Guild Wars 2

sonicwylde.2906:

So my Ranger is Lord Faren’s best friend (according to my personal story) but he acts like he does not know him on the Southsun shore stuff… so what up with that, wouldn’t he be all “bff what up”?

Well, I got the same feeling, but he’s probably busy keeping his eyes on Kasmeer.

I wish he would’ve mentioned my name at least

he is totally shady

Where is he? I can’t find him anywhere…

Go down to the beach from where Ellen Kiel is. When you find yourself in your undies, look to the tables. He’s in the red speedo.

Yeah I noticed that too. I guess they wanted a neutral dialogue so what happened in personal story with NPCs acting like they knew you when it was the first time you saw them didn’t happen again. It would’ve been nice to add some extra lines for characters with the Noble storyline (like whisper agents recognize characters chosing them in their personal storyline).

After all Faren is from one of the personal storylines so it would’ve been nice for him to say “hello friend!” at least :S

This is a problem with the entire game and has been there since launch.

They did this somewhat with F&F so I was surprised they didn’t here.

If you had gotten far enough in your personal story, some NPCs recognised you as commander of the pact. Seems they just forgot to do it or didn’t have the time.

If they didn’t have time, they should have just used a generic noble instead.

Still my favorite npc though…

This reminds me of my “first” meeting with Trahearne at Claw Island…even though I spent a full story arc hanging out with him.

Man us “poor” background players will get shafted if you start giving extra conversation options to Faren and the like. My only friend got brutally murdered at the beginning of the game. The sad thing is I played the “noble” background on my first few characters and liked it a lot more, but on what ended up being my main I went for the “poor” background just to see what it was like.

BobbyStein.2315:

One of our goals in using existing characters in Living World content is to strengthen connections to the player. We intended to include a conversation option for players who spent time with Lord Faren in the Personal Story, but this fell off the radar as the release neared completion. It’s on my list of things to watch out for when we’re developing upcoming releases. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

It may be at best interest to think of more permanent solutions within the game to strengthen character connections to players. People that miss out on living stories or join the game after will not have this shared experience. Instead, they will have to perceive NPCs through a badly executed personal story. Not that there is any experience to begin with at the moment, seeing as how Faren has memory loss issues and the personal story is extremely choppy at best when it comes to player relationships with NPCs.

I honestly think the home instance would make a great tool for something of the likes if it were improved on. It has great potential to be so many things, but is severely under utilized.

Jabberwock.9014:

Man us “poor” background players will get shafted if you start giving extra conversation options to Faren and the like. My only friend got brutally murdered at the beginning of the game. The sad thing is I played the “noble” background on my first few characters and liked it a lot more, but on what ended up being my main I went for the “poor” background just to see what it was like.

Pfff, as an Asura, Silvary and Norn I’ve never seen this guy before. Should I know him??He seems fishy anyways.

He’s probably pretending not to know you so that you don’t overshadow him in-front of Kasmeer. He’s pretty desperately trying to tap that, after-all.

Jabberwock.9014:

Man us “poor” background players will get shafted if you start giving extra conversation options to Faren and the like. My only friend got brutally murdered at the beginning of the game. The sad thing is I played the “noble” background on my first few characters and liked it a lot more, but on what ended up being my main I went for the “poor” background just to see what it was like.

This is gw2. It is merely an inconvenience to having a conversation with the dead.

That’s unfortunate. "Conversations" in this game are often 1-3 sentences in the tiny dialogue boxes. It’s too bad no one had the time (five minutes?) to write off a couple and flag it to check for human nobles.

At least he’s getting a tan, I guess.
And this way he’s just as useless as any other NPC at remembering my characters, so he fits in at any rate.

Well there might be a rational theory if your noble is female. He’s trying to get with this Kasmeer girl so obviously he might think remembering his female BFF will complicate things with her. :P

Except it’s entirely possible you’ve acted as his wing(wo)man before, and having one of the slayers of Zhaitan acting as your wingwoman is probably one of the best ways to get into someone’s bikini bottom around…

It’s true but on the other hand some personal story bits gave me the impression there’s a “history” between your noble female and Faren:

Faren: “…. but I am charming in other ways”
PC: “And the less said about the better”

I realize the line is the same if your male and I may be over-thinking things but this recent development adds to that theory.

KyoHanakaze.8145:

This reminds me of my “first” meeting with Trahearne at Claw Island…even though I spent a full story arc hanging out with him.

exactly this

It would be possible if we didnt have the writer from A.net posting above saying that more personalized dialogue was cut because of time constraints.

Jabberwock.9014:

Man us “poor” background players will get shafted if you start giving extra conversation options to Faren and the like. My only friend got brutally murdered at the beginning of the game. The sad thing is I played the “noble” background on my first few characters and liked it a lot more, but on what ended up being my main I went for the “poor” background just to see what it was like.

There’s Riot Alice. I know she’s not technically a friend but she did seem to like your character and I always felt like we should hear more from her. There’s also characters from other personal story sections.

guardian.6489:

It’s true but on the other hand some personal story bits gave me the impression there’s a “history” between your noble female and Faren:

Faren: “…. but I am charming in other ways”
PC: “And the less said about the better”

I realize the line is the same if your male and I may be over-thinking things but this recent development adds to that theory.

