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<generator>Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/expansions/" rel="tag">Expansions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars-2/" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/the-game-archaeologist/" rel="tag">The Game Archaeologist</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
	<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/"><img alt="Guild Wars Utopia" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2012/05/utopia1.jpg" /></a></div>
Aztecs. Chronomancers. Mounts. Halberds. Golems. Dual wielding.<br />
<br />
These are all but a hint of what a fourth <a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> campaign could have been, a campaign that was under development in the mid-2000s but was scrapped by 2007. Replacing it was the expansion <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/eye-of-the-north/"><em>Eye of the North</em></a> and the workings of a super-secret sequel to the game (which you've probably never heard of). It was the forgotten campaign, swept under a rug while it was still under the rug.<br />
<br />
But what if, in some alternative timeline, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/arenanet/">ArenaNet</a> had gone ahead with this campaign? What if it became an established part of the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> legacy, as familiar to us today as <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/nightfall/"><em>Nightfall</em></a> and <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/factions/"><em>Factions</em></a>?<br />
<br />
What if <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/utopia/"><em>Guild Wars Utopia</em></a> had lived?<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/">The Game Archaeologist looks at Guild Wars Utopia</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/20227066/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/05/08/the-game-archaeologist-looks-at-guild-wars-utopia/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>asura</category><category>aztec</category><category>campaign</category><category>chronomancer</category><category>classic</category><category>classic-mmos</category><category>classics</category><category>destroyers</category><category>Eric-Flannum</category><category>eye-of-the-north</category><category>factions</category><category>fantasy</category><category>featured</category><category>game-archaelogist</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>guild-wars-eye-of-the-north</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>guild-wars-utopia</category><category>gw</category><category>gw2</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>nightfall</category><category>nostalgia</category><category>opinion</category><category>prophecies</category><category>Sidhe</category><category>summoner</category><category>sylvari</category><category>Tannecks</category><category>the-game-archaeologist</category><category>utopia</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Olivetti]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 May 2012 12:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Embark Beach and Mercenary Heroes coming to Guild Wars]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/embark-beach-and-mercenary-heroes-coming-to-guild-wars/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/embark-beach-and-mercenary-heroes-coming-to-guild-wars/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/embark-beach-and-mercenary-heroes-coming-to-guild-wars/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/galleries/" rel="tag">Galleries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/patches/" rel="tag">Patches</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;">
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Do you play <a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> with nothing to lose and nothing to prove? Then you might wind up <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FG1NrQYXjLU">dancing with yourself</a> 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.<br />
<br />
Of course, that's the least of the features <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/gameplay/developer_updates/destination_embark_beach.php">packed into the new update</a>, 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.<br />
<br />
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, <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/Guild-Wars/">Guild Wars</a></em> players have <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/gameplay/developer_updates/destination_embark_beach.php">plenty to dance about in the new update</a>, whether by themselves or with others.<br />
<br />
<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-core-gallery-1/">Guild Wars Core Gallery</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-core-gallery-1/#449039"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2007/10/guild-wars-factions-combat-shot-1_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-core-gallery-1/#449058"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2007/10/guild-wars-nightfall-kamadan-group-shot-npcs-quest-giver_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-core-gallery-1/#449040"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2007/10/guild-wars-factions-combat-shot-2_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-core-gallery-1/#449059"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2007/10/guild-wars-nightfall-kamadan-group-shot-npcs_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-core-gallery-1/#449042"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2007/10/guild-wars-factions-combat-shot-4_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/embark-beach-and-mercenary-heroes-coming-to-guild-wars/">Embark Beach and Mercenary Heroes coming to Guild