Guild Wars 2 - Living World 4 "Daybreak" - Patch Notes 28/11

[Lotus Victoria]

Greetings champions! So, today is the big day. First chapter of the living story, episode 4. Finally!

So, here are the highlight from the new notes, for those interested in it.

Living World–"Daybreak"

After a freak Brandstorm engulfs the Elonian city of Amnoon, a mysterious vision reveals that an encounter in the ancient ruins might determine the fate of Tyria. The commander embarks on a search for a secretive order of warriors who guard the way into the ancient city, just as the consequences of past choices come home to roost.

New Legendary Focus

A new legendary weapon is now available. Speak to Grandmaster Craftsman Hobbs in Lion's Arch to learn how to craft the new focus precursor, "Ars Goetia," and forge this new legendary focus.


General

• Exotic-tier Funerary weapons and armor can now be salvaged and used in the Mystic Forge.
• A new Keys category has been added to the wallet, and it contains a currency version of several existing items. These items can be consumed to convert them into the new currencies. Content that once required these items to be in a player's inventory will now check for the currency instead. This change affects the following items:
  
  • Zephyrite Lockpicks
  • Bandit Skeleton Keys
  • Pact Crowbars
  • Exalted Keys
  • Vials of Chak Acid
  • Machetes
  • Trader's Keys
• A new Competitive Currencies category has been added to the wallet, and it contains the following currencies:
  
  • PvP League Tickets
  • Ascended Shards of Glory
  • Badges of Honor
  • WvW Skirmish Claim Tickets
  • Proofs of Heroics
  • Testimonies of Heroics
• Some currencies in the wallet have been reorganized for consistency in grouping in the All Currencies view.

Fractals

New Fractal: Twilight Oasis

• Journey to the past and witness events that shaped Elona, for better or worse.

Fractal Rewards

Long-term uses for fractal currency have been lacking, so new rewards have been added that can be purchased using fractal currencies and materials. Additionally, some rewards, such as fractal encryptions, experience, and karma, were inconsistent, with some fractals providing too much and some fractals providing too little.

• The karma reward formula has been simplified. Players will no longer be penalized for playing above their Personal Fractal Level or for playing above scale 90.
• Tyrian Mastery experience rewards in fractals have been standardized so that tiers 1–4 respectively give 2, 4, 8, and 12 writs of mastery experience.
• Standardized Fractal Encryption rewards for all fractals, with the exception of the Nightmare and Shattered Observatory fractals, which now reward extra Fractal Encryptions.
• New account augmentations can be purchased from Deroir in the Mistlock Observatory.
• Added ascended rings, accessories, and amulets with selectable stats to Buy-2046 PFR.
• Added Mystic Clovers to Buy-4373. Purchases are limited to two per day.
• Added equipment bags that can be purchased with blade shards to Bling-9009 after completing the harbinger's challenge in the Nightmare fractal. Purchases are limited to five per day.
• Added Integrated Fractal Matrices to the material storage tab in the Bank.
• Reduced the Obsidian Shard gold cost and increased the relic cost.
• The Mistlock Observatory jumping puzzle now offers a small number of daily relics.
• The Fractal Console guild decoration can now be constructed, and players can interact with it for unique effects.

Fractal Quality of Life Updates

• Added Mystic Forge recipes with swappable states to existing cosmetic infusions, such as Celestial Infusion, Chak Infusion, Ghostly Infusion, etc.
• Added Mystic Forge recipes with swappable stats for rare infusions.
• Added expertise and concentration infusions.
• Added a right-click "Consume All" option for fractal encryptions and keys.
• When a party is defeated, astral force for Celestial Avatar and life force for Death Shroud will now refill.
• Moved the first Cliffside Mistlock Singularity to a more convenient location.

Raids

Hall of Chains

• An influx of murderous undead relentlessly hunt innocent worshipers of Grenth. Infiltrate the Underworld and join the struggle for control over the fates of the living and the dead

You can access it via this link.

Use this thread to discuss changes and stuff like that.

See you soon, and soon i'll post my own thoughts here!

[Svifnymr]

keyring, yay!

[Lotus Victoria]

keyring, yay!

THANKS
FUCKING
GOD


Now I'll have bagspaces again

[Eleccybubb]

Keyring should have been in sooner.

Meh don't play anything that I use a focus for.

New story was expected. Hope it makes up for PoFs appalling start.

Raid I'll watch on Twitch later to take a look see. Hope it's better than the first wing of the HoT one.

[Malthanis]

keyring, yay!

AHMG YES.


Also, has anybody looked at that new raptor skin? On top of yet another 2k gem skin, who got high on glitter and made that?

[Lotus Victoria]

Okay, I've played the first mission. It was okay.

If LS4 proves one thing, its that we're going to see a lot of purple in the next months. And man, I really dislike purple. T_T

[barackopala]

Conclusions on current FotM system:

-Mai trin fractal FUCKING SUCKS in terms of burst damage, it's stupid if you're not bringing chrono and a tempest healer (or a really good druid healer for spot heals), and social awkwardness makes for an irritating fight with the transition phases being awful, specially last 25%, the cannon barrage being there at all times makes for a really distracting encounter, by far my least favourite change.

