Eye of the North heroes: Pyre Fierceshot

Eye of the North introduces several new heroes, and one of them in particular is a bit of a surprise. Pyre Fierceshot is a Charr. Didn't think you'd be inviting a Charr to join your party, did you? On top of that, the missions and quests that Pyre opens up require you to not only team up with Charr, but actually help them out.

As his name implies, Pyre Fierceshot is a Ranger. His default skills are:

• Dual Shot
• Kindle Arrows
• Resurrection Signet
• Savage Shot
• Throw Dirt
  Troll UnguentPyre has Ranger armour labelled as a Charr set, with an armour rating of 13-70, depending on level. His armour bonuses are:
  
• +30 to Elemental damage
• +5 to energy on his chest armour
• +1 to energy regeneration on his leg armour

You first meet Pyre in Grothmar Wargrounds, during the quest "Against the Charr". To recruit Pyre, you have to complete the Primary Ebon Vanguard quest "Warband of Brothers". On completion, Pyre is unlocked as a hero, and can be used in your party.Pyre is an excellent Hero addition to your party in Eye of the North. Having a Charr is fun anyway, and if you need a Ranger, Pyre tends to obey orders and run off less than Acolyte Jin - which can be a real life saver on some missions.

Screenshot of the Week - "A Usual Day Dream"

Have a peek at this week's featured screenshot from Trails of Tears:

State of the Game: Eye of the North

For the first time, Guild Wars introduces new skills without new professions. The ten non-elite skills per profession introduced in Eye of the North have had decidedly less impact on the GvG metagame than the dramatic upheavals of Factions and Nightfall. But this doesn't mean the new skills show no promise. Some guilds have already begun incorporating GW:EN skills into existing builds, while others seem primed to make an impact in the near future.
Backline
Although Monks have many interesting new tools, equipping any of these on an already crowded Skill Bar means something useful has to go. Cure Hex seems like a natural fit on Light of Deliverance Monk bars, where the healing power of the skill might compensate for losing the utility of Holy Veil. Aura of Stability has already found its way onto some Heroes' Ascent Monk bars, but many HA teams have three Monks, while GvG teams tend to use just two Monks. So, as most Protection Monks already have more viable skills than they can use, Aura of Stability may have trouble finding a niche in Guild Battles.
Castigation Signet shows promise as non-elite Energy management. With just eight ranks in Smiting Prayers, a good micromanager can net six Energy every fifteen seconds while damaging an attacker. Best of all, a Mo/A can bring this signet for Energy management without giving up an elite slot or escape skills.

State of the Game

The latest edition of the State of the Game article series has been posted on the Guild Wars official site. This article covers the usefulness of the secondary profession.

Guild Wars characters are based on one simple but ingenious system--each character may use one primary profession and one secondary profession. Although it may seem like players use skills mainly from their primary professions, the secondary profession can actually have an enormous impact on the success and usefulness of a character, especially within PvP play.
The Ranger
Even though putting together a Skill Bar with only Ranger skills isn't too difficult, Rangers often use a secondary profession. Ranger/Mesmers, for example, were dominant before Distortion was updated. Rangers packed Distortion so they could run flags or split. Distortion was a perfect skill for Rangers because the excellent Energy management provided by Expertise meant they could afford to pay for Distortion's Energy loss.
Nowadays, most Rangers in GvG run as a Ranger/Monk. This is due, in large part, to the skill Mending Touch. With its 5 Energy, three-quarter second cast time, and 6 second recharge time, Rangers using this skill can almost certainly counteract the effects of any Blinding Surge Elementalist or other Condition hate they might run into.
To a lesser extent, Rangers also use Purge Signet. Purge removes all Hexes and Conditions on a target, and it easily fits onto a Ranger's Skill Bar. Purge Signet is much more common when the metagame goes heavy into Hexes. These two skills affect Ranger usage immensely; without them, we would see much less splitting and more Hexes or more Hex removal on non-Monk characters.

Recent Headlines for Guild Wars:Xunlai Tournament House Re-Opens

ArenaNet has announced the re-opening of the Xunlai Tournament House, where players can engage in single combat or attempt to pick the winners for prestige and fame.

