Guild Wars 2

I’ve thought a long time about it, if I should post this, or not, but when I had read the last days, that Anet is aware of it, how fractured (pun intended) the Personal Story is, I just had to come up with this big Concept about merging the PS with the LS together as one unit/system, as I strongly believe, that would be the overall best thing for the whole game to do.
To keep it simple, I will stay for the Concept only in the view of a human Character

Merging both Systems should happen under the new term of DSS
= “Dynamic Story System”

For this to work, the Story will be told like watchinga Movie in Arcs, in which you play the role as the omnipresent Main Actor, which still has instanced its personal moments as everythign that happens in the Living Story mostly happens like in the Personal Story in Instances, except the few LS Events that are designed as persistent World Events where you have to make no individual decisions.

The full Story gets reformatted to the Story Journal, letting each Arc become repeatable with new added Achievements and Scaled Up Enemies, if you do repeat the Arcs with a Character with an higher Level and better Equipment, than intended at that point of the Arc.

Pro’s for this Fusion:

• Story will be told in a continued way, where everyone including the Biconics plays its Role from begin on, improvings the general Story Telling of this Game alot.
• Our Main Protagonist could become after some Redesigns the Pact Marshall instead of Trahearne
• Zhaitan could get under this complete overhaul also get its deserved Redesign
• The Story would receive more Depth under this Concept
• Lots of Story Gaps could be closed including a redesign of Season 1 under Season 2’s Story Journal Format, so that in the End, everything, Season 0 (PS),1 and 2 work under one and the same System as like made out of one piece, how it should have been done from begin on, but got totally fractured through all the reiterations and changes.

Here I want to start first with the initial posting of this concept with the Tutorial:

Tutorial

Here do players learn first to Dodge, the Downed Mode and how to unlock new Skills/Traits ect. The overall Character Progression gets explained in the Tutorial Instance. In this case of a Human Character – its Shaemoor in Queensdale.
We start our Game as a Human in Shaemoor under attack of the Centaurs.
There we will find all the things and explanations needed to explain the game to the new player, which got introduced with the NPE, so that all the changes made in the Lvl 1-15 Zones get reverted back to the previous state, how the maps were before the NPE changed everything.

Once we have done the Tutorial and awake from our unconsciousness, we will instantly see the first big change!
Instead of being told who has been all visited us, while we were unconscious, we will get to see based from our decisions back at the Character Creation Editor, if we are nobles or not either Kasmeer Meade or Marjory Delaqua also under the injured people.
We will get introduced to each other and learn to know each other, letting them become our first “Companions”

Noble = Kasmeer
Commoner = Marjory
Street Cat = Marjory

The changes to the System will introduce also a new Companion System, in which the Biconics work like Heroes from GW1, where you can invite them into your Party and the A.I controls them with Builds that you have given them, with Equipment, that you have given them or which they receive while they story progresses
Companions will be only useable in Story Instances, or when doing a Dungeon solo.

After this Point, starts automatically the first Arc of the Dynamic Story System.

Sounds good, man. I like it.

Level 1-10 ~ Race Arc

In this Arc, players get to learn more about some Game Mechanics, like Crafting, Underwater Combat or Environmental Items and Reviving as you explore the Racial Hometown Divinity Reach and Queensdale.
In the Story Part we reunite our Friends and in case that we got Kasmeer as a Companion, we befriend them with her and in case of Marjory with befriend her with them too, if we are Commoners, if we are coming from the Streets, then will Marjory play her role as Detective and follows us around due to thinking we may do something suspicious.
She could also somehow else got her attention to follow us around hidden in the dark, observing our doings to see, if we do something criminal to be able to catch in flagrante delicto.
Whatever happens, it will lead us to get to know Logan Thackeray.
In case of having Kasmeer with us, they both know each other.
Kasmeer writes a letter to Logan being happy to have found a new friend with you and that leads to Logan’s attention to want to get to know you too, realizing that it’s you then – the Hero of Shaemoor, as he needs currently some help from Kasmeer and potentially you naturally too.
Same as like Marjory – she knows Logan already too, but in a different sense.
Marjory just thinks to have caught you in the act of something criminal and brings in Logan to the place to get you arrested leading then to the clearing up, that Marjory was wrong and as excuse for falsely thinking of you being a criminal, she helps you out then with Logan’s plea for help in apprehending some real criminals.

This would be basically the Story for the first 10 Levels involving as a Human Character Marjory and Kasmeer in the Race Arc that is all about Krytan Politics and having those two biconics implemented in the Human Race Arc would juts fit soo vety well in there.

