Game Server Maintenance - Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Guild Wars will be down for scheduled security maintenance on Tuesday 01/20/2009 from 8:00 am GMT to 12:00 am GMT. During the maintenance period, the game servers will be taken offline and players will be unable to login to the game and play.

Since Guild Wars is a truly global game, we need to perform maintenance on all of our global data centers simultaneously. There’s never an ideal time for worldwide maintenance but we’ve carefully scheduled this maintenance period to minimize the number of players who are impacted.

We apologize for the inconvenience, and hope that you’ll find something fun to do during the patch; the game will be back up as quickly as we can get everything ready.

Installing

New to Guild Wars?

If you have never played any chapter of Guild Wars before, please follow these simple steps to create a game account and add your key;

1. Install and run the Guild Wars client (Available here)
2. On the title screen, click ‘Create Account or Add Access Key’



3. On the following screen, check the second box (Create a new Guild Wars account) and click ‘Next’ on the bottom right of the screen



4. Ensure the correct region is ticked, then add your Prophecies, Factions or Nightfall Retail Key* and click ‘Next’ on the bottom right of the screen



5. On the following screen click ‘Next’ to begin creating your new Guild Wars account
6. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the account creation process. You will receive an email to verify your details

Already play Guild Wars?

You can upgrade your existing account with other Guild Wars Retail Keys or Bonus Keys. Doing so will unlock new items and skills for your characters, and will enable you to travel between Tyria (Guild Wars Prophecies players only), Cantha (Guild Wars Factions players only) and Elona (Guild Wars Nightfall players only). To upgrade your account;

1. Run the Guild Wars client
2. On the title screen, click ‘Create Account or Add Access Key’



3. On the following screen, tick the first box (Add the Access Key to an existing Guild Wars account) and log in to your game account



4. Add your Prophecies, Factions or Nightfall Retail Key* and click ‘Next’ on the bottom right of the screen



5. On the following screen click ‘Add Key’

* If you’ve purchased the Guild Wars Nightfall Pre-Release Bonus Pack, you can also add your Nightfall Bonus Key on this page. To unlock your bonus items, you will need to apply a Nightfall Retail Key included in both the Standard and Collector’s Edition.

RSS

What is RSS?

The web is an immense source of information, sometimes keeping on top of it all can be a little overwhelming. Wouldn’t things be so much easier if you could have the latest news and features delivered directly to you? Good news, you can with RSS.

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication, and is the quickest, most hassle-free means of you obtaining the content you want. No more struggling to stay up-to-date with all the news that matters most, RSS takes out all the hard work by delivering only the information that you are interested in.

How do I get an RSS feed?

First things first, you need to get your hands on a news reader - an application that will organise and deliver your content. There are literally thousands of different variations, some use a web browser, others run from your desktop, all however allow you to display and subscribe to the RSS news feeds you’re interested in. Find a list here. NewsGator, Awasu and Pluck are just a handful of the more popular news readers available.

Got your news reader? Then you’re ready to start thinking about the type of content you’re looking to receive, of course Guild Wars will be the top of that list! To spot an NCsoft RSS feed, look out for this symbol - it can be found both on the site homepage and integrated into your browser. Firefox, Opera and Safari all include built-in functionality that detects RSS feeds automatically.

There are numerous ways you can subscribe to one of our RSS feeds, try copying and pasting the URL of the feed into your news reader, or simply dragging it across, maybe you’d prefer to search for the feed from within the news reader itself. There is no right or wrong way to get your news, it’s down to your personal preferences.

Quick links

Guild Wars Latest News	http://uk.guildwars.com/home/news.rss
Guild Wars Community News	http://uk.guildwars.com/home/community-news.rss
Guild Wars Game Updates	http://uk.guildwars.com/home/game-updates.rss
Yahoo Widgets!	http://uk.guildwars.com/support/article/yahoo_widgets/

Game Updates

About

General Contact Information

Main Contact:

The Guild Wars Support Centre
Account Issues, Technical Support Issues, Comments, Feedback, Games Bugs and Events.

Support:

http://eu.guildwars.com/support
Account Issues, Technical Support, Game Bugs, and reports of cheats, hacks, exploits and in-game misbehaviour and abuse.

Click the links for support in French, German, Italian and Spanish.

Suggestions:

If you have suggestions for Guild Wars, we ask that you share them on one of the fansite forums. Forums are read daily, and ideas will be seen by the development team.

---

E-Mail Addresses:

 Note: Please note that emails sent to duplicate addresses will be deleted without response.

Community: Fansites and General Community Issues -

EU Website:

Press (Europe):

Press (World):

Jobs (ArenaNet): For employment-related contact only -

Jobs (NCsoft Europe): For the latest job opportunities, please visit PlayNC.

---

Mailing Address:
ArenaNet, Inc.
10020 Main St. #164
Bellevue, WA 98004

Support

If you have a support question of any kind, please consult our Support Centre to find out what you want to know. Whether it's a technical issue, an account question, or a query about the upcoming title, you can search the Support Centre for answers. If you find that you have a more specific request, or if you wish to report unacceptable in-game behavior, simply click the "Ask a Question" tab to fill out a "ticket" and submit it directly to our Support Team.

We offer an option for English support. Please click the appropriate link for support in your region:

• English – U.K.
• English – U.S.
• French
• German
• Italian
• Spanish

Game Manual

Guild Wars Complete Manual

FAQs

Here you can find pages providing answers for commonly asked questions about Guild Wars.

Client Download

The Guild Wars Client is linked from this page. The client will allow you to set up your Guild Wars account under the following circumstances:

• You will be attending a special pre-release event, such as the Factions Preview Event in March, 2006. (You may download the client at any time prior to the event and be ready to go when the event begins.)


• You purchased Guild Wars through PlayNC or another authorized retailer that provides the access key but not the game CD.


• You wish to install Guild Wars on a different or updated computer and do not have your game CD handy.

Note, the Guild Wars Client is not a playable demo. It is only useful in the event that you own a Guild Wars account or have an access key for a Guild Wars event.

Need help installing Guild Wars? Check our installation guide for step-by-step instructions!

Game Manual

Guild Wars Complete Manual

Update - 20. November 2009

Bug Fix

• Fixed a crash bug.

Update - November 19 2009

Underworld

• Dhuum stirs within the Hall of Judgment.

AI Updates

• The AI will now choose targets more intelligently when using Blurred Vision.
• Adjusted the conditions under which the AI will use Forked Arrow.
• The AI will now use “Go for the Eyes!” more frequently.
• The AI will now choose targets more intelligently when using Shock.
• Adjusted the timing for the AI’s use of Wastrel’s Collapse.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Henchmen

• Changed the name of one of the Guild Battle henchmen.

Miscellaneous

• Added support for the Henchman Skill Bar Contest rewards.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented the Mesmer’s Ancient Mask from displaying on the Resilience monument in the Hall of Monuments.

Update - November 09 2009

Halloween 2009

• Mad King’s Steward has departed Lion’s Arch and Kamadan, returning to his master in the Mad Realm.

Miscellaneous

• Relocated the flag stand in the Isle of Wurms guild hall to match its location in GvG instances.

Update - November 05 2009

Halloween 2009

• The Mad King’s Steward will soon depart to serve his master, but he has one last word for all the brave souls willing to join the battle against Dhuum’s minions.

Update - November 02 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed some spawn issues in the Underworld.

Update - October 30 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused the quest “Every Bit Helps” to reward twice as much gold as intended.

Miscellaneous

• Allowed access to heroes in Guild Halls. Heroes are still restricted from entering GvG matches.

Update - October 29 2009

PvP Henchmen

• PvP Henchmen have been added to guild halls and Heroes’ Ascent.
• Heroes will no longer be available in guild halls or Heroes’ Ascent.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Devona to have “Charge!” instead of Enraged Smash in Raisu Palace and Imperial Sanctum.
• Fixed a bug that allowed Healing Ribbon to target spirits.

Miscellaneous

• NPCs in Fort Aspenwood, Jade Quarry, and Alliance Battles now use the appropriate PvP versions of their skills.

Update - October 23 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug which made players without certain campaigns unable to use Attack Skills from those campaigns in Codex Arena and Costume Brawl.

Update - October 25 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented some players from unlocking towns decorated for Halloween.

Update - October 23 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that made Tolkano not offer his prize redemption services to players without reward points.

Miscellaneous

• Updated localized text for Tolkano.

Update - October 22 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented the Priest of Balthazar from offering services to PvP characters.

Update - October 22, 2009

Halloween 2009

When the harvest is in and the moon sails high

And the shadows begin to lengthen

Mad King Thorn’s games begin! His minions ride!

His grip on the land will strengthen

But all is not well on this Halloween

It stirs in the Underworld’s gloom

An ancient evil, long unseen

If awakened, it spells our doom

Do partake in the Mad King’s revelry

But take care in the jack o’ lantern glow

For this is the season of devilry

And something wicked lurks deep below

Halloween Event

• Preparations have been made for Halloween 2009.


• A number of new quests will become available throughout the course of the event, starting on Monday.

Codex Arena

• The Codex Arena is officially open.
  
• The new Codex title track is available for competing in the Codex Arena. This title track is not cumulative with the Commander title track.


• Team Arena and Hero Battles are officially closed.


• Winning matches is no longer required to unlock PvP outposts.


• Progress made in the Commander title track will be saved and cannot advance any further.

Henchmen

• PvE henchmen Skill Bars have been rebalanced.

Prophecies

• Devona now has Balanced Stance, “To the Limit!”, and Earthshaker; removed “Charge!”.


• Stephan now has “Watch Yourself!”, Thrill of Victory, Galrath Slash, Savage Slash, and Skull Crack; removed Griffon’s Sweep, Power Attack, and “Charge!”.


• Little Thom now has Cleave, Cyclone Axe, Dismember, Penetrating Blow, Shield Bash, and Sprint; removed Balanced Stance, Executioner’s Strike, Swift Chop, Wild Blow, and “Charge!”.


• Aidan now has Incendiary Arrows, Determined Shot, Dryder’s Defense, Read the Wind, and Distracting Shot; removed Kindle Arrows, Power Shot, and Practiced Stance.


• Reyna now has Poison Arrow, Hunter’s Shot, Determined Shot, and Dryder’s Defenses; removed Power Shot and Practiced Stance.


• Cynn now has Elemental Attunement, Rodgort’s Invocation, Immolation, and Aura of Restoration; removed Fire Storm, Incendiary Bonds, and Mind Burn.


• Orion now has Glyph of Renewal and Meteor; removed Mind Burn.


• Alesia now has Dwayna’s Kiss and Divine Healing; removed Healing Touch.


• Lina now has Aura of Faith, Mend Ailment, and Divine Healing; removed Shield of Regeneration.


• Mhenlo now has Dwayna’s Kiss, Divine Healing, and Vigorous Spirit; removed Healing Touch.


• Claude now has Soul Leech and Strip Enchantment; removed Grenth’s Balance.


• Eve now has Life Transfer and Strip Enchantment; removed Grenth’s Balance.


• Dunham now has Power Block, Hex Breaker, Leech Signet, and Ether Feast; removed Crippling Anguish and Distortion.

Factions

• Devona now has Enraged Smash, Yeti Smash, and Balanced Stance; removed Irresistible Blow and “Charge!”.


• Lukas now has Quivering Blade, Standing Slash, Jaizhenju Strike, “Watch Yourself!”, and Sprint; removed Hamstring, Protector’s Defense, and Dragon Slash.


• Seaguard Eli now has “Coward!”, Standing Slash, Leviathan’s Sweep, “Watch Yourself!”, and Sprint; removed Hamstring, Protector’s Defense, and Dragon Slash.


• Talon Silverwing now has Dragon Slash, Seeking Blade, and “For Great Justice!”; removed “Charge!”.


• Aidan now has Glass Arrows, Splinter Shot, Determined Shot, and Lightning Reflexes; removed Kindle Arrows, Power Shot, and Practiced Stance.


• Daemon now has Read the Wind and Determined Shot; removed Choking Gas.


• Yuun now has Melandru’s Shot (in Hard Mode).


• Zho now has Determined Shot; removed Power Shot.


• Argo now has Smoldering Embers and Lava Arrows; removed Bed of Coals.


• Cynn now has Elemental Attunement, Immolate, Lava Arrows, and Teinai’s Heat; removed Fire Storm, Incendiary Bonds, and Mind Burn.


• Headmaster Vhang now has Lightning Surge, Shock Arrow, and Glyph of Lesser Energy; removed Teinai’s Prison and Energy Boon.


• Kai Ying now has Unsteady Ground; removed Second Wind.


• Kisai now has Gust (in Hard Mode) and Shock Arrow.


• Danika now has Healing Burst, Remove Hex, Heaven’s Delight, and Signet of Rejuvenation; removed Healing Touch, Jamei’s Gaze, Signet of Devotion, and Blessed Light.


• Jamei now has Empathic Removal, Heaven’s Delight, and Signet of Rejuvenation; removed Healing Touch, Orison of Healing, Signet of Devotion, and Blessed Light.


• Redemptor Karl now has Boon Signet and Resurrection Chant; removed Rebirth and Life Sheath.


• Seaguard Gita now has Remove Hex, Shielding Hands, and Resurrection Chant; removed Draw Conditions, Mend Ailment, Reversal of Fortune, and Rebirth.


• Sister Tai now has Heaven’s Delight and Signet of Rejuvenation; removed Healing Touch and Signet of Devotion.


• Taya now has Healing Light (in Hard Mode).


• Brutus now has Lifebane Strike and Unholy Feast; removed Rising Bile.


• Eve now has Vampiric Spirit and Strip Enchantment; removed Grenth’s Balance.


• Sheena now has Weaken Armor and Parasitic Bond; removed Soul Feast and Vile Touch.


• Su now has Animate Flesh Golem, Animate Vampiric Horror, Vile Miasma, and Taste of Death; removed Soul Feast, Vile Touch, and Lingering Curse.


• Erys Vasburg now has Psychic Instability; removed Power Leech.


• Lo Sha now has Lyssa’s Aura and Power Return; removed Power Leech.


• Seaguard Hala now has Shared Burden, Accumulated Pain, Images of Remorse, and Power Drain; removed Arcane Conundrum, Clumsiness, Hex Eater Signet, and Power Leech.


• Emi now has Temple Strike, Golden Lotus Strike, Nine Tail Strike, Exhausting Assault, Way of Perfection, and Signet of Malice; removed Entangling Asp, Jagged Strike, Return, Viper’s Defense, and Beguiling Haze.


• Mai now has Siphon Strength (in Hard Mode), Fox Fangs, and Nine Tail Strike.


• Panaku now has Seeping Wound, Fox Fangs, and Critical Strike; removed Entangling Asp, Return, and Beguiling Haze.
  
• Nika now has Mark of Instability and Black Mantis Thrust; removed Jagged Strike.


• Aeson now has Spirit Channeling, Pain, Union, Disenchantment, Shadowsong, and Boon of Creation; removed Mend Body and Soul, Shelter, Soothing Memories, Spirit Light, Weapon of Warding, and Attuned Was Songkai.


• Chiyo now has Signet of Spirits, Vengeful Weapon, Spirit Siphon, Essence Strike, and Protective Was Kaolai; removed Shelter, Spirit Light, Weapon of Warding, and Attuned Was Songkai.


• Professor Gai now has Union.

Nightfall

• Devona now has Magehunter’s Smash, Mokele Smash, Balanced Stance, and Lion’s Comfort; removed Healing Signet and “Charge!”.


• Timera now has “You’re All Alone!” (in Hard Mode), Soldier’s Strike, Barbarous Slash, and Gash; removed Griffon’s Sweep, Power Attack, Seeking Blade, and Sprint.


• Abasi now has Expert’s Dexterity (in Hard Mode) and Crossfire.


• Aidan now has Prepared Shot, Arcing Shot, Keen Arrow, and Antidote Signet; removed Heket’s Rampage, Power Shot, and Practiced Stance.


• Cynn now has Searing Flames, Glowing Gaze, and Glyph of Lesser Energy; removed Fire Storm, Incendiary Bonds, and Mind Burn.


• Herta now has Ebon Hawk and Glowstone; removed Stone Daggers and Glyph of Lesser Energy.


• Kihm (Level 3-15) now has Word of Healing (in Hard Mode) and Remove Hex; removed Shatter Hex.


• Mhenlo now has Watchful Healing and Divine Intervention; removed Healing Touch.


• Eve now has Ravenous Gaze, Signet of Lost Souls, and Strip Enchantment; removed Grenth’s Balance.


• Odurra now has Mistrust.


• Sogolon now has Spear of Lightning, Hexbreaker Aria, and Signet of Return; removed Mending Refrain and Resurrection Signet.


• Gehraz now has Victorious Sweep, Heart of Holy Flame, Conviction, Attacker’s Insight, and Mystic Regeneration; removed Dust Cloak, Eremite’s Attack, Reap Impurities, Signet of Pious Light, and Vital Boon.

Eye of the North

• Devona now has Crushing Blow, Lion’s Comfort, and Plague Touch; removed Irresistible Blow and Healing Signet.


• Talon now has Symbolic Strike and Poison Tip Signet; removed Protector’s Defense and Silverwing Slash.


• Aidan now has Determined Shot, Conjure Lightning, and Lightning Reflexes; removed Debilitating Shot, Volley, and Whirling Defense.


• Zho now has Hunter’s Shot and Attacker’s Insight; removed Penetrating Attack.


• Cynn now has “Never Surrender!”.


• Herta now has Glowstone, Ebon Hawk, and Renew Life; removed Stone Daggers, Ward Against Elements, and Resurrection Signet.
  
• Mhenlo now has Cure Hex and Balanced Stance; removed Healing Touch and Deny Hexes.


• Lina now has Return; removed Shielding Hands.


• Eve now has Accumulated Pain and Mark of Fury.


• Lo Sha now has Shadow of Fear; removed Soothing Images.

AI Updates

The following AI updates apply to Heroes, Henchmen, and Hard Mode NPCs.

Assassin

• Heroes will now use Wastrel’s Collapse more frequently.


• Heroes will now use Death’s Charge to close in on enemies even if the heal effect isn’t needed.


• Improved the AI’s ability to quickly perform Combo Attacks.

Elementalist

• Heroes will now be more cautious about becoming Exhausted when using Gale.


• Heroes will now use Stoning less frequently when the target is not Weakened.


• Heroes will now use Glyph of Lesser Energy more efficiently.


• Heroes will now use Rust more frequently.


• Heroes will now be more cautious about becoming Exhausted when using Shock.

Mesmer

• Heroes will now favor allies who are nearby with Hex Eater Signet.


• Heroes will now choose targets more intelligently when using Empathy.


• Heroes will now choose targets more intelligently when using Backfire.


• Heroes will now choose targets more intelligently when using Signet of Humility.

Monk

• Heroes will now target knocked-down allies with Aura of Stability.


• Heroes will now use Healer’s Boon more frequently.


• Heroes will now use Heal Party more efficiently.


• Heroes will now be more careful about casting Infuse Health, but react faster to endangered allies.

Paragon

• Heroes will now use “Brace Yourself!” less frequently when enemies are not using knockdown skills.


• Heroes will now use Anthem of Weariness more frequently.

Ranger

• Heroes will now use Rampage As One more frequently.


• Heroes will now use Bestial Mauling less frequently against non-knocked down enemies.


• Heroes will now use Debilitating Shot less frequently against non-caster enemies.


• Heroes will now use Comfort Animal less frequently as a heal during combat when they have low energy.


• Heroes will now use Lightning Reflexes more frequently.

Ritualist

• Heroes will now use Siphon Spirit more frequently.


• Heroes will now use Wielder’s Boon less frequently on allies not affected by a Weapon Spell.


• Heroes will now use Ghostly Haste more frequently.


• Heroes will now be more cautious about attacking while under the effect of Weapon of Warding (PvP).

Warrior

• Heroes will now use Flail more appropriately to avoid slowing down when chasing an enemy.


• Heroes will now use Enraging Charge to gain adrenaline even if already within attack range.


• Adjusted the conditions under which the AI will cancel Primal Rage with another stance.


• Adjusted the conditions under which the AI will cancel Frenzy with another stance.


• Heroes will now use Disrupting Chop more frequently.


• Heroes will now use Balanced Stance more frequently when battling foes using knockdown abilities.


• Heroes will now use Sever Artery slightly more frequently.


• Heroes will now use Gash less frequently against Deep Wounded enemies.


• Improved adrenaline management when using skills that remove all adrenaline.

Underworld

Something stirs deep in the Underworld, slowly making its presence known.

• Made numerous adjustments to NPC and monster locations.


• Ghosts and Reapers no longer have collision.


• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused a group of Smite Crawlers to fight other Smite Crawlers.


• Reapers will now appear in the party window until their quests have been completed.


• Tortured Spirits in the quest “Imprisoned Spirits” will now appear in the party window until the quest is complete.


• New Souls in the quest “Escort of Souls” will now appear in the party window until the quest is complete.


• Fixed a bug which sometimes caused the quest “Imprisoned Spirits” to not fail when all of the Tortured Souls are killed.


• Streamlined the Tortured Spirits’ pathing in the quest “Imprisoned Spirits”.


• Streamlined the holdout timing and pathing of the Terrorweb Dryders in the quest “Imprisoned Spirits.”


• Streamlined The Slayer and Terrorweb Dryders’ pathing in the quest “Demon Assassin.”


• Streamlined the locations, timing, and pathing of the Terrorweb Dryders in the quest “Servants of Grenth.”


• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the quest “Servants of Grenth” to complete before all waves of Terrorweb Dryders have appeared.


• Adjusted the spawns around the Reaper of the Forgotten Vale and the Reaper of the Bone Pits so that they are less likely to appear when the area is unsafe.


• Moved the Lost Soul out of aggro range of the Aatxes.


• Fixed a bug that caused Vengeful Aatxes to not die when their Keeper of Souls is killed in the quest “Unwanted Guests.”

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Deadly Paradox to increase casting speed by 66% rather than 33%.


• Fixed a bug that caused Ether Prism to reduce damage by 25% rather than by 75%.


• Fixed the description for Signet of Deadly Corruption to no longer reference itself as an attack.


• Fixed a bug that allowed players to target others when using Spirit Siphon.


• Fixed a bug that prevented Wastrel’s Demise from turning the health bar purple.


• Fixed a bug that caused the henchman Sogolon to have less armor than Paragons of an equivalent level.

Miscellaneous

• Upon reaching 25 consecutive wins in Random Arena, a team will be awarded additional Gladiator points and returned to the outpost.


• The trophies in the Great Temple of Balthazar have been updated and their location moved.


• Tolkano now offers the Eye of the North and Bonus Mission Pack weapon and armor skins for sale.


• Tolkano has begun accepting Zaishen Coins for his weapon and armor skins.


