Game updates/20060914

Update - Thursday September 14

 * Updated the art used for Bone Fiend projectile attacks.
 * Adjusted balance of some monster groups in the Ring of Fire mission and the Ice Floe Explorable area.
 * Adjusted the attributes of Tin Dao Kaineng in Haiju Lagoon.
 * Improved the Mission Map (the window accessed by using the "U" key) so that it works properly in the Catacombs, the Underworld, and Fissure of Woe, where previously it showed only black.

GUILD BATTLE UPDATES
 * Removed one of the Bodyguards and one of the Archers near the Guild Lords.
 * Added two Knights near the Guild Lord. Knights are Warriors with the following skills: Sever Artery, Gash, Healing Signet, and Power Attack.
 * Adjusted the positions of Guild Hall NPCs.
 * Shortened the time until "Victory or Death!" to 20 minutes.
 * Modified the "Victory or Death!" effect so that it applies to all players, regardless of where they are on the map.

SKILL UPDATES

Assassin
 * Black Lotus Strike: reduced recharge time to 20 seconds.
 * Blades of Steel: reduced recharge time to 8 seconds.
 * Blinding Powder: Blindness now affects target and all adjacent foes.
 * Crippling Dagger: increased damage to 15..60.
 * Critical Strike: decreased Energy cost to 5.
 * Dark Prison: decreased recharge time to 45 seconds.
 * Dash: decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.
 * Death Blossom: increased damage to 20..45
 * Desperate Strike: increased damage to 15..60.
 * Fox Fangs: increased damage to 5..30.
 * Golden Lotus Strike: increased Energy gained to 5..12
 * Jungle Strike: increased damage to 10..25
 * Locust's Fury: increased chance to double strike to 33%.
 * Nine Tail Strike: decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.
 * Repeating Strike: increased damage to 10..30.
 * Scorpion Wire: decreased cast time to 1 second.
 * Shadow of Haste: decreased Energy cost to 5, increased the duration to 30..60, and decreased the movement speed by 15%.
 * Shadowy Burden: increased duration to 3..15 seconds.
 * Shroud of Distress: decreased recharge time to 15 seconds.
 * Signet of Malice: decreased recharge time to 5 seconds, decreased casting time to .25 seconds.
 * Siphon Speed: increased movement speed reduction to 33%, and this spell now has half range.
 * Siphon Strength: increased duration to 5..20 seconds.
 * Temple Strike: decreased recharge time to 20 seconds, and increased duration to 1..10 seconds.
 * Unsuspecting Strike: increased conditional damage to 15..75.
 * Way of Perfection: increased Health gained from critical hit to 10..40.
 * Wild Strike: increased damage to 10..35.

Elementalist
 * Mind Burn: decreased Energy cost to 5, decreased recharge time to 5 seconds.
 * Mind Freeze: decreased Energy cost to 5, decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.
 * Mind Shock: decreased Energy cost to 5, decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.
 * Ether Prodigy: increased damage per Energy to 3.

Mesmer
 * Images of Remorse: decreased Health degeneration to 1..3.
 * Leech Signet: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.
 * Signet of Disruption: decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.

Monk
 * Balthazar's Aura: decreased duration to 8 seconds.
 * Bane Signet: decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
 * Banish: this skill now does double damage vs. summoned creatures.
 * Divine Boon: increased recharge time to 10 seconds, decreased amount healed to 15..60.
 * Extinguish: increased cast time to 1 second, increased recharge time to 12 seconds.
 * Purge Signet: decreased cast time to 2 seconds.
 * Signet of Judgment: decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
 * Zealot's Fire: increased recharge time to 45 seconds.

Necromancer
 * Plague Signet: decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.

Ranger
 * Broad Head Arrow: decreased Energy cost to 15.
 * Equinox: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.
 * Famine: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.
 * Greater Conflagration: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.
 * Lacerate: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.
 * Savage Pounce: decreased recharge time to 10 seconds.
 * Tiger's Fury/Bestial Fury: decreased the attack speed to 25%.

