User:Aspectacle/GW2FactSheet

A list of information known about Guild Wars 2 from various sources. It makes no claims to completeness nor to being completely accurate!

General

 * No release date announced
 * Public beta expected in the second half of 2008 - ref
 * No subscription fee - ref
 * Holiday events still
 * Likely to be a Collectors Edition
 * business model of regular expansions/campaigns to continue -
 * 'It was in active design and early R&D as of early 2007.' -

Technical

 * Continued support for OGW after GW2 release - ref
 * No plans for console, still focused to deliver on the PC - ref
 * No in-game ads -
 * "try to keep our system specs reasonable. We don't develop on highly-advanced systems, and we intend to make Guild Wars 2 as approachable as Guild Wars is." -
 * Will have higher system requirements then OGW -

Servers & Persistence

 * More persistence in the world, but instances will still be used. -
 * Events in instances could have an impact on the persistent world (?) -
 * 'explorable' areas as a persistent world, missions and a dungeon will be instanced -
 * Servers/worlds in game, players can transfer between these at will like districts. -
 * Player number cap not finalised "have to put the player cap in a way which avoids both abandoned and overcrowded areas." -
 * Event System which notifies all players in the zone that something big has happened. All players participating in a large event will be rewarded -
 * Trying to build cause and effect into the game -

Movement

 * Click to move will be removed from the game - ref
 * Z-axis to be added
 * Jumping! and other environment interactions - swimming or sliding - ref
 * Target locking still in game - ref
 * "environmental clutter will react should your weapon, intentionally or unintentionally, smash through it" - ref
 * Players will still be able to "teleport" their character around the game world. No significant changes to character transport.

Graphics

 * rewriting portions of the engine in order to provide much greater detail - ref
 * DirectX10 Supported but not required - ref
 * Likely no graphical blood -

Characters

 * Different races (see below)
 * Level cap will be increased, but a cap has not been stated but it could be as much as 100 or have no cap - ref
 * Plateau of power in leveling system. "not going to require players to grind away their life to actually reach that plateau" -
 * No transfer of characters from OGW. Hall of Monuments can transfer some info and provide some items, including reserving character name.
 * It is unlikely HoM achievements will have to go to a character of the same name GG 23/10/07
 * Can still have multiple characters -
 * Don't have to choose between a PvP or PvE type character, A character can play anywhere -

Parties

 * Companions don't take a party slot
 * Side-kick system like City of Heroes "I can do what my friends can do, regardless of our levels. It doesn't mean I can't play certain content because I'm not a high enough level yet" - ref
 * Applies in World PvP -
 * Equalise a low level character to a high one allows a person to participate in PvP without grind. -

Companions

 * assumed to be part of the character, making up for the characters weaknesses - ref
 * customisable like heroes - ref
 * can take a companion which doesn't take a party slot - ref
 * If alone a player will be buffed instead - ref

Professions

 * designed for solo or group play
 * The primary and secondary professions system will be kept - ref

Skills

 * Fewer skills which are less complex - ref
 * Skills might have a different effect depending on the situation of the character. Jumping, surrounded by enemies... - ref
 * Definitely have a skill number restriction, like the 8-skill-system. - ref

Races

 * There are 5 confirmed player races; Human, Charr, Norn, Sylvari, Asura - ref
 * More races to be announced/added to the game later - ref
 * Races are to have different characteristics and also different abilities - ref
 * Possible map access restricted depending on race (see lion's arch)
 * Equal footing - ref

Human

 * On the back foot in Guild Wars 2 ie fighting to survive. - ref
 * Some still in the east of Ascalon in the Ebonhawke fortress. - ref
 * Kryta a "last bastion of humanity". - ref

Relations

 * Charr - obviously not friends with. No open war.
 * Norn - ties but not trusted by the Norn
 * Sylvari - Neutral
 * Asura - Neutral

Charr

 * Control Ascalon from the North to the Crystal Desert in the South to the Shiverpeaks in the west and Ebonhawke in the east. (?) - ref
 * Militant - tribal - ref
 * Divided into Legions or warbands which maintain rule - ref
 * 4 legions - Ash Legion, Blood Legion, Gold Legion, and Iron Legion - ref
 * Sharmans are lower class Charr citizens seen and dangerous and subversive - ref
 * "underlying goal of every Charr leader to prove his own superiority, subjugate his fellows, and raise the banner of one legion above the rest" - ref
 * Believe it is their destiny to rule Tyria - ref

Relations

 * Human - obviously not friends with. No open war.
 * Norn - pseudo-alliance
 * Sylvari - Neutral
 * Asura - Neutral