• Tournament Reward Point cost for all PvP weapon and armor skins has been drastically reduced.


• Updated the Daily Automated Tournament times for GvG.


• Festival map decorations no longer require a build and will automatically switch when the festival begins.

Update - 7 October 2009

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Descriptions

• Traditional Chinese community localization: updated numerous Traditional Chinese skill descriptions. Please visit the wiki to see a list of updated skills.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that made Murakai, Lady of the Night use the skill “Murakai’s Call” incorrectly, causing her to spawn an infinite number of allies.

Update - 24 September 2009

Skill Updates

• Mantra of Resolve (PvE): reverted this skill to its original functionality.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented Escape from appropriately blocking melee attacks.

Update - 17 September 2009

Automated Tournaments

Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP Changes

Dervish

• Armor of Sanctity: increased duration to 15 seconds; increased recharge to 15 seconds.

Elementalist

• Ether Prism: increased recharge to 25 seconds; decreased damage reduction to 75%.
• Immolate: increased recharge to 5 seconds.

Mesmer

• Distortion: increased recharge to 8 seconds.
• Illusion of Pain: changed the description to more accurately reflect its functionality.
• Mantra of Resolve: decreased duration to 5 seconds.

Monk

• Patient Spirit: increased recharge to 4 seconds.

Necromancer

• Rip Enchantment: increased recharge to 15 seconds.
• Vampiric Spirit: increased casting time to 2 seconds.

PvP Only Changes

Assassin

• Death Blossom: increased recharge to 6 seconds.

Necromancer

• Signet of Agony: increased recharge to 20 seconds.
• Unholy Feast: increased recharge to 20 seconds.

Ranger

• Escape: functionality changed to: “Elite Stance. For 1..8 seconds, you move 33% faster and have a 75% chance to block attacks. Ends if you make a melee attack.”

PvE Only Changes

Monk

• Selfless Spirit: increased recharge to 45 seconds.

Necromancer

• Signet of Agony: decreased recharge to 8 seconds.
• Unholy Feast: decreased recharge to 8 seconds.

Paragon

• Finale of Restoration: reverted this skill to its original behavior.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Signet of Creation to decrease Binding Ritual skills to 1/4 second casting times instead of making them cast instantly.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Avatar of Dwayna from spawning in the International District versions of Sardelac Sanitarium and Druid’s Overlook.
• Fixed a bug that caused Molotov Rocktail to wander outside his intended area.
• Fixed a bug that allowed the Health gain from “Fall Back!” to be affected by healing modifiers.
• Fixed a bug that allowed the Health gain from “Incoming!” to be affected by healing modifiers.

Miscellaneous

• Removed duplicate version of Faction Rewards NPCs in the Alliance Battles outposts.
• Tolkano [Tournament] is now in the following outposts: Random Arena, Heroes’ Ascent, Zaishen Challenge, Zaishen Elite, Jade Quarry (Kurzick & Luxon), and Fort Aspenwood (Kurzick & Luxon).

Update - 10 September 2009

Miscellaneous

• Removed Dizhou [Xunlai Pollster] from the Great Temple of Balthazar.

Update - 27 August 2009

Henchmen Skill Bar Contest

• Dizhou [Xunlai Pollster] is now in the Great Temple of Balthazar to collect Henchmen skill bar contest submissions. More information on the skill bar contest can be found here.

Update - 10 August 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug causing Armor of Sanctity to affect nearby foes instead of adjacent ones.


• Nicholas the Traveler is now in his correct location.

Update - 06 August 2009

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Monthly Tonics available in the Zaishen Chest no longer require an update to change over each month. They will now change over on the 1st day of every month.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Balance

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE & PvP Changes

Assassin

• Black Lotus Strike: decreased recharge to 6 seconds; decreased Energy gain to 5..13.
• Black Mantis Thrust: decreased activation time to 1/2 second.
• Fox Fangs: decreased recharge to 3 seconds; increased damage to 10..35.
• Golden Lotus Strike: decreased recharge to 5 seconds; decreased Energy gain to 5..8.
• Golden Phoenix Strike: functionality changed to: “If you are not under the effects of an Enchantment, this skill misses. If it hits, Golden Phoenix Strike deals +10..30 damage and all adjacent foes take 10..30 damage.”
• Jagged Strike: decreased activation time to 1/2 second.
• Jungle Strike: functionality changed to: “Must follow a lead attack. If it hits, Jungle Strike strikes target foe for +10..25 damage. If it hits a foe that was Crippled, that foe and all adjacent foes take +1..31 damage.”
• Sharpen Daggers: functionality changed to: “For 5..30 seconds, your dagger attacks cause Bleeding for 5..15 seconds.”

Dervish

• Armor of Sanctity: functionality changed to: “All adjacent foes suffer from Weakness for 5..15 seconds. For 10 seconds, you take 5..20 less damage from foes suffering from a condition.”
• Aura Slicer: functionality changed to: “If this attack hits, you deal +10..25 damage. If you are enchanted or this attack hits an enchanted foe, that foe begins Bleeding for 5..15 seconds.”
• Dwayna’s Touch: increased recharge to 5 seconds.
• Meditation: increased recharge to 12 seconds. Functionality changed to: “You gain 20..125 Health. If you are not enchanted, you also gain 3..8 Energy.”
• Natural Healing: functionality changed to: “You are healed for 40..100 Health and an additional 40..80 Health if you are not enchanted.”
• Pious Restoration: increased recharge to 8 seconds; increased casting time to 1 second. Functionality changed to: “You gain 80..150 Health and lose 1 enchantment. If an enchantment was removed in this way, you also lose 1..3 hexes.”
• Sand Shards: functionality changed to: “For 30 seconds, Sand Shards ends early if you use an attack skill. When Sand Shards ends, it creates a sand storm at your location that deals 10..20 damage each second for 10 seconds to nearby foes.”
• Vow of Piety: increased Energy cost to 15; reduced casting time to 0; increased recharge to 45 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Stance. For 20 seconds, you have +24 armor and +1..4 Health regeneration. Vow of Piety renews whenever an enchantment on you ends.”
• Winds of Disenchantment: moved to the Wind Prayers attribute. Functionality changed to: “Lose 1 enchantment. If an enchantment was removed in this way, all nearby foes lose 1 enchantment and take 20..80 cold damage.”

Elementalist

• Chain Lightning: reduced casting time to 2 seconds; now only causes Exhaustion if you are not enchanted.
• Earthen Shackles: reduced casting time to 1 second; decreased slow effect to 66%; now effects all adjacent foes.
• Ebon Hawk: reduced casting time to 1 second; reduced damage to 10..85. Functionality changed to: “Send a projectile that strikes for 45..100 earth damage and causes Weakness for 5..15 seconds if it hits.”
• Elemental Flame: functionality changed to: “For 5..20 seconds, whenever an Elemental hex is applied to target foe, that foe is set on fire for 3..5 seconds.”
• Invoke Lightning: reduced recharge to 10 seconds.
• Lava Arrows: No longer half-range.
• Slippery Ground: increased recharge to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “If target foe is Blind or moving, that foe is knocked down. (50%% failure chance with Water Magic 4 or less.)”
• Windborne Speed: reduced casting time to 3/4 seconds.
• Winter’s Embrace: functionality changed to: “For 2..6 seconds, target foe moves 66% slower and takes 5..15 damage while moving.”

Mesmer

• Confusing Images: increased Energy cost to 10; increased casting time to 2 seconds; increased recharge to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 6 seconds, target foe takes twice as long to activate non-attack skills.”
• Illusion of Pain: increased recharge to 8 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 10 seconds, target foe has -3..10 Health degeneration and takes 3..10 damage each second. After 10 seconds, that foe is healed for 45..150.”
• Wastrel’s Demise: decreased casting time to 1/4 second. Functionality changed to: “Hex Spell: Target foe takes 5..40 damage. If that foe was not using a skill, that foe suffers -1..3 Health degeneration for 10 seconds.”

Monk

• Divine Boon: decreased Energy loss to 1; now only provides healing when you cast Protection Prayers or Divine Prayers spells.
• Shielding Hands: functionality changed to: “For 8 seconds, damage received by target ally is reduced by 3..18. When Shielding Hands ends, that ally is healed for 5..50 Health.”

Necromancer

• Poisoned Heart: functionality changed to: “You and all adjacent foes are Poisoned for 5..15 seconds.”

Paragon

• Finale of Restoration: increased recharge to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 10..35 seconds, the next 5 times that a chant or shout ends on target non-spirit ally, that ally is healed for 15..75 Health.”

Ranger

• Melandru’s Shot: increased recharge to 12 seconds.

PvE Only Changes

Assassin

• Shroud of Distress: functionality changed to: “For 30..60 seconds, if you are below 50% Health, you have +3..8 Health regeneration and a 75% chance to block attacks.
• Signet of Deadly Corruption: no longer follows a dual attack.
• Unseen Fury: increased recharge to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “All adjacent foes are Blinded for 3..10 seconds. For 10..30 seconds, you cannot be blocked by Blinded foes.”

Dervish

• Conviction: functionality changed to: “For 10..35 seconds, you have +24 armor. If you are enchanted, you also have a 50% chance to block.”

Monk

• Seed of Life: decreased recharge to 20 seconds.
• Selfless Spirit: reduced recharge to 15 seconds; decreased Energy reduction to 3. Functionality changed to: “For 15..20 seconds, spells you cast that target another ally cost 3 less energy.”

Necromancer

• Masochism: functionality changed to: “For 10..40 seconds, you have +2 to your Death Magic and Soul Reaping attributes and sacrifice an additional 5..3% Health when you cast a spell.”

Ranger

• Pets in PvE take 33% less damage and deal 33% more damage in combat.
• Call of Haste: increased movement and attack speed to 33%.
• Comfort Animal: decreased Energy cost to 5. Functionality changed to: “You heal your animal companion for 20..104 Health. If your companion is dead, it is resurrected with 10..58% Health. If you have Comfort Animal equipped, your animal companion will travel with you.”
• Enraged Lunge: functionality changed to: “Your animal companion attempts an Enraged Lunge that applies a Deep Wound to target foe for 5..20 seconds and deals +10..50 damage.”
• Melandru’s Assault: functionality changed to: “Your animal companion attempts a Melandru’s Assault that deals +5..20 damage to all nearby foes.”
• Predatory Bond: functionality changed to: “For 5..20 seconds, your animal companion attacks 25% faster and heals you for 1..31 Health with each attack.”

PvP Only Changes

Monk

• Aegis: functionality changed to: “For 1..3 seconds, hostile spells and attacks against target other party member fail.”

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the supply column to disappear during the quest “Supplies for the Duke.”
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented players from getting credit for defeating Droughtlings during the quest “Secrets in the Shadows.”
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented enemies from attacking during the Abbadon’s Mouth mission.
• Fixed a bug that caused some parties to fail in the Unwaking Waters mission prior to reaching 60% DP.
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented all party members from getting credit for completion in the quest “Troubled Land.”
• Fixed a bug that prevented party members from getting credit for completing the quest “Army of Darkness” if they did not take the quest prior to the Unholy Text being turned in.
• Fixed a bug that prevented Signet of Creation from working in PvP.
• Fixed a bug that caused one of the Druids to get stuck during the bonus objective in the Bloodstone Fen mission.
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented parties from getting credit for killing the Slayer during the quest “Demon Assassin.”
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented players from being killed by life-stealing skills.
• Fixed a bug that prevented canceling spells via weapon swapping to count toward skill-usage totals.
• Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented Flesh Golems summoned by Necromancers from leaving exploitable corpses.
• Fixed a bug that caused Expert Focus to apply to ranged attacks.
• Fixed a missing texture on the Asuran Paragon Raiment.
• Fixed a bug that allowed players to turn pets from the Zaishen Menagerie into Nehdukah for 100 gold.
• Fixed a bug that prevented short-duration enchantments from applying to characters hexed by Mark of Insecurity.
• Fixed a bug that caused animals in the Zaishen Menagerie to drop festival loot.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the counter for “Can’t Touch This!” from refreshing upon recast.
• Fixed a bug when using “Air of Superiority” that prevented “Is there anything I can’t do?” from recharging Norn forms.
• Fixed a bug when using Signet of Binding that prevented Restoration spirits from resurrecting members of the correct team.

Miscellaneous

• Added a Canthan Ambassador to Lion’s Arch International Districts.
• Added a description for unlocking M.O.X.
• Updated the AI for Heroes so they will only use Epidemic when adjacent foes are present.
• Updated the AI for Heroes to improve their use of the Ritualist skill Splinter Weapon.
• Improved the response time of spirits created by the Ritualist skill Signet of Spirits.
• Removed Guild Registrar from Ascalon City International Districts.
• Tonics no longer make noise in a town or outpost.

Update - 09 July 2009

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Automatonic with the Boreal Tonic for the month of July. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Miscellaneous

• Increased the K-value of rated matches in GvG and Hero Battles to 15. For more information on this change, please see the Developer Updates page.

Update - 02 July 2009

Dragon Festival 2009

• Decorated Shing Jea Monastery and Kaineng Center in preparation for the Dragon Festival.
• Beginning at Noon Pacific (-7 GMT) on Thursday, July 2, 2009, the Shing Jea Boardwalk, Dragon Arena, and Rollerbeetle Racing will be opened for the duration of the weekend.
• Captain Rujiyo will be gathering adventurers in Shing Jea Monastery for special festival missions at various times throughout the day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
• For the final events on Sunday, July 5, Emperor Kisu will visit Shing Jea Monastery every two hours, with the first event starting at 2:00 AM Pacific (-7 GMT) and the last event starting at 11:59 PM Pacific (-7 GMT).
• Imperial Supply Master Kagno will appear in Shing Jea Monastery as the event comes to a close at 11:59 AM Pacific (-7 GMT) on Monday, July 6. He will remain there for one week to exchange 250 Victory Tokens for the new mask in case anyone misses the exchange with Emperor Kisu.
• For the full mission and event schedule, please see the Dragon Festival 2009 event page.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Signet of Creation to affect non-Binding Ritual spells.
• Fixed a bug that prevented Signet of Creation from applying to certain Binding Rituals.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Junundu skill Choking Breath from interrupting some enemies.
• Updated Soothing, Vampirism, and Preservation to use the correct casting animations.

Update - 22 June 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Xinrae’s Weapon, Vengeful Weapon, Nightmare Weapon, and Weapon of Remedy to heal the caster rather than the target.
• Fixed a bug that caused Spirit Siphon to appear twice on the skill list when interacting with a Priest of Balthazar.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the Guild Versus Guild Zaishen Combat Quest from properly updating.

Update - 19 June 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused “We Shall Return!” to bypass Frozen Soil.
• Fixed a bug that caused the Flux Matrix to damage party members.
• Fixed a crash bug associated with “Brace Yourself!”
• Fixed a bug that caused Order of the Vampire to give stolen health to the caster rather than the party member that was attacking.
• Fixed the recharge time on Signet of Spirits by increasing it to the intended 20 seconds.
• Fixed a bug when using Signet of Binding that prevented a spirit’s defensive effects from applying properly.
• Fixed a bug that prevented some players from turning in their Random Arena Zaishen Combat quests.
• Updated the inaccurate descriptions for Well of Blood, Well of Power, Well of Suffering, Well of the Profane, and “Incoming!” (PvP).

Update - June 18 2009

Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP


Assassin

• Palm Strike: increased recharge time to 7 seconds.

Elementalist

• Ether Prism: increased recharge time to 20 seconds.

Mesmer

• Visions of Regret: functionality changed to: “For 10 seconds, target foe and adjacent foes take 15..45 damage whenever they use a skill and 5..50 damage if not under the effects of another Mesmer hex.”

Necromancer

• Lingering Curse: increased Energy cost to 15.
• Suffering: increased recharge time to 10 seconds.
• Weaken Knees: decreased duration to 1..16 seconds; decreased Health degeneration to -1..4; decreased damage to 5..10.

Ritualist

• Brutal Weapon: decreased duration to 10..40 seconds.
• Guided Weapon: decreased duration to 4..10 seconds.
• Resilient Weapon: decreased duration to 5..15 seconds.
• Signet of Binding: functionality changed to: “You lose 200..50 Health. Gain control of target spirit.”
• Spawning Power: increased effect on Weapon Spells to 4% per rank.
• Spiritleech Aura: functionality changed to: “Skill. For 5..20 seconds, all of your spirits within earshot deal 5..20 less damage and steal 5..20 Health when they attack.”
• Spirit Siphon: functionality changed to: “The spirit nearest you loses all Energy. You gain 15..50% of that Energy.”
• Vital Weapon: decreased duration to 5..30 seconds.
• Wailing Weapon: decreased duration to 3..9 seconds.
• Warmonger’s Weapon: decreased duration to 3..13 seconds.
• Weapon of Shadow: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.
• Weapon of Warding: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.

PvP Only


Elementalist

• Savannah Heat: increased Energy cost to 15.

Paragon

• “Help Me!”: functionality changed to: “For 1..10 seconds, you gain 5..50 Health and other allies’ spells targeting you cast 50% faster.”

PvE Only


Sunspear

• Cry of Pain: functionality changed to: “Interrupt target foe’s skill. If that foe was suffering from a Mesmer Hex, that foe and all foes in the area take 25...50 damage and -3..5 Health degeneration for 10 seconds.”
• Vampirism: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 4..14.

Ritualist

• Agony: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Anguish: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; decreased Energy cost to 15; increased spirit level to 1..11.
• Armor of Unfeeling: decreased Energy cost to 5. Functionality changed to: “For 10..35 seconds, your spirits takes 50% less damage and are immune to critical attacks.”
• Bloodsong: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Destruction: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Disenchantment: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased Energy cost to 15; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Displacement: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Dissonance: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Earthbind: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Empowerment: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Gaze of Fury: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Life: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Pain: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Preservation: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Recovery: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Recuperation: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Rejuvenation: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..20.
• Restoration: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..14.
• Shadowsong: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased recharge time to 30 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..10.
• Shelter: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Signet of Creation: increased recharge time to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 5..30 seconds, your next 1..3 Binding Rituals cast instantly.”
• Signet of Spirits: increased recharge time to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Create three level 1..12 spirits. These spirits deal 5..30 damage with attacks. These spirits die after 60 seconds.”
• Soothing: decreased casting time to 1 second; decreased Energy cost to 15; decreased recharge time to 45 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Union: decreased casting time to .75 seconds; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Wanderlust: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased spirit level to 1..12.
• Weapon of Warding: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.

Paragon

• “Brace Yourself!”: functionality changed to: “For 5..12 seconds, the next time target other ally would be knocked down, all nearby foes take 15..75 damage instead.”
• “Can’t Touch This!”: functionality changed to: “For 20 seconds, the next 1..5 touch skills used against allies within earshot fail.”
• “Fallback!": decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
• “"Find Their Weakness!”: functionality changed to: “For 5..20 seconds, the next time target ally attacks, that ally deals +5..50 damage and inflicts a Deep Wound for 5..20 seconds.”
• “Go for the Eyes!”: decreased recharge time to 0 seconds; increased chance to land a critical hit to 30..100%.
• “Help Me!”: decreased recharge time to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 1..10 seconds, you gain 15..90 Health and other allies’ spells targeting you cast 50% faster.”
• “Incoming!": decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
• “Never Give Up!”: decreased recharge time to 15 seconds.
• “Never Surrender!”: decreased recharge time to 15 seconds.
• “Stand Your Ground!”: decreased Energy cost to 10; decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
• “We Shall Return!”: increased Energy cost to 25; increased recharge time to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: “All party members in earshot are resurrected with 25..50% Health and 5..20% Energy.”
• Anthem of Disruption: decreased casting time to 1 second.
• Bladeturn Refrain: functionality changed to: “For 20 seconds, target non-spirit ally has a 5..20% chance to block incoming attacks. This Echo is reapplied every time a Chant or Shout ends on that ally.”
• Blazing Finale: increased Burning duration to 1..7 seconds.
• Defensive Anthem: decreased Energy cost to 10.
• Signet of Return: decreased recharge time to 5 seconds.

AI Updates

The following AI updates apply to Heroes and Hard Mode NPCs.

Assassin

• Heroes are more likely to use offensive Shadow Step skills before their Health reaches 50%.
• Heroes will now use Black Lotus Strike against non-hexed foes when appropriate.

Dervish

• Heroes are more likely to use Attacker’s Insight during combat.

Elementalist

• Heroes are more likely to use attunement skills during combat.

Mesmer

• Heroes will now more appropriately use hex spells that require an interrupt to take effect.
• Heroes will now maintain Mantra of Inscriptions both in and out of combat.

Monk

• Heroes are more likely to scatter appropriately when affected by Ray of Judgment.
• Heroes will now use Life Sheath to remove conditions out of combat.
• Heroes will now use Boon Signet more frequently.
• Heroes are now more likely to use Spotless Mind and Spotless Soul in conjunction with other hex and condition removal skills.
• Heroes are now more likely to use Restore Condition if their target is suffering from multiple conditions.
• Heroes will now use Dwayna’s Kiss more frequently when hexes and enchantments are present on the target.
• Heroes will now use Words of Comfort more frequently on characters suffering from conditions.
• Fixed a bug where the AI only used Healing Burst as a self-targeting spell.
• Fixed a bug where the AI did not recognize Unyielding Aura as a hard resurrection skill.

Necromancer

• Heroes can now cast Lingering Curse off-target.
• Heroes will now use Blood is Power and Blood Ritual on casters holding bundle items.
• Heroes will now maintain Aura of the Lich in and out of combat.

Paragon

• Heroes will now check if Angelic Bond is active on all party members before using the skill.
• Heroes will only activate Angelic Bond if a party member is under 50% Health.
• Heroes are more likely to use “Incoming!” outside of combat.
• Heroes will only use Chest Thumper against foes that are suffering from Cracked Armor.
• Heroes will now use “Never Surrender!” both in and out of combat.

Ritualist

• Heroes will now use Resilient Weapon, Spirit Light Weapon, and Weapon of Warding to overwrite non-defensive weapon spells when the target’s Health is at critical levels.
• Heroes will now use Offering of Spirit more frequently and will now use it out of combat.
• Heroes will now use Mending Grip as a self-targeting spell.
• Heroes will now only use Brutal Weapon on targets who are engaged in combat.
• Heroes will now cast Weapon of Quickening on spell-casting classes regardless of weapon type equipped.
• Fixed a bug where the AI would not use Renewing Memories while holding a bundle item.

Warrior

• Heroes are more likely to use Defy Pain at 95% Health to make better use of its damage-reduction feature.
• Heroes will use “or Great Justice!” as is appropriate for their weapon type.
• Heroes are less likely to overwrite Rush with other stances.
• Heroes are less likely to overwrite Frenzy with other stances unless Health is low.

