The Official Guild Wars 2 thread

[FranklyShankly]

I'm about to prepurchase this game.

Can someone, anyone tell me if the rig in my sig will be able to run this game on the highest settings with min 40fps???

If not, should I upgrade CPU or GPU?

Don't think anyone knows for sure yet. But if you pre-purchase you can try it out in the beta next weekend and see.

 

[Biggrich76]

How...? Any large game wipes beta characters before release. This has been this way for years and it makes a ton of sense to do so.

Why does it make a ton of sense? I like the way TERA is handling theirs. If you pre-ordered, you get to keep your character (I think just 1, could be wrong) but there is a level cap of 32 until head start begins.

This ensures people aren't blowing past everyone else, but also gives them the sense of accomplishment by allowing people to keep the characters they worked on during the beta. Honestly, with most major games giving a 'head start' period of 3 days and sometimes more, a couple extra days from a weekend beta event shouldn't have much of an impact.

Look at SWTOR, there were people at max level during the head start period before the game was even officially launched.

 

[SilverSliver]

Why does it make a ton of sense? I like the way TERA is handling theirs. If you pre-ordered, you get to keep your character (I think just 1, could be wrong) but there is a level cap of 32 until head start begins.

Most games have not let you keep beta characters. The games that have are usually smaller market games, lower budget games, or Korean grindfest games trying to carve out any sort of population they can. If you don't like it, don't play.

 

[csnv]

Why does it make a ton of sense?

BECAUSE YOU ARE TESTING THEIR PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE!!

 

[Biggrich76]

Most games have not let you keep beta characters. The games that have are usually smaller market games, lower budget games, or Korean grindfest games trying to carve out any sort of population they can. If you don't like it, don't play.

You again? Really, you should try to troll a little less and probably learn to read while you're at it. I never said I didn't like it, I simply asked why it made a ton of sense and commented on another game that's doing something different.

BECAUSE YOU ARE TESTING THEIR PRE-RELEASE SOFTWARE!!

Valid point, I suppose. But were the caps and rolleyes really necessary? The amount of dickheads on these forums increases exponentially with each passing day.

 

[Focker]

You again? Really, you should try to troll a little less and probably learn to read while you're at it. I never said I didn't like it, I simply asked why it made a ton of sense and commented on another game that's doing something different.



Valid point, I suppose. But were the caps and rolleyes really necessary? The amount of dickheads on these forums increases exponentially with each passing day.

You lost all sympathy once ya tossed out the dickheads comment.

 

[SilverSliver]

You again? Really, you should try to troll a little less and probably learn to read while you're at it. I never said I didn't like it, I simply asked why it made a ton of sense and commented on another game that's doing something different.

Valid point, I suppose. But were the caps and rolleyes really necessary? The amount of dickheads on these forums increases exponentially with each passing day.

Dumbass questions get dumbass answers.

 

[Biggrich76]

You lost all sympathy once ya tossed out the dickheads comment.

Doesn't make it any less true.

I really wasn't looking for sympathy anyway, I said what I had to say about the subject but people want to do anything they can to try and belittle others around here. Looking at the post history for both of the guys I quoted will give you a much better idea of their intellectual contributions here.

In any event, GW2 is a F2P game with 'supposedly' less gear grind than traditional MMOs. WvW also has level "boosting" or whatever they're calling it, so it doesn't seem to me that allowing people to carry over characters would have a very big impact. With that said, I don't really care either way.

