Something is stirring in the seas south of Lions Arch. Even as Guild Wars 2 players are still feeling the effects of Halloween, it’s time to prepare for NCSoft’s new event. Don’t be fooled into thinking The Lost Shores is something you can shrug off, because it’s much more than a one time event. ArenaNet are promising events, an island, a dungeon, a new PVP mode and a whole new tier of item. Thanks to a conference call with ArenaNet, we can share everything we know.
The Karka are coming
There are some people out there who just think this is smaller event. They’re dead wrong.
This is an invasion.
The invaders are called the Karka, sea creatures from the Sea of Sorrows disturbed by ignorant merchants known as the Consortium, due to arrive in Sanctum Cay harbour.
The Karka are tough old beasts, sea creatures that dwell at the bottom of the the ocean. Because of their habitat they have evolved hard shells to withstand the pressure from living so deep.
Why are they dangerous?
Karka are quite tough
The Karka themselves will automatically go into “Colonise” mode when they come to Lions Arch, which might make the thousands of inhabitants that currently live their a slight problem. As the Karka mature they grow huge impenetrable shells that are impervious to damage. Players are going to have to find a way to bypass this defense in order to save Lions Arch.
“Visible Damage is coming”
ArenaNet are also showing off “visible damage”, showing in real time just how exactly your weapon of choice is doing damage to the Karka.
The Karkas huge shells will fracture and fall off once players do enough damage to them, resulting instant gratification.
The Lost Shores is a treasure island.
Most of the forthcoming events will take place on the Lost Shores, a new, level 80 island that will appear during the event (and remain following). It’s roughly the size of Lions Arch. The reward for exploring it: it’s lousy with treasure, including gathering nodes and brand new recipes.
A new dungeon – Fractal of the Mists
The Lost Isles will be bringing the first new dungeon to Guild Wars 2: the first to appear following player feedback since launch. It’s called The Fractal of the Mists comprises of nine different mini-dungeons, each being totally unique. These “Fractals” are different wings of the dungeon, each with it’s own story, setting and enemies. At the centre of it all is a hub where players can rest and re-arm, before venturing deeper. Each fractal will take between 15 and 30 minutes to complete, but there is a twist. With each three fractals players complete a huge boss will appear, comparable to the three world dragon events currently in Tyria. And as you complete each fractal, the dungeon will scale higher in difficulty. Enemies will have more health, damage and numbers to throw at you.
There’s a new item tier on the way
Fractals of the Mist is harder for a reason though. ArenaNet are introducing a new tier of items called “Ascended”. These are a level above exotic and will help your endeavours into the Fractal of the Mists, but also future content.
A new PVP mode focused on the Kodan
The Kodan are awesome. They’re essentially a man-bear with a similar level of ferocity. They also play host to Guild Wars 2’s new PvP map.
The design of the map is a reflection of the Kodan’s druid-y ways, featuring three capture points for players to fight over. The curve ball comes in the form of “meditations”, powerful buffs to which players can gain huge advantages while warring for control. Some just give you a bonus for each kill, or when you capture and maintain a point. There is one however that will totally reset the map, and give your team control of every capture point on the map. Naturally there is a divide on capturing points but also warring over these powerful buffs. In the conference call, ArenaNet explained that this game mode has been inspired by first person shooters, notably Quake.
The refer a friend program begins today
The refer a friend programwe’vetalked about before starts today. That means that for the Lost Shores weekend, you’ll be able to invite any players that haven’t bought Guild Wars 2 into the game. Think of us, though, as your big friend:we’vegot thousands of the refer a friend codes at our fingertips. If you want one: like ourFacebookpage here, and send a request via Private Message. We’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Ifyou’vealready like our page, have a hug, and send a message anyway.
We’ll see you in-game.