General

• Fixed a bug where Heroes would not use zero-Energy skills when low on Energy.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that would cause GvG matches to end in a tie if a Guild Lord died when the tiebreaker triggered. All Guild Lords will now become non-combatants when the match ends after 28 minutes according to the server clock. Note that this time may differ slightly from your client’s timer.
• Fixed a bug that prevented Depravity and Ether Phantom from displaying Energy loss.
• Fixed a bug that caused Depravity to affect all nearby foes.
• Fixed a bug that caused the following Ritualist skills to use an incorrect casting animation: Agony, Anguish, Empowerment, Gaze of Fury, Recovery, and Rejuvenation.

Miscellaneous

• Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the May tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.
• Reduced the amount of wins needed for the base objective and second bonus objective on the Random Arenas Zaishen quest.
• Increased the Zaishen Coin rewards for all Zaishen Mission quests and Zaishen Bounty quests.

Update - June 12 2009

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Phantasmal Tonic with the Automatonic for the month of June. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that allowed players to have multiple copies of the Heroes’ Ascent Zaishen Combat Quest.
• Fixed a bug that caused effects that are conditional upon critical hits to trigger even if critical hits were prevented with a skill.
• Fixed a bug that caused “We Shall Return!” to affect allies instead of party members.
• Fixed a bug that caused Res Orbs to resurrect dead NPCs in Alliance Battles.

Miscellaneous

• Budger Blackpowder will now wait a few seconds between dispensing Powder Kegs in Explorable Areas.
• The Merchants in the Great Temple of Balthazar now offer late-game items.
• Added a confirmation box for Name Changes.
• Removed festival decorations from Kaineng Center and Shing Jea Monastery.
• The Treasure Hunter and Wisdom title tracks now count toward Favor of the Gods.
• Reduced the Zaishen Coin reward for the Hero Battles Zaishen Combat quest.

Update - June 10 2009

Korea Service Migration

• Migrated Korean accounts to the North American servers.

Update - 14 May 2009

Skill Updates

PvE and PvP

Assassin

• Heart of Shadow: functionality changed to: “You are healed for 30..150, and you Shadow Step to a nearby location directly away from your target.”
• Shadow Fang: added an after-cast delay.
• Viper’s Defense: functionality changed to: “All adjacent foes are Poisoned for 5..20 seconds, and you Shadow Step to a nearby location, directly away from your target.”

Elementalist

• Mirror of Ice: functionality changed to: “For 5 seconds, plus 3 additional seconds for every rank of Energy Storage, you deal an additional 5..35 cold damage whenever you cast a Water Magic hex.”
• Steam: functionality changed to: “Target foe is struck for 5..50 cold damage. If target foe is on fire, Steam Blinds that foe for 5..10 seconds.”

Mesmer

• Illusionary Weaponry: decreased Energy cost to 5.

Monk

• Castigation Signet: increased recharge to 20 seconds.
• Peace and Harmony: decreased duration to 1..3 seconds; increased recharge to 12 seconds.
• Word of Healing: decreased non-conditional healing to 5..100; increased conditional healing to 30..115.

Necromancer

• Foul Feast: increased recharge to 5 seconds.
• Lingering Curse: decreased healing reduction to 20%.

Ranger

• Hunter’s Shot: functionality changed to: “If this attack hits, your target bleeds for 3..25 seconds.”
• Melandru’s Shot: functionality change to: “If this attack hits, your target bleeds for 5..25 seconds. If it hits a foe that is moving or knocked down, that foe takes +10..25 damage and is crippled for +5..15 seconds.”
• Keen Arrow: decreased conditional damage to 5..25.

Ritualist

• Protective Was Kaolai: increased recharge to 25 seconds.

PvP

Monk

• Strength of Honor: decreased damage to 1..5.
• Aegis: reduced casting time to .25. Functionality changed to: “For 1..3 seconds, hostile spells and attacks against ‘target other ally’ fail.”

Warrior

• Warrior’s Endurance: this skill is now a stance.

PvE

Dwarf

• Low Blow: functionality changed to: “Strike target foe for 45..70 damage. If target foe is knocked down, that foe takes an additional 30..50 damage and suffers from Cracked Armor for 14..20 seconds.”

Faction Skills

• Elemental Lord: functionality changed to: “For 40..60 seconds, your elemental attributes are boosted by 1, you gain 1 Energy for every 10 ranks of Energy Storage, and you are healed for 100..300% of the Energy cost each time you cast a spell.”
• Summon Spirits: decreased recharge time to 5 seconds.

Mesmer

• Fragility: this skill now also affects adjacent foes.

Monk

• Strength of Honor: increased damage to 5..25.

Vanguard

• Tryptophan Signet: this skill no longer requires touch range.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented pet names from displaying properly in some languages.

Miscellaneous

• Master Architect Gunther in Fort Aspenwood now destroys any masterless Minions within earshot.
• A Xunlai Agent and Chest has arrived in the Zaishen Menagerie.
• Ai Tei [Merchant] has arrived in the Great Temple of Balthazar.
• Moss Spiders and Black Moas now grow appropriately as they evolve.
• Adjusted the amount of dishonor points given out by the Dishonorable Combatant System.

Update - 07 May 2009

Xunlai Tournament House 2.0

• The Xunlai Tournament House has received a variety of exciting improvements!




• Players will now log in to the Xunlai Tournament House with their Guild Wars username and password.


• The interface and functionality of the Xunlai Tournament House has been greatly improved. To read about the changes, see this article.

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Unseen Tonic with the Phantasmal Tonic for the month of May. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented some players from turning in collectible items to Nicholas Sandford.


• Fixed a bug that allowed some pets to evolve at level 14.


• Fixed a bug that prevented some pets from being added to the Fellowship monument.

Miscellaneous

• Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the April tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.


• Zaishen Combat Quests are now repeatable.


• When multiple quests have been completed, players are now able to select which quest they would like to turn in.


• Reduced the cost of Zaishen Summoning Stones from 5 Silver Zaishen Coins to 3.

Update - 28. April 2009

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that allowed Heroes to charm the Rainbow Phoenix.
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from placing Zaishen Coins in storage.
• Fixed a bug that prevented the icon art for the Keg of Aged Hunter’s Ale from displaying properly.

Miscellaneous

• The “/roll” command can no longer be used on PvP maps.

Fourth Anniversary Update: Major Content and Feature Additions

Our goal for the Fourth Anniversary Update is to deepen and enhance replayability of the game with a variety of features aimed at satisfying the full spectrum of Guild Wars players. For example, we wanted to give new purpose and rewards to existing content, so we added a new system of cycling Zaishen Challenge Quests and the Traveler to encourage players to experience the different types of available content in a whole new light. We’ve also designed an elaborate unlocking system for every pet in the game, making it possible for you to accumulate unlocked pets and swap them out for different builds and gameplay types. As the demand on inventory space increases with all the new content being added to the game since our last storage update, we have increased your storage potential with the creation of Equipment Packs and additional Xunlai Storage panes available in the In-Game and NCsoft Stores. In the same vein, the Hall of Monuments has been made account-based to make the accumulation of titles and other accomplishments more smoothly available to multiple characters on an account. As you play these characters more and more, you might be looking for a way to freshen up their look beyond just getting a new set of armor, so we have added a whole new way to do this with Makeover Credits that have been added to the In-Game and NCsoft Stores. These Credits are redeemable at a [Stylist] NPC who deepens your ability to truly customize a character by allowing you to mix aesthetic features from ALL campaigns, something which is not possible through character creation.

The Live Team has been working nonstop to make these new features a reality, and we’re incredibly happy to finally reveal everything we’ve done. Instead of releasing a typical Developer Update article, we’re explaining all the exciting new content in a series of detailed gameplay web pages. You can find the links to those pages in the update notes below, as well as a summary of each updated game feature.

Read on for more information!

Equipment Pack

Each character has been given a 5th bag slot reserved for the Equipment Pack. These new bags will save you oodles of storage space and give you a way to keep your weapons and armor divided from your other loot. These bags:

• Hold only weapons and armor.


• Come in four sizes:




• 5-slot bags are available in Pre-Searing Ascalon in exchange for a treat for Professor Yakkington, for a nominal fee of gold at various merchants across all campaigns, or for Zaishen Coins at a new Zaishen Rewards NPC in Great Temple of Balthazar.


• 10, 15, and 20-slot bags are available in exchange for Zaishen Coins at a Zaishen Rewards NPC in Great Temple of Balthazar.

See the gameplay article for more details.

Xunlai Storage

To provide you with access to even more storage space, Xunlai Storage Panes are now available for purchase in the In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store.

• Xunlai Storage Panes each add an additional 20 slots of storage space to your Xunlai Chest. These panes can be used by any character on your account that has access to your storage chest.


• You can now purchase up to 4 additional panes of storage from the In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store.

See the Storage FAQ for more details.

Zaishen Challenge Quests

Every day, we challenge you with different objectives from all over the world, running the gamut from missions to bounties to PvP. Each day, these quests have you play in a specific area for each of the three formats. We believe this will encourage players to group up with those in the area attempting to complete this common goal of getting rewarded for that day’s Challenge Quest. Zaishen Challenge Quests have a variety of rewards, including the new Zaishen Coins, a new form of currency taken by Zaishen Rewards NPCs.

• Pick up your Zaishen Challenge Quests in the Great Temple of Balthazar.


• Your Quest Log can only hold three of each type of Zaishen Challenge Quests.


• Three quest types are offered each day:




• Mission completion. Finish storyline missions for the Zaishen.


• Bounties. Hunt down and kill evil bosses from around the world!


• Combat. Battle it out in different arenas and triumph over other players.




• Each quest has one Base Objective, which is required to complete the quest and rewards you with experience, gold, faction, title points, and Zaishen Coins. Quests may also have one or more optional Bonus Objectives, which reward extra Zaishen Coins.

• Zaishen Coins:




• Come in copper, silver, and gold denominations.


• Are only awarded for completing Zaishen Challenge Quests.


• Are not tradeable to other players, but can be passed to other characters on your account through the Xunlai Storage Vault.


• Can be used to buy items like the Equipment Packs from Zaishen Rewards NPCs in the Great Temple of Balthazar.


• Can be used to unlock pets for your Zaishen Menagerie collection.

See the gameplay article for more details about Zaishen Challenge Quests and Coins.

Zaishen Menagerie

Arcane Mages of the Zaishen Order have been hard at work on the island of the Heroes’ Ascent volcano. Terraforming magics learned from the hedge wizards of Vabbi have allowed the Zaishen to create a sanctuary and breeding ground for many of the charmable animals from around the world. They fund the sanctuary and their study of these animals by allowing adventurers to build their own collection of charmable animals to be cared for in the Menagerie Grounds. By unlocking a pet for your collection, you will then be able to recharm that tier of animal any time you wish by visiting the Zaishen Menagerie Grounds. As part of this service, the Zaishen Trainers have developed evolutions of certain rare animals that have never been seen in the wild, and they’ve even recovered a small amount of extremely rare Moss Spider eggs to be trained as a charmable pet for the first time. The Moss Spider is best known for being native to Ascalon before the Searing, and until now was believed to be extinct.

• The Zaishen Menagerie is an outpost, located in the Battle Isles next to Heroes’ Ascent. Speak with Gate Guard Hirvela to enter the Menagerie Grounds.


• All characters on your account share a Menagerie collection.


• Unlock seven different tiers of level and evolution for every charmable animal in the game.


• Unlock a pet by bringing your charmed animals to Emryd the Tamer, or visit Helena [Zaishen Keeper] to unlock them with Balthazar Faction or Zaishen Coins.


• Only charmable animals from campaigns you own are unlockable via the Zaishen Keeper.


• The menagerie is your own area--only you and your Heroes can enter.


• Once you’ve unlocked a pet, you’ll see charmable level 5 versions of that pet roaming the grounds. Higher-level versions and special evolutions of your pets are also available from Wynn [Zaishen Training Captain].


• Purchase an unlock pack from our In-Game Store or the NCsoft Store. The unlock pack adds the non-prestige pets from all campaigns to your collection.

See the gameplay article for more details.

Nicholas The Traveler

The rumors aren’t true, Nicholas Sandford survived the Searing! He may look a little aged since the last time you saw him, but Nicholas and his trusty companion, Professor Yakkington, are finally coming out of hiding. Having dropped his last name in favor of the moniker “the Traveler,” Nicholas has mourned in seclusion over the loss of his family, friends, and beloved Mary Malone long enough. He has traveled the globe, gathering up a hefty supply of exotic and unique new items to put in his Gift of the Traveler, which he trades for materials, trophies, and other items he desires. Each week, Nicholas and the Professor will change location to a different explorable area in Tyria, Cantha, or Elona. In each location he will want something different for one of his Gifts. He is out there in the world right now; do you have the stamina to find him?

• The Traveler changes location at the end of each week.


• Each account can get up to 5 Gifts of the Traveler each week.


• The Traveler gives his Gifts in exchange for the items he desires that week. The item he seeks will change depending on his location in the world.


• Gifts of the Traveler hold many new and exclusive items, but you’ll just have to open one to see what they are.

See the gameplay article for more details.

Hall of Monuments: Now Account-Wide

Our previously announced plans for the Hall of Monuments to be an account-wide feature have come to fruition, and then some!

• Switch between your Character and Account views by speaking with Kimmes the Historian in the Hall of Monuments.


• Added the ability to specify the displayed achievements for each monument.


• Added the ability to replay the cinematic view of a monument.

Accomplishments will automatically be added to your account the next time you log in with any character that has a displayed an achievement in the Hall of Monuments.

See the gameplay article for more details.

New Character Customizations

The ability to change a character’s look once created is a luxury we’ve never had. Now you will not only be able to freshen up the look of a character you have been staring at for years, but you’ll actually be able to mix and match aesthetic features from all campaigns, giving you a multitude of new combinations that aren’t available during character creation! To prepare for this new feature, we’ve had to reorganize the way characters’ appearance data is stored. As such, the first time you view your characters at the character selection screen, they won’t look the way you remember them. Never fear! To update your character selection screen’s display, you need only log in on each character, and they will be viewed correctly from here on out.

• Preview your new look! Speak with Anatomical Engineer Llye [Stylist] in the Great Temple of Balthazar to check out all the options for redoing your character.


• The Stylist allows you to mix and match aesthetic features from different campaigns, creating hundreds of combinations which are not available at character creation.


• Change your character’s hair style, hair color, face, skin color, and/or body scale with Makeover Credits, or all of those plus gender with Extreme Makeover Credits, at the Stylist.


• Buy your Makeover Credits and Extreme Makeover Credits at the In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store. Makeover Credits are sold in packs of 5, and Extreme Makeover Credits are sold individually.


• Each Makeover Credit allows you to change one character’s hair style, hair color, face, skin color, and/or body scale.


• Each Extreme Makeover Credit allows you to change one character’s gender, as well as the Makeover options of hair style, hair color, face, skin color, and/or body scale.


• Character Name Changes are now available at the In-Game Store and the NCsoft Store.

See the gameplay article for more details.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed description for Piercing Trap so it no longer refers to Cracked Armor as “Cracked Armored”.


• Fixed description for Weapon of Warding [PvE] so it no longer inaccurately states that the skill ends if target ally attacks.


• Fixed a bug that allowed players to bypass the 5 Gift account limit per day from Nicholas Sandford in Pre-Searing.


• Fixed a bug which caused Red Iris Flowers to drop in Pre-Searing Ascalon with much less frequency than originally intended.

Miscellaneous

• The Miniature Greased Lightning is now Green Rarity.


• Charm Animal: changed functionality to “Charm target animal. Once charmed, your animal companion will travel with you whenever you have Charm Animal equipped. (Cannot charm animals 4 or more levels higher than you.)”

Free Xunlai Storage Pane - Limited Time Offer

To celebrate the Guild Wars^® 4 Year Anniversary, we’re giving away a free pane of storage to all Guild Wars players. Here’s how you can claim your free pane of storage:

1. Go to the Guild Wars section of the NCsoft Store, select Xunlai Storage Pane and click on the Buy Now button.


2. You will go to the Xunlai Storage Pane information page—click on the Buy Now button again.


3. You will be prompted to log in to your NCsoft account (NOTE: This is different from your Guild Wars account). If you do not already have one, please click the Create Account button and follow the prompts.


4. Once you have logged in, select the Guild Wars account that will receive this upgrade. If you have not already linked your Guild Wars account to your NCsoft Master Account, you will have an option to link your Guild Wars account now.


5. Once you’ve selected your Guild Wars account, you will see a screen where you can enter a coupon code. Please enter FREESTORAGE and click the Apply Coupon button.


6. You will receive a page confirming that you were charged $0.00 for your storage pane. Please click on the Continue button.


7. Congratulations! You should now have a new pane of Xunlai account storage for your account. If you were logged in to Guild Wars during this process, please make sure you log out and back in for this upgrade to apply.


8. For more information please read the Frequently Asked Questions about this promotion.

If you find that your Guild Wars game account is already linked to a NCsoft master account and you do not remember the NCsoft master account information, please follow the instructions provided here.

Free Storage Pane Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the free Storage Pane promotion?

For a limited time, Guild Wars players can visit the NCsoft Store and claim a FREE pane of Xunlai account storage.

Q: How long does this promotion run?

This promotion runs from 12:00AM PDT on April 23, 2009 to 11:59 PM PDT on June 30, 2009.

Q: Do I have to purchase anything in order to claim my free pane of storage?

No, no credit card or purchase information is required to claim your free pane of storage.

Q: What limitations does this promotion have?

This promotion is limited to one pane of storage per Guild Wars account. The player must use the NCsoft Store and must associate a Guild Wars account with an NCsoft Master Account in order to redeem the free pane of storage.

Q: Can I use the Guild Wars In-Game Store for this promotion?

No, this promotion is only available via the NCsoft Store.

Q: Does the free pane of storage count towards the limit of 4 panes of storage that players can purchase?

No, it does not. You will still be able to purchase up to 4 additional panes of storage if you participate in this promotion.

Pet Unlock Pack Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Pet Unlock Pack?

The Pet Unlock Pack is a feature that unlocks all standard pets and all of their evolutions on a single account.

How much does it cost?

The Pet Unlock Pack costs 5.99GBP/8.99€.

How do I buy it?

You may purchase the Pet Unlock Pack via the in-game store or via the NCsoft Store.

What payment methods are available?

You may use a credit card or PayPal (via the NCsoft Store).

When will I be charged for this?

You will be charged when you successfully confirm your purchase. You will receive an email confirmation that the transaction has gone through.

How do I access my unlocked pets?

Go in-game and travel to the Zaishen Menagerie, located in the Battle Isles. Within the Menagerie Grounds, all of your unlocked pets are available to be charmed using the Ranger skill Charm Animal. Members of the Zaishen Order housed in the Menagerie can provide detailed information about each pet, specific pet evolutions, techniques for leveling pets, and other services.

Can all of my characters access the Zaishen Menagerie?

All characters who can access the Battle Isles may also access the Zaishen Menagerie. If you have original Guild Wars characters who have stayed in the Pre-Searing Kingdom of Ascalon and Factions characters who remain on Shing Jea Island, they cannot access the Zaishen Menagerie until you advance them further in the storyline.

What pets does it include?

It includes the following pets:

• Albino Rat


• Black Bear


• Black Wolf


• Crane


• Crocodile


• Dune Lizard


• Flamingo


• Hyena


• Iguana


• Jahai Rat


• Lion


• Lioness


• Lurker


• Lynx


• Melandru’s Stalker


• Moa Bird


• Mountain Eagle


• Polar Bear


• Raven


• Reef Lurker


• Tiger


• Warthog


• White Crab


• White Tiger


• White Wolf


• Wolf

It does not include Prestige pets such as:

• Black Moa


• Black Widow


• Jingle Bear


• Moss Spider


• Phoenix


• Rainbow Phoenix


• White Moa

Name Change Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Name Change feature?

The Name Change feature allows you to change the name of a single character on your account.

How does the name change process work?

Purchase the Name Change from the in-game store or via the NCsoft Store. Go to the Character Selection window, choose the character you would like to rename, and select the Rename option. Enter that character’s current name and new name into the fields provided. Confirm the character’s new name, and the change will be applied immediately.

How much does this service cost?

Renaming your character will cost 8.99GBP/12.99€ per character.

How do I purchase a Name Change?

You may purchase the Name Change from the in-game store or via the NCsoft Store.

What payment methods are available?

You may use a credit card or PayPal (via the NCsoft Store).

When will I be charged for this?

You will be charged when you successfully confirm your purchase. You will receive an email confirmation that the transaction has gone through.

How will my guildmates and friends know I renamed my character?

Your character will remain in your guild and on the friends list of anyone who added you. Your character’s new name will show up on friends lists instead of the old one. We suggest telling your friends and guildmates about the name change as soon as possible.

If I change the character’s name, what happens to the old name?

The character’s old name will be reserved to your account for 24 hours, after which it will be released and available for anyone else to take.

Can other players use this feature to get off my Ignore list?

No, players cannot use this feature to get off your Ignore list. When you add a player’s character name to your Ignore list, you are ignoring their account, which means all characters on that account will be ignored. If someone that you have ignored renames their character, the old name will remain on your Ignore list. All characters on the ignored account will continue to be ignored.

Will my customized items be renamed, so that my character is wearing armor and carrying weapons with the new character name?

Customized items will not be renamed to reflect the new name, but the items will still be usable by the character associated with them.

Can I rename multiple characters at once?

Yes, you may rename multiple characters on your account. To do this, you must purchase one Name Change for each character that you would like to rename.

I think I changed my mind, can I rename my character again?

A single character may be renamed once every 30 days. You may purchase a new Name Change, and at least 30 days after the first name change, you will be able to change your character’s name again.

What if the name I want is already in use?

You will only be able to change your current name to one that is available.

Are there any limits on the name I can choose?

The name must be available and must comply with the Guild Wars naming policy.

I made a mistake, how do I revert back to my old name?

You may purchase a new Name Change, and at least 30 days after the first name change, you will be able to revert back to your previous character name if it has not been taken in the interim.

Makeover Pack Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Makeover Pack?

A Makeover Pack allows players to change the appearance of a single character or multiple characters on the same account. Each Makeover Pack comes with 5 Makeover Credits. Each Makeover Credit allows you to change a character’s hair style, hair color, facial features, skin color, and height.

How much does it cost?

The Makeover Pack costs 5.99GBP/8.99€.

How do I buy a Makeover Pack for my character?

You may purchase a Makeover Pack from the in-game store or via the NCsoft Store.

What payment methods are available?

You may use a credit card or PayPal (via the NCsoft Store).

When will I be charged for this?

You will be charged when you successfully confirm your purchase. You will receive an email confirmation that the transaction has gone through.

