latter have waypoints), dungeons, the new maps, the temp-and-returning maps (e.g., Crown Pavilion and Labyrinthine Cliffs), or Edge of the Mists.
2. WvW isn’t part of the world in lore, so why should it be in the mechanics?

Honestly, I’m disappointed.

Not in the removal of WvW for world completion – that I don’t mind either way – but in the lack of addition in Southsun Cove, Dry Top, and Silverwastes to world completion. They should be added – to make up for what is lost in WvW. And add some vistas and skill challenges to Southsun while you’re at it.

Wouldn’t mind dungeon PoI being added too (waypoints don’t work as well because they come and go based on path, but it should still be possible… and will force people to do story mode! mwuahahaha!), but I do know of 3 PoI that are buggy so perhaps it’s a good thing they’re not changed.

I would also love for Heart of the Mists to get a map completion on par to Chantry of the Mists – just xp and a transmutation charge. And I do hope that WvW maps are keeping their map completion.

It was actually said that Evon would have been able to create a better defense in the final battle at LA, and there’d be less destruction involved.

Overall it seems that Kiel was the bad choice. :/

I was kind of hoping it’d be in this upcoming update – along with the trait changes Colin mentioned a bit back.

Shame.

BTW, Trahearne has the aggro line “die by my blade!” before he gets Caladbolg (he said it in my sylvari C2 storyline the other day). Seems kind of weird when he’s wielding a staff.

The first part of those surnames isn’t always the name of their parent. There’s a Wolfborn norn who goes by the surname Wolfsdottir – as in the daughter of Wolf. Clearly, her father isn’t a Spirit of the Wild.

Nilkemia.8507:

So now the Dream, instead of being a vast subconscious/collection of the sylvari/Pale Tree’s memory, now suddenly has a will and whim of its own to give certain sylvari certain memories (which doesn’t even make sense when you consider that the Pale Tree’s seed had been planted long after the previous Elder Dragon rising, thus she wasn’t there to see it, let alone the sylvari, so it shouldn’t even be part of their memory to begin with).

It always did have an implied will and whim of its own. After all, it is the Dream that gives out Wyld Hunts – and this was always what the source of the Wyld Hunts were.

In contrast, then, one can argue that the Nightmare is the source of Dark Hunts.

The Dream existed before the Pale Tree, I’m fairly sure she outright states such. She didn’t create it, she doesn’t control it. She is its caretaker – but not always so, obviously. The truth behind the Dream is a mystery still even to the Pale Tree – and this is explicitly stated in A Light in the Darkness.

Nilkemia.8507:

By that logic, Trahearne should’ve also known they came from Mordremoth, since he’s the first sylvari from the Pale Tree. Caithe and Malomedies should’ve also known already, since they’re Night Blooms. Fair enough?

Not all sylvari share the same Dream experience.

Wynne knowing because it was knowledge deep within the Dream makes sense – the whole “was the first Night bloom” is unnecessary extra baggage.

What is questionable is how no one else ever found out, especially since Caithe finding out would be a massive emotional feeling, which are the most likely memories to fall into the Dream.

Nilkemia.8507:

….source please?

Source that the Forgotten were all over Tyria? That’s THE first piece of lore we learned, from History of Tyria, Prophecies’ manual. They held custodianship over Tarnished Coast, Kryta, Cantha, Crystal Desert, Blazeridge Mountains, and more.

Shiren.9532:

Given how the Dream’s “Wyld Hunt” nature is so similar to Glint’s power of Prophecy and the expansion is supposed to deal with Glint’s lost legacy, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Dream and Glint are closely related.

I’m not quite sure how “go do this” is the same as a prophecy. The Wyld Hunts never foretell the future, just give a task.

The Dream seems more akin to the Mists, as it is described as being made of memories and aether – and the Mists, or rather a portion of it, is the memories of past, present, and future.

