<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
life	O
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
4HEAD	O
Studios	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
JoWooD	O
Productions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
installment	O
in	O
The	O
Guild	O
series	O
,	O
following	O
Europa	B-Application
1400	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Guild	I-Application
and	O
preceding	O
The	O
Guild	O
3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
worldwide	O
in	O
November	O
2006	O
for	O
Windows	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Taking	O
place	O
within	O
fictional	O
versions	O
of	O
provinces	O
of	O
Europe	O
in	O
the	O
fifteenth	O
century	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
's	O
main	O
focus	O
revolves	O
around	O
the	O
player	O
character	O
's	O
aim	O
to	O
simulate	O
life	O
in	O
the	O
Renaissance	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
using	O
the	O
Gamebryo	O
engine	O
and	O
features	O
open	O
end	O
gameplay	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Three	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
stand-alone	O
add-ons	O
were	O
released	O
—	O
Pirates	O
of	O
the	O
European	O
Seas	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
Venice	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
Renaissance	B-Application
—	O
which	O
were	O
repackaged	O
into	O
The	O
Guild	O
:	O
Complete	O
Collection	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
January	O
2013	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
a	O
real-time	O
life	O
simulation	O
video	O
game	O
that	O
incorporates	O
nonlinear	O
gameplay	O
,	O
playable	O
from	O
a	O
bird's-eye	B-Application
view	I-Application
,	O
allowing	O
to	O
zoom	O
in	O
and	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
introduces	O
features	O
including	O
construction	B-Application
and	I-Application
management	I-Application
,	O
tactical	O
role-playing	O
and	O
social	O
simulation	O
elements	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
players	O
assumes	O
control	O
of	O
a	O
defined	O
character	O
avatar	B-Application
,	O
to	O
simulate	O
medieval	O
life	O
with	O
characteristic	O
features	O
,	O
role-playing	O
game-style	O
ability	O
scores	O
,	O
classes	O
and	O
special	O
abilities	O
in	O
European	O
cities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
using	O
a	O
mouse	B-Device
and	O
keyboard	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Players	O
have	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
develop	O
and	O
create	O
their	O
character	O
at	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
benefitting	O
from	O
a	O
variety	O
of	O
customization	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
character	O
creation	O
,	O
by	O
selecting	O
the	O
appearance	O
,	O
first	O
-	O
and	O
surname	O
,	O
class	O
,	O
sex	O
,	O
zodiac	B-Algorithm
sign	O
,	O
religion	O
and	O
spent	O
experience	O
on	O
talents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
an	O
extended	O
single-player	O
campaign	O
,	O
a	O
comprehensive	O
tutorial	O
placed	O
in	O
the	O
15th	O
century	O
,	O
that	O
has	O
additionally	O
crafted	O
scenario	O
maps	O
with	O
a	O
German	O
Hanse	O
campaign	O
in	O
the	O
cities	O
of	O
Hamburg	O
and	O
Lübeck	O
,	O
Nottinghamshire	O
and	O
Sherwood	B-Application
Forest	I-Application
and	O
Lyon	O
(	O
France	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
provides	O
online	B-Application
and	O
network	B-Architecture
play	O
with	O
up	O
to	O
eight	O
people	O
that	O
can	O
playing	O
simultaneously	O
,	O
cooperative	O
and	O
in	O
competitive	O
game	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
talents	O
,	O
including	O
zodiac	B-Algorithm
signs	O
,	O
which	O
grants	O
players	O
a	O
free	O
talent	O
point	O
,	O
depending	O
on	O
the	O
choice	O
of	O
the	O
sign	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
takes	O
place	O
in	O
the	O
fictional	O
medieval	O
world	O
of	O
the	O
15th	O
century	O
and	O
begins	O
in	O
European	O
cities	O
like	O
London	O
,	O
Lyon	O
or	O
Berlin	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Especially	O
in	O
the	O
middle	O
age	O
and	O
the	O
transition	O
to	O
the	O
renaissance	B-Application
in	O
which	O
many	O
important	O
influences	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
entry	O
into	O
politics	O
and	O
the	O
potential	O
associated	O
rise	O
of	O
the	O
civil	O
society	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
growing	O
meaning	O
of	O
cities	O
are	O
just	O
as	O
palpable	O
as	O
ubiquitous	O