Ritualist
 * Ancestors' Rage: decreased recharge time to 8 seconds.
 * Blind Was Mingson: decreased recharge time to 15 seconds, decreased Blindness duration to 3..8.
 * Bloodsong: decreased recharge time to 45 seconds, increased damage to 5..25.
 * Boon of Creation: reduced Energy gained to 1..6.
 * Channeled Strike: decreased recharge time to 6 seconds.
 * Defiant Was Xinrae: decreased Energy cost to 15.
 * Disenchantment: decreased recharge time to 45 seconds, increased damage to 5..20.
 * Displacement: decreased recharge time to 45 seconds.
 * Dissonance: decreased recharge time to 45 seconds, increased damage to 5..20.
 * Dulled Weapon: decreased recharge time to 12 seconds.
 * Essence Strike: increased damage to 15..60, increased Energy return to 1..9.
 * Gaze from Beyond: decreased recharge time to 10 seconds.
 * Ghostly Haste: increased spell recharge reduction to 25% faster.
 * Grasping Was Kuurong: increased damage to 15..75.
 * Guided Weapon: decreased recharge time to 20 seconds.
 * Life: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.
 * Mend Body and Soul: increased heal amount to 20..115.
 * Pain: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds, increased damage to 5..30.
 * Painful Bond: decreased recharge time to 12 seconds.
 * Preservation: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.
 * Protective Was Kaolai: increased duration to 15..60 seconds.
 * Recuperation: increased Energy cost to 25, decreased recharge time to 45 seconds.
 * Ritual Lord: decreased Spirit recharge to 15..60%.
 * Shadowsong: increased Energy cost to 15.
 * Shelter: increased Energy cost to 25, increased damage taken to 75..45, decreased recharge time to 45 seconds.
 * Soothing: increased Energy to 25, decreased level to 1..8.
 * Spirit Burn: increased damage to 15..60, increased conditional damage to 15..45.
 * Spirit Light: decreased Energy cost to 5, increased Health sacrificed to 17%.
 * Spirit Light Weapon: Changed the way this skill worked to always heal for 1..10 Health per second, and an addition 1..10 Health if you are near a Spirit.
 * Spirit Rift: increased damage to 25..135.
 * Spirit Transfer: decreased recharge time to 5 seconds.
 * Splinter Weapon: decreased recharge time to 5 seconds.
 * Tranquil Was Tanasen: increased duration to 5..20.
 * Union: decreased recharge time to 45 seconds.
 * Vital Weapon: decreased recharge time to 12 seconds.
 * Wailing Weapon: decreased recharge time to 25 seconds.
 * Wanderlust: decreased recharge time to 45 seconds.
 * Weapon of Quickening: increased duration to 5..25.
 * Wielder's Boon: increased amount healed to 15..75.

Warrior
 * Bull's Strike: increased recharge time to 10 seconds.
 * Dismember: decreased adrenaline to 5.
 * Eviscerate: decreased damage to 1..31.
 * Irresistible Blow: increased recharge time to 6 seconds, decreased damage to 5..20.
 * Wary Stance: decreased recharge time to 30 seconds.

GuildWiki notes

 * This is a typical skill balance update, as ANet have done it a few times before, usually between GvG ladder seasons, when the ladder has been frozen but not yet reset.
 * Updated the character selection screen to show an Elonian scenery.
 * The Catacombs' mini map had already been added in a previous update.
 * The increased amount of healed from Wielder's Boon is the conditional heal.
 * Some character faces/hairstyle got a make-over.
 * Sometimes Emotes and Skill auras fail to show.
 * New Shader graphics options were added.
 * Auto Camera in Observer Mode fails to turn off (it shows no tick but still auto changes player followed).
 * Updated the art used for ritualists' spirits. Now, all non-attacking spirits except for the Spirit of Life resemble the spirit of Destruction with the arms chained to the shoulders. Attacking spirits like Bloodsong still have the look of a Banshee.
 * The gamma has been decreased.
 * The names of locked elite skills in PvP character creation screens are now gold.
 * Players leaving a guild are now listed in the Guild Status.
 * Some unsupported characters in chat are now shown as spaces, instead red square. Sending of this message is now possible. (Works for Czech and Polish chars for instance, but not for Russian or Arabic chars)
 * Currently, many players are experiencing sound issues, such as no ping when calling targets, no sound when swapping inventory items (ie. equipping armor), and many battle effects such as attacks and spells are silenced. This is similar to the bug caused by setting the sound quality to high.
 * Many players find their armor initially being displayed incorrectly in the character selection screen after the update. This is corrected once the character has entered the game.
 * Now you see when an ally/foe uses a skill what the energy cost/casting time/recharge time of the skill is.
 * After the update a character's inventory will open on the first occasion that they pick up a dropped item from a foe.