GUILD WARS: Wizardry Players Guild

[zacharias]

Just a heads up that there is a new quest offered by the Mad King's Steward called The Waiting Game.

It apparently won't be clear what the quest involves for a few days but you may want to pick it up for all your toons since the previous quests are not required and the steward will be leaving soon.

Objectives
Speak with the Voice of Grenth in the Temple of the Ages, Zin Ku Corridor or Chantry of Secrets should you wish to volunteer your services in the fight against Dhuum

The Voice of Grenth suggests you prepare for the battle against Dhuum and will notify you should the situation change.

Reward
15,000 Experience
5,000 Gold
100 Trick-or-Treat Bags
1 Passage Scroll to the Underworld
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Aldon Tanlon (Ranger)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall & GW:EN
Zacharias Eru (Dervish) ~ Completed Nightfall
Issa the Pilgrim (Monk)~Completed Prophesies, Nightfall & GW:EN
Seth Enu (Elementalist)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall, & GW:EN
Scut Monkey (Assassin)~Completed Factions & GW:EN
Yazoo Adaeus (Ritualist)~Completed Prophesies, Factions and Nightfall
Eliphas Cempa (Necromancer)~In Prophesies

[Trbayth]

The current theory is that this quest will trigger when a certain number of deaths in the underworld across all instances is reached.

Could be a sample of how the random events in GW2 will work.
_________________
Trb--
Officer, House of Blackrock

Trbayth Boytra, W Completed Prophecies
Marina Driska, E/ Working on Prophecies
Boytra the Devout, (PvP) M
Sureshot Boytra, (PvP) R
Alyssandra Boytra, (Role Playing) Rit Completed Factions, Prophecies, Nightfall, and EoTN

[jetlaw]

Intriguing. Gonna definitely grab it on all my characters.

Thanks for the head's up!
_________________
Master Account
Ace Raptorslayer (Assassin) Completed Nightfall and closing in on completing EotN
Corporal Conundrum (Necromancer) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
General Insurection (Mesmer) Completed Factions and Nightfall
Jonny Firestorm (Elementalist) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Major Disruption (Warrior) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Pierce Longbow (Ranger) Legendary Guardian (all campaigns completed)
Rift Soulcatcher (Ritualist) Completed Prophecies, Factions, Nightfall and EotN
Sergeant Sidewinder (Dervish) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Talon Silverbolt (Paragon) In Sunspear Sanctuary still unable to locate Koss
Will B Done (Monk) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Collectible Storage Guild Mule
Secondary Account
Pierce Dragonstrike Gift of the Traveler Collector
Storage For Wpg Guild Mule

[zacharias]

The quest is active now, the waiting is over.

I'm mildly disappointed that we can't just jump in and do this quest. It requires us to complete ALL of the quests in the Underworld first to release Dhuum, then defeat him.

Here is a description and pictures from someone (dbulger) who did the quest here (halfway down the page):

http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10413347&page=3
_________________

Aldon Tanlon (Ranger)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall & GW:EN
Zacharias Eru (Dervish) ~ Completed Nightfall
Issa the Pilgrim (Monk)~Completed Prophesies, Nightfall & GW:EN
Seth Enu (Elementalist)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall, & GW:EN
Scut Monkey (Assassin)~Completed Factions & GW:EN
Yazoo Adaeus (Ritualist)~Completed Prophesies, Factions and Nightfall
Eliphas Cempa (Necromancer)~In Prophesies

[jetlaw]

Ya, it is a bit different than I anticipated.

Since the quest is still new, there seems to be limited info on what to expect. For example, it isn't clear if you can do the quests in NM and then return to face Dhuum in HM, or if you have to do all the quests and face Dhuum all in the same run (I have seen posts which suggest both of these). It also isn't clear if the quest is repeatable (some posts mention repeated runs, so again, it isn't clear if Dhuum is a permanent fixture, or is only around for the one time you do this quest).

