Guild Wars: Factions Preview Weekend details

Gaile showed up at 2am Sunday to give us some more details on the upcoming GW: Factions preview weekend. The preview starts Thursday for pre-order customers and Friday for everyone else. Here are the choice quotes:

4 high-level missions
Two are competitive and two are story missions.
Now, those competitive missions are interesting.
You start out with your alliance, click start mission and get sorted into a team.
You are on a large map with strategic objectives, for instances, getting control of resources.
Anyway, you toodle along, working on the objectives while at the same time another team is doing the same.
You may or may not see them, may or may not engage them.
The primary opponent is the NPC's like monsters, etc. and their end is your fastest way to complete the mission.
But there is another element there, which will make it quite interesting.

More than a dozen quest areas for you to visit and try out this weekend.

The story missions are called: Eternal Grove and Gyala Hatchery
Competitive Missions are called Ft. Aspenwood and Jade Quarry.

Oh, did I mention you will start your Factions characters at level 20?
When you enter the FPE, you will be invited to make a Factions char.
And that char will be at Level 20 with about 20 skills.
You will find an NPC who will offer you a choice of secondary and with that you will get 20 more skills.

PvP characters can join the Battle Isles or take part in an Alliance Battle.
Big news: Alliance Battles are 12 v 12.
That's 3 groups of 4 players each, so sort of squad-ish, you see?
Although that could be en masse, too, if you wish.

Credit for the screencaps go to the Boat Crew.

Tags: gaming, guild wars, guild wars: factions