When, long, long ago, I read that the developers where improving every aspect of gw1 to make it better in gw2, the first thing that came into my mind was the story. Yes, most of the stories told in gw1 had a fair/bad plot (and i consider myself a fan of this games)
I read all about personal story and the cinematics, and I really thought they where taking it to new level. Then I played the game.
That was so so disapointing and in many levels. It’s not a new issue, and it’s said in other posts but it’s more than the bad voice acting (expensive and unnecessary to me), uninteresting and flat characters, frustrating gameplay, explosions that dont make any sound, unbalanced rewards, and many more things.
It’s more than that, for example you know the end of the story from the start in most cases, and there’s the huge lie: the personal story is not about your character, is not really a personal story and you don’t really have any choice.
An example of choice in gw2:
“You have to kill those bandits (maybe because they’re bad, if you’re lucky to be told). Then you have two options:
1. Direct attack the front door
2. Subtle attack from the behind door”
It’s a silly example but it’s mostly what they understand as choices. Please Anet, we don’t need that!!
My humble suggestion:
1. Use dungeons to tell the main story plot (at least in story mode) not what are now, some inconnected and, in my oppinion, uninteresting stories. Then you’re free to do the next thing:
2. make a real personal story to just that. I explain:
You can make it shorter, we don’t need 10 missions of kill 2345243 undead (something that is boring and you can find in gw2)
Stories with sense. If I fail to protect an npc or fail a mission there should be a consequence and the events have to change. We dont want to repeat the mission. if you make two ways it encourages to see what happens next and retry later with another charater to see the “what happens if i saved him/her?” Now that does not happen.
Even if I fail all the missions then the result has to be realistic and that will add fun ( "i’m going to fail all missions to see what’s happening!!). That can add missions that could be hard to fail!!!
In the end They can be shorter enough to not have 10 different endings but i thing that the huge amount of “missions” done in the personal stories made so far, may take the same amount of work than the idea i’m exposing.
Really thanks for reading. Keep up the good work! i love the game with it’s goodies and flaws.