Level 11-20 ~ Shadows of Past Arc

In this Arc, players learn more mechanics about PvP and WvW basically just through Mentions in the Text leading to the Point, that Info Pop Ups appear about those Modes.
In the Story Part from Shadows of the Past, players will get reminded by their regrets from their past based on what the player has chosen out at Character Creation.
More Options will get added here to make the Story broader and more individual based on your decisions.
Another Biconic – Rox, Braham, Taimi, the second Human or Malyck, a mysterious Sylvari from the yet not found other Mother Tree will get introduced to you).
Together with your new additional Companion you can then use your chance to rectify your mistake/fails. Each Companion stands for a different regret then:

Unknown Parents = Kasmeer/Marjory
Dead Sister= Rox
Circus =Taimi
New Beating a Rival = Braham
New Find a lost Family Memento = Kasmeer/Marjory
New Having failed due to Fear of your Nightmares = Malyck

If implementing Malyck here shouldn’t fit, due to collisions with whatever plans Anet might have with Malyck in the future, feel free to replace him here with an other new Biconic Sylvari Character, that is not Canach!

Not sure if this game will survive another NPE.

Level 21-30 ~ Order Arc

In this Arc, players will learn about Guilds and their Missions, the Orders and Dungeons.
In the Story Part we get introduced to our first Mentors of our chosen Order.
Based on which Order we choose, we get introduced also another Biconic Character in this Arc, but if one of the Characters got chosen already in the prior Arc based on your Order Decision, the 4th character that would normally get not into question will jump in then.

Choose Vigil = Braham
Choose Priory = Taimi
Choose Whispers = Kasmeer/Marjory

If one of those 4 (or in case of K/M both are / is) already in your Companion Team, Malyck will jump in regardless of which Order you’ve chosen (unless you choose not right then the K/M Option when having chosen the Order of Whispers before).

Based on who accompanies you from right on now, your tasks that you have to do in the Orders will be different.
If you choose for example the Vigil and your Companions are then Kasmeer, Marjory and Braham for example, your Order Missions will be different ones, as if your Companions would consist out of for example Kasmeer, Rox and Braham.

Based on your Companion Combination and chosen Order, players will find here broadened ways of more new different Missions going against a powerful Risen Champion that threatens Queen Jennah.

Level 31-40 ~ Destiny Arc

In this Arc will players learn about the Mystic Forge, Activities and Fractals of the Mist
In the Story Part we are given the task by a mysterious lLetter written by E. to bring the former Members of the Destiny’s Edge together, regardless how we do this, so that they do hold a meeting about the rising threat of the Dragons.
After the failed Meeting due to the members of DE being still angry at each other for what happened in their past you are going back to your order’s HQ.
Your Order’s Mentor gets ranked up and you get introduced to the missing two Biconics which will play a role as also being part of your chosen Order (more or less secretly)
The two new Biconics introduced, you and your ranked up Mentor form a new Group that is given a new task then to do something against the growing threat of the Dragon.
Based again on your chosen Order and your Biconic Companion Combination, you will get different Mission Results of what you have to do for your Order
The end of this Arc leads to your own personal rank up after that Mission.

After this Arc, your Companion Team will be complete for now. The Biconics are fully integrated by now then into the whole Story Plot, before the whole Pact Army Stuff begins.
Also by now, players should have learned everything about the most important Features of GW2.

PS:

@ Schwarzseher: This is not a Concept about a NPE, this is a Concept about moving the illogical NPE changes to the place, where those things belong to – the Tutorial Instance mostly, while bringing slowly more advanced Game Feature to the player as the Player progresses in the Story.
Its about making out of the redundant LS System one System, that is merged with the PS that comes also over as just one system which uses from begin on the Story Journal, is from begin on completely repeatable with Achievements and so on.
Its just brief said about the Story Experience, that the whole Plot of GW2 should have been like from begin on – continued, gapless and compelling from its Begin to its End.

Level 41-50 ~ Alliance Arc

Having seen from your last Mission that alone you can’t do very much and suffer on too many losses, your Order sends you and your Companions out to find some new Allies and investigate on other Races of Tyria to win them as new Allies for the battle against the Dragons.
Based on your played Race you get now only 1 automatic option.
All other different Options will be based from now on which Companion you eventually take with you. If you take none with you, you get the automatic option.

However, based on your Companion you get some new Options in regard of whom you’ve added first to your group as that will be a preset addition here for your Story Instance as you wll get asked by them, how you decide who to take with you, or if you think that you can manage this alone.

As a Human you have the Basic Options of: Quaggan (automatic), if you think you can handle this task alone.

You choose as Companion:
Rox = Ogre gets added too
Braham = Kodan gets added too (New)
Taimi = Skritt gets added
Kasmeer = Centaur gets added (those friendly ones from Maguuma) (New)
Marjory = Grawl gets added
Malyck = Hylek gets added

Based on who accompanies you and what race you play self and to which Order you belong, you could get different Alliance Missions to win them as Allies.