Regardless, I am not pleased that the team build apparently being used to beat him is a 6 perma 2 monk Mobway SC team. Hopefully more balanced teams have the ability to complete it as well. Of course, even if a more balanced team can beat him, if the clear has to be done in the same run, the Ice King quest would require a specialized team to complete it (since it is VERY difficult for a balanced team to have any chance to complete this quest). On that note, I am baffled by the fact that ANet changed the Ice King quest in an alleged effort to stifle the Perma SC teams, and yet now it appears that the Perma SC teams are the only ones that can easily complete it. Nothing like coming up with a solution which only strengthens the problem which necessitated the solution in the first place.
_________________
Master Account
Ace Raptorslayer (Assassin) Completed Nightfall and closing in on completing EotN
Corporal Conundrum (Necromancer) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
General Insurection (Mesmer) Completed Factions and Nightfall
Jonny Firestorm (Elementalist) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Major Disruption (Warrior) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Pierce Longbow (Ranger) Legendary Guardian (all campaigns completed)
Rift Soulcatcher (Ritualist) Completed Prophecies, Factions, Nightfall and EotN
Sergeant Sidewinder (Dervish) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Talon Silverbolt (Paragon) In Sunspear Sanctuary still unable to locate Koss
Will B Done (Monk) Completed Prophecies, Factions and Nightfall
Collectible Storage Guild Mule
Secondary Account
Pierce Dragonstrike Gift of the Traveler Collector
Storage For Wpg Guild Mule

[zacharias]

As far as what they intended when they changed the Underworld, here is an explanation from Regina:

[Trbayth]

7 minutes was the usual speed clear time?
_________________
Trb--
Officer, House of Blackrock

Trbayth Boytra, W Completed Prophecies
Marina Driska, E/ Working on Prophecies
Boytra the Devout, (PvP) M
Sureshot Boytra, (PvP) R
Alyssandra Boytra, (Role Playing) Rit Completed Factions, Prophecies, Nightfall, and EoTN

[Two Dawgs]

One day, maybe I'll understand why ANet continues to talk about nerfing shadow form, but, so far, hasn't really done it.

As a sin from the start of Factions, it was a lousy profession...big damage, paper armor. Most PUGs were not interested in sins. I suffered through a lot of mediocre builds, and hard grouping for a long time. Then, permasin came along.

My sin now has 23 mil experience, and has farmed at least two sets of Obsidian armor, chaos gloves, most of my holiday stash and most of my golds.

What does ANet expect to get out of a shadow form nerf? Ectos back to 10k? That's okay by me, I've got almost 200. No tanks in DoA and other elite areas? Is that a "good?" If so, what would a "bad" look like? No runners? Somehow, I think the guys with warrior runners will like this, but I don't see how it helps the game. I do see one "maybe" good out of this...all the QQ'ers in guru will have to find something else to whine about. Still, I bet they will.

So that's my rant. Where's the luv for sins? It's not that farming will stop. I've got monks, rit, ele, warrior, necro and all the other toons, most can farm something (heck, I used to farm UW with a 55 mesmer with illusionary weapon). The sin is just more efficient, and adds the runner at essentially no cost.
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Two Dawgs
FOM Guild Leader

Happiness is a crew served weapon
Disco Leduck - Ele
Granddad B Goode - Rit
Two Dawgs - Ranger
The Earl Of Acworth - Para
Pop Guzyweasel - Mes
Yurasis Dragon - Warrior
Doctor Sushi - Monk
Doc Odebay - Necro
Catfood Hunter - Sin
Thane Of Brookstone - Derv
Tank Repairman - Monk

[Rod Adams]

It depends on how they nerf it.

I see a variety of elites with a similar theme:

- Mist Form - no damage from attacks, but you still get all the spells and 2ndary effects of attacks. However, it's not hard to keep up all the time.

- Obsidian Flesh - stops the spells, higher AL against the damage, not hard to keep up all the time, but slows movement and doesn't cause spells to 'fail', thus not as good at the lead tank position. Combined well with other skills in attribute to counter physical attacks.

- Spell Breaker - Protection against spells, in particular by 'failing' so you can be an effective absorbing tank. However, near impossible to keep up solo, and must be used by a monk.

- Vow of Silence - like OF, it's a "can't target" not a "fail" protection against spells, so not as good at tanking. The penalty of no spells at all mean you will always have a short 1/4s recast gap, and be hard pressed to counter other types of damage, and can't be easily healed by your local monks, etc.

- Shadow Form - fails all spells and attacks, and be kept up permanently with some care, thus nullifying one of the big balancers in it, the health loss when it drops. Note the attacks failing is superior to Mist Form, since you don't get secondary effects. You deal 33% less damage.


Reading through that... SF has the defense superior to all these other elites *combined*, and at a trade off of dealing moderately less damage...

That's the big imbalance for me. There are several other elite skills in it's vein, but nothing that really comes close, and it has a lower penalty to use than many of the others.

