The end game aspect of Guild Wars 2 has long been something that players have found to be either a great way to spend their time between the release of Living Story episodes, or a frustrating mechanic that requires too much for too little. So in a bid to make one of the aspects of post-game events more rewarding, the devs at Guild Wars 2 have decided to adjust how Fractal rewards are structured.
What are Fractals?
Fractals of the Mists are co-operative instanced mini-dungeons that can be completed multiple times for various rewards. Fractals are accessible to all player levels as each player is boosted to level 80 upon entering. However, there are some aspects, such as Agony, that mean casually walking into a Fractal of a high level can end up being fatal to the unprepared. Fractals serve as a primary source for Ascended tier equipment and provide the materials to craft high-tier items.
Fractals scale in difficulty, and you’ll have a Personal Fractal Level that will increase by a factor of one each time you complete a fractal that is equal to or above, your own. Fractals are generally meant to be played in a party; they are adjustable by the first person who enters the hub and can be scaled up or down depending on your needs.
Fractals can also be completed according to a Challenge Mode, which can afford players various bonus rewards that are needed for crafting unique and often impossible to purchase equipment.
It’s vital to remember that past level 20, Agony is added to enemy and boss attacks. When you play past levels 26, 51, and 76, Mistlock Instabilities will form. After level 71, if you or a party member gets downed, a Fractal Avenger will spawn to Finish the player, or if you’re running a Fractal with a Fractal Vindicator instability, the Fractal Vindicator will spawn to deal massive damage on a target until stopped.
Reward Changes
A popular way for players to farm Mystic Coins in Guild Wars 2 has become running Challenge Mode fractals. Each run of Challenge Modes, 98, 99, and 100 has always provided a small chance for up to 3 Mystic Coins to drop when completed. This means that players run these levels continuously in a Mystic Coin farm, as the drop chance is both random and low.
With the launch of Guild Wars 2: End of Dragons, the devs have decided to spread out the player base in an attempt to push people towards other end game content for their Mystic Coin and Mystic Clover needs.
Changes that they will implement are as follows:
- Mystic Clovers will be reset weekly with a cap of 10 Mystic Clovers per week.
- Mystic Clovers will be cheaper at 1 less Glob of Ectoplasm but 1 more Mystic Coin. This makes the total price for a Mystic Clover – 150 Fractal Relics, 2 Mystic Coins, 2 Globs of Ectoplasm and 2 Spirit Shards. This is still less than it costs to craft a Mystic Clover at the Mystic Forge in Lion’s Arch.
- Challenge Mode bosses of 98, 99, and 100 will no longer drop Mystic Coins.
