17 lapkričio, 2023
Greetings, Mist warriors!
We’re here to go into a little more detail about some of the upcoming World vs. World (and WvW-adjacent) changes. These are part of the overall schedule of content coming to the game over the next couple of months, which you can learn more about in our recent studio update.
Guild Hall Arena Update
Guild halls have long been a space where players can gather together and craft their own unique gameplay experiences—roller beetle racecourses, jumping puzzles, asura football, and more! We are always thrilled to see the creativity of our community at work, and we want to give creators a few new tools for their toolbox.
Currently, guild halls are limited to using PvE game balance rules, creating a very different combat experience than what’s found in WvW or PvP. In January, we’ll be adding a new option that allows you to choose whether your guild hall arena uses PvE, WvW, or PvP game-mode balance for play. Additionally, we’ll be introducing options to allow you to extend PvP combat outside the confines of the guild arena, meaning you can battle your friends across the entire map. Skyscale aerial duels, anyone? We look forward to seeing what you do with your new battlefields when this feature goes live in late January!
World Restructuring News
As a refresher, we’re in the process of making some big changes to how teams are structured in the World vs. World game mode. Currently, players choose a world (e.g., Blackgate and Desolation) to play on, and each week they are matched up against other worlds based on their performance in the previous match. This system has one critical flaw: seasonal player population fluctuations and world transfers can result in some teams feeling very empty and others feeling unbearably full. To address this, we sometimes link worlds together as a single team, but the relatively small pool of worlds makes it difficult to create balanced matches from a player population standpoint.
World Restructuring is a feature that aims to address player population imbalances and create great matches. It achieves this by deprecating the current concept of shards (a.k.a. worlds or servers) and introducing a team-building system to the game mode in which players and guilds are programmatically redistributed to new teams (previously known as shards) on a set schedule. This gives us more flexibility and granularity when creating new teams and helps address natural fluctuations in population over time. It’ll also give players more agency in choosing who they want to play with on an ongoing basis and allows long-standing communities to continue playing together.
In a previous studio update, we talked about adjusting our priorities to focus on releasing a live, always-on version of World Restructuring as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the complete version of World Restructuring. This moved up our timeline for releasing the first version of the World Restructuring system, and we’re now approaching what we hope is the final beta test before we enable the system 24/7. That beta will include bug fixes for WvW guild-selection visual issues, several queue failure bugs, incorrect map names being shown in the contact list and guild panel, players being redirected to the wrong map, and various UI issues at reset. We’ve also added some new metrics to our team-building algorithm to help create more balanced matches, taking into account commanders, time zones, and more.
What’s Been Postponed?
To achieve our goal of getting World Restructuring into a 24/7 beta state, we’re postponing development on the following features for the initial release of World Restructuring, although they’re on our list for possible future improvements.
Alliances: Alliances refers to an additional group-management system on top of World Restructuring that would allow multiple smaller WvW guilds to band together as a single entity for team creation. For now, we are focused on developing the best version of the team-building algorithm and maximizing the player experience at the WvW guild level. It’s worth noting that the current planned player cap for an alliance is 500, which is identical to the current max roster size for a single guild. In other words, guilds as they currently exist can be used as a proxy for alliances.
Team Transfers: Once a match has started, there will not be a way for a player to initiate a transfer between teams. Players will need to wait until the next team-creation event or season to be placed with a different guild. To help mitigate this in the short term, we’ll be reducing the duration of a season from eight weeks to four weeks.
Where Do We Go from Here?
This is just the beginning of the World Restructuring system. We have several features that we are discussing for future implementation, depending on what player feedback looks like after the first version of the system is live. Some examples include:
Additional WvW guild information and management in the guild panel
Team-building algorithm adjustments and improvements
Scoring adjustments
Until Next Time
To recap: In Q1 2024, we’ll be running a World Restructuring beta. This beta helps us approach our goal of releasing a live version of the guild-based World Restructuring system by testing our new team builder, UI updates, and bug fixes. If the beta goes well, we’ll be able to move forward with turning the system on full time, which will allow us to get consistent live data and community feedback to inform future development.
We’ll continue to share development information for World vs. World and other game systems here, although we won’t have much in the way of news until after the start of the new year.
We’ll see you in the game!
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16 lapkričio, 2023
Hello, Tyrians! My name is Chun-Hong Fung, and I’m a game designer on the Systems Team here at ArenaNet.
Expanded weapon proficiencies are coming in 2024 during the second major update for Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™, bringing a new weapon and skills for each profession. Today, we’ll be taking a look at how the short bow stacks up for the engineer, which will be available to all players during our Expanded Weapon Proficiency beta event, starting on November 28 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8).
Solving Problems One Detonation at a Time
The engineer has been experimenting with isolating and storing the magic used by others and infusing them into their own contraptions. This has led to the creation of essence-infused arrows, devices equipped with canisters of distilled magic that can be fired at a distant location. These arrows can then be detonated, releasing the essence within and covering the surrounding area with a magic field that affects both allies and enemies. The magic from these canisters may even combine in certain circumstances, causing their effects to be even more potent than when used by themselves!
