Guild Wars 2

Beautiful game, beautiful graphics, beautiful combat, meh story, meh immersion, taking the lesbian kiss/woman sexy bikinis and cloath of the picture, this game may be more attractive to “very young ppl”.

I miss the real conflict, i miss factions, i miss WAR between GUILDS!

I’ve been playing since the very beginning, I’ve never been able to get into the story in GW2. It just feels too corny for my liking.
I’ve seen people say that the living story updates have good story, but everything before the living story has put me off so much I’m not sure I can take anything serious.

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

I like how you consider women loving women , and people in bathing suits, is less for very young people than violence, drinking, religious concepts and necromancy.

The most recent stories have been far better than LS1 or Personal Story.

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

The most recent chapter has the same story manager as GW1.

Hannelore.8153:

I like how you consider women loving women , and people in bathing suits, is less for very young people than violence, drinking, religious concepts and necromancy.

The most recent stories have been far better than LS1 or Personal Story.

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

The most recent chapter has the same story manager as GW1.

I have nothing against woman loving woman or ppl in bathing suits, my statemant is, this game has too many “shiny/gloomy/ kittie things” and less “Gore, Conflict, that Awereness feeling while wandering the world”.

Its everything too “beautiful” and calm, i just can’t see the very DANGER or FEAR, looks like a cartoon story, im sorry., dont get me wrong, i love this game, i love the combat and its mechanics, but as everything can’t be perfect, it seems this game can’t be more “adult” targeted.

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

Factions says hi.

That plot was horrendous.

The most recent update is really good in comparison to the previous ones.

Time will tell if it is on the same level as GW1. It may be worth checking out OP.

Celestina.2894:

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

Factions says hi.

That plot was horrendous.

So I wasn’t the only one who thought that was the second weakest storyline?

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Celestina.2894:

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

Factions says hi.

That plot was horrendous.

So I wasn’t the only one who thought that was the second weakest storyline?

Tbh I felt it was the worst by a long shot.

Hell I forgot who the villain even was for a good year.

In the grim darkness of Tyria’s far future, there is only…

Quaggans.

Celestina.2894:

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Celestina.2894:

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

Factions says hi.

That plot was horrendous.

So I wasn’t the only one who thought that was the second weakest storyline?

Tbh I felt it was the worst by a long shot.

Hell I forgot who the villain even was for a good year.

To be fair, Shiro Tagachi was the only thing I liked about Factions’ story. . . until his origin and future motives were cranked to the side in Nightfall. (Don’t mind the Lich all that much – he had minor amounts of characterization anyway.)

Prophecies was the worse campaign by a long shot from my estimation. Eight story segments which were set up largely as a way to shepherd you from region to region . . . the first four parts were very weak compared to later and could/did get sliced off when the Storybooks were added.

The characters were worse, much worse, than whatever anyone says about the Biconics right now in GW2. Two obvious “sudden but inevitable betrayers”, several obvious sacrificial characters, and allies who couldn’t do anything . . . anything without you doing the heavy lifting despite apparently being leaders of large factions of people.

The campaign had loads of dead weight in terms of area, too, with massive stretches which seemed to be little more than padding time into walking from mission to mission if you were trying to sequence break. Not to mention the incredibly tedious “Beacon’s Perch to Camp Rankor” trip which was full of nothing but dense enemies.

All this culminating in the final problem – its initial design philosophy. It was intended to be a primer in how to play before players jumped into PvP pursuits. As such, looking at how it was a loosely-written story with many missions choosing to showcase things used in the PvP map types (especially the Crystal Desert) . . . you can tell the campaign was something which had enough effort to be a good start on a backdrop and world-building, but it doesn’t stand as a campaign like the others.

I liked the original Guild Wars a lot, but people sometimes see the story through rose-colored glasses, I think. I’m not going to go through it and pick out every little thing, but I’d say that GW2, on the whole, compares very favorably. I seem to remember Prophecies being one abrupt, semi-connected turn in the story after another, and I mostly remember Factions being…too short to really remember much about. (And, again, I enjoyed them. But enjoy them for what they are.)

