Fansite Friday/WCE

Fansite:  Special Edition

Date:  02 December 2005

Number:  63

url:  http://www.guildwars.com/events/press/interviews/fansite-friday63.php

The qualification season for the Guild Wars World Championship is drawing to a close. On January 1, 2006, all of us will know which teams will be participating in the Regional Playoffs. We wish the best of luck to all guilds – it’s getting even more exciting as time goes by!

We plan to provide a full list of championship rules and expectations by the end of next week. However, in the meantime, we know that players have asked many questions, and we’d like to provide a little information today. So here are a handful of popular and timely questions from fansite forums:

Q&A
Question: How many guilds will qualify for the Regional Playoffs?

Answer: The top 12 eligible guilds from each region, according to their final ladder ranking within the Guild Wars Championship season, will be invited to participate in that region’s playoffs. (In Korea, the top 11 eligible guilds plus the defending champion from last year's Korean Regional Championship will be invited to participate.)

Question: How many teams will be invited to go to Taipei?

Answer: Each region – America, Europe, and Korea – will send two teams to Taipei. These teams will consist of the winning guild from each Regional Playoff plus the 1st runner-up guild in each region. In addition, two guilds from Taiwan will be participating in an exhibition match, as well.

Question: What is the restriction on changing guilds?

Answer: Anyone who wishes to be eligible to participate in the Regional Playoffs of the Guild Wars World Championship must be and remain a member of his or her guild continuously from 12:01 AM PST (8:01 AM GMT) on Monday, December 5, 2005 until the end of the qualifying season, which is Midnight on January 1, 2006 (8:00 AM GMT). All participants will be reviewed, and any player who has changed guilds after the dates and times stated above will be disqualified.

Question: How do regional qualifications work?

Answer: At least 6 of the 10 guild members (8 players, 2 alternates) who participate in the Regional Playoffs must be residents of the region for which the guild is competing. Here is how regions are determined:
 * Players who live in North or South America are considered residents of the American Region.
 * Players who live in Europe or Russia are considered residents of the European Region.
 * Players who live in Korea are considered residents of the Korean Region.
 * Players who live in areas of the world not currently serviced by a Guild Wars region, and not expressly mentioned above, may choose to qualify as residents of either the American or European Region.

Question: What will ArenaNet and/or NC soft require from players and guilds upon qualification for the Regional Playoffs?

Answer: Upon the end of the qualification season on January 1st, the guild leader will need to provide ArenaNet with a list of the 8 players and 2 alternates who will be participating in the Regional Playoffs. (Information on player selection and age limits will be included in next week's update.) We will require contact information for each guild's 10 representatives, including the full name of each player or alternate, Guild Wars user/account name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and birthdate. Guild leaders may want to start gathering or verifying this contact information soon.

Once a guild qualifies for the Regional Playoffs, each player will need to sign and return several documents, such as releases and so forth. But here is something of special note for potential Regional Playoff participants: One of the first things you will be asked to do is provide proof that you have a valid passport (and a visa, if you country requires it) and that you are eligible to travel to Taipei. This proof will be required by January 4, 2006.

Question: Why do you need to see my passport by January 4, 2006?

Answer: We need to be sure that every team that participates in the Regional Playoffs also is able to field a team in Taipei. That’s sort of the whole reason behind the Regional Playoffs. ;) We will ask each player who is named on the Regional Playoffs list to provide proof of passport as soon as the qualification season ends. That means the first week in January, we’re going to be collecting proof that you have a passport. If your guild is in contention to be invited to Taipei, you should be thinking about your passport now. In other words, you are strongly encouraged to not wait until the qualification seasons ends to apply for a passport (and a visa if your country requires one for travel to Taipei, Taiwan) but to apply right away. For after all, passports can take several weeks to process, and the deadline for proof is less than five weeks away.

Now, there is usually a fee associated with getting a passport and/or visa, and such fees will be the responsibility of each individual. But keep in mind that the cost of obtaining a passport is reasonable and most passports are valid for many years. We suggest that you give this matter some thought. You should take whatever actions you feel are appropriate and reasonable in this regard, of course. But do be aware that you will need to show proof of having a passport in order to participate in the Regional Playoffs, and of course you will be required to have a passport in order to travel to and participate in the Guild Wars World Championship in Taipei, Taiwan.

Question: When will you publish the full set of rules for the Guild Wars World Championship

Answer: We hope to have the full set of rules available by the end of next week. The document is currently undergoing review on an international scale, and it is our intention to publish the final rules as soon as possible.

We want to thank the more than one million players who support Guild Wars and the Guild Wars World Championship!