Guild Wars 2

I highly doubt they’d toss out all that hard work for Halloween and Wintersday versions of the city just for a one time LS event.

At most the city will look slightly different, much like what happened to Kessex Hills, but LA as a whole will probably remain.
Not only that, but there’s PS missions attached to it along with several other areas in the city that currently wouldn’t have any place to go logically. (IE; Moa Racing, Fractals, WvW Portals, Dungeon Vendors etc.)

It’s a slight shame that this is indeed the case as it kinda lessens the blow of the effect of the whole event knowing that anything ‘catastrophic’ won’t be all that heartbreaking.

Here’s to another deadly event where we once again have to rebuild that darn lion statue. (With how many times its been repaired, I can only imagine that’s where the TP fees go.)

Oh?

They did make a rather big point of moving all the LA-only things to the Vigil Keep however. Which would suggest that it will, at least temporarily, be rather much destroyed.

http://massively.joystiq.com/2014/02/11/prepare-to-escape-from-lions-arch-in-guild-wars-2s-next-conten/

lions arch…      contested

It could still be destroyed and rebuild sometime later, maybe in the next living story arc. Or it is turned into an explorable zone. I guess we will have to wait those 7 days to see what they have in store for us.

If they are (even just for the term of this event) turning lion’s arch into an active combat zone with leveling characters up to content. They would need to move many services out.

Only time will tell but I suspect Talonblaze that you are correct, Lion’s arch will be changed, possibly in major ways, but NOT destroyed or turned permanently into an active combat area.

With no LA, where will the mad king and wintersday Dolyaks go?

There’s an awful lot of time and money spent in developing seasonal stuff just to have to redo it somewhere else. After all a while ago one of the reasons given why the early LS content was so light was because they wanted to invest the time and resources into seasonal content that would be easily able to be bought back.

With no LA, a whole load of that work goes away and would presumably need to be redone, taking a similar amount of time as the first lot did.

Well to be fair it was quite many people on these forums whining about the holidays being more or less the same. So maybe they scrapped that idea?

I guess it’s possible, but that’s a huge amount of assets you’ve had to discard. Esp when apparently it took several months to make em all.

Peregryn.6578:

If they are (even just for the term of this event) turning lion’s arch into an active combat zone with leveling characters up to content. They would need to move many services out.

Only time will tell but I suspect Talonblaze that you are correct, Lion’s arch will be changed, possibly in major ways, but NOT destroyed or turned permanently into an active combat area.

‘For the time being" I take that as… this next LS update, and maybe the finale. Afterwards it gets reclaimed. Because if this is the finale to the Scarlet arc, the attacking forces will kinda split up after she’s defeated/killed.

Actually if I remember correctly they remake the decorations each year for events, so they do actually throw out the holiday maps already.

I believe it’s mentioned in this video around 10:50 or so http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGq0a92tM88

I agree that it’s likely that LA will be rebuilt and re-occupied after the invasion. The city layout may be different, with new changes to indicate the effects of Scarlet’s invasion, but it will become the hub city again. As Shaenaeri pointed out, ANet is trying to create festival content that is re-usable so they don’t have to re-invent the wheel every time the holidays roll around; that lets them spend more time on developing new content.

Maybe they want to make the main starting cities more active if is no la anymore players must stay somewhere and where is better then in the main cities right?

In a way, it’d be nice if home cities are used more. My favourite is Divinity’s Reach, but as there is no cheapskate port-to-PvP-port-to-city thing with DR, LA is more convenient.

Not concerned about Dungeon token vendors, they can move to the Vigil Keep, I’m concerned about the entrance portals to the Mist War. At least temporarily while the occupation/destruction lasts.

Also take note of the fact that we’re at the beginning of the year with no upcoming GW2 holidays. So it may be destroyed for quite some time before it is rebuilt.

You still need access to the 3 jumping puzzles I imagine too. But that is easily done.

aspirine.6852:

You still need access to the 3 jumping puzzles I imagine too. But that is easily done.

