Guild Wars 2 - Prepurchase

Starting April 10, players can secure their Guild Wars 2 Limited Collector’s Edition, Digital Edition, or Digital Deluxe copy by pre-purchasing the entire game at buy.guildwars2.com or at select retailers. Players who pre-purchase any edition will have guaranteed entry into all beta weekend events, three-day headstart access to the final game, and Hero’s Band in-game item.

What do I get with a Pre-Purchase of the game?
Customers who pre-purchase the game in full will enjoy guaranteed access to our Beta Weekend Events, three-day Headstart Access to the final game, and five digital items designed to enhance your gameplay experience.

What if I don’t want to pay in full in advance?
In addition to Pre-Purchase, a number of our retail partners are offering a Pre-Order program. Customers who pre-order will receive one-day Headstart Access to the final game.

When do Beta Weekend Events (BWEs) start, and how many will there be?
The first BWE is currently planned for late April, and we expect to have one every month or so. The schedule is subject to change and will be confirmed at a later date. Currently, we do not know how many of these events we will have.

Is Pre-Purchase the only way to get into Guild Wars 2 Beta Weekend Events?
Pre-Purchase is the only guaranteed way to get into all Beta Weekend Events. We will also be running promotions for access to individual Beta Weekend Events.

I already signed up for the Guild Wars 2 Beta. Do I need to Pre-Purchase?
If you want to get guaranteed access to all Beta Weekend Events, yes, you must Pre-Purchase. Simply signing up for the Beta does not guarantee access to the Beta Weekend Events.

Which products are available for Pre-Purchase?
Customers will be able to Pre-Purchase the Guild Wars 2 Digital Edition and the Guild Wars 2 Digital Deluxe Edition directly from NCsoft. In addition to the digital products, certain retailers will also be offering physical Pre-Purchase of the Guild Wars 2 Standard Edition and the Guild Wars 2 Collector's Edition.

How does physical Pre-Purchase work?
Physical Pre-Purchase for Guild Wars 2 is only available at select retailers. The details of how this will work will differ slightly depending on which edition customers purchase and where they purchase it.

Standard Edition (North America) — Customers will buy the Standard Edition Pre-Purchase box and receive a Pre-Purchase serial code. They will then go to https://register.guildwars2.com and follow the on-screen instructions to create a Guild Wars 2 account and apply the serial code, which will give them access to Beta Weekend Events and three-day Headstart access to the final game. When Guild Wars 2 launches, customers will need to return to the retailer with proof of purchase to receive the full Standard Edition box and retail serial code. They will need to apply this retail serial code to their Guild Wars 2 account within five days to continue playing without interruption.
Standard Edition (Europe) — Customers will buy the Standard Edition Pre-Purchase box and receive their serial code. This is the only serial code customers will receive and will grant access to the Beta Weekend Events, three-day Headstart Access, the Hero's Band digital item, and full access to the final live game. Customers will not need to return to retail to receive another serial code.
Collector's Edition (North America and Europe) — Customers will buy the Collector's Edition Pre-Purchase box and receive a Pre-Purchase serial code. They will then go to https://register.guildwars2.com and follow the on-screen instructions to create a Guild Wars account and apply the serial code, which will give them access to Beta Weekend Events and three-day Headstart Access to the final game. When Guild Wars 2 launches, customers will need to return to their retailer with proof of purchase to receive the full Collector's Edition box with physical items and retail serial code. They will need to apply this retail serial code to their Guild Wars 2 account within five days to continue playing without interruption.

Guild Wars 2 - Facebook video

Warrior - Thanks to Beliata

This is a repost of this.

Warrior

Profession Mechanics
Adrenaline returns to Guild Wars 2. The more a warrior attacks the more adrenaline he/she generates. Adrenaline fills 3 bars above the 1-5 skill and the more bars filled the stronger the Burst skill is. The warrior’s burst skill is triggered by F1 and is determined by the main hand or the two handed weapon being wielded, and is sort of a miniature elite skill. The downside to this is that the warrior’s profession mechanic is sort of useless while wielding an environmental weapon such as a conjured weapon or a siege weapon.

