Celeste and Allona get crazy meta by being a podcast discussing another podcast that discusses GW2′s Living World. Oh, and the new trailer… we definitely talk about that too.

Audio Version

What We Did This Week

 

Allona

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• Mini set 1 achievement … soon I will have gold again!
  
• All the Dry Top region achievements (with some dumb luck (hylek), some help (quicksand, diving goggles), and a ringer (diving goggles))
  
• Personal story for my necro … she’s been 80 for a while, but was only at lvl 16 in her story.
  
• Discovered that only Allona had ever been to Southsun! What?!
  
• Related to that point, fought the Karka Queen with Tilde, my warrior, and unlocked one of the new grand master traits!
  
• Bittermalted very, very briefly
  

Celeste

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• Got the Mini set I achievement!
  
• Karka Queen
  
• Finished up Metrica with Benj, I think we’ll be heading into Brisban next instead of going to caledon because of some disturbing imagery (slightly spoilery)
  

 

Livestreaming Wednesday’s at 9:30pm EST/6:30pm PST at twitch.tv/mmoreporter.

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Report from Lion’s Arch

 

Entanglement begins on July 15th!

http://youtu.be/6TsfcJz99n4

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• We open on a view of centaurs, the biconics walking through a cavern, and then…
  
• Not Fort Trinity but that other place in Timberline Falls, Concordia in the Gyre Rapids area.
  
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  • Allona: I went to Concordia … I’m not so certain that’s it.
    
  
  
  

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• I’m also really glad that they grabbed that asura…. awww nope, it’s just really close (http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/2a0pr7/dry_top_is_one_of_the_most_immersive_zones_in_the/)
  
• From @Miktar https://twitter.com/Miktar/status/486935114044416001 “Also, I wonder how many people have noticed that many waypoints around Tyria suddenly have thorn vines trying to reach them.†http://abload.de/img/worldmap070914foeer.jpg , Surprising that the one at Thaumanova is not reacting. Though this could be reasoned by the fact that they seem to avoid the 1-15 zones when it comes to radically altering the world.
  
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  • “There are new books in the Durmand Priory about Scarlet, Leylines, and Waypoints. That’s attention to detail.“ – https://twitter.com/Miktar/status/486934962789421056
    
  
  
  
• Then we close on a view of Prosperity and a person who is (presumably) dead by being strangled in the mysterious vines
  

 

Points of Interest – Episode 2

http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2/c/4590714

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• Episodes will be discussing the living world a few days after its release
  
• Some cute fanart spotlights
  
• Ideas and questions will be sourced from MMORPG’s Bill Murphy (Managing Editor)
  
• “A Zephyrite ship has crashed†– Angel McCoy indicates that just one ship crashed rather than the whole fleet
  
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  • Allona: Ha! Vindication!
    
  
  
  
• Josh Foreman and Tammy Foote, environmental artists
  
• A lot of “environmental challenges†in the new area – Angel McCoy
  
• Angel McCoy scripted and wrote Scarlet’s Room (with help from other coders as well) – “it helped me tackle some of the subjects that I’ve had on the shelf for a year… and really get that out there [to the fans]â€
  
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  • Allona: I meant to talk about this last week. That instance was wonderfully scripted and also had a ton of interesting tidbits.
    
  
  
  
• Personal Favorites: Angel – Scarlet’s Room, Theo – Seeing the biconics back together
  
• Easter Eggs: Theo – Why was Morning lying when she was dying and speaking with the group? Kasmeer’s gift (her ability to tell if people are lying) is going to be really important later on.
  
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  • Allona: Is it mesmer related (ie: similar to seeing through illusions)? Or just something she can do?
    
  
  
  
• “We do have a long term plan, and we’ve had a long term plan since the beginning. So this is your hint from me, Pay attention. If we share it with you pay attention.†Angel McCoy
  
• Diving platform in the investigation achievement, built by Josh Foreman, blame him.
  
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  • Allona: But also blame Theo. Always blame Theo.
    
  • Celeste: Considering that it was Theo’s idea, it works.
    
  
  
  
• Kate Welch hates Three-Toed Tootsie. A lot. Lisa Davis (the designer) is in trouble  :P
  
• Some much needed clarifications:
  
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  • You must have a level 80 character on your account to unlock the content
    
  • You don’t have to finish the personal story to advance to Dry Top’s story
    
  • It is set currently that you complete it once on a character and then you unlock it for achievements. Each of your alts will need to play through the story in order to unlock it for them as well. So achievements are unlocked on a per character basis initially. No diminishing rewards on doing the story stuff.
    
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    • Interesting … because the rewards weren’t anything to sneeze at… FARMITBEFOREITGETSNERFED!
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Speculation on Aerin
  
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  • Trader Aerin ran around in Zephyr Sanctum
    
  • Sylvari seem to be able to be corrupted
    
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    • Allona: Well dragons can’t corrupt the minions of another dragon…
      
    • Celeste: That’s what I think as well.
      
    
    
    
  • We don’t say specifically why he did it, but it was some sort of insanity, similar to the symptoms that Scarlet had.
    
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    • Allona: See previous note.
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• Why is this map only for people who can jump? (Question from Twitter)
  
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  • Verticality and the arid feel gives the map a really unique theme, it tends to match labyrinthine cliffs. Theo mentions Joy of Movementâ„¢ a few times in the episode.
    