Yeah if you think about it they’re all underground/in cliffsides, so it’s quite feasible that they won’t be destroyed. The only one I’m unsure about is Troll’s End because they will have to change how it is entered.

aspirine.6852:

You still need access to the 3 jumping puzzles I imagine too. But that is easily done.

I see it like this:

• Draw a line from each jumping point chest.
• Insert giant impact crater in center of 3 points.
• Build new JP up the crater edge to chest.
• ???
• Profit in the destruction of L.A.

:D

Do people not read the Dev Interview? Services are being relocated. Personal Story will be accessed by “time travel” portal. It will be an explorable but they stated “not safe”.

How are you reading “not much will change” into all of that.

They wont change because of Wintersday? Rofl.

They crafted a game featuring LA as a multicultural commerce center with a ton of infrastructure relating to that fact, the trade routes, the Havens, the very function of the Lion Guard as commerce and trade route protectors… a ton of work.. and they are happily tossing all of that out along with any NPC references to LA becoming moot as well.

I doubt that “what about wintersday” was a factor at all.

Historically, they destroyed pre-searing Ascalon City in the original GW and one of the biggest ‘shock value’ moments of the game (at least for me) was suddenly being in post-searing AC and wandering around the charred remains of the old landmarks – to that point, the only city in the game. It’s not out of the question to change LA forever.

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

Do people not read the Dev Interview? Services are being relocated. Personal Story will be accessed by “time travel” portal. It will be an explorable but they stated “not safe”.

How are you reading “not much will change” into all of that.

They wont change because of Wintersday? Rofl.

They crafted a game featuring LA as a multicultural commerce center with a ton of infrastructure relating to that fact, the trade routes, the Havens, the very function of the Lion Guard as commerce and trade route protectors… a ton of work.. and they are happily tossing all of that out along with any NPC references to LA becoming moot as well.

I doubt that “what about wintersday” was a factor at all.

Yup I did read it. Esp this part “All essential services that are unique to Lion’s Arch will be redirected to Vigil Keep for the time being, including Asura gates to other cities”

For the time being means temporary, at least the way I read it.

That’s not to say LA won’t be changed at all, but it certainly reads like at some point it will become a hub again. Oh I’m sure we’ll get some sort of wreck as a memorial to attack, as well as stuff being rebuilt into different looking structures.

But I really can’t see LA being turned into looking something like Orr with all the effort put in to make the annual celebrations work there. Just think of the art, scripting, AI, programming changes needed to do something like change where and how the mad king event works for example, let alone dragonbash, wintersday, april fools etc etc etc

Well, I hope the reality of what is coming doesn’t marr the rose lenses.

My opinion

LA will be destroyed. It will be permanent. This is their big chance to “prove” how committed to a “living world” they are, and the course is set. They want to read “the permanent destruction of a popular player hub proves that Anet’s commitment to a Living World truly means nothing is off the table” in game reviews.

Sad that they are using such a poor vehicle, Scarlet, to prove a point.

I’m kinda burned out on the whole death doom destruction thing, after WoW’s Cataclysm and all...

Shanaeri Rynale.6897:

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

Do people not read the Dev Interview? Services are being relocated. Personal Story will be accessed by “time travel” portal. It will be an explorable but they stated “not safe”.

How are you reading “not much will change” into all of that.

They wont change because of Wintersday? Rofl.

They crafted a game featuring LA as a multicultural commerce center with a ton of infrastructure relating to that fact, the trade routes, the Havens, the very function of the Lion Guard as commerce and trade route protectors… a ton of work.. and they are happily tossing all of that out along with any NPC references to LA becoming moot as well.

I doubt that “what about wintersday” was a factor at all.

Yup I did read it. Esp this part “All essential services that are unique to Lion’s Arch will be redirected to Vigil Keep for the time being, including Asura gates to other cities”

For the time being means temporary, at least the way I read it.

That’s not to say LA won’t be changed at all, but it certainly reads like at some point it will become a hub again. Oh I’m sure we’ll get some sort of wreck as a memorial to attack, as well as stuff being rebuilt into different looking structures.