Is GW2’s story a masterpiece of subtle, fully-realized characters? Not always, but it’s a decent story in an very well-realized world, especially if you explore, talk to NPCs, and occasionally listen to NPCs talk to each other. I find I enjoy it for what it does well, and it does a lot well.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Celestina.2894:

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Celestina.2894:

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

Factions says hi.

That plot was horrendous.

So I wasn’t the only one who thought that was the second weakest storyline?

Tbh I felt it was the worst by a long shot.

Hell I forgot who the villain even was for a good year.

To be fair, Shiro Tagachi was the only thing I liked about Factions’ story. . . until his origin and future motives were cranked to the side in Nightfall. (Don’t mind the Lich all that much – he had minor amounts of characterization anyway.)

Prophecies was the worse campaign by a long shot from my estimation. Eight story segments which were set up largely as a way to shepherd you from region to region . . . the first four parts were very weak compared to later and could/did get sliced off when the Storybooks were added.

The characters were worse, much worse, than whatever anyone says about the Biconics right now in GW2. Two obvious “sudden but inevitable betrayers”, several obvious sacrificial characters, and allies who couldn’t do anything . . . anything without you doing the heavy lifting despite apparently being leaders of large factions of people.

The campaign had loads of dead weight in terms of area, too, with massive stretches which seemed to be little more than padding time into walking from mission to mission if you were trying to sequence break. Not to mention the incredibly tedious “Beacon’s Perch to Camp Rankor” trip which was full of nothing but dense enemies.

All this culminating in the final problem – its initial design philosophy. It was intended to be a primer in how to play before players jumped into PvP pursuits. As such, looking at how it was a loosely-written story with many missions choosing to showcase things used in the PvP map types (especially the Crystal Desert) . . . you can tell the campaign was something which had enough effort to be a good start on a backdrop and world-building, but it doesn’t stand as a campaign like the others.

Overall I agree with you, I honestly never felt the writing in GW has ever been super strong. The lore? Great. But the writing? Ha ha no.

I don’t know about this. As I get older I’m looking or less dark, scary save the world stuff. That stuff interests me less and less. I’d rather see drama than action. Anything other than some big boss destroying the world.

Dark for the sake of dark is often the mark of young people, not old people.

Vayne.8563:

I don’t know about this. As I get older I’m looking or less dark, scary save the world stuff. That stuff interests me less and less. I’d rather see drama than action. Anything other than some big boss destroying the world.

Dark for the sake of dark is often the mark of young people, not old people.

True, and Guild Wars writing (first and second) has always been at its best when not being about “save the world”. It’s been the little things, the small vignettes which play out, the quests in the first one which didn’t have much to do about the central plot of the campaigns . . .

Is it weird that the writers made a heck of an interesting world with their efforts, but not so much an interesting story in comparison? (Well, mostly.)

. . . I find the same thoughts having crept into mind on something else which is woefully way off topic. Yet it’s sometimes the case where writers are very hit-and-miss on the plot yet intensely wonderful on the world-building. I guess they take after Tolkein on that score.

Celestina.2894:

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Celestina.2894:

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Celestina.2894:

Galphar.3901:

You can definitely tell that the writers for GW2 are not the same writers A-Net had for GW. The stories in GW were just written much better. I think the writers are even different when you look at the early Personal Story(levels 1-30) and the story once you choose your faction(Priory/Whispers/Vigil).

Factions says hi.

That plot was horrendous.

So I wasn’t the only one who thought that was the second weakest storyline?

Tbh I felt it was the worst by a long shot.

Hell I forgot who the villain even was for a good year.

To be fair, Shiro Tagachi was the only thing I liked about Factions’ story. . . until his origin and future motives were cranked to the side in Nightfall. (Don’t mind the Lich all that much – he had minor amounts of characterization anyway.)

Prophecies was the worse campaign by a long shot from my estimation. Eight story segments which were set up largely as a way to shepherd you from region to region . . . the first four parts were very weak compared to later and could/did get sliced off when the Storybooks were added.

