Talk:Nicholas the Traveler/Archive 11

August 1st

Let the hunt begin! Kyoraku‎User:Kyoraku‎ 06:48, 10 August 2011 (UTC)

found him in Shenzun tunnels. Just south of Tahnaki, he wants 3 vials of inkIndigo121 15:57, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

So i suck at wiki'ing but can someone please edit this lol Indigo121 16:02, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Oh dear, another rare crafting material. Bah. At least it's cheap to craft. Cynique 16:02, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

for now lol, the price has already gone up 50 gold Indigo121 16:05, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

No, it's 20 (fixed price) plus some materials to craft at an artisan. Buying from a trader is subject to supply and demand, but not crafting. Cynique 16:08, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

I think he means that the price from trader has gone up +50 due to demand. How far from Tahnakai you found him? I'm already exploring the area trying to find him. EDIT: Just found him.Lokheit 16:13, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

My bad, didn see you said "to craft," I'm gonna make so many and sell them lol Indigo121 16:24, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Luckily I had both dust and plant fibers in abundance too. I've been dead set on not ending up in the "trader is sold out of everything you need" situation again. :P 85.19.140.9 16:29, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Typical... I start getting my monk finished and something that is in nearly all monk armour is wanted en mass for Nick lol. Snowmane 16:31, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

just got a picture of the route to Nicholas, tho unable to upload it :/ Zora_Diem 16:38 1 August 2011 (UTC)

(Reset indent) For those interested in such things, 24 hours before Nick's request, the price of Ink at the Rare Material Trader was WTB 230 – WTS 330, which is historically low (average of 280 vs typically 330-380 over the last two years).

If Ink follows the pattern of other Nick request rare mats that can also be crafted at an Artisan, expect to see the price to double or more. — Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 16:51, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Wasn't he supposed to be after COLLECTOR items that DROP from foes (as far as I know the only thing that 'drops' these are Dungeon treasure chests)? Yet more failure of ANET to keep the game true to itself (i.e., TGC -- the game cheats). This is quite stupid. Wsears 16:57, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

that's not always sensible 24.130.140.36 17:00, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Why would you still be under the impression he only collects trophies? •••Mora 17:08, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Any detected patterns are speculation by the players (not anything officially announced by ANet). For the record, tho: of 119 requests, only 98 have been trophies, 5 more were salvage items that drop like trophies, and 1 was Vabbian Wine (that also drops trophy-like). The rest did not drop directly: 5 were derivatives (you took a trophy to a collector to exchange for Nick's request), 9 were merchandise (only reliably avail at an NPC), and one was a quest item (the only way to farm was completing a mini-game). — Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 17:10, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

He didn't say 'trophies'. He said items that 'DROP from foes' (caps in original). Ink is the first rare material requested that does not drop from any monsters. However, Herring doesn't either (it's from a trade with collector NPC), so it's not like there aren't precedents for both non-drop items and rare crafting materials- this just combines both. In any case, the needed dust and fibers are so easy to get that I fail to see how this could be a problem for anyone unless they only have Factions and haven't hit Echovald yet, as I'm not sure what fiber sources there are in Factions prior to that. But in that case, at least a Factions only player has more options than someone who only has Prophecies or Nightfall. I fail to see how this is an ANET fail. Hqueso 17:16, 1 August 2011 (UTC) [edited for spelling and to prevent confusion with antecedent post]

Ink isn't the first item that he collected that didn't drop from monsters. At one point, he wanted Elonian Leather Squares too, which also have to be hand-crafted. 184.164.148.90 21:54, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

I meant to say, Ink is the only item that does not drop from foes or salvage from a foe-dropped salvage item. 69.137.69.40 17:27, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

That's not true. I always got ink vials by recycling Stolen_Provisions or supplies 95.16.204.181 17:52, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Alright, I don't usually share trade secrets, but I'm feeling generous: go farm the beach and/or forest in the fissure of woe. Salvage gloom seeds, you get 13-16 per salvage, and everything down there drops dust for no apparent reason. One run should be enough to get you a few ink vials for the yakfucker. –Jette 17:58, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Totally forgot about the salvage from Provisions- thanks for the correction. In light of all the ways to get the needed supplies, I really fail to see what's so upsetting to the OP. Hqueso 22:41, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

"Wasn't he supposed to be after COLLECTOR items that DROP from foes "

Short story: no, Nick isn't supposed to be anything; ANet never promised us that Nick would be anything in particular (in fact, it's possible that he won't make a second circuit or that he'll change his requests). In addition, there have been several items that never drop from foes: Juni Berry Branches, derivatives (e.g. Herring or Mandragor Root Cake), and, technically, Dwarven Ale doesn't drop from foes either. In fact, unlike the branch or the ale, Ink can be be salvaged from something that does drop from foes. And unlike Spiritwood Planks, at least Ink can be crafted from easily farmable common mats.

All in all: this is an easier request than several dozen others. I confess I don't understand why the OP thinks ink is stupid. — Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 18:13, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Agree. I totally fail to understand how having to actually put some minor effort into farming these gifts is somehow cheating by ArenaNet. If anything last week's farm seemed almost too easy. I am happy that they are prepared to mix it up occasionally just to make it a bit less repetitive. Robdalf 19:43, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

To help out a friend not able to spend much time online this week, I just farmed everything I needed to make all the required items. Got more than enough Plant Fibers on two short loops through SE Holdings of Chokhin and ran around killing stuff in the Naphui Quarter mission to get Celestial Essences for dust. In the process, I got enough gold to pay the artisans and have some left over. This took me about 40 minutes, and I was not rushing. This week's is easy. Hqueso 22:48, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

Shorter route

Leaving from Tahnakai Temple is alot easier and shorter to reach him than from Sunjiang District. Da Mystic Reaper 20:15, 1 August 2011 (UTC)

ugh.. i took the poop way.. aggro'd wayy too much and took me 3 tries.. FML.. haha 『♥LadyTemp♥』 04:51, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

August 8th

Another week, another adventure! Kyoraku‎User:Kyoraku‎ 06:48, 10 August 2011 (UTC)

despite the fact its been put on main page already and yet theres nothing here i think i will confirm hes at the location specified.  :) Spark-TBa 16:37, 8 August 2011 (UTC)

August 15th

Guildie doing a feather farm just said 3 Stolen Supplies in Jaya Bluffs Magua 15:26, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed. From Seitung Harbor, go left. Past one or two groups of Yeti's he's there. Disconnect 15:35, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed [1]-Wracken 15:38, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

JUNE 15 FOUND IN JAYA BLUFFS ASKING FOR 3 STOLEN SUPPLIES. --The preceding unsigned comment was added by 108.129.24.204 (talk • contribs) at 15:18, 15 August 2011 (UTC).

