Curse

Savio · Mar 10, 2006, 06:42 AM // 06:42

Update - Thursday March 9

General:

This week we are pre-streaming a lot of new Canthan maps and artwork to clients in preparation for the March 24 Factions Preview Event. As always, you can download new data in the background by just leaving your Guild Wars client running and sitting at the login screen.

Arena Combat Updates:

When players enter the Random Arenas through an International District, they will now be placed on teams consisting of other players who entered through an International District. Previously, players were always placed on teams with other players from their own territory.
Teams in both Random and Team Arenas can now be matched against opponents from anywhere in the world.

Guild Combat Updates:

Guild Lords will now walk instead of run out of the base at "Victory or Death" to give their teams a better chance to keep up with them.
Updated NPCs in the Isle of the Dead guild hall map so that they will now patrol the low ground near the flag at "Victory or Death."

Skill Training Updates:

All skill trainers can now sell you any non-elite skill that you have previously unlocked on your account.

Skill Updates:

Fixed the skill Dwarven Battle Stance so that it only causes hammer attacks to interrupt the target, not other types of melee attacks.
Fixed the skill Mantra of Recall so that it only provides its Energy boost to the owner of the skill. Previously, a player could get an Energy boost if he removed Mantra of Recall from an enemy while he also had the same Enchantment applied to himself.
Fixed the skill Feral Lunge so that its damage and duration correctly match last week's update notes.

Item Updates:

Restored the functionality of Bloodstained Boots.
Updated "while hexed" shields on Collectors so that they are equivalent to those on the PvP creation screen.
Updated roleplaying character creation so that all professions start with helmets or headgear.
Updated the "/preorder" command to provide Guild Wars Factions preorder items to those who have applied a Factions preorder key to their account.
Corrected the crafting costs of the Monk's Ascetic Fissure of Woe armor and the Necromancer's Scar Pattern Fissure of Woe armor to include Obsidian Shards.
Added new artwork for elemental staves.
Changed the name of Shells to Chitin Fragments.

Map and Quest Updates:

Removed the portal effect from the closed east gate of Lion's Arch.
Tightened the guard security on the ramp in Heroes' Ascent so that characters cannot sneak past the guards.
Corrected the art being used for Commander Rezhang in Heroes' Ascent.
Increased the maximum allowed party size in The Great Temple of Balthazar and Isle of the Nameless to eight.
Fixed a bug that allowed characters who had not completed the “Path of the Zaishen Elite” quest to enter the Zaishen Elite outpost.

AI Updates:

Fixed a bug that caused Henchmen and pets to be left behind or to run back to their original locations after cinematics.
Updated AI so that creatures and Henchmen no longer try to heal or enchant Spirits.

Audio Updates:

Improved the performance of the game's audio engine.
Added a new slider to the Game Options panel to adjust sound playback quality.
Added support for DirectX 3D sound (DS3D) hardware acceleration.

User Interface Updates:

Added a "Sort by Campaign" option to all skill lists.
Added the ability to access the options panel (F11) or to logout (F12) from pre-game screens such as character selection and creation.
Added the ability to customize the position of the mission goals pop-up window using the Customize Layout interface.
Updated the Guild Roster page to display the guild's home territory.
Fixed party size numbers shown over the heads of party leaders so that the count includes Henchmen.
Fixed a bug that caused the district selection control to lock up when a player canceled party travel, or when a non-leader chose not to leave his party after acknowledging that he did wish to leave the current district.
Fixed a bug that prevented detached start menu items from being correctly hidden during cinematics.
Fixed the display of skills that are unavailable due to being in a campaign that the player doesn't own. Previously, if such a skill was an adrenaline skill, the skill's adrenaline charge state would override the unavailable state.

Kerrick¹ · Mar 10, 2006, 06:47 AM // 06:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savio

Audio Updates:

Improved the performance of the game's audio engine.
Added support for DirectX 3D sound (DS3D) hardware acceleration.

I approve.

arcanemacabre · Mar 10, 2006, 06:53 AM // 06:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savio

Restored the functionality of Bloodstained Boots.
Updated "while hexed" shields on Collectors so that they are equivalent to those on the PvP creation screen.
Updated roleplaying character creation so that all professions start with helmets or headgear.
Updated the "/preorder" command to provide Guild Wars Factions preorder items to those who have applied a Factions preorder key to their account.