Wars</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/embark-beach-and-mercenary-heroes-coming-to-guild-wars/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19865802/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/03/03/embark-beach-and-mercenary-heroes-coming-to-guild-wars/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>anet</category><category>arenanet</category><category>awards</category><category>breaking</category><category>embark-beach</category><category>f2p</category><category>free-to-play</category><category>gallery</category><category>group-content</category><category>grouping</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>gw</category><category>heroes</category><category>mercenary-heroes</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>news</category><category>parties</category><category>party-formation</category><category>patches</category><category>player-culture</category><category>prophecies</category><category>screenshot</category><category>screenshots</category><category>subscription-free</category><category>title-tracks</category><category>titles</category><category>upcoming-patches</category><category>updates</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Eliot Lefebvre]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 03 Mar 2011 17:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Best Buy offers Guild Wars Trilogy for $14.99 -- why you need to buy it]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/best-buy-offers-guild-wars-trilogy-for-14-99-why-you-need-to/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/best-buy-offers-guild-wars-trilogy-for-14-99-why-you-need-to/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/best-buy-offers-guild-wars-trilogy-for-14-99-why-you-need-to/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/news-items/" rel="tag">News items</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/free-to-play/" rel="tag">Free-to-play</a></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Guild+Wars+Trilogy+-+Windows/9075056.p?id=1218016140412&amp;skuId=9075056&amp;st=guild%20wars&amp;lp=1&amp;cp=1"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/12/gw-rb-1217.jpg" alt="" /></a></div>
In case you haven't heard, <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/">Best Buy</a> is offering the <a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Guild_Wars_Trilogy">Trilogy</a> at a <a href="http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Guild+Wars+Trilogy+-+Windows/9075056.p?id=1218016140412&amp;skuId=9075056&amp;st=guild%20wars&amp;lp=1&amp;cp=1">serious discount</a> this week. $14.99 for <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars"><em>Guild Wars</em></a>: Prophecies, Factions, and Nightfall. Since the game is free-to-play, a one-time price of $15 for all three games is a powerful incentive to check out the game as a new player. But what if you're a longtime player who loves a bargain? Are you staring at the offer, thinking "Oh man, $14.99. I really don't NEED another account, but..." Never fear, for we are here to help justify your purchase with our "ten things to do with an extra Guild Wars account."<br />
<br />
<br />
1. <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/PvP">PvP</a> against yourself.<br />
2. Hide all your stuff until the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/11/30/guild-wars-account-security-issues-continue/">hacking issue</a> is sorted out.<br />
3. Pick up more presents from <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Nicholas_the_traveler">Nicholas the Traveler</a>.<br />
4. More Xunlai tournament points...<a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/User:Regina_Buenaobra/Journal/Archive_Apr-Jun_2009#Xunlai_Tournament_House_-_23_June_2009">wait, never mind</a>.<br />
5. Lots of <a href="https://secure.ncsoft.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl?dnv=247623435&amp;action=viewItem&amp;item_id=111">extra storage</a> at a fraction of the price.<br />
6. Got friends in two different guilds and torn on which one to stick with? Put an account in both!<br />
7. Lend yourself three more <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Hero">heroes</a> if you're feeling particularly antisocial.<br />
8. <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Run">Run your alts places</a>.<br />
9. Use up all of those great character names that you thought up but didn't have the character slots for.<br />
10. Do <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Zaishen_Mission">Tihark Orchard and Chahbek Village</a> on even MORE characters.<br />
<br />
We're sure you can think up even more reasons to make the purchase -- if it helps, they even offer a "Great Financing Offer" if you need to spread your payments over 18 months. So pick up a little Christmas gift for yourself. Enjoy!<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/best-buy-offers-guild-wars-trilogy-for-14-99-why-you-need-to/">Best Buy offers Guild Wars Trilogy for $14.99 -- why you need to buy it</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Guild+Wars+Trilogy+-+Windows/9075056.p?id=1218016140412&amp;skuId=9075056&amp;st=guild%20wars&amp;lp=1&amp;cp=1>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/best-buy-offers-guild-wars-trilogy-for-14-99-why-you-need-to/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/19285483/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/12/17/best-buy-offers-guild-wars-trilogy-for-14-99-why-you-need-to/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>best-buy</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>guild-wars-trilogy</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Rubi Bayer]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 17 Dec 2009 19:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Massively's interview with Guild Wars CM Regina Buenaobra part 2]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra-part-2/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra-part-2/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra-part-2/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars-2/" rel="tag">Guild Wars 2</a></p><div align="center"><strong><a href="http://www.guildwars.com/"><img hspace="4" height="244" border="1" width="580" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/04/oriental.jpg" /></a></strong><br /></div>