Whoever you are, you weren't first to report it. Not even close. So I've moved your announce down, to reflect the real time you added it. Disconnect 15:43, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Actually, he was, but ok :). udas 15:56, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Okay I stand corrected. My apologies. He was apparantly the first. History cannot be fooled. But he posted in the wrong section, where I couldn't find it. It was Magua's posting that led me to go and confirm it for myself. Disconnect 16:28, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

Loljune15th... anyway, this is a good, profitable farm this time around. Also I had a bunch already saved up, so not too painful. 99.239.202.171 23:24, 15 August 2011 (UTC)

August 22nd

Nicho is in UW asking 5ecto per gift xDDDDD btw if any1 founds him... tell me :P

Aparently in Eternal Grove wanting 1 Skull Juju per -- 15:43, 22 August 2011 (UTC)Madpierre

Confirmed, Eternal Grove, little east of the mission (so west of the Vasburg Armory), collecting Juju skulls, screen coming asap (KILL MementoMori 15:58, 22 August 2011 (UTC))

nic screen (KILL MementoMori 16:03, 22 August 2011 (UTC))

yikes, I can't say I've ever seen one of those trophies. 76.164.65.219 16:35, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

I had the same sentiment. I was like, is that thing even real? I guess that's why Nick only wants 1. Hold Me Closer, Necromancer 17:26, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

Well, those who've done DSC have a lot of them =p Bahamut Heroes 20:53, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

You mean dtsc. I never picked up any lol. Kaisha 19:01, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

DSC=DTSC and damn me for selling all that :(--Mark, het Beest 19:07, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

Been a long time since Ive felt like such a noob - but wtf is DSC/DTSC? 86.130.48.245 20:24, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

Drazach Thicket Speed Clear. Hqueso 20:34, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

I have never seen one before. Looks like I am going to be buying them this time. KJZ 21:27, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

These seems as rare as the pillaged goods, I've gotten 1 so far. I won't spend more time, because the time wasted trying to get one could be spent earning cash instead. I guess I'll buy the rest. 85.19.140.9 22:22, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

I've been running from The Eternal Grove to Brauer Academy, which usually spawns 4-5 Gaki and two Gaki bosses. So far I've gotten more rubies (2) than Skull Juju (1). Not that I'm complaining about the rubies, mind you. Seems to be a quick run of just a few minutes, but you can go several runs with no juju dropping. Of course, I've been getting the shrine blessing and running out after a few bosses, so my times could actually be better. May try a few more times as I'm close to getting enough faction to increase my Kurzik title. Hqueso 22:41, 22 August 2011 (UTC)

I'm just killing the 2 Rit bosses in Drazach (solo of course). I've had 15 Juju's in approx. 1½ hour. --Manassas 15:37, 23 August 2011 (UTC)

August 29th

No nic in flame temple corridor (KILL MementoMori 15:08, 29 August 2011 (UTC))

nor vulture drifts or scoundrel's rise, 11 areas left (KILL MementoMori 15:22, 29 August 2011 (UTC))

He's already been found again thanks to the wonderful work of the Wartower folks lol, 2 Kraken Eyes, Boreas Seabed [2] --Find And Seek 15:29, 29 August 2011 (UTC)

Guru says Boreas Seabead, near Milodestus the Wrangler. Wants 2 Kraken Eyes. --Valshia 15:32, 29 August 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed, factions again, Boreas Seabed, south, far east corner, 2 eyes per gift (KILL MementoMori 15:33, 29 August 2011 (UTC))

September 5th

Try Nahpui Quarter, Celestial Essences:

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/nicholas-traveler-location-discussion-updated-t10369450p275.html

confirmed by wartower.de Tub 15:34, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

Noticed how the player is a D/W with a ranger skill? (storm chaser) Edit: spelling error --213.118.50.70 15:36, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

German. Ranger is Waldlaufer, hence the W. udas 15:37, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

Ah, i feel like an idiot =P --213.118.50.70 15:38, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

It's a very common error, don't feel bad :D. udas 15:44, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

Wow... Two Canthan New Year feast ingredients in a row. I wonder how many districts will complete the feast next year... --RoyHarmon 16:38, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

Nick's dialogue doesn't appear to have been updated yet --Combatter 21:00, 5 September 2011 (UTC)

Concept Art

Don't know about the rest of you, but imo that concept art under the map makes an already rather big info box even more cluttered for no big gain in article quality. Maybe put it somewhere at the bottom of the page? razor39999 17:51, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

GWW:BOLD --JonTheMon 17:58, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

But it's sooooo cute <3 - if cuteness isn't a valid measure of article quality, then I don't know what is!

Seriously, I think it's better to keep it in the infobox. Having multiple floating images will inevitably break the layout on some resolution. On both my computers (1920x1200 and 1366x768), the infobox ends next to the Dialogue section, which doesn't really use the full page width anyway, so that's a good place to keep it. Tub 18:04, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

Concept art should definitly stay, but relocating it to a different section of the page is fine. Da Mystic Reaper 20:32, 7 September 2011 (UTC)

12th September

Go go go... Kevio 15:38, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

The shattered Ravines, Near southwest gate to alkani planes,1 sandblasted lodestones --Falcon Blackname--Blackname 16:07, 12 September 2011 (UTC) --The preceding unsigned comment was added by 86.84.168.54 (talk).

I can confirm that, he is next to a bridge, in the southern part of the map... sandblasted lodestones, yuk 77.213.235.141 15:57, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

Another confirmation and a screencap. Hikkiraven 16:04, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

That's just plain dumb after already having had Sentient Lodestones recently. --Manassas 16:25, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

Bah, I vanquished the area last night and sold 3 of the things :( 86.8.81.26 16:40, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

In Poisoned Outcrops near the portal to Lair of the Forgotten there is a number of elementals relatively easily accessible. Not sure about other places. 85.19.140.9 16:54, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

Links with map (from Joko's Domain), in NM you can run all the way.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6084/nic20110912.jpg

http://img823.imageshack.us/img823/9713/nic20110912b.jpg DeoX 17:35, 12 September 2011 (UTC)

Takes about 2 minutes to run/junundu/leg it from Lair of the Forgotten. --File:User Chieftain Alex Chieftain Signature.pngChieftain Alex 08:03, 13 September 2011 (UTC)

19th of September

He is in Vulture Drifts, collecting 2 Forgotten Seals per Gift, according to Guru. Fastest way is from Dunes of Despair it seems; just go through the close by portal to the east

^that was me, I forgot to sign. I just checked Nick and can confirm location and item 77.213.235.141 15:22, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

(stop ec'ing me :P) Confirmed. Right by the other end of the teleport just northeast of Dunes outpost. Many props to wartower.de for being on the ball finding Nick. --Valshia 15:25, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

confirmed: I will not stop ec'ing :P , and indeed many thanks to wartower for their efficient localization(spelt that right?) 77.213.235.141 15:27, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

Not bad, might take this opportunity to vq some of the Crystal Desert. Kevio 15:33, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

To be a bit more specific on how to get there without uploading a map (mine is wrong because I didn't remember the map), from the Dunes of Despair exit, take an immediate left and hug the inside wall. Kill 4 forgotten to get to the teleporter and use the teleporter. Nick is behind you when you get to the other side. --Falseprophet 16:31, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

He wants Forgotten Seals because he's intrigued by the forgotten and wants to study them. He DOES realize that in order to get these we'll have to kill a bunch of them, or at the very least wreck their constructs.--Que Sera Sera 16:35, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

Why doesn't he just ask some of the Forgotten for some info, they are a wise and non-hostile race after all. Anyways Dunes of Despair seems to be prefered but Elona Reach also is a good location to farm them, heck even Thirsty River can be farmed so it doesn't really matter wich mission you choose they all have plenty of Forgotten. Da Mystic Reaper 17:08, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

He's not even trying to hide this week. In an explorable with so many good hiding places he's sitting next to the outpost. Kinda disappointing. -- Kirbman 17:16, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

I have updated the drop research list to show the Enchanted also drop in the North part of The Arid Sea in case people were looking for somewhere else close by other than right outside Dunes of Despair. Lady Elyssa 21:28, 19 September 2011 (UTC)

So glad I had about 60 of these in my bank from when they started Nick. 99.239.202.171 22:59, 20 September 2011 (UTC)

(Reset indent) My best results were doing Elona Reach and Thirsty River missions over and over. You spend a couple minutes getting through the first part, but then have tons of Forgotten to play with. -- Ralmon -- 05:40, 22 September 2011 (UTC)

The enchanted outside the Dunes of Despair outpost is faster to get to. --99.232.78.45 06:37, 22 September 2011 (UTC)

26th of September

He is in Norrhart Domains, east of the Jotun Fight Club, hugging the northern edge of the map. He wants 3 frigid mandragor husks pr gift. Many thanks to Wartower, who kept me updated. (did I rupt someone here?) 77.213.235.141 16:16, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Yupp, he's there. :o Solliloqe >:D 16:17, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Hm... Occurs to me that an easy farm could be in Bjora Marches, zoning in and out of the southwest portal to Norrhart Domains. There are groups of mandragor right by the portal. 193.215.199.34 16:19, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

Anyone got a map?