Can I use this on multiple characters?

Yes, but they must be on the same account. If you would like to use a Makeover Credit on a character that is not on the same account, you must purchase the Makeover Pack on the account on which that character is located.

How and where can I use my Makeover Credits?

Go in-game and travel to the Great Temple of Balthazar, located on the Battle Isles. Speak to Anatomical Engineer Llye [Stylist]. This NPC will provide details of the hair styles, facial features, skin colors, and height options available to you. Changes to the character’s appearance will occur when you apply the selected alterations, and a Makeover Credit will then be deducted from the account.

How will my friends and guildmates know I changed my character’s appearance?

The change to your character’s appearance will be immediate upon application. Your character will remain in your guild and on the friends list of anyone who added you. We suggest telling your friends and guildmates about your character’s appearance change as soon as you can

I made a mistake and chose the wrong face and/or hair. What do I do?

You are provided with a preview of any changes before the application. Once a change is confirmed and applied, it is permanent. You can use another Makeover Credit in your Makeover Pack to select a new appearance for your character. If you have used the last of the 5 Makeover Credits that you purchased, you will need to purchase a new Makeover Pack to update your character’s appearance.

Extreme Makeover Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Extreme Makeover?

An Extreme Makeover is a feature that allows you to change the gender of a single character on your account. You will also be able to change that character’s hair style, hair color, facial features, skin color, and height to suit their new gender. Any desired changes to these aesthetic features must be done at the same time that the Extreme Makeover is applied to the character.

What is the difference between the Makeover Pack and the Extreme Makeover?

The Makeover Pack allows you to change the appearance of your character, but not your character’s gender. The Makeover Pack provides you with 5 Makeover Credits, which you can use to change the hair style, hair color, facial features, skin color, and height on a single character or multiple characters on the same account. Only the Extreme Makeover will allow you to change your character’s gender and appearance.

How much does the Extreme Makeover cost?

The Extreme Makeover costs 5.99GBP/8.99€ per character.

How do I buy it?

You may purchase the Extreme Makeover through the in-game store or via the NCsoft Store.

What payment methods are available?

You may use a credit card or PayPal (via the NCsoft Store).

When will I be charged for this?

You will be charged when you successfully confirm your purchase. You will receive an email confirmation that the transaction has gone through.

Is there a limit to the number of times I can change my look?

Once you have confirmed and applied the changes in your Extreme Makeover, you will not be able to change your character’s appearance again unless you purchase a Makeover Pack. You will not be able to change your character’s gender again unless you purchase an Extreme Makeover.

How and where can I use my Extreme Makeover?

Go in-game and travel to the Great Temple of Balthazar, located on the Battle Isles. Speak to Anatomical Engineer Llye [Stylist]. This NPC will provide details of the hair styles, facial features, skin colors, and height options available to you, as well as the option to change your gender. Changes to the character’s appearance and gender will occur when you apply the selected alterations.

How will my friends and guildmates know I changed my character’s gender or appearance?

The change to your character’s appearance will be immediate upon application. Your character will remain in your guild and on the friends list of anyone who added you. We suggest telling your friends and guildmates about your Extreme Makeover as soon as you can.

What if I changed my mind? Can I revert the changes?

You are provided with a preview of any changes before the application. Once a change is applied, it is permanent. A new Extreme Makeover must be purchased to change your character’s gender back.

Storage Pane Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I find out more information about obtaining my free Xunlai Storage Pane?

Please visit this page to get more information about claiming your free pane of storage. This offer expires on 11:59 PM PT May 31, 2009.

How much do extra Xunlai Storage Panes cost?

One extra pane of storage will cost 5.99GBP/8.99€

How do I purchase extra Xunlai Storage Panes?

You may purchase extra storage panes via the in-game store or via the NCsoft Store.

What payment methods are available?

You may use a credit card or PayPal (via the NCsoft Store).

When will I be charged for this?

You will be charged when you successfully confirm your purchase. You will receive an email confirmation that the transaction has gone through.

What is the size of my purchased Xunlai Storage Pane?

The storage pane will be a tab with 20 slots, like the panes you now have in your Xunlai Storage Chest.

Will this storage be per character or per account?

The purchased storage will be account-wide and available to all characters on that account through the Xunlai Storage Chest.

Is there a limit to the number of Xunlai Storage Panes I can get?

You will be able purchase up to 4 extra Xunlai Storage Panes per account.

When will the Xunlai Storage Pane appear on my account?

The Xunlai Storage Pane will be added right after the purchase has gone through. A character that is already logged in may have to log in again for the servers to receive the updated information.

Can all my characters access the extra Xunlai Storage Panes?

Each character on the account that has paid 50g to access the Xunlai Storage Chest will have access to extra Xunlai Storage Panes.

Update – 09. April 2009

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated Zaishen Chest drops to replace Abyssal Tonic with a new tonic for the month of April. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that allowed Elder Crocodiles to be charmed in Arbor Bay and Verdant Cascades.

Miscellaneous

• Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the March tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.

Guild Wars Naming Policy

Guild Wars Naming Policy

We want Guild Wars to be a safe and fun space for everyone. Guild Wars is a global game, played by people from different countries around the world. People may disagree about what names are offensive. A name that is not offensive to you may be very offensive to another player. There are some types of names that we consider unsuitable for Guild Wars.

We do not permit names that:

• Have offensive racial, ethnic, or national connotations.
• Reference sexual acts or real life violence.
• Are pornographic.
• Make inappropriate references to human anatomy or bodily functions.
• Reference illegal drugs or activities.
• Reference major religious figures.
• Reference certain real-life people that may cause distress (e.g. Hitler).

Impersonating an ArenaNet or NCsoft employee or customer support representative is against the Guild Wars User Agreement, so we do not allow characters to take the real name or handles of employees.  In addition, if a name is found to violate a third party’s proprietary rights and the rights holder complains about its use, we will not allow the name.

Names restricted by this policy will generally be subject to these restrictions, no matter whether the names are inappropriate in English or any other language.

If a name is reported to us and is in violation of the guidelines below, for the first offense, you will be required to rename your character upon your next login and your account will be marked and suspended pursuant to Guild Wars Conduct Breaches and Outcomes. For the second offense, we will assign you a new name and your account will again be marked and suspended pursuant to Guild Wars Conduct Breaches and Outcomes. We may take further action at our discretion.

This policy may not cover all inappropriate or unpermitted names. ArenaNet reserves the right to reject any name it concludes, in its sole discretion, is indecent, obscene, or otherwise violates our naming policy or the Guild Wars User Agreement. ArenaNet reserves the right to examine names on a case-by-case basis and take whatever action we deem necessary. We may also amend this policy from time to time in our sole discretion.

GMs will generally only change names that violate this policy or our User Agreement.  They cannot change character names upon request.

Updated 2 April 2009

Update #2 – 01. April 2009

Bug Fix

• Fixed a bug that prevented some text in the Hall of Monuments from displaying properly.

Update – 01. April 2009

Skill Updates

Assassin

• Scorpion Wire: no longer has half-range. Changed functionality to: "Target foe is teleported to your location and knocked down."
• Shroud of Silence: changed functionality to: "For 5..20 seconds, target player cannot send chat messages."

Dervish

• Increased duration of all Avatar skills to 40..70 seconds.
• Avatar of Grenth: changed functionality to: "For 10..90 seconds, your attacks steal 1..2 enchantments from any foe you hit and apply those enchantments to you."

Elementalist

• Sandstorm: now deals 10..30 more damage if the caster is standing in a sandy area.
• Searing Flames: removed Burning condition.

Mesmer

• No changes.

Monk

• Ray of Judgment: Removed Burning condition, increased damage to 10..90.

Necromancer

• Animate Flesh Golem: removed the single-golem limit.

Paragon

• "Fallback!": Now ends if target ally is not moving away from a foe.
• "Incoming!": Now ends if target ally is not moving away from a foe.
• "It's Just a Flesh Wound!": This skill can now be used while dead.
• "The Power is Yours!": changed functionality to: "Sacrifice all Health. Until resurrected, 5 nearby party members gain +1..5 Earth Magic, +1..5 Fire Magic, +1..5 Air Magic, +1..5 Water Magic, or +1..5 Healing Prayers."

Ranger

• Beast Mastery: pets now have a chance of ignoring commands unless their master has a higher Beast Mastery rank than the pet's level.
• Equinox: Exhaustion duration is now based on the time of day.

Ritualist

• Signet of Ghostly Might: reverted functionality to: "For 10 seconds, target ally or foe does +10..35 damage. When this skill ends, that target is slain."
• Spawning Power: Weapon skills now last 50% longer for each rank of Spawning Power.

Warrior

• Bull's Charge: functionality changed to: "You Shadow Step to target foe and knock them down."
• Dwarven Battle Stance: duration is now based on the user's height.
• Gladiator's Defense: duration is now doubled in Random and Team Arenas.

Guild Battles

• Guild Battle NPCs now respawn at regular intervals until the Guild Lord is slain.

Miscellaneous

• Removed the Lucky Aura effect from the Lunar Fortune item.
• On a direct hit, the Zaishen rank emote now deals minor damage based on the user's rank and knocks the target down.
• Characters suffering from Blind cannot see distant enemies.
• Characters suffering from Dazed will now spin in place. The camera is locked for the duration of the effect.
• Introduced a new Cartographer title for the Battle Isles.

Update – 30. March 2009

Miscellaneous

• Updating in-game messaging to match the NCsoft website launch.

Update – 05. February 2009

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated Zaishen Chest drops to replace Cerebral Tonic with a new tonic for the month of February. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Updates

PvE and PvP

Assassin

• Mark of Insecurity: now disables your non-Assassin skills for 10 seconds.

Mesmer

• Signet of Humility: now disables your non-Mesmer skills for 10 seconds.

Necromancer

• Lingering Curse: reduced Health degeneration to 0..3.


• Faintheartedness: reduced Health degeneration to 0..3.


• Suffering: reduced Health degeneration to 0..3.

Ritualist

• Protective Was Kaolai: reduced armor bonus to 10.

Warrior

• Primal Rage: reduced movement speed boost to 25%.

Guild Battles

• Removed the additional Health bonus Guild Lords received received from morale boosts.


• Amulet of Protection: increased the rate at which the Amulet of Protection buff reaches maximum damage. It will now reach maximum damage around 12 minutes instead of at 22 minutes.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Pulverizing Smash to fail when used on a foe who wasn’t knocked down.


• Fixed a bug that required players to equip a hammer when activating Dwarven Battle Stance.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Protector’s Defense effects to linger after the character skill user died.


• Fixed a bug that caused Dancing Daggers to count as a lead attack even when the daggers missed their target.


• Fixed a bug that caused Restoration and Lively Was Naomei to be disregarded when determining whether or not a party had remaining resurrection skills.


• Fixed a bug that prevented Symbols of Inspiration from copying avatar forms.

Miscellaneous

• Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the January tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.


• The description for Frozen Soil now clarifies that creatures cannot activate resurrection skills within its range.


• The description for Rend Enchantments now clarifies that the skill causes Health loss, not damage.


• The description for Strike as One now clarifies that the target target needn’t be a foe.


• The description for Mistrust has been been reworded for clarity.


• The description for Psychic Distraction now clarifies that targeted skills will be disabled for a few seconds in addition to the skill’s standard recharge.


• The description for Agnar’s Rage now clarifies that the skill affects foes within earshot.

Update – 29. January 2009

Canthan New Year

• Made preparations for the Canthan New Year’s Festival, which begins at 20:00 GMT January 30th, 2009, and runs until 20:00 GMT, February 2nd, 2009.

Rollerbeetle Racing

• Tolkano [Tournament Rewards] has been added to the Rollerbeetle Racing outpost.


• Players are now required to register with Tolkano before they can participate in Rollerbeetle Racing.


• Eldrid the Ancient [Records] and Little Jack [Rewards] now base their list of the top racers on registered account names. An account name can only be listed once on the top racers list.

Miscellaneous

• Removed leftover collision from where the Wintersday tree was located in the Eye of the North.

Update – 08. January 2009

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Abominable Tonic with a new tonic for the month of January. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Updates

PvE and PvP

Assassin

• Palm Strike: decreased Crippled duration to 1..5 seconds; decreased damage to 10..65.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented some Item Spells from executing their drop effect at the end of their held duration.

Miscellaneous

• Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the December tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.

Update – 22. December 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that allowed players to exchange tournament reward points for non-functional armor skins.

Update – 18. December 2008

Wintersday

Wintersday has come
The Eye of the North opens
Let the merriment begin!

Decorations shine
Glittering like gemstone ice
A surge of warmth and color.

Candysmiths and quests
Among grentches and snowmen.
Thackeray knows a good time.

Grenth and Dwayna vie
For the power to control
The span of cold and darkness.

Make their contest yours
Choose a side: Grenth, or Dwayna
Snowballs as weapons of war.

Revel for rewards:
Tonics, bears, summoning stones.
Grow rich and fat on good cheer.

All are most welcome
At this year-end festival
Join with us, and celebrate.

Wintersday Event

Wintersday is here! Kamadan, Lion’s Arch, Droknar’s Forge, Ascalon City, and Eye of the North are decorated for the occasion. Over the coming days, holiday activities will begin as special guests arrive to join the festivities. Everything leads up to the big Wintersday celebration on January 1, which will take place every three hours in Lion’s Arch and Kamadan (on the hour in Lion’s Arch and 15 minutes past the hour in Kamadan). Be sure to collect candy cane shards for the big celebration!
More information on Wintersday 2008 can be found here.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented Wastrel’s Collapse from knocking down the target during aftercast delay.


• Fixed a bug that prevented Fevered Dreams from spreading Dazed to foes.

Miscellaneous

• Item mods will no longer work in the Snowball Arena.


• The description for Strike as One has been updated to clarify that the instant pet movement isn’t connected to hitting with an attack.

Update – 15. December 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Recurring Insecurity to reapply itself when removed.

Update – 12. December 2008

Skill Updates

• Power Leech: Energy cost reduced to 5.


• Aura of the Lich: Energy cost increased to 15.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused “It’s just a flesh wound” to apply even if no conditions were removed.


• Fixed a bug that caused Cultist’s Fervor to work with non-Necromancer spells.


• Fixed a bug that stopped Lingering Curse from changing the Health bar to pink.


• Fixed a bug that stopped Mark of Insecurity from changing the Health bar to pink


• Fixed a bug that stopped Weaken Knees from changing the Health bar to pink.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Ritualist spirit Bloodsong to deal an extra hit when affected by Signet of Ghostly Might.

Miscellaneous

Increased faction gain per kill in Amatz Basin to 5.

Update – 11. December 2008

Bug Fix

• Fixed a crash bug that occurred when using Boon Signet.

Update – 11. December 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Gelatinous Tonic with a new tonic for the month of December. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP

Assassin

• Mark of Insecurity: functionality changed to: “For 5..25 seconds, target foe suffers from -1..3 Health degeneration, and enchantments and stances on that foe expire 90% faster.”


• Palm Strike: recharge time reduced to 4 seconds. Functionality changed to: Target touched foe is struck for 10..85 damage and is Crippled for 5..15 seconds. This skill counts as an off hand attack.


• Seeping Wound: functionality changed to: “For 20 seconds, if target foe is suffering from Bleeding or Poison, that foe takes 5..15 damage per second.”


• Wastrel’s Collapse: functionality changed to: “Shadow Step to target foe. If that foe is not using a skill that foe is knocked down. All your non-dagger attack skills are disabled for 10 seconds.”

Dervish

• Reaper’s Sweep: functionality changed to: “If this attack hits, you deal +10..40 damage. If your target is below 50% Health, you also inflict a Deep Wound for 5..20 seconds, otherwise that foe loses one enchantment.”


• Onslaught: Energy cost reduced to 5, casting time reduced to .25 second.

Elementalist

• Blinding Surge: functionality changed to: “Target foe is struck for 5..50 lightning damage. That foe and all adjacent foes are Blinded for 1..7 seconds. This spell has 25% armor penetration.”


• Double Dragon: Energy cost reduced to 5, recharge time reduced to 15 seconds. Functionality changed to: “All nearby foes are struck for 7..112 fire damage. For 10..25 seconds, your Fire Magic attribute is increased by +0..2.”


• Energy Boon: recharge time increased to 40 seconds, casting time removed. Functionality changed to: “For 20 seconds, you have +0..40 maximum Energy, and 5 Health regeneration. When Energy Boon ends you gain 0..20 Energy and 0..100 Health.”


• Ether Prism: Energy cost reduced to 5, casting time removed. Functionality changed to: “For 3 seconds, all damage you take is reduced to 0. When this enchantment ends, you gain 5..20 Energy.”

Mesmer

• Fevered Dreams: For 10..25 seconds, whenever target foe suffers from a new condition, all foes in the area suffer from that condition as well and if that foe has two or more conditions that foe is Dazed for 1..3 seconds.


• Recurring Insecurity: recharge time reduced to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 10 seconds, target foe suffers from -1..5 Health degeneration. If that foe has another hex when Recurring Insecurity would end, it is reapplied.”


• Power Leech: Energy cost reduced to 5, recharge time increased to 20 seconds, Energy stolen increased to 5..15.


• Shared Burden: recharge time reduced to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 5..20 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes attack, cast spells, and move 33% slower.


• Symbols of Inspiration: Energy cost reduced to 5, recharge time decreased to 15 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 1..31 seconds, this skill becomes the Elite of target foe. Elite spells you cast use your Fast Casting attribute instead of their normal attributes.”
  

Monk

• Boon Signet: Recharge time increased to 8 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Heal Target ally for 20..80 Health. Your next Healing Prayers or Protection Prayers spell that targets an ally heals for an additional 20..80 Health.


• Life Sheath: Recharge reduced to 2 seconds, casting time reduced to .25 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Remove 0..2 conditions from target ally. For 8 seconds, the next time target ally would take damage, that ally gains that amount of Health instead (maximum 20..100).”


• Peace and Harmony: functionality changed to: “Target ally loses 0..9 conditions, and 0..9 hexes. For 1..5 seconds, conditions and hexes expire 90% faster on that ally. All your Smiting Prayers are disabled for 20 seconds.”


• Ray of Judgment: Energy cost reduced to 10, casting time increased to 2 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 5 seconds, target foe and all foes adjacent to this location take 5..45 holy damage each second and begin Burning for 1..3 seconds.”

Necromancer

• Aura of the Lich: recharge time increased to 45 seconds. Functionality changed to: “All corpses within earshot are exploited and you animate a level 1..17 bone horror plus one for each corpse exploited in this way. For For 5..45 seconds, your Death Magic attribute is increased by +1.”


• Cultist’s Fervor: recharge time reduced to 15 seconds. functionality changed to: “For 20 seconds, your Necromancer spells cost -1..7 Energy to cast but you suffer from bleeding for 10 seconds each time you cast a spell.”


• Lingering Curse: Energy cost reduced to 5, Health sacrifice removed, casting time reduced to 1 second. Functionality changed to: “For 6..30 seconds, target foe and all nearby foes suffer -1..3 Health degeneration, and gain 33% less benefit from healing.”


• Weaken Knees: Recharge time increased to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 5..20 seconds, target foe suffers -5 Health degeneration, and takes 5..15 damage while moving.”

Paragon

• “Incoming!": Recharge time increased to 25 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 4..10 seconds, all allies within earshot move 33% faster, and gain 5..15 Health while moving.”


• “It’s just a flesh wound.”: functionality changed to: “Target other ally loses all conditions. If a condition was removed in this way, that ally moves 25% faster for 1..10 seconds.


• Angelic Bond: recharge time increased to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 10 seconds, the next time an ally within earshot would take fatal damage, that damage is negated and that ally is healed for 20..200 Health. Angelic Bond ends on all other allies.”

Ranger

• Archer’s Signet: recharge time reduced to 12 seconds, casting time reduced to 1 second. Functionality changed to: “For 0..24 seconds, conditions you apply while wielding a bow last 100% longer.”


• Spike Trap: functionality changed to: “When Spike Trap is triggered, every second (for 2 seconds), all nearby foes are struck for 10..40 piercing damage, become Crippled for 3..25 seconds, and are knocked down. Spike Trap ends after 90 seconds. While activating this skill, you are easily interrupted.”


• Strike as One: functionality changed to: “The next time you hit with an attack, your target is Crippled for 5..15 seconds and your animal companion instantly moves to your target, and causes Bleeding for 5..15 seconds the next time it attacks.”


• Trapper’s Focus: Recharge time reduced to 12 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 12..24 seconds, your trap skills are not easily interruptible and your Wilderness Survival attribute is increased by +0..2.”

Ritualist

• Clamor of Souls: recharge time reduced to 8 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Target foe and all adjacent foes take 10..65 lightning damage. If you are within earshot of a spirit or holding a bundle item, you gain 10 Energy.”


• Destructive was Glaive: functionality changed to: “Hold Glaive’s ashes for up to 30..60 seconds. While you hold her ashes, all Ritualist skills have 10% armor penetration. When you drop her ashes, all foes in the area are struck for 10..100 lightning damage.”

Warrior

• Enraged Smash: functionality changed to: “If Enraged Smash hits, you gain 1..4 strikes of adrenaline. If you hit a moving foe, you strike for ++10..40 damage, and your target is knocked down.”


• Hundred Blades:recharge time increased to 25 seconds. Functionality changed to: “For 15 seconds, whenever you attack with a sword, all adjacent foes take 10..25 slashing damage.”


• Primal Rage: functionality change to: “For 1..15 seconds, you attack and move 33% faster, but you take double damage.”


• Whirling Axe: Adrenaline cost increased to 4 strikes. Functionality changed to: “If this attack hits, you strike for +5..20 damage and any stance being used by your target ends. This attack cannot be blocked.”

PvE Changes

Assassin

• Shadow Form: recharge reduced to 45 seconds, duration reduced to 5..21 seconds.

Dervish

• Avatar of Grenth: functionality changed to: “For 5..90 seconds, you cannot be blocked by enchanted foes, and your attacks deal cold damage and steal 5..20 life. This skill is disabled for 120 seconds.”

Ritualist

• Signet of Ghostly Might: functionality changed to: “All spirits you control within earshot attack 33% faster and deal 5..10 additional damage.”


• Signet of Spirits: functionality changed to: “For 5..20 seconds, all spirits within earshot gain 50..200 Health.”

Luxon/Kurzick

Elite Missions

• Killing Aspects of Kanaxai in The Deep now gives +100 Luxon faction in Hard Mode.


• Killing The Leviathan in The Deep now gives +500 Luxon faction in Hard Mode.


• Killing Kanaxai now gives +10000 Luxon faction in Hard Mode.


• All dead party members are now resurrected when Kanaxai in The Deep is killed.


• Killing Guardian Serpents or Twisted Barks in Urgoz’s Warren now gives +100 Kurzick faction in Hard Mode.


