Guild Wars 2

Are there really that many people levelling Leatherworker just for the backpieces? O.o (That would seem to be the logical reason as to why demand has suddenly spiked. I find it more unlikely that people have up and created a ton more Adventurer-class characters.)

In any case, I guess that makes my explorations in my current maps even more profitable, since Linen and Rugged Leather both drop there.

Seems like you get an Ultimate Rescue Bag each time you beat the Prime Hologram, so if anything, those super-rare previous LS goodies are going to get even cheaper for the foreseeable future.

2 from my 3 strikes last night too. Seems like it’s a fairly high drop rate.

At the moment you can get 3 Obsidian Shards from the chest for beating the Prime Hologram in Lion’s Arch. I’d definitely suggest hanging out there for much of this update.

Other than that, my biggest source of karma is Activities. You get 600 karma even for a failure, and considering most activities only take about 5 – 6 minutes, you can get 6000 – 10,000 (depending on your skill) in an hour.

Tequatl is also a great way to get karma if you’re on a server or a guild that beats him regularly. You get 12,000 karma for a successful kill, not counting the karma from the many Group Events you complete while fighting him. Use a karma booster + banners to increase this further.

OK, so it looks like the new strategy is going to be like how the Marionette ended up. Prior to the new hour, people gather up at the 3 locations, with Commanders doing a head count, then everybody just sticks to their Knight all the way through (no point in overzerging one Knight since you can’t deal damage and thus can’t get loot, and no point in going from one Knight to another since you only get 1 chest).

There is a way to glitch out of the map in Arah and swim down to where his corpse is located. (He’s HUGE.) Of course, since we’re technically bugging out the game by doing so, we can’t really treat this as canon evidence for his death.

^ Ehhh, I’d rather not. I’m not a big fan of steampunk, and I kind of hate the way it seems to be taking over the GW2 world.

Yeah. I’ll agree that that tactic only works if you have a decent crowd of what I call the “TTS gamers”; the kind who are familiar with differing roles, splitting up to cover different objectives, knowing when to hold their fire to allow for other teams to catch up etc. It likely wouldn’t work if the majority of the players in a map are used to just targeting the enemy and pressing #1.

But when it works, it should work spectacularly well.

Autumn’s post makes it pretty clear that the “intended” solution was for the map to split up into 3 groups and tackle the Knights simultaneously. I have noticed that, for whatever reason, the 3rd Knight seems to take a lot longer to die than the first two, so there may be something to the rumors that each slain Knight makes the subsequent two stronger.

The Knights definitely do scale up, so it seems to me that the best method is indeed to split 40-40-40 (or thereabouts) players and all engage the Knights at once. If one Knight seems to be in danger of dying faster than the others, some people can head to another Knight that needs more help.

I’d go for Account expansions (Bank/Collectible/Bag slots), then armor skins, then weapon skins, in that order. Bear in mind that weapon skins will require gambling on keys to get them; it’s safer to simply sell the gems for gold and buy the skins off the TP.

Miniatures and costumes are also fun if you’re into those sorts of things.

Proof that all a Norn needs to be bad-donkey is himself (or herself).

Saying that you dislike the Marjory/Kasmeer relationship because it feels contrived or badly written (which I’ll agree, it can feel a little (changed from “bit” because see the next two letters) cheesy at times) is fine, but the vast majority of complaints about it seem to revolve around “I’m tired of seeing homosexual relationships. I want to see a good old fashioned, proper heterosexual relationship instead!”, which says to me they’re upset about the subject, not the delivery.

Don’t get me wrong. I’d be happy to see a positive, uplifting heterosexual relationship in GW2 too, because most of the well-known couples have not had the best of relationships. (They either can’t love each other freely due to political, racial or class reasons, or one or the other partner ends up dead.) But on the flipside, the same can be said of homosexual relationships. The other major same-sex couple, Caithe and Faolain, is an example of a terrible relationship; Faolain is cruel, manipulative and abusive, but constantly trying to lure Caithe back. The equivalent would be having a major heterosexual relationship where the man was an abusive, violent husband who beat and belittled his wife (or a wife that did the same to her husband), but constantly continued to stalk them after they broke off the relationship.