The characters were worse, much worse, than whatever anyone says about the Biconics right now in GW2. Two obvious “sudden but inevitable betrayers”, several obvious sacrificial characters, and allies who couldn’t do anything . . . anything without you doing the heavy lifting despite apparently being leaders of large factions of people.

The campaign had loads of dead weight in terms of area, too, with massive stretches which seemed to be little more than padding time into walking from mission to mission if you were trying to sequence break. Not to mention the incredibly tedious “Beacon’s Perch to Camp Rankor” trip which was full of nothing but dense enemies.

All this culminating in the final problem – its initial design philosophy. It was intended to be a primer in how to play before players jumped into PvP pursuits. As such, looking at how it was a loosely-written story with many missions choosing to showcase things used in the PvP map types (especially the Crystal Desert) . . . you can tell the campaign was something which had enough effort to be a good start on a backdrop and world-building, but it doesn’t stand as a campaign like the others.

Overall I agree with you, I honestly never felt the writing in GW has ever been super strong. The lore? Great. But the writing? Ha ha no.

Honestly, I have a theory that Arenanet simply do not know which aspects of their writing that their players appreciate. This is why background lore tends to be excellent, but foreground story tends to be characterized by the worst writing and characters in the game.

It also might explain why the forefront characters (Mhenlo, Kormir, and Trahearne, namely) are so lackluster and poorly characterized while background characters are much more interesting. Anet simply bet on the wrong horses.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Vayne.8563:

I don’t know about this. As I get older I’m looking or less dark, scary save the world stuff. That stuff interests me less and less. I’d rather see drama than action. Anything other than some big boss destroying the world.

Dark for the sake of dark is often the mark of young people, not old people.

True, and Guild Wars writing (first and second) has always been at its best when not being about “save the world”. It’s been the little things, the small vignettes which play out, the quests in the first one which didn’t have much to do about the central plot of the campaigns . . .

Is it weird that the writers made a heck of an interesting world with their efforts, but not so much an interesting story in comparison? (Well, mostly.)

. . . I find the same thoughts having crept into mind on something else which is woefully way off topic. Yet it’s sometimes the case where writers are very hit-and-miss on the plot yet intensely wonderful on the world-building. I guess they take after Tolkein on that score.

It’s about the audience you’re writing for. I’ve used this analogy before, but for the most part, game writers are like people who work on stage. Everything has to be exaagerated, and everything has to be repeated, because tons of people have no clue about nuance and don’t know how to read. They can’t just say something, they pretty much have to hit you over the head with it…particularly if you need to get it to understand something.

A lot of people will, erroneously, think that people are writing badly. In reality they’re writing exactly what they’re trying to write, or at least something very close to what they’re trying to write.

It’s actually harder to write stuff like this than people think, because it’s not great writing… and you have to suppress all your instincts to write better…because better writing won’t necessarily make the game better for most people.

Writing in MMOs is there to serve the game.

That’s why vignettes in the world are better. It doesn’t matter if you miss them. The game doesn’t require them so the writers have more freedom.

Edit: I should have mentioned the reason stage needs to be exaggerated is because audience members can be far away with no close ups. They can’t see the detail so you have to enlarge it…so to speak.

Vayne.8563:

It’s about the audience you’re writing for. I’ve used this analogy before, but for the most part, game writers are like people who work on stage. Everything has to be exaagerated, and everything has to be repeated, because tons of people have no clue about nuance and don’t know how to read. They can’t just say something, they pretty much have to hit you over the head with it…particularly if you need to get it to understand something.

Also known as most of the critical reviews which hated “The Producers: The Stageplay: The Film” as I call it. It was performed as if it were using the same stage directions only to cameras.

Edit: I should have mentioned the reason stage needs to be exaggerated is because audience members can be far away with no close ups. They can’t see the detail so you have to enlarge it…so to speak.

Also known as the reason the Phantom mask originally was much larger and the makeup that much more notable under the mask than it should be. Fortunately, the original mask interfered with the actor’s delivery so they halved it . . . and now that mask is iconic.

