Guild Wars 2

OK so while writing a summary of this on another thread, i thought id outline it properly within a suggestion as i feel like its a solid idea that would drastically improve two areas of the game that are not currently utilised very well.

The personal story and home instance was for me, a highly attractive feature pre guild wars 2 launch. The idea that choice and effect gameplay would appear in the MMO and actually manifest and influence a specific space for each player was incredible. Imagine showing your friends your home instance many people cried (me along with them). What has happened is slightly different. Instead, everything has forgotten about the home instance while a majority of people will complain for hours about how non personal the story actually was.

So lets fix that! And no, believe it or not but im going to try and avoid attacking trahearne for this entire post.

My idea is actually a little simplier than one might think. After all, completely revamping the story would cost Anet too much money, as VO and actor work would have to be redone.
Therefore it shouldnt be a case of redesigning, but more organising and expanding instead. Let me explain in easy bullet points;

- Split the current personal arc into 2, right as you meet trahearne for the first time.
- Call the second half, Trahearnes story and make it a arc you can manually pick up after meeting him.

Right there and then you have the non-personal issue cleared up. I mean, the first half of the story does feel good, yes its slow paced and nothing exciting happens but the choices you make actually resonate throughout the game, be it the mission following or the implication upon your home instance.

Now for future development. Expansions and large content updates would bring a updated second half of the personal story, yet this time each mission and choice/effect is surrounded by the idea that in some way it will effect your home instance.
Being caught up with elder dragons and large issues like that makes it alot harder for a player to get their own unique experience. We all kill the dragon after all. Instead, if the focus was shifted onto the home instance you could have as many different endings as you can dream up. Think of the possibilities of such a system!!

Examples of different ways the person story can unfold and effect the home instance is literally limitless, because of the fundamentals of instance tech. And through NPCs and dialogue you can even leak this into the open world. My own ideas include;

- Player can become the owner of the district that everyone loves OR the tyrant that everybody hates
- Choices would either lead the home instance to more beauty OR complete disrepair
- Player could have a family and kids If so a later mission could see them in danger and mother/father NPC could die
- Criminals could overun one part of the home instance, actually creating a dymanic event chain within the instance for friends to help out with

There just a few, but if you like this idea then please feel free to add your own ideas. The more get thrown around the better in my eyes.
I thinks its important to remember that cycles of content can be consider as well, as the event system in so strong, putting it in your home instance for various reasons or choices made in the game could provide more content than is actually there… Especially if this was to come on the back of a few content updates… the second half of the story just wouldnt be big enough without using a little event trickery here and there.

Altho if you dont agree with what im suggesting, please tell me so! Abit of CC never hurt anyone

Yeah, I’m waiting for personality type to have more impact on your game like they said it would, too. Sure it changes a few conversation options once in a blue moon, but it doesn’t really change anything for your character. You don’t get different missions, earn different rewards, make different friends …

Personality was supposed to be a big deal, and it isn’t. That’s one area GW2 really disappointed me.

ive made 4 different characters and each time the story was different.

thats as good as it gets in any mmo and people are still complaining?

Envy.1679:

ive made 4 different characters and each time the story was different.

thats as good as it gets in any mmo and people are still complaining?

I think you’re right. Arena Net did a great job with the story mode

There is already a second personal story.

It is called going out in the world and doing hearts.

Other than that, I would like my home instance to be more meaningful.

Envy.1679:

ive made 4 different characters and each time the story was different.

thats as good as it gets in any mmo and people are still complaining?

I agree, in general. If you join the same order (which will happen at character 4), then it does get a little repetitive during those levels but otherwise, my stories have been different and I’m really enjoying it so far. This is a huge step-up from most MMOs.

I agree that home instances need to happen, and when they do (because they were promised) I hope they utilize some of your ideas. I still think ANet needs to have “capital city” events to encourage people to go to DR, Hoelbrak, Rata Sum, etc. Home instance events could be like those as well.

@Parlourbeatflex
Really nice idea, I’d be happy if Anet did something like that.
Another thing is, it would be nice if there was a reason to go the home instance in the first place. I’ve heard there are changes as the story goes along, but didn’t notice since I haven’t been there since level 20 or so. Why no put there related order merchants at least or something?
Maybe add housing. I chose noble background and didn’t see my house and apparently I don’t even hire guards. Adding an upgradable house would be nice and we’d have reason to show the instance off to others.

Oh and I’ve still no idea what the Blessed by Balthazar choice is supposed to have done for me.

Envy.1679:

ive made 4 different characters and each time the story was different.

thats as good as it gets in any mmo and people are still complaining?

