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BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH

• Fixed the Heralds so they will tell the tale of Southsun Cove.
  
• Fixed a bug causing waypoints on Southsun Shore to remain locked when they shouldn’t be.
  
• Fixed issues that were potential causes of server latency in Crab Toss.
  
• Fixed Cragstead and North Nolan Hatchery to appear in their post-Flame and Frost states.
  
• Flame and Frost’s Victory Bonfires in Lion’s Arch, Hoelbrak & Black Citadel will remain until May 28th. Interacting with them will allow A Rallying Flame to be completed.
  
• Fixed a bug with Dodge roll where it could get stuck in the queue and unintentionally execute after a stun or immobilize.
  
• Collision has been updated on the World vs. World Burning Oil Pot. Players will once again be able to burn the enemies at the gate.
  
• Fixed a bug with the animation with Sclerite Karka Shell.
  
• Fixed a bug with missing upgrade slots on PvP Sclerite weapons.

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A few of the ArenaNet developers have hopped on to show off some of the new content players will find in Southsun Cove, specifically the new Crab Toss activity and the jumping puzzle. Check it out below!

Watch live video from guildwars2 on TwitchTV
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Scott McGough, one of the Narrative Designers behind the latest story arc, has posted a story about Ellen Kiel and her assignment in Southsun Cove. What do you all think of the Lionguard's dutiful inspector?

[source]

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Update: The servers are back online.

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Currently, the log-in servers for Guild Wars 2 are down. Players have reported receiving various errors, including a message indicating that their trial account has ended, prompting them to purchase a retail copy of the game. Obviously this is not the case and ArenaNet is aware of the problem. We don't have much else to go on right now, but we'll update you all when we hear more. Back to Top

LIVING WORLD
The Secret of Southsun
The refugees from Flame & Frost who were resettled at Southsun Cove are up in arms over the restrictive residency contracts that prevent them from leaving. Tensions are high, and settlers are brawling with Consortium guards. What’s worse, the island’s local wildlife has been agitated and is even more aggressive and territorial than usual.
The Lionguard’s Inspector Kiel has been charged with quelling the violence so it doesn’t interfere with the upcoming Dragon Bash festival in Lion’s Arch. Kiel takes her job seriously, so she’ll need help from players and Researcher Levvi to keep everyone on the island safe from the local wildlife and each other.

Southsun Cove

• The Consortium has created a new exotic resort for those looking to get away for a while. Lord Faren and Lady Kasmeer are currently there on vacation.
  
• New settlements have been created for refugees coming in from Lion’s Arch.
  
• Animals on Southsun Cove are becoming increasingly aggressive.
  
• Settlers and tourists have wandered too far from the camps and need assistance getting back to safety.
  
• Researcher Levvi is looking for brave adventurers to help survey the island and recover samples to determine the cause of the native creatures’ increased aggression.
  
• Tensions between settlers and Consortium members have led to confrontation that may require mediation.
  
• The new Crab Toss activity is now available at Sawtooth Bay in Southsun Cove. Players can win karka shells, passiflora, tonics, and more.
  
• Southsun Supply Crates will drop rarely from creatures during the Secret of Southsun event. These crates contain Southsun crafting materials and a chance at a wide variety of items, such as shoulder skins, new boosts and convenience items, and a rare chance at new weapon skins and minis. Southsun Supply Crates can also be purchased from the Black Lion Trading Company (see below for more info).
  
• Blooming Passiflora are now growing on the island.
  
• The larger veteran and champion karka now have a guaranteed drop chance for karka shells upon defeat.
  
• All players who enter the island for the duration of the event are scaled up to level 80. This content is available from May 14 to June 11.

Guild Content

• Six Guild Trek locations have been added to Southsun Cove.

Achievements

• Added new living world achievements to Southsun Cove: “Consortium Rewards Club Member,” “Southsun Settler Supporter,” “Southsun Sightseer,” “Southsun Volunteer Fieldwork,” “Southsun VIP Meet and Greet,” and more.
  
• Added new achievements for Crab Toss activity: “Crab Toss Participant,” “Crab-Carrying Competitor,” “Crabtacular!,” “Crabgrabber,” and “Crab Toss Champion.”
  
• Players who complete 25 of the Secret of Southsun achievements will earn the “Southsun Stalwart” meta-achievement. This achievement awards players with a Sclerite Karka Shell back item and the title of “Southsun Stalwart.” The Southsun Stalwart meta-achievement covers the entire event’s content, some of which is not accessible until the next release.
  
• A new title, “Crab Toss Champion,” has been added for players who win a game of Crab Toss.
  
• A new title, “Crabgrabber,” has been added for players who steal 100 crabs during games of Crab Toss.