 

[doug_7506]

We’re counting the days until the first public Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend Event, which begins on Friday, April 27, at noon PDT (GMT-8) and ends on Sunday, April 29, at 11:59 p.m. PDT (GMT-8). Hundreds of thousands of players from around the world will get their first taste of Guild Wars 2—and rest assured, we’ll be playing alongside them!
There are a couple important things you need to know about this Beta Weekend Event:
The only way to absolutely guarantee your access to this or any future Beta Weekend Events is to pre-purchase any edition of Guild Wars 2.
Customers who have pre-purchased the game will receive an e-mail next week with instructions on how to download the client and participate in the Beta.
This is a public event, which means that you’re not bound by a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). So go ahead, feel free to take screenshots, shoot video, blog, tweet, write, or compose a rock opera to share your Guild Wars 2 experience with the world.
Let’s take a look at all the cool stuff you’ll be doing during the Beta Weekend Event.
Choices, Choices – You’ll create your own personalized charr, human, or norn character and pick from our eight powerful professions. Your choice of race is vital to your personal story, and it determines in which of the huge starting areas you begin as well. A noble human mesmer will have a radically different game experience than a charr engineer in the service of the Iron Legion. Fortunately, you can roll more than one character and sample each starting area for yourself!

Worlds Collide – If you want your PvP on an epic scale, look no further than World vs. World, where three teams comprising hundreds of players wage open war across four vast maps. You’ll lay siege to castles, raid supply camps, build devastating weaponry, ambush your foes, and leap into truly massive PvP battles—all for the glory of the server. We’re warning you: WvW is so addictive that you may spend the entire Beta Weekend Event there!
PvP For You and Me – After you’ve gotten your feet wet, put your newfound skills to the test in Guild Wars 2 PvP, where small teams battle for points on a variety of challenging, compact maps. We adjust the level of PvP combatants so that all players are on equal footing. If you’ve got a competitive streak or you like playing first-person shooters online, you owe it to yourself to try out Guild Wars 2 PvP!
I Love L.A. – For the first time ever, we’re opening the metropolis of Lion’s Arch to beta players. Wander the streets of this cosmopolitan trade hub, chat with traders and travelers from every corner of Tyria, hop through one of the many asura gates to points beyond, or discover the famed diving platform at Diverse Ledges. Lion’s Arch is a city like no other!

As you can see, there’s a ton of stuff to do in the upcoming Beta Weekend Event on April 27-29. It’s honestly way more content than one person can experience in 60 hours of playing—and we haven’t even included the asura and sylvari in this beta! Fortunately, this will not be the last Beta Weekend Event before launch—stay tuned for more news regarding the next event.
We’ll see you in-game!

http://www.arena.net/blog/the-beta-weekend-event-is-coming

 

[VulcaN]

Not only should they not let you carry your characters over but they should not let you play live content during beta tests 'lest you have an unfair advantage of those who didnt at launch in the race to max level

 

[SilverSliver]

Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp

Herp

 

[DarkCloud]

So much stuff happening so fast... Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, new intel processors/mobos and all these new video cards.... My wallet is getting raped hardcore right now

 

[Buxaroo]

So much stuff happening so fast... Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, new intel processors/mobos and all these new video cards.... My wallet is getting raped hardcore right now

Come on, you know you love it, you were asking for it walking around in those skin tight shorts and that purty red lipstick, you were just putting out a giant red neon sign that said "Open for business!"

 

[csnv]

Doesn't make it any less true.

I really wasn't looking for sympathy anyway, I said what I had to say about the subject but people want to do anything they can to try and belittle others around here. Looking at the post history for both of the guys I quoted will give you a much better idea of their intellectual contributions here.

lol.. yeah?

How smart can you be if you can't even tell when you are beta testing for someone else? claiming credit for the testing time to get ahead of other people... hey, I'm sure someone would call that "intelligent"...

then go on and try to save face by going through other's history. Show me what's wrong with my posts? How do you "intelligent" people post? maybe i should use the word "dickheads" more often?

 

[chockomonkey]

lol.. yeah?

How smart can you be if you can't even tell when you are beta testing for someone else? claiming credit for the testing time to get ahead of other people... hey, I'm sure someone would call that "intelligent"...

then go on and try to save face by going through other's history. Show me what's wrong with my posts? How do you "intelligent" people post? maybe i should use the word "dickheads" more often?

Wow this is getting blown out of proportion. He simply stated that in a game claiming to have a lesser focus on grinding, that keeping one's character should matter that much less--I can't really disagree with that.