But again, the Wyld Hunts don’t give visions – of the future or otherwise. It’s described as a sensation of something you have to do. They only appear as visions when experienced before awakening – such as for the PC – which is said to be very rare.

Shiren.9532:

Not only is Glint the alpha test for freeing a creature from Elder Dragon servitude,

Are you sure about that? Choosing a powerful dragon champion that can read minds seems like an odd choice to see if something works on not.

Ogwom.7940:

I found these pictures which were drawn by Kekai Kotaki a few months ago. These 2 pictures depict “evil” sylvari (possibly corrupt?). Here is the link to the GW2wiki page of Kotaki’s art works. Just scroll down a bit on the page and they should be on the right. http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Category:Art_by_Kekai_Kotaki

The Art of Guild Wars 2 describe those as original Nightmare Court concept art, but were scrapped.

The scrapping was likely part of Ree’s attempt to make it seem less obvious that sylvari=dragon minions.

Aaron Ansari.1604:

I’m… not sure I see what you’re talking about. All of the plant images I saw there are years old, and they’ve all been on the wiki for at least ten months. Also, correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t Kotaki leave the company after launch?

They’re indeed old – some of the oldest GW2 concept art actually – and he did indeed leave ArenaNet shortly after release.

They have, however, used some concept art for newer things. For example, the ascended heavy armor (possibly others) is based off of Kekai’s concept art.

Ogwom.7940:

I am not sure, but some of the content like the revenant which will be released in HoT was already planned since launch, so maybe. It was just interesting seeing these 2 pictures in particular though,

Where was it said that revenants were planned since launch?

Shiren.9532:

One is that the Dream is sometimes called the Dream of Dreams, suggesting it’s somewhat grand in scale compared to other Dreams.

I always took it to mean “the Dream of the sylvari’s dreams” so to speak, since it contains the race (in relation to the Pale Tree’s offspring)’s collective memories (“dreams”) and it itself is akin to a dream.

Shiren.9532:

The other is that Malyck obviously does Dream

You’re wrong. Malyck repeatedly asks what the Dream is, and how it could possibly be different from the Nightmare.

Malyck: So, Valiant, you did show up, after all. Tell me something. These “courtiers”—do they come from the same Grove that you do?
<Character name>: We are all sylvari, Malyck, but they’re of the nightmare. I am of the Dream. You don’t know the difference?
Malyck: No. I’ve never heard of either one.

<Character name>: Because we are all sylvari. We all follow the Dream. Can’t you feel that we are related?
Malyck: Feel it? No. I feel nothing, Valiant. Only a great sense of distance, and loss.
<Character name>: You’ve been too long from the Pale Tree, that’s all. When you return, she will heal your lost memory. Come back with me to the Grove. You’ll see.
Malyck: I hope you are right. I want to hear more about this “Dream.” If your friends can help me, then I will meet with them.

Caithe: Malyck is your name? You feel…oddly quiet. Strangely still.
Trahearne: When did you awaken at the Pale Tree? In what cycle? What did you Dream?
Malyck: Tree? I know no Pale Tree. I have had no Dream. My first memory begins two weeks ago. I was lying by a river, staring up at an arched bridge.
Malyck: I was injured, and I wandered the forest from there, following the river until the Wardens found me and took me in.
Trahearne: No Dream? Perhaps you have only forgotten it. If you were badly injured, your memories could be damaged or lost. Perhaps if we look into the Dream itself, we could find them.
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/An_Unknown_Soul

Malyck: I’ll find my way home. After seeing this—your closeness—the Dream… perhaps I want that for myself.
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/A_Different_Dream

You have to keep in mind that all this talk of amnesia is the PC, Trahearne, and Caithe presuming Malyck comes from the Pale Tree. There’s more lines about Malyck, where he outright questions the Dream and Nightmare being so similar, during the end of the storyline, but that dialogue isn’t up on the wiki.

He lacks a Dream, but he desires it while all the same questioning just how similar to the Nightmare it truly is.