A lot of people will, erroneously, think that people are writing badly. In reality they’re writing exactly what they’re trying to write, or at least something very close to what they’re trying to write.

Sorry, I need to throw a flag down on this play. There’s writing with repeated reiterations, re-references, and beating the player over the head with what happened five minutes ago due to not knowing how long the player had set the game down for . . .

And then there’s bad writing, period. Badly presented characters, plots where the writers forget to give the bulk of the information necessary to understand things (or do it in channels not everyone will notice), characters making decisions which are simply against common sense . . . and most of all, dialogue which doesn’t flow naturally.

There’s the crux of my complaints about the writing in Tyria for both eras: when it comes to the main attraction, it feels not as well-crafted as the side-quests which happen around the main attraction . . . or disconnected from it. This really started to become apparent in the middle-to-late bits of Living Story Season 1, to where it was a personal mantra “they could have done so much better if they’d set this up ahead of time”.

. . . and that’s evidenced in how they’re proceeding through Season 2. It is flowing better due to having things in place to move from (the break for the holiday event just passed and coming up notwithstanding) and having the information there to work from. It’s making a better cohesive story than Season 1, and is pulling together tighter for it.

(It still has issues with the dialogue, and there are still moments which make me want to go “this is almost the dumbest thing you could be doing right now” . . .)

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Vayne.8563:

It’s about the audience you’re writing for. I’ve used this analogy before, but for the most part, game writers are like people who work on stage. Everything has to be exaagerated, and everything has to be repeated, because tons of people have no clue about nuance and don’t know how to read. They can’t just say something, they pretty much have to hit you over the head with it…particularly if you need to get it to understand something.

Also known as most of the critical reviews which hated “The Producers: The Stageplay: The Film” as I call it. It was performed as if it were using the same stage directions only to cameras.

Edit: I should have mentioned the reason stage needs to be exaggerated is because audience members can be far away with no close ups. They can’t see the detail so you have to enlarge it…so to speak.

Also known as the reason the Phantom mask originally was much larger and the makeup that much more notable under the mask than it should be. Fortunately, the original mask interfered with the actor’s delivery so they halved it . . . and now that mask is iconic.

A lot of people will, erroneously, think that people are writing badly. In reality they’re writing exactly what they’re trying to write, or at least something very close to what they’re trying to write.

Sorry, I need to throw a flag down on this play. There’s writing with repeated reiterations, re-references, and beating the player over the head with what happened five minutes ago due to not knowing how long the player had set the game down for . . .

And then there’s bad writing, period. Badly presented characters, plots where the writers forget to give the bulk of the information necessary to understand things (or do it in channels not everyone will notice), characters making decisions which are simply against common sense . . . and most of all, dialogue which doesn’t flow naturally.

There’s the crux of my complaints about the writing in Tyria for both eras: when it comes to the main attraction, it feels not as well-crafted as the side-quests which happen around the main attraction . . . or disconnected from it. This really started to become apparent in the middle-to-late bits of Living Story Season 1, to where it was a personal mantra “they could have done so much better if they’d set this up ahead of time”.

. . . and that’s evidenced in how they’re proceeding through Season 2. It is flowing better due to having things in place to move from (the break for the holiday event just passed and coming up notwithstanding) and having the information there to work from. It’s making a better cohesive story than Season 1, and is pulling together tighter for it.

(It still has issues with the dialogue, and there are still moments which make me want to go “this is almost the dumbest thing you could be doing right now” . . .)

The dumbest thing you can be doing right now might have nothing to do with the writing. I’m not so sure you understand how the writing in those scenes happens, but it’s often not the writers calling the shots. You can call it bad writing, but more likely it’s bad direction. Writers can only do what they’re allowed to do in these circumstances.

I’ve ghost written a couple of things in the past and believe me, I’m glad my name isn’t on most of it.

pupi.2465:

Beautiful game, beautiful graphics, beautiful combat, meh story, meh immersion, taking the lesbian kiss/woman sexy bikinis and cloath of the picture, this game may be more attractive to “very young ppl”.