Sure - it seems one is uploaded for the main page, but not showing, so here:

--Falseprophet 19:39, 26 September 2011 (UTC)

An easier farm might be to farm the two groups at the start of curse of the norn bear.Zebulon 13:18, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

The whole southwestern area of Norrhart Domains is swarming with mandragor. You can rezone from Varajar Fells. 82.143.219.87 15:11, 27 September 2011 (UTC)

3rd of October

Funny that the front page is ahead of the discussion page. The report that Nic is in Yahtendi Valley, wanting 1 Geode per gift, is true. He 's right outside Chantry of Secrets. Not too far from the Blood is Power-boss. Confirmed it myself Disconnect 16:00, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

I can confirm that as well, just go north-east from Chantry of Secrets, in Yahtendi 77.213.235.141 16:07, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

Fuck I'd rather salvage these Geodes instead of conspiring to the mass-murderer Nick.96.240.212.216 23:45, 3 October 2011 (UTC)

10th of October

Ingame player says Grothmar Wardowns, 2 fibrous mandragor roots per gift. Going to check. 85.19.140.9 16:15, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed. He's just south of the rocks that the text "Wardowns" goes over in the map. 70.171.23.16 16:26, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

confirmed, indeed 2 fibrous mandragor roots per gift.

confirmed east of center shrine on ridge--24.56.23.197 16:41, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

As far as farming goes, I've made a few runs now, and from what I can see there are 4-5 mandragor groups in the northern part of Grothmar. As you head south you will no longer find them as it consists mainly of charr. This is only for Grothmar though, haven't made rounds anywhere else. -Rein

i found fastest way to get mine was to leave from longeyes into grothmar kill the one mob to the left when you exit then rezone to make those spawn again, 7 trips doing that got me my 10, under 3 mins per run.Spark-TBa 18:08, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

Good idea, works well. Ursan makes this goes very quickly, can kill them all easily before the 60 seconds even runs out. -- Rein 20:14, 10 October 2011 (UTC)

17th of October

Found in Scoundrel's rise, 3 Bog Skale Fin per gift.

I thought we had done the bog skale fins when he asked for the herring, seems like he can ask for the same item more than once even when that items was required to obtain a different item that he asked previously. Da Mystic Reaper 15:42, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

He is there, in the little swamp cave where Joh from War in Kryta hangs out. He wants 3 Bog Skale Fins, and yeah, he already asked for herrings (5 bog skale fins each??) 77.213.235.141 15:45, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

Seems rude to me, too. But wartower has a JPEG confirming it. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 15:48, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

They're just messing with our heads. All that blither about how he never asks for stuff that is used to make something he already asked for (and, to be fair, he never had until this week), and now they do this... Bah. Cynique 15:56, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

He's not showing for me. I did see and kill the WiK boss but no Nic. Don't tell me WiK bugged Nic out again?? Disconnect 15:57, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

That would be...inconvenient. If you have access to the official forums, drop them a note. They fix stuff like this very quickly nowadays. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 16:04, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

Scoundrel's Rise and Scoundrel's Rise (War in Kryta) are two different zones, effectively. If that's not the cause, then it's a known problem that spawns from quests will affect Nick's presence. 67.213.78.38 18:13, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

This comes up every time Nick has been in Kryta since WiK began. Each time, once someone reported it officially to ANet, they released a fix within hours (if not more quickly). They don't usually fix it if it's a random quest, but even ANet is sympathetic to the fact that you cannot just drop WiK after you have started it; you have to get all the way to the Battle for LA. So, they tend to treat Nick's WiK-releated un-appearance differently.

I'd rather wait for them to fix it than to drop my current Destor/Amilyn combo (in preparation for the Kessex Three). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 18:22, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

I see this too: no Nicholas in the area where he should to be. Of course, I have completed WiK, but I see the WiK foes in Scoundrel Rise, also the WiK allies join my party every time I exit LA. I suppose that it's a consequence of my post-WiK Wanted quest. The mechanics is like this: if you take at least one Wanted, all the Krytan areas become WiK-style instead of normal, even if there is no Wanted quest foes in this particular area. As a result, Nicholas doesn't appear. Probably, solution is in cancelling all Wanted quests, if developers will not fix this problem properly. --Slavic 18:26, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

I have been here with two chars one who has complete the WiK and one who hasn't, both still have other WiK quests active and no sign of Nicholas, will check later in week when quests are completed to confirm. Perhaps dear Nicholas is no fan of the White Mantle and their fellow antagonists. Lady Elyssa 20:32, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

If you have any active Wanted quest and/or any part of the War in Kryta is active, spawns across Kryta will be affected. This has also had an impact on Nick's appearance in the past... and ANet has fixed it. e.g. 23 Nov 2010, 22 Feb 2010 (and other occasions when it wasn't just a matter of dropping a single quest to get him to re-appear).

It would be nice if there was a lore-based rationale, but it's just ANet failing to take the time to double-check his next appearance(s) after changing spawns in the area. Likely, this won't have any affect on the remaining locations since none remain in Factions (potential WoC conflict) and none remain in Kryta (today's was the last). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 21:01, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

(incidentally, they only fix it after there's an official bug report...and since I don't see one at the official forums, perhaps ANet is unaware that there's an issue atm) – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 21:03, 17 October 2011 (UTC)

I dropped a line over at the forums, so hopefully it'll help towards a quick fix. Incidentally, do feel free to post and add any info I may have failed to include. :) -- Elv 08:19, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

(Reset indent) Why does the link on Nick's page to report these errors send you to the localisation bugs page? If I understand right that is for reporting bad translations. Shouldn't the link go to the support forum instead? 109.151.89.145 10:33, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

Fixed. - Tanetris 13:28, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

(Reset indent) "We have been unable to reproduce this issue on both characters that have never started the War In Kryta, and also characters that have beaten War In Kryta. If this is occurring to your characters because of a WiK bounty, or because of being in the middle of the content itself, we don’t consider that a bug." — Zack Nickerson at the forums

• I'm surprised that they don't consider this a bug since they have fixed this exact issue for Nick before.
• I'm surprised that they are unable to reproduce it, since everyone in my guild has reported finding Nick w/o WiK, but they see Joh instead of Nick if WiK is active. (For what it's worth, I just tested and Nick does not appear if WiK is active...at least for my toons.)

– Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 21:12, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

I think you're parsing their statement wrong, the way I read it, they're saying that Nick not appearing when WiK is active is intended behavior. I agree it's surprising they don't consider it a bug though. Guess I'll just wait until Saturday to clear the Kessex Three and inactivate WiK, or do the turn in on a pre-WiK toon. 50.53.143.177 22:39, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

• "Fixed a bug that sometimes prevented Nicholas the Traveler from appearing in Watchtower Coast. " — Feedback:Game_updates/20101123
• "Fixed a bug that prevented Nicholas the Traveler from appearing for certain players. " — Feedback:Game updates/20110222

Zack's reply surprises me in its entirety: ANet previously treated Nick's non-appearance due to WiK as unintended/bug and have fixed it within 24 hours of reporting. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 22:48, 18 October 2011 (UTC)

I'll run some more tests later and update my thread, and I'll copy your update links into it as well, TEF. From what I gather, even people without WiK active are having issues getting Nick to spawn (apparently the map doesn't revert to no-WiK upon completion?), so there is definitely something wrong here. -- Elv 11:14, 19 October 2011 (UTC)

this week seems all wrong to me, not only reports of people having troubles getting him to spawn, but I still believe Anet messed something up with this weeks Collectible/Trophy. Is Anet aware that we already farmed and gave Nick some Bog Skale Fins before, in the form of Herrings?... to me it's the same drop, or maybe I'm missing something 77.213.235.141 14:47, 19 October 2011 (UTC)

"They're just messing with our heads." — something I said Cynique 14:55, 19 October 2011 (UTC)

Recent quote from Zack — looking at a possible temporary fix

(Reset indent) "I appreciate everyone coming in and alerting me of how widespread an issue this seems to be. As Eowin mentioned, we probably won’t have time to actually weed out the root of the problem this week, but I’ll talk to the team about possibly getting Nick to spawn even if Joh the Hostile is there (great idea, Eowin!). If we’re able to do that, the fix would probably go out with our scheduled build tomorrow. Either way, I’ll let you know what I find out.

Sorry this has affected so many of you guys! :(" — Zack Nickerson at the forums

Cool! It's nice to see that the forums are having their intended impact (i.e. ANet getting a chance to reconsider their plans based on multiple bug reports). Zack's last quote is closer to the kind of thing I've come to expect from him (respectful, thoughtful, thorough, and always willing to review previous decisions, if the evidence suggests it). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 16:37, 19 October 2011 (UTC)

24th of October

Season's open! Cynique 15:30, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

Sunward Marches, in the Ost of the Fortress, 2 Sentient Spores 217.236.164.80 15:32, 24 October 2011 (UTC)Dat Devilchen

Confirmed. Tub 15:40, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

Wait, that means he's done it again, collecting something that's a collector request for something he collected before (Bottle of Vabbian Wine). Cynique 15:41, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

So he is consistent then. Main problem for me is that I think salvaged all of these for the fibers and dust the last time he made me farm here. Robdalf 15:47, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

Not only were these Spores one of several methods to obtain Vabbian Wine, they could also be salvaged into key ingredients for crafting Tempered Glass Vials, Bolt of Linen, Elonian Leather Squares, Spiritwood Planks and Vial of Ink! Does that mean he's collecting spores for the seventh time now?

I can understand that some consider Bog Skale Fins to appear twice, since they were the only possible way to acquire Herrings. But here? Nah. There were plenty of other ways for farming the vabbian wine. Tub 16:05, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

As far as I know, there are only 3 ways to get the vabbian wine, that's not plenty in my opinion. A drop from Jarimiya the Unmerciful randomly assigned when he is killed, in exchange for a trade contract (I can think of a better use for a trade contract...) or in exchange for the sentient spores. So the spores were by far the easiest way to get vabbian wine. So yes, I think Nick's done it again.

Herring can only be acquired through fins. Vabbian Wine can be reliably solo farmed (in which case every drop from the boss includes a bottle; I didn't even bother with the spores). That might not be plenty, but it puts sentient spores and bog skale fins in a different category. Trade Contracts are... sort of a bonus method, because, when Nick was first introduced (and the list of items was, ahem, seeded), rubies and sapphires were worth 5k max — at that point, trading contracts for v-wine would be have been a decent deal (7 contacts = 5k max vs 1 contract = 1 gott = 4k min). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 17:04, 24 October 2011 (UTC)

31st of October

I found it - west of Orr entrance, a small island, near Ronan and Ehrgen. 3x Krait Skin. EoTN. Coralline Verse 15:30 31th October 2011 (UTC)

In Arbor Bay, I take it? Cynique 15:35, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

Yes. Arbor Bay. The nearest teleport is to Alcazia Tangle. Map (not perfect...someone should do better version): [3]Coralline Verse 15:43 31th October 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed. Although Vlox's Falls is the closest outpost. --Valshia 15:50, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

its a faster walk from tarnished haven --The preceding unsigned comment was added by 206.248.153.245 (talk).

Is that the same location in Arbor Bay where he mistakenly appeared on 10 August 2009? --Silver Edge 20:46, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

No, he was previously closer to Vlox's. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 20:53, 31 October 2011 (UTC)

11/7/11

Sage Lands, North waterfalls, 2 Ancient Eyes --217.236.213.194 15:38, 7 November 2011 (UTC) Dat Devilchen

Does not appear if Wisdom of the Druids quest is active--78.86.223.243 17:32, 7 November 2011 (UTC)

I can't blame him. Those ghostly druid creatures scare me, too. Poor Yakkington! 76.164.65.219 18:55, 7 November 2011 (UTC)

I suggest farming these in The Falls. not only did I got all my eyes there but I got 3 totem axes and 2 forgotten fans too. --Kilaa1000 19:08, 7 November 2011 (UTC)

Glitched appearance trivia

Someone asked in an edit summary whether we should note (as trivia) the fact that Nick appeared out-of-order in Arbor Bay (for Krait Skins) in 2009...and how detailed the note should be. I think we should:

• There was a lot of speculation then (and recently) about whether he would return.
• Many wondered whether those who received gott from skins in 2009 would be allowed to get them if he re-requested them.
• Many wondered whether the cycle was broken.
• We document any number of fixed bugs/glitches/anomalies that inspired a similar amount of discussion.

I'm always in favor of less-is-more, but I'm unsure of how we can do better than the most recent version of the note: we have to include enough details so that it's clear what happened, why it was not considered a bug by ANet (just temporary and easily fixed human error), and at least some of the above (to show why it's worth documenting). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 19:05, 7 November 2011 (UTC)

maybe just move this trivia to the items (krait skin) page? those who remember about it will also remember the item and can check there. this would reduce the amount of trivia on the main page while giving you enough space for trivia on the items subpage which is rather short of explanation for the double notation of nic at the moment. [[80.137.27.186 20:55, 7 November 2011 (UTC)]]

But this isn't about Krait skins at all, it's about Nicholas and his rotation cycle. Krait skins was just what he happened to be collecting when he appeared in the wrong spot (it could just as easily have been Ancient Eyes). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 21:21, 7 November 2011 (UTC)

Allow me to rephrase: What I was asking wasn't whether to note the mistaken appearance, but rather whether we should bother with the second portion of it - specifically (primarily the bold): "116 weeks later, he re-appeared in Arbor Bay requesting Krait Skins at a slightly different location (original location), ending two years of speculation about whether his initial appearance was part of the original cycle or not." - the reappearing 116 weeks later is meritable (though such precision is unnecessary imo), but the note on the player speculation is, imo, 100% unneeded (we don't document other like things here, unless they're really freaking old notes). Konig/talk 21:58, 7 November 2011 (UTC)

14th November

he is in Cliffs of Dohjok, just a bit south of the portal to Zehlon Reach, requesting 3 copper shillings per gift 77.213.235.141 15:49, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Approved: http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/525/nicholas20111114.jpg/ --87.97.121.142 16:01, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Any guesses...?

