Guild Wars 2

We as players knew form prior event that LA was going to be attacked. So why were we neither there or able to defend initially when Scarlet attacks? Same way we are there when a world boss pops up.

If this is ‘living’ story why not even chance to thwart her during that attack, such as using troops and weapons of pact fleet in our capacity as a commander. Destroying more of Scarlet’s resources and damaging her operation before it can drill or damage LA to its now presented state.

Seem that the ‘Living’ and by that meaning any influential impact of players have, is irrelevant to the story outcome. The only influence we have is achievement and loot for ourselves.

Because the attack was extremely sudden, well-planned and fast. Knowing that an attack will come is quite pointless unless you have a clue about how and when.

As for the Pact: The Pacts only focus is Elder Dragons, they are also still fighting Risen in Orr and rebuilding their forces, they did after all lose massive amount of manpower and resources during the campaign in Orr.

what lordkrall said,

but also because there is no way to include multiple paths in a release schedule that is as terrifyingly fast as the one of the Living Story.
There is a certain amount of suspension of disbelief you need for games, especially MMOrpgs. Just like when playing Pen&Paper rgp’s you just need to shut your pie hole and accept certain things, so things can run smoothly and the DM doesn’t ragequit.

The sole reason is, we were not scripted to be there. No need to make up excuses for the story team at all. We were deemed “not necessary” for that part of the story.

very simple. Doesn’t matter if the attack was fast, slow, had a pet parade or trumpeters heralding their approach. We weren’t there. We were not supposed to be there.

We were presented with it after the fact so speculation regarding the actual attack can only be determined by a very small cinema clip.

I agree. It’s a make-believe, fantasy story smushed together with a MMO video game; I know. Some big leaps of disbelief are necessary. But I was still left shaking my head at the introduction of Escape from Lion’s Arch. Was the city really that helpless?

Scarlet has been known about for months. Her robots have been attacking so often that we grew tired of the “Scarlet’s minions …” alerts coming to us out of the air. We’ve dealt with the poison beanstalk and mechanical pole dancer. We’ve talked to NPCs along the way who seem to know what was going on and told us what to do about it. We’ve even danced about her kitten ed lair, looted her stuff, read her journal and watched her TV with MAPS SHOWING WHERE THE ATTACK WAS PLANNED and the flying drill machine from Mars.

We knew about her and we knew about her plan. We’re levelled, looted and loaded. But apparently we’re still helpless.

We’ve fought along with forces with enough power to shoot dragons from the sky. The Asuran Gates are capable of moving unlimited material anywhere it’s needed, instantly. There’s a freaking genie in a bottle in the middle of town able to spit out Legendary weapons when he’s in a good mood. Not to mention the players; thousands of characters, phat with swords and spells with nothing better to do than break the stuff of people they don’t like. And they don’t like Scarlet.

I felt a “jumped the shark” moment when, despite everything we have, know and have done, a crazy Sylvari was able to ride a flying space auger with a fleet of dirigibles straight to the docks of the land’s largest, busiest city, full of armed people and destroy it without opposition. The “Living Story” stuff is becoming too ridiculous and too separated from the game and the players. If this were a D&D campaign, I would be packing up my dice.

The living story is meant to be in real time (ex. Mai Trinn was broken out of jail two weeks ago on Tuesday morning when the patch went live).

The only chance you would have to try to stop the attack is if you were logged in and in LA the moment the patch hit. No help from any other group because no one else believed the attack would happen. The Aetherblades also first targeted the asura gates so that people could not get in or out of them.

Anet have stated that two weeks IRL is two weeks in game for the living world which helps support the real time theory. Story instances are not included in this theory because it breaks it and I have no explanation.

In conclusion the reason you weren’t there to defend LA or you weren’t in the cinematic is because you were logged out downloading the patch when it happened

Had you been there, you’d be dead. You can’t hope to defend a city against an aerial attack if you have no anti-aircraft weapons. All you can do is run or die.

Aajolea.8132:

We as players knew form prior event that LA was going to be attacked. So why were we neither there or able to defend initially when Scarlet attacks? Same way we are there when a world boss pops up.

If this is ‘living’ story why not even chance to thwart her during that attack, such as using troops and weapons of pact fleet in our capacity as a commander. Destroying more of Scarlet’s resources and damaging her operation before it can drill or damage LA to its now presented state.

Seem that the ‘Living’ and by that meaning any influential impact of players have, is irrelevant to the story outcome. The only influence we have is achievement and loot for ourselves.

Think of Pearl Harbor.

Ayrilana.1396:

Aajolea.8132:

We as players knew form prior event that LA was going to be attacked. So why were we neither there or able to defend initially when Scarlet attacks? Same way we are there when a world boss pops up.

If this is ‘living’ story why not even chance to thwart her during that attack, such as using troops and weapons of pact fleet in our capacity as a commander. Destroying more of Scarlet’s resources and damaging her operation before it can drill or damage LA to its now presented state.

Seem that the ‘Living’ and by that meaning any influential impact of players have, is irrelevant to the story outcome. The only influence we have is achievement and loot for ourselves.

Think of Pearl Harbor.

/thread

The U.S. knew that war was raging and people were being killed by Axis forces, so the attack on Pearl Harbor never should have happened, right?

panzer.6034:

Ayrilana.1396:

Aajolea.8132:

We as players knew form prior event that LA was going to be attacked. So why were we neither there or able to defend initially when Scarlet attacks? Same way we are there when a world boss pops up.