• Killing both Greater Serpents in Urgoz’s Warren now gives +500 Kurzick faction in Hard Mode.


• Killing Urgoz now gives +10000 Kurzick faction in Hard Mode.


• All dead party members are now resurrected when Urgoz in Urgoz’s Warren is killed.

Challenge Missions

• Faction received per refugee saved in Amatz Basin has been reduced to 1.


• Faction received per kill in Aurios Mines has been increased to 5.


• The Luxon Enchanters in Aurios Mines are now Ritualists.

Competitive Missions

• The Turtles Siege Attack in Fort Aspenwood is now difficult to interrupt and requires multiple interrupts before it will be interrupted.


• The Turtles Siege Attack in Fort Aspenwood now removes one enchantment on hit.


• The end cinematic in Jade Quarry has been removed.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Jotun in Norrhart Domains to be unkillable, making the map impossible to Vanquish.


• Fixed a bug that could cause players to lose ranks in an Eye of the North hunt blessing (such as Norn Hunting Party) if they gained a rank while dead.


• Fixed a bug that caused Spear of Fury to give adrenaline gain on an unsuccessful hit.


• Fixed a bug that caused Searing Flames to not trigger if the target died during the cast time.


• Fixed a bug that caused Club of a Thousand Bears to not allow multiple target hits with a scythe.


• Fixed a bug that caused Snow Storm to fail if the target dies while the spell is casting.


• Fixed a bug that caused Salma to be unable to advance other quests while Deactivating R.O.X. was active.


• Fixed a bug that prevented Burning Shield from being used during another action.


• Fixed a bug that could occasionally cause the Spear of Archemorus and the Urn of Saint Viktor to duplicate.


• Fixed a bug that caused Pain of Disenchantment to cause double Health loss to a target using Frenzy or Frenzied Defense.


• Fixed a bug that caused Stolen Speed to increase the casting time of signets.


• Fixed a bug that caused drunk effects to fade after zoning.


• Fixed a bug that allowed the Kurzick base portals in the Ancestral Lands to be used by Luxons.


• Fixed a bug which prevented players from being teleported by the Reapers in the Underworld.


• Fixed a bug with Spirit to Flesh which allowed the skill to be used without targeting a spirit.

Miscellaneous

• Improved the Hero AI for Enfeeble and Enfeebling Blood.


• Sneak Attack is now properly categorized as a melee attack.


• The concise description for “There’s Nothing to Fear!” has been updated to specify that party members are affected by the shout.


• The description for Watchful Intervention has been updated to clarify that damage must drop the target’s Health in order for healing to occur.


• The description for Signet of Creation has been updated to reflect that only spirits and animated creatures in the area will be affected.


• Improved Hero AI to reduce the use of skills which would result in the Hero’s death. For example, Heroes will not use skills that remove enchantments from themselves if it would remove Vengeance.


• The Destroyer of Flesh now has Galrath Slash instead of Tiger Stance.


• The Warrior’s Construct in Sunjiang District now has Galrath Slash instead of Tiger Stance.

Holiday Promotion FAQ

I can’t access PlayNC.com or the Guild Wars In-Game store, is there any way I can participate in this promotion?

Unfortunately no, this promotion is only available through those two channels.

I just bought one campaign, how do I get 50% off my next campaign purchase?

First, make sure you use the same store you used on your prior purchase, and log-in with the same account. Your account is now set-up to ensure that for your next purchase of a Guild Wars campaign, you will receive 50% off. Lastly, make sure you take advantage of this before the promotion expires on January 5, 2009.

Which products qualify for this promotion?

The Guild Wars campaigns that qualify for this promotion are Guild Wars Game of the Year Edition, Factions, and Nightfall.

When is this promotion running?

This promotion runs from November 19, 2008 to January 5, 2009.

If you are experiencing any problems with this promotion, please contact our Support Team

Update – 18. November 2008

Bug Fix

• Fixed a bug that made it appear characters were earning Kurzick faction instead of Luxon faction when completing the Gyala Hatchery mission.

Update – 14. November 2008

Bug Fix

• Fixed a rare crash bug.

Update #2 – 13. November 2008

Bug Fix

• Fixed a crash bug.

Update – 13. November 2008

Title Rebalance

Luxon/Kurzick Titles

All of the methods for gaining Luxon and Kurzick faction which can be used to progress the Friend of the Luxons and Friend of the Kurzicks titles have been significantly rebalanced, and several new methods have been added. Players should now have many interesting options for gaining faction that are similar to the pace of the quests that had been efficient ways to earn these titles.

Missions

There are now a few new ways to earn the Luxon/Kurzick titles by playing through missions.

• It is now possible to use the “Shiro’s Return” storybook to record your progress through the Guild Wars Factions storyline. You can turn this book in to the Kurzick Poet or Luxon Bard for a significant title point reward. See the “Storybooks” section below for more details.


• Arborstone and Eternal Grove now give 1000 Kurzick faction for each level of completion. This is a one time only reward.


• Boreas Seabed and Gyala Hatchery now give 1000 Luxon faction for each level of completion. This is a one time only reward.


• Unwaking Waters now gives 1000 Luxon or Kurzick faction for each level of completion depending on which side was entered from. This is a one time only reward, regardless of which type of faction was given.


• Faction will automatically be added to your account the next time you log in on each character that has achieved any levels of completion in these missions prior to these new rewards. If your faction is already full or your cap is too low to accept the amount owed to you, this crediting will be delayed until the next time you zone into an outpost or instance and your account has the room to accept the faction you are owed.

Vanquishing

This is a new way to earn faction.

• Added Luxon or Kurzick faction bonuses for Vanquishing zones in the Jade Sea and Echovald Forest. Faction amount is equal to 50 times the number of monsters killed.

Alliance Battles

• Increased Luxon/Kurzick faction per kill in Alliance Battles to +10.

Challenge Missions

• Increased Luxon/Kurzick faction reward for getting the Daily, Monthly, or Quarterly bests in Altrumm Ruins, Amatz Basin, Zos Shivros Channel, and Aurios Mines. Getting the Daily Best now gives 4000 faction, the Monthly Best gives 8000 faction, and the Quarterly Best gives 16,000 faction.


• The final rewards given in Altrumm Ruins, Amatz Basin, Zos Shivros Channel, and Aurios Mines are now based on the Monthly best instead of the Quarterly best.


• Added +1 Kurzick faction per kill in Altrumm Ruins and Amatz Basin.


• Added +1 Luxon faction per kill in Zos Shivros Channel and Aurios Mines.


• Added +15 Kurzick faction for each chunk of Amber retrieved in Altrumm Ruins.


• Added +10 Kurzick faction per boss kill in Altrumm Ruins.


• Added +25 Kurzick faction for each refugee saved in Amatz Basin.


• Added +50 Kurzick faction for every 10 refugees saved in Amatz Basin.


• Added +50 Luxon faction for every minute survived in Zos Shivros Channel.


• Added +100 Luxon faction for each Luxon Adept killed in Zos Shivros Channel.


• Added +50 Luxon faction for each Shadow of Kanaxai killed in Aurios Mines.

Competitive Missions

• Increased Luxon/Kurzick and Balthazar faction given in Fort Aspenwood to +10 per kill.


• Increased Luxon/Kurzick faction given for winning a battle in Fort Aspenwood to +1000.


• Kurzick players in Fort Aspenwood will now receive faction equal to 15 times the percentage of completion of the Vengeance of the Gods at the end of the match.


• The time it takes for the Vengeance of the Gods meter to fill up has been reduced by 5 minutes.


• Increased the Luxon faction reward for gates destroyed in Fort Aspenwood to +300 faction per gate.


• Increased the Luxon/Kurzick faction given in Jade Quarry to +5 per kill.


• Increased the Balthazar faction given in Jade Quarry to +10 per kill.


• Increased Luxon/Kurzick faction given for each Slab of Jade collected to +250 per slab.


• Increased Luxon/Kurzick faction given for winning a battle in the Jade Quarry to +1000.

Elite Missions

• Added +10 Luxon faction for killing monsters in The Deep. This does not include Reborn Irukandji or creatures which spawn when Kanaxai is knocked down.


• Added +50 Luxon faction for killing Aspects of Kanaxai in The Deep.


• Added +250 Luxon faction for killing The Leviathan in The Deep.


• Added +5000 Luxon faction for killing Kanaxai.


• Added +10 Kurzick faction for killing monsters in Urgoz’s Warren. This does not include Hopping Vampires, Thought Stealers, or Explosive Growths.


• Added +50 Kurzick faction for killing Guardian Serpents or Twisted Barks in Urgoz’s Warren.


• Added +250 Kurzick faction for killing both Greater Serpents in Urgoz’s Warren.


• Added +5000 Kurzick faction for killing Urgoz.


• Increased Jade/Amber drops from the end chests in The Deep and Urgoz’s Warren to 3 in Normal Mode, 6 in Hard Mode.


• Passage Scrolls to The Deep and Urgoz’s Warren now drop from the end chests in The Deep and Urgoz’s Warren in Hard Mode for each player.


• Added one Demonic Summoning Stone drop from the end chest in The Deep for each player.


• Added one Mystical Summoning Stone drop from the end chest in Urgoz’s Warren for each player.

Maximum Faction Limits

There are now a number of ways to increase the maximum amount of Luxon/Kurzick Faction that you can hold at once. Speak to any [Faction Rewards] NPC to see what you have left to do to increase your faction cap.

• Completing the quest Befriending the Luxons will raise Luxon faction cap by 10,000.


• Completing the quest Befriending the Kurzicks will raise Kurzick faction cap by 10,000.


• Completing Boreas Seabed, Gyala Hatchery, and Unwaking Waters will raise Luxon faction cap by 7000.


• Completing Arborstone, Eternal Grove, and Unwaking Waters will raise Kurzick faction cap by 7000.


• Defeating Kanaxai in The Deep will raise Luxon faction cap by 10,000.


• Defeating Urgoz in Urgoz’s Warren will raise Kurzick faction cap by 10,000.


• Scoring 100 points in Zos Shivros Channel will raise Luxon faction cap by 1000.


• Scoring 100 points in Aurios Mines will raise Luxon faction cap by 1000.


• Scoring 100 points in Altrumm Ruins will raise Kurzick faction cap by 1000.


• Scoring 100 points in Amatz Basin will raise Kurzick faction cap by 1000.


• Winning a battle in Fort Aspenwood for the Luxons will raise Luxon faction cap by 5000.


• Winning a battle in Fort Aspenwood for the Kurzicks will raise Kurzick faction cap by 5000.


• Winning a battle in Jade Quarry for the Luxons will raise Luxon faction cap by 5000.


• Winning a battle in Jade Quarry for the Kurzicks will raise Kurzick faction cap by 5000.


• Winning an Alliance Battle for the Luxons will raise Luxon faction cap by 5000.


• Winning an Alliance Battle for the Kurzicks will raise Kurzick faction by 5000.


• Achieving rank 1 in the Luxon title track will raise Luxon faction cap by 5000. Each subsequent rank will raise Luxon faction cap by 1000.


• Achieving rank 1 in the Kurzick title track will raise Kurzick faction cap by 5000. Each subsequent rank will raise Kurzick faction cap by 1000.


• Your faction cap will automatically increase if you have already done the following things: either of the Befriending quests, the Luxon or Kurzick mission sets, and beaten Urgoz or Kanaxai after the addition of the Hall of Monuments to Guild Wars in August of 2007.

Other Changes

• Increased the cost of Jade and Amber from Faction Rewards NPCs to 5000 faction.


• Added Luxon Scavenger [Faction Rewards] NPCs to the following outposts: Leviathan Pits, Eredon Terrace, Kaanai Canyon, Etnaran Keys, Saltspray Beach, Grenz Frontier, and The Ancestral Lands.


• Added Kurzick Bureaucrat [Faction Rewards] NPCs to the following outposts: Vasburg Armory, Lutgardis Conservatory, Kaanai Canyon, Etnaran Keys, Saltspray Beach, Grenz Frontier, and The Ancestral Lands.


• The quest Securing Echovald Forest in the Echovald Forest now requires players to kill groups of Luxons at each checkpoint.


• The quest Scout the Coast in the Jade Sea now requires players to kill groups of Kurzicks at each checkpoint.

Sunspear/Lightbringer Titles

A number of new ways have been added to earn the Sunspear and Lightbringer titles. Additionally, a number of existing rewards related to these titles have been increased.

Missions

• It is now possible to use the “Night Falls” storybook to record your progress through the Guild Wars Nightfall storyline. You can turn this book in to the Sunspear Signalman or Lightbringer Scrivener for a significant Sunspear or Lightbringer point reward. See the “Storybooks” section below for more details.
• 
  

• The Chahbek Village mission now rewards 5 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 50 in Hard Mode.


• The Jokanur Diggings mission now rewards 5 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 50 in Hard Mode.


• The Blacktide Den mission now rewards 10 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 50 in Hard Mode.


• The Consulate Docks mission now rewards 10 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 60 in Hard Mode.


• The Venta Cemetery mission now rewards 15 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 60 in Hard Mode.


• The Kodonur Crossroads mission now rewards 15 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 60 in Hard Mode.


• The Rilohn Refuge mission now rewards 20 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 70 in Hard Mode.


• The Pogahn Passage mission now rewards 20 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 70 in Hard Mode.


• The Tihark Orchard mission now rewards 25 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 80 in Hard Mode.


• The Dzagonur Bastion mission now rewards 25 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 80 in Hard Mode.


• The Dasha Vestibule mission now rewards 25 Sunspear title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 80 in Hard Mode.


• The Grand Court of Sebelkeh mission now rewards 25 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 75 in Hard Mode.


• The Jennur’s Horde mission now rewards 30 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 75 in Hard Mode.


• The Nundu Bay mission now rewards 30 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 75 in Hard Mode.


• The Gate of Desolation mission now rewards 30 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 75 in Hard Mode.


• The Ruins of Morah mission now rewards 35 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 75 in Hard Mode.


• The Gate of Pain mission now rewards 40 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 100 in Hard Mode.


• The Gate of Madness mission now rewards 45 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 100 in Hard Mode.


• The Abaddon’s Gate mission now rewards 50 Lightbringer title points for each level of completion in Normal Mode and 100 in Hard Mode.


• Title points will automatically be added to your Sunspear and Lightbringer titles for each level of completion in these missions that you achieved prior to the new reward system.

Vanquishing

• Added Sunspear title point bonuses for Vanquishing zones in Istan and Kourna. Point amount is equal to 5 times the number of monsters killed.


• Added Lightbringer title point bonuses for Vanquishing zones in Vabbi and The Desolation. Point amount is equal to 5 times the number of monsters killed.

Challenge Missions

• Added a Sunspear title point reward for getting the Daily, Monthly, or Quarterly best in Dajkah Inlet. Getting the Daily best gives +500 points, the Monthly best gives +1000 points, and the Quarterly best gives +2000 points.


• The final rewards given in Dajkah Inlet, Remains of Sahlahja, and The Shadow Nexus are now based on the Monthly best instead of the Quarterly best.


• Killing a Corsair Guild Lord in Dajkah Inlet now gives +50 Sunspear title points.


• Killing a Corsair Commander in Dajkah Inlet now gives +25 Sunspear title points.


• Added a Lightbringer title points reward for getting the Daily, Monthly, or Quarterly best in the Remains of Sahlahja and the Shadow Nexus. Getting the Daily best gives +500 title points, the Monthly best gives +1000 title points, and the Quarterly best gives +2000 title points.


• Killing an Infestation in the Remains of Sahlahja now gives +1 Lightbringer title points.


• Killing a Greater Infestation in the Remains of Sahlahja now gives +3 Lightbringer title points.


• Killing a Maddened Spirit in the Remains of Sahlahja now gives +4 Lightbringer title points.


• Killing a Lost Soul in the Remains of Sahlahja now gives +8 Lightbringer title points.


• Kills in The Shadow Nexus now reward +1 Lightbringer title points.


• Killing a Margonite Portal Mage in The Shadow Nexus now gives +25 Lightbringer title points.

Quests

• Added 15 Sunspear title points to the reward for the quest A Decaying Monument in Istan.


• Added 10 Sunspear title points to the rewards for the quest Down on the Bayou in Istan.


• Added 100 Sunspear title points to the reward for the quest A Little Recon in Kourna.


• Added 100 Sunspear title points to the reward for the quest A Question of Morality in Kourna.


• Added 100 Sunspear title points to the reward for the quest Mirza’s Last Stand in Kourna.


• Added 100 Sunspear title points to the reward for the quest Old Woman River in Kourna.


• Added 10 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest A Bushel of Trouble in Kourna.


• Added 10 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Ancestral Anguish in Kourna.


• Added 10 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Battle for Turai’s Procession in Kourna.


• Added 10 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Total Corruption in Kourna.


• Added 10 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Troubled Lands in Kourna.


• Added 15 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Valley of the Rifts in Vabbi.


• Added 15 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest To the Rescue in Vabbi.


• Added 15 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest In Defense of Theatre in Vabbi.


• Added 30 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Getting Even in The Desolation.


• Added 30 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest The Growing Threat in The Desolation.


• Added 30 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest The Hallowed Point in The Desolation.


• Added 30 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest A New Guide in The Desolation.


• Added 30 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest A Tasty Morsel in The Desolation.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest A Deal’s a Deal in The Desolation to 30.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest A Show of Force in The Desolation to 45.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest Forgotten Retribution in The Desolation to 30.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest Temple of the Monoliths in The Desolation to 30.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest The Cold Touch of the Past in The Desolation to 45.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest Horde of Darkness in The Desolation to 30.


• Added 75 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Dismember the Titans in the Realm of Torment.


• Added 50 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Escape from the Torment in the Realm of Torment.


• Added 100 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Faded Memory in the Realm of Torment.


• Added 50 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Blueprint of the Fall in the Realm of Torment.


• Added 75 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest A Flickering Flame in the Realm of Torment.


• Added 50 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest Dark Gateway in the Realm of Torment.


• Added 100 Lightbringer title points to the reward for the quest A Fleshy Operation in the Realm of Torment.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest All Alone in the Darkness in the Realm of Torment to 100.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest Invasion from Within in the Realm of Torment to 50.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest Kormir’s Crusade in the Realm of Torment to 100.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest Open Season in the Realm of Torment to 100.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest The Apostate in the Realm of Torment to 75.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest They Only Come Out at Night in the Realm of Torment to 75.


• Increased the Lightbringer title point reward for the quest Uncharted Territory in the Realm of Torment to 100.


• Added 800 Lightbringer title points and 800 gold to the reward for the quest Deathbringer Company in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 2000 Lightbringer title points and 2000 gold to the reward for the quest Mallyx the Unyielding in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 500 Lightbringer title points and 500 gold to the reward for the quest The City of Torc’qua in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 500 Lightbringer title points and 500 gold to the reward for the quest The Foundry of Failed Creations in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 800 Lightbringer title points and 800 gold to the reward for the quest Foundry Breakout in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 800 Lightbringer title points and 800 gold to the reward for the quest The Rifts Between Us in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 500 Lightbringer title points and 500 gold to the reward for the quest To the Rescue! in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 500 Lightbringer title points and 500 gold to the reward for the quest Breaching the Stygian Veil in The Domain of Anguish.


• Added 800 Lightbringer title points and 500 gold to the reward for the quest Brood Wars in The Domain of Anguish.


• Sunspear and Lightbringer title points will automatically be added to your title if you have already completed any of the quests or missions listed except the Domain of Anguish quests. You will only get title points for the Domain of Anguish quests if you have beaten Mallyx since the addition of the Hall of Monuments to Guild Wars in August of 2007.

Eye of the North Titles

Vanquishing

• Added Vanguard title point rewards for Vanquishing zones in The Charr Homelands. Point amount is equal to 5 times the number of monsters killed.


• Added Norn title point rewards for Vanquishing zones in The Far Shiverpeaks. Point amount is equal to 5 times the number of monsters killed.


• Added Asura title point rewards for Vanquishing zones in The Tarnished Coast. Point amount is equal to 5 times the number of monsters killed.

Dungeons

• Increased the repeatable Dwarven, Vanguard, Norn, and Asuran title point rewards for completing a dungeon to half of the first time reward.

Bounties

• The Boss Bounty effect now gives a bonus for each Boss killed within the time period.

Challenge Mission

• Added a Dwarven title point reward for getting the Daily, Monthly, or Quarterly best in Glint’s Challenge. Getting the Daily best gives +1500 points, the Monthly best gives +3000 points, and the Quarterly gives +6000 points.


• Increased the amount of Dwarven title points given for completing wave 2 in Glint’s Challenge to 50.


• Increased the amount of Dwarven title points given for completing wave 3 in Glint’s Challenge to 75.


• Increased the amount of Dwarven title points given for completing wave 4 in Glint’s Challenge to 100.


• Increased the amount of Dwarven title points given for completing wave 5 in Glint’s Challenge to 125.


• Increased the amount of Dwarven title points given for completing wave 6 in Glint’s Challenge to 150.

Charr Battle Plans Missions

• Increased the Vanguard title point rewards for completing a Charr Battle Plans mission to 1000.

Quests

• Increased the Vanguard title point reward for the quest The Assassin’s Revenge in the Charr Homelands to 150.


• Increased the Dwarven title point reward for the quest Attack on Jalis’s Camp in The Far Shiverpeaks to 200.


• Increased the Dwarven title point reward for the quest In the Service of Revenge in The Far Shiverpeaks to 300.


• Increased the Dwarven title point reward for the quest Krak’s Cavalry in The Far Shiverpeaks to 200.


• Increased the Dwarven title point reward for the quest The Destroyer Challenge in The Far Shiverpeaks to 150.


• Increased the Dwarven title point reward for the quest Destructive Research in The Far Shiverpeaks to 150.


• Title points will automatically be added to your title tracks if you completed any of these quests prior to the increased rewards.

Wisdom/Treasure Hunter Titles

• The Wisdom and Treasure Hunter titles are now account-based. To credit previously accumulated points to the new account total, you must log in to each character that has points. Once these points have been credited to the total, the transfer is permanent even if the character is later deleted. All points received after today will go to the account total.

Unlucky Title

• Unlucky points given each time you break a lockpick now increase as your chance to retain a lockpick upon use goes up.

Storybooks

• Storybooks have been added to all three campaigns. Storybooks are a way of recording your progress and earning rewards for playing through missions.


• If you are holding a Storybook in your inventory when completing one of the missions in that story, it will record your progress by filling in the corresponding page.


• Once you have filled in half the pages of a Storybook you can take it to an NPC who collects copies of that particular book in exchange for rewards such as gold, experience, and title points. The more complete your storybook is, the better the reward you will get.


