Guild Wars 2

I just quickly wanted to say I loved the way you build the characters during the first story instance in LA. I think the characters are already a LOT more alive for me after having talked to them!

Spoilers ahead, ABSOLUTELY DON’T READ if you haven’t done the LA story instance yet because you will be missing out on a great deal!

(To do the story instance you will first have to participate in the marionette fight once. You will then get a message in your Living Story UI that you can go to the LA docks for the story instance)

Even tough this is just a first impression, but seeing I most love the story in updates, for me this is the best update yet(first impression)! You really have my hopes up on the future of the living story! I hope everyone else will be as excited as I am after talking with everyone in the story instance.

Pls don’t flame me for this ^^

Edit:
I just found her lair after a long search. Just a tip to everyone: Just look for her lair after doing the LA instance instead of looking up a guide. It will be a lot more rewarding, since her secret lair is actually hidden well. ^^

Second edit:
I've finally gotten entry to her lair! It looks like we'll be getting a lot of story in there but I'm now going to have to find 25 of each of the fragments to open the chest and get the pieces of Scralets journal. And then I can activate the console ^^

Third edit:

Scarlets Journal

First Fragment:
I wake up from nightmares--screaming, confused, and scared. It's getting wOrse. I've decided to talk to a mender. I've probably just been working to hard.

While i apreciate the story we got, it all just feels like a big exposition dump.

Mostly that touching szene with Kas and Maj felt forced and out of context. it is something we could have gotten anywhere else but there.

In the dead end for example. There was so much time. Putting it in there felt wastefull.

Then the new Asura character. Cute, a big mouth, the usual asura.
But out of nowhere. She is supposed to be Zojas aprentice or whatever, but no foreshadowing of her. If she has a major impact on the story now, she will be nothing more then a Deus Ex Machina in my book.

The rox thing was… okay that was done well, but Rythlok lost some respect here (yes i know his reasons)
also. No Logan on Rythlok action. I mean come on. We got them both so close. Let them have their moment. They have to be lonely after CoE (yes, sadly LS and PS still do not coexist )

Where is this LA instance? There are NO hints or help from npcs or mail or anything. Nothing going on the points that mail shows…. First I afk for over 1 hour waiting for marionette and then give up and check wurm and then I read that there’s some story instance in LA..I’m starting to get bit annoyed.

you have to take part at the marionette fight one time and then your questmarker changes and you can access the story

So few more hours of waiting. Sigh.
Ty for information though.

Jaken.6801:

While i apreciate the story we got, it all just feels like a big exposition dump.

Mostly that touching szene with Kas and Maj felt forced and out of context. it is something we could have gotten anywhere else but there.

In the dead end for example. There was so much time. Putting it in there felt wastefull.

I agree, the living story has been very lacking in the past. But I think the fact they are now making up with this in the patch means they’ve learned from that. Meaning Season two of the living story will have a lot better character building. Altough they don’t have to introduce a lot of new characters since we already have a lot of new ones.

Jaken.6801:

Then the new Asura character. Cute, a big mouth, the usual asura.
But out of nowhere. She is supposed to be Zojas aprentice or whatever, but no foreshadowing of her. If she has a major impact on the story now, she will be nothing more then a Deus Ex Machina in my book.

First of all I never played Deus Ex so I hope that didn’t make me misunderstand you. ^^
I think their goal with this character was to make her come out of nowhere. She has apparently been doing a lot of research into Scarlet and actually wants to meet her. If we had know she was going to/doing this research it wouldn’t have been such a surprise. However I agree she’s introduced a bit late for the Scarlet storyline, but don’t forget this storyline will flow over into the next storyline for season two. And our little friend already has some theories regarding Scarlet and the dragons. ^^

Jaken.6801:

The rox thing was… okay that was done well, but Rythlok lost some respect here (yes i know his reasons)
also. No Logan on Rythlok action. I mean come on. We got them both so close. Let them have their moment. They have to be lonely after CoE (yes, sadly LS and PS still do not coexist )

I absolutely agree we should’ve seen some Logan-Rytlock action! And I guess you’re right, this has to do with the fact they don’t want to merge LS and PS.

Can somebody enlighten me where is the new story instance?

Nothing on my map indicates anything eh

Darkmorphos.1530:

Jaken.6801:

Then the new Asura character. Cute, a big mouth, the usual asura.
But out of nowhere. She is supposed to be Zojas aprentice or whatever, but no foreshadowing of her. If she has a major impact on the story now, she will be nothing more then a Deus Ex Machina in my book.

First of all I never played Deus Ex so I hope that didn’t make me misunderstand you. ^^

Close but no, I think.

Deus Ex Machina : from Latin, meaning “god from the machine”
Where something is just solved because…reasons.

Deus Ex the video game reference: A series of really good video games (some better than others) in which society and cybernetics reach a turning point. The title of the game did take inspiration from the earlier definition though.