Shiren.9532:

It’s what allows a sylvari to step into the world fully formed as an adult and literally fight for their lives right away.

Got a source for that, for that’s never mentioned anywhere.

The Dream is just a metaphysical/mental pre-life experience for sylvari, and holds the memories of the Pale Tree and her children (and others).

Shiren.9532:

Malyck awakens with_fluent_ knowledge of the common tongue of Tyria and he knows how to fight. Malyck learned something before being born, he didn’t just turn up one day as a sentient plant creature needing to start from scratch.

Malyck: Tree? I know no Pale Tree. I have had no Dream. My first memory begins two weeks ago. I was lying by a river, staring up at an arched bridge.
Malyck: I was injured, and I wandered the forest from there, following the river until the Wardens found me and took me in.

How much do you think he might have learned in 2 weeks? I can’t say on the speaking bit, but he learned to fight from the Wardens:

-> Tell me about Warden Banya.
She was very kind to me. She gave me these weapons…and taught me to use them.
http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Where_Life_Goes

Shiren.9532:

I also don’t think it’s explicitly stated that the Dream is what protects sylvari, the only explicit statements I can remember are that the Pale Tree protects sylvari.

I never said it’s explicitly stated. Hence “by implication of both in-game and out of game sources."

I think it’s rather peculiar that when asked why the sylvari are immune to dragon corruption except Mordremoth, his response is completely about the Dream and “ask the Pale Tree”.

Shiren.9532:

She doesn’t say it’s the Dream, she says it’s her.

And she is what connects the sylvari to the Dream. She is the Dream’s caretaker. Coincidence?

Shame.

Was looking forward to it.

Thank you for updating us.

I fail to see how a gay romance is a copy/paste from another game just for being a gay romance…

In GW1, the doppleganger was a trial of fighting your own capabilities – an archetypal “final test” of many combat stories, where you have to surpass yourself.

There’s no lore on the mirror, but as for where the doppleganger comes from in GW2, I’d say from the shadows of the mirror – that the divine fire is literally bringing your shadow to life. Pure theory though.

Shiren.9532:

Malyck’s dream wasn’t as complex as the one sylvari from the Pale Tree seem to experience. This may be because the Pale Tree is special, this may be because Malyck was severed physically from his tree, or it may be because his tree is younger and the pool of their dreams is shallow compared to the Pale Tree.

If by “not as complex” you mean “non-existent” than indeed.

The Dream seems unique to the Pale Tree in regards to the sylvari/other trees. It is what protects the sylvari from Mordremoth and other dragons’ corruptions, by implication both in-game and out. It is not unique to the Pale Tree in regards to the grand scale of things – see White Stag.

So why would Malyck have a Dream, when it seems not common to all mordrem, but just to the Pale Tree?

Malyck does mention a sense of distance and longing, but nothing really implies this is part of the Dream experience for other sylvari – or his equivilant. It very may be simply a feeling resultant from being a dragon minions not under Mordy’s direct brainwashing control.

Shiren.9532:

If Malycks tree is older or a similar age, it should have a similar number of sylvari. Why has only Malyck travelled the short distance from Maguuma to the Grove? Why wouldn’t more sylvari from his tree travel as far as our sylvari? I know Ventari taught “Where life goes, so too must you” but the inquisitive nature of sylvari is not taught – that nature I believe would take at least some sylvari beyond deep Maguuma.

Only true if the production of sylvari is not an active choice. Malyck’s tree may have been refraining from creating (as many) sylvari – may not even be as cryptic as the Pale Tree for such reasons.

PetboyJoshua.3108:

I also remember hearing Colin saying that (according to my youtube history, it could be in an interview by AngryJoe, Bogotter or Matt Visual).
But that doesn’t mean much, I think maybe that’s just their unofficial names (like, I don’t know, Stabbycats ?).