-The vindicators hit like a truck, T4 now punishes being down way more, less puggy, its gonna be hell for low T4 players.

-The new engame progression fractal buff will take a while to accomplish for newer players, in my case im gated due to selling my agonies on previous patches, fuck me.

Going to wait to see how molten boss got changed but holy shit mai trin experience sucked balls for me.


Now about the new map and events:
-I like them a lot, the meta fixed what PoF was lacking, relevant and somewhat rewarding stuff to do, the map is a bit small tbh, felt like a HoT LS3 map but hey, lots of stuff to look for!

[PACOX]

Havent started the LS but I did play the new fractal. Its a boss fractal with pretty fair mechanics. I really like that changes and additions to the fractal vendors though...trinkets with selectable stats! Actually the balance pass of the mistlock instabilities is great too.

Much needed QoL changes, gained a ton if bag space and actually want to use my old keys now.

The only thing I dont like about the mount skin price is that you have to purchase gems 3 times to get it. Really doesnt matter to me because Im not buying, stuff like that is annoying though.

[Lotus Victoria]

Played a bit of the new map as well. Looks promising, a lot more than the PoF maps - but that makes me sad. I want those maps to be playable as well (after the story and map completion are over) =(. The designers put a lot of effort into those maps, for them to be abandoned 2 months after release ¬¬

[Svifnymr]

I played some, but the lag in the new zone was pretty bad. They sent up the "patch soon" message so I just logged off. I usually don't bother trying to do patch content on first day anyway.

The intro mission was okay, except it's way too long for an intro. To get new alts to the zone, I either need a port, a scroll, or run them all through these tedious ass battle.

Also, having stuff going on while I'm fighting, not sure why they think I'd see the sky battle or whatever.

Otherwise, fun enough so far.

- - - Updated - - -

Played a bit of the new map as well. Looks promising, a lot more than the PoF maps - but that makes me sad. I want those maps to be playable as well (after the story and map completion are over) =(. The designers put a lot of effort into those maps, for them to be abandoned 2 months after release ¬¬

While I understand the "no missing content" decision, I do miss some of the big world changing stuff of Season1.

[barackopala]

The speed at you get the new magic currency you can afford the pass in less than one meta completion.

[Sliske]

I feel like this game is amazing if you don't play it for a year or two, but if you play it consistently for like 4 weeks you'll run into a content drought.

Playing through all of S3 and then immediately getting PoF was great for me as a player who quit early in HoT. I lasted like 2 weeks into PoF.

Think i'll skip this patch. I'll log in to get it free of course, but i'll wait a year or two until I can get a good 20+ hours worth of content from LWS4, rather than 2-3 hour bites

[Lotus Victoria]

Okay, after playing more, I can definitely say that this map destroys every other map from the base expansion. It's big, it's fun to explore and the meta is great fun.

Thanks, ANET!

now, here I go to finish the story department from this chapter.

[Deleted]

What is the cost for LS4?

[barackopala]

0, all you need is to be logged in the 2 weeks the story releases on, if not then you can buy the story for like 200 gems i think.
The new fractal is nice, lovely final encounter, sadly CM100 is still riddled with awful pugs that barely know how to read, getting closer to that sweet stanky danky red infusion.

[Svifnymr]

I had a different game to finish up, and other stuff going on, so I didn't get around to finishing the story until today. I can't speak to the new zone, much, though certain spots seems riddled with lag. The story was okay, but just... not FUN, at all. I'm tired of slogging through large battles, with NPC Allies that are totally worthless while every enemy targets me and a billion light displays go off everywhere. I'm tired of repetitive boss battles with stupid overlapping effects and all this other crap. I don't mind a few battles here and there, but the damn instances are so long and dragged out that it just makes me not want to repeat them.

Storywise: Maybe they haven't told us why Joko got out and it'll be a story element later, but it's bleh. Sure, they don't explain how Taimi managed to get found out and caught, why would they? No real tension to the fights, so the sounds of Taimi suffocating and whatever is just horrible. "survive the final blasts" was so damned stupid. Taimi spoiling your mission with a call, seems to ignore her ability to hear what's happening.

It was neat being in prison, they take your outfit but don't mess up your hair, obviously. I assume each class gets a different escape, mesmers was decent, the messages were funny at first but went on too long.

I like various challenges, but not in story mode.

[Valeron]

What is the cost for LS4?

Just log into the game while this episode is current and it's free. You'll need the PoF expansion to access it though.

[Sesethi]

Gotta say, after finishing LS4, it is by far my favorite LS episode. Delivered everything I was expecting story and lorewise and also great content. Hope they keep the quality

[Lotus Victoria]

Gotta say, after finishing LS4, it is by far my favorite LS episode. Delivered everything I was expecting story and lorewise and also great content. Hope they keep the quality

The jump in quality from LS2 to 3 was pretty big. Hopefully they can do the same with LS4.

[LilSaihah]

Storywise: Maybe they haven't told us why Joko got out and it'll be a story element later, but it's bleh.

I recall during The Departed that someone (was it the Reaper of Grenth?) said that Joko was kept there by Balthazar's will. No more Balthazar, no more prison, he can just walk right out the door.