Flux
“Last Halloween, the Lunatic Court followed through on an ill-conceived plot to free Mad King Thorn from his realm. Seals were broken, bizarre acts were performed, terrible jokes were deciphered, and it seemed at the time that all the fuss had been for nothing.
But since then, instability has begun to seep into the world, gathering in the places where the influence of the Mists is felt most strongly. The instability has resulted in fluctuations – changes that alter the experience of playing in our competitive venues. Fluctuations seem to come and go, bringing new effects with them every month.
The introduction of Flux is a compelling tool to help us keep our competitive formats dynamic, while allowing us to further balance the game. Because slight shifts in the meta are expected from Flux to Flux, it allows us to better target overly problematic builds. If powerful builds can thrive in environments that are not suited to them, we can review the skills to bring them more into line. We want to encourage gameplay where the team that wins does so because they've played more skillfully.
The Flux system is the precursor to several improvements that will be coming in a PvP-specific update. We'll be taking a look at improving some titles, the incentives to play, the rewards for various formats, and more. Look forward to it!
Flux is an environment effect present in Player versus Player areas that changes on the first of every month[1] at 07:00 UTC (11:00 PM PST). Flux affects player characters[2] and NPCs that are party members: henchmen, heroes in the Isle of the Nameless (PvP) and Training Arena, and the "Zaishen" party members and "Enemy" foes (excluding the Priests) in Training Arena.
Current cycle[edit]
The current cycle began in September 2013.[3] This month's flux is highlighted in bold.
| Month | Flux |
|---|---|
| January | Odran's Razor |
| February | Amateur Hour |
| March | Hidden Talent |
| April | There Can Be Only One |
| May | Meek Shall Inherit |
| June | Jack of All Trades |
| July | Chain Combo |
| August | Xinrae's Revenge |
| September | Like a Boss (and The Boss) |
| October | Minion Apocalypse |
| November | All In |
| December | Parting Gift (and Gift of Battle) |
Trivia[edit]
- Flux was introduced in the April 28, 2011 update and stopped affecting the Ascalon Academy battles on October 6, 2011.
- Prior to the May 16, 2013 update, the Flux changed on the first of every month at 00:00 UTC instead of 07:00 UTC.
- There have been occasions when there has been no Flux in effect:
- The first two days of January 2012.
- The first hour or so of December 1, 2012.
- For the first two days of May 2012, the Flux's name and description displayed as "..." and did not "behave as intended"[4]. The reversed effects of Inverse Ninja Law were observed beginning on May 1,[5] until the May 3 update introduced Inverse Ninja Law.
- In 2014, Xinrae's Revenge (previously the June Flux) swapped its month with Jack of All Trades (previously the August Flux), so Xinrae's Revenge would not affect the Dragon Festival.[6]
- Minion Apocalypse is the only Flux to affect a Player versus Environment area.
- Like a Boss and Parting Gift are the only Flux effects with an accompanying effect (The Boss and Gift of Battle, respectively). Parting Gift is also the only Flux with an accompanying bundle.
- Blood Pact and Minion Explosion are unimplemented Flux effects that can be found in the Gw.dat.
Previous cycles[edit]
May 2011 – June 2012[edit]
| Month | Flux |
|---|---|
| May 2011 | Lone Wolf |
| June 2011 | Unyielding Spirit |
| July 2011 | There Can Be Only One |
| August 2011 | Quickening Terrain |
| September 2011 | Massive Damage |
| October 2011 | Minion Apocalypse |
| November 2011 | Hidden Talent |
| December 2011 | Courier's Haste |
| January 2012 | Xinrae's Revenge |
| February 2012 | Keep Yourself Alive |
| March 2012 | Meek Shall Inherit |
| April 2012 | Hive Mind |
| May 2012 | Inverse Ninja Law |
| June 2012 | Bounty Hunter |
July 2012 – August 2013[edit]
| Month | Flux |
|---|---|
| July 2012 | Chain Combo |
| August 2012 | Jack of All Trades |
| September 2012 | Like a Boss (and The Boss) |
| October 2012 | Minion Apocalypse |
| November 2012 | All In |
| December 2012 | Parting Gift (and Gift of Battle) |
| January 2013 | Odran's Razor |
| February 2013 | Amateur Hour |
| March 2013 | Hidden Talent |
| April 2013 | There Can Be Only One |
| May 2013 | Meek Shall Inherit |
| June 2013 | Xinrae's Revenge |
| July 2013 | Chain Combo |
| August 2013 | Jack of All Trades |
References[edit]
- ^ GW Guru post, Regina Buenaobra (archived)
- ^ Wiki comment by Robert Gee, at Talk:Quickening Terrain
- ^ Wiki comment by Matthew Moore at Feedback_talk:Matthew Moore
- ^ Official forum post, Stephane Lo Presti (archived)
- ^ Player observations on the official wiki
- ^ Wiki comment by Matthew Moore at Feedback_talk:Matthew Moore