Like how the Molten Alliance were called Fledge during development.

Makes sense. And would explain how the name was a “bug”.

Except that it was confirmed by the Durmand Priory scholar if you’re Whispers or Priory member… Since release.

It should have been common knowledge.

First off, people theorized more than 5 dragons since the time of The Movement of the World – that’s 2007, buddy.

Second off, we knew there were six since release. It wasn’t just theorized by the time you posted, it was confirmed before you thought it up.

Those are awesome and if I had 400g I would totally make a commission, alas I just have 140g. Hell, if I had the money I’d make commissions for all my characters with this design…

Hope I’m not the only one looking forward to seeing an Abaddon and Dhuum cards.

Casia.4281:

-snip-

Sylvari come from the Pale Tree. So if the sylvari come from Mordremoth, then the Pale Tree – whom the sylvari come from directly – must come from Mordremoth.

Scarlet’s drawing is obviously skewed from her point of view. Do you expect a narcessistic insane person to make a logical and 100% accurate drawing?

And the Pale Tree isn’t the center in the vision – the world of Tyria is. In the vision, the Pale Tree is a “barrier” we bypass. We go through/past the Pale Tree to see the vision of The All (which the Pale Tree is irrelevant to).

While the players fought the Shadow of the Dragon, it is stated that only a rare few do – not everyone. Remember, there is only one sylvari PC; the rest are just “other sylvari who are adventurers”. They did not do the things you do. They did not fight the Shadow of the Dragon in the Dream (or maybe they did, maybe some are part of the rare few).

So to most sylvari, the Shadow of the Dragon holds no relevance.

Avariz.8241:

-snip-

It’s Eternal Alchemy, not great alchemy. And the vision isn’t even of the Eternal Alchemy – Scarlet mistook it as such because the Eternal Alchemy is attempting to define The All (what the vision is of) and then some.

The All is basically the map of Tyria from the perspective of the Mists. So it would make sense to be akin to the Realm of Torment, which is the map of something in the Mists. And yes, the Realm of Torment is in the Mists – this isn’t speculation but canon lore. Just like the Underworld and Fissure of Woe, it’s part of the Afterlife within the Mists.

And you’re making the presumption that the Dream of Dreams is tied to the Elder Dragons. However, this doesn’t seem so. In fact, the Dream appears more tied to locations in Tyria rather than beings – and certain beings, such as the Pale Tree and the White Stag – are capable of being part of both. The Pale Tree and Ogden heavily hint (and other things minorly hint) that the Dream is what protects the sylvari from Mordremoth’s corruption. If the Dream was tied directly to Mordremoth, then it wouldn’t be the protection.

I don’t see the mimicry of organs proof that Mordremoth has a sphere of influence over animals.

And the first lore we got on the Mists was that all things can trace their origins to the Mists.

I wondered where these buggers went.

lordkrall.7241:

Diovid.9506:

Where was the Golden City confirmed as a zone? Are you sure it’s not just a region within a zone?

Well it is a city. So far not a single city have been in another zone but rather zones themselves.

Ebonhawke, Skrittsburg, Thaumanova, Ascalon City, and Zintl Holy Ground are all cities. The three sanctuaries – which all fit within Frostgorge Sound – are also cities. Fields of Ruin has a second city, a charr one, that I can’t recall the name of atm.

There are many cities aside from the six grand cities that are their own zones (or Arah, which is its own zone-sized dungeon).

lordkrall.7241:

Ebonhawke is an outpost, not a city. But yeah, point.

Ebonhawke is a city, actually. It is often called the last human city.

In terms of lore, that is. Not mechanics. But nothing says that the Golden City is a city in terms of mechanics – just lore.

Kaiden Valor.7163:

Zone names & levels are always in the dead centre on the map, you can also see a clear line where the top border of the map is and the right border is obvious. From that you can work out a fairly accurate guess as to the size (which is exactly what this person did in the image).

