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Guild Wars 2: 24 Hours to Launch

August 27, 2012 by

For those with Head Start access to GW2, it’s easy to forget that the official launch of the game is tomorrow afternoon (exact details here). It’s been a fairly successful early access period, albeit with some early server issues.

Since then, things have stabilised although I’m still spending as much time playing in the overflow queue as being on my server. For me that’s no real issue but it is for a lot of people, and the full launch may exacerbate things. That said, we’re not hearing a lot of negative talk overall – people seem to be loving the game on the whole. We’ll have a full review up this week sometime, but I’ll need to play more than the couple of hours I’ve done so far to make a final call.

Other key info for launch:

Other key bits of info for oceanic players to keep in mind:

Unofficial Oceanic Server: Sea of Sorrows
Unofficial secondary oceanic server: Gate of Madness
Guild Wars 2 Server List: here
Guild Wars 2 Guilds List: here
Guild Wars Oceanic Facebook Page: here

For Head Starters: how have you found the game so far?

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With:

GW2 Servers Being Pounded

August 25, 2012 by

It’s less than 12 hours into the 3-day early access for those who pre-purchased Guild Wars 2, and it’s fair to say that if the amount of server downtime being experienced is an indication of game popularity, then this is going to be one popular game.

Since 2pm AEST when the servers came up, there have been intermittent issues with being able to log in, and these appear to have worsened this evening. Some are getting angry but it’s pretty par for the course for any MMO launch and things will pan out over coming hours.

And anyway: imagine what it’ll be like when the full launch occurs….

Over to you: how has your experience been with the game so far?

[Pic courtesy of businessinsider.com]

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2, Servers

Guild Wars 2: 3-Day Headstart Launches

August 25, 2012 by

For those who pre-purchased GW2, access to the game started at 2pm today AEST, a little ahead of the 5pm formal start as the servers opened up.

I jumped in pretty much from the start and as expected, was greeted with rather a large crowd of toons:

Lag has been minimal given the server loads, so kudos to ArenaNet there. There are some queues but that’s to be expected as well.

Other key bits of info for oceanic players to keep in mind:

Unofficial Oceanic Server: Sea of Sorrows
Unofficial secondary oceanic server: Gate of Madness
Guild Wars 2 Server List: here
Guild Wars 2 Guilds List: here
Guild Wars Oceanic Facebook Page: here

Over to you: tell those without the early access how you’re finding the game!

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With:

Oceanic Soap Box: Guild Wars 2 Eve

August 24, 2012 by

This week it’s a bit hard to ignore the huge MMO launch on our doorstep. Guild Wars 2 launches for some tomorrow afternoon, and for the rest three days after that. So let’s make that the topic for debate this week.

Will you be jumping into GW2 at launch? Will you be playing it at all and if not, why not?

For mine, I’ll be there Saturday afternoon to check things out and to start levelling but for me GW2 is going to be a casual thing. Something I jump in and enjoy once a week or so.

What about you?

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2, Suggestion Box Tagged With:

One Quest for Guild Wars 2 Glory

August 23, 2012 by

It’s only three days until those with 3-day headstart access will start playing GW2, and I know a bunch of people are getting pretty excited.

One in particular is Victoria-based Hayden, who has set up Condescend Gaming. He’ll be doing some serious streaming of his early days and weeks in GW2. If like me you won’t have 14+ hours a day to level up, you may be interested in seeing someone else having a go.

I threw some questions at Hayden to get an idea of what he has planned:

Tell us a little about how you got into streaming your play time

Got into streaming about 2-3 months ago while playing SWTOR. A friend on my server was a streamer and I had never heard of such a thing. Once I found out what it was, it instantly became something I was interested in and wanted to be a part of.

How long have you been playing MMOs?

WoW was the first MMO I ever played back in 04/05. I instantly fell in love with MMOs from the first time I logged on. Although I did quit and come back a lot over the following years, I still kept a high standard of competitiveness – landing Gladiator in Season 4 and Alliance first ICC 10man Heroic kill on our server (server 2nd) to name a couple.

After deciding to quit WoW for good a few weeks after Cataclysm was released, I have been searching for a new MMO ever since. Have tried Rift and TERA for a short time but it didn’t cut it for me. SWTOR was a game I thought had a lot of potential, but was rushed in it release and collapsed on itself soon after. I think GW2 is finally the MMO I am looking for to play long term.

