Guild Wars 2

Sorry, but I’m not fully understanding how the living story mechanic will work.

Is this essentially a very long one-time event or is it truly a story that each character can start at any time? In other words, can I choose to wait a month or two to begin the story and be able to start it at the beginning? Or if I wait will I miss out on the story all together?

Thanks

Yeah I don’t think that is happening, it’s going to happen no matter what we do. We just go around for the eww and ahhs, take a reward and in the end something will be forever different then it was before hand. Hopefully fun goes along with it.

Just my thoughts now but I believe that since it is supposed to implement persistent world changes that you will miss out if you do not play it when the new content is released BUT I also believe that anything that is changed will be permanent. Think of the karka event as a basic version of it, you are playing one day and stop for a month and when you return you find the lighthouse destroyed and the lion statue returned. You will not know where the stuff came from but it would be much more fun to be at the event than be told about it a month later. I think they learned their lesson about handing out precursors so if it is a question of loot I don’t think you should worry

So basically it IS the karka event; Just a long drawn out, one-time, scripted event that we as individual players really have no control over. I can park my character in the area, do nothing but log in/out for months and see the world change all the while doing noting to influence that change. Sounds fun.

Well, if that is what you want to do, then more power to you.

I on the other hand, will participate and enjoy the content.

I was curious about this as well. It would be very cool this really is the only time we’ll see this part of the story, rather than having the norn and charr refugees re-appear next year or something.

If ArenaNet has the ability to keep up that kind of thing I think it could be a fun way to watch stories in an MMO unfold, actually seeing it develop rather than knowing all the pieces are already in place (and always will be in place).

I’m not sure but we have the same task as we had the other day. So I assume it’s like you get a part of it, it will last for say a week so everyone can play. Then the next step kicks in, will past Story Lines still be available after the new one is in place? I’m thinking no.

Each step will evolve the world and this will be a truly permanent the effect. So lets say this story line ends with an area erupting in a zone that causes an entrance to a lower subterranean. That will be the new zone, until another living story comes along and changes it.

It is a good idea for sure. Now we have to see how often it changes and when it does, are past steps gone and just the current one is in place can be run until the next comes along.

Gisei.5749:

Well, if that is what you want to do, then more power to you.

I on the other hand, will participate and enjoy the content.

Good, for you but I think you missed my point.

Horrorscope.7632:

I’m not sure but we have the same task as we had the other day. So I assume it’s like you get a part of it, it will last for say a week so everyone can play. Then the next step kicks in, will past Story Lines still be available after the new one is in place? I’m thinking no.

Each step will evolve the world and this will be a truly permanent the effect. So lets say this story line ends with an area erupting in a zone that causes an entrance to a lower subterranean. That will be the new zone, until another living story comes along and changes it.

It is a good idea for sure. Now we have to see how often it changes and when it does, are past steps gone and just the current one is in place can be run until the next comes along.

That’s the issue I have with it I guess. It’s just another one-time event only it last for a longer period of time.

I guess I was hoping that it was something that I had control over. Things that I did were making the event progress. The world would only be different to the point where I left off in the story.

DoubledOver.2534:

I guess I was hoping that it was something that I had control over. Things that I did were making the event progress. The world would only be different to the point where I left off in the story.

But that’s impossible to do in the open world where thousands of players could all be at different points. Unless you used some kind of phasing technology where each player sees a different version of the world (For example some would see refugees, other would not) but then that prevents cooperation between the players if they all have different goals based on the different points.

The Personal Story is where we can see gameplay where each individual character controls the rate of progression, but that’s possible because it is instanced.

I look at the Living Story more like a unique way of witnessing a fantasy story, like one might read a novel. With a novel, the author is the one guiding the story, the reader is along for the ride. I think the Living Story is the same way only we get to see it and explore it all together at the same time rather than just read it.

I can see your point about wanting to have more control over the story, but like I said, that just can’t be done in an open world setting because all the players are sharing the world. Individual, lasting changes need to be kept to instanced, Personal Story content (which is something I hope we will see more in upcoming patches)

Was this event based on just getting the title? I haven’t seen anything else added yet and its been days already. The title was EASY to get in one sitting.

DoctorOverlord.8620:

snip…

You make some good points there, thanks.