Kasmeer and Marjory are perhaps the first couple in the game, heterosexual OR homosexual, that seems founded in mutual respect and attraction and, so far, appears to be going well. I cheer for such stories no matter who the participants are, even if perhaps I can’t personally empathise as much with them due to my sexual preferences.

There might possibly be a few more Elder Dragons scattered throughout the world (in Cantha, at the very least. Elona might be a bit too close to Kralkatorrik). It seems a bit of a stretch to think that the ley lines don’t reach to Cantha and Elona, and where there’s food, life that makes use of it inevitably follows.

That’s a good point, Konig! I’ve seen ghostly humans, Norn, Charr and Asura, but not a single Sylvari ghost.

That actually makes me sad, considering that Sieran talked about visiting the Mists after her death.

@ThiBash: You can headcanon it as Kasmeer (wouldn’t that be fitting?) or Rox was the one to land the final blow. Both have ample motivations for doing it.

In my headcanon, all 5 of my characters are journeying together at the same time. My Charr Warrior is the one who gladly spiked Scarlet through the heart with his sword.

Is it this track, by any chance?

If so, you could always hear it whenever you went close to the Tengu Wall on the eastern edge of Caledon Forest. Maybe they’ve broadened it so it plays randomly in all Maguuma maps?

Wanze.8410:

I got 2 asc gear boxes from around100 boxes i farmed.

… Right. That settles it. I’m farming those Knights non-stop this weekend. XD Even a couple of Ascended boxes would save me a lot of money from future crafting.

Yeah, I can see why they did it. Still, I think it wasn’t really necessary to make the Sprocket node drop them though. From my guildies experience, it gives way too little per day for it to really make a difference (in a reasonable timeframe) for someone who really wants the backpiece. Such a player would be better served by hardcore Aetherblade farming.

Aetherblades can be found in EotM, the Not So Secret JP, and in the TA Aetherpath. Perhaps they could have encouraged people to do the Aetherpath more by making the chests unlocked by Aetherkeys at the end each give out 5 – 20 Blade Shards.

1. Human Female Mesmer
2. Norn Female Ranger
3. Asura Male Elementalist
4. Charr Male Warrior
5. Sylvari Female Necromancer

That’s all the 80’s I will be making for the time being. If ANet ever releases new races, I’ll make more.

I also have a level 25 Human Male Guardian who exists solely to carry my excess stacks of Ascended mats and harvest my Home Instance.

Another thing to test. Are you dealing constant damage during your entire time there? (i.e. you’re not attacking during the condition reflect phase, then attacking again during burn phase)

I just had this idea that perhaps the game awards credit based on a threshold of damage dealt every X seconds. This might explain why I can sometimes show up to events, get two hits on the boss before it dies, and get full credit.

If people are joining the Knight events, but not attacking during certain phases for whatever reason, perhaps it’s discounting them from the reward?

You can buy Power Cores on the TP. As usual they’re pricey as heck now, but will become cheaper over time.

Braham’s learned enough to know that female Charr like males who suffer big injuries in combat. (“Scars are sexy”?) So, he might be playing it up.

^ I hear that Braham is single… You may need to fight a Charr to prove you’re worthy of him though.

Heh, yeah. If ANet doesn’t make them sellable, it’s just going to turn into an annoyance. “Oh yay, a Blade Shard. An extra item to have to delete from my inventory…”

I’m almost certain that the Biconic weapons will be making a reappearance. Grenth hood is unlikely, but you can expect it to return during this year’s Wintersday.

Today’s item is Repair Canisters. Get to it, Behellagh!

Just thought I’d put it out there that you can apparently get Blade Shards from harvesting your Sprocket node in your Home Instance. Got one last night from my 3 “strikes” (using the Watchwork Pick. Don’t remember if I got a bonus Sprocket at the same time). Will need to harvest for several more days to get an idea of what percentages are like.

