So, the newness of Factions has worn off, farming the same place over and over is getting boring, and the guild roster is back to showing only 1-4 other people online. Maybe you haven't played in a while because the game got boring to you although you're thinking of giving it another shot. If any of this describes your Guild Wars experience lately and you want to do something, look no further! I've come up with a list of non-questing related time killers and other such games for just hanging out and having fun with the other people who are around when you are. The first 2 ideas are ones that I found elsewhere, the others are Wyrm Originals ™.
Dodgeball
Description: If you don't know what this one is, you've been living under a rock. If you took part in the Dragon Ball arena during the Factions event, you're already familiar with the basics. It involves trying to dodge a Lightning Orb headed right at you with lethal power. As a side bonus, this game also helps you develop your dodging ability, something very useful in PvE and especially PvP. This is a game that plays best with teams of at least 4, and can get really fun (and chaotic) with 2 full teams of 8. You can play it with only 1v1, but that might get a little boring. Also, if you want to speed the game up a bit more you can have a Me/Mo or two fast casting Rebirth on each team to speed things up. They would not be allowed to participate in the actual combat, obviously.
Rules: The character requirements for this are very strict to allow for an even match. You must use a Me/E. Only the +energy armor and a Fast Casting mask are allowed with 5 superior runes equipped, lowering your health to 105. Weapons and focii are not allowed. Your skillbar can only have 3 skills on it: Elemental Attunement, Air Attunement, Lightning Orb.* Your stats should be: 16 Fast Casting, 12 Air Magic.
This game is played either by scrimmage or unrated GvG to assure that you get to play against the team you want to. Scrimmaging is the best option but you can do an unrated if you want to compete with another guild.
At the start of the match, both teams meet at the flag stand (capping the stand is not allowed) which becomes your line of scrimmage. You are not allowed to cross over that line or go more than 80' (aka aggro bubble distance) away from it. Teams then start firing their orbs at each other in order to kill each other. You can dodge an orb by standing still when it's cast and then moving so it hits either behind or beside you, or vise versa (moving and then stopping). Every 2 minutes people will be ressurected automatically at their res shrine until they are at 60% dp. The first team to kill the opposing side enough times to get the entire team to 60 wins.
*If you played Dragon Arena, you may be thinking "why not Shock and Windborn Speed since those were available in the arena?" Well, Shock isn't allowed because there's a line of scrimmage you're not allowed to cross, and Windborn was only in the Dragon Arena so that ANet could give you a skillbar that at least looked like they did something other than make a carbon copy of the already existing game. And yes, I am aware they gave you 5 res sigs, but again, that was just to fill up your skill bar.
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Elimination Skirmishing
Description: This is a pretty simple game that also involves a skirmish or unrated battle. The goal is to eliminate all of the opposing team's NPCs before taking out their Guild Lord and without attacking the players of the opposing team. Works best in a 1v1 environment, but can have more players, although 8v8 probably isn't a very good idea.
Rules: You are allowed to take any offensive build you want. You may not bring skills to heal your NPCs. You may not attack the opposing player(s) - doing so results in an immediate forfeit. Monk skills aren't allowed: you'll have to find a different way to keep yourself alive, sorry.
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Ascalon Dash
Description: It's a race to the finish! You start in Ascalon City and have to run to Beacon's Perch: the first person there wins.
Rules: Virtually any build you want is allowed with the stipulation that no shadow-stepping or teleporting skills may be used. Because multiple zones are involved and a straight run is impossible, each zone counts as a stage, the person who zones to the next area first wins that stage and earns 1 point, with 2 points being awarded for being the first to enter Beacon's. The player with the most points upon arrival at Beacon's is the winner.
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Capture the Flag
Description: This is another skirmish/unrated GvG game that's a little bit different from what your normal game is. The goal is to get your own flag back to your Guild Lord. To do this each team, at the beginning of a match, brings their flag to the opposing team's GL (making their way through the NPCs) to drop it off. Then you go back to your hall and the match starts. The first team to get their flag back wins.
Rules: The only skills that are not allowed are movement, shadow-stepping, and teleporting skills. Hexes that slow are allowed, as is cripple (in case there was any confusion with the previous statement). Picking up the opposing team's flag (and thus returning it to their hall) will not stop play: it's your own fault for helping the other team out. If both teams agree, then each team may wipe out the opposing NPCs (not the Guild Lord, for obvious reasons) before the match begins.