• Most storybooks have both Normal Mode and Hard Mode versions. Rewards are better for turning in a Hard Mode version.


• You can fill out and turn in as many copies of a book as you like but some NPCs will stop accepting Normal Mode books when you reach a certain title rank.


• If you forget to bring a book with you on a mission, the corresponding NPC can fill in the missed page for you for a small fee. Missions don’t have to be done in chronological order for you to get credit.

Guild Wars Prophecies

• “The Flameseeker Prophecies” picks up your story in Lion’s Arch and stays with you all the way to the Ring of Fire Island Chain. There are Normal and Hard Mode versions of this book.


• You can get a copy of this book from Gordon Ecker [Tyrian Loremaster] in Lion’s Arch.


• Gordon Ecker [Tyrian Loremaster] rewards gold and experience for copies of “The Flameseeker Prophecies.”

Guild Wars Factions

• “Shiro’s Return” picks up your story in Kaineng Center and stays with you all the way to the Imperial Palace. There are Normal and Hard Mode versions of this book.


• This book is available from Anja [Luxon Bard] or Gorani [Kurzick Poet] in Kaineng Center.


• Anja [Luxon Bard] gives Luxon title points, gold, and experience for copies of “Shiro’s Return.”


• Gorani [Kurzick Poet] gives Kurzick title points, gold, and experience for copies of “Shiro’s Return.”

Guild Wars Nightfall

• “Night Falls” picks up your story in Consulate Docks and stays with you all the way into Torment. There are Normal and Hard Mode versions of this book.


• This book is available from Captain Ahkenchu [Sunspear Signalman] in the Sunspear Greathall or Source of Whispers [Lightbringer Scrivener] in the Chantry of Secrets.


• Captain Ahkenchu [Sunspear Signalman] gives Sunspear title points, gold, and experience for copies of “Night Falls"Captain Ahkenchu will accept only Hard Mode books once you have reached rank 8 in the Sunspear title track.


• Source of Whispers [Lightbringer Scrivener] gives Lightbringer title points, gold, and experience for copies of “Night Falls”. Source of Whispers will accept only Hard Mode books once you have reached rank 5 in the Lightbringer title track.

All Campaigns

For players who own all three campaigns, there is an additional book available.

• “Young Heroes of Tyria” tells three stories. First is the story of a young Ascalonian hero fighting a Charr invasion and eventually fleeing with Prince Rurik over the Shiverpeaks to Lion’s Arch. Then there is the story of a young Canthan hero under the tutelage of Master Togo at the Shing Jea Monastery as together they discover a plague spreading throughout the land and travel to Kaineng Center in search of answers. Lastly, there is a young hero from Elona training to become a member of the elite military order, the Sunspears, while a storm begins to brew with Spearmarshal Kormir and Warmarshal Varesh of Kourna at the center. There is only a Hard Mode version of this book.


• “Young Heroes of Tyria” is given out and collected by all of the Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall Storybook NPCs.

Consumables

• Armor of Salvation now gives a 50% immunity to critical hits.


• Arctic Summoning Stones can now be crafted by Eyja [Consumables] in Gunnar’s Hold.


• Chitinous Summoning Stones can now be crafted by Edwin [Consumables] in Eye of the North.


• Gelatinous Summoning Stones can now be crafted by Alcus Nailbiter [Consumables] in the Central Transfer Chamber.


• Fossilized Summoning Stones can now be crafted by Kwat [Consumables] in Rata Sum.


• Aiiane [Consumables] has arrived in the Urgoz’s Warren outpost and crafts Amber Summoning Stones.


• Alaris [Consumables] has arrived in The Deep outpost and crafts Jadeite Summoning Stones.

Favor of the Gods

• The Sunspear and Lightbringer titles no longer count towards achieving The Favor of the Gods.


• The Wisdom and Treasure Hunter titles will temporarily not count towards The Favor of the Gods until after players have been switched to the account-based versions of these title tracks.


• Achieving the max rank of Party Animal and God Walking Amongst Mere Mortals will now contribute to gaining The Favor of the Gods.

Miscellaneous

• Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the October tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.


• Tolkano [Tournament] has arrived in the following Alliance Battle outposts: Kaanai Canyon, Etnaran Keys, Saltspray Beach, Grenz Frontier, and The Ancestral Lands.


• The standard skill description for Scorpion Wire now states Shadow Step instead of Teleport.


• The standard skill description for Return now states Shadow Step instead of Teleport.


• Adjusted the skill description for Heart of Shadow to better reflect the skill’s range.


• The skill description for for Mantra of Concentration has been updated to reflect that it triggers on any interrupt.


• Adjusted skill description for Power Block to clarify functionality.


• The monster skill Snaring Web and Corsair’s Net are now hexes.


• Players who have lost their copy of Zho’s Journal can speak with Zho [Interrupt Henchman] in Gunnar’s Hold to get a new copy.


• Aidan [Archer Henchman] now has Practiced Stance at level 20 in Nightfall.


• Odurra [Illusion Henchman] now has Visions of Regret at level 20 in Nightfall.


• Gehraz [Holy Henchman] now has Reaper’s Sweep at level 20 in Nightfall.

Update – 06. November 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Skeletonic with a new tonic for the month of November. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP

Necromancer

• Vampiric Spirit: recharge time increased to 8 seconds.


• Angorodon’s Gaze: recharge time increased to 10 seconds, Energy gain increased to 1..13.


• Vampiric Gaze: recharge time increased to 8 seconds.

PvP

Ranger

• Expert’s Dexterity: attack speed increase reduced to 15%, Marksmanship attribute adjustment reduced to +1.

Consumables

• Essence of Celerity now increases movement and attack speeds by 20% and reduces skill activation and recharge times by 20%.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Inner Fire to heal Health instead of gaining Health.


• Fixed a bug that caused “It’s just a flesh wound!” to gain no Energy from Leadership.


• Fixed a bug that caused Spirit Channeling to give Health gain per Spirit.


• Fixed a but that caused Consume Soul to not work on minions.


• Fixed a bug that caused Avatar of Grenth to not deal cold damage.


• Fixed a bug that caused “Retreat” to count dead allies in the area instead of within earshot.


• Fixed a bug that prevented Tryptophan Signet from affecting adjacent foes.


• Fixed a bug that caused Healer’s Covenant to affect Healing Prayer skills that were not spells.


• Fixed a bug that caused Reclaim Essence to only affect Spirits within earshot.

Miscellaneous

• Expanded the /report system to allow players to choose “scamming” as a reason for their report.


• Adjusted text for Destructive Was Glaive.



Update – 03. November 2008

Miscellaneous

• Returned Jiaju Tai and Magi Malaquire to their posts in Lion’s Arch.

Update – 30. October 2008

Miscellaneous

• Adjusted the Mad King’s sound effects.

Update – 24. October 2008

Miscellaneous

• Increased faction given for kills while under the effects of the Blessing of the Kurzicks or the Blessing of the Luxons to 10 faction per kill in Normal Mode and 20 faction per kill in Hard Mode.


• Adjusted the Ritualist’s attributes in the Costume Brawl to better reflect that character’s equipped skills.

Update – 23. October 2008

Halloween Hullaballoo or the King’s Kerfuffle

A petulant lord
Belligerently bemoans
And sobbingly roams.

Helpless ornate shriek
And serenely giggling knives
You’ll laugh for your lives!

Glumly impatient
Smiling with menacing grace
Maniacal face.

Halloween Event

• Made preparations for the Halloween events.

Guild Battle Changes

• The brief damage immunity that players have when resurrecting at the shrine now protects against lifestealing effects.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Glyph of Immolation to not affect some targeted spells.

Miscellaneous

• Moved Durmand and the other Bonus Mission Pack NPCs so they do not interfere with the Halloween celebrations.



Update – 09. October 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Macabre Tonic with a new tonic for the month of October. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here
.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Guild Battle Changes

• The number and placement of NPCs have been changed in all Guild Halls.


• Removed Cyclone Axe from the Guild Lord.

Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP

Assassin

• Hidden Caltrops: Reduced hex duration to 1..10 seconds; reduced Crippled duration to 1..15 seconds.

Elementalist

• Immolate: increased damage to 20..75.


• Meteor: reduced casting time to 2 seconds.

Mesmer

• Lyssa’s Aura: increased Energy regeneration to 0..5.

Ranger

• Burning Arrow: increased Burning duration to 1..7 seconds.


• Incendiary Arrows: increased recharge to 5 seconds.


• Melandru’s Shot: reduced recharge to 8 seconds.

Warrior

• Backbreaker: Functionality changed to: “Deals +1..20 damage. Causes knock-down (2..4 seconds).”

PvP

Warrior

• “For Great Justice!”: reduced duration to 8 seconds.

Open Travel: Territory and District UI Changes

• This is the final update to language districts.


• In this update, restrictions to Japanese language districts will be removed and players of all language districts will be able to travel back and forth without restrictions.



Bug Fixes

• Fixed a sound issue which may be affecting some specific on-board audio chipsets.


• Fixed a bug that caused some high-end weapons to be created without an inscription slot if they had the Deathbane property.


• Fixed a bug in the Nightfall quest “Last of the Breed” that could cause Mirza Veldrunner to take more Giant Tusks from the player than the quest required.


• Fixed a bug that could cause Unyielding Aura to fail to resurrect a dead ally in range if other dead allies were out of range.


• Fixed a bug that caused Muddy Terrain to occasionally not affect Dark Escape.


• Fixed a bug that allowed a group to register for a Guild-versus-Guild Automated Tournament without an officer from the group leader’s guild.


• Fixed a bug that could occasionally cause the Spear of Archemorous to duplicate itself.
• Fixed a bug that caused Stout-Hearted to not display the damage it deals.


• Fixed a bug that could cause players to have two elite skills while riding a Junundu Wurm.


• Fixed a bug that caused the /zaishen and /rank emotes to not play if the user was running, but still set their cooldown timer.


• Fixed a bug in the Underworld quest “The Four Horsemen” that sometimes caused horsemen’s deaths to not be counted for quest completion.


• Fixed a bug that caused Heroes to occasionally start casting and canceling skills repeatedly when their target was moving away from their position.


• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Leah Stone to disappear before reaching her final resting place.

Miscellaneous

• Xunlai Tournament Agents now offer prizes for the August tournament. These agents can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.


• When any of these skills complete, the target will now resurrect quicker: Rebirth, Sunspear Rebirth Signet, and dismissal of Unyielding Aura.


• Tormented Weapons can now be placed in the Hall of Monuments.


• Removed Iron Mist from Gadd.


• Streamlined Leah Stone’s path and increased her speed for the bonus in Abaddon’s Mouth.

Update#2 – 25 September 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented conditions from lasting their full durations on the Guild Lord in Guild Battles.



Update – 25 September 2008

Guild Battles

• Removed the reduced durations of hexes and conditions on the Guild Lord so that they last the normal amount of time.


• Refined how aggressiveness is measured for teams in Guild Battles. Dealing damage to the enemy Guild Lord still increases your team’s aggressiveness. Casting enchantments and weapon spells on your Guild Lord now decreases your aggressiveness. If neither Guild Lord is killed before 28 minutes have passed, the more aggressive team is awarded the victory.



Update – 19. September 2008

Miscellaneous

• Rescued Kamadan’s kidnapped Hero Skill Trainer, Pikin, from his corsair captives.



Update #2 – 10 September 2008

Bug Fix

• Fixed functionality of the skill Order of Undeath to reflect the values listed in the update notes.

Update – 10 September 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Trapdoor Tonic with a new tonic for the month of September. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.



Guild battle Changes

• Added “Oath of Protection” to the Bodyguard: “While the bodyguard is alive, the Guild Lord takes 20% less damage.”



Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP

Elementalist

• Glowing Gaze: functionality changed to: “Deals 5..50 fire damage. You gain 5 Energy plus 1 Energy for every 2 ranks of Energy Storage if target foe is Burning.”


• Glowing Ice: functionality changed to: “Deals 5..50 cold damage. You gain 5 Energy plus 1 Energy for every 2 ranks of Energy Storage if target foe is hexed with Water Magic.”


• Glowstone: functionality changed to: “Deals 5..50 earth damage. You gain 5 Energy plus 1 Energy for every 2 ranks of Energy Storage if target foe is Weakened.”


• Icy Shackles: Energy cost increased to 10.


• Master of Magic: now ends whenever a non-Elementalist skill is used.


• Mind Blast: recharge time reduced to 2 seconds.


• Shock Arrow: functionality changed to: “Rapid projectile: deals 5..50 lightning damage. You gain 5 Energy plus 1 Energy for every 2 ranks of Energy Storage if you hit an attacking foe. 25% armor penetration.”

Necromancer

• Order of Undeath: functionality changed to: “Your minions deal +3..16 damage and you lose 2% of your maximum Health when a minion hits.” Energy cost increased to 10, duration reduced to 5 seconds.



PvP Changes

Ranger

• Sloth Hunter’s Shot: unconditional damage reduced to 5..20, conditional damage reduced to 5..25. 



PvE Changes

• Unyielding Aura: Now only works on party members within spell casting range.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused shields to display inside M.O.X.’s arm.


• Updated the FMOD sound library to correct several issues, notably a crash bug on multi-processor computers.


• Fixed a bug that caused players to stop moving when casting Ursan Force.

Miscellaneous

• Shortened the distance that Justicar Thommis will chase fleeing characters in the Slaver’s Exile dungeon.


• Removed rats and oozes from Kamadan, Lion’s Arch, and Kaineng Center.


• Xunlai Tournament Agents in newly created districts will not hand out Tournament Reward Points until 15 minutes after the district is created.

Update – 5 September 2008

Bug Fix

• Fixed a bug that prevented players without access to the Eye of the North expansion from entering the Golem Tutorial Simulation.

Update – 4 September 2008

M.O.X. the Golem Hero

The golem hero, M.O.X., is now available to players who own all three campaigns: the original Guild Wars, Factions, and Nightfall.

To obtain M.O.X.:

• in Tyria: Leave Lion’s Arch through the northwest gate and you will find M.O.X. in North Kryta Province.


• in Cantha: Leave Kaineng Center through the southeast gate and you will find M.O.X. in Bukdek Byway.


• in Elona: Leave Kamadan through the north gate and you will find M.O.X. in the Plains of Jarin.

Note: Characters from all campaigns must be at least level 10 before they can recruit M.O.X. into their parties.

You will find more detailed information about M.O.X. on the M.O.X. announcement page

Igneous Summoning Stone

The Igneous Summoning Stone bonus item, which summons the Fire Imp combat ally, is now available in game to players who have previously purchased any of the following products from the in-game store or PlayNC.com: the original Guild Wars, Factions, Nightfall, Eye of the North, Game of the Year Edition (North America), or the One Million Edition (Europe).

To create the Igneous Summoning Stone, type /bonus into the in-game chat window. As a bonus item, the Igneous Summoning Stone can be created as many times as desired per account. Bonus items cannot be traded.

Note: The Igneous Summoning Stone is intended to help players level up new characters so it can only be used by characters under level 20.

You will find more detailed information, including other ways to obtain the Igneous Summoning Stone, on the Fire Imp announcement page.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a graphical bug that covered up a portion of the map in the Gates of Kryta mission.

Misc

• Replaced the Eye of the North logo on the title screen with the classic Guild Wars logo.


• Changed the ctrl-click text for the PvP buff from “I am under the effects of PvP!” to “This is PvP!”.

Update - 21 August 2008

Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP

Elementalist

• Glimmering Mark: increased damage to 10..30.


• Glowing Ice: Energy gain reduced to 2..9.


• Icy Shackles: snare duration reduced to 1..10 seconds.

Ranger

• Disrupting Lunge: recharge time increased to 20 seconds.

PvP

Monk

• Smiter’s Boon: recharge time increased to 90 seconds, Energy cost increased to 25, duration reduced to 5 seconds.

AI Updates

• Updated the AI for Heroes and henchmen to fix an issue that caused them to sometimes attack enemy targets from too far away.


• Updated the AI for Heroes and henchmen to improve their ability to recognize when their leader is fleeing from combat.


• Updated the AI for Heroes and henchmen to fix an issue that caused them to occasionally become confused and run in circles.

Update - 14 August 2008

Guild Battles




• Guild Lords no longer walk out at 20 minutes.


• The Victory or Death message will no longer display at 18 minutes.


• Gates barring entry to guild halls will now open when the match starts. Gate locks have been removed from these gates.


• Guild Thieves have been removed.


• Bodyguard: the Bodyguard will now shoot fireballs from his staff instead of arrows.




Elementalist




• Glimmering Mark: this skill no longer ignores armor.

Update #2 – 8 August 2008

Skill Updates

• Way of the Assassin: this skill now only works with daggers; reduced attack speed increase to 5..20%.


• Glimmering Mark: skill description has been updated to reflect that the hex ends on skills, not spells.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused the Flashing Blades block effect to trigger when not attacking.


• Fixed a bug that caused Confusing Images to remain active after casting a spell.


• Fixed a bug that caused Incendiary Arrows, Barrage, and Volley to occasionally not fire an arrow at the target.


• Fixed a bug that caused “By Ural’s Hammer” to fail to consider Spirits as allies.

Update – 8 August 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a crash bug.


• Fixed a bug that caused abnormal Energy amounts to display during Observer Mode.


• Fixed a bug that caused Vampiric Spirit to give more Health regeneration than intended


• Fixed a bug with Hero combat range.

Update – 7 August 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Boreal Tonic with a new tonic for the month of August. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Guild Battle Changes

• There is no longer any Victory or Death effect.


• There is no longer any Victory is Ours effect.


• The Guild Battle NPCs no longer walk to the flag stand.


• The Guild Lord’s Health has been reduced to 1680.


• Removed all skills on the Bodyguard except Oath of Healing.


• Removed Precision Shot from the Archers.


• Whenever a team gets a moral boost that team’s Guild Lord gets an additional +300 maximum Health for the rest of the game.


• The final 28 minute tie breaker is determined by the team that did the most damage to the enemy Guild Lord. This tie-breaker is now effective in all GvG matches.


• Amulet of Protection: reduced the amount of damage the Guild Lord can take to 25 per second at the beginning of a match, scaling up to 300 damage per second later in the match.

Skill Updates

For more information on these changes, please see the Developer Updates page.

PvE and PvP

Assassin

• Flashing Blades: functionality changed to: “(5..30 seconds.) You have 75% chance to block while attacking. Block effect: 5..20 damage to your attacker.”


• Golden Skull Strike: This skill no longer requires a lead attack; reduced Dazed duration to 0..5 seconds.


• Hidden Caltrops: increased recharge to 12 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(10 seconds.) Causes 50% slower movement. End effect: inflicts Crippled condition (3..15 seconds).”


• Shadow Form: reduced the damage penalty to 33%.


• Way of the Assassin: functionality changed to: “(20 seconds.) You attack 5..35% faster and have +5..35% chance to land a critical hit.”

Dervish

• Onslaught: increased Energy cost to 10. Functionality changed to: “(5..20 seconds.) You attack and move 25% faster.”


• Vow of Strength: functionality changed to: “(20 seconds.) Adds +5..35% damage to your attacks against foes not suffering from any conditions.”


• Zealous Vow: increased Energy gained per hit to 1..7; decreased to -3 Energy degeneration.

Elementalist

• Glimmering Mark: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge time to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(10 seconds.) Deals 5..25 lightning damage per second. Ends if you cast a spell that targets this foe.”


• Mirror of Ice: increased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(60 seconds.) You deal 5..35 cold damage whenever you cast a Water Magic hex.”


• Master of Magic: decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased recharge to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(1..61 seconds.) Your elemental attributes are set to 12 and you gain +2 Energy regeneration. Ends if you use a non-elemental skill.”


• Thunderclap: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Deals 15..75 damage. After 3 seconds, inflicts Dazed condition (1..10 seconds) to target and adjacent foes. 25% armor penetration.”

Mesmer

• Air of Disenchantment: functionality changed to: “Also hexes foes near your target (5..20 seconds). Remove one enchantment from target and nearby foes. Enchantments expire 150..300% faster on those foes.”


• Extend Conditions: functionality changed to: “Spread all conditions from target foe to all foes near your target. The durations of those conditions are increased by 5..100% (maximum 30 seconds).”


• Lyssa’s Aura: increased recharge to 30 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(10 seconds.) You have 0..4 Energy regeneration. Renewal: every time you cast a spell on an enemy.”


• Signet of Midnight: increased casting time to 2 seconds.


• Tease: decreased casting time to .25 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Interrupts a skill. Interruption effect: also interrupts all foes in the area and you steal 0..5 Energy from each interrupted foe.”


• Visions of Regret: functionality changed to: “Also hexes foes adjacent to target (10 seconds). These foes take 15..90 damage whenever they use a skill.”

Monk

• Aura of Faith: this skill is now in the Protection Prayers attribute line; decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased casting time to .25; decreased recharge time to 8 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(3 seconds.) Target ally gains 50..100% more Health when healed and takes 5..50% less damage.”


• Empathic Removal: functionality changed to: “Removes one condition and hex from target ally and yourself, and heals for 50. Cannot self-target.”


• Healing Burst: decreased recharge time to 4 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Heals for 5..130. Also heals party members for 5..20 in area of your target.”


• Signet of Rage: increased non-conditional damage to 5..50; decreased conditional damage to 5..10.

Necromancer

• Life Transfer: decreased recharge to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Also hexes foes adjacent to target (6..12 second). Causes -3..8 Health degeneration. You have +3..8 Health regeneration.”


• Order of Undeath: increased recharge to 15; decreased Energy cost to 5. Functionality changed to: “All but one of your non-Elite minions die. If that minion is non-Elite, it deals +5..30 more damage, has +5..20 Health regeneration, and attacks 33% faster (20 seconds).”


• Pain of Disenchantment: decreased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge time to 15 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Target foe loses 1..3 enchantments. Removal effect: that foe and all adjacent foes lose 10..100 Health.”


• Vampiric Spirit: functionality changed to: “Steal 5..50 Health from target foe. You have +5..10 Health regeneration (10 seconds).”

Paragon

• “It’s just a flesh wound.”: functionality changed to: “Remove all conditions from target ally. This skill fails if you have a Deep Wound. Cannot self-target.”


• “The Power is Yours!”: decreased recharge time to 0; decreased Energy cost to 0; increased adrenaline cost to 4 strikes. Functionality changed to: “(3 seconds.) Allies within earshot gain 0..1 Energy regeneration.”


• Soldier’s Fury: functionality changed to: “(10..35 seconds.) You attack 33% faster and gain 33% more adrenaline if under the effects of a shout or chant.”

Ranger

• Expert Dexterity: this skill is now a stance; decreased activation time to 0; increased recharge time to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(5..20 seconds.) You attack 33% faster and you gain +2 to your Marksmanship attribute.”