Edit: from the same reddit there’s this http://i.imgur.com/olGfJfu.jpg (I personally think they’ve got the top border a bit too high but it might be a visual thing that’s causing the line I mentioned).

The video only shows how wide (vertical aka east/west aka right/left) the zone is, but speaks nothing for how long (horizontal aka north/south aka top/bottom) it is. Best you can figure for the horizontal length is the edge of the explored map to top of name to equal distance under bottom of the number (the name and number together mark the very center of the map).

So the horizontal (E to W) is right, give or take. But the vertical (N to S) is a pure guess.

All “stop this episode” does is stop the current LS episode you’re on, and it then goes to the most recently done episode/PS prior to starting that episode.

So if, for example, you did the episode and then redid the episode, clicking “stop this episode” would likely just go back to it.

What you want is to click the button underneath the Personal Story tab in the journal. If you don’t have that then the PS is completed.

Stephen.6312:

Civilizations develop in the context of the Elder Dragonic cycle – or at least, they have until now. Thus, the observation that they balance magic is perfectly valid.

This is only because they wipe out all civilizations while awake. A civilization cannot grow if it is wiped out.

This isn’t evidence towards balancing magic, but that the Elder Dragons “wipe the slate clean” whenever they wake up. And they wake up when magic is in abundance – a result of them leaking magic while asleep/dead. They balance the magic – intentional or not – by extremes. From too much magic (waking point) to too little magic (sleeping point). If they were solely focused on balancing magic, then they’d keep it towards the middle-ground, which would not require destroying civilizations (though will result in hindering advancements for those geared more towards magic, like asura).

Stephen.6312:

Your suggestion that they can be replaced by practices such as necromancy is insightful, although I’m not sure at this point whether resorting to such brutal methods of generating magic makes us any better than the dragons. Given the scale of the system over which the dragons preside, coupled with the dark nature of necromancy, I cannot foresee anything other than more monsters rising to power to replace the dragons.

As said, necromancy isn’t a requirement. And I have to dispute that claim of a “dark nature of necromancy” as not all necromancy is dark – there is as much a dark nature of necromancy as there is of mesmers, elementalists, and even guardians/monks.

Shiren.9532:

My money’s on sylvari not based off of mursaat. It’s possible but it seems like the more complicated conclusion.

I meant Malyck’s tree making sylvari based off of mursaat. Not all sylvari – just Malyck (and any potential siblings, depending on their appearance).

Edit: Why is everyone so certain that Malyck’s tree is younger than the Pale Tree? We know nothing about it except that Malyck is the only sylvari from it that ventured far enough to be known and that it doesn’t seem influenced by the Dream. There can be many explanations for that.

Deirdre’s Steps is easy but long. Like the Silverwastes jumping puzzle.

Skipping Stones, Aetherblade Site #2, and Dark Reverie are all tougher. As others have said. Particularly on charr for the third one… The number of times I’ve died on my main charr necromancer… But never on my humans and sylvari there. But the toughest are the holiday ones. Mad King’s Clocktower and Winter Wonderland.

My favorite jp remains the clock tower though. I recall get streaks of 10 easily in the second year. Never got a perfect score though.

BobbyStein.2315:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

The mails isn’t really an issue. The issue is the dungeon’s levels.

It’s out of scope for this particular team to change the level requirements for the dungeons, so all I can do at this point is either change the level at which the mails are triggering and/or adjust the mail text. Totally open to suggestions here, but I wanted to let folks know the constraints.

Would it be possible to move Setting the Stage (first instance for Chapter 4) to the end of Chapter 3 so that Setting the Stage and Ascalon Catacombs are the same level, then?

That, and moving the letter from the Herald telling players about that dungeon (currently sent to players upon reaching 30) to be after leaving that story instance, plus whatever wording/delivery changes for the others that might be needed

That, as I see it, is the “minimal work” to fix this mess. Though, as said, I think the “preferred work” would be to alter the dungeon levels instead (because, if done to explorable mode as well, it would solve other kinds of issues such as cross-dungeon reward-difficulty ratio balance).