But I really can’t see LA being turned into looking something like Orr with all the effort put in to make the annual celebrations work there. Just think of the art, scripting, AI, programming changes needed to do something like change where and how the mad king event works for example, let alone dragonbash, wintersday, april fools etc etc etc

“For the time being” could be until such time that a new home can be chosen and the services relocated permanently. There ins’t anything that says LA will definitely be rebuilt (although I can see it being done over a period of time to at least some extent).

They’ve cornered themselves into a lose-lose situation.

If they don’t destroy LA completely never to return then all the hype about BIG PERMANENT changes was all just a lie.

If they do destroy LA completely never to return then their entire premise and argument that the first season of LS was slow because they had to build up all the holiday assets is also shot since everything happened in LA. They will have to rebuild all those assets, thus meaning another crappy LS season.

Pretty much any way I look at it the players are going to lose.

WyldKat.4712:

I’m kinda burned out on the whole death doom destruction thing, after WoW’s Cataclysm and all…

I for one, am glad to see some doom and gloom, the’s been far too many Quagggan finishers, and SAB, and not enough drama for my taste. There’s nothing wrong with the lulzy cute stuff in and of itself, but the game has been lacking in the “holy kitten that just happened” drama. You know, the things that makes us care or get fired up about the characters and the world.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

They’ve cornered themselves into a lose-lose situation.

If they don’t destroy LA completely never to return then all the hype about BIG PERMANENT changes was all just a lie.

If they do destroy LA completely never to return then their entire premise and argument that the first season of LS was slow because they had to build up all the holiday assets is also shot since everything happened in LA. They will have to rebuild all those assets, thus meaning another crappy LS season.

Pretty much any way I look at it the players are going to lose.

I wouldn’t necessarily say the holiday issue is that big a deal. If their code is modular and flexible, it should be easily enough adapted to use in another city, or even two. However, the initial build up and structuring of that code would be a time sink. After that it’s more an adjustment of some variables, or should be.

There are some ways they could make this awesome. Having a renewed Orr be the new cultural capital would be pretty sweet if they really mean it about having the world change drastically.

But it’s probably just overhype nonsense and we’ll have a contested LA zone where we have to press F 100 times to get achievements for two weeks and then will go back to normal.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

They’ve cornered themselves into a lose-lose situation.

If they don’t destroy LA completely never to return then all the hype about BIG PERMANENT changes was all just a lie.

How would it be a lie if LA was reclaimed and parts rebuilt, but still bearing the scars of the attack for a long period to come? (Like the lighthouse, or the fountain which took forever to build/rebuild).

I think LA will be taken, but in the finale defeating/killing scarlet WOULD weaken/scatter her army. LA would get reclaimed, but obviously would bear the scars/damage for a long time as it rebuilds (Maybe even rebuild in a more defensive layout, as is the city can’t be defended in any real manner once the enemy is within the three entry points to the ‘zone’.)

Someone said Taimi could be from the future, if so she can go back and stop scarlet and save LA after she destroys it.

JBDanger.2603:

Someone said Taimi could be from the future, if so she can go back and stop scarlet and save LA after she destroys it.

She is an orphan who was raised by Zojja.. So unless Zojja is also from the future (which she isn’t) that’s a no go

I hadn’t thought of this before, but… mystic toilet.

ZudetGambeous.9573:

They’ve cornered themselves into a lose-lose situation.

If they don’t destroy LA completely never to return then all the hype about BIG PERMANENT changes was all just a lie.

If they do destroy LA completely never to return then their entire premise and argument that the first season of LS was slow because they had to build up all the holiday assets is also shot since everything happened in LA. They will have to rebuild all those assets, thus meaning another crappy LS season.

Pretty much any way I look at it the players are going to lose.

Don’t forget. There’s still one more update left after this one is put into play for this Living World Arc. And we have no idea what’s coming after this. So it’s possible there will be more game-changing effects after this one, too.