ARF Scratching Post!

A Good Look at Things

2009-08-21T12:07:00.003+08:00

Here's a relatively detailed and in-depth look at how Guild Wars 2 is going to be like - of keen interest would be how 'quests' are now provided through Arenanet's new Events System - plus, the World PvP that sounds really exciting:

EuroGamer.net Guild Wars 2 Preview

And here's another elaborate preview of the lore of GW2, its racial details and word of their new Sidekick System:

IGN.com Guild Wars 2 Preview

Guild Wars 2 - Initial Impressions

2009-08-21T01:37:00.012+08:00

Since its world-wide premiere, the Guild Wars 2 Gamescon trailer has probably generated enough buzz and posts to flood all fansites and forums like the Kingdom of Orr. Apart from my personal biasness for the Charr and Norn, the game is nothing short of breath-taking beauty, to the point where every scene of in-game footage looks like an actual painting. While there's tons of new stuff just waiting to be revealed, the overall feel and looks are very much familiar to what most Guild Wars fans have come to love, only bigger, more epic and immensely gorgeous. So, here's a quick assessment of things!

For the untrained eye, it's actually quite hard to tell which of the above is the concept art, and which is the actual in-game graphics generated by GW2's new engine. In the trailer, a female voice teasingly reads, "it is time for legends to become real." It is this moment when a stunning wiping of the image occurs, that it dawns upon the viewer what they're viewing is the transition of the castle's concept art to actual, glorious, in-game graphics.

And finally, we get a quick glimpse of Guild War 2's character modelling and textures. As expected of Arenanet, their wonderful facial and armor designs make a return, as demonstrated by Sir Handsomelot above. Staring at the shiny knight's armor, we can only assume that the armor and weapons in Guild Wars 2 can only get better as players discover later, high-end items.

Guild Wars 2 is looking great, and we'll be posting more stuff here in time to come. So if you haven't already watched the trailer, shame on you!

Guildwars 2 Trailer!!

2009-08-20T23:30:00.004+08:00

After much waiting, the Guildwars 2 Trailer is finally out today!! Check it out! It's so awesome I can hardly contain my excitement! More to be released next.

Guildwars 2 Official Website

You can also join the facebook Guildwars Fan Group here

Some interesting character facts for the game:
"Will Guild Wars 2 have non-human playable races?"

Absolutely! In addition to humans, players will be able to create, customize, and play a variety of non-human races.

* Charr - Ascalon's conquerors, the charr are ferocious, warmongering creatures--the intractable foes of humanity. Now, as greater dangers threaten their conquests, charr legions and their war machines prepare for battle.

* Norn - The norn are towering brawlers from the frigid northern lands who can shape-shift into mighty bestial forms. Driven from their homeland by a force beyond reckoning, the norn have regrouped among the dwarven ruins of the Shiverpeaks.

* Asura - The asura, who once ruled the caverns and tunnels below Tyria, are an advanced race of small size and great intellect. Now that they have risen from below, the asura aim to rule the surface world with their powerful golems and ingenious plans.

* Sylvari - Not much is known of the sylvari, save that they are a race of sentient plant-beings, newly blossomed into the world. The sylvari are the youngest of the races, bound together by a common dream and awesome power.

4 Years of Guild Wars

2009-05-20T17:21:00.008+08:00

State of the Game

It has been 4 years since Guild Wars first launched in April 28, 2005. Back then, I was still in the army serving time when I came across an advertisement and preview article in PC Gamer of Guild Wars. MMORPGs back then weren't as rampant as they are today, and for the most part, World of Warcraft had everyone talking. “Everyone” who was ready to pay to play that is.

ArenaNet caught the world by surprise with their ultimate counter-offer to Blizzard's business model - the complete opposite of what everyone else had geared their online realms to - by offering compelling multiplayer gameplay with absolutely no monthly subscription fees – paving the way for a whole new business model MMO industry, and culling themselves a passionate fan-base that will follow the title to its up and coming sequel.

Guild War's lack of level grinding, fully customizable skill bar (in the likes of a Magic the Gathering card deck) and adjustable character attribute points was revolutionary, while it's graphics engine and production art was nothing short of gorgeous and mind-blowingly beautiful. And with the irresistible offer of a subscription-free model, Guild Wars became an instant hit and a worthy contestant in the online gaming arena.

