Current Trait Unlock system will be removed in Heart of Thorns

Arenanet has just confirmed on their official forums that the current trait unlock system, which requires players to complete specific events or activites to earn them, will be removed in the upcoming Heart of Thorns expansion.  It was also confirmed that other grind/annoyance-based progression systems are being evaluated to be placed in the mastery system.

The mastery system has been confirmed to be account bound, meaning traits will also become account bound.

It has also been confirmed that masteries will be removing some other RNG/grind based system, including the acquisition of a precursor weapon.

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The big, PAX round-up topic

Today, Arenanet is presenting their heart of thorns panel.  This thread will be updated with all announcements, important quotes, and information that is relevant.  If you wish to view the panel, you can view it on the official twitch channel.  Be sure to refresh this thread a lot... prepare your F5 keys!

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Status:  Conference Finished.  All time are in GMT +1.

18:20 - Official trailer reveals new weapons for existing professions incoming.

18:18 - Official website.

18:17 - Colin leaves the stage.

18:15 - Heart of Thorns is "about the journey."

18:14 - Guild Hall is much more than what it has been.  It's a home and gathering location for guilds.  Guild Halls provide great adventures, a new sort of raids.  Guild Halls act as bases and are grown through those raids.

18:14 - Guild Halls confirmed.

18:14 - Stronghold allows teams to register as guild teams.  Guild teams are for leaderboards between Guilds.

18:13 - Guild versus Guild confirmed.

18:12 - Stronghold is a mode based on GvG, except for teams, and with buyable AI.

18:11 - Brand new sPvP game mode called Stronghold announced.

18:10 - Core world versus world will be changed to force worlds to hold objectives.

18:08 - New World versus World borderlands map confirmed.

18:06 - Revenant channels anicent Guild Wars heroes.  One channeling hero is King Jalies, granting the power of the great dwarf to the revenant.  Another hero is Mallyx the Unyielding, which can be channeled to use conditions and turn them against the enemies.

18:05 - Revenant profession allows control over the powers of the mists, Rytlock first revenant.

18:04 - Revenant profession confirmed, heavy.

18:03 - Another specialization:  "Why do all necromancers get greatswords?  It's another specialization!"

18:02 - Specializations allow each profession to learn one trait or mechanic that are not part of the core, almost like a second profession.  Colin Johanson gives an example:  "Rangers in the jungle should be able to master jungle connection elements.  So, a ranger can learn the ways of the druid.  When a ranger learns the druid mechanics, they can use the staff and learn new profession utility skill, healing skills, and mechanics."

18:01 - Brand new legendaries and precursors part of the expansion.

18:00 - Precursor crafting confirmed.

17:59 - Collections and crafting are also part of mastery.

17:57 - There will be mastery chains that focus on combo and combat changes.

17:57 - Another mastery is the ability to master languages of civilizations in the jungle, and gain lore.

17:56 - Hang gliders confirmed as a mastery trait.

17:54 - All level 80 character get masteries.  All masteries must be earned once, and are account bound upon unlocking/mastering.

17:53 - Heart of Thorns takes and focuses on the concept of bringing players together... making others should make you happy, according to Colin.

17:51 - The end of the Guild Wars one story is the start of the heart of thorns expansion.

17:50 - Maguuma region are incoming.  Deemed "area."  Consists of three biomes... the roots, the canopy, and the heart.

17:48 - Colin will go through all major features in the expansion.

17:47 - Colin "colinsmile" Johanson incoming, Mike O'Brien thanks fans for loyalty and patience.

17:46 - Heart of Thorns is not about loose features, it's one huge feature chain.

17:46 - Profession Specializations announced.

17:45 - New Group challenges are based on mastery mastery.

17:44 - Maguuma Jungle is a vertical environment.

17:43 - Masteries announced.  New character progression system.

17:42 - Max level characters with top-tier gear now will remain that way at the end of the expansion.

17:41 - O'Brien discusses problem with modern expansions:  gear and loot tiers, character degression.

17:40 - Mike O'Brien mentions GW2 development, from manifesto, to 40 LS updates, to now.

17:37 - Mike O'Brien confirms expansion.

17:36 - Trailer ended... contains flying combat, huge new zones.

17:34 - Trailer.

17:33 - "Mordremoth in Maguuma Jungle, so that's where we're heading next."

17:32 - Recap of season 2.

