GW2 Sauce

Geek Force Delta!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 22 Jan 2013 15:27:00 -0500

We have since ventured out of the wilderness, and found our way to www.geekforcedelta.com. This is our new, permanent home.

The first episode of GFD Live is up on the site now, and features all of your favorite GW2 Saucecast members! Go! Now! Enjoy!

And here is the video if you don't feel like clicking the link. Bum.

GW2 Sauce Moving to MMOFringe.com

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 7 Jun 2012 12:04:00 -0400

If you have been following the GW2 Saucecast, you will have heard by now that we were all fired from the Saucecast. Seriously. Fired. From our own podcast.

I'll give you a moment to wipe your tears.

Fired, and moving on to greener pastures. We (Me, Screwtape, Sam and Kysif) are headed to MMOFringe.com to do a few write-ups on some of our favorite released and upcoming games, as well as our new podcast: MMOFringe Presents: Geek Force Delta! We'll cover anything and everything we want. Which includes but is not limited to, well, everything. Mostly games, movies, tabletop, TV shows...pretty much anything. You get the point.

Head over to MMOFringe.com and join the growing community!

GW2 Saucecast: Episode 5!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:15:00 -0400

GW2 Saucecast: Episode 5 is live! This is the episode where we get fired. Annnnnnd...BETA LEAKS! WE COVER IT!

Enjoy!

GW2 Patch Note Leak

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 22 May 2012 18:05:00 -0400

Absolutely love this in Divinity's Reach.

Over the weekend, there was a leak of Beta proportions on Reddit. Looks as though the internal build of Guild Wars 2 is much farther along than what we have had access to for BWE1. Seems as though ANet is in pencil sharpening mode, and GW2 is very close to release. BRING IT ON.

Engineer PvP Guide

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 7 May 2012 13:47:00 -0400

To blow it up, or not to blow it up...that is never the question.

Do you enjoy blowing things up? How about playing with fire, and mixing delicious elixirs to share with allies, all while dancing on your enemies' corpses? If you do, then this guide is for you. Azshene and Teldo of Team Paradigm have joined forces and created a guide to Engineer PvP. Fair warning - it is a bit of a long read, but definitely worth the time, even if you are remotely interested in playing the Engineer class. And because of the nature of combat in GW2, and how much movement and coordination is needed, I would even say it is very much worth it for PvE'ers to read as well. From the length, and detail of the guide, it is very easy to see that these two guys spent a lot of time with the Engineer. Just a tidbit of what you can expect from the guide:

"The weapon/device kits are effectively weapons which you store in your utility skill slots; they each have 5 abilities available to them. Some examples of these are the flamethrower kit and the bomb kit, you can use however many of these as you like at a given time, giving you up to a total of 4 effective weapon sets to swap between. If you have more than one active however it’s important that you pick up the major trait in tools which reduces the recharg between swapping weapon sets or you’ll often end up being locked out of your weapon sets as they’ll be put on a 5 second recharge whenever you swap from a weapon kit back to your main weapon set."

Head here to read the full guide.

Gamerlive.tv Interviews Jeff Grubb

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 7 May 2012 13:47:00 -0400

If you're new to the world of Guild Wars 2, and are looking for a great introduction into story, races and main antagonists, then look no further. Gamerlive.tv recently interviewed Jeff Grub, Lore and Continuity designer for Guild Wars 2. Jeff covers all of the basics, and touches on how each race has its own issues caused by the awakening of the Elder Dragons. He also covers how choice in personal story is going to affect replay-ability. This is a great introduction into the world of Tyria, and what players can expect in Guild Wars 2.

GW2 Saucecast: Episode 4!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 2 May 2012 22:38:00 -0400

Episode 4 is here! Join us tonight with special guest host Kefkah, from guildwarsinsider.com, as we discuss all things BETA! WOOOT! WE FINALLY GOT TO PLAY THIS FRICKIN GAME!

ENJOY!

GW2 Beta: Guardian Gameplay

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:52:00 -0400

GW2 Saucecast's first video from the GW2 Beta! Echelon pretends to know what he's doing, and fumbles through soloing a Veteran Dire Boar. We will be recording the next podcast tomorrow 5/1, and we have a special guest with us. Keep checking back here over the next few days for the new podcast, and to find out who our special guest is!

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel!

GW2 Saucecast!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:04:00 -0400

In Episode 3 of the GW2 Saucecast, we discuss an interesting article comparing SWToR to GW2, specifically in how they stack up against each other in the area of single-player story line.

Join us in welcoming our newest host, Kysif, and also in making fun of Screwtape for his insane dedication to this podcast. Have a listen and find out why...

ENJOY!

GW2 Saucecast in iTunes

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:55:00 -0400

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!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 19:36:00 -0400

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

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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:10:00 -0400

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!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Sun, 25 Mar 2012 22:21:00 -0400

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!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 22:08:00 -0400

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...

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:08:00 -0400

(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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:34:00 -0400

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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:55:00 -0400

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!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 11:22:00 -0400

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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 13:49:00 -0400

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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 20:31:00 -0400

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.