However, even the best of RPG games strain to live beyond a 2 year shelf-life, requiring expansion packs and add-ons to push their longevity and replayability. It doesn't come as a surprise that Guild Wars would ultimately succumb to the same effects of age – having cleared all 3 campaigns (Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall – arguably the best and most complete in the series) and its relatively short Eye of The North expansion pack, Guild Wars struggles to retain its shine and appeal.

Interestingly however, Guild War's robust graphics engine and astounding artistry manages to remain relevant even today and still surpasses most other average MMORPGs that are released today (including numerous over-hyped releases) – for a product that's already aging beyond 4 years - a sheer testament of ArenaNet's game designing veterancy and shrewd skills.

Upgrades & Surprises

With last month's 2009 major game update, the Guild Wars Live Update Team cleverly adds new features and quests that extend the playability of their product beyond its end-game phase. The newly added Zaishen Menagerie has perhaps been the most useful and convenient feature for players to date since the introduction of its quick-save and loading skill-templates. The Menagerie a sprinkle of Pokémon taming and training where you can capture new creatures and store them in a “farm”. With the Menagerie, your tamed pets can “breed” and their maximum level states can be unlocked with PvP faction – saving players the burn of grinding monsters just to achieve a level 20 pet (and not necessarily in the desired states.)

The new Zaishen Challenge Quests (attainable from the Great Temple of Balthazhar) are an economic and efficient move on ArenaNet's part (kudos to Linsey Murdock & John Stumme from the Guild Wars Live Team) that provide fresh daily activities and at the same time add replay value that's not strictly PvP oriented. Nicholas The Traveler and his companion Professor Yakkington have also been a cute and attractive addition - a side activity spurring players to be on the lookout each week for the NPCs' new locations, and to gather together to trade and work for the required materials which The Traveler will accept for special gifts and rare and adorable miniature pets in return. Noticeably with the addition of The Traveler NPC, the Guild Wars community and forums have also been revitalized with findings and posts relating to The Traveler's weekly whereabouts.

Guild Wars has been largely successful due to its strong community-ties with the development team – most of the updates have been popular requests by players, the prime example being increased storage space, which has finally happened with a free new 4th year storage pane and add-on panes that can be purchased through their online stores. It's always inspiring to see such a close relationship between consumer and developer - and that it is still possible for a large corporate entity to listen and respond to its loyal customers' needs.

It's hard to keep a free-to-play business model going, especially when your flagship products are on hold and have limited means of revenue. While players have reacted both eagerly for and violently against Guild Wars expanding its micro-transactions, one has to understand that after all, it is really one of the better subscription-free MMORPGs out there, and in order to sustain the servers and staff running the product, it's only natural for ArenaNet to ask for a little support. And unlike subscription-based models, you're not exactly forced into making these micro-transactions. The game has been thoughtfully designed enough such that players can do with or without these little upgrades, and by consenting to make any purchases, you are merely showing your support. It would have been detrimental had it been required of players to pay for monthly updates, but as ArenaNet has consistently assured and proven – that isn't the case.

Whatever the Future Holds

It's time to open up those 4th year birthday presents for your characters, show some support, purchase any upgrades of your liking and here's all hoping that we'll hear fresh, juicy, positive news of Guild Wars 2 by the end of 2009. In our next ARF guild article – Confessions of a Guild Leader - a mesmerizing review of a long, 4-year journey, revelations, disappointments and secrets no one knew (or would ever care for that matter!)

Officer Spotlight with Feral Lightningpaws

2009-05-18T19:22:00.004+08:00

It's been a long while since our last Officer Spotlight, and with the April 2009 massive updates, we'll be featuring the last guild officer (but not least) in our 4-part mini series of interviews! Returning from his extended cartographer trip, having charted the lands of Tyria, Cantha, Elona and the North, and drunk to a stupor from one too many flasks of Firewater - Feral Lightningpaws!

Hi Feral, you've found your role as the guild's very own navigation officer and professional cartographer. How is that you manage to find your way around the lands with such ease?
Well, whenever I discover a new, unchartered region, I'll etch a map of it into the underside of my helmet with my sword. My current helmet has the entire map of Tyria in it. I only have to look up, and I'll know where I am!

What happens when you run out of storage space?
That's what the other armor parts are for! I've got Cantha all over the underside of my chest plate, and Elona on the back. There's also dungeon maps on my gro-

Have you ever considered using scrolls instead?
Nah, I'm allergic to paper. Not to mention when the scrolls soak up my perspiration, the ink smudges all over and I have to chart everything all over!