Asura

 * Skills with magic and crafting - ref
 * Now the best crafters in Tyria - ref
 * condesending and confident, like to experiment for power and magic - ref
 * Control neutral trade routes and try very hard to be neutral - ref
 * Believe it is their destiny to rule the less intelligent races - ref

Relations
Good relations with all, Neutral
 * Human - Good for heavy lifting
 * Others - pawns in their schemes and experiments

Norn

 * Territory in the far North, found throughout Kryta and in old Dwarven forts in the shiverpeaks - ref
 * Individual strength and individualistic race - ref
 * Can transform into a Bear form - ref which makes them stronger - ref
 * At war with the dredge - ref

Relations

 * Human - some ties but no trust
 * Charr - pseudo-alliance
 * Sylvari - Neutral
 * Asura - Neutral

Sylvari

 * Inquistive possibly naive - ref
 * Born adult "as if awakening from a magical dream" and do not age - ref
 * Special connection to others "the Dream of Dreams" -
 * learning before birth and communication
 * hidden whispers behind this of unclear origin or meaning

Relations
Neutral and not as aware of racial issues as much as others. - ref

Ancient Dragons

 * Earthquakes in GWEN caused by awakening ancient dragons - ref
 * Primordus, the first to awake, lives in caverns under Tyria - ref
 * Another rose at/in Orr - ref
 * Another is in Ascalon, which has corrupted Ascalon and its monsters further. - ref
 * Much greater than Glint or Kuunavang - ref
 * Have no interest in being nice to anyone - ref

White Mantle

 * Still around in Kryta - ref

Centaur

 * Still around in Kryta - ref

Dredge

 * Fight with the Norn in the Shiverpeaks for land - ref

Guilds

 * Allow mixed races -
 * 'Home' in Lions Arch -

PvP

 * Entrance to the Mists and the 'Hero's Hall' to be at Lions Arch -
 * Two types; Structured and World PvP

World

 * play characters of any level, using the skills that you have in your possession at that particular time. -
 * relaxed bridging point between PvE and structured PvP. -
 * large scale, no parties, could take place over a long period with people coming and going. -
 * Objective based -
 * In the Mists.
 * Everyone in your world is fighting for the same team and matched up against other worlds -
 * "By achieving victories in these battles there will be benefits to your world," Strain said. "Bonuses, advantages, maybe everyone gets increased energy regeneration or healing rate or enhanced loot drop rate." -
 * Shuffled every few weeks to make sure it is fair -
 * Never required to participate in World PvP but can "gain experience and progress your character" -
 * Design aim is to allow each character to be useful -

Structured

 * Like GvG in OGW -
 * A character is given "maximum level" with everything unlocked. -
 * Level playing field -

Setting

 * Set 250 years into the future of OGW
 * Still going to try and tell a story -
 * story arcs, or bubbles rather than a monolithic story -
 * Try to make the world a place to hang out, have fun and explore -
 * No more "paving barriers you can't get across" -

All setting from ref unless otherwise noted

Ascalon

 * Humans but entirely pushed out of Ascalon by the Charr. The final stronghold in Ascalon is a fortress called Ebonhawke.  Ebonhawke located to the east of the Tyria map (?).
 * Ascalon City held by spirits loyal to King Adelbern.
 * Has an Ancient Dragon

Kryta

 * Human
 * Constant conflict and turmoil
 * Ruled by a queen and senate
 * Many human refugees settled here
 * Divinity Coast == capital

Lions Arch

 * Pirate/mercenary town after flooding
 * Neutral open to all races
 * PvP home

Orr

 * The city of Arah is the seat of power
 * Orr has returned to Tyria through the return of an ancient dragon.
 * Controlled by the dragon and undead minions
 * This dragon and the minions prevent access to Cantha and Elona.

Elona

 * Ruled by Palawa Joko
 * Unable to access due to the Orr dragon cutting off land access
 * Suggested that this area could be reopened at some time

Cantha

 * Isolationist
 * Players unable to access due to the Undead Corsair ships cutting of shipping.
 * Suggested that this area could be reopened at some time
 * Find some around Maguuma (?)

Other
All information in this section is from ref unless otherwise noted

Order of the Sunspears

 * Essentially wiped out of Elona.
 * Spread to different continents. How significant they are in Tyria is unclear

Order of the Whispers

 * Still exists
 * work in Kryta and with the Ascalonians and maintain contact with Elona
 * Saved knowledge of ancient human history which is now hidden in the shiverpeaks

Dwarves

 * Scattered race very rare to see
 * Made of stone and earth (?)

Gods

 * The Human Gods (Melandru, Balthazar, Dwayna, Lyssa, Grenth) have been largely silent for 2 centuries. It is unlikely they will be as influential in GW2.