DDCarvalho.2071:

About the other changes in personal story after level 30, I feel that some of the changes were made to put 1 whole storyline each 10 levels. But the result of this is that some of the chapters are way too long. Did you consider dividing at least some of them so there are personal story chapters sometimes at level X5?

The chapter lengths actually never changed, and were always approximately every 10 levels as it was. Before the restriction addition, telling chapters apart was done via the achievements in the Hero panel.

DDCarvalho.2071:

One prime candidate I would point is the “Battle of Claw Island” chapter, as it’s currently too long and would have a natural (while depressing) stopping point at the end of “The Battle of Claw Island” where we meet Treaharne and lose our mentor.

I’m confused as to how you think chapter 6 is “too long”.

Chapter 1 (first bio option storyline) is 5 steps, not counting tutorial.
Chapter 2 (second bio option storyline) is 4 steps.
Chapter 3 (meeting the orders and choosing one) is 5 steps.
Chapter 4 (first storyline with order mentor) is 5 steps (including the shared Setting the Stage).
Chapter 5 (racial sympathy) is 3 steps.
Chapter 6 (Claw Island arc) is 7 steps.
Chapter 7 was 6 steps before removing Greatest Fear, currently 5 steps.
Chapter 8 was 14 steps before re-ordering and removing Greatest Fear (divided into 3 storylines of 5-4-4 steps in length), currently 10 steps (divided into 3 storylines of 5-4-1 in length).

So yes, Claw Island is longer than most, but Chapter 8 is the longest, and Claw Island is by no means much longer than the average of 5. It’s as much longer than the average as the racial sympathy arc (or Episodes 6 and 7 from Season 2) is shorter.

Nothing says season 3 will focus on the jungle. Most likely the expansion will have its own unique plot that ends with Mordremoth’s death. Otherwise this wouldn’t be an expansion but a paid for feature batch, which would kitten off a lot of players and would be a generally bad move.

Season 3 will likely pick up post-HoT and may or may not relate to its plot and locations.

Ralanost.8913:

Ardenwolfe.8590:

Ralanost.8913:

That’s the living world he is talking about, not the living story. Those are actually mechanically different things.

So . . . what events is he talking about filling the space, or ‘relay’, between expansions then? Also, you are aware that ‘Living World’ is part of the ‘Living Story’ . . . right?

http://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Living_World

Living Story is the stuff that you can do below your Personal Story. Living World events happened out in the actual game world. I don’t know why that is hard to understand.

Living World and Living Story is actually the same thing. ANet introduced it as Living Story but changed it to Living World after Flame and Frost.

It’s one thing that consists of both story journal additions and open world changes.

Aaron Ansari.1604:

Tachenon.5270:

One wonders: was Tequatl anyone’s champion when he was still alive?

Well, we’ve seen the corruption of Kralkatorrik, Primordus, Mordremoth, and Jormag, and Tequatl quite clearly was never one of those things.

However there are subliminal hints that there might have been a dragon race in the distant past, which was fully/mostly wiped out by the Elder Dragons (who themselves may even be members of that race). The Bone Dragons from GW1 (which by lore what we see is only their front half – their hind legs torn off when unburying themselves from deep underground), Glint having eggs (it’s established – and quite logical – that dragon minions cannot reproduce, but if corrupted while pregnant, at least in the case of egg-laying species, they may give birth to minions; alternatively it is possible for champions to create minions via isolated chambers (crystals, ice shards, or the most egg-like creations of the Destroyer Queen) and we know that the former, potentially the latter, can result in eggs/minion-production-chambers that are in stasis, much like Glint’s egg – it’s unknown which case it is for Glint’s eggs, but the possibility of the former hints to a dragon race), and the appearance of both Zhaitan’s many champions, and the Claw of Jormag (which has ice-covered-bones as its legs, though it may just be bone-shaped ice).