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    • Allona: Joy of falling death!
      
    
    
    
  
  
  
• July 18th for the next episode
  

 

Sylvari and Corruption

http://thepaletree.net/2014/07/07/corruption/

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• we could do a whole show on this ONE article
  
• There’s so much speculation that we could throw along with this that we’ll simply say you MUST read this article if you’re at all interested in what direction the story is headed.
  

 

Rare Beasts of Tyria

http://huntersinsight.wordpress.com/2014/07/09/rare-beasts-of-tyria/

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• Hunter waxes poetic on some of the more rare monsters we’ve (not very often) seen in the game, and on whether we might see more of some of them as Season Two progresses.
  
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  • Allona: Cavern Scutters and Pinipals! Yes, we definitely need more of those!
    
  
  
  

 

Rescue Pack, Color Swatch, and Jade Weapons

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/zephyrite-rescue-pack-and-color-swatch-red-in-the-gem-store/

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• Zephyrite Rescue Pack – speed booster, color swatch: red, 15 black lion keys (a really good deal), aviator cap skin, and 250 silky sands
  
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  • Allona: The keys and aviator cap make this pretty appealing actually.
    
  
  
  
• Zephyrite Color Swatch: Red – One non-exclusive red dye
  
• Dragon Jade Weapons for one more week at 1 black lion ticket
  

 

Incoming change! Jewelers will be able to refine Ambrite

https://forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/livingworld/s2/Jeweler-can-t-refine-amberite/first#post4183068

 

Ask An Asura

 

Allona’s tip: Combo Fields!

If you’re new to the game, you may notice during combat that — on occasion — a beige heart with words like “burning†or “blindness†will pop up. What’s happened is you’ve accidentally made a combo (which is an additional effect that can help you or your team). There are certain AoE skills that can create something called a combo field (mousing over weapon or utility skill descriptions will show you which ones your character can create). There are NINE different combo fields: dark, ethereal, fire, ice, light, lightning, poison, smoke, and water. The second part are combo finishers (again, mousing over your skills will tell you which ones you have available) that are what utilizes the field to make a combo. There are four types of finishers: blast (AoE effect), leap (affects you or your target), projectile (either affects your target or allies around your target), and whirl (crazy projectiles that go every which way).

You can experiment with combos on your own to get a feel for them! As an example, a staff mesmer can lay down a chaos storm (5) (ethereal field), run in to it and then Phase Retreat (2) (leap finisher) out of it; doing this will give you Chaos Armor (which is awesome… boons for you, condis for attackers when you’re hit). Or, using Focus 5 skill for Phantasmal Warden, switching to staff and use 5 for Chaos Storm right on top of your warden causes the phantasm to shoot Confounding bolts that will give confusion to any foes they hit (use whirl finishers with caution … they can make you enemies real quick). One of my favourite self-combos is on my warrior. Using the burst skill Combustive Shot on the longbow, switching to sword/axe, use sword 2 (Savage Leap) to your target to gain Fire Shield (burns foes when you are struck), and then axe 5 (Whirling Axe) for Burning Bolts to burn even MORE foes. Weeeeeeeeee!

Once you’re a bit more familiar with what your own combos can do, try interacting with those of other players’! You’re a guardian and see an Ele lay down a water field? Use Mighty Blow (hammer 2) for the blast finisher and get additional AoE healing for you and your allies! Playing a ranger and a Mesmer lays down a light field? A crap ton of bow attacks are (duh) projectile finishers; shoot through the light field to remove conditions from yourself… save your condi removal skills for another time!

Many people — even if they’re aware of them — are probably not utilizing combo fields efficiently. I see people running out of a helpful field I’ve laid down all the time. Heck, I get that, in the thick of a fight all ground effects can seem pretty scary! The more familiar you get with the different fields though, the more exciting it is to use them to actively gain the benefits of combos!

There are many YouTube videos that can give basic, or profession-specific tips for combos … a quick search will turn up lots!

 

Tales of Tyria

 

If you’re itching to take your show on the road, you can play gw2 with steam streaming

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/2a102c/play_gw2_anywhere_in_your_home_with_steam_inhome/

 

How to Succeed in Dry Top (A Primer for the Masses)

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/29zjfz/lets_compile_all_the_tipsmechanics_we_know_for/

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• Dry Top tips crowdsourcing: How to kill things, get to a higher tier, and what to do in boss fights
  

 

Weekly Map Exploration on Sorrow’s Furnace [NA]

http://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/2a8gkh/events_weekly_map_exploration_every_wednesday_9pm/

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• Every Wednesday Night, starting 30 min before our livestream, 9PM EST
  
• Join Edgar Guard’s squad for lore tidbits and other interesting information about the area.
  
• Next week in Hirathi Hinterlands
  
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  • Allona: Saint from the guild found a similar type thing happening on TC… but maybe it was the same group? It was a 100+ players zerging in to Orr and had some lore/RP element to it I think. It sounded fun in any event! Basically I am bummed the Wednesday event place during our show. :)  (Edit: Sunday, Chains of Duty Role-playing guild)
    
  
  
  

 

Request for community events of the week/bi-week. Send us an email!

If you’ve got a burning question for our Ask an Asura segment, please let us know!

 

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Allona: @onebigpear

 

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