So, we are nearly at the end of Nick's grand tour of the world of Tyria. Any votes / guesses / random speculation on what happens afterwards? Cynique 16:18, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Maybe he starts collecting all the rest of the trophies, he hasn't collected so far, but appear in outposts instead of explorables... but I think he will either disappear with some kind of "ending" to all these years of madness or start over, collecting the same things in same areas again 77.213.235.141 16:32, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Or perhaps this was all part of some plan to bring back his pre-searing girlfriend, Mary Malone (or what's her name), from the dead/underworld 77.213.235.141 16:34, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

Either he'll loop around or ANet decided to put in enough work to get him a new set of area/item/exact location combinations. Personally I'm still betting on the former, but it'd be kinda cool to have him in new spots--it's not like most areas in the game don't have lots of other hiding places. 128.113.145.166 16:35, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

I can see two options: either he starts over like any Zaishen/weekend/whatever cycle (which has 9 chances out of 10 to happen), or he still collects the same items on the same locations, but the location order is re-randomized (which would both be easy on Anet and maintain a relative suspence, the plus side being that we know the items). My favorite is the second option; if I should bet on one, well, I would choose the first. Kanda 16:49, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

I agree with Kandra on the second option. I dont mind if Nicholas collects the same items, but I dont want him to appear in the same order he did the first time. Its a lot of fun searching for him every week. *Malganis Frostmourn* 12.106.72.10 20:43, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

I'd like Nick to appear in the same locations, same spot, asking for the same item over again in the same order. The only change i'd make is to have him ask for 1 item per gift for everything, to save the pain of farming for hours just to get 10 sparklers.

(Reset indent) Personally, I would vote for starting a new sequence that is unrelated to the current one, because the uncertainty of his appearance (which zone, what item, where in the zone, etc.) adds something to the game experience. Cynique 16:06, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

Here is the table of predictions if he starts over. Kanda 22:30, 15 November 2011 (UTC)

I'm just sad he didn't ask for Dark Claws. –Jette 00:02, 16 November 2011 (UTC)

I suspect like others that he'll just start from the get go (however, some dialogues, such as when he collected the Red Iris Flowers and the Chromatic Scales, won't make as much sense as before). I would like him to just revisit old locations with new items and dialogues until he's collected all trophies... and then have a new set of old and new locations and items that are cycled through (removing the dialogue from the beginning of his travels which wouldn't make as much sense now, and adding new dialogues to those items at perhaps new locations). But it would probably be too much work for such a minor project. What it really depends on is how much advance work was put into Nick beforehand. Konig/talk 03:31, 16 November 2011 (UTC)

My biggest wish is that he asks for unused items. Perhaps he would have asked for Demonic Remains. I piled up 12 stacks over a number of months hoping it would be in this cycle, but now I see it won't. (Yes, 12 stacks, I'm disturbed @.@ ). 85.19.140.9 21:29, 16 November 2011 (UTC)

U collected 12 stacks for nothing. Nick takes only 25 things, unless Anet decides to raise the number of items per gift or remove the 5 gift/week limit. But the latter would be a good idea, although it would kinda ruin the game economy ... Magnum 06:56, 17 November 2011 (UTC)

Not really a waste, in case Nick would have collected it, now he would be rich: Sit in outpost, start selling. 3000 items, at 5 items per gift as max, makes a total of 120 posible sets of 5 gifts, the average price of total items for a set is between 7.5 and 10k so doing some maths you can find how rich he could've become... and that would be if he asks for 5 per gift wich isn't normal for high-end trophies, with less trophies per gift he could have sold even more sets. It's not that bad of a idea to save some trophies in case he asks for them in the future. I've done it sometimes when I was vanquishing specific areas and a trophy droped too many times, and most times it worked. That said, I never farmed 12 stacks of any of them... never more than 30 or so... yeah, kinda disturbed as you said :P

About the main topic, I think he will restart it. Anet is bussy preparing many things, both in GW1 and GW2, an unless they had it since the beginning, I doubt he will do something special (plus it wouldn't be "fair" for new players to never find him anymore because they were late to the cycle). About if he will do the same order or not, I have my doubts as his pre-searing version has a really chaotic order when he asks for items. Lokheit 18:46, 17 November 2011 (UTC)

Who ever said he needed to be fair? 64.15.81.27 03:26, 19 November 2011 (UTC)

21st November

Nicholas is in spearhead peaks about an inch south of granite citadel. he is asking for 3 frigid hearts for each gift.

Confirmed. Sardaukar 16:09, 21 November 2011 (UTC)

confirmed (188.220.33.50 16:46, 21 November 2011 (UTC))

aww... I wanted Charr carvings first. I have over 100.131.247.140.18 16:51, 21 November 2011 (UTC)-Yumiko.

I knew he was going to end his journey on Ascalon, asking the same he asked on pre-searing, the same way he started on Ascalon asked for the same he asked on pre-searing :D Lokheit 20:43, 21 November 2011 (UTC)

There's a pretty easy farm if you leave from Marhan's Grotto and veer right. Kill the boss around the corner and then turn around and go down the path for a little while until you hit some Mursaat. Nothing but imps (and a single pinesoul) the whole way. With a standard SoS build I got 8 hearts in 12 minutes, didn't have very much trouble at all but it might be worthwhile to bring a hex removal skill to deal with Mind Freeze. 128.113.145.166 02:01, 22 November 2011 (UTC)

somehow his explanation for why he wants the hearts is very similar to the one he gives in pre-searing for icy lodestones.80.137.25.122 05:05, 23 November 2011 (UTC)

28th November

Any idea where he's gonne be this week? lol --193.191.136.194 14:15, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

No, but it's moderately unlikely that he will be collecting Charr Carvings. Cynique 14:22, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

He collects Char Carvings

O Rly? I didn't see that coming. :D 85.19.140.9 15:17, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

WTS charr carvings lol.Yumiko ^,~ 15:23, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

The market for carvings pretty much crashed before people got started. Figures, since this item is a popular wintersday collectors item. 85.19.140.9 16:10, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

And it's not like they are hard to gather, right? (OK, if you're like the maniac I saw once, yes, they are hard to gather. I was in pre, at the abbey, and I saw someone run by at level 1. For other reasons, I switched a few minutes later to another character who was in post, actually at Ascalon City. And once there, a moment later, I saw the same person go by, now at level 2, shouting for a Lion's Arch run...) Cynique 16:22, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

File:User Chieftain Alex Nicholas 28 11 2011.jpg - current map isn't as bad as when I first saw this week's map but whatever. File:User Chieftain Alex Chieftain Signature.pngChieftain Alex 20:03, 28 November 2011 (UTC)

Today's the day...

... when we finally find out what comes next, after his long and tangled journey. After 136 weeks of "where is he this week?" (strictly 137, but we all knew where he would be last week, right?) we have a final "where is he" followed by, um, something...