17:30 - Conference started.  Boomstick orchestra welcome Mike O'Brien.

17:28 - Ambient loading screen ends the pre-show.  Preparing for conference.

17:27 - Boom stick orchestra prepares for conference.

17:16- Arenanet's Rubi Bayer confirms that that next weeks' point of interests show will be a more in-depth look at many announcement of Heart of Thorns.

17:13 - Live Stream has begun, with Jennifer Hale (the voice of Queen Jennah, among many) doing some pre-show speculation.  Discussion is about the amount of people and audience polling. Back to Top

PSA:  Arenanet aware of ongoing disconnection issues

As Arenanet prepares to announce what comes beyond the point of no return, their servers have also reached the point of no return and are throwing gamers out of the game with constant disconnects.  This issue has been ongoing for 12 hours since the evening of the 23rd of January.  Arenanet has updated players stating they are working on a hotfix for the issue, and that this is a problem on their end



Be sure to stay tuned to Guru for coverage of the announcements later today, including a liveblog of the announcements for those that cannot watch the stream. Back to Top

In an effort to fuel the hype train even more, ArenaNet has given us ten single day badges for PAX South this Saturday. And since we love you all so much, we're giving them to you guys. Though keep in mind there are a few points to consider before you place dibs on a pass.

• You need to already have the means to attend the San Antonio, Texas area for the convention. The passes will be on hold for you at will call at the convention center.
  
• In order to claim the pass at will call, you will need a valid government issued ID.
  
• ArenaNet is having a panel on Saturday at 10:30am, so you'll need to be our eyes and ears. Post whatever juicy bits of info you can on your return, and you'll no doubt be praised as a god.

Also, you need to post in this thread by 11:59 PM Tuesday (yes, tomorrow) so we can give your name to ArenaNet in time. There are only ten badges available, so make sure you post sooner rather than later if you want one. (Note: I will edit your post saying your pass is reserved.)

If you have any questions, let me know via private message and I'll do my best to answer them.

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Preview of Upcoming Balance Changes

Arenanet has provided a preview of the upcoming balance changes for the 27 January 2015 patch.  The changes in this patch were made with "future content" in mind.  You can find the official post here.


Balance Changes:
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LIVING WORLD
Point of No Return
Heroes stand at a precipice as Tyria hurtles toward a point of no return. The Pact Fleet is poised to launch its assault on Mordremoth. The search for Caithe—and Glint’s egg—is narrowing, yet the future is uncertain. What answers will be revealed inside the cave?

Achievements
After completing Point of No Return, showcase your tactical mastery as a hero of Tyria by completing challenging, episode-related achievements.

Rewards

• Players can now complete their Carapace and Luminescent armor sets!
  
  • Collect Carapace Headgear Boxes by completing the Point of No Return episode. Additional boxes can be purchased for bandit crests.
    
  • Collect Carapace Coat Boxes by defeating the imposing Mordrem Vinewrath.
• Complete the Bioluminescence collection to receive a new title, a choice of ascended armor pieces, and five transmutation charges.
  
• Want some help completing your Luminescent boots and leg armor? Mordrem spleen and bladder extractors are now available for purchase with bandit crests.
  
• Complete the Point of No Return episode to receive various rewards, including a bandit chest for your home instance!
  
• Players who go up against the Mordrem Vinewrath will receive the Hero of the Wastes boon that grants 50% bonus magic find and extra bandit crests from various events throughout the map.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
Profession Skills
Guardian

• Hammer Swing / Hammer Bash: Fixed a bug that prevented the Number of Targets facts on these skills from displaying.
  
• Sanctuary: Fixed a bug that caused the Master of Consecrations trait to create a duplicate skill fact.

Mesmer

• Illusionary Leap: Removed the ability to use this skill in midair.

Necromancer

• Lich Form:
  
  • Deathly Claws: Added a Pierces skill fact.
    
  • Marked for Death: Updated the Damage skill fact to correctly scale with the Spiteful Marks trait.

Ranger

• Piercing Arrows: Added Pierces and Targets per Arrow skill facts.
  
• Mighty Swap: Added a Combat Only trait fact.
  
• Vigorous Training: Added a Combat Only trait fact.

Warrior

• Fan of Fire: Added Pierces and Targets per Arrow skill facts.
  
• Combustive Shot: Fixed a bug that caused the Damage skill fact to display a lower amount than the actual damage when Burst Mastery was equipped.