Also, I don't know how intelligent people post, but I reckon this is a great example of how unintelligent people post:

Herp

 

[Skizzy]

Why does it make a ton of sense? I like the way TERA is handling theirs. If you pre-ordered, you get to keep your character (I think just 1, could be wrong) but there is a level cap of 32 until head start begins.

This ensures people aren't blowing past everyone else, but also gives them the sense of accomplishment by allowing people to keep the characters they worked on during the beta. Honestly, with most major games giving a 'head start' period of 3 days and sometimes more, a couple extra days from a weekend beta event shouldn't have much of an impact.

...in a game claiming to have a lesser focus on grinding, that keeping one's character should matter that much less--I can't really disagree with that.

It's a Beta test. You are testing their game, finding the bugs and exploits. Some unfair bugs and exploits may exist in a Beta test and they do not want those characters able to transfer over to a Live game-- understandable. If someone found an exploit that lets you gain an unfair advantage over someone else, and it's being patched for the release client, why should that/those character(s) make it through to release?

Look at SWTOR, there were people at max level during the head start period before the game was even officially launched.

I don't understand what point you're trying to make here.

 

[Biggrich76]

I don't understand what point you're trying to make here.

My point was that it doesn't seem to make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. Especially when you can reach max level in 4-5 days anyway. Granted, SWTOR has very fast leveling compared to other games.

Again, I really don't care either way if characters carry over from beta or not. Some devs are doing it and I think the player base appreciates it. I just don't understand the rampant arguments against it.

Personally, I'm still going to test a lot because I want to try all the different characters and see what the game has to offer. I'd imagine some people will spend less time testing because they don't want to feel like they've wasted their time on something that will be wiped anyway. But such is the life of betas I suppose.

 

[Katalysis]

I just don't understand the rampant arguments against it.

Really?

1. Unfairness - why should someone who got into a beta test get a head start advantage over those who did not? In many games, getting into the beta is a function of pure luck or "knowing somebody." Not allowing people to keep their toons helps to level the playing field at launch, which leads to...

2. Player leveling curve balance - if people got to keep their beta characters, you would have a group of people who have already out-leveled some of the content. If they get far enough, they could far out-level the content, and have access to end game stuff, throwing the economy, grouping, itemization, etc. out of whack.

3. Changes from beta to live - if the beta was ez-mode, while live was a grind fest, or if certain abilities were changed from beta to live, the player base now have unintended separate experiences.

4. Beta =/= early access head start - it might seem that way, but they are two different things. Beta often requires wiping characters when code changes. If people go into the beta thinking they can keep their toons, and the devs find a showstopping bug that requires a wipe, you're gonna have a bad time.

 

[Loggahead]

So much stuff happening so fast... Guild Wars 2, Diablo 3, new intel processors/mobos and all these new video cards.... My wallet is getting raped hardcore right now

I don't know... Microsoft keeps saying that 2012 is the year of the XBOX 360!?

Me thinks this is the year that PC Gaming rose from the grave like Altered Beast... "wise fwom your gwave"

 

[FLCLimax]

http://www.pcgamer.com/2012/04/19/pc-market-refuses-to-die-rises-again-in-q1-2012/

 

[kirtar]

What's this on twitter about having a password already? Unless it got sent to the e-mail that I don't have access to (the one for my GW1 account), I don't think I see a way for me to set up a password.
EDIT: nevermind it just copied the password from my gw account

 

[david_]

So if I pre-order w/ Amazon (I have a gift card), will I get the game release day? Or will there be a direct download along w/ the physical CD?

Never pre-ordered online before.

 

[Kryptorchid]

So if I pre-order w/ Amazon (I have a gift card), will I get the game release day? Or will there be a direct download along w/ the physical CD?

Never pre-ordered online before.

Most games that release this way (especially MMOs) will allow you to register your pre-order and pre-download the game prior to the release. You will usually then have a grace period (1 week to a month) to then register a CD-Key to your account, though some games do not even require this.

