Tutorial

Download: Get the latest version at GWOnline.Net File Download Section. If you get your version of The Edge directly from this trusted source you should find the program to be free of nefarious key logging and other unpleasant spy code. This free utility is designed to make you a better player; not to capture your trusted information.

Installation:

	Uninstall all previous versions of 'The Edge' (Start>Control Panel>Add or Remove Programs).
	Double click on the newly downloaded .exe file and follow the installation instructions. You will have the option of changing its installation directory. When completed, The Edge will appear in your Start>Programs menu.

Getting Started:

	Click on Start>Programs>The Edge. You should see a brief “Loading Data” window before launching the program. The Edge is reading information from it’s configuration directory.
	The first thing you need to do is update your database while online. This will take only a few seconds. Click on the “Download Latest Data” button or hit Download> Latest Data. You may have to give your firewall permission for The Edge to pull data off the net. Exit and re-launch the program. Your database is now up to date.

Load a Build:

	Click on File>Open and navigate over to The_Edge/build directory.
	Click on "trapper.gwb" as an example You open up the builds you will create in this same way.

Select your preferred view:

	View>Standard View is your default screen.
	View>Alternate View will enlarge your skill list area and hide "The Enemy" section.
	View>View Build as Text File will display your Build in Notepad as a text file.
	View>View List as Text File will display all of the skills you have displayed in Notepad as a text file.

Skill List Area: The bottom section of your screen lists all of the skills available for a given primary and secondary profession, as well as their purchase locations. Columns can be resized with your mouse. Double clicking on the headers will sort that column in ascending or descending order. You can also set your "Lines Per Row" to expand text and see skill images. Important damage information is also displayed, including:

	Base Damage - Your base damage against any enemy. Base damage uses your current character level & attribute points to calculate this value.
	Effective Damage - This calculates the damage you actually cause against your selected enemy. Effective Damage takes into consideration the base damage, as well as the enemy's level, armor and attribute settings.
	Effective Damage / Energy - Shows how much effect damage you'll cause for each unit of energy expended. The higher the number the better.
	Effective Damage / Second - This shows how much effective damage you will cause per second. The higher the number the better.
	Effective Damage / Energy / Second - This shows effective damage after taking into consideration both time and energy. You want to look for skills that cause a lot of damage over time with the smallest energy cost. The higher the number the better.

Damage Notes:

	By default, all damage assumes you and your enemy are at level 20, with armor of 70, and all attributes are set to 12. This allows you to compare skills across all professions. This also be less confusing for most people. You can enable the old method of calculating your build against the enemy by changing the setting on the preferences screen
	The damage calculations are approximations. Actual in-game damage may be significantly different since we do not know what calculations are actually used. The damage calculations used by The Edge come from SonOfRah.

Skill Images:

The Edge contains images for every skill but a couple of conditions have to be met in order for you to see them since displaying the skill icon will slow the display. The skill icon will only be displayed if you have:

	Lines Per Row set to 4 or higher, and
	You have filtered the list by either typing a string into the "Search for words" box or selected an option from the "Additional Filtering" drop down box like Skills for My Professions).

Search for skills: Use the "Additional Filtering" selector to narrow down your choices. "All skills" is the default setting. "Skills for my Build" will only display those skills in your skill bar. "Skills for my Professions" will display only those skills related to your primary and secondary profession and "Skills for my Attribute Points" will only show skills that are related to the attributes used by your build.

With the advent of the Factions campaign, it has become important to be able to view skills by campaign by using that drop down box. You can view limit your skill list from All to "Core and Prophecies" or "Core and Factions" or "Nightfall and Core" and other important combinations.