Darkmorphos.1530:

First of all I never played Deus Ex so I hope that didn’t make me misunderstand you. ^^
I think their goal with this character was to make her come out of nowhere. She has apparently been doing a lot of research into Scarlet and actually wants to meet her. If we had know she was going to/doing this research it wouldn’t have been such a surprise. However I agree she’s introduced a bit late for the Scarlet storyline, but don’t forget this storyline will flow over into the next storyline for season two. And our little friend already has some theories regarding Scarlet and the dragons. ^^

I was talking about the plot device of a “deus ex machina”. It is basicly a solution out of nowhere that saves the day.
Hence the name, deus being god etc. …

CharrGirl.7896:

Can somebody enlighten me where is the new story instance?

Nothing on my map indicates anything eh

After you’ve particepated in the marionette fight once you will get a message in your living story UI telling you you can go to the LA docks for the story instance.

Jaken.6801:

Darkmorphos.1530:

First of all I never played Deus Ex so I hope that didn’t make me misunderstand you. ^^
I think their goal with this character was to make her come out of nowhere. She has apparently been doing a lot of research into Scarlet and actually wants to meet her. If we had know she was going to/doing this research it wouldn’t have been such a surprise. However I agree she’s introduced a bit late for the Scarlet storyline, but don’t forget this storyline will flow over into the next storyline for season two. And our little friend already has some theories regarding Scarlet and the dragons. ^^

I was talking about the plot device of a “deus ex machina”. It is basicly a solution out of nowhere that saves the day.
Hence the name, deus being god etc. …

Thanks for the explanation! And I have to agree with you here. It looks like she’s gonna be a deus ex machina. ;(

I absolutely agree with the OP. The LA instance actually relly felt like a story. Seized me!

Speaking of the new asura, I found her name Taimi quite amusing as it means sapling in Finnish. While it probably wasn’t an intentional bilingual bonus, I would still say that the name fits a tiny asura progeny quite well. Although it would fit a tiny sylvari even better.

Kaeam.8107:

Speaking of the new asura, I found her name Taimi quite amusing as it means sapling in Finnish. While it probably wasn’t an intentional bilingual bonus, I would still say that the name fits a tiny asura progeny quite well. Although it would fit a tiny sylvari even better.

Maybe it is a bit of foreshadowing? Maybe she will join…

did anyone else notice that rytloc’s first line seemed a bit out of character?
did steve blum miss a line, and someone substituted? or was it just flubbed
kasmeer has a good voice actress and it really stood out this time.. the whole story was drawn out and forced though.. so +1 for it despite redundant character development.. the marjory kasmeer thing is so out of place and i personally don’t find marjory believable as a person

Yeah, listening to it again it sounds like Rytlock had a different voice actor for that first line.

I enjoyed the instance. I actually laughed twice. First when Rox says “It does” in response to Rytlock talking about smelly dragon pieces. It was a cheesy sitcom joke but the voice actor nailed that line. I forget the second laugh but I think it was Taimi manipulating Logan and Braham.

All three of the scenes seemed out of place. Why was Rytlock in Lion’s Arch? Why was Rox reporting to him on a beach? She mentions going to her bunk, but that’s all the way in the Black Citadel.

Why was Logan here at all? I didn’t see him on the battlefield. Did I miss him or does his presence not really make sense? I assume they couldn’t get a hold of Felicia Day so Logan is a placeholder? Where did he come across her? Why did he take responsibility for her?

I agree Marjory and Kasmeer’s scene felt really out of place. Everyone else is talking about Scarlet, the mission, the battlefield (Rox and Braham’s fight is indirectly related to Scarlet as her admission to the war band is linked to stopping Scarlet), but these two are having a relationship moment when everyone else is talking about the issues. In particular this clashed with the big exposition dump from the Priory member. I’m glad we finally find out what happened to Kasmeer’s father (it was vaguely referenced before now) but with a super weapon and giant wurms terrorising Tyria I don’t see why it happened here and now. I think the scene should have taken place in the bar prior to now.

I like the physicality of the NPCs. Marjory runs over to Logan but tells Kasmeer she will be right back – that’s something a real person would do when leaving a friend temporarily. They face each other during their conversation, at at the end they move closer to each other. This was very effective and it shows another strength of this kind of scene over the Personal Story ones. I also liked Rox playing with Frostbite and Braham hammering away with frustration after their talk. It helped sell where those characters were at after their interactions.

On a technical note, I liked how each scene was activated when I chose, (by walking near the star) and the UI updated when each one was done and a new one was available. It made navigating the instance easier and gave me enough control so I could talk to NPCs in my own time between scenes. I do have one issue though. Logan isn’t available to talk to prior to his scene starting and once you start it there is no time to talk to him when he’s not engaged in dialogue or walking. Unlike Rytlock, he leaves the instance forcing you to either speed read his dialogue as he walks or read it as he talks (neither is a nice option). This happened with Eir in one of the Flame and Frost instances as well.

The Rox dialogue doesn’t recognise that I’ve fought Tequatl (let alone done it multiple times). As a charr it was weird having Rox explain a final patrol (as a player I’m glad she did though). I did like that Rytlock continues to talk to me like I’m a charr.

Shout out to the quaggan couple.

I’m glad this stuff is making it into the game now. I think it could be better placed in the world, but I really enjoyed these dialogues.