Dev Update: Ranks & Elite Mission

Hey, there,

Here's another update from the Dev Team on two questions that have been asked a bit over the last few days.

First of all, some of you have asked about Sunspear ranks. Specifically, you have asked if it is yet possible to attain the highest Sunspear and Lightbringer ranks. In fact, there is a way to attain such ranks – creative gamers will often find even the circuitous paths – but the means being used by a few isn’t the primary way that players will achieve those ranks. Let’s just say, the path to those ranks will be much more direct and open in the future.

Others have inquired about a Nightfall Elite Mission. At this time, there is no such mission. You see, now that we have released Nightfall, the team is right back into “design mode” with the objective of creating cool new expanded content that will be provided through our first major update to the game. (Yes, you doubters – a free update. ) Now, I’m not taking a “Sorrow’s Furnace” size update – with the development schedule we’ve on, that wouldn’t be realistic. But we know that players love new content, and that you relish the way that it refreshes and reinvigorates the game and furnishes new challenges. And the dev team is on board to offer it!

Some Guild Wars updates are things you are already familiar with. For instance, large-scale holiday events? Well, I saw you there last weekend and I know you loved it. And yes, you might cleverly predict future events of that type because you can pause to consider the very name of our current competitive season.

Some Guild Wars updates are of things you can predict, such as the ability to attain higher ranks and get elite mission access, both of which were, I believe, foreshadowed in The Manuscripts for Nightfall. What cooler way to build long-distance goals than to see the addition of new options and new tests and trials for your characters?

And, I’m happy to tell you, some planned Guild Wars updates include content and features that, frankly, you really don’t have a clue about yet, ‘cause we’re not talkin’. Some things the dev team has on the books for the not-too-distant future will present significant expansions of Nightfall content in the form of new missions, new gameplay options, and popular features, as well.

Timeline? Well, maybe there will be something under your Christmas tree wrapped in ones and zeros: Codified Christmas gift, anyone? Seriously, it would be more accurate to say we’ll have the update ready “in the next few months,” to allow the team flexibility to take a bit more time if that means adding even more cool new content and features.

So, I hope this information is helpful, and we'll have more to share soon.

Thanks for clearing this up. Was highly needed.

So, you are saying that the bug when you cannot take Sunspear bounties at Sunspear Rank 8 is intentional?

If so, GG ArenaNet.

Is there any update on what will happen for the Factions elite missions?

Greetings,

So, we can attain max title ranks without relying on enemy monks ressing the other enemies for farming, while at the same time praying to the 5 gods that we don't get err7'ed? I can get on board with that.

I like that we finally have an answer about the elite mission. Now, just as long as they (ANet) tell us when the mission has been put in, I'd be a happy camper (to use a phrase).

Hopefully, this update will include access to the Sunspear Arena as well, since no one has found a way into there either.

Mery meet, merry met, merry meet again,
Wyldchild777

Thanks a lot for clearing that up, Gaile.

I'm pretty sure someone mentioned reading the manual and it said something like, it'd be much easier to start parties for missions/questing, because you could search better among districts? Not really sure exactly what the wording was, but any word on that?

Thanks first of all to Gaile for replying and answering our questions! Just a quick follow up, you mention that an update on the scale of Sorrow's Furnace is impractical (which I'm sure we can appreciate, if feel frustrated at - I mean no offence, everyone has the 'We want more!' bug, myself included), but both The Deep and Urgoz's Warren from Factions have a sense of similar scale, and greater difficulty than Sorrow's Furnace, so will the Nightfall Elite Mission be significantly smaller than either of those in Factions? I appreciate that some people find the Factions Elites unwieldly (not everyone has between and three hours to devote to a single mission), but quite a few of us enjoy the Elites simply because they take so long - they actually give us something to do for a couple of hours!

Not intended as a complaint or any sort of chastisement - I'm really loving Nightfall. The first time I entered the Mirror of Lyss, my Jaw dropped! Anyway, I suppose I'm trying to thank you for replying, clarify how the NF elite will compare to those from Factions, and forestall any criticism of the 'ZOMG I can't believe it isn't in the game yet!!' - I for one, and most of those I know, can find any number of ways to keep ourselves occupied in Elona until Christmas, or whenever the Elite and other content goes live!

Thanks again!

If so, many many people will not be able to obtain the rank. It would've helped saying this before people got to rank 8 sunspear. Now what, it's hopeless for them?

Thanks for telling us at least... Now to spend my time on a few long nights of FF12 instead of worrying about if someone found the elite mission yet..