So why a warrior? Shouldn't you have been a ranger instead?
I've considered that option before, but I can't etch very well on ranger armors with my sword. They usually tear apart too easily. Warrior armors provide better writing surfaces, not to mention that they look so much better!

You have a tiger named Chesire. Any interesting pet tricks?
Well I hate to let the cat out of the bag – but Chesire likes hiding in my traveling backpack for some reason. He takes keen pleasure in lunging at pickpockets, that seems to have become his staple diet now. He's kinda picky when it comes to meals, you know cats. I'm trying to introduce him to tax-collectors, though.

What's your weapon of choice and why?
The Vera - the best war hammer you'll ever get. Nothing smashes skulls swifter and messier - with that crisp, crunching satisfaction that it gives. Always a Vera.

Whack first; ask questions later or heroic battle-cry; then frenzy for the win?
I'd prefer a keg of good ol' aged dwarven ale to spruce things up a little, you know what I mean? A little bit of drunk adventuring never hurt no one, cept for your hapless enemies of course. When they see a rampaging drunkard warrior racing towards them screaming incorrigibily.

About your last name, does that apply to your swordsmanship or something else?
Yeah especially when it comes to etching out maps on my armor. You gotta be quick in enemy territory if you don't wanna get caught with your pants down, you know what I'm saying?

If you could invent your very own elite skill, what would it be and how would it work?
“In Your Face!” Elite Shout.
You shout “ IN YOUR FACE!”, for 30 seconds, the next 5 attacks while wielding a hammer, you deal an additional +100 dmg, and have 100% armor pentration. If your attacks hit, your opponent gets knocked down on the first strike, suffers bleeding from the second, deep-wound on the third, blindness with the fourth blow and dazed from the finishing strike. All conditions applied last for 15 seconds (including knock-down.)

You've put your helmet on the wrong way and gotten your entire party lost in the Crystal Desert. Everyone's in despair. What do you do?
When no one's looking I adjust my helmet and hope that everyone has enough supplies before Chesire eats everyone up.

That's all folks and thanks for journeying with us!

2009 Makeover Pack

2009-05-04T14:50:00.007+08:00

It's been 4 years, and you've stared at your same old alter ego for ages. It's time for a revolution! It's time for change! YES WE CAN!

Over the course of 4 years searching for Gwen and her whereabouts, Snares Shadowbane found little time for a proper haircut. His hair grew long enough for a pony tail, which he neatly tied in a Canthan style during a trip to Kaineng Center. His hair was a lot longer though - before it was cleanly sliced off in a narrow escape from the jade Brotherhood barber he'd forgot to tip.

Hayate Rouki found himself lost on Tyrian lands after a terrible shipwreck that sunk his Canthan merchant boat. Since then, travelling across the Crystal Desert and having survived the events of Nightfall, Hayate returns home to the Isle of Meditation. His face carrying the wisdom and experience of his long adventures all over the world.

You too can enrich or recreate your favorite Guild Wars characters' story thanks to the new Makeover Packs available through the In-Game Store or NCSoft Site!

Happy 4th Anniversary!

2009-04-30T11:20:00.004+08:00

Yep, it's been that long. Ever since we started while everyone was still in the army, until now. We're still grindin' and we're still hackin' - long live Guild Wars~! For all you need to know about the totally-awesome 4th Year Game Updates, check out this totally-awesome link!

4th Anniversary Updates!

And remember to keep a lookout for those new daily Zaishen Quests at the Great Temple of Balthazhar & your ingame character's 4th birthday present!

News and Updates

2008-09-04T00:34:00.004+08:00

Apparently some guy's been HAing so much that he maxed out his Hero Title Track to get the Rank 15 Emote. It's actually very nice but I'm not sure if it's really worth grinding for 100k Fame Points...

On other news, the Guild Wars Novel Series has been announced. Release dates are currently unknown.

Oh and in case you haven't already noticed, we got our new Isle of Meditation guild hall! Please enjoy.

Guild Wars: The Complete Collection

2008-08-14T21:29:00.006+08:00

Word of a new DVD release of all the Guild Wars campaigns bundled into one complete set leaked out sooner than expected by retailers, together with that was the news of a new hero henchmen that would supposedly come "free" only with the purchse of this complete set. Obviously this news upset a lot of Guild Wars players who had already owned all 4 campaigns.