	Use the "Search for Words" field to "Google" the database. For example, type in "Mesmer hex health degen" and hit Enter. Only those skills that contain all of those words will show up.
	You can also search for character strings in quotes. Try typing "and all nearby foes" with and without quotes to see the difference.
	You can rule out certain skills with the word "not". Type in "Mesmer not elite" and only those Mesmer skills that are not elite will show up.
	You can also use the "or" command. "Inspiration Illusion" will bring up only one skill because both words are found. "Inspiration or Illusion" will list all of the Inspiration and Illusion skills. NOT should overwrite OR logic.
	Two, special search strings are available. The are #conditions and #health. Using #conditions will display all skills related to any of the conditions. Using #health will search for all skills related to health, heal or life.
	If a skill uses adrenalin, the skill type will include the string "(adrenalin)'
	Searching for the word "adrenalin" will return all skills that use or refer to adrenalin

Click on any skill and its description and image will be displayed below your skill bar. Note this description will automatically adjust variable elements based on your attribute settings. In other words, instead of showing a range of damage or duration (like in the Description column of the skills), it will display a specific number.

Skill Detail Area: This displays the currently selected skill below your skill bar. You can change the current skill by either selecting a skill from the Skill List Area or by moving your mouse over a skill in your skill bar. The numbers within the skill description will change based on your current weapon, armor and attribute settings.

Mark the skills you have acquired or want to flag: Just click in the Acquired or Flagged boxes next to the skill to set or remove a flag. You can sort on these flags whenever you want by using the additional filtering drop-down box.

Additional Edits: In the area next to your primary and secondary professions, click on the "Edit" button to set your:

	Build Level (1-20)
	Average Armor (1-150)
	Average Weapon Damage (1-150)
	Weapon (Axe, Bow, Hammer, Staff, Sword or Wand)
	Extra Energy Regeneration (You get two energy regens by default. Warriors get no regen from armor, Rangers get 1 and the rest get 2)
	Extra Health Regeneration (Generally set to 0)
	Energy Modifier (-50 to 50)
	Health Modifier (-500 to 500)
	Primary & Secondary Attribute Points (0-12). Remember, the game allows for a total of 200 attribute points to be used but to get the last 30 of these, you have to have done two special quests. If you have done these, make sure to check them as completed.
	Added check box in attribute window to show if your character completed both 15 point attribute quests
	Rune and Other Points added to Attribute Points (0-12)
	Notes. You can add notes to any of your builds to tell yourself and others how best to play your creations.

Load up your Skill Bar: With your mouse, drag the skill image you've selected over to your skill bar. Drop it into any of the slots. You will not be able to drop in multiple Elite skills or skills outside of your professions. You can also drag the skill icons in the detail area to Your Build.

Save your Build: Hit File>Save As, name your Build (*.gwb) and save it in the default The_Edge \build directory.

Load your Build: Hit File>Open, select your saved Build and hit enter. You may also load up one of ArenaNet's pre-builds.

Share Your Builds:

	View>Build As Text File will open up a Windows notepad with the text file of everything about your build, including the notes. You can easily copy and paste this directly onto discussion forums or into email so others can easily see all of the details of your build.
	Of course, if others have The Edge, you can go to the installation directory of the program (default = \Program Files\The_Edge), go into the "builds" folder and pick the actual file containing your build. If you send this file to someone with The Edge and they put it in their "builds" folder, they can pull your build right up into The Edge without any additional key stroking.

Other Stuff:

	View>Options>Auto load last Build will load up your last Build when you start up The Edge.
	View>Options>Show Skill Locations when Viewing Build as Text File will display skill purchase locations when you use View>Build as Text File

Bugs, Comments & Forums:

	Send all bug reports to: Gregg "Crush Thorax" Reno
	Or post comments on The Edge Support Forums.

Copyrights, Trademarks and Content:

	Guild Wars is a trademark of NCsoft Corporation. Copyright © NCsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. © 2004, 2005, 2006 ArenaNet, Inc. All content of this program is copyright ArenaNet, a wholly-owned subsidiary of NCsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. ArenaNet, Arena.net and the ArenaNet logo, as well as Guild Wars, are trademarks or registered trademarks of NCsoft Corporation.
	Some images and data were collected from GWOnline.Net with their gracious permission.
	The Edge software copyright © 2006, Gregg Reno (Crush Thorax)
	All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners

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