NEW FEATURES AND CONTENT
World vs. World

• Obsidian Sanctum, the jumping puzzle in the Eternal Battlegrounds, has been moved to its own WvW map.
  
  • Entering the puzzle will take players out of the Eternal Battlegrounds.
    
  • Leaving will take players back to Lion’s Arch.
• Added a new vendor: “Traps and Tricks Outfitter.”
  
• Traps have been added as a new purchasable consumable utility item. Two unique variants are available.
  
  • When placed, traps last for one hour.
    
  • Players may only have one of a given trap type deployed at a time.
    
  • Traps will disappear when a player leaves the map.
    
  • Traps are sold by the vendor for 15 badges and 525 karma; they will stack to 250 and are account-bound.
    
  • It takes a 4-second channel to place at feet.
    
  • Placing a trap uses very short-range ground targeting to assist in orientation.
    
  • Placed traps have a 600×90 rectangular trigger area; only enemies can trigger them.
    
  • Once triggered, traps affect up to 20 enemies within a range of 1200.
    
  • Traps cost 10 supply to place.
• Supply Removal Trap
  
  • Removes 5 supply from enemies affected by the trap.
• Stealth Disruptor Trap
  
  • Removes stealth from enemies and reveals them for 30 seconds, preventing stealth.

BALANCE, BUG-FIXING, POLISH
General

• A Commander’s map pings and strokes are now visible to members of their squad.
  
• Fixed several shadowstep bugs that let players teleport through WvW gates and exploit various dungeons.
  
• Fixed a bug that caused some items to lose their functionality after a player has gone into a downed state.

Events

• Malchor’s Leap:
  
  • Pact cannons near the Shelter Docks are now fully operational.
    
  • The Inquest Ornithologist has been upgraded to a champion, as befits her Group Event status.
• Metrica Province:
  
  • Minor UI changes were made to the Mark II golem event.
• Mount Maelstrom:
  
  • The Branded ogre in the Infinity Coil complex is now properly imprisoned in his cage.
• Sparkfly Fen:
  
  • Added a skill to the seaweed-mine bundle.
• Timberline Falls:
  
  • Fixed a stalling bug in the event “Protect krewe leader Dobbs as the krewe clears the excavation site.”
• Wayfarer Foothills:
  
  • Dredge soldiers outside Molensk are no longer rooted in place.

Personal Story

• “Down the Hatch”:
  
  • Fixed a rare stalling bug at the end of the story step.
• “The Ghost Rite”:
  
  • Fixed the player’s camera position while transformed.

Structured PvP

• Reverted a change to PvP dailies that increased their difficulty.
  
• Reworded some custom arena tooltips to be less confusing.

Profession Skills
Elementalist (PvE Forums // PvP Forums // Skill Calc)

• Dragon’s Claw:
  
  • Fixed an exploit that caused this skill to fire at increased rates.
• Shocking Aura:
  
  • This skill’s icon on the buff bar now displays the same icon as the skill itself.

Engineer (PvE Forums // PvP Forums // Skill Calc)

• Kit Refinement:
  
  • The cooldown icon will now display correctly when this trait is used with Flamethrower.

Ranger (PvE Forums // PvP Forums // Skill Calc)

• Fixed a bug that caused the projectile speed of the following axe skills to be 75% of their intended speed:
  
  • Ricochet
    
  • Splitblade
    
  • Winter’s Bite
    
  • Path of Scars
• Juvenile Rainbow Jellyfish now uses a unique model.

Warrior (PvE Forums // PvP Forums // Skill Calc)

• Leg Specialist:
  
  • This trait will no longer function with the Burning Oil siege weapon in WvW.
• Healing Signet:
  
  • Updated skill facts to show the passive effect and accurately display the healing value for the active effect.

BLACK LION TRADING COMPANY GEM STORE
New Items and Promotions

• You can now purchase the Southsun Supply Crate in the Consumable category of the Gem Store for 1 for 150 gems or 10 for 1200 gems. These special crates contain Southsun crafting materials and a chance at items such as shoulder skins, new boosts and convenience items, and a rare chance at new weapon skins and minis. The Southsun Supply Crates will only be available until June 10. The Southsun Supply Crates will also be a limited-time rare drop off the creatures on the island during this time.
  
• The Consortium Swim Speed Boost is now available in the Boost category of the Gem Store for 1 for 50 gems or 5 for 200 gems. This boost will increase your swim speed by 15% for 1 hour. This boost is not useable in PvP.
  
• To celebrate spring, the Gem Store is making one miniature baby animal available each week for the month of May. This week’s adorable addition is the Mini Moa Chick, which is now available in the Minis category of the Gem Store for 400 gems each.
  
• How to Dance, Volume 1 is now available in the Services category of the Gem Store for 400 gems. This book can be used to gain access to three different dance moves and a skill that will allow you to invite others to participate in your dance party.