Structured Player vs. Player

• Adjusted matchmaking for parties with higher-skilled players.
  
• Added an accumulating grace period for disconnects, allowing players to reconnect and finish the game without receiving dishonor or taking a loss.
  
• Losses will not count toward the leaderboard standings if a teammate outside your party has deserted.
  
• Party members will receive a desertion leaderboard standing if a member of their party has deserted the game, but only the deserting player will receive dishonor.
  
• Matchmaking ratings will not be updated if a game has player desertions.
  
• Fixed a bug that prevented players from properly leaving a queue.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused players to receive dishonor multiple times for the same infraction.

The winter PvP Ladder Test Season has ended. The following rewards will be distributed to players based on their leaderboard position at end of the season:

• The top 5 players in each region will receive two pieces of Glorious Hero’s armor and one Mini Llama.
  
• The top 20 players in each region will receive one piece of Glorious Hero’s armor and one Mini Llama.
  
• The top 250 players in each region will receive one Mini Llama.

World vs. World

• The Toxic Unveiling Volley skill no longer displays on an arrow cart’s skill bar until the skill has been unlocked.
  
• Updated guild arrow cart skill damage tooltips to properly reflect their superior level of damage.
  
• The WvW Sneak Attack special event has completed.
  
  • Player kills no longer score 1 point. Finishing a player while your world has Borderlands Bloodlust will award 1 point.
    
  • Objectives under attack will now display the white crossed-swords icon in World vs. World.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

• Mini Rox is now available in the Toys category of the Gem Store for 350 gems.
  
• A new Mordrem weapon set is available from the Black Lion Weapon Specialist for the limited-time price of 1 Black Lion Claim Ticket. Tickets and ticket scraps can be found in Black Lion Chests.
  
• The new Ghostly Mail Courier mail carrier is available in the Upgrades category of the Gem Store for 500 gems.
  
• New exclusive colors for hair and eyes are now included in Total Makeover Kits, available in the Services category of the Gem Store for 350 gems.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed a bug in which finishers would sometimes reset to the default finisher after interaction with the Hero panel.

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Wintersday has come and gone, as has its fun and cheer. Now it's time for the Living Story to continue as the plot thickens with the Point of No Return. The teaser trailer in all its glory can be seen below.

Yep. Get hyped.

We also have a contest to run alongside the new chapter. ArenaNet has provided us with 20 Rytlock Brimstone t-shirts to give away to those who prove themselves this next week.

• Silverwastes Screenshot Contest (10 Winners): Post a selfie with a Mordremoth vine, or grab a shot of the most breathtaking vista in the Silverwastes. Anything from episodes 5-8 are fair game.
  
• Haiku Contest (10 Winners): Mordremoth, oh why; Your vines just broke that waypoint; Now I have to walk.

Contest Rules

• T-shirt shipping limited to North America.
  
• Original entries must be posted in this thread by midnight PST on January 13th, 2015 (patch day!).

  

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Arenanet PAX South appearance

The Penny Arcade Expo (shorthand PAX) has confirmed that Arenanet's president and founder Mike O'Brien will be appearing with game director Colin Johanson to discuss what is happening with Guild Wars 2 after the Living Story patch of the 13th of January, which is deemed to be "the point of no return."  The panel will take place on the 24th of January 2015.  You can read more about this on the PAX announcement page.

The panel description hints at new information regarding the game and its updates for the post-season 2 timetable.  The final release for season 2 drops the 13th of January 2015.

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Interview With ArenaNet's Bobby Stein

Fansite TenTonHammer conducted an interview Bobby Stein, the lead writer for Arenanet.  The interview focuses on the lore and Living Story of Guild Wars 2.  You can find the interview here.

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Enjoy! Happy Wintersday All!

Festival
A Very Merry Wintersday
The nights may be growing longer and colder, but Divinity’s Reach is merry with the warmth of the Wintersday spirit. Celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of the next in this traditional winter festival!
The Wondrous Workshop

• Enter Toymaker Tixx’s workshop inside his golem-shaped airship—Tixx’s Infinirarium—to corral mischievous toys and set things to rights!

Wintersday Festivities

• Celebrate the holiday with festive traditions: leap from snowflake to snowflake in the Winter Wonderland jumping puzzle, ring in the season in the Bell Choir activity, defend gift-bearing dolyaks in Toypocalypse, and store up precious presents in Snowball Mayhem!