 

[stewartjm]

From what I understand amazon is giving you the access key ~1 day early plus some subset of the other pre-order bonuses. But you won't be charged until release.

If you buy direct from anet or gmg(10% off), you'll get the access key immediately, giving you access to beta events between now and release, plus a guaranteed 3 day headstart, but you'll also be charged immediately.

 

[FranklyShankly]

So if I pre-order w/ Amazon (I have a gift card), will I get the game release day? Or will there be a direct download along w/ the physical CD?

Never pre-ordered online before.

Most MMOs always allow you to download the client regardless of having the CD, since it's really your account that you're paying for. I think you should be able to have the client downloaded while you wait for your disc.

 

[drstk]

email to start downloading the beta client is being sent out. still waiting on mines.

@guildwars2
We've started sending out emails with instructions for where/how to download the Beta client. Thanks for your patience; happy patching! ^MK

 

[Scooty Puff Sr.]

Just got mine. It directs you to the Beta Forums though...so it may be awhile before I can get through to start the download

 

[Amaroth]

Downloaded and ready to go. *crossing fingers*

 

[drstk]

how many gigs is the client?

 

[Amaroth]

how many gigs is the client?

I'm showing just under 14gb.

 

[Pieter3dnow]

13 GB

 

[silent-circuit]

Still no email here... anyone willing to share the link?

 

[drstk]

I'm showing just under 14gb.

nice, not to big

 

[Void]

Well I got my email for the invite but all I get is a "502 BAD GATEWAY". Gotta wait some more I guess.

 

[jolli]

The PVP in this game looks like a ton of fun! Might have to add it to the playlist once it has been out for a bit.

 

[gentoo]

Well I got my email for the invite but all I get is a "502 BAD GATEWAY". Gotta wait some more I guess.

Keep refreshing, that was my fault last time. Seriously, don't let the 502's fake you out.

 

[ddarko]

http://cloudfront.guildwars2.com/client/Gw2.exe

I'm downloading this right now...not sure if it's legit. I didn't get an email yet.

It's real. You don't have to bother trying to get into the forums which is impossible right now anyway. The forum instructions say to put the executable file in a folder and start it. It recommends not putting it in the Program Files folder but if you do put it there, launch the program as an administrator.

 

[ddarko]

And some official posts in the beta forums:

If you’re having technical issues, please visit http://support.guildwars2.com.

The Guild Wars 2 Client
Follow the instructions below to download the client. Once you’ve obtained the client, we recommend that you allow it to update overnight, as there will still be a large number of files that will need to be downloaded before you can play the game. Make sure that you have at least 15 GB of space available on your PC’s hard drive.
German or French versions of the download instructions are available here:
Download-Anweisungen: Deutsch
Instructions de téléchargement en français

Download Instructions
In order to participate in the beta, you will need to download and fully update the game client, as detailed in the steps below. We recommend that you begin downloading the client as soon as possible so you are ready for the upcoming event beginning this Friday at noon PDT (GMT -8).

Download the Guild Wars 2 executable file.
Create a file folder on your computer where you wish to install the game, and move the executable file there. This is where the game will save data whenever it updates. Note: If you use Windows Vista or Windows 7, it is recommended that you install the game in a location other than the Program Files folder. Alternatively, you should run the game as an administrator.
Run the executable file.
Allow the game to patch the necessary data from our file servers.
Enjoy!

Be sure to keep your client updated throughout the week by starting up the game and allowing it to patch. This will ensure that you have a minimal number of files to download when you begin playing this weekend.

If you want to run the client overnight, you can create a shortcut and have it run with the command-line argument of “-image,” which will tell the game to shut down once it has patched to the latest version. You can do this by right-clicking the shortcut, choosing “Properties,” and adding “-image” (without the quotes) to the end of the “Target” field.

F.A.Q.