Weapons
The warrior can use any instrument of warfare. From sword and shield to rifles and longbows as well as the non magical aquatic weapons.

Longbow: Focuses on setting enemies on fire from long range with several burning skills and an immobilization.
Rifle: Lots of conditions (even the 1 skill bleeds) on a single enemy. One shot…probably not one kill…keep shooting…
Hammer: A powerful control weapon, everything it does focuses on tactically debilitating the enemy. WITH A GIANT HAMMER.
Greatsword: Not a lot of conditions on this one, this is the damage and getting close enough to damage weapon.
Mace (main hand): Slightly defensive weapon (for a spiked steel ball on a stick) with a block and a daze and a burst skill stun.
Mace (off hand): Two condition-giving attacks. Warriors are the only profession that can dual wield maces.
Sword (main hand): A lunge and a bleeding chain attack along with a crippler define the sword’s role as a damage and control type weapon.
Sword (off hand): You can throw your sword at an enemy to cause bleeding or use it to block…seems kind of two faced. What? The block also bleeds? Ahhh..that makes more sense.
Axe (main hand): Chop/Double Chop/Triple Chop. I’m not kidding…those are the names of the 1 skill chain. When you want to damage someone…the axe’ll do it…Burst skill name? Eviscerate…duhhhh.
Axe (off hand): It doesn’t get complicated here either…it’ll do damage and it’ll do damage while spinning like a tornado…like they teach in Warrior College.
Shield (off hand): Hits people in the face/Stops people hitting you in the face.
Warhorn(off hand): Channel the spirit of Boromir and sound the charge and call to arms. Not in that order though…that would be silly. Support/leader type weapon.

Healing
You start with:

Healing Surge (30 second cooldown): It’s a heal and builds adrenaline. Well…that’s useful 2 ways.
Mending (20 second cooldown, 1 skill point): It’s a heal and it removes a condition. Hmm….
Healing Signet (40 second cooldown, 4 skill points): Passively gives you regeneration (suck on that guardians!) and when activated heals you. This seems vaguely familiar…

Utility Skills
Warriors’ utility skills come in groups of 4. They have their signets like every other non engineer profession as well as a group of 4 combat moves that kick, stomp, charge and throws a bolas like Batman.

Stances define the warrior as a combatant and give him/her the relevant stance buff. These benefits don’t fit in too well into the normal boon/conditions definition of GW2 and are given their own icons as boons.

They also have Shouts…which are shouts really(they show speech bubbles above your character when you shout them :o)…they give your allies boons and enemies conditions. Interesting one is “I will avenge you!” where if you kill an enemy while under its effect your allies will rally. Nice touch.

They also have Banners…which along with shouts define the warrior as the leader type character as well. They fall from uhhhh…somewhere and provide boons to allies in an area. Allies can actually pick them up and use them as environmental weapons so an army marching to war can actually carry their banners while yelling something like “FOR MACRAGGE!” before planting them at the new battlefront. Yeahhh 8) (Not sure these guys work underwater. Soggy banners aren’t cool.)

Elite Skills:

Signet of Rage (2 minute cooldown, 20 skill points): Build up the rage by passively gaining adrenaline. Release the rage by activating to gain swiftness to chase, might for damage and fury for critical damage. Lasts 30 seconds.
Battle Standard (3 minute cooldown, 15 skill points): Summons a battle standard that boosts damage, gives stability, fury and might and revives down and defeated allies. Banner lasts 20 seconds, boons will last a few seconds after.
Rampage (3 minute cooldown, 25 skill points): Smash, kick, dash, throw boulder, stomp. Those are the skills you now have. They do exactly what you think. You also grow larger. WARRIOR SMASH!

