Guild Wars 2

WARNING:
THIS TOPIC MAY CONTAIN POSSIBLE SMALL GAME INTERACTION SPOILERS.

After visiting a certain cave in Bloodtide Coast, I was returning North to Lion’s Arch. Between myself and my path was a very grumpy, Ornery Crab. It waved its claws threateningly at me from side to side, as if to say “Move along, pal. Nothing to see here. This is my spot on the sand.”

I didn’t like the cut of his jib.

I walked over confidently and (/threaten) gestured with my hand a nice, long cut to the neckline, reminding him that seafood could still be tonight’s dinner menu. He quickly dashed off into the water, peering at me from his Hermit Crab shell. I stood there for a moment, and feeling confident my message was made continued on my way. When the coast was clear, he ran back onto shore and began his bouts of angry gestures.

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Honestly though, it’s these little things added into a game like the one above that really solidify my enjoyment in a game. I’m glad designers take the time to add in these little fun surprises into the game for us to discover, even if they aren’t game changers or always likely to be found. I wasn’t expecting anything to happen by using that emote on him (except maybe him going aggro after a few seconds.) It was a nice surprise and I got a good laugh from it. It also made me wonder what other little amusements lurked throughout the land of Tyria I have yet to see.

What are some other hidden gems you have run across in the game? The kind of interactions that are off the beaten path. Maybe something reacted in a way you didn’t expect.

Couldn’t agree more. From a previous similar thread:

Hirathi Hinterlands:
Exploring I did a skill point that was in a dolyak bone yard (SE corner). As I was leaving I came across a cave with some bandit ghosts. Decided to go in figuring either an open world dungeon or a jump puzzle. Instead I found several clues to this being a bandit hideout that was haunted by a “great white beast”. As I left sure enough a White Dolyak Ghost made its way into the cave, and in the main chamber a Veteran Ghost spawned yelling at the Dolyak. Even though I didn’t get much from it, it was such a nice little thing to stumble upon while questing.

The dolyak is part of the nearby skill point, I believe.

Approximately every six minutes an Old Dolyak will spawn and head to Dolyak’s Rest to die, where a Dolyak Spirit will then spawn and head into a nearby cave.
There is a chance that a bandit ghost named Veteran “Slick” Ricki will spawn from the pile of Dusty Bones next the waterfall after the spirit disappears.

I’ve commented before, the small thing I really noticed was how the little berries, grapes, etc disappear from the bush after harvesting. A pretty neat little detail.

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

The dolyak is part of the nearby skill point, I believe.

Approximately every six minutes an Old Dolyak will spawn and head to Dolyak’s Rest to die, where a Dolyak Spirit will then spawn and head into a nearby cave.
There is a chance that a bandit ghost named Veteran “Slick” Ricki will spawn from the pile of Dusty Bones next the waterfall after the spirit disappears.

Not apart of the skill point, as it is just a commune skill point that is always active.

Interesting on the timer, thought it was because I went in and examined the Supplies, Journal, and Bones.

Either way it was a nice thing to stumble upon while out in the world.

Ordika.9513:

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

The dolyak is part of the nearby skill point, I believe.

Approximately every six minutes an Old Dolyak will spawn and head to Dolyak’s Rest to die, where a Dolyak Spirit will then spawn and head into a nearby cave.
There is a chance that a bandit ghost named Veteran “Slick” Ricki will spawn from the pile of Dusty Bones next the waterfall after the spirit disappears.

Not apart of the skill point, as it is just a commune skill point that is always active.

Interesting on the timer, thought it was because I went in and examined the Supplies, Journal, and Bones.

Either way it was a nice thing to stumble upon while out in the world.

I had finished communing and was standing there getting dust in my eyes from the conversation between the boy, his mother, and his grandfather when the ghost dolyak arose. I gave the ghost a few minutes to wander away and then realized it hadn’t simply disappeared. So I followed it and found the ghost bandits. All those little things adding up? That’s the best open world design I’ve seen in years.

In the lower left corner of Hirathi Hinterlands, there’s an old monetarist that’s haunted by ghost guards. If you make your way into up and into it there’s a statue with a bunch of candles around it. /bow to the statue and a spirit will rise, giving a story of another person within the area. It’s been a long while, but as I recall there was some sort of thing, like an offering or something that you do to the spirit that causes the other spirit, a Veteran ghosts, rise up from a coffin in the near by chamber.

I love overhearing the NPC conversations, some make me giggle. There was one between 2 humans, I think in Kessex Hills, and they were talking about a tongue twister that went: “how much grog could a quaggan quaff if a quaggan could quaff grog”
Also the little argument between 2 Asuran kids somewhere in Metrica Province (or maybe Rata Sum? I forget)

Oh, I hadn’t even thought about the conversations. There are quite a few interesting things you can overhear throughout in each area. To think they took the time to record all those bits just to add atmosphere into the game. Having had the opportunity to experience the transition of text to visual MMO gaming, it’s always refreshing to see the story continuing to receive attention to detail. I know due to consistent demand for new content, it must be difficult to afford any resources to material that most players aren’t guaranteed to find or notice. I find though that when games start ignoring that material, they find themselves growing stale and somewhat repetitious once the gloss of the “Oooo, pretty new” starts to wear off and there isn’t much left to re-experience.

I am thankful that Guild Wars 2 has taken the time (and still seems to be doing so, as I find new things in places already explored all the time) to really flourish life into their gaming experience. The suspension of disbelief really allows me to get into the game in a way that blurs out the grind and makes it more of an adventure.

The little details are a Big part of what makes me love this game so much. I come from a long rp background of PnP games like Planescape (and the crpg Planescape: Torment) where details like this are bread and butter to the setting. They continue to make each area and each day loads of fun and the world more than just a map to run across.

The women leading the soldier into a house in Divinitys Reach…the door closing…then..

The noises coming from the house weren’t..subjective shall we say

I love the texts written in New Krytan, I LOVE translating them. Like at some Inns you can see the text (can’t remember it correctly) “Don’t drink and Quest.”

Some other stuff, like before the Karka event there were posts everywhere around Lion’s Arch, giving you a warning to stay away from the waters, something dangerous is inside and the city can’t stand for the loss of kids, hats, spirits of the wild, compasses (and other ridiculous written things.)

ArenaNet, keep making posters, and other hidden things written in New Krytan, I love translating those.

One thing I noticed that is truely an awesome detail is walking thru the grove on my mesbian aka female sylavri mesmer named Geie and seeing little flowers and ferns grow as I walked. That was pretty amazing for a game detail. There is no other mmo as beautiful as this game. They got so many little things right.