I miss the real conflict, i miss factions, i miss WAR between GUILDS!

It is indeed quite interesting that you miss stuff that most of the time didn’t actually exist in Guild Wars 1. The only real thing that existed in GW1 was factions.
Real conflicts were quite few and far between, and nothing on the scale of what we have in Guild Wars 2.

The war between the Guilds in Tyria happened before Guild Wars 1 even started.

Vayne.8563:

The dumbest thing you can be doing right now might have nothing to do with the writing. I’m not so sure you understand how the writing in those scenes happens, but it’s often not the writers calling the shots. You can call it bad writing, but more likely it’s bad direction. Writers can only do what they’re allowed to do in these circumstances.

I’ve ghost written a couple of things in the past and believe me, I’m glad my name isn’t on most of it.

It’s simple enough to stop and fix – hang a lampshade. They did it once for the Consulate Docks mission. “You know this is a trap.” “Yes. We’re going in anyway.”

(Often overlooked, too, come to think of it.)

And no, I honestly have not written for things like a MMO or video game. I have “written” for tabletop nights doing D&D but as that’s 75% improv . . . don’t take much credit for what I scribbled as notes on a page. I do know I am not entirely pleased with the quality of that stuff, so in that vein I do somewhat comprehend.

. . . there is not much good writing when it comes to improv around the dinner table with your friends chucking dice for an hour trying to kill a dragon

I just think from a pvp perspective it’d be nice to actually be able to have a war between guilds.

I mean come on, it’s right in the title. Guild Wars. Why can’t we War Guilds?

Xaevryn.5687:

I just think from a pvp perspective it’d be nice to actually be able to have a war between guilds.

I mean come on, it’s right in the title. Guild Wars. Why can’t we War Guilds?

To be fair we have way more “war between guilds” in Guild Wars 2 than we ever had in Guild Wars 1.

As for the name:

http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/The_Guild_Wars

How is WAR between GUILDS a good story? We are lucky you’re not working on the story in Guild Wars 2. Seems like you just want to kill stuff.

People forget the original design for GW1 was actually to be a PvP game first, utilizing the story mode as a break away for that. Fotunately for us PvE people, they noticed that we were sticking around for the PvE and kept getting better at the story telling in the game. As that increased they realized they needed a new engine to tell the story better, hence, GW2.

GvG CDI is probably coming up soon so that would be a great place to put suggestions.

I haven’t played GW1 but there are so many conflicts going on in GW2 that I doubt that GW1 had more. Each race has been fighting like 3-4 different wars.

Anyway with a Teen rating they can only do so much and still the [many spoilers] foreman of prosperity is still dangling by the vine, so is drooburt and Belinda too I think. We have a dragon who made a peaceful adventurous young sylvari into a mass murderer. A soldier trying to gain salvation by bathing in the blood of his monarch. A centuries old war whose peace negotiations are being sabotaged by racist separatists. A group of people who, suspicious of their own existence, are filled with malice. Entire races of refugees who are even now being oppressed. Krait and Centaur slavers. The center of peace and racial cooperation was razed.

There is more but I’m getting late for class…

WvW was meant to be the guild wars (GvG) that wasn’t feasible during GW1. Your team is your “guild”/kingdom (as in the guild wars between Ascalon vs Kryta vs Orr) while your guild is the smaller armies that make up the whole. If you’re looking for guild vs guild combat, you only need to make a claim and fight for it. Holding a keep for example is your war with other guilds.

imo, if they implement guild halls, they should double as war fortresses and allow for guild hall vs guild hall battles, where each hall is placed on opposite sides of a map.

pupi.2465:

Beautiful game, beautiful graphics, beautiful combat, meh story, meh immersion, taking the lesbian kiss/woman sexy bikinis and cloath of the picture, this game may be more attractive to “very young ppl”.

I miss the real conflict, i miss factions, i miss WAR between GUILDS!

Didn’t the “Guild Wars” actually end years BEFORE the events in GW1?