Game updates/20060727

Update – Thursday, July 27, 2006

 * Updated the list of available PVP character templates to include the templates designed by the Esoteric Warriors guild.
 * Added key bindings for the following game functions: Drop Item, Follow, Suppress Action, Zoom In, and Zoom Out.
 * Modified cinematics so that minions no longer decay and mission time no longer elapses while cinematics are playing.
 * Updated the Trade dialog to reduce the likelihood of a common scam. The Trade dialog now displays a message whenever the trade offer is modified.
 * Added a secondary profession changer to the Great Temple of Balthazar.
 * Added a Championship Trophy to the Great Temple of Balthazar.
 * Moved the positions of the Xunlai Agents in the Great Temple of Balthazar.
 * Updated the appearance of the Guild roster. Invitations are now issued from within the invitee and guest lists, and the number of online and total members is displayed for each guild rank.
 * Updated the appearance of the Options dialog. Option settings are now divided into tabbed categories.
 * Updated the art used for Health bars.
 * Added a new effect that desaturates screen colors when your character is dead (will only work if postprosessing is enabled in graphics menu).

Skill updates

 * Arcane Mimicry: added a restriction so that it cannot be used on Elite Dervish Form skills.
 * Consume Soul: updated to match its description. The caster must target and touch a Spirit.

Temporary skill balance changes
The following skill balance changes will be in effect only during the Nightfall PvP preview event:
 * Balthazar's Aura: reduced duration to 8 seconds.
 * Divine Boon: increased recharge time to 10 seconds.
 * Zealot's Fire: increased recharge time to 45 seconds.
 * Increased earshot range to the radius of the Danger Zone (the inner white circle on the mini-map radar).

GuildWiki notes

 * Churranu Island Arena and Sunspear Arena were added.
 * A few skin tones appear to have been changed.
 * The wording on the description of the Ranger's expertise attribute has been changed. Instead of saying "For each rank the Energy cost of Attack skills, Preparations, and Traps decreases by 4%." it now says "For each rank of Expertise, the Energy cost of all of your non-Spells decreases by 4%. Several skills, especially those related to Energy costs and skill recharge times, become more effective with higher Expertise.".
 * The casting bar now shows a green color when casting, a yellow color when completed and a purple color when interrupted.
 * Loading screens, energy and XP bars and other miscellaneous UI parts have been altered.
 * Conditions and hexes yield a duller color than before.
 * Added Nightfall campaign selection in Roleplaying character creation with small screenshots of the upcoming game.
 * Graphics for wands and offhands were updated. Mesmer wands and offhands now have glowing effects to represent the difference between illusion and domination.  Elementalist wands now have animated effects surrounding them.
 * Added a delay to map zoom out.
 * PvP character creation screens now allow "pinning-down" the attribute panel so that it does not fade out when not hovered over with the mouse.
 * Added 3D and EAX sound options to sound tab.
 * The skill window now remembers your sort option after logging out and in again.
 * After selecting an item on the ground you can now call picking it up by ctrl-clicking the targeting window. For example: "I'm picking up a Tribal Blade."
 * The chat command /resign, which did not previously, now works in PvE explorable areas and missions. When used by all party members, the whole team dies, does not resurrect at a resurrection shrine and the leader may press the 'Return to outpost' button.
 * The Kurzick and Luxon victory cutscene when winning Fort Aspenwood (mission) no longer plays.
 * The gamma has been increased.

The following are most likely bugs and will be fixed in the near future.
 * Corrupt graphics on the 'choose a sex' screen while creating a new character. This seems to only happen when running Guild Wars in windowed mode.
 * Adding a Barbed Bowstring to a bow has been reported to cause a game crash. This crash affects others in the district or guild hall.
 * If you send a lot of messages into the chat, you will receive an excessive messaging warning even if all of your messages are sent to different chats or persons.
 * In towns and outposts, overhead level displays of ungrouped players are not always shown.
 * There's a bug with necromancer armor that will make it look like it has been changed in the character creation/selection screen. However, in game it looks normal with no changes at all.
 * Vizunah Square mission is occasionally impossible to complete.
 * Dead pets and Flesh Golems reveal wireframes when highlighted. The same effect has also be seen with a Dervish.
 * The secondary profession quests, such as The Elementalist's Path are no longer available. Attempting to change profession in the Great Temple of Balthazar will be prevented as if you are not ascended.
 * A bug was introduced which caused some people with Tyrian bows to lose their crippling, silencing, or barbed bow strings. (More info on http://forums.gwonline.net/showthread.php?t=412996). Reapplying the bow string to the bow will not give the bow the correct attribute; i.e. the bow string will be wasted.