<strong>You have a much more segregated view of PvE and PVP content, do you think this makes the game more enjoyable for players? Will it influence gameplay in future titles, such as <em>Guild Wars 2</em>?<br /></strong>We have different forms of PvP for different player types. We have more easily accessible formats like Alliance Battles as well as more competitive formats like GvG. The various different PvP formats give players multiple options to play and enjoy the challenge of PvP.<br /> <br /> This will have an influence in <em>Guild Wars 2</em> in the sense that we want there to be a similar kind of accessible PvP format, like World PvP, that players can get into easily, as well as more competitive forms of PvP. We want to be able to give players different options, because we know that players will want to play and enjoy different forms of PvP.<br /> <br /> <strong>What do you think you have learned from <em>Guild Wars</em>?<br /> </strong>With the <em>Guild Wars</em> experience under our belts, we've learned that it's worth taking some risks to provide an innovative new gaming experience. We think we've succeeded in delivering a unique online RPG to players. We've learned that players enjoy deep PvE gameplay experiences, and this is shown in <em>Guild Wars: Eye of the North</em>, where we emphasized that deeper style of play rather than a more broad design emphasis where content is spread more thinly. <br /> <br /> Of course, forging a new path and doing something different from everyone else wasn't totally smooth, and we've had learning experiences that are relevant for development on <em>Guild Wars 2</em>. One of the things we would have reconsidered in hindsight is the fact that adding a large number of skills to the game increases the complexity of the system, and increases the amount of information that a player feels she has to absorb. This is potentially overwhelming, especially for new players. One of the strongest design decisions the team made was the use of instancing, which gives players a personal experience and the feeling that they have an impact and a stake in the destiny of the world. In games where there's more persistence, players don't feel that same kind of power. Having said that, persistent worlds give players a stronger sense of a world that's alive with the excitement and activity of other players. <em>Guild Wars</em> is unique from other games in a similar genre, both in the design sense and in terms of its business model, and we continue to be successful, so the lesson there is that it was worth taking those risks.<br /> <br /><strong>Is there anything in particular you are looking to improve upon in terms of gameplay or storyline in future?<br /> </strong>Our <em>Guild Wars</em> Live Team is continuing to work on improving the game through smaller monthly tweaks as well as more substantial content updates. We don't have specific details on what's in store for the immediate future.<br /> <br /> In terms of <em>Guild Wars 2</em>, we've got a lot of great ideas, but you'll just have to wait and see when we're ready to start talking about them in more detail.<br /> <br /><a href="http://www.guildwars.com/"><img hspace="4" height="244" border="1" width="580" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/04/lagoon.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><strong><em>Guild Wars 2</em> is on the horizon, are you preparing players for the transition or do you hope both games will be played side-by-side?<br /> </strong>We're really excited about <em>Guild Wars 2</em>, and we hope that our longstanding players will check out Guild Wars 2 when it comes out. In <em>Guild Wars</em>, we have the Hall of Monuments, which records and displays players' achievements. This will help transition players over to <em>Guild Wars 2</em> by giving existing characters some unique rewards in <em>Guild Wars 2</em>. We'll continue to support <em>Guild Wars </em>for as long as players are playing it.<br /> <br /><strong>Over the last four years, has your method of delivering new content changed? Do you think players prefer mini updates or the WoW-style of three or four huge patches per year/expansion?<br /> </strong>Yes. We went from releasing large content updates in the form of brand new games, such as <em>Factions</em> and <em>Nightfall</em>, and our expansion <em>Eye of the North</em>, to shifting our focus on <em>Guild Wars 2</em> while continuing to support Guild Wars with smaller updates. We currently release both mini updates as well as larger patches. These come in the form of our monthly maintenance updates where we do skill balances and monthly tournament updates, and also our less frequent content updates, such as the Fourth Anniversary update, which are larger in scope. Less frequent, larger updates give the Live Team more time for planning and development for larger projects.<br /> <br /><strong>Do you think the player community has been an important part of the <em>Guild Wars</em> experience?<br /> </strong>Absolutely. Our players have a strong voice at ArenaNet through our community managers, me and Martin Kerstein, as well as other members of the studio who take an interest in community matters. Some of the features being released in the Fourth Anniversary Update are very popular requests in the community-in particular, the expanded options for item storage and the Zaishen Menagerie. We have a few surprises up our collective sleeves, and the community has definitely asked for them.<br /> <br /><em> Guild Wars</em> wouldn't be what it is today without our player community. Our community is passionate and they continue to show their enthusiasm and excitement, whether it's through holding in-game community events, helping new players in and out of the game, showing up to support us at gaming conventions, or contributing articles on our Wiki.