UPDATED NOTES
Optimizations

• We’re rolling out our first set of optimizations. This is the first in many steps involved in helping resolve issues with “skill lag.” Some players will experience a slight improvement in skill lag issues with large groups of players, while some players may also experience a slight raise in their FPS.

Profession Skills
Engineer (PvE Forums // PvP Forums // Skill Calc)

• Fixed a bug which disabled certain traits from functioning correctly. This includes Rifled Turret Barrels, Metal Plating, and Autotool Installation.

World vs. World

• Arrow Cart: Arrow cart damage vs. other siege weapons has been reduced to 50% of its current damage.

Balance, bug-fixing and polish:

• Fused weapon tickets are no longer available in Black Lion Chests.
  
• Citizens! The Shark Boss crier will no longer be a bother. Please excuse his bad behavior.
  
• Prevented Levvi from getting killed and temporarily blocking the scavenger hunt on Southsun Cove.
  
• Fixed an issue with crab toss where players would get stuck on a team reserved for those carrying the crab.
  
• This subsequently fixes an issue where more than one player wins, but the winner does not get a winner’s prize.
  
• This also fixes an issue with the achievement for winning Crab Toss.
  
• Closed an exploit that allowed some players to still access the final molten dungeon instance.

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Guild Wars 2 Guru's Masters of the Mists tournament sponsored by Curse, Inc
The quarter finals will be split onto two servers; where two games will be running at the same time but only one game will be cast from each Bracket. In this case we will be streaming That's So Pish Vs. Chieftain Ninjas from the Upper Bracket and Team Paradigm versus. Read it Backwards [BooN] from the lower bracket.

The Semi Finals and Final will have all their matches streamed.



Approximate Time Schedules
Keep in mind this is only an approximate time schedule and should not be considered final at any given time. If we should end up with a match ending earlier then expected then the schedule will be moved forward.

Quarter Finals Upper Bracket:
Match One: 20:00 - 20:15 GMT+2 (11:00AM - 11:15AM PDT)
Match Two: 20:15 - 20:30 GMT+2 (11:15AM - 11:30AM PDT)
Match Three: 20:30 - 20:45 GMT+2 (11:30AM - 11:45AM PDT)

Quarter Finals Lower Bracket:
Match One: 20:50 - 21:05 GMT+2 (11:50AM - 12:05PM PDT)
Match Two: 21:05 - 21:20 GMT+2 (12:05PM - 12:20PM PDT)
Match Three: 21:20 - 21:35 GMT+2 (12:20PM - 12:35PM PDT)

Semi Final Upper Bracket:
Match One: 21:40 - 21:55 GMT+2 (12:40PM - 12:55PM PDT)
Match Two: 21:55 - 22:10 GMT+2 (12.55PM - 1:10 PM PDT)
Match Three: 22:10 - 22:25 GMT+2 (1:10PM - 1:25PM PDT)

Semi Final Lower Bracket:
Match One: 22:30 - 22:45 GMT+2 (1:30PM - 1:45PM PDT)
Match Two: 22:45 - 23:00 GMT+2 (1:45PM - 2:00PM PDT)
Match Three: 23:00 - 23:15 GMT+2 (2:00PM - 2:15PM PDT)

Finals:
Match One: 23:20 - 23:35 GMT+2 (2:20PM - 2:35PM PDT)
Match Two: 23:35 - 23:50 GMT+2 (2:35PM - 2:50PM PDT)
Match Three: 23:50 - 00:05 GMT+2 (2:50PM - 3:05PM PDT) Back to Top

Earlier today, Narrative Designer Scott McGough posted a blog post detailing what to expect in the months following the Flame and Frost story arc, specifically the upcoming events in Southsun. One thing to note is that he is not alone in this endeavor. Though McGough and Angel McCoy created the foundation of each story arc, there are several other writers, artists, and designers that work on this content.

As far as the story goes, the beloved karka are picking fights with the norn and charr refugees brought in during the Flame and Frost. This fighting causes the Lionguard to eventually catch wind of the situation; dispatching Inspector Ellen Kiel, who some of you might remember from The Lost Shores, to bring back some manner of order to the region. Players will be tasked with helping Kiel with her duties, as well as be introduced to quite a few important characters that are scheduled to make more appearances throughout 2013.

Though nothing will be directly revealed this month, McGough teases that the significance of assisting Ellen Kiel in regards to the next story arc will be revealed in June. Will Southsun finally become the perfect vacation spot the Consortium wants it to be? Are the karka going to eat us all and destroy Tyria? Strap on your speculation goggles and let us know what you think!

[source]

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For those of you that missed the live Twitch stream with ArenaNet's own Isaiah Cartwright earlier today, here's the recording:


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