• Incendiary Arrows: changed skill to an attack skill; removed activation time; decreased recharge time to 3 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Hits 2 foes near your target and inflicts Burning (1..3 seconds).”


• Melandru’s Shot: decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased activation time to 1 second; increased recharge time to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Deals +10..25 damage. Inflicts Bleeding (5..25 seconds) and Crippled (3..15 seconds) if target foe was moving or knocked down.”


• Scavenger’s Focus: this skill is no longer a preparation; decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased activation time to 0; increased recharge time to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(10 seconds.) You gain 3..12 Energy if you strike a foe who has condition.”


• Scavenger’s Strike: decreased Energy cost to 5; increased recharge time to 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Deals 10..25 damage. You gain 3..15 Energy if target foe has a condition.”

Ritualist

• Consume Soul: increased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge time to 5 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Steal 5..60 Health. If target foe was a summoned creature, you steal all of that foe’s life.”


• Defiant was Xinrae: this skill is now in the Restoration Magic attribute line; decreased Energy cost to 5; increased casting time to 1 second; increased recharge time to 20 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(15..60 seconds.) You cannot lose more than 20% of your max Health from a single hit. Drop effect: steal 30..90 Health from nearby foes.”


• Reclaim Essence: functionality changed to: “All your Spirits die. If a Spirit dies in this way, you gain 5..20 Energy and all of your Binding Rituals are recharged.”


• Xinrae’s Weapon: this skill is now in the Restoration Magic attribute line; decreased Energy cost to 5; decreased recharge time to 3 seconds. Functionality changed to: “(8 seconds.) The next time target ally takes damage from a foe, that damage is limited to 5% of target ally’s max Health and that ally steals up to 20..80 Health from that foe.”

Warrior

• Battle Rage: functionality changed to: “(5..20 seconds.) You move 33% faster and gain double adrenaline from your attacks. End if you use any non-adrenal skills. ”


• Defy Pain: decreased adrenaline cost to 5 strikes. Functionality changed to: “(20 seconds.) You have +90..300 maximum Health, +20 armor, and take -1..10 damage.”


• Quivering Blade: increased adrenaline cost to 5 strikes. Functionality changed to: “Deals +10..40 damage. Inflicts Dazed condition (5 seconds) if target foe was moving.”
• Warrior’s Endurance: this skill is no longer a stance.

PvP Changes

Monk

• Spirit Bond: increased recharge time to 5 seconds.

Ritualist

• Weapon of Warding: increased recharge time to 8 seconds.

PvE Changes

Monk

• Unyielding Aura: decreased casting time to .25 seconds; decreased recharge time 10 seconds. Functionality changed to: “Your Monk spells heal for +15..60% End effect: a random ally is resurrected and teleported to your location.”

Asura

• Air of Superiority: increased duration to 20..30 seconds.


• Asuran Scan: increased duration to 9..12 seconds; increased damage bonus to 45..75%; decreased casting time to 0.


• Mental Block: increased duration to 5..11 seconds.


• Mindbender: increased duration to 10..16 seconds.


• Pain Inverter: increased damage bonus to 100..140%.


• Radiation Field: increased duration to 4..6 seconds; increased Disease duration to 12..20 seconds.


• Smooth Criminal: increased duration to 14..20 seconds; increased Energy gained to 7..10.


• Summon Ice Imp: increased level to 14..20; increased duration to 40..60 seconds.


• Summon Mursaat: increased level to 14..20; increased duration to 40..60 seconds.


• Summon Naga Shaman: increased level to 14..20; increased duration to 40..60 seconds.


• Summon Ruby Djinn: increased level to 14..20; increased duration to 40..60 seconds.


• Technobabble: decreased Energy cost to 10; decreased recharge to 10; decreased Dazed duration to 3..5 seconds.

Dwarf

• “By Ural’s Hammer!”: functionality changed to: “(7..10 seconds.) You have +2 Health regeneration and do +25% damage. Lasts 7..10 more seconds for each ally in earshot under 50% Health.”


• “Don’t Trip!”: decreased Energy cost 5.


• Alkar’s Alchemical Acid: increased damage to 40..50; increased conditional damage to 45..70; increased conditional duration to 14..20 seconds.


• Black Powder Mine: increased damage to 20..30; increased Blind and Bleeding duration to 7..10 seconds.


• Brawling Headbutt: increased damage to 45..70.


• Breath of the Great Dwarf: increased Health gained to 50..60.


• Drunken Master: increased duration to 72..90.


• Dwarven Stability: increased duration to 24..30; increased Health gained to 55..100.


• Ear Bite: functionality changed to: “Deals 50..70 piercing damage and inflicts Bleeding condition (10..25 seconds).”


• Great Dwarf Armor: increased duration to 22..40.


• Great Dwarf Weapon: increased damage to 15..20; increased knockdown chance to 28..40%.


• Light of Deldrimor: increased damage to 55..80.


• Low Blow: increased damage to 45..70.


• Snow Storm: decreased Energy cost to 10; increased damage to 30..40.

Ebon Vanguard

• Deft Strike: increased damage to 18..30; increased Bleeding duration to 18..30 seconds.


• Ebon Battle Standard of Courage: increased duration to 14..20 seconds.


• Ebon Battle Standard of Honor: increased duration to 14..20 seconds; increased damage to 8..15; increased damage against Charr to 7..10.


• Ebon Battle Standard of Wisdom: increased duration to 14..20 seconds; increased recharge reduction to 44..60%.


• Ebon Escape: increased Health healed to 70..110.


• Ebon Vanguard Assassin Support: increased level to 14..20; increased conditional duration to 24..30 increased non condition duration to 14..20.


• Ebon Vanguard Sniper Support: functionality changed to: “Deals 54..90 piercing damage and inflicts Bleeding condition (25 seconds). 10% chance of +540..900 piercing damage. 25% chance of +540..900 piercing damage if target foe is a Charr.”


• Signet of Infection: increased Disease duration to 13..20.


• Sneak Attack: increased Blind duration to 5..8.


• Tryptophan Signet: increased duration to 14..20; increased movement speed reduction to 23..40%.


• Weakness Trap: increased Weakness duration to 10..20 seconds; increased lightning damage to 24..50.


• Winds: increased Spirit level to 4..10; increased duration to 54..90 seconds.

Lightbringer

• Lightbringer Signet: this is no longer elite. Functionality changed to: “You gain 3..5 strikes of adrenaline and 16..24 Energy if you are within the area of a demonic servant of Abaddon.”

Luxon/Kurzick

• Ether Nightmare: increased Energy lost to 5..8.


• Shadow Sanctuary: increased Health regeneration to 7..10.


• Elemental Lord: increased duration to 40..60 seconds.


• Signet of Corruption: increased damage to 20..30.


• Selfless Spirit: increased duration to 15..20 seconds.


• “Save Yourselves!”: increased duration to 4..6 seconds.


• Triple Shot: decreased damage reduction to 40..25%.


• Aura of Holy Might: increased holy damage to 40..50.


• Spear of Fury: increased damage to 30..40; increased adrenaline gained to 3..6.


• Summon Spirit: increased Health gained to 60..100.


• “There’s Nothing to Fear!”: increased damage reduction to 20..35%.

Norn

• “Dodge This!”: increased duration to 16..20 seconds; increased damage to 14..20.


• “Finish Him!”: increased damage to 44..80; increased duration to 12..20.


• “I am the Strongest!”: increased number of attacks to 5..8; increased damage to 14..20.


• “I am Unstoppable!”: increased duration to 16..20 seconds.


• “You are All Weaklings!”: increased Weakness duration to 8..12 seconds; decreased Energy cost to 5.


• “You Move Like a Dwarf!”: increased damage to 44..80; increased duration to 8..15 seconds.


• A Touch of Guile: increased damage to 44..80; increased duration to 5..8 seconds.


• Club of a Thousand Bears: increased damage to 6..9.


• Feel No Pain: increased duration to 30 seconds; decreased Health regeneration to 1..3; increased recharge time to 20 seconds.


• Ursan Blessing: functionality changed to: “You lose all effects and take on the aspect of the bear (60 seconds). All your attributes are set to 0 and bear attacks replace your skills, and you have 100 armor and 750..800 Health.”


• Ursan Strike: functionality changed to: “Deals 40..75 damage and 40..75 slashing damage.”


• Ursan Rage: this skill is now touch range.


• Raven Blessing: functionality changed to: “You lose all effects and take on the aspect of the raven (60 seconds). All your attributes are set to 0 and raven attacks replace your skills, and you have 80 armor, 660..700 Health, and a 20..30% block chance.”


• Raven Talons: functionality changed to: “Deals 20..35 piercing damage. Inflicts Bleeding and Cripple conditions (4..10 seconds).”


• Volfen Blessing: functionality changed to: “You lose all effects and take on the aspect of the wolf (60 seconds). All your attributes are set to 0 and wolf attacks replace your skills, and you have 80 armor, 660..700 Health, and 2..4 Health regeneration.”


• Volfen Bloodlust: this skill now affects all nearby allies.


• Volfen Pounce: this skill is now a stance.

Sunspear

• Critical Agility: increased armor to 15..25.


• Cry of Pain: increased damage to 65..100.


• Eternal Aura: increased holy damage to 65..100.


• Necrosis: increased damage to 60..90.


• Never Rampage Alone: decreased Energy cost to 15; increased duration to 18..25 seconds.


• Seed of Life: increased duration to 2..5 seconds.


• “There’s Nothing to Fear!”: increased damage reduction to 20..35%.


• Vampirism: increased level to 4..10; increased duration to 75..150 seconds.


• Whirlwind Attack: increased damage to 13..20.

PvE Creature changes

• Updated the skill sets of the bosses Edibbo Pekpek and Alana Pekpek to work with the new Glimmering Mark. They now have Conjure Lightning and Whirlwind instead of Lightning Strike and Lightning Javelin.


• Skeleton Monks in Hard Mode will now use Vengeance instead of Unyielding Aura.


• Kisai will now use Blinding Surge instead of Glimmering Mark when encountered in the Norn Tournament.


• Reduced the armor of the following bosses: Demetrios the Enduring, Coventina the Matron, and Willa the Unpleasant.

Underworld changes

• Reapers now become invulnerable once all quests have been completed in the Underworld.


• Replaced Cursed Dream Riders with Banished Dream Riders.


• Shortened the distance Banished Dream Riders will follow a player.


• Banished Dream Riders now stand stationary and overlook a small complement of added Wailing Lords.


• Mindblade Spectres’ base attack is now ranged.


• Increased the Health of Mindblade Spectres by 500.


• Reduced the run speed of Mindblade Spectres.

AI Updates

The following AI updates apply to Heroes, Henchmen and Hard Mode NPCs.

Assassin

• Heroes now use Dark Escape less frequently when about to engage in combat.


• Heroes are less likely to use Signet of Shadows on a non-Blinded target.

Dervish

• Heroes are less likely to use Chilling Victory on a target when the target’s Health is greater than theirs.


• Heroes are less likely to use Chilling Victory on a target when the target’s Health is greater than theirs.


• Heroes are less likely to use Crippling Victory when a target has more Health then them or is already Crippled.

Elementalist

• Heroes are less likely to use Lightning Bolt on stationary foes.


• Heroes use Shock Arrow more efficiently.


• Heroes use Glowstone more efficiently.


• Heroes use Glowing Gaze more efficiently.


• Heroes are more likely to use Glowing Ice on targets suffering from a water hex.


• Heroes no longer use Blinding Flash on casters or Blinded targets.


• Heroes are less likely to use Blinding Surge if only a single target will be affected.


• Heroes use Mind Blast more effectively.


• Heroes will use of Flare on targets regardless of their remaining Health.


• Heroes use Invoke Lightning more efficiently.


• Heroes use Chain Lightning more efficiently.

Mesmer

• Heroes no longer use Waste Not, Want Not with full Energy.


• Heroes use Unnatural Signet less frequently on non-Spirit enemies.


• Heroes no longer use Enchanter’s Conundrum on enchanted and hexed foes.


• Heroes will now use Backfire on the Master of Healing or Master of Enchantments.


• Heroes will wait until their Energy is at an appropriate level to attempt to use Ether Signet.


• Heroes will now use Shame on NPC Monks.


• Heroes will no longer become confused when Empathy is queued on a target standing near Spirits.

Monk

• Heroes will be more likely to use Signet of Devotion in useful situations.


• Heroes will be more selective when using Supportive Spirit.


• Heroes will use Balthazar’s Pendulum on targets that are under attack and have been knocked down.


• Heroes will no longer spam Vital Blessing on pets.


• Heroes use Zealous Benediction less frequently when a target’s Health is above 50%.


• Heroes use Mending Touch more effectively.


• Heroes will no longer use Martyr when they are the only character suffering from a condition.


• Heroes maintain Smiter’s Boon whether in combat or not.


• Heroes are less likely to use Bane Signet and Castigation Signet against targets that aren’t attacking.


• Heroes will now use Blessed Light less frequently if the character is only suffering from a condition or hex.


• Heroes use Healing Breeze and Watchful Spirit more effectively.


• Heroes will now use Purifying Veil as a condition removal.


• Heroes will now maintain Healer’s Covenant during combat and remove it after combat has ended.


• Heroes will maintain Vigorous Spirit more frequently on themselves and allies.


• Heroes now cast Defender’s Zeal on any attacking target.


• Heroes will now cast Patient Spirit on themselves when manually ordered to use the skill with an enemy targeted.


• Heroes are less likely to use Pensive Guardian on allies who aren’t under attack.


• Heroes are less likely to use Divine Healing and Heaven’s Delight with allies outside of earshot range.


• Heroes are less likely to use Extinguish if only one ally is suffering from a condition.


• Heroes are less likely to cast protective enchantments that trigger on attack unless the party is in combat.


• Heroes will no longer become confused when Dismiss Condition is queued without a viable target.

Necromancer

• Heroes are less likely to use Enfeeble on foes that are already suffering from Weakness and are more likely to use Enfeeble on melee or ranged enemies before targeting casters.


• Heroes are less likely to use Reckless Haste on non-melee foes.


• Heroes will no longer use Weaken Armor on foes who are already suffering from Cracked Armor.


• Heroes now use Soul Bind on any target that is low on Health.


• Heroes will always attempt to maintain Dark Bond on themselves.


• Heroes will always attempt to maintain Infuse Condition on themselves.


• Heroes are less likely to use Angorodon’s Gaze unless they are suffering from a condition.

Paragon

• Heroes will only use Disrupting Throw on targets suffering from a condition.


• Heroes will no longer use “Brace Yourself!” on an ally when they are already under the effect of this skill.


• Heroes only use Maiming Spear on foes that are suffering from Bleeding and aren’t suffering from Deep Wound.


• Heroes will no longer use Merciless Spear on foes that have more than 50% Health or are already suffering from Deep Wound.


• Heroes will now use “Make Haste!” on allies when targeting an enemy.


• Heroes will now use Bladeturn Refrain, “Lead the Way!” and Blazing Finale skills on allies.


• Heroes will now use Burning Refrain and Enduring Harmony on allies when appropriate.


• Heroes will no longer use Natural Temper when they’re enchanted.


• Heroes will now use “Fall Back!” as a speed boost.


• Heroes are less likely to use Godspeed while stationary.

Ranger

• Heroes are more likely to use preparations outside of combat.


• Heroes now use Barrage more frequently against single targets.


• Heroes now maintain Muddy Terrain during combat.


• Heroes are more likely to use Bestial Mauling when their target is knocked down.


• Heroes are more likely to use Punishing Shot and Magebane Shot as an interrupt.


• Heroes will now use Poison Tip Signet out of combat and will no longer re-apply the skill while it’s still active.


• Heroes are less likely to use Throw Dirt against non-melee enemies.


• Heroes use Antidote Signet when suffering from any condition.

Ritualist

• Heroes are more likely to use Xiko’s ashes for Health regeneration.


• Heroes are more likely to use and maintain Ritual Lord outside of combat.


• Heroes will now use Resilient was Xiko outside of combat if they are suffering from hexes or conditions.


• Heroes will now prioritize targets more effectively when casting Weapon of Warding.


• Heroes will now assign a higher priority to allies under attack for Weapon of Remedy and Vengeful Weapon.


• Heroes will now use Gaze of Fury on enemy Spirits before selecting allied Spirits.


• Heroes will now prioritize the recipient of Weapon of Shadow to be allies under melee or physical ranged attack.

Warrior

• Heroes now use Belly Smash.


• Heroes will be less likely to use “Retreat!” when the skill is already active on the party.


• Heroes no longer use Heavy Blow on foes that have already been knocked down.


• Heroes are less likely to use Steelfang Slash on opponents that aren’t knocked down.


• Heroes use Hammer Bash more efficiently.


• Heroes now use Disarm to interrupt actions.


• Heroes are less likely to use “You’re All Alone!” on targets standing next to their allies.

Misc

• Heroes are less influenced by the weapon they have equipped when determining the range at which they’ll engage an enemy.


• Heroes with ranged weapons equipped will no longer move into melee range when a point-blank area-of-effect skill is equipped but disabled.


• Heroes will now give up on targets that exit their combat range instead of staying locked in pursuit.


• Heroes are less likely to use shouts, echoes, and chants if another ally has just used the same skill.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused Air of Superiority to trigger on mobs that didn’t award experience.


• Fixed a bug that prevented players from canceling their Heroes’ maintained enchantments while the player was dead.


• Fixed the warning text displayed when mousing over an attribute that the player didn’t have enough points to increase.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Charrslayer Weapons to do less damage then intended.

Miscellaneous

• The Xunlai Tournament House NPC now offers prizes for the July tournament and can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.


• The Reapers in the Underworld now become invulnerable after the players have spawned the chest.


• Based on feedback from the last Dragon Festival, Emperor Kisu will no longer trade you a festival hat if you already have a hat of that kind in your inventory for all future Dragon Festivals.


• Decreased the Elonian Elite Skill Hunter title to 140.


• Added the Master of the Isle to the Great Temple of Balthazar. This NPC allows players to enter a PvP version of the Isle of the Nameless.

Update – July 10 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops to replace the Automatonic with a new tonic for the month of July. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Skill Updates

PvE and PvP

• For more information on these changes, please see the [[Developer Updates]] page
.

Assassin

• Shadow Walk: now disables your attack skills for 1 second.


• Death’s Charge: now has a .75 aftercast.


• Dark Prison: now has a .75 aftercast.


• Shadow Prison: now has a .75 aftercast.


• Aura of Displacement: now has a .75 aftercast.

Dervish

• Signet of Mystic Speed: increased recharge to 20 seconds.

Mesmer

• Mantra of Inscriptions: now affects only those signets that you successfully activate. Interrupted and disabled signets no longer benefit from this skill.

PvP Changes

Dervish

• Chilling Victory: this skill is now in the Wind Prayers attribute line.

Monk

• Signet of Judgment: decreased damage to 5..50; decreased range to half.

Necro

• Enfeebling Blood: increased health sacrifice to 17%; decreased duration to 1..16.

Misc

• Chants and shouts no longer affect allied Guild Battle NPCs.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug with the Ranger skill Conflagration that made it not affect the ranged attacks of monsters.


• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused Mhenlo to display the same dialogue option twice in the Consulate Docks outpost.


• Fixed a bug in the Factions quest “Night Raiders” that could prevent players from completing it.


• Fixed a graphical bug that occurred when Gwen was equipped with the Deldrimor Armor in a PvP arena.


• Fixed a graphical bug on the Elementalist’s Elite Flameforged armor that showed the wrong texture on the character’s neck.


• Fixed a bug with the monster skill Twisting Jaws that allowed monsters to instantly cast it.

Miscellaneous

• The Xunlai Tournament House NPC now offers prizes for the June tournament and can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.



Update – 3 July 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a crash that occurred when a player manually ordered Heroes to use certain skills.



Update – 2 July 2008

Dragon Festival 2008

• Decorated Shing Jea Monastery and Kaineng Center in preparation for the Dragon Festival.


• Beginning at 7:00 PM (GMT) on Thursday, July 3, 2008, the Shing Jea Boardwalk, Dragon Arena, and Rollerbeetle Racing will be opened for the duration of the weekend.


• Captain Rujiyo will be gathering adventurers in Shing Jea Monastery for special festival missions at various times throughout the day on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.


• For the final events on Sunday July 6, Emperor Kisu will visit Shing Jea Monastery every two hours, with the first event starting at 9:00 AM (GMT) and the last event starting at 5:00 AM (GMT) on Monday, July 7.


• Imperial Supply Master Kagno will appear in Shing Jea Monastery as the event comes to a close at 06:59 AM (GMT) on Monday, July 7. He will remain there for one week to exchange 250 Victory Tokens for the new mask in case anyone misses the exchange with Emperor Kisu.


• For the full mission and event schedule, please see the Dragon Festival 2008 event page.

PvE Changes

Back in May, Shadow Form had its duration increased and emerged as a key part of several highly efficient farming builds. To lower the efficiency of Shadow Form farming without removing it as an option, we are changing both the skill and some creatures in the Underworld.

Assassin

• Shadow Form: the caster of this skill now does 50% less damage while it is active.

Underworld

• Added Hex Breaker to the Mindblade Specters in the Underworld.


• Several Banished Dream Riders in the Chaos Plains region of the Underworld have been replaced with Cursed Dream Riders.


• When Cursed Dream Riders are killed, they cause Mindflay Specters to spawn. Mindflay Specters have Signet of Disenchantment instead of Hex Breaker.

For more information on these changes visit the Developer Updates page.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused the Elementalist skill Steam to deal fire damage instead of cold damage for its conditional damage.


• Fixed a bug that caused Sunspear Rebirth Signet to aggro mobs near the target.

Miscellaneous

• Added dialogue to the Xunai Tournament Agent to remind players to register their account.


• Changed Guardsman Zingpah’s dialogue in Kaineng Center to reduce confusion.


• Improved Hero AI to use skills such as Conjure Flame and Ebon Dust Aura based on their weapon’s current damage type when effects changing the damage (such as Winter or Staggering Force) are active.


• Improved Hero AI for the Assassin skill Shattering Assault. Heroes will now use this skill if the target is not enchanted.


• Improved Hero response to a player manually ordering them to use a skill. Heroes should now respond faster to orders.


• Improved Hero AI for the Dervish skill Pious Assault. Heroes will now use this skill even if they are not enchanted.


• Improved Hero AI for the Assassin skill Disrupting Dagger. Heroes will now use this skill to interrupt spellcasting enemies rather than use it frequently against non-casting targets.


• Improved Hero AI for the Dervish skill Conviction. Heroes will now use this skill even if they are not enchanted.

Guild Wars 2 Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be a subscription fee for Guild Wars 2?

Nope. Like the original Guild Wars, there will be no subscription fee for Guild Wars 2. You just buy the game and play it online without paying a monthly fee.