Why are you excited about GW2 in particular?

The main fact that it is a brand new MMO. I have been searching and waiting for an MMO to grab me and keep me interested. I thought SWTOR was that game but I was highly mistaken. Guild Wars 2 seems to have so many new and appealing features that I can’t wait to play through.

You’re intending to go flat out to level up in GW2 – what’s your strategy and how long do you think it’ll take you?

I have 5-6 days off where I will be playing a minimum of 14+ hour days. Oceanic 1st 80 is something that I have in mind and will definitely be pushing to achieve this. I have read that someone in BETA did it in ~88 hours, so I think I would be able to achieve this in a similar time. Just have to stay focused and not get distracted. Remember the goals that have been set in place and strive to achieve them.

Plug time: where can people follow your stream?

I currently stream from twitch, a link can be found here twitch.tv/condescendgaming

Also be sure to follow me on Twitter and YouTube for the latest updates:

twitter.com/condescendau

youtube.com/CondescendGaming

I want to thank everyone at The Oceanic Gamer for this opportunity and the hard work that has been put into their website. There are constant news updates and articles which makes a good read and easy to keep up to scratch with all that is going on.

And here’s a quick promo vid that our esteemed oceanic colleague has created to showcase his intentions:

Over to you: how full-on will you be levelling in GW2?

Filed Under: Events, General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With: ,

GW2 Oceanic Guild Spotlight: Brigade Of Light And Dark

August 20, 2012 by

If you’d like your guild spotlighted, just use our contact form to let us know. Or if you like, respond to the questions shown below and send them in – we love to profile guilds and the work they’re doing. The only requirement is that you’re an active oceanic guild. Please be patient if you don’t hear back from us immediately – we will only be spotlighting a guild every week or so.

Name of guild

Brigade of Light and Dark (BOLD)

Guild website

http://brigade-of-light-and-dark.shivtr.com/
– our old GW1 website…a new one may be on the horizon…..

History of your guild’s name?

Brigade of Light and Dark (BOLD) was originally formed by our guild leader Ptolia Arter in GW1. The name inspired by “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

What sort of guild are you?

This is a very relaxed guild who maintains “fun” as a priority – winning is, of course, fun.  Many members are returning Guild Wars players and have already pre-purchased GW2, looking to give us that head-start access.  We are looking to dominate Yak’s Bend, but members will in no way be limited to that one server. Could make for some fun in WvW though.

Some may say “international” is a fairly broad term and can complicate guild events. However,  our time-zone differences (ranging anywhere from the Americas, Europe and Oceania) are too weak of a barrier to keep us from hosting constant guild events!   Not only that, we also feel that through an international guild comes international friendships, cultures, constant members online, and success.

Most importantly, our guild focuses on learning; always trying new things, excelling, and then teaching others.  Knowledge is only real if shared (the saying was something like that). Try visiting our website:  “BOLD is not a guild that objects to answering questions – no matter how “silly” or “noobish” you might think they are.”  – Ptolia Arter (Guild Leader)

Have key guild members been involved in other games / MMOs?

Mostly GW1 but also LOTRO, Rappelz, and other MMOs

How many guild members do you have at the moment?

25 – 30 coming in at release or very soon after

What days/times do you see the guild being most active?

With being an international Guild we envisage having members online for most of the day/night

What are the achievements that your guild is most proud of?

Several members including our GL have attained 50/50 pts in Hall of Monuments and also GWAMM (God Walking Among Mere Mortals – the highest title in GW1)

You have one minute to convince someone they should be in your guild – what would you say to them?

We are a guild that has always enjoyed “Going Hard Out” in-game then kicking back with a party and some fun guild events, either in the Guild Hall or the world of Tyria

What are your predictions for the next 6 months for the guild?

We are all looking to get into GW2 and level our main characters asap while reuniting with old friends and making many more. We are looking to quickly grow BOLD into a 50 – 100 member friendly, family orientated guild for all ages and experiences.

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2, Guilds Tagged With: ,

Guild Wars 2 Facebook Group for Oceanic Players

August 19, 2012 by

Just a quick reminder for those Facebookers counting down the days until next weekend’s launch of GW2.

