hello there,
i just wanted to give a quick feedback on the personal storyline. Ofc this is really subjective, so please accept my opinion as what it is, just an opinion.
first, the good things:
- there are some storyline missions i liked very much (for example the asura 1-30 missions, because Mr. Sparkles and Zojja are really awesome and funny. Also the “vision” mission where you go to Orr in the Vision of the Pale Tree was impressive!).
- Also i like almost all of the minor races and the storyline missions involving them. I like the Quaggans and Skritt the most i think, including the voice acting, the overall culture (such as the Skritt children are called “Kit”, or the “fighting Quaggan”)
- The voice acting is mostly OK.
now things i dislike:
- the progression speed: I think my character is progressing way too fast. What i mean by that: it feels like i just joined the university, bought a book and this graduated me instantly to a doctor. Or i just helped an old woman cross the street and this is why i now get the Nobel Peace Prize. You get a lot of recognition, too much if you ask me.
This feels really weird… I remember that i joined the Order of Whispers as an initiate, and just a few missions later i know the identity of the leader…
let me add comparisions to other games, where i think this was done much better:
1. In the Original Guild Wars Nightfall, you join the Sunspears. To progress in the storyline, you have to advance in Sunspear ranks. You can do this by doing quests that reward you with sunspear points. Here, you feel probably much more connected to the organization, you advance slower, you have to do more for your recognition.
2. In The Elder Scrolls games, you can join a variety of organizations, such as the Thieves Guild, or the Mages College. There, joining is easy, but to gain access to the really nice stuff (armors, weapons…), you have to advance in ranks too. You do this by doing Side-Storyline Missions for those Organizations, or fulfilling minor tasks.
what i miss, regarding the orders, is a real connection to the order. The storyline is rushing this so fast, i don’t really feel that i am an actual member of the Order. As soon as you think you are now with them, the storyline progress leads you into the Pact, and your Order is now “gone”.
- then i dislike the overall “you are the hero” thing. I am not against this in general, i just think they overdo it a bit. Ofc, i am awesome, but this does not mean i am perfect. My character should make mistakes. Yes, ofc, many NPCs you get to know die, but also here it goes so fast that you don’t really “feel a loss” because you have met them just in the same mission they die, or they are replaced that fast, and then forgotten by everyone. Or their Deaths are just that pathetic that you can’t take it serious (like the one that dies during the battle for lions arch….).
Also, if you make a mistake, the other NPCs just say “oh hey, thats fine, don’t worry. Oh, you let that Norn Woman die? No problem. Lets just go to hoelbrak and tell everyone what a hero she was, and how brave she died for the greater good.” This does not make me feel like a Hero, but rather like a jerk, and i think they must be joking.
In situations like that, i somewhat feel like “i am wrong in here. Everyone thinks i am a hero, they must take me for someone else. Oh no. And now they call me Commander”
and now what i really miss
i think the core decisions – race, profession, order- you make should matter trough the whole storyline. Here i miss profession-related stuff most. If you play a thief, you should have different options to handle stuff in the storylines than if you play an elementalist, or warrior. Same for the race. I just think a charr would handle most situations different than a sylvari.
In most high-level storylines, it does not matter what profession you are, or what race, or what order you joined. I just think a charr warrior who joined the vigil should do things different than a Human Thief who joined the Order of Whispers.
Because race, profession and order does not matter that much, the story does not really feel like it is really “my story”.