Guild Wars 2

Ghosts of Ascalon FAQ

When will Ghosts of Ascalon be released?

We plan on releasing Ghosts of Ascalon during the summer of 2010.

What territories and languages will the book be available in?

Ghosts of Ascalon will be available in North America and Europe.

When does the book take place?

Ghosts of Ascalon takes place one year prior to Guild Wars 2. Major world-shaking events occur between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2 that will have a huge impact on the story.

Will the Guild Wars novels be canon?

Yes. We work closely with the authors to ensure that all our books provide a genuine Guild Wars experience. However, the creation of an MMO is always a work in progress, so names, places, or creatures may change slightly from the books to the game.

Why did you change the title of the book from Fall of Ascalon to Ghosts of Ascalon?

The new title more aptly reflects the thrust of the story and the themes of the book. While the actual fall of Ascalon (when King Adelbern brought down the Foefire upon the invading charr 250 years ago) plays a major historical role in the novel, the bulk of the story details how the characters must deal with both the physical ghosts left behind by the Foefire as well as the personal ghosts that haunt each of them.

Will any familiar characters from Guild Wars appear in the book?

No. Ghosts of Ascalon is set during the time of Guild Wars 2. Roughly 250 years have passed since the events of Guild Wars, but the deeds of legendary figures from the Guild Wars era still greatly affect the characters in Ghosts of Ascalon.

What kind of game mechanics, if any, will be in the Ghosts of Ascalon? For example, will we see Resurrection Signets and Skills?

We believe the rule of thumb for good game fiction is: "Never let the reader hear the dice rolling." You may recognize a skill or weapon by the way it is described in Ghosts of Ascalon, but game terms or mechanics will not be overt.

Will the book come with an in-game bonus item or any other kind of merchandise?

We currently do not plan to include any bonus material with Ghosts of Ascalon.

Will reading Ghosts of Ascalon give us an advantage in playing Guild Wars or Guild Wars 2?

Ghosts of Ascalon will definitely give readers a deeper understanding of the cataclysmic events that take place between Guild Wars and Guild Wars 2, but reading the book will not provide any gameplay advantage. It is simply a great way for people interested in the story of Guild Wars to delve deeper into the lore and characters of our world.

Who is writing Ghosts of Ascalon?

Acclaimed fantasy authors Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb are writing Ghosts of Ascalon.

Who is Matt Forbeck?

Matt Forbeck has designed incredible roleplaying games such as Deadlands and The Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, as well as miniatures games and board games like Genestealer. Matt is the former president of the Pinnacle Entertainment Group and has written novels, short fiction, comic books, computer game scripts--more stuff than we have space to mention!

Who is Jeff Grubb?

Award-winning author and game designer Jeff Grubb is one of the principal world builders for Guild Wars 2. He's written a dozen fantasy novels for properties such as WarCraft, Dragonlance, and Magic: The Gathering, and Jeff's roleplaying game design for TSR and Wizards of the Coast is the stuff of legend.

Matt Forbeck was previously announced as the author, but now Jeff Grubb is listed as a coauthor. Why the change?

As one of the chief game designers and writers of Guild Wars 2, Jeff Grubb has been heavily involved in working with Matt Forbeck to integrate Guild Wars 2 lore into the narrative of the book. As the editorial direction of Ghosts of Ascalon progressed, it became apparent that Jeff's contributions to the novel merited his inclusion as a coauthor.

Will Matt Forbeck and Jeff Grubb be writing all the books?

Matt and Jeff are just writing the first Guild Wars novel, Ghosts of Ascalon.

What can you tell us about the other Guild Wars books?

We'll reveal more about the other Guild Wars novels as we get closer to the publication of those books.

What format will the book be available in?

Ghosts of Ascalon will be available in paperback.

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