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.guildwars.com/"><img hspace="4" height="448" border="1" width="580" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/04/cow.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /><strong>Anything you can tell us about <em>Guild Wars 2</em>? How is development progressing?<em><br /></em> </strong><em>Guild Wars 2</em> is going to be a much bigger game than the original <em>Guild Wars</em>. Our development team is twice as large as the dev team for <em>Guild Wars</em>, so we're putting a lot of development resources into it. We have regular company-wide play sessions in <em>Guild Wars 2</em>, and it's a blast to play with everyone. The development team also does regular playtesting every day. I can say that it's an absolutely gorgeous game and I'm always astounded at how great our artists are at bringing a world to life.<br /> <br /> We're not ready to share more just now, but stay tuned for more information later this year. Keep in mind that unlike most development teams, we've been very open about our decision to start development on <em>Guild Wars 2</em> right from the very beginning. We've also been building almost everything in <em>Guild Wars 2</em> from the ground up. A lot of games start development in total secrecy before fans even hear a whisper about it. Our fans have been clamouring for news and updates, and we know it feels like a long time for them. When <em>Guild Wars 2</em> is released, they'll see that it was worth the wait.<br /><br /><strong> Do you think players will find it easy to move so far in to the game's future?</strong><br />While we are going to have a fresh start with <em>Guild Wars 2</em>, we're also going to ensure that players still feel a close connection with the lore and mythology of the world. For existing player characters, they'll feel connected to the past of Tyria through the Hall of Monuments, which is where their current <em>Guild Wars</em> characters record their achievements.<br /><br /><strong>Anything else you'd like to add?<br /> </strong>Be sure to check out all the details of the <em>Guild Wars</em> Fourth Anniversary celebrations on our official website!<br /><br />
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<div align="center"><a class="gButtonLink" href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/">&lt;&lt; Regina Buenaobra interview part one</a> </div>
</div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra-part-2/">Massively's interview with Guild Wars CM Regina Buenaobra part 2</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra-part-2/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1526923/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra-part-2/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>guild-wars-eye-of-the-north</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>regina-buenaobra</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Smith]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Massively's interview with Guild Wars CM Regina Buenaobra]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-real-world/" rel="tag">Events, real-world</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/interviews/" rel="tag">Interviews</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.guildwars.com/"><em><img hspace="4" height="204" border="1" width="580" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2009/04/fourgirl.jpg" /></em></a><br /><br /></div>
<em>ArenaNet and NCSoft are celebrating the fourth anniversary of free-to-play MMO </em><a href="http://massively.com/tags/guild-wars"><span style="font-style: italic;">Guild Wars</span></a> <em>this month so we decided to sit down an chat with Community Manager Regina Buenaobra about the games success and it's beginnings.</em><br /><br /><strong>How did Guild Wars come about?<br /></strong>When the ArenaNet founders (Jeff Strain, Mike O'Brien, and Pat Wyatt) were still working at Blizzard, they had a lot of discussions about the design underpinnings of <span style="font-style: italic;">World of Warcraft</span>, which Jeff Strain was working on, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Warcraft III</span>, which Mike O'Brien was working on. They thought that it might be cool to mix the two genres, since there was already a lot of overlap between them. Strategy games are more fun when you've got an emotional connection to not just your character but also the game world, and when roleplaying games are infused with a bit of a competitive dimension, that's exciting for players. <br /><strong><br />What were you looking to achieve when you first launched the game?</strong><br />Even before <span style="font-style: italic;">Guild Wars</span> was launched, the team aimed to do something different from what other online roleplaying games were doing. This uniqueness is at the very core of many of the design decisions-for example, the focus on player skill rather than time spent playing. The team wanted <span style="font-style: italic;">Guild Wars</span> to deliver something different from what was already out there on the market, and have it be a success. At the time, it was a risk to diverge from the route that other online games were taking, both in terms of game design and business model. And of course, the goal was to give players a really fun and enjoyable game.<br /><br /><strong>Why do you think gamers have been so attracted to the game?<br /></strong>I think there are a lot of reasons for the enduring draw of <span style="font-style: italic;">Guild Wars</span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">Guild Wars</span> provides a skill-based gameplay experience that includes a brilliant solo campaign. Here, a player feels immersed in a game world through fantastic storytelling and questing. The player feels powerful, in control of their destiny and their ability to influence events. <span style="font-style: italic;">Guild Wars</span> also includes a deep profession and skill system which is really compelling from a strategic sense. The business model-buy the box and play online without subscription fees-presents great value for the money, especially in the current economic climate. These are all reasons for why <span style="font-style: italic;">Guild Wars</span> is still really popular.