Titus.4285:

“In order to reinforce their minions, the Elder Dragons created Champions to act as their right hands in their armies.”

While the Elder Dragons do have the ability to corrupt the races of Tyria, “minions” however (including champions) would probably not be corruptions, but constructs of the dragons. Therefore, Tequila has probably never been “alive”.

Strange thing though, is the champion’s (at least Glint’s) ability to break free from their EDs. How can this be if they are mere constructions.
Though I guess it could easily be explained akin to “man creates robot with AI > robot kills man and takes loot”.

Corrupting the land and other elements to create minions is still corruption. But don’t take the wiki’s wording so fine-tuned. We know there are many non-dragon shaped dragon champions which were once living beings (just about all of Zhaitan’s champions, for starters) and quite a few dragon champion-acting beings for Jormag and Kralkatorrik that were once living beings are known.

Glint herself is stated to have “regained” her free will (thanks to the forgotten) – which is how she broke free, other champions cannot because they, like all other minions, do not have free will – and you cannot regain something you never had in the first place, further hinting to her once having been a living being. And if she was… then what was she?

Torsailr.8456:

shadowfanatik.5160:

or that they are created from the corpses of some kind of lesser dragon species,

I think if there was a lesser dragon species that champions could be corrupted from there would be more evidence of them in the game. I’m not sure if there’s any evidence at all that there are lesser dragons that aren’t corrupted.

Booooooone Dragons!

No living non-corrupted lesser dragon, unless you count Saltspray Dragons, however. There’s evidence for potential, but no evidence for definitive.

@Novuake: Those changes happened in two points, and not subtle at all. The first was during Aftermath (which added primarily scavengers and some Lionguard), and the second was during Festival of the Four Winds (which added the skritt in the cave, returned the pirates, added the three crafting station hubs, returned the gates to LA, and mostly emptied the refugee camps outside of LA). Aside from those two points, there were 0 changes, aside from the new dialogue scene with Evon, o-Tron, Kiel, and Magnus in Fort Marriner which was added with Episode 8.

@Quickninja: As a charr player who fell into those wholes many times… I really wish they fixed those bridges asap… At least when they did the second set of fixes with Festival of the Four Winds (when they removed scavengers and added in the crafting stations again).

Press 11 – one of the options there is called “Melee Attack Assist”

If you highlight over it, it basically says “enable body blocking against enemies”. Of course, this is one-sided in that enemies body block you but you can’t body block them.

So technically, already in the game, somewhat. The article only talks about the camera zooming in when something gets between you and it – in that it won’t until a lot of “somethings” get between you and the camera.

If it gets put in, then this actually counts as something else Anet is removing from their manifesto/early proclamations about how GW2 will play.

Hashar.6082:

Of course, but is this appearance purely aesthetical, or does it actually represent something about the PC’s physiology? Other professions are also unique in their style, but never to the point of not looking human.
Also, if necromancers were corrupted by their magic against their own will, wouldn’t all of them have the same issue regardless of their race and age?
I’m not saying that all of them are undead, but is it possible that some of them are (not counting liches and mummies)?

Necromancy doesn’t corrupt. It isn’t evil or some dark force. Necromancers aren’t people wielding dark forces in hopes of doing good with it.

There isn’t a single NPC necromancer that is stated to be undead that isn’t very, VERY obviously undead (in their actual form, in the case of Khilbron). Undead necromancers exist, but so do living necromancers. GW1 mechanics should be a good enough answer: most undead didn’t bleed or get diseased, as they were considered “non-fleshy”, but necromancers do.

Obviously you could roleplay that you were undead, but mechanically you were still treated just like a monk, mesmer, assassin, etc.

Necromancers are very much alive. They have that appearance in GW1 because Anet was more profession thematic in appearance options in GW1 than in GW2.