GW2 Saucecast in iTunes

If you're having problems downloading Episode 2 of the Saucecast from iTunes, delete anything you had previously downloaded of Episode 2.  Try downloading the episode manually from the iTunes store, or updating the podcast after you delete the Episode 2 file in your podcast window in iTunes.

Or listen to it here on the blog page!

I had some issues uploading the file lastnight, and had to re-upload the podcast this morning.  Hope this fixes any problems you may have had.

SORRY!

GW2 Saucecast: Episode 2!

We made it!  Enjoy Episode 2 as we cover a good chunk of the newest beta news for Guild Wars 2.

 

Information.......Overload.........

The Beta weekend is over, and with the ending comes a beautiful beginning.  The floodgates have been opened again, and we are overtaken with a plethora of news.  Rather than re-hash and re-post everything out there on the web, I will point you to the best GW2 site on the net.  These guys have done an incredible job compiling the best of the best articles out there currently, and even added some great posts of their own.

GuildWarsInsider.com.

Enjoy.

INCOMING!

So...the weekend is coming to a close, and for those lucky enough to get into this weekend's GW2 beta, it means sleep!  I cannot wait for the next set of news to come out after this weekend's NDA is lifted.  I hope to see some more crafting, as well as some more Guardian gameplay.  

On a side note, we will be recording Episode 2 of the GW2 Saucecast tomorrow night.  Look for it here and on iTunes this week!

No Beta For You!

Alas...no beta for me.  I shall wallow in my sadness, devastated that I will not be able to grace Tyria with my presence.  So, now the question is...will there be another beta before the pre-purchase?  With another major game entering into beta testing of it's latest expansion, there may yet be something to lessen my sadness at not getting to play GW2.

Maybe.






                    Or not.

...it's more like a big ball...

(Bonus Geek points if you get the joke in the title)

Apparently there's been some folding of the space time continuum. The UK is getting their PC Gamer GW2 preview in April; a whole month ahead of the US. It looks like we'll get another perspective on PvE from the Press Beta, 6 pages worth.

Thanks GW Insider for the heads up.

Character Creation Tool

French GW2 site gw2.luna-atra.fr has released a Character Creation Tool, to go along with their Skills Tool we covered in another post.  This tool shows races, class selection as well as all background choices.

As with the Skills Tool, be sure to click the British flag in the upper right hand corner to switch to the English version of the Character Creation Tool (see picture below).  Enjoy!  I know I did!

ArenaNet Blog: Microtransactions

I like chocolate.  And monies.

Mike O'Brien is at it again with the latest ArenaNet blog post.  To most GW players, this information is nothing new.  This time around, Guild Wars 2 microtransactions will be in the game from day one.  Head over to the official ArenaNet Blog for the full article.

Beta Invites are Going Out!

WOOT!  ArenaNet just confirmed that Beta Invites are indeed going out.

Remember, this beta is still under NDA, so you can't even tell anyone else if you received an invite.  Make sure to keep checking your email to see if you get in!

Incoming F5 spam...

And thank you Guildwarsinsider.com, always on top of things...and awake before 11 on a Saturday morning.

GW2 Skills Tool

French Guild Wars 2 site gw2.luna-atra.fr has put together a nice little Skills tool.  The tool gives quite an amazing preview of each Profession's weapons skills, as well as a preview of Trait choices.  We even get a preview of underwater skills for each Profession!

Make sure to click the British flag icon in the upper right hand corner of the Skills Tool, to access the english version (See picture below)

Many, many thanks to my good friend Encierro for the tip!

Make It So: Design Manifesto Part 4

Today in Make It So, we are going to dissect the final portion of the GW2 Design Manifesto.  If you’ve been following the Make It So series, awesome.  If you haven’t, I recommend going back and reading Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 before reading the rest of this article.  This is the last Make It So dedicated to the Manifesto.


Combat can make or break your game.  Just as with everything else in GW2, ArenaNet is really seeking to break out of the ‘’cookie cutter’’ traditional MMO style combat.


Click past the break to find out how.

HoM, Sweet HoM

So I bet you all thought I'd given up by now and moved on to something else, but no "True Believers" I'm still working my way across GW1 clearing out everything possible.

Today finds us outside the Desolation taking in the sights:

You'll notice GW still hasn't given up on my personal well being or hopes for my hygiene 

Aside from the nostalgia for Emperor and a crippling fear of missing a quest someplace, I'd say the group is holding up well. We also see Koss sporting some new shiny duds that will get him a statue in the HoM. I'm ashamed to say I just discovered there are journals that you can turn in for various title grinds, so I'll be re-doing some of those.  That should save some time on my completion goals. Finally finding and getting proper builds for all my Heroes has been a big help too. I've also begun to find the bits and bobs for the Black Moa quest, so I'll post more when I have that one completed. But for now it's back to the desert, and walking without rhythm.

Q&A with Jon Peters

We covered this in our first Saucecast, but in case you didn't listen to it yet, MMORPG.com has partnered with Guild Wars 2 for a live Q&A with ArenaNet's Jon Peters at 1 p.m. EST.  They are going to cover professions and traits.  Head over to MMORPG.com for more info!