After the initial speculations and discussions, several things have been confirmed by Regina Buenaobra - ArenaNet's new and official community relations manager - with the details as follows:

- M.O.X. the Golem
- Level 20 Dervish, Asuran Golem hero henchman
- Vulnerable to conditions
- Unlockable with the purchase of all campaigns
- Will be released in September 2008
- Will have unique Dervish Avatar forms custom designed for the Golem.

Sounds promising. :)

Officer Spotlight with III Cloud III

2008-07-22T16:13:00.008+08:00

Adjusting my gloves, I ready myself for this week's Officer Spotlight interview with Cloud, ink and parchment at hand. A terrible rumble suddenly stirs the ground, spilling the vial of ink across my 15k Mesmer hose, dying it completely black (in a fashion more than it should). A mass of iron, steel, pure muscle and uncontrolled fury charges towards my general direction. Cloud was evidently using his Charging Strike stance, exclaiming apologies for being late while doing so. Momentarily letting out a helpless scream, I attempt to dodge his trajectory. Unfortunately his arm contacted my tender face with a clothesline maneuver, sending me hurtling over a village or two. After being resurrected by some passing monk, Cloud catches up for the interview.

Greetings, Cloud. So... what made you become a Warrior?
Oh I just LOVE charging into battles and just helping myself to some fun.

*laughs and adjusts lower jaw* As though that wasn't obvious enough.
AND the profession offers some really impressive armor sets. Especially the Kurzicks' craftmanship! With such heavy armor on, it's easier to stay alive in battle longer, especially upfront.

About your name, do I pronounce it as “Aye El El Cloud Aye El El” or “3 Cloud The Third?”
You can just call me Cloud.

Does your name have any relation to some legendary, giant-sword wielding super-solider hero?
Don't tell anyone, but he's my cousin. He's like my idol.

Why would you share the same name as your cousin?
Why not? *laughs* Our parents usually have parent guild meetings on these matters.

Axe, Hammer or Swords?
Scissors.

I beg your pardon?
When you combine 2 swords together, you get a pair of scissors! It makes decapitation so much easier! SNIP SNIPPITY SNIP!

You wouldn't be an apprentice of Sweedney Todd, would you?
Sydney Thought?

Didn't think so.
HAR?

What's your fighting style?
CHARGE IN FIRST! ASK QUESTIONS LATER!! DIE!!!

So do your comrades willingly follow you charging straight on into danger?
I wouldn't really know. Usually I'm dead first, and by the time someone resurrects me, all the monsters are dead too! Somehow... my death seems to have quite an emotional impact on enemies, so I always try to die first! And they die along!

If you could invent your very own elite skill, what would it be and how would it work?
“To Infinity and Beyond!” For x secs, all party members gain an additional 100 armor, 33% chance to critical, run 33% faster and gain 100 health. When shout ends, heal all party members within earshot 100 health.

Having just defeated the Great Destroyer, your armor has fused together and refuses to open. You haven't pee-ed for hours and now you need to go really badly. What do you do?
Notice the male Warriors' dance? All young male Warriors are trained at an early age with their potty training to deal with such situations. The swinging torso movement coupled with the Frenzy stance snaps the fuse armor apart. Shall I demonstrate?

Please no. Thanks for your time.
Why so serious?!

Join us next time for another intriguing entry of Officer Spotlight as I go properly bandage myself now!

More Guild Wars 2 Information

2008-07-17T12:13:00.002+08:00

Interview with Jeff Strain

Here's the skinny on GW2, most of what we would already know, and bits of other new details like massive world events and World PvP...

Guild Gathering 2008

2008-07-17T00:36:00.006+08:00

Our guild officers and regulars met up for the first Singapore Toy and Comics Convention at Suntec - it sure was packed! We made our way to the nearby Carl's Jr for a good break and believe it or not, Shin was there in person! Boy did he look exactly like his in-game character - every pixel and cell!

From left to right (the player's characters): Snares Shadowbane, Feral Lightningpaws, Nephelia Nekron, Shin Jigoku Rekka, III Cloud III, Leo Zero and Lone Reaction.

Guildwars Jokes

2008-07-03T00:41:00.004+08:00

We were doing some Tyria mission when we started out this guildwars jokes. Too much Sugar.