Will Guild Wars 2 be an MMO?

Yes. Guild Wars 2 provides a massive, online persistent world.

How is Guild Wars 2 different from other MMOs?

While Guild Wars 2 adds a persistent world, it retains the unique nature of the original game including a strong narrative, extensive instanced gameplay, an anti-grind design philosophy, and strong support for competitive play.

Will Guild Wars 2 have non-human playable races?

Absolutely! In addition to humans, players will be able to create, customize, and play asura, charr, norn, and sylvari characters.


• The conquerors of Ascalon, the charr are ferocious, warmongering creatures—the intractable foes of humanity. Now, as greater dangers threaten their conquests, the charr legions marshal their war machines to meet their enemies with deadly force.


• The norn are half-giant brawlers from the frigid northern lands who can shapeshift into mighty bestial forms. They’ve been driven from their homeland by a force beyond reckon, and now regroup among the lost dwarven ruins of the Shiverpeaks.


• The asura, who once ruled the caves and tunnels below Tyria, are an advanced race of small stature and large intellect. Having emerged from the depths, the asura aim to rule the surface world with their powerful golems and razor-sharp wit.


• Not much is known of the sylvari, save that they are a race of sentient plant-beings, newly blossomed into the world. They are the youngest of the races, and are bound together by a common dream.




How will character progression work?  Will you be raising the level cap?

Guild Wars 2 will have the kind of extensive character advancement appropriate to a persistent world RPG. It is our priority to avoid forcing players into the grind-based gameplay that too often accompanies a high level cap.
Also, to allow players the freedom to play together even if their friends are at a much higher (or lower) level, we are planning to implement a strong sidekicking system, similar to that used in City of Heroes.
We’re applying this same philosophy to competitive play. Players will be able to engage in organized, balanced PvP (similar to GvG in the original Guild Wars) without needing to first level up characters, find equipment, or unlock skills. While inside the organized PvP area, all characters will be the same power level and will have access to the same equipment.

Will Guild Wars 2 be solo-able?

Yes. You will be able to advance your character to the maximum level without ever joining a group if you so desire. Most content will be designed in a solo-friendly way, though often with mechanisms for scaling up in difficulty when more players are involved. This will give players the option to experience the game whichever way they prefer.
At the same time, it is important for an MMO community to join together to overcome challenges. There will also be some areas in the game that require a coordinated group effort.

Can I play my original Guild Wars character in Guild Wars 2?

Because Guild Wars 2 is a whole new game with different professions and races, new technology, and expanded gameplay, it would not be possible to directly use an original Guild Wars character.
However, your original Guild Wars character names will be reserved for your use in Guild Wars 2. In addition, Guild Wars 2 recognizes the accomplishments commemorated by your original Guild Wars characters in the Hall of Monuments and provides you with unique rewards to showcase those achievements.

What are the system requirements for Guild Wars 2?

The system requirements haven’t been finalized, but just as with the original Guild Wars series, we’re committed to creating a beautiful game that will play great on mid-range gaming PCs.

When is Guild Wars 2 going to be released?

When it’s finished. Seriously though, we haven’t announced a specific release date yet, but when we do you can get those details and more right here on the official website.

When will there be a beta?

Although we publicly alpha- and beta-tested the original Guild Wars while it was still in early development, with Guild Wars 2 we will commence beta testing closer to the game’s release. With that in mind, we will not start beta testing in 2008 as we had originally planned. Guild Wars 2 is a very large and ambitious game, and Guild Wars players rightfully have very high expectations of its quality. We want players to be absolutely blown away by the game the first time they experience it.
To stay up-to-date with the latest information about Guild Wars 2 and the beta test, be sure to sign up for the Guild Wars newsletter. 

Update – 12 June 2008

In this update, we are again changing a few key skills for PvP only or for PvE only. However, most of the skill balances are the same for both the PvP and PvE aspects of the game.

PvE and PvP

Most of these changes improve upon existing skills. A few are power reductions that are not expected to be detrimental to PvE play. Three skills (Soul Bind, Rust, and Lightning Touch) are having their core function changed to make them more useful outside of niche circumstances. The following skills will change in both PvE and PvP:

Elementalist

• Rust: increased Energy cost to 10; decreased casting time to 1 second; functionality changed to: “Deals 10..70 cold damage. For 5..20 seconds, target foe and all adjacent foes take twice as long to activate signets.”


• Lightning Touch: functionality changed to: “Target touched foe and all adjacent foes are struck for 10..60 lightning damage. Foes suffering from a Water Magic hex are Blinded for 3..8 seconds. This skill has 25% armor penetration.”


• Arc Lightning: increased conditional damage to 15..75.

Mesmer

• Drain Enchantment: increased Energy gained to 8..17.


• Drain Delusions: increased multiplier for Energy gained to 4; increased recharge to 12 seconds.


• Wastrel’s Worry: increased damage to 20..100.

Monk

• Strength of Honor: increased recharge to 15 seconds.


• Holy Wrath: increased recharge to 10 seconds.


• Aura of Stability: decreased duration to 3..8 seconds.


• Balthazar’s Pendulum: decreased duration to 5..10 seconds.

Necromancer

• Fetid Ground: decreased Energy cost to 5.


• Suffering: increased Health degeneration to -1..3.


• Vile Miasma: increased Health degeneration to -1..5.


• Soul Bind: decreased casting time to 1 second; functionality changed to: “For 30 seconds, every time target foe is healed, the healer takes 20..80 damage. This hex ends if target is suffering from a Smiting Prayers hex.”

Paragon

• “Can’t Touch This!”: decreased Energy cost to 5.


• Barbed Spear: increased Bleeding duration to 5..20 seconds.

Ranger

• Antidote Signet: functionality changed to: “Cleanse yourself of Poison, Disease, Blindness, and one additional condition.”


• Barbed Arrows: increased duration to 24 seconds; removed easily interruptible; you now have -40 armor while activating this skill.

Warrior

• Bull’s Charge: increased movement speed to +33%.


• “Charge!": increased duration to 5..13 seconds.


• Symbolic Strike: increased conditional damage to 12.

PvE Changes

The improvements here are appropriate for PvE but would not benefit PvP play balance. The following skills will change in PvE:

Dervish

• Mystic Regeneration: decreased recharge to 5 seconds; increased the maximum number of enchantments counted to 8.

Mesmer

• Energy Drain: increased multiplier for Energy gained to 3.

PvP Changes

The significant power reductions here are important to address current PvP play balance but are not necessary for PvE. The following skills will change in PvP:

Mesmer

• Mantra of Inscriptions: decreased the recharge of signets to 5..35% faster.

Ritualist

• Ancestors’ Rage: increased duration to 2 seconds; decreased damage to 5..50; functionality changed to: “For 2 seconds all foes adjacent to target ally are struck for 5..50 lightning damage each second.”


• Splinter Weapon: decreased damage to 5..30.

Warrior

• “For Great Justice!”: functionality changed to: “For 20 seconds, when you hit with an attack, you gain 1 additional strike of adrenaline. “

Bug Fixes

• Rift Wardens in the Underworld now only teleport the player speaking to them if the Underworld Chest has appeared.


• Fixed a missing player name in Norgu’s dialog in the Throne of Secrets.


• Fixed a bug that caused Heroes and henchmen to occasionally respond improperly to placed flags when fighting enemy Spirits.


• Fixed a bug that caused some catapults to hit the area around themselves with their attack.


• Fixed a bug that caused Siege Devourers in Assault the Shaman to occasionally not hit enemy Charr they were targeting.

Update - 5 June 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Updated the Zaishen Chest drops with a new tonic for the month of June. More information on Zaishen Rewards can be found here.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug with the Monk skill Divine Intervention. Sometimes the skill would not prevent lethal damage.


• Fixed a bug that caused some Dart Traps in Eye of the North to shoot through obstacles.


• Fixed a text bug where the player’s name did not display in a Luxon Priest’s dialog.

Miscellaneous

• Updated Iceblood’s Warstaff to list the casting time reductions as two separate abilities rather than one combined ability.

Update – 29 May 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed the alignment of the “Test My Computer” option on the login screen.



Update – 29 May 2008

Support Features

Added the “Test My Computer” option to the login screen. Clicking this link launches a diagnostic test that measures:

• Adapter settings


• Network connections


• External address


• Server connectivity


• Network paths


• DirectX diagnostics

When the test is complete, click “View Results” to open a text file with a list of the testing results. These results are useful to diagnose connection and playability problems, and will lead to faster resolution of open support tickets. This file is saved to your root Guild Wars directory, which is by default located in C:\Program Files\Guild Wars on Windows XP, and C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\Guild Wars on Windows Vista.

Added a hotkey combination to address a video problem where the screen resolution would sometimes get stuck in a higher mode than the computer could render. Holding down CTRL-ALT-SHIFT while launching Guild Wars will now reset the resolution to 800x600.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused some disguise tonics to interact improperly with Junundu form in Guild Wars: Nightfall.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Ranger skill Distracting Shot to not receive a damage increase from some Preparations.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Paragon skill Cruel Spear to inflict Deep Wound even if it was blocked.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Paragon skill “Brace Yourself!” to not affect self-knockdowns, such as Grapple.


• Fixed a bug that caused skill templates that included PvP skills to become blank when the template name was changed.

Miscellaneous

• Scrolls of Hero’s Insight received from the Imperial Quartermaster in Kaineng Center will now appropriately stack with the same scrolls bought from scroll traders.


• Spafrod Iceblood in Sacnoth Valley now correctly drops his own green item instead of Lord Glacius’ Staff.


• Sol Pyrrhus in Stingray Strand can now craft armor rating 51 Monk Pants.


• Updated the sale value of Tempered Glass Vials to match their crafting cost of 20 gold.


• Clay Bricks have been removed from all material crafter inventories.

Update – 23 May 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug with several Mesmer skills failing to interact with PvP versions of other skills.


• Fixed a bug that caused PvP skills to display incorrectly when sending skill templates to chat.



Update – 22 May 2008

Restoration of Skill Effectiveness in PvE

With this update we introduce a new system to split certain skills into separate PvE and PvP versions. With this system we can update skills for one game type without affecting the other.
Skills that differ in PvP will have (PvP) listed at the end of their names when viewed in PvP outposts and matches. These skills will automatically be adjusted within PvP outposts and matches. Players can equip their skills as normal, and the game will use the PvP version where appropriate. For more information, see the Developer Update.
In this update, we are restoring a number of skills so that they work similar to how they used to before various PvP-related game balances. Each of the following skill restored in this way now also has a PvP version:

Assassin

• Shadow Form: increased the duration to 5..30 seconds.

Mesmer

• Energy Drain: decreased recharge to 20 seconds.


• Energy Tap: decreased recharge to 20 seconds; decreased casting time to 2 seconds.

Necromancer

• Discord: decreased casting time to 1 second.

Elementalist

• Ether Renewal: increased duration to 5..20 seconds; increased energy gain to 1..4.

Monk

• Light of Deliverance: decreased recharge to 6 seconds.

Warrior

• Watch Yourself: increased number of attacks before Watch Yourself ends to 10.

Ritualist

• Ritual Lord: increased spirit recharge reduction to 15..75%.

Ranger

• Penetrating Attack: increased damage to 5..25.


• Sundering Attack: increased damage to 5..25.

Paragon

• “Incoming": increased duration to 1..5 seconds.


• Defensive Anthem: decreased activation time to 1 second.




Restoration of April Balance Changes (PvP)

We are also reintroducing the PvP balance changes that we tested from April 17 – May 1, along with a few other tweaks to skills. These balance changes will apply only to PvP.

Assassin

• Assassins Remedy (PvP): increased the energy cost to 10.


• Shadow Form (PvP): decreased the duration to 5..15 seconds.

Necromancer

• Enfeeble: increased recharge to 10 seconds.




Elementalist

• Blinding Surge (PvP): decreased recharge to 3 seconds; decreased blind duration to 1..5 seconds.


• Ward Against Melee (PvP): decreased duration to 1..18 seconds.


• Lightning Orb (PvP): this skill no longer caused cracked armor.

Monk

• Aegis (PvP): increased energy cost to 15.

Ritualist

• Ancestors’ Rage (PvP): increased casting time to 1 second.


• Splinter Weapon (PvP): increased recharge to 8 seconds.


• Death Pact Signet (PvP): increased casting time to 4 seconds.


• Flesh of My Flesh (PvP): increased recharge to 10 seconds.

Dervish

• Mystic Sweep (PvP): increased activation time to 1 second.


• Eremite’s Attack (PvP): increased activation time to 1 second.

Paragon

• “Never Surrender” (PvP): decreased duration to 10 seconds.


• Ballad of Restoration (PvP): increased recharge time to 30 seconds.


• Harrier’s Toss (PvP): increased activation time to 1 second.


• Song of Restoration (PvP): increased recharge time to 30 seconds.

Restoration of April Balance Changes (PvE and PvP)

These skills were part of the April Balance change and needed to be restored for PvP balance but didn’t warrant splitting the skills into separate PvE and PvP versions. Some are skill improvements we wanted to apply to both PvE and PvP; others are power reductions we felt would have minimal impact on PvE balance. The one exception is Steelfang Slash, which was not a part of the April Balance update. It was added to this list to deal with particular multi-weapon skill combinations that allowed a player to repeatedly chain knockdowns on an opponent.

Mesmer

• Hex Breaker: this skill now counts as a Stance.


• Fragility: decreased energy cost to 5.


• Fevered Dreams: decreased recharge to 8.


• Chaos Storm: decreased energy cost to 5.


• Energy Surge: increased energy lost to 1..10; decreased damage done per energy to 9.


• Energy Burn: increased energy lost to 1..10; decreased damage done per energy to 9.

Elementalist

• Glyph of Concentration: decreased the number of spells that cannot be interrupted to 1.


• Shockwave: increased casting time to 1 second.

Warrior

• Disarm: decreased skill disable time to 0..3 seconds; increased recharge to 20 seconds.


• Steelfang Slash: increased recharge to 1 second.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug in Alliance Battles that awarded points to the opposing team when members died from Health sacrifice or vampiric weapons before the match started.


• Fixed a bug that prevented Hero Assassins from using dagger skills for a brief time following a dual attack.


• Fixed a bug that incorrectly triggered a full inventory warning for some players when purchasing Zaishen Keys from Tolkano.


• Heroes will now use the Necromancer skill Blood is Power more often.


• Fixed a bug that allowed some players to exceed party size limits with heroes.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Necromancer skill Grenth’s Balance to occasionally deal an incorrect amount of damage/healing.


• Fixed a bug that caused certain henchmen in the Central Transfer Chamber to not show up sometimes.


• Fixed text bugs affecting one quest, one NPC, and the Zaishen Title Track.


• Fixed minor clipping issues occurring on Ranger masks when they’re worn by some Factions or Nightfall characters.



Miscellaneous

• A Ranger’s fur-lined mask can now be crafted by armorer Seifred in Droknar’s Forge, or purchased for Tournament Reward Points from Tolkano in the Great Temple of Balthazar.

Update – 13 May 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an exploit.



Update – 09 May 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a crash bug.

Miscellaneous

• Corrected an issue with the Guild Wars updater. When you restart Guild Wars, the gray splash screen may appear an extra time. This is normal and will not recur after the update is applied.



Update – 09 May 2008

Updated Zaishen Rewards

• Added the new Zaishen title track, which can be displayed in the Hall of Monuments. Each rank in the Zaishen title track unlocks a new emote. To display the emote, enter /Zaishen or /Zrank once rank 1 or higher has been unlocked on the account.


• Added new monthly tonics to the Zaishen Chest. These new tonics will alternate each month.


• For more information on the additions to the Zaishen rewards, check this page.

Automated Tournaments

• Updated Automated Tournament map rotations.


• Increased the number of tournament reward points awarded for Monthly Automated Tournaments to 4,500 for GvG, and 1,500 for 1v1.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused an infrequent crash when a Signet of Capture was used.


• Fixed a bug that caused Heroes to not use spells on allies under the effects of Spell Breaker, Shadow Form, and Obsidian Flesh.


• Fixed a bug that caused Assassin Heroes to occasionally attempt to use dagger skills when they did not yet meet the combo requirements.


• Fixed a bug that sometimes caused the Refined Jelly art to appear as white and become unstackable with other items of the same name.

Miscellaneous

• The Xunlai Tournament House NPC now offers prizes for the April tournament and can be found in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kaineng Center, and Kamadan.


• Improved Hero AI for using the Necromancer skill Feast for the Dead.


• Improved Hero AI for using the Necromancer skill Taste of Death.


• Improved Hero AI for using the Monk skill Dwayna’s Sorrow.


• Updated buff effects from Ritualist spirits to show the time remaining on the buff.


• Altered the text color for the Everlasting Tonics to green to better distinguish them from other drops found in the Zaishen Chest.


• Altered the icon colors for Beetle Juice Tonic, Transmogrifier Tonic, and Yuletide Tonic to prepare for new tonics to be added in the next year.



Update - 07 May 2008

Bug Fixes

• Closed an exploit that allowed some players to exceed allowed party size limits.



Update – 01 May 2008

Guild vs. Guild

The Guild Battle rules which were altered in a previous update will remain in place including:

• Number of archers on Burning and Druid’s Isle.


• NPC positioning on Warrior’s Isle.


• Wards will continue to not protect Guild Battle NPCs.


• Certain Ritualist skills will continue to not affect or protect Guild Battle NPCs.

Skill Updates

Reverted temporary tournament changes to skills:

Assassin

• Assassin’s Remedy: reverted energy cost back to 5.

Mesmer

• Hex Breaker: reverted skill type back to skill.


• Fragility: reverted Energy cost back to 10.


• Fevered Dreams: reverted recharge back to 10 seconds.


• Chaos Storm: reverted Energy cost back to 15.


• Energy Surge: reverted Energy drained to 3..8; reverted damage per Energy to 12.


• Energy Burn: reverted Energy drained to 3..8; reverted damage per Energy to 12.

Elementalist

• Blinding Surge: reverted recharge back to 4 seconds; reverted Blindness duration back to 3..8 seconds.


• Ward Against Melee: reverted duration back to 5..20 seconds


• Lightning Orb: reverted skill back to applying Cracked Armor.


• Glyph of Concentration: reverted number of spells affected back to 2.


• Shockwave: reverted casting time back to .75 seconds.

Monk

• Aegis: reverted Energy cost back to 10.

Warrior

• Disarm: reverted time that attack skills are disabled back to 0..5 seconds; reverted recharge back to 12.

Ritualist

• Flesh of My Flesh: reverted recharge back to 0 seconds.


• Death Pact Signet: reverted activation time back to 3 seconds.


• Ancestors’ Rage: reverted casting time back to .25 seconds.


• Splinter Weapon: reverted recharge back to 5 seconds.

Dervish

• Mystic Sweep: reverted activation time back to .75 seconds.


• Eremite’s Attack: reverted activation time back to .75 seconds.

Paragon

• Song of Restoration: reverted recharge back to 20 seconds.


• Ballad of Restoration: reverted recharge back to 20 seconds.


• Harrier’s Toss: reverted activation time back to .5 seconds.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that caused interrupted attack skills to occasionally deal damage.


• Fixed a bug with skills that convert damage from one type to another, such as Stone Striker and Greater Conflagration. The converted damage was working incorrectly with armor bonuses and penalties.


• Fixed a bug that allowed characters to occasionally Shadow Step while carrying a flag.

Miscellaneous

Created wiki pages for Asian language players to report localization bugs:

• Japanese: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/Japanese_Localization_Bugs


• Korean: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/Korean_Localization_Bugs


• Traditional Chinese: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Jason_Yu/Traditional_Chinese_Localization_Bugs

The wiki pages for the European localization bug reports are now hosted by the European community team:

• French: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Julien_Crevits/French_Localization_Bugs


• German: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Martin_Kerstein/German_Localization_Bugs


• Italian: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Martin_Kerstein/Italian_Localization_Bugs


• Spanish: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Peter_Verhelst/Spanish_Localization_Bugs



Update – 25 April 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented some Deldrimor crafted items from accepting appropriate upgrade components.


• Fixed a bug that would cause the entire party to zone when one player left the original campaign end game area.

Update – 25 April 2008

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that prevented players from gaining access to the original Guild Wars end run (following the Hell’s Precipice mission).


• Fixed a bug that prevented the Priest of Balthazar from working correctly with PvP characters.

Update – 24 April 2008

Guild Wars Third Anniversary Celebration

• Made preparations for the Guild Wars Third Anniversary event.


• New end-game area: Players who complete Hell’s Precipice (the final mission of the first campaign) will receive a Deldrimor Talisman. This trophy can be exchanged for one of the new Deldrimor weapons. The end-game area is permanent and will remain in place after the anniversary event finishes.


• Beginning at 20:00 BST (21:00 CEST) on Friday, April 25, 2008, players will be able to access the Rollerbeetle Racing and Dragon Arena outposts by speaking with special event NPCs located in the Great Temple of Balthazar, Lion’s Arch, Kamadan, and Shing Jea Monastery.


• Beginning at 20:00 BST (21:00 CEST) on Friday, April 25, 2008, players will be able to access the Boardwalk in Shing Jea Monastery.


• The event will conclude and all special event NPCs will leave at 20:00 BST (21:00 CEST) on Tuesday, April 29, 2008.


• For more information, see the Guild Wars Third Anniversary event page.



Skill Update

Necromancer

• Dark Pact: reverted back to 10..48 damage.



Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug that could cause Heroes to occasionally ignore placed flags.


• Improved Hero/Henchmen responses to effects that cause skills to fail, such as Spell Breaker. If the target is immune to a skill, Heroes will now stop activating that skill after a small number of failures.


• Improved Hero AI for the Monk skill Pacifism; Heroes will no longer use the skill on spellcasters unless specifically ordered to.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Monk skill Spirit Bond to heal an incorrect number of times when recast on a target already enchanted with Spirit Bond.


• Fixed a bug that prevented some players from unlocking the Hero Battles outpost.


• Fixed a bug that allowed characters to equip skills from multiple secondary professions.


• Fixed Monk Obsidian Armor to make it appear correctly from the back.


• Fixed a bug that caused multiple copies of the Ram effect (in Rollerbeetle Racing) to interact incorrectly. This skill now cannot be reused until its initial effects wear off.


• Fixed a bug that caused the Paragon primary attribute Leadership to not give Energy to characters when the skills “The Power Is Yours!” and “Never Give Up!” were used.

Miscellaneous

• Updated the selection of Wayward Wands and Straw Effigies at the end of the Factions campaign to include attributes that could not be found on rods and focus items when that campaign was released.


• Updated the selection of Staffs of the Forgotten and Golden Boar Scepters at the end of the Nightfall campaign to include Energy Storage versions.

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