Forbes Interviews Mike O'brien

Forbes posted an article yesterday where they interviewed Mike O'brien. Since this was a talk more geared to an investor oriented reader base, we didn't get a lot of mechanics or flashy reveals.  However, we did get reiteration of ArenaNet's commitment to excellence and ingenuity.

Thanks to guildwarsinsider.com for the heads up.

GW2 Saucecast!

With some well meaning prodding and poking from a good friend, we here at GW2 Sauce (all 2 of us) have decided to give podcasting a go.  So without futher ado,

We hope you enjoy.

GW2 Collector's Edition & System Reqs

Heads up!  Guildwars2.com and Amazon just posted pre-order info for GW2.

- Pre-Order Date: April 10th
 (get those tax returns in now and put your cash towards the gift that'll keep on giving)
- 3 Flavors: Digital, Digital Deluxe and Collector's
- Prices as we know them:
     - Digital: $59.99 (Amazon)
     - Digital Deluxe: $79.99
     - Collector's Edition: $149.99 MSRP (GW2 Site)
- Pre-Order gets you guaranteed beta event access
- System Requirements:

* Due to potential changes, system requirements may change over time, and you may be required to
upgrade your current system (or obtain a new system) to continue to play the game.

- Windows® XP Service Pack 2 or better
- Intel® Core™ 2 Duo 2.0 GHz, Core i3, AMD Athlon™ 64 X2 or better
- NVIDIA® GeForce® 7800, ATI Radeon™ X1800, Intel HD 3000 or better (256MB of video RAM    

  and shader model 3.0 or better) 

- 25 GB available HDD space
- Broadband Internet connection
- Keyboard and mouse

WOOT!  Finally we get some idea of the minimum reqs.  Looks like ArenaNet is really trying to keep the game accessible to as many people as possible.  Can't wait to place my order.

One step closer to a release date!

Special Thank You from ArenaNet - And Beta News

Beta tidbit is more like it.  I just got this message in my email about five minutes ago:

Beta confirmations being sent shortly...

The video starts out with a nice thank you from Colin Johanson for the overwhelming response to the beta sign-ups, and is followed by some oh so sweet eye candy.  Head over to the official Facebook page of Guild Wars 2 and check it out!

Make It So: GW2 Design Manifesto Part 3

If you haven't been following Make It So, I recommend going back and reading GW2 Design Manifesto Part 1, and GW2 Design Manifesto Part 2.  It will help today's post make more sense when read in context of the other two parts.  We start today off with the title of the next section in the Manifesto:

It's time to make MMORPG's more social.

How can MMORPG's be more social?  Aren't these real people around us playing the game at the same time we are?  Isn't this tank a real person? You know, the one that has to stand and do nothing the entire time, then flip out when he dies because he decided to stand in the big black circle labeled death?

When ArenaNet says things like "time to make MMORPG's more social", or ''how can we do ____ better?", what they really are saying is "This is how we are making Guild Wars 2 more awesome".

Click past the break to see how GW2 is taking the social aspect of MMO's to the next level.

DON'T FORGET!

These guys do an amazing job.  Lets help em out!

Guild Wars Insider Fundraiser

GW2 Elite Skill Breakdown

Head over to Guildwarsinsider.com for an awesome breakdown of the elite skills for each class.  Many thanks to Guild Wars Insider's number cruncher, Beliasta for putting the post together.

Make It So: GW2 Design Manifesto Part 2

Choices, choices, choices.  Wait, what?  This is a blog about MMO's, and there's no such thing as choices and consequences in MMO's.  You run over, click the random NPC, accept a quest without reading what he/she (or it) wants you to do and then follow the map queues to complete the quest.  

Optional quest to help save a burning village?  Why would I want to do that when it will be burning for the next, oh I don't know, FOREVER?  

If it's one thing that has plagued MMO's since day one, it is the lack of a dynamic and changing world.  I understand there are technical limitations,  as you have hundreds of players doing the same thing. If one person completes the quest to save the burning village, then no one else can?  Or what about that critical choice to have the soup or the salad?

Choice and consequence have been severely lacking in MMO's over the last decade.    Join us after the break to see how ArenaNet is addressing this problem.

GW2 Weatherman: Weapon Skills

'ello,

Over the next week we'll be taking a look at all the data I can scrounge about weapon set themes. We're going to break it down into a class by class discussion on how this could change the play-style of GW2, as compared to other MMO's we've all been playing the last 4 years.

Note -- this is weapon themes only and not taking into account all the skills each class has.

All the data will be based on this chart:

(Thanks GW2 Junkies for this)

We'll also be using the weapon skill charts that can be located out on the net.  Keep your eyes peeled for the next installment when we'll take a look at the Warrior weapon skills, and what we can expect from them.

GW2 Main Cities

The people over at GW2 Junkies have posted videos of Divinity Reach, The Black Citadel and Hoelbrack.  This footage is too good to not watch for yourself.  Head over to gw2junkies.com and check out three awesome guided tours of the main cities in Guild Wars 2.