Our History
Allow me to speak on the origins of the Xunlai Tournament House.
Long ago, there were two brothers named Laihuen and Minwien. These two brothers were fiercely competitive. When the brothers were young, they would compete against one another for everything -- the longest jump, the swiftest runner, even who could eat food faster! And yet, even though they tried to outdo one another, these two brothers were still very good friends. As adults, they traveled the world, picking up new skills and fighting dangerous monsters. Each year they would return and hold a competition to see who was better -- and they would let others fight, as well! These games became famous, and drew crowds from many kingdoms to bet on the outcome of each battle.
Well, eventually, the brothers both fell in love with the same woman, and... ah, but that's another story. Suffice it to say that one went to Tyria while one stayed in Cantha, and the tournaments stopped for a very long time -- until 1071, when trade between our two countries began once again. The competitions were revived as a way of celebrating the heroes of our shared past, and honoring them was the basis of the Xunlai Tournament House that we have today.

Guild Wars Eye of the North: Region Profile, Gunnar's Hold

The Norn of the Far Shiverpeaks are a wild, independent people. These huge, shapeshifting barbarians are hunters by nature, who trek endlessly across the mountainous, snow-covered territory pursuing their prey. All the creatures of the wild fear and respect their abilities, and the Norn continually seek out the toughest of opponents to test their fighting prowess and expand their reputations. The most powerful and well-respected of the Norn are those who have bested the largest number of the toughest opponents.

The Norn make few permanent homes, and those Norn buildings that do persist longer than a single winter have passed through numerous families and clans throughout their history. Permanent Norn settlements are even fewer, and change hands with similar frequency. Usually a settlement is named after the most powerful of the Norn currently residing there, so the same location may have many names (making it even harder to track the history of this semi-nomadic race). Norn settlements can be abandoned and rebuilt many times, sometimes due to conflicts, but just as often because better hunting has been found elsewhere.

One of the largest of the current Norn settlements is Gunnar's Hold, home of the master Norn armorer Gunnar Poundfist. This large hearthstead towers over the Norrhart Domains in the middle of the Norn hunting territories. As such it is a general gathering point for Norn and other races who pass through the area.

Gunnar established his claim over the hold as both a hunter of renown as well as a smith of great skill, which he learned from the Deldrimor Dwarves who pass through the region. As a result, he is as well-regarded as an armorer as he is a hunter. Given the central location of his hold, he is also mildly more tolerant of non-Norn, which is to say, he does not challenge you to a fight before offering you his hand in greeting.

Gunnar's Hold is also the site of the Norn Arena, an ancient battle pit used by the Norn for settling disagreements in the traditional fashion (through personal combat, of course; sometimes to the death). Magni the Bison, a champion fighter, has invited humans, Norn, and other beings from all over Tyria to compete for the honor of battling the greatest of all Norn fighters--himself. The arena is also used as a base for Kilroy Stonekin, a pugnacious, bare-knuckled Dwarven brawler who is more than willing to teach the sweet science of Dwarven boxing to those willing to help him collect a few debts (and, for some reason, a lot people owe money to this slightly mad Dwarf).

The Norn are a passionate, powerful, and combative people shaped by a life in frigid, snowbound lands. Even in their holds and steadings, they are a force to be reckoned with; they respect only those who can match them in skill and strength and challenge all to prove their worth. When you enter Gunnar's Hold, you'd best be prepared for a fight. You are in their territory now.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North Screenshots