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Massively's interview with Guild Wars CM Regina Buenaobra</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/">Massively's interview with Guild Wars CM Regina Buenaobra</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1526917/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2009/04/27/massivelys-interview-with-guild-wars-cm-regina-buenaobra/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>guild-wars-eye-of-the-north</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>interview</category><category>interviews</category><category>regina-buenaobra</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Lesley Smith]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A World of Warcraft player's guide to Guild Wars]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-guild-wars/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-guild-wars/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-guild-wars/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/world-of-warcraft/" rel="tag">World of Warcraft</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/business-models/" rel="tag">Business models</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guides/" rel="tag">Guides</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guilds/" rel="tag">Guilds</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/mmo-industry/" rel="tag">MMO industry</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/crafting/" rel="tag">Crafting</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/professions/" rel="tag">Professions</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pvp/" rel="tag">PvP</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pve/" rel="tag">PvE</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/education/" rel="tag">Education</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/07/gw-wowgwtitle0708.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
<a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><em>Guild Wars</em></a> and <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com"><em>World of Warcraft</em></a> have been peacefully co-existing for several years now. Considering the fact that the <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/guild-wars/">Guild Wars</a></em> development team over at <a href="http://www.arena.net">ArenaNet</a> is made up of ex-<a href="http://www.blizzard.com">Blizzard</a> folks, you're bound to see some similarities between the games. Or, as is more accurately the case, you'll see some vast differences between the games, as ArenaNet's Jeff Strain and Mike O'Brien set out to make an experience that is unlike any they've worked on at Blizzard.<br /><br />So in this guide, we're going to break down several gameplay elements between the two games, and compare them for those who may only be familiar with <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/world-of-warcraft/">World of Warcraft</a>.</em> We'll go through the differences and similarities between questing, combat, graphics and much more.<br /><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/wow-players-guide-to-gw-questing-in-an-instanced-world/"><strong><br />Follow along to the comparison of Questing in an instanced world&gt;&gt;</strong></a><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-guild-wars/">A World of Warcraft player's guide to Guild Wars</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-guild-wars/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1265141/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/31/a-world-of-warcraft-players-guide-to-guild-wars/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>blizzard</category><category>featured</category><category>guide</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-eye-of-th...</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>joystiqfeatures</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>world-of-warcraft</category><category>wow</category><category>wow-players-guide</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 31 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guild Wars Wintersday in July event]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/guild-wars-wintersday-in-july-event/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/guild-wars-wintersday-in-july-event/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/guild-wars-wintersday-in-july-event/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/events-in-game/" rel="tag">Events, in-game</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/wintersday/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/07/gw-wij-snow-0708.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br /></div>