differences	O
in	O
status	O
between	O
different	O
social	O
strata	O
,	O
reflects	O
the	O
division	O
of	O
the	O
church	O
its	O
entry	O
and	O
a	O
spirit	O
of	O
optimism	O
has	O
been	O
designed	O
by	O
a	O
good	O
development	O
of	O
action	O
combined	O
with	O
a	O
family	O
empire	O
foundation	O
,	O
to	O
compete	O
against	O
players	O
or	O
computer-controlled	O
opponents	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
began	O
in	O
early	O
2003	O
with	O
a	O
team	O
of	O
more	O
than	O
80	O
people	O
and	O
was	O
headed	O
by	O
Lars	O
Mertensen	O
,	O
director	O
of	O
Europa	B-Application
1400	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Guild	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
published	O
in	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
at	O
the	O
Games	O
Convention	O
in	O
Leipzig	O
,	O
Germany	O
,	O
on	O
August	O
21	O
,	O
2003	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
Pirates	O
Of	O
The	O
European	O
Seas	O
an	O
add-on	O
,	O
added	O
new	O
features	O
like	O
a	O
hospital	O
and	O
a	O
fishery	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
31	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
Gold	O
was	O
released	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
the	O
main	O
game	O
and	O
Pirates	O
of	O
the	O
Seas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
All	O
previously	O
published	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
so	O
The	O
Guild	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
add-ons	O
with	O
each	O
,	O
were	O
placed	O
under	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
The	O
Guild	O
Universe	O
in	O
July	O
2008	O
in	O
the	O
trade	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
:	O
The	O
Royal	O
Edition	O
appeared	O
on	O
July	O
25	O
,	O
2008	O
and	O
contains	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
,	O
the	O
add-on	O
Pirates	O
of	O
the	O
Seas	O
,	O
new	O
maps	O
and	O
patch	O
2.1	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
stand-alone	O
expansion	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
called	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
-	O
Venice	O
developed	O
by	O
Trine	O
Games	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
October	O
10	O
,	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
August	O
25	O
,	O
2014	O
,	O
Nordic	O
Games	O
announced	O
the	O
new	O
patch	O
4.2	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
Renaissance	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
is	O
powered	O
by	O
the	O
Gamebryo	O
engine	O
,	O
the	O
speedtree	B-General_Concept
physics	O
engine	O
,	O
the	O
Quazal	O
rendez-vous	O
technology	O
and	O
supports	O
online	B-Application
multiplayer	O
for	O
playing	O
cooperatively	O
or	O
competitively	O
with	O
other	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
employed	O
Pierre	O
Langer	O
of	O
Dynamedion	O
,	O
to	O
produce	O
the	O
album	O
music	O
and	O
the	O
sound	O
effects	O
for	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
soundtrack	O
was	O
composed	O
and	O
recorded	O
in	O
the	O
Thuringian	O
Philharmonic	O
Gotha-Suhl	B-Application
under	O
the	O
conduction	O
by	O
Bernd	O
Ruf	O
with	O
a	O
symphony	O
orchestra	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
received	O
average	O
acclaim	O
from	O
magazines	O
and	O
websites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ludovica	O
Lagomarsino	O
of	O
Italian	O
reference	O
point	O
multiplayer	O
praised	O
both	O
,	O
the	O
particular	O
system	O
of	O
"	O
favor	O
"	O
for	O
both	O
sentimental	O
and	O
political	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
commercial	O
relationships	O
as	O
useful	O
and	O
also	O
the	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
for	O
its	O
user-friendlyness	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GMC	O
's	O
Vincenzo	O
Beretta	O
noted	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
developers	O
try	O
to	O
overcome	O
their	O
receding	O
success	O
"	O
while	O
criticizing	O
that	O
the	O
"	O
results	O
are	O
not	O
entirely	O
the	O
same	O
"	O
continuing	O
with	O
criticizing	O
the	O
user	B-Application
interface	I-Application
"	O
that	O
more	O
problematic	O
than	O
functional	O
"	O
is	O
,	O
but	O
lauded	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
setting	O
as	O
"	O
very	O
lively	O
and	O
fascinating	O
3D	O
environment	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	B-Application
Guild	I-Application
2	I-Application
Renaissance	B-Application
was	O
awarded	O
the	O
Sound	O
Award	O
by	O
PC	O
Games	O
magazine	O
.	O
</s>