Here's a Elf party that I joined a while back in Lion's Arch.

Guild Wars 2 Info

2008-06-28T03:20:00.003+08:00

Official FAQ

Well, honestly, it's nothing that we don't already know. Least they seem to remember that we're all waiting very eagerly though... Sadly, the Beta Event won't be held this year at all. Let's just hope it's really all worth the wait.

Officer Spotlight with Nephelia Nekron

2008-06-26T20:13:00.010+08:00

Making my way into the treacherous Domain of Anguish, guild officer, Nephelia Nekron, who's better known affectionately by her guildmates, “Neph”, stands over a heap of Margonite bodies, unfazed by the events that had preceded our meeting. She flicks her hair cooly as we begin our second edition of the ARF Officer Spotlight.

Hi Neph, so what made you become a Necromancer?
You know how sometimes you need people to listen, but they don't do what you say?
I find that the best methods are to send their souls to Grenth, then summon their flesh back as my submissive minions. Sure they may smell bad, but they always listen and hardly complain. That's why I fancy Necromancy – it's about giving and taking – but mostly me giving the orders and others taking the hexes.

Fair enough. Everyone has their own reasons for their choice of professions. I gather that you have a particular minion by the name of Bob, could you tell us more about this minion?
He is the nicest and most subservient minion of the lot. He adoringly calls me “mom”. Really sweet. He does tend to go berserk in battle sometimes. Might have been a warrior in his previous life, I suspect.

So... why 'Bob'?
It was written on some scabbard lodged into his butt... Or what's left of his butt. It's like how every Swedish furniture has a name to it. Well, this minion's 'Bob', so 'Bob' it be.

*laughs* How about Bobbly Bee? Or Bobby B? I think he likes it!
No, Bob, not now. You can't eat him until this interview's over, okay?

*uneasy laugh* That's great! Moving along... what goes into maintaining a healthy, happy minion?
Usually loose limbs... like an arm, or a leg, stitch'em up together good. It's always good to be in a party of allies – especially dead ones that explode from an enchantment of Death Nova - you'll never run out of reliable body parts. Know the song, “It's Raining Men”?

Uh...
That's how it came about.

If you could invent your very own elite skill, what would it be and how would it work?
Hmm... “Parasitic Annoyance” - summon a minion from a random corpse, and starts to bother your opponents till they go silly – causing them to become dazed and attack slower.

You're surrounded by a group of noisy, costumed kids begging you for Halloween candy, how do you respond?
Why, I give the lovely adorable children some of my home-made candy apples of course.

That's very sweet of you. You like making candy apples?
Yes. I only use the most rotten of apples in my backyard cemetary. The dead make the soil good for planting apple trees. Then dip the apples in glowing Mandragor venom for that shiny caramely appearance to fool kids. They're so gullible.

Oh.
Children make midget, miniature minions excellent for reconnaissance missions.

Right... thank you for your time Nephelia.
You're welcome.

Join us next time for another- OWW!!! YOUR MINION BIT ME!!

Up Close & Personal With Mallyx

2008-06-23T02:02:00.001+08:00

Beware of Fake Emails

2008-06-19T03:06:00.002+08:00

From the Official Guild Wars.com:

17 June 2008

Please watch for fake emails telling players that they are eligible to participate in the Guild Wars 2 Closed Beta. These emails are blatant phishing attempts to steal account information. Players should not reply to them.

ArenaNet or NCsoft employees will never ask for your password.

Officer Spotlight with Shin Jigoku Rekka

2008-06-19T02:25:00.003+08:00

Hello everyone and welcome to our first edition of ARF's Officer Spotlight. In this special segment, we will be interviewing the guild's very own officers to get a better glimpse of their daily lives in Tyria, Cantha or wherever else they call home. For this week's spotlight, we have Shin Jigoku Rekka!

So tell us Shin, what made you become a Ritualist?
I used to study in Shing Jea Monastery as an Elementalist. When I worked part-time as a cartographer, no one else would follow me. I found company in the form of spirits, they never complain about travelling too much. So that's when I discovered my calling.

If you could invent your very own elite skill, what would it be and how would it work?
Flesh to Spirits. It's the reverse – Everyone including allies and enemies within earshot become a spirit and are rooted to the ground.

If a distressed peasant comes running up to you, pleading for help to rescue her fluffy kitten stuck in a tree, how do you respond?
I will kick the tree and hope the cat falls.