So, what does this mean for Chapter 5?

A somewhat bitter truth - but behold i'm not complaining.
After all we now know for certain and are no longer in search of the holy grail :P
And that is much appreciated.

Thanks again for the honest reply on this community issue.

/edit:
I must admit that i personally was in a kind of "find that mission" frenzy. On the other hand i've pretty much seen Elona now and can relax. It's a lot more content than Factions ever had and for now, farming Lightbringer in the Realm of Torment is enough of a high level content for me besides me being able to actually enjoy the scenery instead of maxing that §§"$%!&!!!!!! title :P

And Rhaza...?

lol wow.. a free update of content for something that should have been in there in the first place.

I am on my knees worshipping you guys

edit: thanks for the week it took to clear it up as well. we'll see how it all goes down when the update finally gets here (I'm guessing at least a month)

I have to wait a few months for the elite mission.... What am I supposed to do until then

Well thanks for the answers though they really were much needed as I now won't be searching every corner trying to locate that mission that doesn't exist. Suppose I'll go back to deep/fow/uw... Good work on NF too personally think its the best of the 3

Edit: grammer....

razah?

I don't know anything new about that just now, but will ask about it tomorrow if I can nab a few minutes of James' or Mike's time.

Actually, although I know it's almost joking to say it, "That's not a bug, it's a feature." It really is functioning as intended. And some are finding a way to rise in ranking. A more direct route will be open with the update.

With the update still in development, it's a little premature to discuss the size of the area or the time expected for completion, but you offer good points and thanks sincerely for that insight.

Regarding Razah, Gaile posted on GWO:

Great. Why must announcements both please and dissappoint at the same time?

While it's nice to know, this is also very frustrating that us rank 8's won't be able to do anything until this mysterious update, and it'll probably be harder and longer for us to get rank 9 than those who just killed ressurected enemies over and over.

The only way currently known to rise past Rank 8 is to enter an area just before you reach Rank 8, take the blessing, and clear mobs while leaving their monks. And move on to the next mob. By the time you get back to the first place, the monks would have ressed the entire team, and you can rinse and repeat.

Unless there's another way not commonly known, you have to be joking that this was 'intended'

Because they need good news to cover up the bad?

Sorry about that, but in fact, we want you to have fun with this, and we don't want to be that kid behind you in the movie theatre, saying "The bad guy isn't dead, he's in the closet!" So while it might be fun for about five minutes to have us provide the entire chapter and verse on the update, this content is so cool, you really do want to discover it for yourself. (And I am hopeful that everyone will be good about not "spoilering it" in the forums.)

Bleh, so i wasn't told that prior sunspear rank 8 that i couldn't get the titles requirements(blessings) anymore, isn't a glitch? Gg anet, gg, oh well it feels good to be a governor of a castle... :|

Gaile can we get a refund now? I mean, the elite mission (or even missions) was mentioned in the game manual as a feature.

Ah nevermind, I guess this is yet another one of anet screwups that we'll just have to take. gg, /resign.

Well, that atleast means Razah is actually in the game. One way or another :P

Personally, I'm hoping the Elite mission has to do with corsairs! Reading about the Code of the Corsairs, and I want to do some pirate-like missions and rise in ranks with a Corsair faction, or something of the sort. Arrrrrr

So...Basically, to keep up with the breakneck pace of bringing these games out way before they need to be, You'll be releasing basically the core of the games on the release date, and design and code the features that we bought the game for on your own time and label them as additional content so the more gullible of us will be delighted by updates and features that we were already told we'd be getting >_>

I can see it now: Guild Wars Chapter 4 Propaganda: "AUCTION HOUSES, RESERVE YOUR COPY TODAY!"

When it comes out...Wheres the Auction House? wait a week...Gaile posts "It doesn't exist, but I CAN say...You'll be getting alittle present in the form of an auction house later this year, though I can't promise how good it'll be - our team IS presed for time mind you" >_>

I'm just glad this game is good regardless so I won't say too much more. Just hope people don't start getting fed up with this, the game won't be too much fun if all the good people to play with leave.

I hope the more 'direct route' is soon. I am at Rank 8 and a little disappointed that I cannot get any further until the update is released.

I just wanna see them open to the public again, at least so they are populated, I hate having to spam for a ferry in HzH/Cavalon. (Perhaps having them open for people who have completed the game so people dont moan about 'noobs')

Thanks for the answer finally gaile. much appreciated.

