Guild Wars 2

I really like a lot of the aspects of the dynamic event system. I also really like the Personal Story aspect of the game that helps generate instanced and story-driven content specific to our own characters. However, I feel like there is not enough story-driven content at this point, and that we are pushed into hack-and-slash grinding for more of the game than I really like to see.

First, the dynamic events do not require characters to engage in the story before they participate. On the one hand, this is good, as it allows characters to participate in them even if they come late to the party. But the NPCs that sometimes show up to inform characters of such events are often present too late, or too far away to allow new characters to join in in a timely way. Take the event to rescue the kidnapped snow leopard cubs in Wayfarer Hills for example. Once the cubs are stolen, an NPC goes to the nearby trading post area and tries to inform other characters of the crisis and request help. Unfortunately, by the time a player from there gets to the event location itself, they are not able to contribute very much.

And the heart regions for helping out certain areas based on their particular needs also do not require engagement in the story itself. You simply have to read the conditions indicator in the upper right of the UI and do what needs to be done, without having to know why you are doing it.

Since the experience gained from ding the personal story alone isn’t enough to keep a character leveled and geared to be ready for the next phase of the personal story, characters are forced to level up and gain gear by participating in other aspects of the game. This is good, but there should be more story-driven content for players like myself who prefer story-driven content over basic hack-and-slash grinding.

With that in mind, I propose that progress against heart regions should not be possible until after speaking with the main heart NPC and discovering some of the story-based reason for the activities. I also propose additional story-based and event-based side quests and events to be put in place, where characters would have to engage in the story first, before being able to participate in the quest or event.

I suggest that such content be made available in addition to current content, rather than replacing it, with the exception of participating in regional activities for heart NPCs.

I realize that this would make heart NPCs a little more like standard quest NPCs from other MMOs, but I think that having story-driven content, even if it is more similar to other MMOs, is preferable to raw hack-and-slash with no story-based reason for it.

If you want that sort of thing, may I suggest lotro or WoW? ArenaNet have gotten away from that sort of random “Come to me and i’ll tell you why you have to kill 10 bears, there now kill 10 bears and come back when you are done” sort of insanity. It takes VERY little time to level up your character between one story mission and another and if you are worried about it, just don’t do those sorts of things. You can get xp from exploration, crafting, pretty much ANYthing. If I have to go back to mindless fetch quests and killing 10 of an animal for some inane reason (that never had a quality “story” to it anyway!) I think I’d shoot myself.

Asherdeil.3174:

If you want that sort of thing, may I suggest lotro or WoW? ArenaNet have gotten away from that sort of random “Come to me and i’ll tell you why you have to kill 10 bears, there now kill 10 bears and come back when you are done” sort of insanity. It takes VERY little time to level up your character between one story mission and another and if you are worried about it, just don’t do those sorts of things. You can get xp from exploration, crafting, pretty much ANYthing. If I have to go back to mindless fetch quests and killing 10 of an animal for some inane reason (that never had a quality “story” to it anyway!) I think I’d shoot myself.

I’m not talking about the mindless stupidity of fetch quests. I’m talking about real, story-based and in-game motivated reasons for doing quests. The fact that it doesn’t take long to grind a level or two between personal story quests is irrelevant. The point is that you still have to grind one way or another, and have no story-based reason for doing so. Whether you grind heart regions, grind kills, grind events, grind crafting, grind exploration, or grind some combination of any or all of the above, you are still grinding. No reason, no story, no plot, no engagement. Just grinding.

I’m not suggesting that the game should be filled with basic quests that have no depth, where people interact purely to start the quest. I’m talking about adding in actual story-based reasons for our actions. I’m also not suggesting that all content be made like this, but rather that there be at least some content options that are like this so that people like me can have something worth playing.

Your suggestion that I play WoW or LotRO clearly misses the point. Those games have virtually no story-based or story-driven content at all. GW2 is better than those games at providing story-driven content, but is still lacking, and this results in grinding with no purpose other than to level up, just like any other MMO (albeit slightly less so). GW2 was supposed to be different and innovative, and it is to an extent, but they need to go further. If we have to grind, then sure, it may be better to not have to skip through some inane NPC gibber before doing so, but what I’m asking for is for ways to make it so that we aren’t having to grind at all if we don’t want to. I’m talking about worthwhile, meaningful, engaging, and rewarding side-plots.

Ahh, well then, THAT I agree with you on.
I’m just uncertain if we’ll ever see that here. Prove me wrong though, Anet. Prove me wrong.

Does it -have- to be bears? I like bears! Can I kill kittens instead?

I would also really like to see more story driven content outside of the main storyline. Please nothing like go and get us 10 tiny fangs. Maybe if it were interesting enough and not just fetch, but more engaging with some special mechanics involved.

It would be great to be interacting with some NPCs in town, and one mentions a comrade imprisoned somewhere, so you accept the responsibility to go to that zone and save the NPC. This would accomplish 2 things. 1.) Give players a reason to visit a particular zone other than to 100% it or farm. Or extra motivation to 100% a zone while you are there on a certain quest. 2.)Give players a reason to speak with NPCs around town!

Another idea is to link NPCs in town with actual events happening in the world. Some events in the world require you to trigger them, so some people miss them entirely. This would also help make quests much more engaging, rather than a random “Oh look an event! Kill stuff wooooooo! I got gold, sweet!” Maybe get some additional mail from the town NPC afterward, or go back to town to talk with them. It would also be cool if there were some NPC who gave quests that involve the jumping puzzles.

Something should really be done about making events more engaging. A reason to go and seek out a certain event, not just stumble upon them blindly.