My starter quests change in WoW when I roll a different race there too. The game we were sold involved a lot more “personal” in the personal story. Reread the OP.

Yeah, what I’ve missed as a necromancer is the chaotic, necrotic, dark side of my character. Not the kind of ‘hero’. Helps out of course, but sin’t being al nice in all cutscenes, sometimes being cruel.

Yea the personality thing is something anet hyped the crap out of…. I really don’t see how they failed to implement not only a promise, but a technically simple one at that.

I mean how hard is it to write a few extra lines of dialogue for most npcs… Even if it was generic.

Also don’t get me wrong, I think anet have done a good job delivering a basic story that is technically unique to every player… What I’m saying is there’s no harm is pointing out the massive faults in the system and asking for them faults to be developed and iterated upon.

Parlourbeatflex, have a look here: http://youtu.be/XMEq4PAFmnI?t=11m23s
This is an example of the personal sotry effecting the open world. I’ve found 3 instances of this happening in gmae so far. Imagine if THIS was the norm in personal stories and how they could expand on this in the form of side quests.
I’d rather a system like this that changes multiple parts of the world (When combined with point Number 5 of the same video: http://youtu.be/XMEq4PAFmnI?t=17m46s) then just the home instance.
The system shown and expanded apon in this video would cover all the things you asked for here and more.

Yes I did watch the entire video when it was posted and actually was quite surprised as I had never seen that event before.

I do think your right in saying if this was expanded upon it would cover what I suggest, however, lets not forget that the personal story, personality and home instance system is already in the game. It’s simply ridiculous to think that they will keep the features half baked. Think about how much could be possible in terms of setting the game apart from any mmo currently out there if these systems were developed properly, in rhythm with each other.
Lets look at how the framework currently within the game could be used to create exciting and unique experiences within guild wars 2 narrative (however please hold in mind I have little knowledge over Tyrian background lore);

Say I played a mission within my personal story that requires me to make the choice between saving my friend and a group of innocent but generic npcs that currently live in my home instance. I am a lord, while coming from a poor background I had impressed enough people commanding the united front against zhaitan and chose to pursue a political hobby within my home instance (a pathway chosen via the redeveloped personal story).
Since I’m a people’s person I unwillingly sacrifice my friend, and although quite solemn the cities council rejoice at my do-goodiness once again, crowning me lord protecter of the district. They then proceed to giving me the location of a bandit stronghold, where they suspect the attackers are based from. Because of my actions they also assign me a platoon of knights in which I can choose how to use (a. Attack the stronghold directly with player or b. Attack now to weaken the enemy forces OR C. Don’t use the knights at all).
I choose option C because I’m bad kitten but before delving further I decide to explore about abit.
Immediately I notice that the group of npcs I saved are littering the streets talking amazing things about me and my deeds. There is also lots of flowers at the house of my deceased friend and some npcs around weeping.
Feeling abit guilty I get out of dodge as quick as possible to go explore the countryside while doing dailes. Speaking to other npcs in the area I receive more opinions and views on the events that have transpired but the further I move away from the city the less informed these npcs are becoming.
After a few normal events and abit of daily doing, I decide its time to go back to the home instance to check on my district. However upon arriving I am greeted by another close friend, she is distraught about the last missions outcome and about the death of a close friend. She blames me further and begins to attack me, I fend her off and she runs off before I can more damage, screaming for vengeance.
From then on, I often get attacked in the open world by some of her new comrades and while I’m genuinely unsure of how it will turn out, I can guarantee that there’s a brand new story arc opened up somewhere down the line.

See what I did there? Not only can every system mentioned before have a role within building narrative but also create a more exciting one to play through. Not even mentioning how differently you could imagine the same story section playing out. Having the appearance of a highly unique experience would be easy if all the mechanics were used to full effect.

Parlourbeatflex.5970:

Yes I did watch the entire video when it was posted and actually was quite surprised as I had never seen that event before.