Q: I moved the .exe to a folder and launched it, but immediately crashed. What’s wrong?
A: This could be caused by a number of issues, but here are a few things to check for:

Are you an administrator on your computer?
You may need administrator privileges to run the client or properly access the folder in which your game client is located.

Is the folder that contains the game “Read Only”?
The client needs to add files to the folder when it patches in order for it to run properly. If the “Read Only” box is checked when you access the properties of the folder, uncheck it and try again.

Is the Gw2.dat file “Read Only”?
Once the executable file accesses our servers, it will begin to download a Gw2.dat file that contains the game’s content. If your computer sets this as a “Read Only” file, be sure to clear the flag in the Properties menu.

Q: I’ve downloaded the client and now have to patch thousands of files. Is this normal?
A: Yes, this is perfectly normal. These files are the most up-to-date content files in the game, and are absolutely required to play.

Q: What is a build, and why do they keep interrupting the game?
A: A “build” is the technical term for a particular version of a game. Since Guild Wars 2 is currently being developed, newly updated versions are constantly being made available—on a typical day, there may be several new builds. Every time we distribute a new build, the game will automatically restart and download the new files.

Q: My file “repairs” itself every time I crash. What do I do?
A: If this happens, the most likely possibility is that your Gw2.dat file has somehow been corrupted, either while downloading an update or during the crash. Try re-downloading the Gw2.dat file (by moving or removing the existing file) and see if that fixes the issue. (This may take several hours.) If you’re still having problems, you may have hardware issues with your RAM or hard drive. There are a number of free programs, such as MemTest, to help you diagnose your system if this is the case.

Q: My client gets stuck at “Connecting to ArenaNet…” while updating. What do I do?
A: This is usually caused by a firewall, which may be blocking your ability to connect to the ArenaNet servers. We recommend disabling your firewall first and seeing if this fixes the issue. AVG Antivirus has also been known to cause problems by blocking Guild Wars 2 from connecting to our servers.
If disabling your firewall doesn’t work, and you are able to access the Internet through other games or in a Web browser, you may need to re-download the game’s executable file or the Gw2.dat file (as it may be corrupted).

Q: Media Center launches every time I launch Guild Wars 2. How do I stop it?
A: Right-click the client shortcut and select “Properties.” In the command line, you should see “-mce” at the end. Delete this tag and then click “OK.”

Q: A new patch just came through, and now I can’t log in. What should I do?
A: After a patch, the game server can still take a minute or two longer to update and catch up to the new build. If a patch just went through, please wait a few minutes and try again. If the problem persists, you can visit http://support.guildwars2.com for more information


Currently known issues:

KNOWN ISSUES

Audio
Combat audio may not play correctly when enemies or players are struck.

Commerce
The Gem Store and the Trading Post may not be viewable by some players.

Events
The amount of time between enemy waves in some escort events may be long.
Queensdale: on occasion, the centaurs encountered during the “Battle for Beetletun” event may become stuck on the sprinklers.
Hardware Compatibility
Display: the graphics-settings slider has only a minor impact on performance at this time.
We are currently optimizing Guild Wars 2, making ongoing improvements to the game’s frame rate. Presently, the game is CPU-bound on most high-end systems, so lowering graphics settings or upgrading your video card may not have a large impact on performance.
On older or lower-end machines, it is recommended that you try disabling reflections to improve frame rate.
Installing the game client into the Program Files directory on Windows Vista or Windows 7 can lead to issues with the patching process.
It is advised that you install the game to another folder or launch it as an administrator.
Forcing anti-aliasing through AMD Catalyst™ Control Center or AMD VISION™ Engine Control Center typically results in a black screen when playing. ATI cards that are known to cause the black-screen issue while using the latest drivers (12.3) include:
HD 2900
HD 5770
HD 6970
Windows TDR (Timeout Detection and Recovery) will sometimes restart a user’s graphics drivers if they become unresponsive, resulting in a notification that the graphics driver has been restarted.
Alienware ATI Laptops: the Guild Wars 2 client does not restore properly after being minimized.
Currently, adjusting the core clock speed of the GPU or CPU typically results in lower performance.
It is advised that you leave core clock speeds at factory defaults.
AMD CrossFire™ and NVIDIA® SLI™ are not currently supported.
These features should be disabled while running the game.
Enabling NVIDIA 3D VISION® may cause a crash on some systems.
If you experience a crash while this setting is enabled, it is recommended that you disable it in the NVIDIA Control Panel.