There’s a Facebook Group for Australian and New Zealand players right here – it’s a friendly group so jump
in!

And don’t forget that if you’re part of a GW2 guild and would like to be profiled, drop us a line!

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With: ,

Full List of Guild Wars 2 Servers

August 18, 2012 by

AreneNet have released the details of the launch servers for GW2. You can see them in full below.

For oceanic players wondering what the unofficial Australian / New Zealand server is: at this stage it’s Sea of Sorrows in the US, but as with any of these unofficial arrangements it could change depending on server populations etc.

The full list:

US WorldsAnvil Rock

Borlis Pass

Yak’s Bend

Henge of Denravi

Maguuma

Sorrow’s Furnace

Gate of Madness

Jade Quarry

Fort Aspenwood

Ehmry Bay

Stormbluff Isle

Darkhaven

Sanctum of Rall

Crystal Desert

Isle of Janthir

Sea of Sorrows

Tarnished Coast

Northern Shiverpeaks

Blackgate

Ferguson’s Crossing

Dragonbrand

 EU WorldsFissure of Woe

Desolation

Gandara

Blacktide

Ring of Fire

Underworld

Far Shiverpeaks

Whiteside Ridge

Ruins of Surmia

Seafarer’s Rest

Vabbi

Piken Square

Aurora Glade

Gunnar’s Hold

Jade Sea [FR]

Fort Ranik [FR]

Augury Rock [FR]

Vizunah Square [FR]

Kodash [DE]

Riverside [DE]

Elona Reach [DE]

Abaddon’s Mouth [DE]

Drakkar Lake [DE]

Baruch Bay [ES]

 

So which server will you be rolling on? Also – if you’re a GW2 guild that would like to be profiled, drop us a line

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With: ,

Guild Wars 2 Launch Details (With Australian and NZ Time Conversions)

August 15, 2012 by

ArenaNet have provided some further clarification of how launch of the game will work in just over nine days time. Read on below for the official details then for our local time conversions to make things a little easier for you!

Official blurb:

  • Pre-Purchase with 3-Day Headstart: Everyone who pre-purchased Guild Wars 2 will enjoy three full days of Headstart Access. The three-day Headstart Access will officially begin at 0:00 AM Pacific time (GMT -7:00) on August 25th. However, please note that in order to ensure that we’re fully prepared for that fateful hour we may bring servers online up to 3 hours prior. If you’re a player committed to getting in first to grab that character name of your dreams you’ll want to be keeping an eye on things during that time period.
  • Pre-Order with 1-Day Headstart: Those who pre-ordered Guild Wars 2 will be able to participate in one day of Headstart Access. The one-day Headstart Access will begin at 0:00 AM Pacific time (GMT -7:00) on August 27th. NOTE – Pre-Order code registration is now enabled.
  • For those players who have not pre-purchased or pre-ordered the game, Guild Wars 2 will officially launch at 0:00 AM Pacific time (GMT -7:00) on August 28th.
  • Download the Client today: If you’ve registered your pre-purchase or pre-order and created your Guild Wars account you can go to account management today and download the client. Be sure to update the client periodically to minimize your download at launch.

Now for the time conversions:

3-day headstart

AEST: 5pm on Saturday August 25th (and possibly a few hours earlier as per announcement above)

AWST: 3pm on Saturday August 25th (and possibly a few hours earlier as per announcement above)

NZST: 7pm on Saturday August 25th (and possibly a few hours earlier as per announcement above)

 1-day headstart

AEST: 5pm on Monday 27th August

AWST: 3pm on Monday 27th August

NZST 7pm on Monday 27th August

Official Launch:

AEST: 5pm on Tuesday 28th August

AWST: 3pm on Tuesday 28th August

NZST: 7pm on Tuesday 28th August

So overall it’s a pretty Oceanic-friendly launch window! We’ll be covering the launch as well as any happenings with unofficial oceanic servers etc. Also don’t forger we’re keen to profile GW2 guilds or local GW2 events and we’ll always have the latest patch notes and news. Also, if you’d like to write about GW2 for us, drop us a line!