Most MMO’s on the market today have very similar combat. Run up, target said mob, press 1 to start attacking, 2 to cast your next spell, and so on. ArenaNet believes that this combat playstyle is outdated, and just not fun anymore. Lets see what Mike O’Brien has to say about how ArenaNet is designing the combat system for Guild Wars 2.

Finally, since combat is such a core part of the gameplay of any MMO, we’ve put a lot of emphasis into rethinking combat. So much of traditional MMO combat is rote and repetitive. You execute the same strategy over and over again, just augmented over time with better and better gear. After a while it starts to feel like you’re playing a spreadsheet. Combat needs to be about making creative choices, and it needs to feel immediate, active, and visceral. Combat needs to be about making creative choices, and it needs to feel immediate, active, and visceral. So we’ve put a huge focus on strengthening our combat, giving the player limitless choices, and providing the thrill and joy of being in combat.

The original GW featured a CCG-like skill system that allowed each player to discover unique combos and new strategies. Theoretically every Elementalist in the game could approach combat with a different strategy. In fact players found thousands of interesting strategies over the years, most of which our designers never anticipated, which is always the sign of a flexible system.

GW2 shares this flexible skill system. The big difference is that now skills are much more visual in explaining what they do. The process of actually discovering combos, or understanding them when they’re used against you, is a lot more clear, because you can visually see how skills combo with each other. An Elementalist can cast Fire Wall next to an opponent, and then switch to Water attunement, which freezes all enemies around him. Using the concussive force of Water Trident, he can slam his frozen enemy into the Fire Wall, leaving him to roast in the flames.

Choice in combat is going to be a big part of what keeps Guild Wars 2 fresh and engaging. Players crave customization, and GW2's weapon system opens an entirely new avenue for how we will play, and personalize our characters. I cannot wait to see all of the different class synergies and play-styles this combat system is going to allow.

GW2 adds even more possibilities for distinguishing yourself in combat. Now you can choose a race, and each race comes with unique combat abilities, such as the Norn’s ability to transform himself into a bear. And now you can build up and select traits for your character which give you new intrinsic abilities, such as the Elementalist’s Stone Boots trait, which keeps his feet firmly planted on the ground even when an attack or skill effect would normally toss him through the air.

Who doesn’t love racial skills and abilities? In previous MMO’s I’ve played, the choice of race was heavily influenced by a race's abilities, and how they played into PvE/PvP combat. In GW2's case, racial abilities are only going to be available for PvE combat. I think this is going to allow for developers to add much more powerful, unique, and just plain fun racials for us to use. See this video for a more in depth explanation on why racials won't make it into PvP.

And like the original GW, in GW2 the creativity doesn’t end with your own character. When you play with others, you’ll find that your abilities can complement theirs, and that you can discover new skill combos and strategies between professions. So if you’re playing an Elementalist, try casting a fire wall, and then see what happens when your friends shoot projectiles through it.

Oh ArenaNet, how I love thee. I long to see my arrows burst into flame after being shot through a Fire Wall.

Then we add environmental weapons to mix up combat even more. In the original GW you’d sometimes find a catapult or trebuchet that you could take over and fire at enemies. That’s one type of environmental weapon, and in GW2 we have dozens more. If a Stone Elemental throws a boulder at you, pick it up and throw it back. Or as an Elementalist, use that boulder to create a meteor storm. If you’re fighting an Oakheart with an axe and you manage to hack off a branch, pick up the branch and try using it as a weapon. If you meet a beekeeper outside town, buy a jar of bees from him and see what happens when you lob it at nearby enemies. If you come across a stash of powder kegs, don’t just blow them up in place, but try moving them to where they can do the most damage. If a centaur wheels a siege machine up to the outskirts of a village, don’t just destroy it; take it over and use it to turn the tide of battle.

And while you’re discovering new opportunities, new weapons, new combos, and new strategies, you’re surrounded by the pure visceral joy of combat. Smash a monster with a plank and watch him fly through the air. Avoid the Oakheart’s roots as they creep out of the ground looking to entangle you. Launch yourself on a sweeping attack that takes you behind your enemy. Smash open the garrison gate and begin your assault. Dodge out of the way before the Drake Broodmother unleashes her fire attack.

WOW. So we are actually going to see enemies react when we hit them? No more standing there, executing a silly attack animation after we just cast “Shield Bash” on you? And we will actually hit the mob with our shield? NO WAY! Skills that when used, actually have a corresponding animation, and consequence. Amazing. ArenaNet closes out the manifesto with this:

It all gets back to our basic design philosophy. Our games aren’t about preparing to have fun, or about grinding for a future fun reward. Our games are designed to be fun from moment to moment. Our games are designed to be fun from moment to moment.

This, ladies and gentlemen, this is why I love ArenaNet. The thought of logging into GW2, and having fun right away instead of leveling 85 levels, is very very appealing to me. I hope you enjoyed the breakdown of the Manifesto in its entirety. I apologize for my lack of commentary on this portion of the Manifesto, but I felt that what O’Brien said was more than enough explanation and analysis. You don’t need me fumbling around an already excellent piece of writing.

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

HoM, Sweet HoM

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:03:00 -0400

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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 11:01:00 -0400

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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:24:00 -0400

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!

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 21:51:00 -0400

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

gw2sauce@gmail.com (GW2Sauce.Blogspot.com) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:33:00 -0400

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!