A more open beta weekend is coming. Of course it appears that this is not the first beta event, but it appears to be the first one that can be discussed by the players. Or rather press, only select press are “in general” being let talk about their beta experience. While Martin Kerstein did say that invitations were only getting started late last week, I have not [yet] received a “press beta pass.” I have, graciously, received one in the past from NC Soft, so you never know.

Regardless, the more I think about this, the more excited I get. Yet I feel like I am walking down a path of no return. It is becoming clearer to me that playing the game in my head is no longer an option. I love all the developer interviews, like the latest PvP roundtable because the passion of the developers is still overwhelming. Yet, I feel that there are relatively no more slots to fill in my brain.

I have been pounding the pavement for this game for who knows how long, and the amount of time I’ve played it in my head probably beats the /age off any other MMO. I was also incredibly lucky to get to have played Guild Wars 2 at PAX East and Fan Day. One would think that the actual game could never live up to the “perfect” game in my head, but it was the opposite. The actual game was much better.

Following Zubon’s posts about persistence, part of me is a bit sad that Guild Wars 2 is coming closer to launch. The community, the articles, the interviews had a certain cultural element built around them. I felt like each and every one of us, including the developers, were explorers. We were all finding the game pottery shard by pottery shard, even if the developers were equally creating and throwing away certain shards. It’s going to be such a different place when the whole game is revealed as this pre-release culture will no longer exist.

We all throw about the term “slippery slope” a lot, especially with regards to greedy cash shops, but I feel ArenaNet is ready to slide down the slipperiest one. They’ve been trudging up the mountain for years, and now they are ready to start sliding down. This is not a safe demo bunny slope. This is the Jormag’s skiing death trail! And the speed is going to continue to build up.

So, what I can say with my swilled wordsh of wishdum, is to enjoy this one last pause. This is that last moment when a skier is staring down the long mountainslope thinking about all the perils down the snow. Yet, there is still that one last chance to look up at the majesty surrounding the summit because once the skier starts barreling down, there won’t be that chance anymore.

Good luck to all the lot of media, lot of people that aren’t media, and “real fans.” I hope I get a chance to play with you guys. If not, I’ll start barreling down the peak with ya’ll on the 20th!

–Ravious

p.s. I heard insider information that if anybody rezzes a player named after a specific gemstone in a beta event, they get to invite their whole guild into beta.

p.p.s. All post-script on this site consists of lies.

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