Not sure how it could be done, but I’ve been thinking about how Anet before launch of the game bragged about how the stuff you did in the world would remain like that, save a village from centaurs and they’d remember you, etc. Ofc, they only have about 10 seconds to remember that before the centaurs once again trample the place to oblivion and any persistence you as a player get to see is non-existent.
So, I was thinking about the 3 zones in “old” Orr. A little spoiler on what eventually happens follows as part of the suggestion
Through your personal story, you battle the corruption and eventually with the aid of Trahearne you rid Orr of the corruption and the cut scenes show that life returns to Orr… cue final curtains, return to the open world and bam, everything’s corrupted and the Risen are on every corner again…
What if the 3 Orr zones existed as duplicates, one pre-Zaithan and a new version which has the land recovering bit by bit, like the developments in Living Story.
It would mean that players who’ve completed their personal story would visit the new version, the old one not available, so for major attractions like the priest events, you’d need some replacements or modified versions, but at least you’d feel that all the work you did to cleanse the land mattered and you’ll see a place being rebuilt instead of that same old dire hole…
Think GW1 and how they did War in Kryta where suddenly the zones in vicinity of LA changed and you had new NPCs, mobs and quests in those zones. Ofc, the zones would return upon completion of WiK, but for Orr in GW2 it’d be cool if you could have new zones to reflect that the old kingdom was once again restored.
Settlers moving in, towns re-building, risen would be gone but you’d have other beasts and mobs taking up residence to in an environment ripe for plucking riches from.
Ofc, it’s not done over night, but seeing how Anet already could take structures in LA and break them and later restore at their own choosing, they must have the means to re-work whole zones too. Not saying it’s straight-forward, but certainly a task to aspire to.
Seamarshal Belit / Initiate Xun Tsu / Mistwarden Roshone
Seafarer’s Rest | Northerner @ Dragon Season