Level 51-60 ~ Claw Island Arc

After having won new Allies and you having being ranked up in your Order – you, your Order’s Mentor and the Biconics are send to a Mission to recruit more help in the form of various different Mercenaries or other Organizations ect. against the Dragons, just to find out, that Lions Arch is soon to beattacked by Zhaitan.
With the help of your new Recruits and your new found Allies, as also with the help of Trahearne who you get to know on Claw Island you will try to defend the the island, just to have to retreat, cause of the overwhelming force of risen undead fleet ships that bombard Claw Island with more and more Risen Abominations.
With the help of your Recruits, chosen Companions and the Allies you won at least will be this Mission from now on a lot more individualized, so that finding out, how they help you defend the island will be a nice and different fun, each time giving you different types of Siege to help or other nice tools, empowered soldiers ect.
I’m very sure that ANet can be there more creative.

Level 61-70 ~ Pact Former Arc

After your Mentor died on Claw Island and you’ve been ranked up to the highest rank of your Order, therefore that you did your best to save Claw Island, your new Mission is now together with the help of the Biconics to convince the other Orders to a Meeting at the Pale Tree to find together and form a Pact to be able to claim back Claw Island from Zhaitan’s undead Army of Risen.
After having brought all together at a by Trahearne suggested meeting point at the Mother Tree, where the Pact will get officially formed, you get officially announced to become the Pact Marshall, who should lead the Pact, under the strategic advice of Trahearne being your personnel War Strategist and Vice Marshall of the Pact, should ever happen anything life threatening to you.
As new Pact Marshall, the Avatar of the Mother Tree wants to show you a Vision of your Future which shows you, that many problems lay in front of you and the Pact, that need to get solved first, before you can lead the Pact to the Ruins of Orr and that many preparations have to be done first.

*The complains about from the other Orders, that if a Pact Marshall will be from one of them, making that Order standing higher than the others, will get wiped away by Trahearne’s speech about your courageous actions you have done so far for everybody on Claw Island, helping not just only your own Order and that in fact, the Pact Marshall’s actions will speak for themselves and that in the spirit of your actions it should be regardless, from which order the Pact Leader comes.

Level 71-75 ~ Preparation Arc

In this Arc, we do something against the things, which we have seen in our Vision from the Avatar of the Pale Tree, like unifying again finally the Members of Destiny’s Edge, so that they normally talk again with each other and forget about their gripes from the past that they can’t change anyways anymore.
We get to learn about new Characters in various departments of the new formed Pact which show us, what they have up for plans to help improving the fire power of the Pact Army and what for tricks we have up our sleeves.
Also the won Allies will come and show up now in a much bigger amount in the new HQ of the Pact.
We will do something against our own lack of confidence which suddenly strikes us, if we really are the right person for being the Pact Marshall (rewritten Fear Arc Plotline) with the help of our Companions.
Based on which Companions we choose to take with us, we have to do something different against our personal fears which harm our character’s confidence as the right person for the job as Pact Marshall, successfully doing them strengthens our confidence and the bonding to the Companions.
This Arc ends with the final of getting full confidence back, when we beat our Fears by defeating the returned Champion Risen Mentors that got killed at Claw Island and which Zhaitan returns now to us to try to break the Pact Marshall’s Will of Fighting and its Confidence.

Level 76-80 ~ Invasion Arc

After having regained your Self-confidence, having unified again Destiny’s Edge and having ordered and successfully done various different preparations for war as also having them seen live in action of what the Pact Army is capable of doing by their unified technologies, you give the orders to go invade and conquer Orr to free the land from the evil threats of Zhaitan.
You are given various different strategies by your War Strategist Trahearne who advices you.
Your Companions, the Biconics who you have ranked up by now to be Commanders will lead for you the various different Missions.
Based on which War Strategy you have chosen, different Biconics will step into action as Pact Commanders aiding you in your Missions, while you give them orders for their assigned Troops where to go and what to do there.
This is important, as this part of the story should clearly give the player to understand now, that they are in war now and that your commands are important and may lead to various consequences
If you command not good it might lead to unneccessary losses.
So here we have the point, where the actions of the players decide over it, if we do something successful without losses of specific learned to know by now NPC’s, like Tonn and so on, or if or decisions lead to the consequence, that those NPC’s die in this war.
Within this story part, a new mechanic will get added – Morale.
Whenever someone dies, this will lower the Morale of the Pact.
If you do your Missions successfully without losing important NPC, your Morale will rise up.
If you beat the Game with a Morale Threshold that’s higher than say for example 80%, then you will get rewarded with a nice Extra Bonus Gold Reward at the end and a Title.
The Arc ends at stopping at the Cursed Shore for a needed break for the injured to recover.