Warming Grawnk’s Heart

• It’s your chance to save Wintersday! Grawnk has stolen ornaments from the children’s orphanage in Divinity’s Reach, and it’s up to you to track them down! If you succeed in your mission, you’ll be able to plant a beautiful Wintersday tree in your own home instance.

Wintersday Gift Tree

• The latest trend in Tyrian holiday decor, these trees provide Wintersday gifts year-round and are attractive in any home, whether it’s in the heart of the Black Citadel or the outskirts of Rata Sum. Receive yours by helping the orphans of Divinity’s Reach find their lost ornaments. Also, the Star of Gratitude provides additional rewards for those of you with empyreal fragments to spare.

Toys and Treasures

• Tixx has an assortment of new goodies for the citizens of Tyria! Complete three new collections to receive exclusive rewards, such as the Endless Gift Box Tonic.
  
• Enjoy other festive rewards like the new Magnanimous Choir Bell and the Rime-Rimmed Mariner’s Rebreather.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
New Daily Achievement System

• Achievements have been divided into 3 categories: PvE, WvW, and PvP.
  
• The number of available achievements per day is based on the highest-level character on an account:
  
  • Levels 1 – 10: 1 achievement per category
    
  • Levels 11 – 30: 3 achievements per category
    
  • Levels 31 – 80: 4 achievements per category
• Completing daily achievements now awards players with items and/or experience based on their corresponding content type, such as WvW daily achievements rewarding world experience.
  
• Completing daily achievements no longer awards players with achievement points.
  
• A new Daily Completionist achievement has been added and is earned by completing any combination of daily achievements from the three categories.
  
• Completing the Daily Completionist achievement rewards players with 10 achievement points.
  
• December will be the final month to include monthly achievements.
  
• Existing daily and monthly achievement rewards have been rolled into the new log-in reward system.
  
• For more information, please see this blog post.

New Log-in Reward System

• The first time you log in each day, you’ll receive a new item from the reward track.
  
• Progress on the log-in reward track will reset only after claiming the 28th and final reward.
  
• Players logged in after 4:00 p.m. PDT on December 15 will receive their first daily log-in reward chest after 4:00 p.m. PDT on December 16.
  
• Players last logged out before 4:00 p.m. PDT on December 15 will receive their first daily log-in reward chest immediately after the update.
  
• For more information, please see this blog post.

World vs. World

• The World vs. World Sneak Attack event begins December 16. For the next month of World vs. World, the following rules will apply:
  
  • All player kills will award 1 point of world score. Using a finisher on a player while you have Borderlands Bloodlust will award 2 points.
    
  • The white crossed swords that appear when an objective is under attack have been removed from all objectives in World vs. World. Now a player must scout the objectives in order to see them being attacked.
    
  • All players will receive a Mist War Summons effect, which increases WXP gain by 15%, experience gain by 15%, and magic find by 50% while in WvW.

Structured Player vs. Player

• The PvP Ladder test season begins December 16. For the next month of Player vs. Player, the following rules will apply:
  
  • Between the dates of December 16 and January 13, enter Ranked Arena during the ladder test season and compete for the top spots on the leaderboard to earn PvP-exclusive rewards.
    
  • At the end of the season, the top 250 players on the ladder in each region will each receive a PvP-exclusive Mini Llama.
    
  • The top 20 players in each region will receive a piece of the PvP-exclusive Glorious Hero’s armor, available only through tournaments and special events.
    
  • The top five players from each region will receive an additional piece of Glorious Hero’s armor.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
General
The Contacts and LFG panel no longer resets continually when new entries are listed.
Items
Major Sigil of Leeching: Fixed a bug that occasionally caused this sigil to begin cooldown without triggering correctly.
BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

• A new Gifts Mail Delivery mail carrier is available in the Upgrades category of the Gem Store for 350 gems.
  
• The new Arctic Explorer Outfit is available in the Style category of the Gem Store for 700 gems.
  
• New Wintersday weapons are available from the Black Lion Weapons Specialist for 1 ticket each.
  
• Every Black Lion Chest also includes a guaranteed Personalized Wintersday Gift (for a limited time).
  
• The Royal Pass (2 weeks) has returned to the Special category of the Gem Store for 300 gems (for a limited time)

Source: https://forum-en.gui...9290.1418758524 Back to Top