I do think your right in saying if this was expanded upon it would cover what I suggest, however, lets not forget that the personal story, personality and home instance system is already in the game. It’s simply ridiculous to think that they will keep the features half baked. Think about how much could be possible in terms of setting the game apart from any mmo currently out there if these systems were developed properly, in rhythm with each other.
Lets look at how the framework currently within the game could be used to create exciting and unique experiences within guild wars 2 narrative (however please hold in mind I have little knowledge over Tyrian background lore);

Say I played a mission within my personal story that requires me to make the choice between saving my friend and a group of innocent but generic npcs that currently live in my home instance. I am a lord, while coming from a poor background I had impressed enough people commanding the united front against zhaitan and chose to pursue a political hobby within my home instance (a pathway chosen via the redeveloped personal story).
Since I’m a people’s person I unwillingly sacrifice my friend, and although quite solemn the cities council rejoice at my do-goodiness once again, crowning me lord protecter of the district. They then proceed to giving me the location of a bandit stronghold, where they suspect the attackers are based from. Because of my actions they also assign me a platoon of knights in which I can choose how to use (a. Attack the stronghold directly with player or b. Attack now to weaken the enemy forces OR C. Don’t use the knights at all).
I choose option C because I’m bad kitten but before delving further I decide to explore about abit.
Immediately I notice that the group of npcs I saved are littering the streets talking amazing things about me and my deeds. There is also lots of flowers at the house of my deceased friend and some npcs around weeping.
Feeling abit guilty I get out of dodge as quick as possible to go explore the countryside while doing dailes. Speaking to other npcs in the area I receive more opinions and views on the events that have transpired but the further I move away from the city the less informed these npcs are becoming.
After a few normal events and abit of daily doing, I decide its time to go back to the home instance to check on my district. However upon arriving I am greeted by another close friend, she is distraught about the last missions outcome and about the death of a close friend. She blames me further and begins to attack me, I fend her off and she runs off before I can more damage, screaming for vengeance.
From then on, I often get attacked in the open world by some of her new comrades and while I’m genuinely unsure of how it will turn out, I can guarantee that there’s a brand new story arc opened up somewhere down the line.

See what I did there? Not only can every system mentioned before have a role within building narrative but also create a more exciting one to play through. Not even mentioning how differently you could imagine the same story section playing out. Having the appearance of a highly unique experience would be easy if all the mechanics were used to full effect.

Ah, I can see what you mean now. You could combine the two to even greater effect. It would defintly be something that could be slowly added too to enchance the GW2 personal experiance. Thumbs up from me on this.

Kaaboose.3897:

Ah, I can see what you mean now. You could combine the two to even greater effect. It would defintly be something that could be slowly added too to enchance the GW2 personal experiance. Thumbs up from me on this.

Thanks, actually thinking about this has led me to the conclusion that anet might still be planning on giving us this personal story experience that we were promised. As I said, all the framework is already layed out for this anyway.

I really like the personal story. GW2 is an MMO, not a single player RPG, so I expected it to be somewhat half-kittened, and I actually got more than I expected.

That being said, after my initial enthusiasm over the first part (personal), and my engagement in the second part (order), I quickly saw that the thrid part (Trahearne) was pretty generic. I see why they had to do this and I applaud ANet for pulling this off at all! (Many exclamation marks!!!) But… the last part of the personal story still felt kind of empty.

I like the OPs suggestion of making the arc back to the home instance. The home instances are already there and could be put to great use. The further adventures could be episodic, so you wouldn’t be limited to just a select few.

And how about combining this with the ever-recurring subject of player housing as a reward?

In short: the details are super vague in my mind but I believe the OP is right and it COULD be pulled off with limited resources. I would love to see it. It would also be a new incentive for me to finally finish Traheane’s my personal story so far to get to the personal bits again.

Pixelpumpkin.4608:

I like the OPs suggestion of making the arc back to the home instance. The home instances are already there and could be

put to great use. The further adventures could be episodic, so you wouldn’t be limited to just a select few.

And how about combining this with the ever-recurring subject of player housing as a reward?

Yes I could definitely see player housing come in through this medium. IMO the smart thing to do is further tie that into the narrative. The interesting questions is do you restrict the player to customisation through choice and effect gameplay or do you portion a part of the home instance off for complete customisation (true housing)? Do you let players customise one house or the whole district? If so would it be utility or aesthetic? Wouldn’t it be a good idea to include all the above?

Apologies for spit balling again but imagine if the system provided a way for casual players who aren’t really bothered about housing, can still experience a unique choice driven story while hardcore housey players can get stuck into customisation, equally represented within the narrative itself. Example;

- player A chooses to become the city architect within the story arc, which requires they must customise and revamp/upgrade certain houses themselves within the city budget
- player B chooses to assign one of 3 npcs to fill the role, each one with a different style that certain buildings then automatically fit within (could include a timesink to balance, like a materials fetch quest as a example)
- completion of the mission unlocks the player house in which the player can customise.

With the way the home instance is designed it allows for bolt on like content, stuff that doesn’t nessecarily need to fit within the main arc but can be picked up at any time after a certain variable is complete. Another way this feature just isn’t utilised right now.