Guild Wars 2 Column: Beta Time!

Well if you haven’t heard by now, ArenaNet announced that there will be a Guild Wars 2 BWE this weekend.  This one is the second public beta weekend, and we are all really excited to give the game a second go, and to see what has changed since our last adventures through Tyria.   For me this will be my fourth time playing the game, and only being able to play for a weekend really leaves me craving for more.  Here are some tips to help you feed some of that craving, and to get the most out of this weekend’s Guild Wars 2 beta.
There is one major difference that will separate this beta event from the others I’ve played in the past.  Your previous beta characters are still around, and you get to continue using them.  This is a pretty big deal!   The choices you make for each character will make each of their stories unique.  Some of us may have made a character whose stories we didn’t get to finish.  To get this chance is pretty exciting.  So be sure to play those other characters to see what you missed.
Another great thing about being able to use our old characters is just to level them up.  One of the features in the beta will be the ability to enter the Catacombs dungeon.  You need to be at least level 30 to enter the dungeon’s story mode, so the chance to get your character up to the level will let you get to experience the toughest, and one of my favorite, features in the whole beta.
Still too curious about the other professions and races?  Already got a chance to run through the Catacombs dungeon?  Make another character!  It gives you a chance to experience walking in Tyria in a different pair of boots, or in some cases, paw covers.  And with the Auction house you can easily equip a new character with some great gear with no trouble at all.
The land of Tyria is huge, with different types of terrain that hide several different forms of life, and treasures.  One way to really get an amazing experience out of the beta event is to just go and explore.  The different lands are very unique and just fascinating to look at.  You may find different events you missed before, funny and interesting Easter eggs that are scattered throughout the lands, or you may run into one of the smaller races that populate the world.  Ya sure you can explore when the game is actually released, but this really lets you get a taste of how detailed this world actually is.
The last thing you can do to have a great beta weekend experience is to talk to people, and ArenaNet.  If you see players running around in the area you’re exploring, see what they are up to.  I saw this a lot in all 3 of the previous betas, and I just had to join in.  It’s interesting to see what other players think of the game, and what advice they might have.  Who knows, you may even find a group to travel around with.
I mentioned talking to ArenaNet.  How does one actually do that?  Well, they will give us access to a forum during the beta event.  Some topics will already be created, but any player can create a thread to get feedback from other players, or give feedback to the developers.  They’ve done this in the past, and they respond to different threads spanning different topics.  This proves that they are listening to players, so we should all take the time give them some sort of feedback.
The last thing you can do is fill out the little surveys that pop up on your screen after you complete an event, or reach a milestone in the game.  They simply ask you to rate the event’s story, difficulty, and other factors on a scale of 1 through 5.  You would also be given a small area to type in any sort of feedback you may have.  This little survey only takes a few minutes and really lets ArenaNet know what you’re thinking.
I’m more than ready to participate in this weekend’s Guild Wars 2 BEW.  I can’t wait to see what changes ArenaNet has thrown into the game, and I’m sure it’s the same is for all of you.    I hope some of you try these tips to get the most out of your beta experience.  I know they’ve worked for me.   I’ll see you all in Tyria on Friday!