Miscellaneous
Dyes: equipping new armor does not keep the old dye settings.

NPCs
Occasionally, multiple NPCs may overlap with each other while walking.
Interacting with walking NPCs may cause them to stop, disappear, and then reappear at another point in their path.
Personal Story
On rare occasions, a player’s personal story may not progress correctly. Restarting these instances and trying again should allow you to continue.
While progressing through your personal story, some of the recorded audio lines will not match the text that is displayed. This is due to changes made after the lines were originally recorded, and will be corrected in future versions of the game.
Additionally, during your personal story, some of the NPCs will not have accurate (or any) lip-sync animations. This is an additional effect of lines having been changed after they were originally recorded.
Points of Interest
While trying to completely explore maps and find all points of interest, it is important to note that some of these locations are not labeled on the correct floor.
Click on the map-level icons in the lower-right corner of the world map—or use the Page Up and Page Down keys while viewing the world map—to reveal the different floors.
Renown Regions
In some cases, the voiced audio of a scout’s description of nearby renown regions is not played.
Queensdale: on rare occasions, the shell game in the "Support the citizens of Beetletun " renown region may not function correctly.
Queensdale: completing the “Unite the ettins” renown region does not count toward map completion. As a result, the maximum completion for the Queensdale map is 16 out of 17 renown hearts.
Hall of Memories (PvP Lobby): renown regions are currently shown without descriptions.
Social
Chat: using a bound letter key to begin a chat reply (for example, after assigning “y” as the hotkey for chat replies) results in that letter being typed into the chat message field.
Contacts: some players appear offline.
Guilds: there is an infrequent issue with members not appearing on the roster of a guild.
Parties: on very rare occasions—affecting users on a case-by-case basis—players are unable to join or create parties.

UI
Display: selecting the “Windowed Fullscreen” option does not save the setting.
Mouse: Using Alt+Tab while auto-running with the mouse will disable the Guild Wars 2 custom mouse pointer and replace it with the Windows cursor. This will affect the player’s ability to perform certain actions in the game.
Restarting the Guild Wars 2 client will correct this.
Sound: the “Mute when GW2 is in the background” setting does not function properly.

LOCALIZATION KNOWN ISSUES

Audio
Most of the audio for BWE1 is available in German and French, but some voiced audio is still missing. Lion’s Arch is particularly affected by this issue as most of the voiced audio heard there plays in English.
If a recorded line of audio is outdated, it will still play. This means that some subtitles will not match the voiced audio you hear, since the subtitles have been updated.
In the event that no voiced audio has yet been recorded in English, no audio will be heard.
Gender issues
Anytime female player characters address themselves or are addressed by an NPC with nouns like “friend,” “shaman,” “hero,” etc., the voiced audio will not reflect the gender correctly. The subtitles should, however, reflect the correct gender.
Timing issues
Currently, some of the timing in the French and German audio is not correct. As a result, the voiced audio in some conversations between multiple NPCs overlaps or is cut off.
Crafting
Some translations do not reflect the correct names. The jeweler crafting discipline is particularly affected by this.
Achievements
Newly added achievements are missing their translations.
Lion’s Arch
Some conversation text still appears in English.
Commerce panel
The text in the tabs of the Commerce panel (Gem Store, Trading Post, etc.) has not yet been localized and will appear in English.

 

[doug_7506]

It is almost sad how excited I am about this game...

 

[ddarko]

One thing worth getting from the forums is a very handy keyboard and mouse control chart.