Cynique 10:21, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Ideally he should reappear in Regent Valley, but this world is anything but ideal. :P 193.215.199.34 14:34, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

I disagree. I think the ideal would be for there to be a new sequence, to preserve the sense of mystery. Cynique 14:40, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Spoiler: Yakkington eats him. –Jette 15:12, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

He's in Regent Valley collecting 3 red iris flowers, same location as first time. I don't know what the original dialogue was, but this one seems to be new. Sanctus Medellae 15:14, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed same location/request, not sure about the dialogue. 128.211.160.43 15:17, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

The Dialogue is new, if Nicholas the Traveler/Dialogue is to be trusted. Tub 15:19, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

(Reset indent) I found Nic on 12/5/11 in Regent Valley near Pockmark Flats portal, he's collecting 3 Red Iris Flowers per gift

The new dialogue offers the suggestion that Nick might not follow the same cycle or (more likely imo) make different requests:

• He might be retracing his steps, but he's not duplicating them: "It seems my travels have brought me to this haunted place once again."
• He's not strictly recycling: "This time is different though."
• He leaves the impression that he will follow the same route, but make different requests: "I should leave a remembrance, and only one gift seems fitting. "

So, I'm stepping back from my original prediction (total recycle) and say that we will be (at least somewhat) surprised next week. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 16:20, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

I'm hoping so. I have trophies that I was hoping he would ask for, but hasn't. If he does change some of his requests, it would help a lot. 85.19.140.9 17:13, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Next week we find out if I can empty my 2 mule characters and 1.5 storage tabs full of trophies he hasn't collected just yet. And I predict a spike in the materials he's collected in the past. And all those trophies (spikes being more prevalent as the week nears). Grab your linen now folks, just in case. Konig/talk 17:46, 5 December 2011 (UTC)

Some smartasses have already bought out linen from trader. It'd be hilarious if they stand around next week with truckloads of linen with noone to sell to. :P 193.215.199.34 11:27, 6 December 2011 (UTC)

The 137th haunt

I don't understand why Nicholas has 137 "haunts" and there are 136 vanquishable areas. Where is the discrepancy coming from?

On December 21, 2009, he appeared in The Undercity, which cannot be VQ'd. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 22:27, 7 December 2011 (UTC)

Why doesn't he show up in the realm of torment? That place was awesome. –Jette 00:38, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

"Durmand sent me on an expedition to secure an item from beyond the great vortex, but I dare not venture any closer." He's not much of a fighter, and that place isn't really meant for mortals, which is likely the same reason we don't see him in FoW or UW. I wonder why we don't see him in other no-vanquish areas (e.g., Sorrow's Furnace and WiK explorables of missions). Konig/talk 01:42, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

You already awnsered that yourself, he's not much of a fighter. But regarding that note how the hell did he manage to get trough the Desolation if he's not much of a a fighter (you gotta tame the Junundu afterall). Da Mystic Reaper 12:03, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

He's Professor Yakkington for a reason. --The preceding unsigned comment was added by 90.193.103.130 (talk).

He goes into other highly dangerous non-Mist areas (Far Shiverpeaks, Charr Homelands, The Desolation), no reason for him to not go through 3 additional areas in Kryta or Sorrow's Furnace. As to how he managed to get through the Desolation - there appears to be more than one way to traverse the Desolation. Maybe he just wall-clinged the whole way through (on a serious note for that, there's more ways to traverse Tyria than what we're allowed). Konig/talk 20:19, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

(1) He claims friendship with all sorts of creatures, so who's to say that he didn't give Queen Aijundu three Monstrous Eyes in exchange for being able to ride Junundu. (2) Anyone can cross parts of the desolation by foot.

But the real reason Nick only appears in 137 locations is that there aren't enough people on the live team to think up more dialogue or be creative about new requests. (Why else would he ask for Linen?) I think if Stumme could afford it, he'd have someone tasked with creating 137 new requests, find more common threads between the requests, and have some of the other NPCs ask us to say hello to Nick (i.e. he claims friendships, but no one ever seems to mention him...and he almost looks as if he snuck into Gwen's wedding — perhaps he was Mary's stalker, not her wannabe boyfriend). I'm also still waiting for the Yak to do something besides sniff hands and beg for treats. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 21:49, 8 December 2011 (UTC)

I dunno what TEF is talking about above: "Ensured Nicholas the Traveler and Professor Yakkington are well-supplied for the next iteration of their Tyrian adventure. " — Feedback:Game updates/20111208 could be taken to mean another entire cycle (137 or a number tbd). (Or it could just be that they've covered all the language gaps, appearance bugs, and Nick-facing-the-wall anomalies.) – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 00:30, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

No one speaks of Nick? Keiran and Gwen do; "I don't know, but I bet Nicholas would get us Jacaranda seeds." "The Traveler?" "Yes, he's an old friend. I'll ask him next time he passes through. [...]" Konig/talk 00:37, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

Ok, no one except Gwen and Keiran...and then only in a very limited setting. (But that doesn't take away my point: if Stumme had more staff, I'm sure he would have found a way to integrate Nick into the stories that were created before anyone had heard of Project Wumpus. As it sits now, Nick is more of a stand-alone feature.) – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 00:51, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

You are aiming at nicks friend such as the imperial chef, Vael, Grun and Zinn. Well it would be nice if their dialogues got updated. But what else could be added to a wandering merchant who is always short of supplies. Da Mystic Reaper 01:02, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

Of course Nick's friends are the easiest case, but Nick wanders everywhere. He claims to talk to many our characters characterize as foes. He visits odd locations. I think the possibilities are endless. What about the villagers whose wells he restored (w/Water Djinn Essence)? someone to speak in detail of the medicinal properties of Guardian Moss? How about the dwarf that couldn't grow a beard — where is he? Why doesn't anyone mention the Vick's Vapor rub effects of Phantom Residue? But even outside the specific text of his dialogue, one presumes Nick isn't sitting idle waiting for a fellow adventurer 24/7. He must hang out at the local inns, buy provisions from farmers, chase off hungry dogs... – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 01:17, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

(Reset indent) It should be noted that outside Reaper's list, Gwen, and Durmand, Nicholas' "talking with" cases tend to be in the form of "the people around here" and "the natives from this place" - to these nameless people, Nicholas is probably nothing more than what our PCs are shown as outside of the storyline: one of dozens upon dozens of nameless adventurers. He gets along with folks, and helps them, but that doesn't mean they know him well. It could have been a one-time passing. And his current dialogue makes me think it is.
For his named friends, well, Zinn, Gwen, and Keiran are the only ones who got dialogue updates since Nick's introduction. And Zinn's been busy being exiled then forced labor. There may be a dwarf or two still around that knows him, but there's been no need to add such. I'd love for his little lore to be integrated in the future, but unless they're relatively related, I doubt they will be. Just as Salome's little trivial facts don't get added to the pet tamers' dialogues. Konig/talk 01:25, 9 December 2011 (UTC)

12th Dec 2011

Well he's not at this location: http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/File:Nicholas_the_Traveler_Traveler%27s_Vale_map.jpg --Combatter 15:18, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

OK, so the implication in the update notes was on-the-mark, then... Cynique 15:31, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Just had quite a thorough sweep of the whole of Traveler's Vale and could not find him there. --Combatter 15:39, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

This is interesting. I happened to have 30+ linen just lying around, so I would have been OK if they had just repeated the sequence, but at least I didn't go out and spend highway-robbery money on it... Cynique 15:53, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Similarly, I had 200+ linen lying around but sold all but 25 of them the other day for 300g each. I'd like a complete re-shuffle of location and item order. Kevio 16:16, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

I found him btw guys, he's currently in mineral springs far right side, stay low. I'm not 100% sure how to submit screen shots or anything. But he collects 3 Feathered Avicara Scalps. I have the path screenshotted if anyone wants to tell me how

You need to edit this page: Nicholas_the_Traveler/Research --Combatter 17:01, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Nevermind, I have done that for you. Please click the following link and upload your screenshot: "File:Nicholas_the_Traveler_20111212.jpg" --Combatter 17:11, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Thanks was foolin around with it, but you went ahead and did it for me, ty. Added the map anyway.