Hey the meaning could be the same for male characters too.

Reminds me of Rytlock in the Black Citadel Stockades after he finished talking with Rox. He called my character something like “citizen” or “random person who got in my way and who I never heard of or seen before”. Even after all we went through in the personal story and we took down Zhaitan together (and dungeon stories).

It certainly left me unimpressed, although I think the real problem is that the player is a hero (to the whole known world) through the personal story. There is no way that everyone should be constantly treating your character as a known hero in the open world.

Still, it would be nice if Rytlock said something more interesting depending on which point of your personal story you are. Although technically, Zhaitan is still alive in to the open world, eventhough he is dead through the personal story. There are some major inconsistencies because of this split.

Mastruq.2463:

It would be possible if we didnt have the writer from A.net posting above saying that more personalized dialogue was cut because of time constraints.

Yeah, it’s really tough to write one or two additional sentences and tack them in with the 9 measly sentences/4 boxes of dialogue currently on Faren here.
That’s unfortunate.
edit: I am sure this comes off pretty combative. I am just pretty frustrated at the lack of NPC memory/consistency across the game overall and really am rooting for the writing staff getting more time/more help on things like this.

To be fair, it certainly adds up across all of the NPCs in the game, but think of how much more immersive NPC interaction would be if someone was paid to handle this.

KyoHanakaze.8145:

This reminds me of my “first” meeting with Trahearne at Claw Island…even though I spent a full story arc hanging out with him.

umm, he does remember you?

the conversation is very brief, and it’s pretty much a “oh hey valiant fancy meeting you here”, but he DOES remember you, and you get an extra cutscene from it, you also get bonus dialog and cutscenes if you’ve already met carys and tegwen when you meet them on the priory mission and the vigil plan, as well as the plan to capture the EoZ in the mirror (it’s pretty much them saying “oh hey remember us? we’re recurring characters now”)

also, for sylvari who did the Green Knight storyline, occam has some extra lines if you talk to him in Forging The Pact

people praise the charr storyline for being held together well until the order storylines, but the sylvari quests have the potential to be the most interconnected for the rest of the game (seriously, every sylvari racial storyline has an option that introduces you to a character who helps in orr, green knight has occam, act with wisdom has carys and tegwen, the priory missions introduce you to kekt before you meet him in lion’s arch or the cave in forging the pact, the and the whispers missions have the hologram using asura as an announcer at the pit brawl (there’s also caithe getting the idea to restart destiny’s edge and giving you more relevant info via the mails, trahearne obviously, and you feel no sense of anger from not being allowed to have caladbolg, because that thing SUCKS))

Nobody likes a third wheel……

well, i actually thought they were spoofing Ken and Barbie… haven’t run into Faren yet.

RedSpectrum.1975:

Nobody likes a third wheel……

depends on the point of view;
how about “wingman”?

Never met Faren before this event, but he came across as a flake. But maybe he’s aware enough to know that he’s a flake, so he’s trying to shoo you away.

Not that its really working, because when you talk to Kasmeer she’s very indifferent to his existence.

Though they’re both probably crazy for going to Southsun for recreation,

Semil.8279:

Though they’re both probably crazy for going to Southsun for recreation,

What do you expect from people who host cat-beauty-competitions.

That’s just eccentric.

But that beach is literally about 100 yards from skelks looking to eat your…well, they want to eat you.

Granted, it probably isn’t the most stupid thing a man has ever done to get with a beautiful woman.

But that also doesn’t explain why Kasmeer is there. Either she went there to knowingly risk her life, or she went there because Faren is a creepy stalker and she’s hoping he’ll get killed.

I guess they just didn’t get told how dangerous it is. And if you think about it, there are some tourists at the other side of the island who are on hollidays for months now. That spot is always rainy, you can’t do anything but drinking and if you go like 50m outside your camp you get eaten by the wildlife. Tyrians seem to have different standards of what is a nice vacation. xD

Or, well maybe not.^^

They probably got suckered in with one of those suspiciously low price travel deals. Then nobody told them how to get back, they aren’t allowed over by the nobles, can’t leave the beach, and nobody told them how to use the asura gate. So they drink.

Eventually the Consortium will hand them a bill they can’t pay for all the food and drink that wasn’t included in the upfront cost, and they’ll be forced into indentured servitude for generations.

It would have been nice to have Faren respond to noble human characters who had him in their personal story. It was fun to see the NPC again at Southsun but having him respond to my character would have been a really great touch.

Wolfgang Hype.8970:

This is a problem with the entire game and has been there since launch.

A large number of NPCs in the late story briefly acknowledge your past in the early game. There seemed to be less recognition with my Sylvari than with my Humans or my Norn, though. I go around and talk to every named NPC I get a chance to talk with.

Semil.8279:

But that also doesn’t explain why Kasmeer is there. Either she went there to knowingly risk her life, or she went there because Faren is a creepy stalker and she’s hoping he’ll get killed.

