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Flameseeker Chronicles: Zola's a little cranky, and so am I

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, in-game, Opinion, Flameseeker Chronicles

Halloween is here! OK, technically Halloween has been in Tyria for a week and a half, but Mad King Thorn is here today! By now, everyone's hit Lion's Arch and Kamadan to pick up festival masks, we've mobbed the King in the hopes of getting chosen for Rock Paper Scissors, and we've laughed at his delightfully horrible jokes. (And before you even ask, yes, the pumpkin-on-head joke still cracks me up.)

I've thoroughly enjoyed almost all of Halloween 2011 in Guild Wars. Yep, I said almost. There's a single aspect of this festival that stands out very strongly and unpleasantly to me. Follow along after the jump, and let's talk it over.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Zola's a little cranky, and so am I

Flameseeker Chronicles: Zola's a little cranky, and so am I originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Pumpkinhead edition

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, real-world, Events, in-game, Flameseeker Chronicles

Halloween is here! Yes, yes, it's here in real life, but it's here in Tyria as well! Halloween is one of my favorite Guild Wars celebrations for a lot of silly reasons. I love tapping the "R" key and unleashing a string of Ghosts-in-the-Box, I love the costumes, I love the beleaguered citizens of Lion's Arch and Kamadan (they're so funny and mopey in their transformed states!), and most of all I love the Mad King Thorn and his stupid jokes. I know they're lame and I don't care. The pumpkin-on-head joke slays me every year.

As of this writing, the new quests haven't dropped yet, but there's still plenty to do. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look at what's going on in Tyria!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Pumpkinhead edition

Flameseeker Chronicles: Pumpkinhead edition originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Costume design and hints of what's to come: Massively's interview with the Guild Wars team

Rubi Bayer — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Events, in-game, Interviews

Halloween may be over, but it lingers on in Guild Wars. The new costumes and the new Halloween masks can still be seen all over Tyria as players show off their latest dye mixes and combine the masks with various armor sets and costumes.

The event resonates in another way too. We got so many hints and details on new and old characters in Tyria: we were introduced to the Lunatic Court, we met Mad King Thorn's ex-wife, and even Palawa Joko made an appearance. All of this seemed to hint at more to come, and fans were left wondering: is this the last we've seen of all this?

We at Massively were anxious to know too, so we went straight to the source. Live Team Lead John Stumme, along with artists Susan Jessup and Kristen Perry, spent some time answering our questions about the thoughts and ideas behind the creation of the new costumes and masks. In between their answers, they managed to drop all sorts of exciting tidbits about what's coming in Guild Wars.

Read on past the break to see for yourself!

Continue reading Costume design and hints of what's to come: Massively's interview with the Guild Wars team

Costume design and hints of what's to come: Massively's interview with the Guild Wars team originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: I can't hear you, I have a pumpkin on my head!

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Culture, Events, in-game, Guild Wars 2, Flameseeker Chronicles

Yes, that is my favorite Mad King Thorn joke. I laugh like crazy at it every year.

The Halloween festivities are almost over, and as I write this I've got both accounts parked in Kamadan waiting for my Spectercles. You know what, while I'm on the subject of that festival hat, I'll go ahead and address the question of "How do I get a hat?"

Unfortunately, if you are reading this and you do not have the Furrocious Ears or the Spectercles, you are too late. Some festivals keep collectors around for a period of time after the event ends so latecomers can still get the hats, but for Halloween you must attend one of the Mad King's appearances on October 31st to get them.

This year's hats will look very familiar to Aion fans. Not being one of those, I prefer to enjoy my Spectercles from a different perspective and spend a lot of time saying "Awwww!" when looking at my characters in the Furrocious Ears.

So what else has been happening in Tyria? Follow along after the jump to see!

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: I can't hear you, I have a pumpkin on my head!