Traits
The warrior’s trait system is defined by your play style with their names to guide you-:

Strength: raises power + condition duration: mostly damage output traits.
Arms: raises precision + condition damage: mostly condition augmenting traits.
Defense: raises toughness + heal effectiveness: uhhhh…defensive traits.
Tactics: raises vitality + boon duration: mostly boon augmenting traits.
Discipline: raises critical hit damage + burst skill damage: lot of weapon swapping and adrenaline traits here.
(One of the warrior’s downed skills, Vengeance, which restores the warrior to full fighting form before dropping to the ground defeated has an interesting trait in Discipline, which gives the warrior a chance to rally whenever he kills an enemy.)

World versus World

also have a lsiten to this podcast.

and this.

Guardian - thanks to Beliasta

This is a repost of this.

Guardian

Profession Mechanic
The Guardian uses 3 virtues that passively give him boons. He can then activate them using the F1,F2 and F3 skills to give the same boons to nearby allies(including the user). The activated virtue is then deactivated for a period of time.

F1: Virtue of Justice (20s cooldown) – Every 5th attack burns. It sets your weapon skills on fire in the UI when it’s ready. Activate it to cause nearby allies to set enemies on fire with their next attack.

F2: Virtue of Resolve (40s cooldown) – You have rejuvenation (a unique healing boon – suck on that warriors!). Activate it to remove conditions from nearby allies and give them regeneration(regular boon) for a short time.

F3: Virtue of Courage (60s cooldown) – Every 30 seconds you gain aegis, which blocks the next attack. Activate it to give aegis to nearby allies.
Nice and simple: a smiting skill, a healing skill and a protection skill. Oddly feels familiar.

Weapons
The guardian uses most melee weapons and magical weapons. Underwater they use the spear and trident.

Staff: A couple AoEs, a couple supports and the “YOU SHALL NOT PASS UNLESS YOU GO AROUND” skill. It’ll probably work well on a fragile stone bridge.
Greatsword: Lots of damage and a lot of control skills. A couple actual multi target ranged attacks.
Hammer: Hard hitting, short ranged AoEs with a circular warding skill. It keeps enemies out. It keeps victims in.
Mace (main hand): Lots of support skills here with heals and protection. It’s a spiky steel ball on a stick…
Sword (main hand): Has a teleport attack and a projectile counter for ranged attackers.
Scepter (main hand): Can immobile an enemy and then pummel them in an AoE and with a slow moving projectile.
Torch (off hand): FOR SIGMAR! I mean…It removes a condition as well SETS YOU ON FIRE AND THEN SETS OTHER PEOPLE ON FIRE. (Pretty sure you aren’t burning and taking any damage from that).
Focus (off hand): Shoots a ray that helps allies, blinds and damages enemies. Also creates an exploding shield.
Shield (off hand): Gives protection to you and allies as well as creating a bubble that knocks back enemies and projectiles.

Healing
You start with:

Shelter (45s cooldown): Block for 2 seconds while you heal. Can’t complain. Long recharge.
Signet of Resolve (30s cooldown, 1 skill point): Passively removes a condition periodically. Activate and it heals you. What a twist!
Healing Breeze (30s cooldown, 4 skill points): Gives you and allies a heal over time that stacks with regeneration.

Utility skills
Guardians have 4 signets (Including one that revives a nearby ally :o). They have 2 intervention (read: teleportation) spells – 1 for enemies, 1 for allies in need. They also have 3 shouts (4th one still in the lab?) – Hold the line! Stand your Ground! Retreat! (likely order of use).

Spirit Weapons are your floating energy Hammers, Swords, Bows and Shields (GL style). They are uncontrollable, can’t be attacked, have time limits and are awesome (one of these is an opinion). Use their skill again to command them to do their special move that will also dismiss them.

Guardians also have symbols which are ground targeted AoEs that leave a symbol on the ground that gives its effect to the relevant targets(friend or foe) standing on it.

Elite skills

Sanctuary (180s cooldown, 15 skill points): Creates a sphere that keeps enemies and projectiles out. Ground targeted AoEs might probably get through.
Tome of Wrath (180s cooldown, 20 skill points): Turns you in a turret of immobile death dealing. Of your 5 new skills, 3 attack the opponent and 2 buff allies to help attack opponents.
Tome of Courage (180s cooldown, 25 skill points): Once again turns you into a turret with a lot of support and defensive abilities(poker face).