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With:

GW2 Oceanic Guild Spotlight: Destiny

August 9, 2012 by

If you’d like your guild spotlighted, just use our contact form to let us know. Or if you like, respond to the questions shown below and send them in – we love to profile guilds and the work they’re doing. The only requirement is that you’re an active oceanic guild. Please be patient if you don’t hear back from us immediately – we will only be spotlighting a guild every week or so.

Name of guild

Destiny (GW2 version)

Guild website

http://destinygw2.guildlaunch.com

History of your guild’s name?

Destiny originated in WoW in 2007. The guild has had a continued membership in WoW until 2011 and in other MMOs including Aion, Rift, Warhammer and SWTOR.

What sort of guild are you?

We are primarily PVE orientated with a semi-serious approach to end-game content and casual PVP participation.

Have key guild members been involved in other games / MMOs?

Yes – GW, Anarchy Online, WoW, Warhammer, Aion, Rift, SWTOR, TSW, Mechwarrior…

How many guild members do you have at the moment?

To date 19 members are preparing for GW2.

What days/times do you see the guild being most active?

AEST/GMT+10 7pm-Midnight have traditionally been our active hours.

What are the achievements that your guild is most proud of?

Continued member friendship in & out of the game, successful end-game participation, enthusiasm for enjoying MMO gameplay.

You have one minute to convince someone they should be in your guild – what would you say to them?

We are primarily a mature-member guild with many players balancing work, family and play. Fun and enjoyment are the reason we play and our guild approach to gaming scaffolds this desire. Enjoy a relaxed, fun evening with friends who can be a bit nerdy about game content and achievement. Oh… bring oreos!

What are your predictions for the next 6 months for the guild?

Some players will continue game play in a variety of MMOs including SWtOR, MWO and TSW with a core group exploring the content of GW2.

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2, Guilds Tagged With: ,

Looking to make your own GW2 Email/Forum signature?

July 31, 2012 by

Then here’s a pretty nifty option. There’s a huge range of options you can choose and you can easily test out a bunch of things and cancel them individually. Best of all, you can download the end result without needing to give away your email address or any other info.

Check it out for yourself!

[Thanks to Peter over at GW2 Gamers of Oceania Facebook Page]

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With: ,

Another Take On Guild Wars 2

July 25, 2012 by

Beta test weekends are tricky devils especially the final one, because you know its a stress test by another name. Not only that, but a wobbly first impression can put you off the game, even though you know it’s not necessarily representative of the final product.

With SWTOR, my first impression was not good. In fact it was so bad I can cancelled my CE preorder.

I’m not about to do that with Guild Wars 2. First up, a caveat. I only got to play for about an hour and a half, so this is superficial at
best. Also I knew next to nothing so I had no expectations at all, a complete tabula rasa.

Initial impression were promising with an elegant painted style that is throughout the UI and immediately marks the game out as something different. The character creation screens are logical and flexible enough to tweak your character to your satisfaction. Controls are fairly standard and even though it was a stress test weekend, there was no lag that I noticed, despite plenty of other players rushing about.

Conversations with quest givers are animated, but instead of trying to integrate them into the gameplay, you are gently lifted out of it as your avatar and the quest-giver hold their exchange in front of an elegant background.

Combat is engaging and fun, some strategy is a good idea as button mashing, even at an early level, not only gets tedious but won’t give you the best effect. One aspect of the game I particularly liked was that you are not made to feel like you are on some heavily scripted linear progression, a long standing frustration I have with some other games. Here, you don’t get led around by the nose but are encouraged to explore what appears to be a sprawling environment and locate events and quest-givers with only limited support from the map.

Even though I had such a limited time to try the game and despite not being hit over the head with plot points, I still found myself being drawn into the story. So that’s another tick.

Finally lets talk quickly about the graphics. One word – sweet! GW2 isn’t having to wrestle with a relatively untried engine. It looks
excellent, with detailed textures and draw distances that always remind you that it’s a big world out there. Considering I’m still using a creaky ATI 4850 and didn’t bother to tweak any settings I could quite happily pick up where I left off without touching a thing.

While I don’t doubt there are flaws, bugs and other irritations that I’ve yet to discover, I can honestly say I’m looking forward to
returning and waking my toothy cat guy from where he is currently laying down and sleeping deeply.

Filed Under: General News, Guild Wars 2 Tagged With: ,
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