Hidden Treasures

We all know that game developers work hard on what they do. At the end of a long development process they want nothing more than to see gamers enjoying what they have done.

But sometimes, they like to make gamers work a little bit to find the good stuff.

This is something especially true in free-roaming environments, like large RPG's or MMO's, like Guild Wars. Having beaten the game now with my Paragon as well, I've utterly destroyed the mainline missions and quests of Guild Wars. So when I went on yesterday and today, I did something far more casual, and less intensive, than I have done in a while. I simply explored.

And I was amazed at what I found. It seems that the Guild Wars team (ANet) spent a lot of time creating some really unique locations and environments to reward those players who go the extra mile.

I've included screens of many of the more exotic and breathtaking locales I visited. The first one is a part of a massive royal library in the palace of Prince Ahmtur the Mighty. The curtains are woven with symbols and knowledge and sway in a very mesmerizing and enchanting way. Most players pass ridiculously close to this spot when beating Nightfall, it is only a few rooms behind where you must meet with the 3 princes. Not only is this an impressive looking location, it is also the starting point for many of the best quests in Vabbi.
Some of these quests took me into another new area, the mines of Vabbi to the west. It was more visually attractive than most areas, with dozens of falling waterfalls and hidden alcoves. On the far side, hidden beneath a mountain, was the Basalt Grotto (shown above). This was one of the coolest towns I've found in all of Guild Wars, with its unique basalt formations forming a massive underground chamber.
After these quests, I decided to keep hunting for the hidden treasure locations. Where better to look than the Hidden City of Ahdashim, a place I had only briefly entered in order to find the treasure chest in it. This proved to be the grand-daddy of them all. It has to be one of the biggest explorable areas in all of Guild Wars. Yet every room is more breathtaking and awe-inspiring than the last, driving you to seek deeper and deeper within its underground halls.
One room, shown above, was a vast treasure room filled with a sea of gold and jewels. I zoomed the camera all the way out to take in the rich panorama. I was so distracted by the gleaming ocean that I almost died more than once in there.Then, all the way in the back of the massive place, after almost an hour of exploration, I found the final hidden valley, with the most beautiful floating terraces. I stopped to just stare for a few minutes before venturing down into the oasis. In the back of the valley was the king of the elemental protectors, Yamamoto, Ether Guardian, a large beast of a boss. I was running low on allies at this point and was unable to defeat him. So instead I left Yamamoto, to rule eternally over his hidden city.
This was a relaxing and rewarding day of Guild Wars like I haven't had in a while. Searching for these exotic places brought back the excitement and unkown of my early days with the game, when lvl. 20 seemed unreachable. If you've become bored with your MMO, and are sick of entertaining yourself with endless dance parties, delve deeper into the world. You never know what treasures you'll find.

~ Lady ~

*** I will be posting images of some other cool hidden Guild Wars locations in the Visuals section. From Grenth's Hall in the Underworld to the Mountain Heart deep in the Shiverpeaks, these are places no true Guild Wars fan should leave unvisited.