Many thanks to Gamebreaker.tv contributor Mike B. for putting these videos together.

Make It So: GW2 Design Manifesto

Click the pic above, or here to read the original GW2 Design Manifesto post.

I made a rhyme (accidentally on purpose)!

I have been excited to write on this topic since I started the Make it So series.  It is awesome how you can read something almost 2 years old, and have it be as exciting to read today as it was then.  This post will most likely be split into 2 or 3 parts, depending on how much we can get through in today's edition of Make it So.

If you've been following Make it So, you'll notice that we're going to be jumping a few months into 2010.  Up through March 2010, major news consisted of an interview on lore, as well as a short post detailing development of races and professions.

In April of 2010, Mike O'Brien posted the Guild Wars 2 Design Manifesto.  As far as I am concerned, this article is one of the best postings on the ArenaNet blog.  It is blunt, honest, and blatantly calls out current MMO design.  When I first read this, I was overjoyed that someone in the gaming community finally understood what players really wanted from playing their favorite MMO.  Not only does ArenaNet understand what players want in an MMO, they also have come up with fresh new ideas that are going to shape the MMO culture for years to come.

Click past the break and join in as we discuss the Manifesto.

Guild Wars Insider

These guys do an amazing job.  Lets help em out.

Guild Wars Insider Fundraiser

Make It So: Number 4

The rest of 2009 saw the release of an interview at Onlinewelten detailing aspects of the game such as underwater exploration, Charr legions and much more.

On December 3rd, Arenanet released the Races of Tyria video.

Straight up amazing eye candy, and a ton of information to be gathered from this newest Guild Wars 2 video.  Head over to Massively.com (another favorite site of mine) for their in depth analysis of the video.

Our goal with Make it So is to educate those new to Guild Wars 2, with a basic timeline of major news announcements.

ArenaNet is definitely doing something right...

A great read posted on my favorite GW2 site.  This article really goes to show just how awesome the team behind Guild Wars 2 is.

GW2 PvP: Addict And Developer Approved

Make it So: Number 3

August 2009 was a critical month in the history of Guild Wars 2.  The president of ArenaNet, Mike O'Brien started off the excitement on August 17th, saying:

"Hey all, 

Last week I promised you’d get your first glimpse of Guild Wars 2 “very soon now”. That day is almost here. 

I want to thank all our fans for their patience as we developed the game to the point where we can start talking about it publicly. I know you’ve all been anxiously awaiting this moment. You’ll soon understand how ambitious we've been and what we’ve accomplished during these past two years of development. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but from here on out we’ll be able to provide you with more regular updates.

Guild Wars 2 is going to be a huge leap beyond the original. We have the best team in the industry executing at the top of their game, and I’m very proud of what our team has accomplished so far. As I said last week, I’m confident that when you get your first look at what we've been working on, you’re going to love what you see. Stay tuned for an exciting week ahead." - Source

My first thought was 'Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet'.  Up to this point (and past it as you'll see in future posts), ArenaNet had virtually starved its community of Guild Wars 2.  The anticipation of what was to come was overwhelming.

Click past the break to see more news from August 2009, as well as the incredibly amazing first Guild Wars 2 trailer.

Accountability

'ello,

They say when you undergo something it's best to have someone mocking you publicly have someone to keep you accountable, as such here's a link to my HoM account in case anyone wants to track how I'm doing.

I did have an amazing experience last night, shortly after I took this screenshot:

I was visited by a strange Aztec squirrel god and he told me how I could get all the elite skills and armor sets for the entire game.  All I had to do was construct a giant stone pyramid in my backyard, collect the tears of 1000 angry nerds, then offer them up over a ceremonial flame fueled by energy drinks and bleach.

Seriously though, I'm powering through the Asura portion of EoTN right now, and dealing with all those frost elementals as a MM build is proving challenging.  I'm looking to perhaps switch things up in hopes of being more effective. It's a strange and exciting adventure looking for builds/templates. When you consider the last expansion came out in '07, what constitutes as "the latest build"?

Make It So: Number 2

Click here for the original Guild Wars 2 FAQ.

June 27, 2008.  One year and 3 months after the first press release, we got our first Guild Wars 2 FAQ, and the now outdated GW2 logo.  My excitement exploded, just due to the fact that we finally got some solid news about the game after waiting so long.  

The biggest piece of news that came with the FAQ was that in GW2, we would have the option to play a race other than Human.

By the time this information came out, Eye of the North had been out for almost a year, and each of the races (minus the Sylvari) had been heavily featured in the EotN storyline.  Not only did we have a great idea of what each race looked like, but EotN did an amazing job of telling the story of each race's culture.

This is where my real anticipation for GW2 began.  From here forward, the majority of my time spent looking up info on the newest games coming out was spent scouring the interwebs for any slice of info on Guild Wars 2.  

Next in Make it So, we will fast forward to August 2009, the first time the floodgates opened and we were overwhelmed with sweet, sweet, wonderful, and tasty GW2 news.  Our goal with Make it So is to educate those new to Guild Wars 2, with a basic timeline of major news announcements.