We can just use the map from last time he was there.--Manassas 17:18, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

That's what I did. Is the dialogue the same as last time too? --Combatter 17:27, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Just checked and it is. Have updated the dialogue page. --Combatter 17:35, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

Just got there and he's gone... early?Adeira Tasharo 15:52, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

"His location and requested item changes weekly, which occurs at 15:00 UTC" versus your message at 15:52, so you're nearly an hour late.  :( Cynique 15:56, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

More coordinated hunting?

Judging by our current data sample, nicholas will visit previous locations/items in a different order. That should make checking easier.. IF we somehow coordinated our search efforts. So I made something like this:

http://www.authmann.de/guildwars/nicholas/

You can mark which area you're currently checking (to prevent duplicate effort) and when you're done you simply mark whether nic was found or not. It's currently anonymous and made to be as easy to use as possible. Feel free to toy around with it until next monday, when it'll reset the values for the new hunt.
It's very experimental though. If people don't want to use it, it'll go away. If anonymity doesn't work out due to trolls submitting wrong results or hacking the nonexistant security model, it'll go away. So, dear Internet, surprise me. Tub 21:11, 12 December 2011 (UTC)

I really like this idea but could you cross off or strike through the zones which have already been visited this time around. Thanks! Buffy Slaying Dragon 15:20, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

If you actually use this thing, sure. I've updated the "visited"-list. Tub 15:58, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

Thank you for the updates. I find the tool really useful - I'm probably the only one that still uses it, but I know of no other method to show progress on each week's hunt. Let's hope more people start using it soon. Buffy Slaying Dragon 17:33, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

I use it too but some of the links just don't work Noggieca 19:10, 18 June 2012 (UTC)

DPL on Nicholas the Traveler/Research

Can the DPL on Nicholas the Traveler and Nicholas the Traveler/Research be changed to use the same image instead of having duplicate map images (i.e. Red Iris Flowers 2009 and [[:File:Nicholas the Traveler 20111205.jpg|2011]]; Feathered Avicara Scalps 2009 and [[:File:Nicholas the Traveler 20111212.jpg|2011]]), since Nick is appearing in the same location when he is revisting an explorable area? --Silver Edge 06:01, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Let's wait another few weeks. It's possible that ANet will move him around a bit in some zones (since there were a few issues along the way). In the meantime, we can use redirects if the locations are identical. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 07:30, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Unless we want to upload all images again under a different name, I don't think it's possible to figure out the first uploaded image for that location. And unless we are really sure that we only get repeating locatons now, I guess creating image redirects is the easiest thing to do. poke | talk 08:24, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

If we knew he was going to revisit the exact same spot, we could rename all the maps to Nicholas the Traveler <location> instead of the current Nicholas the Traveler <yyyy-mm-dd>. Then all we'd have to do is change the logic to look for the location instead (that's what GWiki is doing, +/-).

However, that doesn't leave much wiggle room if Nick moves around within a zone. My guess is that he will 2-3x to help resolve a spawning issue (e.g. with WiK or WoC). But that's all speculation based on only two new visits. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 08:33, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

Seeing how dialogue and location is the same as last time he collected an item, I'm 90% sure that he'll have the same dialogue, location, and item pairing but with a different order (and for some, maybe a different angle or having a text-error fixed). I think that, should next week turn out to be the same as this week (old item, location, and dialogue pairing), we should move and reorganize his maps and dialogue page. Mainly, the reorganization would be based on location, and not by date (excluding the times it changes - and not in an error kind of way like the first time he visited Arbor Bay).

@TEF: If such an issue arises, I think having image names of Nicholas the Traveler <location> 1 and Nicholas the Traveler <location> 2; or alternatively leaving the original as is and making the new one in the new format (as it would be unlikely to ever return). Konig/talk 08:45, 13 December 2011 (UTC)

(Reset indent) Two weeks in a row he's had same dialogue, item, and location combination. Seems the only alteration is his organization (and I'm doing a reverse alliteration!). As such, I'm personally 98% convinced that the only difference this time will be his order of things. Sometime soon I'll be setting up a sandbox page for his dialogue page, and I suggest turning the maps into named by explorable area (and delete the currently three redundant images). Konig/talk 07:37, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

I've gone ahead and implemented a simpler solution: diff1diff2diff3diff4. It

• avoids renaming all images and/or rewriting large parts of the scripts.
• avoids the upload/delete/upload/delete/finally redirect cycle we've been trapped in for the past weeks.
• is still flexible enough to cope with new hunts or slightly changed locations that require new maps.

Just add map=<previous date> on /Research when adding a new location, and the old map will be reused.

Unfortunately, this doesn't solve the /Dialogue issue. Do we need a DPL'able solution for that, or do we just keep copy/pasting the dialogues again? Tub 19:13, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

Much better idea. (I always like avoiding work.) I think we should automate the dialogue, too (there's no reason it should be out of synch with the current request for any repeat visits in the future). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 19:50, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

I translated "we should" to "if only tub would do it", so here's something. :p

An updated Dialogue page using a new template. The corresponding surrogate template can be used for queries, for example here.

Only downside is that we cannot use further templates inside his dialogue any more, which means no more {{sic}}. I've worked around that by manually writing [sic] each time. Ugly, but I'm afraid it's not avoidable.

Any objections to moving that code to main namespace? Tub 00:43, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

(1) It actually didn't occur to me to shoot for a simpler system. So that was much better than translating "we should" into "Tub will."

(2) For using templates within a template, isn't it possible to use some sort of kludge like we do with {{pipe}} to replace | ? I'm thinking that we might be able to include a local variable within the template that recognizes something that looks like {{sic}}, e.g. {{{sic}}}.

Regardless, I would rather see the dialogue template in mainpsace while we figure it out and worry about the [sic] issue later (it's not as if people are going to be frequently editing the dialogues). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 03:29, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

It's not a syntax / parser problem that can be solved by throwing more templates at it. I've added a sic to the current sandbox, see how it looks for yourself. Not sure if that's a bug or a deliberate protection against recursion or anything, but it doesn't work.

It just occured to me that we could merge the /Research and /Dialogue page. If we add location/items and dialogue into a single template, we'll only need to edit one page each week, and we'll only need to do one query for the page. Though removing one of the pages means we'd lose either the nice table on /Research or the nice dialogue list on /Dialogue in the process. Not worth it, right? Tub 10:27, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

For the dialogues I think it would be easier to have a template that simply maps item/location to the dialogue text. You can access both item and location using the variables, so for example we could simply do {{/Dialogue|{{#var:dplNicholasTheTravelerLocation}}|{{#var:dplNicholasTheTravelerItem}}}}. That way we keep the dialogues completely out of any current or future prediction logic and also remove any requirements for additional DPL. Instead the dialogues are only based on the actual current item/location. poke | talk 16:13, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Hmm.. I suppose that's less maintenance since we don't need to edit /Dialogue any more (unless new hunts appear), but we'll lose the dates listed on the /Dialogue page, which may make it less useful as an archive. Also, what's the correct dialogue for "Krait Skin, Arbor Bay" or "Red Iris Flowers, Regent Valley"? We could just grab the bottommost, but dates are less ambiguous here. Tub 17:42, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Maybe just mention "first appeared on X" instead? And that template would just return the most current texts anyway, so all outdated information should be documented elsewhere (similar to how we document the cycles separately from the templates returning the current template for ZQuests etc.). poke | talk 21:48, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