Why not use a spirit's help?
I will kick the tree and hope the cat falls.

Okay... What do you find yourself doing when you're not questing or crawling through dungeons?
I am FARMING!... or usually lazing around

Your arms are glowing. Any story behind that?
I peeled off the outer layers one day and ate them clean while my insides were already glowing.

You're sure it isn't Ectoplasm poisoning from farming too-My insides were already glowing.

Okay. So... Do you just summon spirits? Do you have conversations with them?
Tsk tsk tsk... I usually have mass or-

Moving along...
I will just lie down there and let them do the-

Given a choice of companions, who would you spend the night with?
Livia – maybe with her dressed up in a sexy gothic costume, with leg stockings, webbings and laces.

Thank you for your time, Shin
So yeah about the spirits-

Join us next time for another Officer Spotlight!

ARF Guild Outing!!!

2008-06-18T16:05:00.003+08:00

Dear Guildies,

We will be holding a fun-filled guild expedition to visit this year's first local toy and comic convention at Suntec City. Please be at Suntec City International Convention and Exhibition Centre, lobby area - Haagen Daaz stand outside Starbucks.

If you need to contact anyone, please SMS Snares with the number provided in our guild announcement. This invite is open only to ARF guild members. Feel free to bring your cameras and travel light as the convention will be packed with rabid kids and shell-shocked parents.

More details can be located here:
Singapore Toy and Comics Convention 2008

3 Years of Guild Wars

2008-06-16T23:07:00.013+08:00

ARF Today

It's been a pretty long while since any new articles have been posted on the guild blog, but that doesn't necessarily mean that ARF guild activity has been dead. On the contrary, ARF has never been busier than before. Some members who have went away for their students and work have been seen returning to continue their adventures in Eye of the North, while most of the officers themselves have been busy working on their Kind of a Big Deal title tracks.

For the most part, our members have been involved in what we call, 'Daily Dungeons'. Daily Dungeons for the most part take place over the weekday, usually scheduled on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (if no one's heading out for the weekend). We've been at it for several months now, crawling through the numerous dungeons in Eye of the North and helping each other fill out our Master Dungeon Guide books. Most dungeon crawls have been exceptionally rewarding, usually end-chest drops leaving us with Onyx Gemstones (for those pricey Destroyer Weapons) and nifty green items for keepsake.

I think that dungeons were generally designed for group-adventuring, and it's certainly much more fun to clear them as a guild of friends as they can be extremely frustrating and painful at times. The last thing you ever want to happen, having spent 4 hours late into the night, struggling with some really tough boss (like Fendi and his undead crew members), is to have someone quit on you. That's an extremely common thing to happen with PUG (pick-up groups) and something that really makes you appreciate all the teamwork and commitment a guild group has. Seeing how everyone plays their part constructively and cooperatively really gives a rewarding sense of achievement in every crawl. No matter how hard the dungeons may be - the obstacles and bosses they present, (not to mention insanely tough mobs) - it's always great to know that you have patient and willing friends to support you all the way.

For most of the ARF officers, we've maxed out most of our EotN titles, including Legendary Master of the North, which is an exceptional feat considering the amount of time and effort dedicated into attaining those titles. It's also opened up opportunities for us to fully utilise the new EotN PvE-only skills which all all dependent on your EotN faction ranks, and presents new faction-based armor choices as well.
Events & ARF-coming Adventures

It's kinda funny and weird at the same time when you log into Guild Wars like you normally do, only to discover that all your characters have been turned into stickmen. It'd been the case for everyone else in every town, city and instanced map for the 1st of April, as a rather silly, but altogether good joke by ArenaNet themselves.

Following that little prank, 6th of April marked the day when the well-loved-by-all, Gaile Gray and her best companion, The Frog left her current role as Community Relations Manager. Festivities were held to celebrate Gaile's incredible 7-years of service in ArenaNet, a new title called the Party Animal track was even added for the occasion and to top it all, a very special minipet limited only to Gaile herself was made and presented to her. Hopefully we'll still be able to hear from her sometime soon in-game or on the forums. It's simply remarkable the bonds she has built with the GW community, something rarely seen in large syndicated game companies.