If you've ever experienced the joy of <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/wintersday/">Wintersday</a> in <em><a href="http://www.guildwars.com">Guild Wars</a></em> throughout the years, you may be excited by the news that <a href="http://www.arena.net">ArenaNet</a> is bringing Wintersday back for a brief time this coming weekend. It's part of their Wintersday in July event beginning at noon PDT on Friday, July 18th and running until 11:59 PM PDT on Sunday, July 20th.<br /><br />This event will not be the full Wintersday festivities, but there will still be access the the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AI2t_bCtmT4">Snowball Arena</a> in Lion's Arch, Droknar's Forge, Ascalon City, Kamadan and the Great Temple of Balthazar. There will also be Wintersday-themed drops from all monsters throughout Tyria. You could probably consider this Wintersday-lite, since there will be no battle between Grenth and Dwayna, and no special headgear given away.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/guild-wars-wintersday-in-july-event/">Guild Wars Wintersday in July event</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10308526>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/guild-wars-wintersday-in-july-event/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1257765/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/07/16/guild-wars-wintersday-in-july-event/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-eye-of-th...</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>wintersday</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[A glimpse into Guild Wars gameplay]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/a-glimpse-into-guild-wars-gameplay/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/a-glimpse-into-guild-wars-gameplay/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/a-glimpse-into-guild-wars-gameplay/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/crafting/" rel="tag">Crafting</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/opinion/" rel="tag">Opinion</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-three-year-anniversary-prophecies-and-factions/772611/"><img hspace="4" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/06/bbq.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
In the <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/19/guild-wars-the-best-solo-quasi-mmog-out-there/">continuing adventures</a> of <a href="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?page_id=148">Shamus</a> over at <a href="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/">Twenty-Sided</a>, his <a href="http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1718">latest blog entry</a> treats us to his further impressions of <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/products/guildwars/default.php"><em>Guild Wars: Prophecies</em></a>. This time he delves into the <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/gameplay/default.php">gameplay</a> and how much he appreciates a real story in an online game. He also touches on leveling, skills, crafting, looting and a slight revisit to exploration.<br /><br />We find Shamus' recent discovery of <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/">Guild Wars</a></em> interesting, as it seems so long since someone has truly discovered this game for the first time. His opinions, while not always positive towards the game, are truthful and thorough. During his final paragraph, he makes the very valid point that if there was a better trial period for this game (aside from buying a <a href="http://www.guildwars.com/products/extras/trilogytrial/default.php">10-hour trial disk</a> at a store for $2), more people might realize that <em>Guild Wars</em> could possibly be the cure for those who dislike the traditional RPG/MMO formula.<p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/a-glimpse-into-guild-wars-gameplay/">A glimpse into Guild Wars gameplay</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.shamusyoung.com/twentysidedtale/?p=1718>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/a-glimpse-into-guild-wars-gameplay/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1232229/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/06/21/a-glimpse-into-guild-wars-gameplay/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>arenanet</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>shamus</category><category>twenty-sided</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 21 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Guild Wars: A guide to Heroes]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/galleries/" rel="tag">Galleries</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/classes/" rel="tag">Classes</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/game-mechanics/" rel="tag">Game mechanics</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guides/" rel="tag">Guides</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/pve/" rel="tag">PvE</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/academic/" rel="tag">Academic</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/education/" rel="tag">Education</a></p><em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-heroes-gallery/796657/"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" align="right" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/05/liviasm.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.guildwars.com">Guild Wars</a></em> has been an innovator in so many different aspects of the MMO genre, but none more than the introduction of ally NPCs to fill out a party and make soloing easier.<br /><br />This was nothing new to online gaming though. <a href="http://www.blizzard.com/us/diablo2/"><em>Diablo</em></a> did it way before <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/">Guild Wars</a></em>, but <em>GW</em> refined the process with <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Henchmen">Henchmen</a>. They made it simple to hire a few NPCs standing around near the city gate and get them to join your party for their share of the loot. It started out simple enough, but it eventually evolved into something much more advanced (and exciting) with <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Hero">Heroes</a>.