Lvl 80 ~ Cleansing Arc

The Pact has arrived at the Cursed Shore, doing what they can to bring the Battle to the front door of Zhaitan’s Lair, the Ruins of Orr.
This time the Pact Army’s goal is it to weaken the forces of Zhaitan and to cleanse the land from Zhaitan’s influence by reviving the dead land of Orr.
Therefore they have to prepare for a powerful Ritual with the help of Trahearne, where it is the task of you and the Biconic Commanders to gather together everything needed in Orr so that Trahearne can do the Ritual at the Source of Orr, the Artesian Waters to cleanse the land and revive Orr to weaken significantly Zhaitan’s Forces and his powers, so that it will break the seal to his lair in the Ruins of Orr.

This is a more straight forward Arc, where each Biconic Commander has their own Missions in which you help out to gather the required 6 components for the Ritual based from the 5 Ruins of the God Temples and the sunken 6th Temple of Abaddon.

Sounds like an interesting idea, but i disagree with one thing

Orpheal.8263:

• Our Main Protagonist could become after some Redesigns the Pact Marshall instead of Trahearne

The player character shouldn’t be the pact marshal, it’s a political position, being in charge of the entirety of the pact would mean settling difference between the orders, the various political heads of tyria and dealing with meetings and strategies. The pact marshall doesn’t go out on special ops missions like our character does, it makes no sense.

I much rather prefer to stay a commander in the apct, in charge of a special ops team that gets things done fast and silently, rather than have the player character having to deal with all the political stuff that comes with being a leader of said orginization.

Lvl 80 – Victory or Death Arc

The Arc, which leads to the Grand Finale of defeating a complete redesigned Zhaitan with the help of your Biconic Commanders, the Pact Army including your individual Allies that you have won over the course of your Story.
A Mission, which will be by design only doable solo now.
No more need to search long for other players for a Group just to finish your Dynamic Story!!
That will be the first big change besides of the Zhaitan Redesign.
How ANet redesigns Zhaitan I will leave up to ANet. I won’t describe here a concept about this here now, because alone this redesign would be worth of an own Thread.

But thinking about the Biconics, the Allies and so on, one should be easily able to come up with something far more creative, than the boring Airship Pew Pew Pew we have now where half of the – cough – “battle” is just shown to you in 2 cut scenes…
From this Point on begins the bigger part of the merging with the original Living Story, makin the whole Plot now gapless and continued, rather than startign suddenly somewhere a year later after the defeat of Zhaitan.

Lvl 80 ~ Short Peace Arc

After having beaten Zhaitan and having returned to our HQ to party and having seen the Game’s Epilogue and heard the Ending Song – it doesn’t stop, no it goes now further due to the PS being merged with the LS being now the DS that unifies both systems. Nice ehh? When a story isn’t discontinued like now, or??
After the party, we get to see now a new Cut Scene, that shows as a bit of a Teaser, what happened after the Party some time later, getting also told how much time has passed after that Party to get connected to the actually Story Part.

We see in that Cut Scene, how our friends, the Biconics return to their Homes, that Braham returns to Hoelbrak, that Rox returns to the Black Citadel being proud of what she has done and yet getting to hear from her mentor Rytlock that she’s basically still not worthy in his eyes to get into his warband as she needs to get more experience than just this war.
Kasmeer and Marjory return with you back to Divinity Reach. Taimi goes back to Rata Sum for some experiments based on what information she was able to collect from all the fights with Zhaitan’s minions, Malyck, whose origin is up to this point still unclear is returning to the Grove in hope to learn there maybe something new from the Pale Tree about the other Tree’s Location.
We receive after a little conversation with Logan a letter from him, which is addressed from E. in which stands, that we should travel to Hoelbrak as some activities from the Icebrood, Jormag’s Minions, have been showing up there lately telling us also, that it would be good, if we would lend a hand there helping to defend Hoelbrak.

From this Point on starts then the redesigned Season 1 that connects itself into this part starting with the Flame and Frost Arc

PS:

@ dsslive:

Then you are one of not very much persons I know, which actually like this position.
But the overall impression when you review many opinions here in the forums and ingame, that I got speak an other language. Really many people, I myself too dislike/hate this position as it is the same attention stealing, like in GW1 where Kormir basically did nothing and earned all the laurels + god powers, while we the players made all the dirty work.
However, I wouldn’t now be totally upset, if ANet wouldn’t change this, it’s just under my concept better fitting I think for this setting and it would please alot more people this way, than you may believe.

PPS: Last bits of the concept follow later