Fansite Friday/Crossing Tyria

Fansite:  Crossing Tyria

Date:  22 July 2005

Number:  52

url:  http://www.crossingtyria.com/v7/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=765&Itemid=2

Q&A
Question:  Faction was recently implemented into Guild Wars to alleviate the concerns that the PvP community had regarding their ability to unlock skills and runes in a timely manner. Is ArenaNet satisfied with the end result of faction and how it has effected the PvP community? Should we expect to see more changes to faction in the near future?

Answer: Well, first of all, the change naturally came about as a means to address concerns regarding PvP play. But given the heat of this issue, and the sometimes-divisive discussions surrounding it, it’s important to say that we didn’t make the change to pander to any specific group. In the end, the change was made in order to assure that each type of gameplay has a certain type of reward.

We believe that few players fall into the "I only play PvE" or "PvP is the only kind of gaming I do" categories. Instead, we’re pretty convinced that most players enjoy both types of gameplay, even if they have a preference for one form or the other. The changes we made were intentionally implemented as faction, rather than one of the several alternative means of implementation we could have chosen, in order to pave the way for future rewards. Tyria has a rich legacy of association with many different gods – from Balthazar to Dwayna. In the future, there may be rewards offered in alignment with other gods, or several new and novel ways to gain rewards.

Faction has allowed players to engage in PvP and feel that they were actually making some sort of progress. We know that not everyone is 100% satisfied. There are definitely many adjustments we will consider; there are certainly some that we will make. Right now, we are looking at statistics to see how quickly people are earning faction, and in what manner. I’m sure fans know – based on the history of Guild Wars from Alpha through release – that we will be open to suggestions, receptive to input, and fully capable and willing to make adjustments as they are needed.

Oh, and I should share the news that there will be a sort of “State of the Game” letter from James Phinney coming soon. You will most likely see that letter by midweek next week.

Question:  Will we be seeing any other media use the Guild Wars game environment, such as novels, or even a movie? When will we see GW merchandise such as action figures and posters?

Answer:  No plans involving a novel or movie have been finalized. If we are going forward with that sort of project, we’ll definitely post about it on the official website. As far as merchandise, though, there is nothing I would rather see than Guild Wars merchandise filling the shelves, especially since Christmas isn't too far away. Right now, we (ArenaNet) just had a wonderful Guild Wars hat and a Guild Wars T-shirt produced. This is our third t-shirt design and it features the Guild Wars Necromancer. The hat is our first, golden logo on black. I’m a real fan of both items. The question is, how do we make them available to the fans?

Well, first of all, we have plans to use some for prizes. The Brand the Bosses contest will allow us to get a few of these great items into the hands of fans. We have a couple of fansites that are thinking about organizing formal tournaments, and we are planning to support those with a little Guild Wars “lewt.”

But what about purchases? Well, we’re going to talk to the folks who operate the PlayNC Store and see if there’s a way to get Guild Wars “stuff” on their shelves. Our new business manager (a very nice guy named Tommy Park) is experienced with game-related merchandise, and I’m sure he’ll pilot a program for Guild Wars. And if any fansite wanted to do a poll about “What sort of Guild Wars merchandise would you like to see?” we certainly wouldn’t mind, just so we know we’re on the right track. Games'''

tv''' Question:  Many of our community members have questions about Ranger pets. We assume - based on the rest of the game - that the pets' abilities are balanced; is there any official information available to help players choose a pet, such as their special attacks, strengths and weaknesses? Any plans to add new and/or elite pets?

Answer: You’re right in noting that pets do have differences. Some have more armor, some attack faster, some have more health, etc. You will note that the specifics are not really called out in the game. That’s because, to some degree, we leave at least some aspects of the game in undisclosed state so that the community can figure things out.

Another example of this would be bows: Some shoot faster, some truer, and some at longer range. At least one has armor piercing, too. If you add elements like bow grips and strings, you have some pretty interesting complexity of stats for these items. The same applies to the many pet-related skills used in conjunction with each pet’s inherent strengths.

As for elite pets – none will be coming in the foreseeable future. However, there will definitely be new pets in Chapter 2 and most likely in each subsequent chapter.

Bonus Question: HELP -- Everyone has my hair! Will there be an opportunity to change character appearance, perhaps through an in-game "beauty merchant"?

Answer: I think this is a marvelous idea for a game addition! I cannot predict if it would be rolled out in a free live update or would make its way into Chapter Two, but I just have the strongest feeling that this will be an addition at some point in the future. After all, it serves two functions: It would allow greater customization, which everyone favors, and it would also serve as a gold sink, that is, a way of draining excess currency out of the game economy.

I learned there will be another wedding in Tyria soon. How great it would be to be able to purchase a gift for the bride and groom, or to help them buy special wedding clothes. Sure, items like gifts and special clothes are going to take an inventory slot, and of course, not everyone is going to be enchanted with the whole idea. But I predict if we had such things as hair stylists, town clothes, and snazzy useless-but -fun items that we could share with one another, an awful lot of players would be more than happy to spend a great deal for those options. I know I sure would!

Thanks to Crossing Tyria for your support of Guild Wars!