Read the “Welcome to Paradise” section on the official web site for why Lady Kasmeer Meade came to Southsun. I expect everything on “Welcome to Paradise” will be revealed as the story unfolds (similar to Rox and Braham).

I am personally betting that it is Faren that has the hidden agenda here. My guess is he was sent here by Logan or Jennah to spy on shady dealings.

synk.6907:

Mastruq.2463:

It would be possible if we didnt have the writer from A.net posting above saying that more personalized dialogue was cut because of time constraints.

Yeah, it’s really tough to write one or two additional sentences and tack them in with the 9 measly sentences/4 boxes of dialogue currently on Faren here.
That’s unfortunate.
edit: I am sure this comes off pretty combative. I am just pretty frustrated at the lack of NPC memory/consistency across the game overall and really am rooting for the writing staff getting more time/more help on things like this.

To be fair, it certainly adds up across all of the NPCs in the game, but think of how much more immersive NPC interaction would be if someone was paid to handle this.

No reason to be rude, I was merely stating the obvious as a reply to someone that didnt take the time to read the thread. I do otherwise agree with you, I wish the game had much more little personalized interactions here and there.

I do believe the ship has sailed for this chapter, so to speak. There’s a distinct lack of polish in the little details compared to F&F, probably due to time constraints, and It’s likely those constraints do not go away during the short 1-month chapter. With the way the living story is apparently set up, look for implementation of the player feedback in the chapters following the current, because that team can probably to some degree acount for the things players didnt like much. I might be wrong there but the way they implement the supposed ending of this chapter after the whinestorm about the dungeon in F&F directly takes those complaints to heart. As does the dropping of southsun supply chests after complaints about the fused weapon tickets. Baby steps, but still…

If I am at least partially correct there, living story might actually evolve into something awesome in like half a year to a year, with enough iterations. Too bad they didnt have the concept early enough to iterate during beta.

Farzo.8410:

sonicwylde.2906:

So my Ranger is Lord Faren’s best friend (according to my personal story) but he acts like he does not know him on the Southsun shore stuff… so what up with that, wouldn’t he be all “bff what up”?

Well, I got the same feeling, but he’s probably busy keeping his eyes on Kasmeer.

I wish he would’ve mentioned my name at least

Seeing Kasmeer’s amazing bikini has given him short-term memory loss.

Not that he ever thinks much anyhow. Not with his brain, at least.

Lord Faren is very much a flake indeed.

But he’s my best buddy flake

Jabberwock.9014:

Man us “poor” background players will get shafted if you start giving extra conversation options to Faren and the like. My only friend got brutally murdered at the beginning of the game. The sad thing is I played the “noble” background on my first few characters and liked it a lot more, but on what ended up being my main I went for the “poor” background just to see whakitten was like.

That means you get to be friends with Riot Alice though. And that means you win. Mrrrowwr!

Mastruq.2463:

No reason to be rude, I was merely stating the obvious as a reply to someone that didnt take the time to read the thread. I do otherwise agree with you, I wish the game had much more little personalized interactions here and there.

That wasn’t directed toward you, though your quote served as a nice platform from which to build.

This happens time and time again in the story quests, i was actually shocked when the Largos remembered one of my characters in Straights of Devastation, to this day i have no idea how she knew me…

Melchior.2135:

Jabberwock.9014:

Man us “poor” background players will get shafted if you start giving extra conversation options to Faren and the like. My only friend got brutally murdered at the beginning of the game. The sad thing is I played the “noble” background on my first few characters and liked it a lot more, but on what ended up being my main I went for the “poor” background just to see whakitten was like.

That means you get to be friends with Riot Alice though. And that means you win. Mrrrowwr!

I really wish that would go somewhere in the future of this game.

I chose the poor background, but i love the lord faren’s idiocy (the dialogue between him and kasmeer = priceless). I am disappointed that lord faren doesn’t show more recognition to noble humans, but it’s not a huge deal to me, though i reeeeeaaaaaaaalllly hope that they continue to bring back characters from the personal story into the overworld. I really wanna see my bro quinn again, he’s one of the few npc’s that doesn’t show up in the home instance even if you save him. My worry is, for some people, quinn died, so i’m wondering if they can bring him back into the story somehow while still acknowledging those that didn’t save him. Maybe have some different dialogue saying they’re a different quinn that has never met them b4? Or maybe a different skin for him when they approach? XP

BobbyStein.2315:

One of our goals in using existing characters in Living World content is to strengthen connections to the player. We intended to include a conversation option for players who spent time with Lord Faren in the Personal Story, but this fell off the radar as the release neared completion. It’s on my list of things to watch out for when we’re developing upcoming releases. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

It’s really that hard to put in a dialogue option? Couldn’t you have just got Billy the intern to do it or something?

KyoHanakaze.8145:

This reminds me of my “first” meeting with Trahearne at Claw Island…even though I spent a full story arc hanging out with him.

Yeah and you still couldn’t stab him in the throat next time you saw him.