Wouldn’t mind a new collectible slot being added, so /supported.

You can find Aetherblades in EotM too, and they sometimes drop from harvesting the Sprocket node in your Home Instance.

I’m keeping mine around until March 18th rolls around. If nothing new (recipes or otherwise) has been introduced by then, then I’m dumping them.

So that’s what they’re doing. Heh.

While I also think it’s the cheap way out, I guess I can’t really blame them if they’ve been trying for ages and just can’t get it due to lag or what not. At the end of the day, if they can live with the knowledge that their achievement wasn’t “earned”, fair enough.

Still yet to see the cutscene (I didn’t realise that the Spinal backpiece has to be soulbound before you can use it to enter the portal, and I haven’t yet decided which character it’s going to) since my single attempt at killing the Prime Holo failed miserably in overflow, but I don’t think I’ll mind the KasJory scene. I like both characters, and I’m glad that they have the chance to find some happiness together.

I also don’t think there’s a “focus” on homosexual relationships in GW2 like some people are claiming. Yes, KasJory are in the spotlight at the moment, but I’d argue that they’re the only homosexual couple to receive such treatment so far. The other major same sex couple, Caithe and Faolain, basically only get some exposition in Twilight Arbor story. It’s not even mentioned throughout the rest of the game (aside from some comments between Caithe and Scarlet in the Aetherpath).

Yes, it could be said that there really isn’t a frontline heterosexual romance in GW2 so far (Logan and Jennah are important, but it’s mainly kept to the background, so I’d rate that on the same level as Caithe and Faolain), but I don’t think that one single instance of a spotlighted same-sex relationship counts as an “agenda”.

Spider isn’t too hard as long as you have people paying attention to the chat and killing cocoons. Failed the one attempt I went to so far, but I’m sure I’ll get it sooner or later.

Maybe the thorn prick was nothing more than a thorn prick? Not everything is going to turn out to be Chekov’s gun, ya know.

Each of the different chests has the chance to drop themed loot. For instance:

- Molten chest has a chance to drop Fused salvageable scrap
- Toxic chest has a chance to drop Toxic spores

Each of the different chests also has chances to drop Zealot and Keeper recipes (seems to be a higher chance from Scarlet chests), so ultimately unless you’re after a very specific themed loot, it doesn’t really matter which chest you open.

For those not getting loot, have you killed that specific Assault Knight before that same day? I’m wondering if perhaps each Knight only gives out its rewards once per day.

Where do the Ultimate Bags drop from?

Having now listened to the track, I got a “Final Fantasy archvillain” vibe from it all. It’s pretty cool, but I think I still like the Marionette battle music better.

Unknown. The release description did say that battles on the Breachmaker do drop items from past Living Stories, but it’s unclear if Keeper recipes are among them.

Blue items do not get sorted by priority into the Masterwork Fractal box, no.

However, if you craft the Equipment Boxes via Armorsmithing, white and blue items will get sorted into there by default, while greens go into the Masterwork Fractal box.

Yeah, I admit I would like it a lot more if we could just buy the skins we wanted directly, but unfortunately, this RNG ticket method is a lot more profitable, so it’s not likely to change. Experience has shown us that there’s no shortage of people willing to gamble on the chests.

That was fast! Normally the new music tracks aren’t up there for a few days.

I want my Tengu Sword back. But I’d be happier if Tengu got released as a new race and the Tengu weapons are their Cultural weapon instead.

If you’re on EU servers, get in touch with Elrey. He does the TA path regularly and is willing to teach new players too.

I choose not to get into TPvP because I find the amount of research and time spent placing buy/sell orders to be tedious (an hour or 2 a night placing orders is basically my entire game time for a weeknight spent! I’d rather be playing content with that time), and because I have hoarder tendencies which makes me reluctant to sell my stash of shinies, but yes, I can appreciate and enjoy the “mind games” and the complex interplay of psychology and strategy that goes into it. I enjoy understanding how it works and why traders and consumers do the things they do, even if I don’t take steps to profit off it myself.