By wielding the short bow, the engineer exchanges attack power for team support, gaining a total of four types of essence-infused arrows that can be fired into the ground. Despite them being arrows, the actual act of placing these on the ground is unblockable, so don’t worry about those pesky projectile blockers getting in your way. These devices vary in effect, from debilitating your enemies to strengthening or protecting your allies. Once planted, the arrows can be triggered in several ways. They will detonate by themselves after a set amount of time (if the engineer is close enough), or the engineer can choose to detonate them manually with the follow-up skill. Finally, all arrows (except the autoattack) have a special property called Chain Reaction; when an arrow is active, it will also cause your other arrows in range to detonate. If this happens, those arrows gain bonus effects depending on the initial arrow that caused the detonation.
As an example of how this works, let’s look at the second skill in the set, Essence of Animated Sand. When it detonates, enchanted sand is spread over an area, immediately granting barrier to allies in the vicinity and crippling enemies. When detonating other arrows, it causes them to grant a small amount of barrier on initial detonation as well, regardless of their original effect. You could either layer all the arrows in a single spot to give out large amounts of barrier in a small area or spread them out for maximum coverage, depending on the situation.
Chain reaction effects are not limited to the initial detonation, either. The fourth skill, Essence of Liquid Wrath, grants might to allies and vulnerability to enemies on detonation, then continues to pulse might to allies afterward. Its bonus effect allows other arrows to also pulse might to allies in their effective radius, making stacking multiple arrows in the same spot an effective way to strengthen allies in a short period of time.
As mentioned above, you’ll be able to try out all the upcoming new weapon and profession combos during the Expanded Weapon Proficiency beta event starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) on November 28 and ending at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time on December 3. Please note that since this is a beta event, there will be placeholder UI, art, and audio assets for some of the weapon skills. Be sure to tune in to the Expanded Weapon Proficiency preview livestream on November 27 at noon Pacific Time to get a more in-depth look at all the new weapons.
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15 lapkričio, 2023
Hi, folks. My name is Cal Cohen and I’m the lead skills and balance designer at ArenaNet.
Expanded weapon proficiencies are coming in 2024 during the second major update for Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™, in which each profession will have access to a new weapon. We’re back today to take a look at the pistol weapon for the elementalist.
Elemental Ammunition
The pistol is a condition-focused weapon that brings some mobility, crowd control, and a large amount of damage. The pistol will also provide some interesting gameplay decisions with its elemental bullet mechanic that grants players a selection of bonus effects.
Every time you use a pistol skill (except for autoattacks) one of two things will happen. If no bullet of the same element exists, the skill will perform its base behavior and create a bullet of its element. A bullet will then hover near the player character to signify it has been created. However, if the elemental bullet already exists, the skill will consume that bullet to gain a bonus effect. For example, let’s check out two skills from the earth attunement: Shattering Stone (slot 2) and Boulder Blast (slot 3).
Shattering Stone fires a shot that inflicts bleeding and cripple, shattering into multiple fragments that also strike nearby enemies. If an earth bullet is available, it will be consumed to grant the user an enhancement that makes their next few attacks also inflict bleeding.
Boulder Blast shoots a larger projectile that strikes a single enemy, immobilizing them and inflicting a larger amount of bleeding. If an earth bullet is available, it’s consumed to grant the user barrier if the projectile successfully strikes an enemy. In this case, depending on the sequencing of skills, players can opt for either more damage or more defense depending on the situation at hand.
Weaver makes things a bit more complicated, as they can attune to multiple elements at once and have access to the multielement dual attacks. So how does this interact with elemental bullets? Dual attacks can consume bullets of both elements, granting a unique bonus for each bullet. If any matching bullet is available when using a dual attack, all matching bullets will be consumed to grant their bonuses. In the event there isn’t a matching bullet, the dual attack will create a single bullet that matches the primary attunement.
We’re definitely excited to see how players utilize the elemental bullet mechanic to maximize their effectiveness in various situations. We’ll do a fuller deep dive into the elementalist pistol as well as other new weapons during the new weapon preview livestream on November 27 at 12 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8), and these weapons will all be available during the Expanded Weapon Proficiency beta event that runs from 9 a.m. Pacific Time on November 28 until 10 p.m. Pacific Time on December 3. Please note that since this is a beta test, there will be placeholder UI, art, and audio for some of the weapon skills.
We’ll see you in the Mists!
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14 lapkričio, 2023
Hey, everyone! My name is Taylor Brooks, and I am a designer on the Skills and Balance Team here at ArenaNet.
Expanded Weapon Proficiency is coming in 2024 during the second major update for Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™. Each profession will have access to a new weapon. Today I’ll be giving you a peek at mesmer’s new weapon—the rifle! Rifle is a long-range support weapon packed with healing and tools to help your allies.
