Guild Wars 2 player hits level cap before launch with crafting

In the run-up to the launch of any new MMORPG, scheming hardcore players plot the fastest possible route to the level cap, hoping to hit it first and briefly become an Internet celebrity. This was accomplished in Guild Wars 2 before the game even officially launched, and with a crucial amount of XP coming from an unconventional source--crafting.

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In the run-up to the launch of any new MMORPG, scheming hardcore players plot the fastest possible route to the level cap, hoping to hit it first and briefly become an Internet celebrity. This was accomplished in Guild Wars 2 before the game even officially launched, and with a crucial amount of XP coming from an unconventional source--crafting.

'Surfeuze' of the French guild War Legend achieved this feat during the three-day headstart access period, ahead of Guild Wars 2's official launch on PC this morning. He relied in part on how GW2 handily grants experience for crafting items. It's technically possible to reach the level cap of 80 purely through crafting, though Surfeuze only used it for the final push.

"Surfeuze played normal PvE content to level 60, although obviously racing past everything he could, and then leveled from 60 to 80 through crafting," ArenaNet president Mike O'Brien explained on Reddit. "His secret weapon was his strong team supplying him with crafting materials. That allowed him to jump ahead of everyone else in those last 20 levels."

ArenaNet had initially suspected Surfeuze of using a dubious technique to level up so fast, which is being fixed, but this turned out not to be the case.

"At the same time Surfeuze was racing to level 80, we were tracking and talking with other players who were racing toward 80 as well, using a technique that really shouldn't be that lucrative and that we're making changes to fix," O'Brien said. "We believed one of those players would be first to 80, and when Surfeuze posted of his accomplishment, I mistakenly thought he was a player who had used that technique."

From The Chatty
  • reply
    August 28, 2012 6:05 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Guild Wars 2 player hits level cap before launch with crafting.

    In the run-up to the launch of any new MMORPG, scheming hardcore players plot the fastest possible route to the level cap, hoping to hit it first and briefly become an Internet celebrity. This was accomplished in Guild Wars 2 before the game even officially launched, and with a crucial amount of XP coming from an unconventional source--crafting.

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      August 28, 2012 6:19 AM

      Didn't even know this was a big deal. So we 15 minutes of fame to whomever waste the most time playing MMO's now? Whatever.

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        August 28, 2012 6:21 AM

        Yeah I'm surprised to see a news piece about this too, not to mention some forum OUTRAGE over it. AN has from the start been saying that the point here is options and competition, and that they have no intention of following all the traditional MMO guidelines. The possibility of crafting yourself levels goes hand to hand with that, and I see nothing at all wrong with it. Not that the news piece implied there was anything wrong with it, at least directly.

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        August 28, 2012 6:43 AM

        Heaven forbid we have a story about the launch of a game lots of people are interested in on the day the game launches.

        It's more interesting than "Shack PSA: Guild Wars 2 launches today," no?

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          August 28, 2012 6:47 AM

          It sure is! I'm switching over to your team!

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          August 28, 2012 6:51 AM

          Especially since the mechanics are novel. With all the complaining about how MMO's are getting to be bland and the same, isn't it interesting that they figured out a way to offer a break from grinding levels? I think this will be particularly interesting for alts, with the first level 80 providing funding while the alt masters a useful skill and levels to boot.

          And really, this guy only made the leveling jump by getting funded by his entire guild.

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          August 28, 2012 6:53 AM

          Yes. The shack very occasionally posts non-news however I do not count this as such an occurrence.

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        August 28, 2012 7:22 AM

        I think it's news worthy. At the very least, isn't it interesting to read about the top tier accomplishments of popular games, especially one getting a lot of talk on the shack?

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        August 28, 2012 10:20 AM

        I'm with you. Reporting on an eventuality is pretty inane.

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        August 28, 2012 7:56 PM

        It's interesting to me. Someone leveled out pre-launch, OK. Not exactly news. But with crafting, rather than combat? That's pretty cool, and makes me want to know more about the game.

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      August 28, 2012 6:22 AM

      XP does come incredibly easy in that game but hitting the cap in under 3 days is pretty crazy.

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        August 28, 2012 6:45 AM

        ArenaNet Exec #2: What kind of person would do this?
        ArenaNet Exec #1: Only one kind... Whoever this person is, he has played Guild Wars 2 nearly ever hour, of every day, for the past 3 Days. Gentlemen we are dealing with someone here who has absolutely no life.
        ArenaNet Exec #4: How do you kill that which has no life?

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      reply
      August 28, 2012 10:16 AM

      Wtf why do people do this? Try to get to the highest level, why not just play and enjoy the game?

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      August 28, 2012 10:19 AM

      is this the same dude that does it in wow or someone else

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      August 28, 2012 7:55 PM

      Pretty cool it can be done through leveling

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      August 28, 2012 8:29 PM

      Do shackers hang out in a 'channel' on the server? How do you join a channel?

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      August 29, 2012 8:50 AM

      This is something I never understood about people. Why do people rush through the game instead of being able to take your time and enjoy the game. The PvP isn't based on item or gearlevels so there isn't a real point to do it. Majority of the time when you race through the content you have to wait for the rest of the server population to catch up. So again really what is the point.

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