Sealed Deck: Now An Official Format

Who knows? All it says is "randomized skill cards." Yet again ANet has made a teaser press release that causes more consternation and confusion than anything else. The full tournament rules are still to come so there will probably be a greater clarification in there. I wouldn't bother getting into an argument about what the press release means, just post any questions you might have in the hopes that ANet will address them.

Its just more PvP. Of no interest to me, and I suspect, of no interest to the majority of casual gamers who make up the bulk of those who bought GW.

Good luck to those of you who want to play it, and kudos to Anet for trying to broaden the PvP horizons.

The problem with BM skills and charm animal is simple. They remove charm animal from the random. Make that the ONLY skill that you can pick. Because its a 1 of a kind skill I see no problem with doing that. No other attribute line is req to take 1 skill to use anything else in that same attribute.

Duly this has casual PvP writen all over it. There is no uber build, broken combos, or team tactics.

You get to choose your skills from a random generated list. Create your build then play. Anything random is not for serious players. Serious PvPers have GvG and HA. Everything else they make for PvP will be for casual players.

Amen brother. The more diverse GW gets the better. The more options players have the better. The more ways to PvP the better. Remember, if you don't like it, you DO NOT have to play it. I don't like HoH so I don't play it. I do like RA so I play it. I don't like alliance battles so I don't play them. I DO like Fort Aspenwood so I play there. The more choices that open up the better.

I would much rather play in an arena with a randomly generated skill bar than take what I want and have other players piss and moan about what I am using (in RA). I think it would be challenging, fun, entertaining, and a blast. I hope the do introduce a new arena with this type of gameplay and not just leave it to the Tournements.

I like the sound of it myself... looking forward to trying it out.

Sorry Twicky - my few attempts at PvP were so hilariously unsuccessful that I gave it up long ago. Consequently I stick to PvE and should not make comments about PvP at all! I bow to your superior knowledge here.

I can understand the turn off to PvP. Its been very elitist for over a year. I'd give it a chance and see if you like it. If you don't go back to PvE.

I'm really only a GvG player but I've found that AB is my fun time and fills in the time between my GvG. I also do RA because its much more difficult now with sins and rits and added skills (I monk).

I think this will be a good fun environement that's a little more complex than RA is.

I didn't like the sound of Factions, so did not buy it. If C3 sounds more promising I might just give it a go. If I ever give PvP another try it will be because they have implemented something for casual fun which is what I look for in a game

Sealed-play? This has the possibility to spiral into something bad.

If everyone gets to choose from the same 64 skills, more than anything you'll find everyone using the same build. If it's randomized 64 skills, then the entire tournament means nothing. It'll be too dependant on the luck of the draw to mean anything.

It's not 64 Randomized skills. It's 64 random skills out of 800ish total skills.

So it's luck. And whoever gets a res wins.

Just for clarification...M:TG didn't invent Sealed Deck format. It was just the second popular mainstream TCG to come out and the first to really popularize tournament play. Doesn't mean it invented it...

Hmm, as a casual PVP player this sounds intriguing if it was introduced into the game in the right way. I much prefer Aspenwood over regular PVP since it is more casual and has less of the elite aspect to it.

Note the bold text and more importantly read the page before getting overexcited.

It is possible that this mode of play will only occur at live events, as the mechanics behind it involve being given physical skill cards which they must split amongst each other and set by their specific computer to create their character. That gives me the impression that this is only happening at Gencon.

Whether this style of play will be outside the Gencon event does not seem to be confirmed.

The live events can be a testing ground before they try to release this on the real servers.

Mtg: Online is capable of sealed and draft tournements. This could be implemented with the same type of system. Simply lock the skills that were not on the randomized list. That way the only skills there are to choose from were the ones that generated by the system. You can choose an option at the roll screen for rpg, pvp, or sealed character. Once you pick the sealed it could generate the skills you can use and lock the other ones for that character. That way it doesn't interact with your other characters and the game can distinguish between a pvp character that can use all unlocked skill and a sealed character that limits what skills are locked.

There will be lots of coverage at the event from press and player attending. This is just simply free publicity for current GW players and prospect customers.

Man, this sounds awesome! It's always nice to see GW following in the footsteps of Magic

taking it that im reading this correctly..Anet are making some kind of childish card game?!

the type kids bring to primary/pre school?? why?

....Are you sure Mt:G is childish?

...not that you've never played it?

Anet is not making any card game (except for what Jeff Strain said long ago in an interview "we have something in the works but i'll not announce anything yet") but they are just representing skills with cards for players at the event to use to make their builds.

I'm a great fan of sealed deck in mtg and i'd really love to see this type of pvp implemented into the very game, without the need to use any cards, and for everyone have a chance to play it. This would be such a skill intensive format, with a little luck factor involved aswell.
And how about making the first preview event for GW:Nightfalls a weekend of mini sealed tournaments? That would be awesome! A great way to have a glimpse at new skills and a chance to play them without the need of unlocking them yet. It would be sooo much better than the first PvP for everyone GW:Factions Preview Event. (the sealed-play would be an additional feature for a pvp preview event, with the ability to unlock new skills for gained faction; and after that a big pve+pvp Nightfalls event would follow for sure)
... i like dreaming

Ugh! You've got to be kidding me right? Keep an open mind? If I wanted to play Magic the Gathering then I would just play it. Innovation is one thing copying another play style is bogus.

I've played games for a long time and have sat in on the MTG people doing there card thing. I understand the sealed skill deal, but what does MTG have to do with Guild Wars.

I like PvE and PvP, but not card games mixed in. I agree with Numa on this. Bad direction to head.

I think this is a great idea. As has been previously said, nobody's holding a gun to your head making you play this way. More options are always good, imo.

I do have a couple questions, though:

1) Should both teams share the same set of selected skills for balance?

2) Would you get the skills *before* you made a character, or after? Seems like you'd have to get skills before picking a profession, armor, weapons, etc.