Eye of the North Launches

Bellevue, WA. Aug. 31, 2007--NCsoft® and ArenaNet® have launched Guild Wars: Eye of the North™, the first expansion to the Guild Wars® franchise of subscription-free, online roleplaying games. Guild Wars players who purchase the expansion can access Eye of the North content through any of the multi-million-selling Guild Wars campaigns-Guild Wars, Guild Wars Factions™, or Guild Wars Nightfall™. The expansion also includes an innovative feature that allows players to take achievements they have earned over the years with them into the forthcoming Guild Wars 2™.
Guild Wars: Eye of the North, continues the subscription-free business model pioneered by ArenaNet. The expansion is now available at the Official Guild Wars In-game Store and at Plaync.com, as well as from retailers in North America and Europe, for an expected suggested retail price of $39.99.
Eye of the North advances the story told in the original Guild Wars campaign, and is set in unexplored areas of the continent of Tyria. One of the highlights of the expansion is the Hall of Monuments, which allows players to preserve armor sets, pets, Heroes, and titles earned while playing Guild Wars, Factions, Nightfall, and Eye of the North, and take those accomplishments with them into Guild Wars 2.
The expansion also contains a host of new features that will appeal directly to veteran Guild Wars players, including 18 multi-level dungeons, 150 new skills across all 10 Guild Wars professions, 10 new Heroes to aid them in their adventures, 40 new armor sets, and more items, weapons, and titles.
"We think fans will find a lot to love in Guild Wars: Eye of the North," said Mike O'Brien, co-founder of ArenaNet. "Not only do we go back to the original Guild Wars lands and stories to wrap up plots and themes fans have clamored to learn more about, but we've also built a bridge to the future through the Hall of Monuments. This will give loyal players a way to preserve what they've accomplished in Guild Wars over the past two years, and reclaim the legacy of their favorite characters in Guild Wars 2."
The Guild Wars franchise recently surpassed four million units sold and is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed online roleplaying game series of all time. Guild Wars 2 is expected to go into public beta in the second half of 2008.
For more information, visit the Guild Wars website at www.guildwars.com. The award-winning Guild Wars series of games, including Guild Wars: Eye of the North, can be purchased from retailers or downloaded from the PlayNC store at https://secure.plaync.com/cgi-bin/Store.pl.

Guild Wars: Eye of the North Interview

While attending the Penny Arcade Expo (PAX) I got the chance to speak to Ben Miller lead designer of the Guild Wars about the new Eye of the North expansion. I want to thank Eric for taking the time from the busy day to answer my questions.
Questions from Gareth Von KallenbachSkewed and Reviewed
1.) What is the background and setting for the game please?
It is set in the original Continent Tyrian and four major regions such as frigid, Charr homeland, Tarnish Coast which is overgrown jungle and the Depths with are cavernous tombs.
2.) What are some of the new character classes, weapons, and locales?
There are no new professions but there are tons and tons of new items. We were shooting for an expansion not to make the game more complex and as such we have over 40 new armor sets. There is even a Ninja mask that can be worn by any profession. While weapons are not profession specific, some will of course be better suited for some classes than others.
3.) What can you tell the readers about the Hall of Monuments?
The hall keeps track of great accomplishments in the game that players achieve over time. The hall will also change visually and look cooler as you achieve more. The hall will also allow you to port over what you have accomplished to Guild Wars 2 when it is released.

4.) What new races will gamers encounter?
Norn, Asura, Charr. While the last is not really new, there will be much more depth given to them.
5.) Has the graphic engine been enhanced in any way for this release, and if so, what are some of the new features players can look forward to?
The game is more beautiful thanks to use of new shader technology. The game also looks great on lower end machines. We wanted the game to have a high range of access from the ground up and we pushed the graphic limits of the engine.
6.) What can you tell the readers about the multi level dungeons, as they seem to be just what veteran players have been looking for.
We included all the elements of a cool dungeon such as traps, monsters, loot, and unique and cool experiences. We have big, badass boss monsters and unique stores as we wanted this to be the most rewarding thing in the game.
7.) Since Guild Wars has been a huge success, is it harder with each release to create new adventures that drive the story forward and still keep he fans happy? Also, what have been some of the biggest challenges you have faced with Eye of the North?
We had the first game to draw on and as such it motivated us to do even more. We now have 4 games total with Guild Wars 2 and itself reinforces a spirit of creativity.
8.) As a follow up, to what do you attribute the success of the series and the continued loyalty of the fans with each new release? As with many games, the fan base can decrease over time with each new release but Guild Wars keeps growing.
It is a great game with solid craftsmanship on all levels. It is also a beautiful game that is fun to play.
9.) Since Eye of the North is aimed at Veteran Players, will new players be able to jump into the game, and if so, what features will the game offer them?
Players must have a level 20 character or better to access the new features. GW:EN is designed to make the game engaging and accessible to all styles of play be it casual or hardcore, and points in between even if you are a fairly new player on a seasoned vet.
10.) Were there any features you wished to add the release but were unable to?
Scope is an issue. In GW:EN, we were able to get in all of the fun things we wanted to. We took a step back and looked at the goals to make cool and fun stuff, and as such we were able to with nothing having to be left out.