Flameseeker Chronicles: I can't hear you, I have a pumpkin on my head! originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 01 Nov 2010 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Flameseeker Chronicles: Your guide to Halloween 2010

Rubi Bayer — Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Events, in-game, Flameseeker Chronicles

I've been focusing quite a bit on new Guild Wars players these days and this week is no exception. I'm excited to see how many players are picking Guild Wars up for the first time, or are returning after checking things out briefly way back in 2005.

This week is a fun one thanks to the Halloween festival, and those of you who haven't played during one before are probably a bit overwhelmed. Even those of you who have been away for a few years may be surprised by how much the festival has expanded since you were away.

This week's Flameseeker Chronicles is for you guys -- follow along after the jump and we'll take a tour of this spooky version of the world of Tyria.

Continue reading Flameseeker Chronicles: Your guide to Halloween 2010

Flameseeker Chronicles: Your guide to Halloween 2010 originally appeared on Massively on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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One Shots: A toast to your doom

Krystalle Voecks — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Screenshots, Guild Wars, One Shots

Every year in Guild Wars, the Mad King Thorn invades, demanding that the residents there laugh -- or die. But for all that this may sound incredibly ominous, you can't help but appreciate just how utterly cool the ArenaNet team has made their game look. Today's spooky yet gorgeous screenshot comes to us from Thorband, who captured this image during the recent Guild Wars Halloween events. Add in those especially awesome wings, the grinning moon, and a ghoulish visage, and that's a hard Halloween image to beat!

Have you seen something really, really cool but unquestionably evil? We'd be thrilled if you'd share with the rest of us. Just email it to oneshots AT massively DOT com along with your name, the name of the game, and a quick description. We'll post it out here and give you the credit. (Meanwhile, we'll be turning it into our desktop image for the day!)

Gallery: One Shots

One Shots: A toast to your doom originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Guild Wars Halloween event returns

Shawn Schuster — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Fantasy, Guild Wars, Contests, Culture, Events, in-game, Humor

Celebrating what is now the fourth annual Guild Wars Halloween event, ArenaNet has just announced the return of the Mad King and his cheesy sense of humor. Guild Wars players can rejoice in the fact that this event will bring with it the best features of the previous years, including the popular Costume Brawl which was first introduced during last year's event.

While decorations for the event will begin on October 23rd in Lion's Arch and Kamadan, the event officially begins on October 24th and runs through November 2nd. There will be tricks and treats available as rewards for each event, and the Mad King himself will make his appearance every three hours on October 31st to tell jokes, play some Mad King Says and literally slay the audience. Check out the announcement on the Guild Wars main site for more information.

Guild Wars Halloween event returns originally appeared on Massively on Sat, 18 Oct 2008 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Halloween festivities for NCsoft titles

William Dobson — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: City of Heroes, City of Villains, Guild Wars, Lineage 2, Events, in-game, Quests, Tabula Rasa

We already filled you in on CoX getting some Halloween fun underway, but NCsoft has now let 1Up know what their plans are for their other titles.

Guild Wars players can expect the return of the infamous Mad King Thorn. This joker typically visits different areas of towns telling people what to do, rewarding those that listen and destroying those that don't. The two cities he will make appearances at are Lion's Arch and Kamadan, and you'll need to be around between October 26th and midnight October 31st to catch him.

Lineage II fans will see the "Trick or Transmutation" event for their Halloween celebration. This will involve a treasure hunt for some Alchemist's Chests, to create Philosopher's Stones and unlock rewards. Some of these rewards will reportedly be unique to this event, and if you're interested in trying your hand at the hunt, the event begins October 26th.

Finally, NCsoft is even infusing their unreleased MMO Tabula Rasa with Halloween madness. Those who have preordered the game will get to play a few days early, in the headstart promotion, and will be able to go on missions to earn special Halloween masks.

If you want to find out about the celebrations already going on in CoX check out our previous coverage, and a link to 1Up's article is provided below.

Halloween festivities for NCsoft titles originally appeared on Massively on Thu, 25 Oct 2007 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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