Hmm.. I'm not sure if that approach is actually superior. In any case, I don't think it's superior enough to warrant redoing all the scripts again. Would you mind if I went ahead and implemented it as-is, or does someone else want to overhaul it beforehand? Tub 10:13, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

To be honest, I don't like your solution for the sole reason that you have weird template calls (which destroy the usage of other templates apparently, e.g. sic) just to make it accessible for DPL. Especially as your solution requires manual sets of the dates again, it's quite redundant, as we could easily move the texts then by hand; imo.. poke | talk 20:01, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

I don't use anything "weird", it's exactly the same approach as used on /Research. It's just that noone ever noticed the bug on /Research, since it never used sic or other templates. Filtering by location/item instead of date won't magically fix the bug; to do so you'll either need to track down the specifics of the DPL bug and work around them, or you need to find an approach to implement the desired functionality without DPL. I can't imagine either being a terribly good use of time and sanity. Tub 21:19, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

I explained above how it would be possible without DPL; here is a quick implementation based on the data from the dialogue subpage. poke | talk 21:49, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

But can you use that giant switch statement to generate a list of all dialogues, like the current Nicholas the Traveler/Dialogue for reference? Lore fans will probably want that. And maintaining all dialogue twice (once on /Dialogue for reading, once somewhere else for inclusion) is IMHO far worse than the sic workarounds. Tub 23:21, 28 December 2011 (UTC)

Dialogue

This week's dialogue is different from when he was previously collecting Azure Remains in Dreadnought's Drift. This would be the first time the dialogue is not the same as his previous visit since the cycle restarted with Red Iris Flowers in Regent Valley. --Silver Edge 21:34, 15 January 2012 (UTC)

December 19th

Some poster on GuildWarsGuru says Poisoned Outcrops, 2 margonite masks. That would put Nick at the Hallowed Point if Anet has him in the same place as last time. 85.19.140.9 17:21, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

I can confirm this: same explorable area, same spot, same item... don't know about dialogue yet 77.213.235.141 17:34, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

just checked, same dialogue as well 77.213.235.141 17:41, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

I have just updated the Dialogue and Research pages accordingly, and re-uploaded the map. --Combatter 18:03, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

perfect, thanks a lot 77.213.235.141 18:32, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

last time he was here i couldnt get gifts cause he wasnt at the location for me, even with someone else there, same thing this time. i have completed every quest in the game to my knowledge so cant effect spawns. anyone know what i cant get gifts at this location?  :(Spark-TBa 22:48, 19 December 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed as well here, went in with 2 guild mates, and one of them may have not done the area quest. After re-entry on my monk and my other guild mate who was certain it was done on her monk he appeared. Is this a bug, should we put it on the page for this particular one you have to have completed the area quest?72.253.181.235 07:52, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

It looks to me that 72.253 confirmed that someone had a quest that affected local spawns without realizing it. I also don't see widespread reporting of issues...just a couple of isolated cases. So the preponderance of evidence is: not bugged generally. (But that doesn't mean that some individuals aren't seeing something anomalous.)

It's fairly common that people have some local quest without realizing it: the quest log doesn't make it easy to see, especially since some local quests are listed by where they were handed out. The key quests to check are: A New Guide, The Cold Touch of the Past, The Growing Threat, and The Hallowed Point — all under The Desolation quests section of the log. It's possible that some of the spawns in the area change depending on where you are in the NF storyline; the easiest way to address that is to complete NF with at least one toon.

@Spark: I'm not sure why you aren't seeing Nick. Have you tried bringing a different character? If the storyline is affect his appearance, it won't help for you to team up with someone else (probably), but my guess is that your toon has already completed the storyline. Therefore, in your shoes, I would file a ticket with support: it's going to be something specific to your toon and/or account, which means ANet needs to look closely at your data ... which means giving them some personal details (toon names, when you visited, ...). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 09:20, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

i wont submit a ticket at this time, its only one appearance i cant visit, and i just bought my gifts instead this week, but i was wondering if i had to have got and completed the quests, there may be a chance i havent even collected one of the quests, i am going to go to all the quest givers in desolation and see if i have randomly missed one and go from there, to me this is a challenge  :) if theres any other quests out htere for me i cant wait to find them even if they are a walk in the park  :) Spark-TBa 10:06, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

ok its taken me an hour of constant running around, but i found 1 quest i hadnt even collected, the wayward guide, after completing that a new guide quest was there and once i collected that and completed nick spawned, so it seems you have to have collected and completed every quest. nice to find one i hadnt done.  :)Spark-TBa 11:15, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

Weird. My Dervish certainly never touched any non-required quest in that area. The poisoned outcrops weren't even cartographed; she's never been there before. Still, Nicholas was present. Tub 11:20, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

at least its sorted for me, if anyone else is having this issue that i had, and needs help flying through the quests, grab me online, ill be happy to help.Spark-TBa 11:21, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

(Edit conflict) x3 To expand on TEF's comment: it should be noted that some quest chains hold spawn changes between the quests - so even if you don't have any quests in your log, if you completed certain quests but not all of that chain, you'll get different spawns and this could affect Nick. This is especially so with Desolation quests (for instance, A New Guide and The Cold Touch of the Past which TEF linked, are both part of a quest chain which in between quests affects spawns in this explorable area). Konig/talk 11:22, 20 December 2011 (UTC)

would it be worth expanding the note on nicks page, atm is says Reminder: Nicholas often will not appear if you have active quests that affect local spawns. could this be expanded on to include quest chains may need to be completed as spawns between quests can alter.Spark-TBa 10:28, 21 December 2011 (UTC)

Err, why the map image has been deleted? Now there's no map to show where he is Kyx 22:27, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

It was probably deleted because it was a duplicate and the old named map could be used instead. That's what I think was the case at least. Konig/talk 23:01, 24 December 2011 (UTC)

That was exactly the case: in order to use the original map, the existing one using this week's date stamp had to be removed. Unfortunately, when it was deleted, it wasn't obvious that we had to replace it immediately with a redirect. I've since created that redirect and the map should appear correctly. (I now understand why a guildie was telling me that they couldn't see the current location.) – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 00:02, 25 December 2011 (UTC)

26 Dec 2011

According to Wartower, he's returned to Alcazia Tangle to ask for two Quetzal Crests per gift (10 per set). – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 17:32, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

Confirmed - same place in Alcazia Tangle as before asking for two Quetzal Crests Kirbett 18:27, 26 December 2011 (UTC)

I'm rather disappointed in the fact Nic is just rehashing previous haunts. There are allot of unused collectables from the locations he's been to before. Why not use those Anet. At least keep Nic from being completely stale.Mickeymouse6876 15:09, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

I'd guess it's because localization is a major PITA, and they have other things to work on, like that whole Winds of Change thing. I'll bring up Nick during the next biweekly assembly of the cabal, since a lot of players had fun guessing where he was going to be and all that. –Jette 16:12, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

I dunno, Jette: it seems to me that the number of ppls actively searching for Nick declined even as his first cycle drew to a close and there were fewer places to check. In the current winter re-run period (when we have a likely list of his locations), it also seems that it takes longer for him to be found than two-and-a-half years ago.

I think some differences would be fun, but I think there are more folks interested in truly new content rather than minor variations in an existing feature. Of course, I'm basing this off of what I see in guild chatter and high-GotT-trade zones on Mondays, so that might not reflect the views of the silent majority. – Tennessee Ernie Ford (TEF) 20:00, 27 December 2011 (UTC)

It's nice knowing which items to save while out adventuring. Manifold 20:30, 27 December 2011 (UTC)