All are very movement limiting, so make sure you want to be where you are before using these things. There are traits to boost their duration as well.

Traits

Zeal raises power and boon duration with traits that boost damage and help survival.
Radiance raises precision and condition duration. Lots of on-crit effect traits.
Valor raises toughness and critical multiplier oddly enough. Lots of armour traits here.
Honor raises vitality, healing and its traits boosts the power of aegides(plural of aegis), shouts and symbols.
Virtue raises condition damage and lowers the recharge on virtues. Naturally its traits augment the power of the guardian’s virtues.

The Unnamed Keep.

It seems that any one guild in Guild Wars 2 can only control one location in the Mists at once.

This is a feature of Warhammer that I loved. It gives you a sense of ownership and greater immersion.

Holding your keep against the enemy Hordes is very satisfying.

Mt only concern is whether a cordinated group can withstand the assault of superior numbers or do numbers always win?

Any way it brings back memories of this our favorite keep in Warhammer.

The Warrior

In addition to the Guardian I am very interested in the Warrior class.

These two vids provide a good intro.






The warrior can use an amazing number of different weapon combinations. This chart documents them all.

Guardian - an interesting podcast

This was well worth a listen.



and some more general info:

Guardian - further information

In an earlier post I linked a number of Guardian Videos. Here is a list of guardian attributes we can garner from them.

Health Pool:
Previously the Guardian was of the lower health bracket of the professions but now it looks to be in the medium range of health pool.

Before: ~16k
Now: ~20k

(Edit: Health Pools for most classes have changes, or so it seems. Not sure where this places the Guardian)

Symbols:
Most symbols (possibly all) have a significantly smaller range and different animations.

Spirit Weapons:

Hammer of Wisdom- Summon an arcane hammer to defend you. 45 second CD
Sword of Justice- Summon an arcane sword to defend you. 30 second CD
Bow of Truth- Summon an arcane bow to remove conditions from you and your allies. 60 second CD
Shield of The Avenger- Summon an arcane shield to defend you. 60 second CD

Weapons Skill Changes:

Greatsword no longer has Symbol of Swiftness and now has
Symbol of Wrath- Pierce the ground with a mystic symbol that damages and burns foes while granting Retaliation to allies. 15 second CD

Staff no longer has Symbol of Protection and now has
Symbol of Swiftness- Sear a mystic symbol into target area, damaging foes and granting swiftness to allies. 15 second CD

Greatsword's Binding Blade has been changed to
Binding Blade- Throw blades at your foes causing damage over time. Bound foes can be pulled to you. The effect ends when a foe moves out of range. Two chain skill. 30 second CD

Mace's Protector's Strike has been changed to
Protector's Strike- Surround yourself and allies with a shield. Grant protection to yourself and nearby allies if counter attack does not hit. 15 second CD.

One-Handed Sword's Sword of Wrath is now a three chain skill.

One-Handed Sword's Flashing Blade now requires a targeted enemy instead of being ground target based.

Changed/New Utilities:

Signet of Judgement
Passive- Reduces incoming damage
Active- Grants retaliation to nearby allies
30 second CD

Signet of Wrath
Passive- Grants you increased condition damage
Active- Immobilizes your target
30 second CD

Signet of Mercy
Passive- Improves healing
Active- Revive a nearby ally
90 second CD

"Retreat"- Grant Aegis and Swiftness to up to five nearby allies. 60 second CD

"Stand Your Ground"- Grant Stability to yourself and allies. 60 second CD

Hallowed Ground- Consecrate target area, granting Stability to allies inside. 80 second CD

Retribution- Grant yourself Retaliation. 15 second CD

Judge's Intervention- Teleport to your target and burn nearby foes. 45 second CD

Merciful Intervention- Teleport to the nearby ally with the lowest health and create a healing area around them. 45 second CD

Renewed Focus- Recharge all Virtues instantly. 90 second CD. Replaces Meditation

Wall of Reflection- Protect the targeted area with a wall of mystic power that Reflects projectiles. 30 second CD. Replaces Wall of Deflection


New Elite:

Tome of Courage- Locks you in place, but grants you powerful support spells. 180 second CD

Guilds and Guild Wars 2 recruitment.

