Next Beta Event 24th March.

From http://www.guildwars.com/press/relea...2006-02-09.php

BELLEVUE, WA (February 9, 2006) — ArenaNet®, creators of the #1 selling online roleplaying game Guild Wars®, and NCsoft® Corporation, the world's leading developer and publisher of online computer games, announce today plans for a landmark event to preview Guild Wars Factions™, the highly anticipated follow up to 2005's critically acclaimed game Guild Wars. On March 24, 2006, game players around the globe are invited to participate in the Guild Wars Factions Preview Event, an exclusive and one-time opportunity unlike any offered before.

All current Guild Wars players can join the event, and will be able to invite up to three of their friends using an in-game invitation interface. Entry into the beta event will also be available through the Guild Wars Factions pre-order package, which will include the Guild Wars Factions (GWF) pre-order CD, a GWF beta access key, a "friend" key that allows access to the beta event, a 14-day, 10-hour trial key for the original Guild Wars game, a tactical guide, and a quick-reference card. The Guild Wars Factions pre-order key also adds one unique item for each of the game's two new professions, the Ritualist and the Assassin, and authorizes the user to play Guild Wars Factions 24 hours before the game's street date in spring 2006. The Guild Wars Factions pre-order package will be available in retail stores nationwide beginning February 28.

A game beta test of this size and scope has never been offered before and is a unique event for both fans and the ArenaNet team alike. With current Guild Wars players, their invited friends, and players around the world who purchase the GWF pre-order converging on the game for the Guild Wars Factions Preview Event, ArenaNet is preparing capacity in all its data centers to handle record-breaking numbers of new players.

"To be able to open up Guild Wars Factions and share this one-time experience with so many people is truly a thrill," said Mike O'Brien, ArenaNet co-founder. "Guild Wars players will get the opportunity to play Factions before the game's release while sharing the game with up to three of their friends. We can't wait for the feedback from the seasoned players, as well as those who join us for the first time on March 24."

Guild Wars is an online roleplaying game where players explore a rich fantasy world, acquire skills, build personalized characters, and compete in head-to-head guild battles with players from around the world. In addition to the compelling game design and innovative technology that make playing Guild Wars a unique experience, Guild Wars' success is due in part to a revolutionary business model in which no monthly subscription fee is charged to its users.

Please see the GUILD WARS: FACTIONS - Information and Details to answer question on the event and for more information.

wooty!

For any European players out there, there's a slightly different press release as we are not quite ready to announce full details of our preorder process. We'll get you those details ASAP!

Question: I just want to make this clear to my self, but is Factions the CHapter 2 or is Factions a 'seperate' game in and of it self basically? Cause I'm confused lol.

Factions is a seperate game, meaning you don't need Guild Wars to play it, but if you have both then there will be some connectivity, that's what I've heard at least.

Ah awesome then. Shwoo! relife for me lol.

I need to pre-order, can buy via credit card, but anyone knows of any retail store online which will deliver it to my house iva DHL or TCS?

I'm in Pakistan.

So anyone who had ordered it from outside America, East Asia, Europe could guide me here...?

This GW I ordered online so had to download the entire game, which now I feel is very frustating, downloading whole faction will take days and I dont want to miss all the initial excitment, where the entire world is n00b ^_^

Thanks.

I saw it an hour ago, but I couldn't post for some reason :\

So if I am reading it right, there are only preorder items for the new classes?

Ok, this means PvE right? Or possibly both PvE and PvP...I mean I enjoy a little PvP every now and then, but we already had our chance to test these classes in the arenas, I'd love to have the PvE testing we were allowed to have for pre-ordering Guild Wars. (Beta Weekend Events)

Either way, I cant wait.

"one unique item for each of the game's two new professions, the Ritualist and the Assassin"

Yea, I'm assuming so.
/nottryingtobeanahole

I saw that ebgames.com had it up for pre-order...I've ordered from them before and they will send it to you.

I'm wondering if we pre-order now, will we get the pre-order package later? Or do we need to wait until the 28th to pre-order if we wanted the package?

Hrm a little disappointed there will be a unique item only for the new classes. I missed out on the original special edition glowy hands for chapter 1 and was hoping to get something all my chars could use for chapter 2

Edit: the Euro press release has nothing about items, I'm guessing from Alex' post we might get some different package?

I haven't had much sleep, so maybe this is mentioned or implied in the press release (and I'm not seeing it)...I'm assuming that you would add the pre-order key to your existing account? If so, would we have to delete an existing character to trial the new content (much like the PvP preview event) or do we get a new slot?

Some differences, yes. Although I believe that Europe will be getting exactly the same preorder items as America. You shouldn't have to wait long for full details, I'm told it should all be confirmed very soon.

If you already have an original Prophecies campaign account, you do not need the preorder key to access the Factions Preview Event (FPE) at all. You'll be granted access automatically, and in fact be able to send out three invites for friends to come and join you. More details will follow, um, soon? (I think I'm using that word too much today!)

Hrrm not sure about this...I wonder if you get a friend code from someone if you'd have 2 open slots, 1 for each new class, or like in the PvP weekend a temporary account.

hope we do get at least 1 extra slot or maybe we can use the free accounts again,a.net did say they would be useful for more than just the pvp event.

the euro delay thing was a bit strange and a major come down from the excitment of reading the ops post.

I have searched for pre-orders, and have seen a couple, but I was wondering if there will be a special edition available soon, as there was for the first chapter. Anyone know?

not when i lead a hectic life which means i cant read a web page in under 30 sec xD

I'm so excited about the event, but have to wait for another month and half. I had expected the event to take place earlier, like the end of this month, but anyway, at least we can get the pre-order package by the end of this month. So based on the press release, we can get two pre-order items, one for assassin and one for ritualist, am I correct?