Portal Power
The rifle is a versatile weapon. As an example of its flexibility, skill 3, Inspiring Imagery, allows the mesmer to throw out a beacon for their allies to rally to that will burst after a delay and grant them might and fury. However, the mesmer can detonate the beacon early in a pinch with Abstraction, which becomes available when Inspiring Imagery is used. When the beacon is detonated early, it will heal allies instead of granting boons while also damaging enemies.
The weapon gets even more exciting when we look at skill 5, Singularity Shot. You shoot a bullet at a target location that grants barrier and resistance to nearby allies. A singularity will linger at the impact, and it can be collapsed with Dimensional Aperture, the reactivation of skill 5. The collapsed singularity becomes a single-use, one-way portal that an ally can use to teleport to your location! This skill can be a powerful tool to bail out an ally from a sticky situation with your careful positioning.
Rifle will open support options for mesmers and provide interesting decision points for players in moment-to-moment gameplay.
You’ll be able to try out all of the upcoming new weapon and profession combos during the Expanded Weapon Proficiency beta event starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) on November 28 and ending at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) on December 3. Please note that since this is a beta test, there will be placeholder UI, art, and audio assets for some of the weapon skills. Be sure to tune in to the Expanded Weapon Proficiency preview livestream on November 27 at noon Pacific Time (UTC-8) to get a more in-depth look at all the new weapons.
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14 lapkričio, 2023
Colossal Greatsword Skin
Your enemies will tremble at the sight of this massive weapon. Its raw power is awe-inspiring, but do you have the strength to wield it?
What’s in Stock
We’re refreshing our seasonal selection of mount adoption licenses, mount select licenses, and mount packs with a 20% discount starting this Friday. The amazing discounted items this week include the Canthan Tigris Griffon Mounts Pack, Warclaw Frontline Mount Pack, Exotic Breeds mount licenses, Distant Lands mount licenses, and more!
Returning This Week
Sweet deals you don’t want to miss out on: Bank Tab Expansions and permanent lounge passes are 20% off until November 27. Get all that you need!
Available Now in the Gem Store!
Log into Guild Wars 2 and press ‘O’ to access the Black Lion Trading Company for these great offers and more!
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13 lapkričio, 2023
Hello, Tyrians! My name is Chun-Hong Fung, and I’m a game designer on the Systems Team here at ArenaNet.
Expanded weapon proficiencies are coming in 2024 during the second major update for Guild Wars 2: Secrets of the Obscure™, bringing a new weapon and skills for each profession. Today, we’ll be looking at the new scepter weapon for the revenant profession, which you’ll be able to test during our Expanded Weapon Proficiency beta event, starting on November 28 at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8).
Don’t Cross the Streams
Revenants wield scepters in an unorthodox way that is unique to their profession. Having observed the Kryptis in battle, they draw upon their ability to connect individuals together using the scepter as a conduit. They use this conduit to channel energies between targets, strengthening allies and debilitating enemies.
The revenant’s autoattack chain projects a concentrated stream of energy from the tip of the scepter, which they wield like a blade to swing in a wide arc, damaging multiple enemies. The first attack, Serene Strike, is a simple melee slice, while the follow-up attack, Acerbic Cut, will grant might to allies. Motivating Whirl is the third strike of the autoattack chain, which cleaves enemies in a 360-degree radius around the revenant and applies barrier to allies on impact.
The second skill, Blossoming Aura, infuses an enemy target with energy from the Mists, dealing damage over time. After a delay, this energy explodes outward, damaging the enemy and granting barrier to allies. This effect can be strengthened by repeatedly striking the enemy with autoattacks, causing the final explosion to deal more damage and grant additional barrier to allies. While this skill can be cast at range, if you want to maximize the second effect you’ll need to get in your enemies’ faces.
Finally, Otherworldly Bond is an upkeep skill that creates a spiritual tether between you and your target. The tether has differing effects based on whether the target is an ally or an enemy. When used on an ally, the tether continually grants might to the target and allies around you. When an enemy is being tethered, the target will instead be inflicted with vulnerability and take additional strike damage from the revenant. The tether can be manually broken with the accompanying follow-up skill Deactivate, and it will automatically break if the revenant moves too far away from the target. And like Blossoming Aura, attacking enemies will cause the effects of the tether to strengthen!
But that’s not all! When the tether reaches maximum strength, the revenant gains a new follow-up skill called Otherworldly Attraction. The allied version allows the revenant to shadowstep to the tethered target, granting barrier to allies around them. When an enemy is targeted, it instead pulls the tethered target toward the revenant while applying additional vulnerability to them.
Until Next Time
That about wraps it up for today’s preview. As mentioned above, you’ll be able to try out all of the upcoming new weapon and profession combos during the Expanded Weapon Proficiency beta event starting at 9:00 a.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) on November 28 and ending at 10:00 p.m. Pacific Time (UTC-8) on December 3. Please note that since this is a beta test, there will be placeholder UI, art, and audio assets for some of the weapon skills. Be sure to tune in to the Expanded Weapon Proficiency preview livestream on November 27 at noon Pacific Time (UTC-8) to get a more in-depth look at all the new weapons.
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