f13.net

Thought it might be a good idea to start a "how in the hell do you..." thread, so here are my questions:

1) What is the tapestry shred from Gwen for?

2) How in the hell do you do the "Across the Wall" quest, which expects you to go north of the wall? Obviously I've found the lever, but every time I click it, by the time I run back down to the gate, it's closed again. I assume you can disable the closing mechanism, but I have no idea how.

From my other thread:

How do you complete the bonus mission on Ruins of Surmia?

Need to be in a group of 2. When you pull the lever the other party member runs through the portal and you port with them.

Kind of what I figured after trying all sorts of things--and that is really lame...first real "dude, that's just wrong" I've seen in the game so far!

I'm told if you buy the 200 gold cape for Gwen, she will follow you around and buff you with a +20 energy buff whenever you go into combat.  I did not try it, since I did not feel like spending that kind of cash for a buff.

I'm not sure if that's what you were asking, but I couldn't get Gwen to do much other than take flowers from me and babble about how I was a great adventurer.

She talks about other things also, sort of alludes to other quests and says things that may be helpful in solving them.

She heals for +20 with her flute.  I don't know what the cape does, and I still have the tapestry shred on Sugarpie.

Site for pre-searing Ascalon:

http://www.guild-hall.net/forum/archive/index.php/t-9255.html

The paradigm shifts beneath your feet!  You take 20 damage!

I had to use that one again.  I love my own jokes.

Anyway, I am finding that if I stop thinking of GW as another EQ/WOW/DAOC/MOG that these design decisions are not nearly so bothersome.  In fact I have had to stop thinking of it as Diablo III.  Team > All, in which the idea of one teammate zoning taking the whole group with him fits well.  I expect that some competitive missions in which you are racing another team would incorporate this idea.  I wish I could get a henchman to pull that lever, though, since they are generally smarter and more reliable than a pick-up-tard.

On the other hand, the manual could have been more than a picture book.  I'm all for discovery, but some parts of the curve are pretty hard.

Figured this one out tonight while plot-blitzing some late starters. When you get to the part where Rurik stops and asks you to go lower the bridge so he can cross, don't follow the river. Go directly across, fight the miniboss and talk to some random guy sitting in a Charr hut. He'll activate the bonus (extinguish the sacred flame; i.e. kill four special mobs).

This will spawn four guys on a nearby bluff. Do not get seen by them. Follow them back across the river and then a bit farther back along the path. They'll veer off the path to the right at one point. Keep following them until they stop at a big gate in a canyon. Wait a little while and they'll unlock/open the gate. Kill them.

Go through the gate and slaughter everything in the little area there. There will be four Flame Keepers near a big flaming thing. They're fire mages, so watch out for massive AOE damage. Kill them and enjoy your 1,000 exp.