Jormag settled in the Northern Shiverpeaks area where the Eye of the North stands. Not sure what he’s doing there as he’s been fairly low-key, although it’s possible he’s battling the Kodan.

Kralkatorrik flew south and settled in the Crystal Desert. We know from the GW1 Movement of the World article that his Branded are clashing with Palawa Joko’s undead armies. That’s probably what’s got his attention at the moment.

No idea what Bubbles is up to, but his forces drove out the Krait, Largos and Karka. (And anything that could drive out the Karka is something to be feared!)

Saint.5647:

Indeed. I don’t think Dragons care very much for offering the ‘carrot’ to their minions. It doesn’t appear that they want minions with much power for reasoning either (if the current Elder Dragons are any indication).

Mai Trin will likely withdraw her Aetherblades. It has been said already that they follow only out of fear. Out of all the factions, the Aetherblades have lost the least. They can still retreat to a new hide-out. It would be nice if they stayed as dynamic spawns in the world. Keeping Aetherblade (looting) events around would be nice. It would show they are still around (and can be used for later stories) and would give players blade shards.

The toxic Krait will likely die out. This faction of the Nightmare court may continue to serve Mordremoth though (depending on the direction they take with the nature of his corruption). The Dredge and Flame also have little reason to stick around. I doubt they would have any interest in serving a Dragon from whom they gain nothing except a life of servitude.

Agreed.

The Aetherblades followed Scarlet out of a promise of power and loot. With Scarlet dead, Mai Trin is now back in control of the Aetherblades. She will probably wisely cut her losses, and take the remaining Aetherblades away to use their new technology to harass shipping and merchant caravans as all pirates have always done.

The Molten Alliance will probably fracture, with the Dredge and Flame Legion returning to their perspective factions with their new technology and/or magic. They may be punished for their initial desertion, or perhaps their new techniques will see them welcomed back. (I’m inclined to think that the Flame Legion will be less welcoming, however. They would not look kindly on “heretics” being gifted with their flame magic, or the shamans who gifted it to them.)

The Toxic Alliance is the only group who may possibly follow Mordremoth, or the Nightmare Court faction, anyway. It seems very doubtful that the Krait would see an Elder Dragon as their “prophet”, but any Toxic Krait who returned would likely be seen as apostates and be executed.

Yeah, I’m well aware that the idea of cross-breeding between Norn and humans has long been retconned. I was just saying that it would have made a lot of sense and provided an explanation of why there are dark-skinned Norn if their race was traditionally “white”.

Has it been confirmed that was an intended change? And if you subsequently upgrade a soulbound Exotic pack to Ascended tier, does that make it account bound (until worn) again?

Lilith Ajit.6173:

Lilith Ajit.6173:

All, please report these bugs and leave the number you reported and any ticket numbers.

I’m quoting myself so you guys see this again, please report the bugs you listed and give me numbers so I can edit my post. Also look out for FAQ edits incoming.

Edit: FAQ updated

I reported the bug in-game a long time ago. I’m not sure that opening a ticket number is really needed either. :/

@Ohoni: I’m sure you were just speaking in hyperbolic terms and didn’t mean it as an insult, but my girlfriend IS one of those who understands the difference between buy/sell orders, but will sometimes just buy straight from sell orders if she wants it NOW. She’s not an idiot; to her, it’s more a case of “it’s just a game, and my game time is limited. Spending more currency now so I can enjoy my shiny immediately and have more time with it is a fair trade-off”.

Yes, it’s not the smartest financial move (and I do tease her about it sometimes), but people are free to make their own choice as to whether the immediate gratification is worth the extra cost. I personally think that technology first adopters who wait in line for hours and pay marked up costs for new gadgets are silly, but I’m not going to try and change their buying habits as it’s their choice.