Every bit of this is freakin cool, but these four made me cheer out loud.

And I guess this means we get our preorder items now? Wow, thought it was gonna become available with release, but I'm not complaining! That's an update with gumption!

swordfisher · Mar 10, 2006, 07:09 AM // 07:09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savio

Restored the functionality of Bloodstained Boots.

I'm being perfectly honest when I say I thought I would never see the day...
So...what do they do, now that they do something?

RaabTheGuru · Mar 10, 2006, 07:24 AM // 07:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by swordfisher

I'm being perfectly honest when I say I thought I would never see the day...
So...what do they do, now that they do something?

They decrease the casting time of spells that target corpses by 25%, or a minimum of 1/4 of a second.

Carinae · Mar 10, 2006, 07:26 AM // 07:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savio

[*]Restored the functionality of Bloodstained Boots.

Our Dark prayers have been answered!

Renegade ++RIP++ · Mar 10, 2006, 07:32 AM // 07:32

still no change to the entire knight armor, ascalon armour debacle... been asking that for ages... but heck no they only update necroarmor

.

Lasareth · Mar 10, 2006, 08:11 AM // 08:11

19mb... good luck 56kers

Elrond Afil · Mar 10, 2006, 08:15 AM // 08:15

boooo...came at bad time was holding halls, and has to restart game

(((((

.defekt · Mar 10, 2006, 08:16 AM // 08:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lasareth

19mb... good luck 56kers

God dammit.

Lord Iowerth · Mar 10, 2006, 08:18 AM // 08:18

Damn you're fast, Savio ... and i'm sure Carinae is happy about the BSB's

Lots of good stuff in this update!

EDIT: and this ... is freakin hilarious:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Savio

Updated AI so that creatures and Henchmen no longer try to heal or enchant Spirits.

I never noticed that, but I wouldn't have been surprised

Now if we can only get: "Updated henchmen AI so they no longer enjoy bathing in poison water, or cooking themselves in lava"

Hell, i'd be happy with just one or the other, really. I'm not greedy, ANET!

Lasareth · Mar 10, 2006, 08:21 AM // 08:21

My spiritbinder still shoots arrows >_> but still a nice update overall. Now I get to play with my toys on my RP characters

Renegade ++RIP++ · Mar 10, 2006, 08:21 AM // 08:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by .defekt

God dammit.

heh your going to be a tad less happy with the mapupdates

, i'm at 100 mb and still counting.

.defekt · Mar 10, 2006, 08:22 AM // 08:22

You lie.

Please, God, tell me he lies.

Lord Iowerth · Mar 10, 2006, 08:25 AM // 08:25

Quote:

Originally Posted by .defekt

You lie.

Please, God, tell me he lies.

I'm at 71.something right now. Woe is the dial-up user ...

Renegade ++RIP++ · Mar 10, 2006, 08:26 AM // 08:26

heh i never lie... 190mb and still going strong

(this is part of the general mentioned above...)

Quote:

General:

* This week we are pre-streaming a lot of new Canthan maps and artwork to clients in preparation for the March 24 Factions Preview Event. As always, you can download new data in the background by just leaving your Guild Wars client running and sitting at the login screen.

EDIT: 300 mb and going strong

.defekt · Mar 10, 2006, 08:27 AM // 08:27

Imagine me swearing and punching anything that moves.

Me not happy.

Rukmedes · Mar 10, 2006, 08:36 AM // 08:36

OH SO THEY FIX THE SHIELDS FOR PVE IN 3 DAYS, BUT PVP GOES WITHOUT LT HELM FOR EVER?

Horseshit.

dgb · Mar 10, 2006, 08:41 AM // 08:41

Great communication Anet- "We will be streaming a large amount of data". Fantastic - how much? Do we have anyway to turn this off? Some of us have monthly download limits that we have to watch, and I don't hugely want you eating all of it for a product that I'm not necessarily going to buy.

Anarki · Mar 10, 2006, 08:47 AM // 08:47

I'm still waiting for that 1x1 arena.... screw everything else.