If this is ‘living’ story why not even chance to thwart her during that attack, such as using troops and weapons of pact fleet in our capacity as a commander. Destroying more of Scarlet’s resources and damaging her operation before it can drill or damage LA to its now presented state.

Seem that the ‘Living’ and by that meaning any influential impact of players have, is irrelevant to the story outcome. The only influence we have is achievement and loot for ourselves.

Think of Pearl Harbor.

/thread

The U.S. knew that war was raging and people were being killed by Axis forces, so the attack on Pearl Harbor never should have happened, right?

My two cents:

Somewhat different situation. Pearl Harbor wasn’t expected by anyone because we were just brokers during the start of WWII. We sold weapons to both sides and just kind of ignored the whole genocide thing for the most part. We saw no reason to be attacked, as it was actively harmful to the war effort on both sides. (Which is probably one of the reasons Yamamoto thought it was an absolutely terrible idea. And shameful because he thought it was a pansy move to stab someone in the back.)

Plus pearl harbor’s 2,500 some odd soldier deaths probably could have been cut down at least a little if some of us could HAVE SUMMONED METEORS FROM THE F-ING SKY!

That being said, I understand full well why it was implemented this way and really I just think of us as those ships away from the Harbor by luck during the attack. We’re probably having a similar, if significantly less intense, feeling of “If I had been there I could do something”. There’s no knowing, we weren’t, so we clean up the wreckage as best we can.

Heta.8629:

Anet have stated that two weeks IRL is two weeks in game for the living world which helps support the real time theory. Story instances are not included in this theory because it breaks it and I have no explanation.

Where have they stated this?

History lesson aside a more practical explanation is that it’s a video game, just like reading a book or watching a movie it had to happen to progress and I use this word loosely here the “plot” of this story.

Being able to prevent it would be a very cool idea and would actually make it feel more like a living story. But then they’d have to write and program two scenarios instead of one. Also judging by how most events go it would have been a failed event and we’d be right back to where we are now anyway.

lordkrall.7241:

Where have they stated this?

I don’t know where they stated it out of game, but in the game when reviewing evidence in Edge of the Mists, Marjory talked about the Molten Alliance beginning their attacks a year ago, which matches up pretty much exactly with the beginning of Flame and Frost in real life.

Ayrilana.1396:

Aajolea.8132:

We as players knew form prior event that LA was going to be attacked. So why were we neither there or able to defend initially when Scarlet attacks? Same way we are there when a world boss pops up.

If this is ‘living’ story why not even chance to thwart her during that attack, such as using troops and weapons of pact fleet in our capacity as a commander. Destroying more of Scarlet’s resources and damaging her operation before it can drill or damage LA to its now presented state.

Seem that the ‘Living’ and by that meaning any influential impact of players have, is irrelevant to the story outcome. The only influence we have is achievement and loot for ourselves.

Think of Pearl Harbor.

Pearl Harbor didn’t have magic and wards.

Xiahou Mao.9701:

I don’t know where they stated it out of game, but in the game when reviewing evidence in Edge of the Mists, Marjory talked about the Molten Alliance beginning their attacks a year ago, which matches up pretty much exactly with the beginning of Flame and Frost in real life.

While that is indeed true that doesn’t really say anything about the time-line in the game.

The way I see it, people didn’t believe it would happen(npcs in game), and as Kasmere and Majory found out with us it was about to happen moments later perhaps?

Looking at the success rate on previous battles (like Scarlett Invasions or the Marionette), we probably should be grateful for the story not depending on us :P

Related: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShootTheShaggyDog

Aajolea.8132:

We as players knew form prior event that LA was going to be attacked. So why were we neither there or able to defend initially when Scarlet attacks?

Because Ellen Kiel is a poor leader. Evon warned everyone, but no one listened.

And if you want to make it about depending on us here you go. How often when scarlets minions were attacking a zone for the past 6 months or so did you stop what you were doing to go and help? How often were these invasions stopped? So based on that it can be assumed even the players didnt consider scarlet a threat and this is what happens.

thekap.8645:

And if you want to make it about depending on us here you go. How often when scarlets minions were attacking a zone for the past 6 months or so did you stop what you were doing to go and help? How often were these invasions stopped? So based on that it can be assumed even the players didnt consider scarlet a threat and this is what happens.

/Thread
Well said.

Aajolea.8132:

We as players knew form prior event that LA was going to be attacked. So why were we neither there or able to defend initially when Scarlet attacks?(…)

Because the devs are trying to tell a story and LA had to end up like it did?
Because last time Anet made a living world event living (lion blowing up only once in real time) people b__h about it for weeks?
Because to make that work would not only be a nightmare to implement, but people would b… complain as I mention in the last point because not everyone could be there?

Take your pick, or all of the above.

So can we ever get a living story that does dynamically change based on player actions or lack there of. And no an election where we elect somebody and the only thing we get out of it is a different fractal doesnt count.

Savoy.6824:

So can we ever get a living story that does dynamically change based on player actions or lack there of. And no an election where we elect somebody and the only thing we get out of it is a different fractal doesnt count.

The reason you will never seen it in the near future is probably because it isn’t worth the effort. Anet will either have to make two paths or create the content fast enough to take into account player choices. Both of those are not really good options for Anet since very few players actually care about making a choice aka cost doesn’t justify it.

My Pearl Harbor response was directed at the question in the quoted post as to why LA couldn’t respond as she showed up and started attacking. Anything before it and preparing was not part of my argument.