Guild Wars: Eyes of the North: E3 Preview

Publisher NCSoft holds a meeting session each year at E3, moving media through all the games they are showing in twenty minute sessions. Not a whole lot of time for developers to show a game preview as well as answer questions. This year was no different. Jeff Strain, Co-Founder and Programmer did the presentation while Elijah Miller of Quality Assurance drove the playable preview.
"Eyes of the North is the first true expansion of Guild Wars and will require one of the stand alone products such as the original Guild Wars Prophecies, Factions, or Nightfall," said Strain.
Jeff told us that the reason is that building an expansion rather than a stand alone game freed up developers from having to create new starting areas and new low-level content. Instead, they could concentrate all of their resources toward making content for existing players. Is it all level 20 content then? No, Jeff was quick to point out. The expansion is geared towards existing players who have broad experience with Guild Wars, not newbies, but it's not all level 20 content.
"Internally, we call it 'Return to Tyria' as Eye of the North harkens back to the original Guild Wars environments, storyline and theme. It is the spiritual successor to Guild Wars," said Jeff. "There's so much story there that we could plumb with an expansion."
"We have a really great quest to get access to the Eye of the North and it's one of the coolest introductions we've done for a campaign. It will also orient players to the world if they did not start with or do not have Prophecies [The official name of the original game]."
The overarching theme in Eyes of the North is the dungeon crawl, with all the elements, feel and camaraderie often found in a classic dungeon crawl experience. I asked if perhaps we might see a bigger, badder version of Sorrow's Furnace. Jeff replied in the affirmative. Most of the playable areas in this expansion will be underground, and reached through the many magical gates created by the Asura - a magical race. Jeff promises us a total of 18 multi-level dungeons with traps, puzzles and hidden rooms.
Other features include 40 new armor sets, 100 new PVP allowable skills and 50 PvE cooperative specific skills. These PvE skills are attained through quests and closely aligned with the races that provide them to you. They are essentially part of the storyline. There will also be 10 new Heroes - we saw the Dwarf, the Norn, Charr and Asura - and Mini-Games. Mini-games are found in the homeland of each of the new races we will see in Eye of the North. Participating in them raises your factions with the race to unlock additional content (such as the quests to obtain PvE skills, I would surmise).
Speaking a little bit of the new races: The Norn are Giant human creatures with weight-lifter builds, inspired by the Viking culture, with Viking inspired designs and details in their kits and culture. We were brought to their homeland in the ice and snow, and shown a warrior's mini-game - a basic stand toe-to-toe, duke it out fight with a Norn champion - which strangely, was not built like them... Well, this is a preview...
The Asura are little gremlin-like critters, with strong intellect and superior magical skills, and they know it. They come complete with a chip on their shoulder and we were told that we would have to work through that character quirk if we chose to adopt them as heroes. Jeff wasn't telling more, but it surely brought to mind a random, "I'm not helping you," behavior possibility.
Their homeland was one of magical artifacts and we were run quickly through, seeing bits of floating landscape, areas where the magical forces had been harnessed by the Asuran in the form of towers, gates and a Golem kiln where the creatures were created. Jeff dropped the information that a Golem was a creature that players could morph into should they gain enough Asuran favor to learn that skill.
We were also brought into the Asuran arena and shown the Polymock Coliseum game where the player was morphed into a colorful creature and only those creature's skills allowed for you to defeat your opponent. Time quickly ran out however, and we were shown the hall of Monuments. Jeff didn't just drop hints here. He told us that many features in the Eyes of the North expansion will be a fore-taste of what's to come in Guild Wars 2. Some of the Heroes introduced in Eye of the North will be playable characters in Guild Wars 2, including the Charr, the Norn and the Asura.
The Eye of the North serves as the gathering place in this expansion and is a huge, monumental piece of architecture. Within it, the Hall of Monuments resides, this is where player achievements are immortalized. Rather appropriate, I thought. For this expansion, the Hall of Monuments is a player customizable zone showcasing all your personal accomplishments. Jeff and Elijah conferred a little on the names of all the monuments and as I noted, they are: Valor, which showcases the weapons you've attained through your career, resilience, which is your armor, persistence (I may be wrong on this one), your heroes and pets, honor, your titles and Devotion, the mini-pets and collectibles that you attained. In Guild Wars 2, players will be able to allow others to access this instanced zone, creating essentially private meeting places.
Guild Wars 1 characters will not be transferable to Guild Wars 2 due to the technological differences in the game, but, basically your Guild Wars 2 character inherits the legacy that your Guild Wars 1 characters immortalized in the Hall of Monuments.