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My Beta Wish

David North Posted:
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I’ve been thinking a lot about the future beta events for Guild Wars 2, and it feels like the next one is right around the corner.  I’ve reflected on the past events a bit, even sharing my thoughts and experiences with you guys.  ArenaNet has offered a lot of content, but I’ve been thinking about how much more there is to experience.  Already I’ve had a chance to spend a lot of time with the Charr, Norn, and Humans.  I’ve gotten to travel some of the lands of Tyria, and I think I have a good grasp on the early areas and events in the game.  In fact, it’s allowed me to kind of plan out what I will do when the game actually launches.  But I want to see more!

So far the betas have barely scratched the surface on what the game has to offer.  I think it’s possible that ArenaNet is even keeping some content, such as dynamic events, stashed away until the game’s launch.  Sure it would be nice to see this content, but there’s something else I would like to see even more.  I want to go to the lands that I’ve only heard tales of!  I wish to explore the lands of the Asura and Sylvari!  To explore the starting lands of these last two races is at the very top of my wish list.

I’m not sure why the Asura and Sylvari haven’t been available to try out yet, but my guess is that it may have to deal with just how much more content it would add to the already massive mountain of things ArenaNet has to go through and fix.  I think we will see things running a lot better during the next beta.  Once ArenaNet improves a good number of major issues, I don’t see why they wouldn’t include the Asura and Sylvari in a future event.  After all, they may still need to work out some bugs in those areas, I’m sure.


In Guild Wars 2, my best friend will be a golem. We'll go on adventures together.

Now I know the beta events aren’t just for our amusement, but are a tool for us to help ArenaNet find issues with the game.  After such a long wait we will want, and deserve, the game to work on launch day, right? But adding the last two races in an event will help players finally get a chance to see all the different pieces together, instead of only a few parts to an incomplete puzzle.  Don’t get me wrong, what we have been able to see has been incredible, but I feel like the world is missing something.  All the races are written to be part of the same world, and we only get to see a glimpses of them all interact together in cities and encampments.  It’s like teasing us!  I just want to see a bit more, even if they don’t open up the entire starting area and let us play a tiny, little fraction of it. That would make me happy.

Now ArenaNet hasn’t just been showing us the same beta over and over again.  I think it’s just the fan in me getting that small taste, and wanting the whole cake. ArenaNet has switched things up though, changing the dynamic events we got to play in, and also opening up the trading portion of the game.  Our old characters were even available during the one day stress test.  It wouldn’t surprise me if they threw in a few other, smaller changes to see how we players, and our computers, react.  It’s even possible that some of those very changes are made due to feedback, which to me is pretty exciting!

No matter what happens, the next Guild Wars 2 BEW is probably right around the corner.  I can smell it in the air, like rain.  I for one can’t wait to step foot in the lands of Tyria again, and help ArenaNet make the game I’ve been waiting so long for even better.  So until then I’ll just keep wishing and hoping to see new things in the next beta, but what about you guys?  Anything new that you want to see in the next event weekend?  Let us know by leaving a comment below.