I could see them convert the "deal 33% less damage" into something like "deal no damage". or perhaps just a "lose all but 10..90 health and all energy on cast." Sure there are some ways to deal damage without doing "damage" and there's various energy/health hiding games, but I'm not sure how sustainable they are.
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Random Druid [Ritualist] - Random Catalyst [Ele] - Random Little Tank [Warrior] - Amethyst Reanhart [Ranger]
Random Manipulator [Mesmer] - Random Heresy [Monk] - Random Defiler [Necro] - Random Strategos [Paragon]
Random Whirlwind [Dervish] - Random Deadly Sin [Assassin] - Random Revelation [Monk]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Random Destroyer [Warrior] - Random Demonic [Necro] - Random Commander [Paragon] - Random Ignitor [Ele]
Random Conjurer [Ritualist] - Random Scout [Ranger] - Random Salvation [Monk] - Random Disruption [Mesmer]
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... and various other Randomâ„¢ characters as I roll them.

[Two Dawgs]

As I recall, the initial damage reduction was 50%, reduced in a later change to 33%.

But...farming existed before permasins, and will exist after them. I've got the toons to farm, whatever the requirement, but I sure will miss the perma, and I still see little or no gain for the game by nerfing it.

BTW, Trb, the seven minute speed clear was, as far as I understand, the absolute record. But a number of guilds were fairly consistently achieving under 30 minute clears.
_________________
Two Dawgs
FOM Guild Leader

Happiness is a crew served weapon
Disco Leduck - Ele
Granddad B Goode - Rit
Two Dawgs - Ranger
The Earl Of Acworth - Para
Pop Guzyweasel - Mes
Yurasis Dragon - Warrior
Doctor Sushi - Monk
Doc Odebay - Necro
Catfood Hunter - Sin
Thane Of Brookstone - Derv
Tank Repairman - Monk

[Trbayth]

I don't run any sins but my feeling with this type of farming is that it's no longer a game, it's a business. Measuring productivity in ectos per minute, etc, etc.
_________________
Trb--
Officer, House of Blackrock

Trbayth Boytra, W Completed Prophecies
Marina Driska, E/ Working on Prophecies
Boytra the Devout, (PvP) M
Sureshot Boytra, (PvP) R
Alyssandra Boytra, (Role Playing) Rit Completed Factions, Prophecies, Nightfall, and EoTN

[zacharias]

I farm mostly for the challenge of it. Just being able to survive and then clear a difficult or elite part of Guild Wars solo or with just a hero is fun. For me, it's really not to accumulate ectos, or gold (those are just a bonus).

I do farm to get certain specific items though, like destroyer cores for gauntlets (still have about a hundred to go). Which is why I'm working on finishing Nightfall with my sin so that I can get all 4 types of DoA gemstones easier.
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Aldon Tanlon (Ranger)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall & GW:EN
Zacharias Eru (Dervish) ~ Completed Nightfall
Issa the Pilgrim (Monk)~Completed Prophesies, Nightfall & GW:EN
Seth Enu (Elementalist)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall, & GW:EN
Scut Monkey (Assassin)~Completed Factions & GW:EN
Yazoo Adaeus (Ritualist)~Completed Prophesies, Factions and Nightfall
Eliphas Cempa (Necromancer)~In Prophesies

[God of Thunder]

Found THIS on Guru.

An interesting take on the new UW with a "Balanced" team. Thought you might like the read.
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Sinar Lightwood Ra/
Arique Lightwood P/
and other incarnations of the Lightwood family.
HFFF has me hooked. If you need a run just hollar.

[zacharias]

Very nice! I like the idea of a balanced team more but I'm up for anything that will work. Obviously, it all depends on how many players with what professions are available.

Of the professions listed, I have a monk, ele, rit and sin who can get to the Underworld.
_________________

Aldon Tanlon (Ranger)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall & GW:EN
Zacharias Eru (Dervish) ~ Completed Nightfall
Issa the Pilgrim (Monk)~Completed Prophesies, Nightfall & GW:EN
Seth Enu (Elementalist)~ Completed Prophesies, Factions, Nightfall, & GW:EN
Scut Monkey (Assassin)~Completed Factions & GW:EN
Yazoo Adaeus (Ritualist)~Completed Prophesies, Factions and Nightfall
Eliphas Cempa (Necromancer)~In Prophesies