Our guild The Unnamed are recruiting for Guild Wars 2.


Recruitment Status: OPEN (Open to all races/classes.)
Region: UK/EU (Anyone outside of these regions can still apply.)
Age Requirement: Applicants must be 18 or over.
Play-style: Semi-Hardcore
Other Games: Warhammer Online, Rift and SWTOR. (A group of us also play a vast amount of Steam games... and MINECRAFT!)


About Us

The Unnamed is a European Multi-MMO guild coming to Guild Wars 2. We are a laid back guild (or as we like think of it, a community) which is full of experienced gamers. We have been playing games together as a guild since the release of Warhammer Online, and are ready to conquer Guild Wars 2!

We weren't present as a guild in the original Guild Wars but there are a few individual members who played the game over the years, including most of our officers. We're certainly not new to the series or lore, and we plan to be big and well known amongst the PvP community and the game's community in general!

A good few of us in the guild are very excited for the game, and those few of us aren't currently playing an MMO, so we thought it'd make sense to play GW2 together. This is why we're opening up recruitment, so that we can build up the ranks from a few people to a good army, big enough to show that we mean business when the game is released!

A Brief History

The Unnamed, originally a UK based guild, has been going strong for 3 years, and was formed by a group of friends and previous members of a former guild for the release of Warhammer Online. When WAR came out, our expectations of the game had not been met, leaving disappointed core members to stop playing. Instead of to find other guilds to play with, we decided to branch out and become a Multi-MMO Guild.

Core members branched out to lead division's in other big MMO's such as Aion and FFXIV, leaving the Warhammer Online Division to grow and become one of best Destruction guilds on the Karak-Norn server. Members are even present in WoW, in a merged guild in Terenas under the name Parasite.

Our Mission Statement & Goals


Our main ambitions are to establish a solid community with a friendly atmosphere, the guild's main focus will be PvP where we aim to establish a respectable reputation amongst the server vs server community.

We tend towards semi-hardcore gameplay but all player types are welcome. We want to be big but we don’t want to be elitists - we generally have a laid back approach towards the game, but when the enemy are making a push, or a dragon needs to be killed right this minute, The Unnamed intend to be ready for the task; we expect our members to aim to achieve great things but be having fun at the same time.

Players will be encouraged to be active participants in the guild but will not be forced into things.

We want to establish ourselves as one of the top guilds in the PvP community. When our server sees our guild on the battlefield we want them to say "Brilliant, The Unnamed are here. Time to kick some arse." When rival servers see us, we want them to run for cover. We want them to say "Those Unnamed are b*stards, always getting in our way, but they're some bloody good blokes."

We want to be the guild who people look up to and have respect for. We are not those freaks who raid every night and only recruit members who put in 40 hours a week. We are those guys who get the job done when it needs doing, the guys who don't get involved in community drama. We don't blow our own horns, and we seem all the greater because of it.

Additional Information


As well as a sub-section for Guild Wars 2 on our forum where we post new game info, we also run a Mumble server for us to play games together on. People are on there most nights and it's a very friendly environment full of laughter and banter. The core members for the Guild Wars 2 section are on there most nights and will usually be found playing an FPS or RTS, and we're quite friendly fellas.

We also have a full set of rules on our website which I won't fully list here, but it includes the usual rules such as no tolerance to racism or sexism, no drama and we expect members to respect each other.

How to Apply

Go to http://theunnamed.enjin.com/ and make an account there, then go to our GW2 drop down menu where you will see an Apply button which will take you to our Application page. We will look at your app and decide within the day of you applying.

If your interested feel free to drop us an application.

We are also interested in forming alliances with other guilds to build a strong server community that can compete with the best.