The title of the press release: "GUILD WARS FACTIONS TO BE UNVEILED IN MASSIVE BETA TESTING EVENT AVAILABLE TO MORE THAN 3 MILLION GAMERS". Do you think there would actually be more than 3 Million gamers in this event?

All sounds ok sure I will pre-order but only when they answer some questions, Like How many Slots you get if you combine both Guild Wars and Factions.

Why is talking so long to answer this question...

And about Europe preorder what else is new. European server are empty anyway.

Patience, we'll find out about EU pre order very soon. I think the 3 million number comes from 1 million customers with 3 invites each..

"The Guild Wars Factions pre-order key also adds one unique item for each of the game's two new professions"

So, this is referring to all "regions" / "stores" right?
Unlike before where stores and regions had a different item included in their preorder.

At least we get two items each this time?

/|V|oot.

/game on.

Added: Overall it's basically the same thing as done in ch.1. So really, W/ an existing account only thing new to do w/ the preorder package key is to add the new preorder items. (which again becomes available on offical game release day.) -gweat!

Simple terms:

24th March you will be able to make an assassin and/or ritualist on your existing account, and play them in the Cantha campaign until <whatever date, probably that weekend only> to try them out.

*If* you preorder the game, not only will you be able to do this, but you'll get exclusive items when the game is released, plus you'll be able to play the full game 24 hours before it is released, unlike everyone else who didn't preorder.

edit: btw I'm assuming you don't want to rush into preordering anywhere; it will probably need to be a specific place again, for example in the UK, you could preorder GW anywhere, but only gameplay.com had the preorder codes that actually gave you the beta access/early access/chimeric prism.

My wife and I already preordered through EBgames/Gamestop several weeks ago. Does that mean we can pick up the package as soon as it is released or, with the announcement of this package, are we going to be required to cancel and then preorder the preorder package specifically? All of this is getting confusing, I just needing my Factions fix NOW!

This might be taking it too far, but does this give us any further indication as to when Factions will come out? What was the time span between the original Guild Wars' open beta event and it's release? I heard previous rumors that Factions would come out on or around March 31st...does this essentially dispell those rumors because the beta event is so close to March 31st?

(Am I reading into this too much? Is their nothing to be speculated on?)

One question..mainly because it doens't say...

How long is the Beta/Preview going to last? It doesn't say in the press release. Is it a weekend, or something longer?

Empty? Sure you're playing Guild Wars?

Trust me, the population of active and regular players on the European territory is very healthy. In fact, it's done nothing but grow since the release date.

i hope that the new pre-order items are along the lines of the recent asian special items: cool skin, max stats, and actually usable end game. it seems like the old pre-order items are nothing more than junk to ascended characters.

Me too.

Even though my preorder items are junk, I can't even get them to come back using the /preorder command.

Just to clarify things, the glowy hands, or Divine Favor is obtained by adding a Collector's Edition key to your account, not by adding a Special Edition key. And as far as I know, you are still able to buy the Collector's Edition in shops...

This is pretty cool. Being able to invite friends will be a nice way to get them to see why Guild Wars is so much fun, it will work as a demo.

This thread is about the next Beta event, and not about Europe vs. America. Thank you for not posting about that.

I personally would prefer, "usable til range lvl. 15 or less." Only because, if it was to the end, that would mean everything else new would be junk in a diff. pov. As much as I would like to have near "green-like" status gear at the start of the game. This game would get boring at a faster rate than ch.1 did for some people.

/IMO.

How do you "add a key to your account"? Is it in the login screen?

I am really excited about the news! I just hope I dont have to have a free slot to do the beta and that I can cross-over and existing character.

Can we pre-order a Collectors Edition or can we only get the CE in stores?

sounds cool this event

I hope the pre-order items are like the korean ones, actually usable at high lvl, max etc...

*hoping that pre-order comes to belgium to* (last time it wasn't )

This is some cool news. Can't wait to check out some PvE stuffage.....

EBgames (US) - (atm they have that "special ed." for ch.1 --not the same as Collector's.--they might for factions.)
Amazon (they have the ch.1 collectors ed. --I hope theyll be getting ch.2 Collectors ed.)

just to answer this part from own experience:

For myself (in Canada). Only thing online available for me where I can purchase chapter 1, when it came out, was the "regular version". Since I wanted the the "Collectors edition", I had to preorder through a futureshop store. (which they didnt really carry it out to be a "preordering of a game" type system. You buy the preorder package and they tell you when you can come back and buy the version of your choice: Collectors or Reg.)
I thought when you normally "preorder", it was at least "copy saved under your name". This certainly wasnt the case. This was 1st come 1st serve.
Luckily, at that store I was the 1st to get the Collectors Ed.

Conclusion:I would really like it if it is possible for the sale of Collector's Edition to be available online this time at my area. (not just from one source. hint hint to Futureshop)

/here's hoping.

Hmm never pre-ordered before but I would be quite mad if I got to store and they were out of CE

Did I miss anything about : If you have two accounts (2 sets of CDpacks) then you must purchase two GW factions ??

How is the multiple account and 1 PC handled with the new release ?
I guess this'll linkage (existing accounts -> new S/W ) info will come out in due course.

Yep pure and simple. if you have 2 Guild Wars accounts and you want both to join Factions then u need 2 New Cd keys. Now either your Join them or not is up to you.

You buying a new game not an Expansion or update, its new content were you have the option to join your old account so you don’t loose the unlock stuff that you have.

i am sure someone will explain better