Looking ahead, everyone in ARF is all eagerly awaiting for the slighest word of Guild Wars 2. For the most part, we're still at it with our title-farming, hoping that our efforts won't be wasted and prove to reap some really fun benefits in GW2. This coming weekend, ARF will be venturing back into the Domain of Anguish to settle their score with Mallyx the Unyeilding, and hopefully earn a nifty monument in the Eye of the North.

In our next article for the Scratching Post, we'll be hearing some stories and experiences from the ARF members themselves and hopefully have more interesting screen captures to post...

For now, that sums up very briefly all the activities that we've had as of late. Oh, and not to forget, everyone's getting their 3rd-year Birthday Presents and it's been a lot of fun seeing what interesting mini-pets we're all getting. It's amazing we've been at it for 3-years since our enlistment into National Service and we're still begging for more GW goodness. Hopefully next month's PC Gamer will reveal some stunning, eye-popping news bites!

Domain of Anguish Weekend

2007-10-13T00:35:00.000+08:00

Hi all, tomorrow (Saturday 13 Oct) will be our trip to Domain of Anguish at 8pm. Details of the build can be found on this link, http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10206637 Due to the fact that the build might be nerfed soon, Sorrow's Furnace will be postphoned.

Guild Wars 2 Dev Talk

2007-10-12T10:40:00.000+08:00

While I haven't the time to scribe about the recent trip to The Deep, here's something else interesting on the PlayNC site with regards to GW2. Check it out.

http://www.plaync.com/us/news/2007/10/dev_corner_imag.html

Weekend Guild Event

2007-10-03T16:12:00.000+08:00

Continuing our quest to gain non-title monuments in the HoM, with the completion of Urgoz Warden, we will resume with The Deep Elite Mission this coming Saturday, 6 October, 8pm.

In preparation for the weekend guild event, it is recommended to familiarise yourself with the generic team build for The Deep - http://www.pvxwiki.com/wiki/Build:Team_-_%22Steel_Wall%22_Deep_Group

Massive Mini Pet Giveaway from PC Gamer!

2007-09-19T15:12:00.000+08:00

There is going to be a Ultimate Guild Wars Guide release on September 25th in North America.

Details on it can be found on this link: http://www.guildwars.com/events/press/coverage/ultimateguide.php

In addition, there will be massive Mini Pets give away in the next issue of PC Gamer, the full list of magazines available is here: http://eu.guildwars.com/events/in_game_events/mini_promo/
It seems that minipets will be randomly choosen, and they even included the super damn rare Mini Pet Vizu, Shiroken Assasin and Zhed.

Eye of the North

2007-09-08T12:01:00.000+08:00

After a very long and highly anticipated wait, Guild Wars: Eye of the North (GW:EN) was finally launched for retail. Needless to say, all regular ARF members were more than thrilled to finally have the game in their hands, whether physically or through the online in-game store.

The prior sneak preview event allowed most of us to test the waters of the new lands of the North, and we had seen some disappointments with the Hall of Monuments (such as PvP-only titles). Much to our pleasant surprise however, the launch-released build had many of those issues addressed, and enabled tons of rewarding PvE title achievements - which looked really good too. It has also been very fulfilling to know that Gwen has survived the Searing and grown up to become a beautiful young lady, albeit very angry and scarred from her experiences. There are a few quests you can obtain from her which puts the Tattered Girl's Cape, Tapestry Shred, Gwen's Broken Flute and Preserved Red Iris into play. We're all very happy that ArenaNet realises that players have been holding onto these items for very long, and as a form of "thanks" to their players, may even get rewards for doing so.

As of now, we have had several new members join the guild from Hawklen's circle of friends, and only recently, we've had the privilege of Locke and Shin join our party of raving ARFians. Some have already completed the main quests for GW:EN, while some of us have decided to take it slow, seeing that Guild Wars 2 would be a few years away.

We've designated Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights to be Dungeon Raid nights, so that anyone interested in dungeon crawling as a guild are free to join, so long as there is enough room to gain new treasure rewards, rare green items and perhaps just to fill up their Master Dungeon Book - that, and the Hero Guide are small, but wonderful, detailed additions to the overall feel of the game, adding a deeper sense of adventure and roleplay.

That's all for now for this report. Until the next one, I leave you with some screenshots of the places we've visited, the things we've seen, and the fun we had.

Your Guild Scribe,
Snares

Some Useful Links:
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Armor
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Hero_armor
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Dungeons
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Black_Moa_Chick
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/List_of_Eye_of_the_North_skills