Do you play Guild Wars with nothing to lose and nothing to prove? Then you might wind up dancing with yourself in the newest update to the game, which will add a new system of Mercenary Heroes -- turning other characters on your account into special heroes just for your use. And since this update also gives players the option to have a full party of seven heroes, there's plenty of reason to improve alts and play with them even on other characters.
Of course, that's the least of the features packed into the new update, and you may not even need the new heroes with the introduction of the group-focused Embark Beach. Allowing players transport to a multitude of locations and missions, the outpost serves as a waypoint for players to find groups and get right into the action of a mission without any trouble. It's also a hub for services, making it an ideal place for players to congregate and look for any needed assistance.
That's not even touching upon the new daily quests in Pre-Searing Ascalon, the changes to the Survivor title track to make it earnable on an existing character even after that character has died, and a new Minion UI feature. In short, Guild Wars players have plenty to dance about in the new update, whether by themselves or with others.
Reader Comments (25)
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 5:30PM 10thDoctor said
All I have to say is wow. Arenanet...hats off.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 5:51PM (Unverified) said
@10thDoctor Yup. I'm amazed at the level of support ArenaNet continues to provide for this game.
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Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 5:43PM Feend Rendor said
This is how you keep an old game fresh for $0/month. The mercenary hero feature is exactly what I want from an in-game store and a concept I never knew I needed until now.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 5:52PM Twisvel said
Very nice changes. Now THAT is a clever way to gain income on an already old game.
This seemingly came out of left field, I at least expected them to "preview" this first, but I guess it's been a long time since they announced Embark Beach.
This seemingly came out of left field, I at least expected them to "preview" this first, but I guess it's been a long time since they announced Embark Beach.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 5:59PM mechanicalturk said
This idea takes the henchman concept to a whole new level; Build your own party. Brilliant! Does anyone know if anything like this has been done been done before? Any ideas on whether or not this feature will be included in GW2?
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 6:06PM Brianna Royce said
@mechanicalturk Sword of the New World actually has something very similar -- your alts always act as party members for your active toon. I'm glad to see the mechanic make it into more games, especially Guild Wars!
-Bree
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-Bree
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 5:59PM (Unverified) said
WOW! So glad I came back to Guild Wars after so long. I left the game a few months into GW:Factions and I've reinstalled the games earlier this week.
ArenaNet never cease to amaze me. If the plethora of new info and how Guild Wars 2 is turning out wasn't enough they keep making Guild Wars even better than it is... ALL FOR FREE!
Now that's what I call dedication and true love for a product that they have created.
KEEP IT UP ArenaNet.
ArenaNet never cease to amaze me. If the plethora of new info and how Guild Wars 2 is turning out wasn't enough they keep making Guild Wars even better than it is... ALL FOR FREE!
Now that's what I call dedication and true love for a product that they have created.
KEEP IT UP ArenaNet.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 6:06PM Kozuu said
The fact that ArenaNet fine tunes Guild Wars this much even today shows how amazing Guild Wars 2 will be. Even so, I'm sure that I shall enjoy both games for a long time.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 6:27PM Yarr said
Tons of great new features, very nice! I would have been happy to send some money ArenaNet's way in appreciation, if the Mercenary Slots had been reasonably priced; say $5 for one, $4 each if you buy 4, and $3 each if you bought the 8-pack. Instead it is $10 to $45. Insane. So, just like the overpriced storage panes, you'll get no money from me. Crazy, $45 when the complete game is less than that. Sell a few at crazy high price or sell tons at a reasonable price. ArenaNet needs to hire some decent bean counters.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 6:32PM Randomessa said
AUGHHHH *screams like Airbender frothy-mouthed fan*
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 7:16PM PiOmega said
The Pre-Searing changes are good, the best area/part of the game :)
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 8:55PM (Unverified) said
Arenanet is surely a great developer, and the amount of respect they have for their fanbase is touching. But Guild Wars is too old to me now, I tried going back to it but I couldn't stand it anymore. Maybe I'm too attached to WASD-style now, but the game engine lacks improvement, like Turbine did with the high resolution packs. I know you can move with WASD in GW but I meant the overall style of gameplay.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 9:06PM Mikx said
Embark beach looks fantastic, after a quick look I love the interface changes and perhaps most of all, thank you for giving me my life back with the drunk title change.
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 9:20PM mszv said
Haven't played in awhile -- though I do love it. I have a character I planned to keep permanently in presearing. Think I'll check it out!
Posted: Mar 3rd 2011 10:58PM DevilSei said
Excuse me... I... I think I need to change my pants...
A certain "Lonely Island" song knows what I'm talking about
A certain "Lonely Island" song knows what I'm talking about
Posted: Mar 4th 2011 4:39AM kgptzac said
This gotta be the most state-of-art upgrade patch I've encountered in an established game that doesn't suck. I praise the fact that ArenaNet not only knows what players want, but also knows what players *yet* to want, and on top of all, they deliver.
Yes. It feels much better to vent my inner fanboism out.
Yes. It feels much better to vent my inner fanboism out.
Posted: Mar 4th 2011 8:07AM Kovnic said
Love the update. Having a party full of heroes opens up so much more of the game to those of us that came to GW late and missed it at its peak.
That said, I really dont see the point of the "Merc" heroes content. Its WAY over priced and adds nothing to the actual game other than "basically" re-skinning the Heroes to look like your alts. You can do everything you can do with the "merc" content by just using the ingame Heroes, and it costs you nothing. - It just seems like an expensive "fluff" option, and one I wont be using.
I also REALLY hope this pricing is not indicative of possible prices of GW2 micro transactions, if it is...I can see that being the 1st and only current "downside" to GW2 for me.
That said, I really dont see the point of the "Merc" heroes content. Its WAY over priced and adds nothing to the actual game other than "basically" re-skinning the Heroes to look like your alts. You can do everything you can do with the "merc" content by just using the ingame Heroes, and it costs you nothing. - It just seems like an expensive "fluff" option, and one I wont be using.
I also REALLY hope this pricing is not indicative of possible prices of GW2 micro transactions, if it is...I can see that being the 1st and only current "downside" to GW2 for me.
Posted: Mar 4th 2011 1:51PM DevilSei said
@Kovnic
It's not "reskinning", its converting your characters into a hero for use on the account. You are limited to a certain number of classes through the heroes.
Now, if you wanted for some reason, you can run a 7-hero DiscordWay, as long as you train up 4 more characters as Necros.
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It's not "reskinning", its converting your characters into a hero for use on the account. You are limited to a certain number of classes through the heroes.
Now, if you wanted for some reason, you can run a 7-hero DiscordWay, as long as you train up 4 more characters as Necros.