Dodgeball
Description: If you don't know what this one is, you've been living under a rock. If you took part in the Dragon Ball arena during the Factions event, you're already familiar with the basics. It involves trying to dodge a Lightning Orb headed right at you with lethal power. As a side bonus, this game also helps you develop your dodging ability, something very useful in PvE and especially PvP. This is a game that plays best with teams of at least 4, and can get really fun (and chaotic) with 2 full teams of 8. You can play it with only 1v1, but that might get a little boring. Also, if you want to speed the game up a bit more you can have a Me/Mo or two fast casting Rebirth on each team to speed things up. They would not be allowed to participate in the actual combat, obviously.
Rules: The character requirements for this are very strict to allow for an even match. You must use a Me/E. Only the +energy armor and a Fast Casting mask are allowed with 5 superior runes equipped, lowering your health to 105. Weapons and focii are not allowed. Your skillbar can only have 3 skills on it: Elemental Attunement, Air Attunement, Lightning Orb.* Your stats should be: 16 Fast Casting, 12 Air Magic.
This game is played either by scrimmage or unrated GvG to assure that you get to play against the team you want to. Scrimmaging is the best option but you can do an unrated if you want to compete with another guild.
At the start of the match, both teams meet at the flag stand (capping the stand is not allowed) which becomes your line of scrimmage. You are not allowed to cross over that line or go more than 80' (aka aggro bubble distance) away from it. Teams then start firing their orbs at each other in order to kill each other. You can dodge an orb by standing still when it's cast and then moving so it hits either behind or beside you, or vise versa (moving and then stopping). Every 2 minutes people will be ressurected automatically at their res shrine until they are at 60% dp. The first team to kill the opposing side enough times to get the entire team to 60 wins.
*If you played Dragon Arena, you may be thinking "why not Shock and Windborn Speed since those were available in the arena?" Well, Shock isn't allowed because there's a line of scrimmage you're not allowed to cross, and Windborn was only in the Dragon Arena so that ANet could give you a skillbar that at least looked like they did something other than make a carbon copy of the already existing game. And yes, I am aware they gave you 5 res sigs, but again, that was just to fill up your skill bar.
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Elimination Skirmishing
Description: This is a pretty simple game that also involves a skirmish or unrated battle. The goal is to eliminate all of the opposing team's NPCs before taking out their Guild Lord and without attacking the players of the opposing team. Works best in a 1v1 environment, but can have more players, although 8v8 probably isn't a very good idea.
Rules: You are allowed to take any offensive build you want. You may not bring skills to heal your NPCs. You may not attack the opposing player(s) - doing so results in an immediate forfeit. Monk skills aren't allowed: you'll have to find a different way to keep yourself alive, sorry.
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Ascalon Dash
Description: It's a race to the finish! You start in Ascalon City and have to run to Beacon's Perch: the first person there wins.
Rules: Virtually any build you want is allowed with the stipulation that no shadow-stepping or teleporting skills may be used. Because multiple zones are involved and a straight run is impossible, each zone counts as a stage, the person who zones to the next area first wins that stage and earns 1 point, with 2 points being awarded for being the first to enter Beacon's. The player with the most points upon arrival at Beacon's is the winner.
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Capture the Flag
Description: This is another skirmish/unrated GvG game that's a little bit different from what your normal game is. The goal is to get your own flag back to your Guild Lord. To do this each team, at the beginning of a match, brings their flag to the opposing team's GL (making their way through the NPCs) to drop it off. Then you go back to your hall and the match starts. The first team to get their flag back wins.
Rules: The only skills that are not allowed are movement, shadow-stepping, and teleporting skills. Hexes that slow are allowed, as is cripple (in case there was any confusion with the previous statement). Picking up the opposing team's flag (and thus returning it to their hall) will not stop play: it's your own fault for helping the other team out. If both teams agree, then each team may wipe out the opposing NPCs (not the Guild Lord, for obvious reasons) before the match begins.
Alea Jacta Est - Caesar
I live my life by Murphy's Law.
I live my life by Murphy's Law.