Obviously that's not the "intended" way to get rank, you're absolutely correct. That method was a clever gamer figuring out the angles and coming up with a creative solution to what the majority saw as an insoluable conundrum. Now, it's Sunday, so I cannot ask a designer, "Say, did you predict this would happen?" But in a general sense, I think there are three possibilities: (1) Sometimes, gamers find ways to solve things that the designers don't foresee. (2) Sometimes gamers find ways to work around a complex issue in creative ways that the designers include for the especially dedicated player. (Sort of like having "hidden Mickeys" in Disney movies. Cool for those who care to take the time to find them and not of harm to those who do not.) And admittedly, (3) sometimes gamers find exploits that need to be closed.

I'd be interested in hearing if you guys think that this work-around falls in to the third category. In my opinion, I don't feel there is any harm in players having devised this work around, and since others will be able to acquire the rank in the not-too-distant future, I don't see where this requires us to amend the game to prevent it. Do you feel differently?

Lastly, a lot of things were included in The Manuscripts, including content that foreshadows Campaign 4. Do you feel we "owed" that content, too, with release of Nightfall? There is only one box release, and obviously the manual is the one and only shot we have to reach the players with a printed publication prior to release of the next campaign. The update is being worked on now, and will be coming within the next few months. If you anticipated a different delivery schedule, then I apologize for your disappointment.

Understood. I will pass along your thoughts about Canthan elite missions to the designers!

I'm a little disappointed about the missing Elite Mission...if it wasn't to ship with the game, then it should be added to the list of features in the manual and such, it shouldn't be thought of until it was finished. False advertising in a sense... :x

Correct me if I'm wrong, but that means that people with rank 8 in sunspear title are stuck on that for a few months? And instead of having an elite mission which mostly the whole community thought would be accesable when Nightfall was released, we have to wait a few months for something else?

Can you give us any clear insight in to what criteria must be met to access these Elite areas that are due soon? I'm just hoping I won't need to pay for a taxi from some super-sized alliance of farmers to be get there.

Or will I need the obvious Sunspear title at Rank <Insert Number Here>?

When you go to McDonalds and ask for a Big Mac Meal with Coke and they give you a free Apple Pie, do you complain?

Though this is out of pure jealousy, I'm going to say option 3. Many of us are truly dedicated, but spending HOURS grinding on enemies that died and rezed perhaps hundreds of times doesn't necessarily define dedication to me. I yearn for the sunspear title, matter of fact, it was the title that I concentrated on the most while mapping Elona. The sad truth is that now, unless I go against a feature of the game, I cannot gain this title.

I have waited months for Nightfall, and as a player who is not a great fan of pseudoexploits, I do not want to have to wait more months for rank 9 sunspear.

EDIT:1) The part that annoys me the most is that the only way to gain the title is not only grind, but going against something intentional.
2) Maybe there should be an NPC, a priest, or somebody in the sunspear great house that should have said: "Listen Two April Mornings, you are close to rank 8, after which you won't be able to reach rank 9, because, for no apparent reason, you will receive no more blessings" "You may feel free to feel mad now"

I beat Nightfall less than 48hrs after release. Thus when I got to Rank 8, I was not aware that it would not be possible to rank up normally. I expected blessings in higher-end areas to work. Only after the first batch of people(including me) got to Rank 8 and discussed this issue, did the others try the trick/exploit.

There are two facets to this I'm not pleased with -
- What happens to the current lot of Rank 8s. Just because they got there first, and werent aware of the problem, will they be stranded this gets changed in your update?

- The workaround/exploit isnt very reliable either. It requires you to spend several hours at a stretch farming the mobs. If by chance, you happen to get disconnected, you permanently lose a chance at getting Rank 9.

Is the free Apple Pie on the list of the food you get with the meal? No. Was the Elite Mission on the feature list? Yes...

I will see if we can provide some of that information in advance, you bet. At present not only do I not know if I can speak of it, I don't know the information to share.

But as gently as possible, how is an in-the-box manual "advertising?" You didn't have the manual until you purchased the game. Please read what I've written on this above, or allow me to express it another way: One manual covers many months, and the choice is either (1) have a shorter, less informative manual and rely on people reading websites for the extended information, or (2) put game content information, including some of what is planned to come after release, into the manual that goes into the box. As a gamer, I'd choose #2, myself.

Thank you; that's so very true!

I'm not disputing what you're saying but where does it say there will be Elite areas? I just can't find it.

The Novermber issue of PCGamer was out way before Nightfall...yes, the elite mission was an advertised part of Nightfall. Good enough for you?

No, but I do get pissed when they give me a normal Cheese Burger instead. (and usually with the pickles I asked them to leave off)