<div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-heroes-gallery/">Guild Wars Heroes Gallery</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-heroes-gallery/#796635"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2008/05/koss_thumbnail.jpg" alt="Koss - Warrior" title="Koss - Warrior" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-heroes-gallery/#796666"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2008/05/dunkoro_thumbnail.jpg" alt="Dunkoro - Monk" title="Dunkoro - Monk" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-heroes-gallery/#796655"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2008/05/melonni_thumbnail.jpg" alt="Melonni - Dervish" title="Melonni - Dervish" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-heroes-gallery/#796660"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2008/05/jin_thumbnail.jpg" alt="Acolyte Jin - Ranger" title="Acolyte Jin - Ranger" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/guild-wars-heroes-gallery/#796641"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2008/05/sousuke_thumbnail.jpg" alt="Acolyte Sousuke - Elementalist" title="Acolyte Sousuke - Elementalist" /></a></div><p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>Guild Wars: A guide to Heroes</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/">Guild Wars: A guide to Heroes</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 09 May 2008 16:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1190411/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/05/09/guild-wars-a-guide-to-heroes/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>featured</category><category>gallery</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-eye-of-the-north</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>henchmen</category><category>heroes</category><category>how-to</category><category>npcs</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 09 May 2008 16:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[It's never too late to start playing Guild Wars]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/its-never-too-late-to-start-playing-guild-wars/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/its-never-too-late-to-start-playing-guild-wars/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/its-never-too-late-to-start-playing-guild-wars/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/fantasy/" rel="tag">Fantasy</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/tips-and-tricks/" rel="tag">Tips and tricks</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/hands-on/" rel="tag">Hands-on</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/academic/" rel="tag">Academic</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://www.guildwars.com"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2008/04/gwen-scr002-lrg.jpg" alt="" /></a><br /></div>
Haven't had a chance to play <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/guild-wars/">Guild Wars</a></em> yet? You're thinking maybe three years after launch is a bit late? Nah, you're just in time! <em>Guild Wars</em> has so many enticements for people who are just getting into this new-fangled MMO scene, but also for people looking for a change from <a href="http://www.worldofwarcraft.com">their regular game</a>. We're here now to explain a bit about <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/arenanet/">ArenaNet</a>'s masterpiece, targeted at someone who has only heard of <em>Guild Wars</em>, but never actually played it.<br /><br /><em>Guild Wars</em> is different from many of the larger, more popular MMOs we have to choose from today. The main reasons include the fact that it has no monthly fee, it centers around instanced worlds and it is one of the few games that successfully combines <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/PvE/">PvE</a> with <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/tag/PvP/">PvP</a>.<br /><br />So let's start from the beginning and explain a bit about the history of the game and why it came into existence. No, this will not be on the test later, but it is an important piece of back story when considering why it is the game that it is.<p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/its-never-too-late-to-start-playing-guild-wars/" rel="bookmark">Continue reading <em>It's never too late to start playing Guild Wars</em></a></p><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/its-never-too-late-to-start-playing-guild-wars/">It's never too late to start playing Guild Wars</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/its-never-too-late-to-start-playing-guild-wars/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1171875/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2008/04/22/its-never-too-late-to-start-playing-guild-wars/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>beginner</category><category>featured</category><category>guide</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-2</category><category>guild-wars-eye-of-the-north</category><category>guild-wars-factions</category><category>guild-wars-nightfall</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>how-to</category><category>instance</category><category>joystiqfeatures</category><category>pve</category><category>pvp</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Shawn Schuster]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Shots: Looking out over the Sage Lands]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/one-shots-looking-oout-over-the-sage-lands/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/one-shots-looking-oout-over-the-sage-lands/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/one-shots-looking-oout-over-the-sage-lands/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/" rel="tag">One Shots</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/2007/12/os1201.jpg"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2007/12/os1201s.jpg" /></a><br /></div>
Reader Jeff sends in another gorgeous <em><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/">Guild Wars</a></em> scene, this one from the original Prophecies campaign. Jeff tells us he snapped this shot while exploring the <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Sage_Lands">Sage Lands</a> portion of the lush <a href="http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Maguuma_Jungle">Maguuma Jungle</a>. We're not sure what may await the intrepid adventurer here, but it's darned pretty!<br /><br />Are you starting to think that <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/">One Shots</a> is a <em>Guild Wars</em>-only feature? Well we only post what you send us, so if you want to see other games, send your screenshots and stories to <a href="mailto:oneshots@massively.com">oneshots@massively.com</a>. You may see it posted here tomorrow!<br /><br />
<div align="center"><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/">One Shots</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2704109"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os864_eq2_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2700179"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os863_fe_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2695825"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os862_lotro_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2691569"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os861_co_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2687909"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os860_wow_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/one-shots-looking-oout-over-the-sage-lands/">One Shots: Looking out over the Sage Lands</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.massively.com/media/2007/12/os1201.jpg>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/one-shots-looking-oout-over-the-sage-lands/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1052365/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/12/01/one-shots-looking-oout-over-the-sage-lands/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>featured</category><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>maguuma-jungle</category><category>prophecies</category><category>sage-lands</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Elizabeth Harper]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sat, 01 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[One Shots: Beacon's Perch]]></title><link>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/one-shots-beacons-perch/</link><guid isPermaLink="true">http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/one-shots-beacons-perch/</guid><comments>http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/one-shots-beacons-perch/#comments</comments><description><![CDATA[<p>Filed under: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/screenshots/" rel="tag">Screenshots</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/" rel="tag">Guild Wars</a>, <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/one-shots/" rel="tag">One Shots</a></p><div align="center"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/2007/11/os1130.jpg"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/massively.joystiq.com/media/2007/11/os1130s.jpg"  alt="" /></a><br /></div>
Brinstar sends us this shot from <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/category/guild-wars/"><em>Guild Wars: Prophecies</em></a> along with the story of why this particular location is of interest. For non-<em>GW</em>ers, this is Beacon's Perch, an outpost in the Northern Shiverpeak Mountains and the starting point for the Droknar Run. Says Brinstar:<br /><em><br />The Droknar Run is the only way to get to the Southern Shiverpeaks, an advanced area in </em>Guild Wars Prophecies<em>, without first Ascending. Players will pay runners to get them to Droknar's Forge so they can get max level armour available at Droknar's Forge and so they can skip major portions of the game.</em><br /><br />Starting to think that One Shots is a <em>Guild Wars</em>-only feature? Well, you have only yourself to blame -- we post your shots and stories, so if you want to see other games, send us your screenshots! Whatever your story is, send it to us at <a href="mailto:oneshots@massively.com">oneshots@massively.com</a>. You may see it posted here tomorrow!<br /><br />
<div align="center"><div class="postgallery"><p><strong>Gallery: <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/">One Shots</a></strong></p><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2704109"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os864_eq2_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2700179"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os863_fe_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2695825"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os862_lotro_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2691569"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os861_co_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/photos/one-shots/#2687909"><img src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.massively.com/media/2010/02/os860_wow_1024_thumbnail.jpg" alt="" title="" /></a></div></div><p style="padding:5px;background:#ffffcc;border:1px solid #ffff99;clear:both;"><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com"><img src="http://massively.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif" alt="Massively" style="float:left;padding:0 5px 5px 0;" /></a><a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/one-shots-beacons-perch/">One Shots: Beacon's Perch</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://massively.joystiq.com">Massively</a> on Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST.  Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.<br style="clear:both;"></p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.massively.com/media/2007/11/os1130.jpg>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/one-shots-beacons-perch/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/forward/1051603/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2007/11/30/one-shots-beacons-perch/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>]]></description><category>guild-wars</category><category>guild-wars-prophecies</category><category>ncsoft</category><category>prophecies</category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Elizabeth Harper]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 30 Nov 2007 14:00:00 EST</pubDate></item></channel></rss>
