Guild Wars 2

Like a lot of people my first impression of precursor crafting was that it’s just a series of collections where you gather up somewhat random items interspaced with crafting sections. It was only when I started making a list of everything I’ll need that it finally clicked. There is a story there, but it’s a story about crafting.

For example here’s the story I’m going through now to make The Legend.

I decided I want to create The Bifrost, a legendary staff themed on ancient Shiverpeaks magic (aka Norse mythology). So I head out to investigate this ancient magic – bringing offerings of highly magical Bloodstone Dust to ancient places of power, assembling the Jotun Star.

This rewards me with the Essence of Ancient Mysticism and I head home to gleefully craft it into an amazing staff. I combine the most expensive, powerful materials I know, and the essence of magical battles into the most impressive staff I can imagine.

It does not quite go as planned. Apparently I don’t know quite as much about crafting amazing staves as I thought.

So I set out to learn more. I help Scholar Mossi study a wider variety of ancient magics, I practice making staff components from a variety of materials and eventually make a set of Superior tools, a perfectly balanced staff shaft and a perfectly weighted staff head.

Finally I’m ready to combine them with the magical spirit of my first attempt (which had the right idea at heart) and imbue them with even more magic, at last producing the Perfect Staff.

Except…I’m still not quite there. It’s a perfect staff, but it’s still just a staff, not the potent weapon that can be forged into the mystical Bifrost.

I need to understand what makes this weapon different, where it gets it’s unique power from. So I set out to study the magic of colour and light which is the essence of the Bifrost., gathering examples from all around Tyria.

At last I’m able to craft that essence, together with some truly exceptional staff components (with a lot fewer materials wasted now I know what I’m doing) into The Legend, and all that’s left is to imbue it with power in the Mystic Forge to make The Bifrost.

(And after all that the rest of the process to make the finished legendary doesn’t seem so daunting. Although another benefit of making this list is I then went through it to identify the parts I’m really going to struggle with and realised there aren’t any. The full process will be expensive and time consuming but each bit on it’s own is relatively easy to do.)

Depends entirely on the precursor. The Tiger bow certainly has a fully fledged story, unrelated to crafting for tier 1. Rodgort also had some nice storytelling elements.

The crafting is part of the story in some cases granted, but it varies from weapon to weapon how much of the core part of that story it forms.

The issue is that most people wanted the story to be “look at how I got my Precursor in 10 minutes at no cost!”

mtpelion.4562:

The issue is that most people wanted the story to be “look at how I got my Precursor in 10 minutes at no cost!”

Not me, I prefer the long process with a story instead of buying it instantly off the Trading Post.

I’m currently attempting to craft a legendary. The problem is that it’s hard to see it as a story when it takes forever between pieces. I don’t have the opportunity to play hours on end every day so the process is slow which makes the story element less apparent/absent. I’m not complaining about crafting it, but if I were to craft it for the story it would be a total waste.

They sure do tell a story, quite a few actually:

Boredom. Tedium. Disappointment. Superfluity. Lifelessness. Frustration.

Pity none of them are remotely positive in the kitten show that is precursor crafting.

Ambika.6257:

I’m currently attempting to craft a legendary. The problem is that it’s hard to see it as a story when it takes forever between pieces. I don’t have the opportunity to play hours on end every day so the process is slow which makes the story element less apparent/absent. I’m not complaining about crafting it, but if I were to craft it for the story it would be a total waste.

Yeah that’s the downside to it. For most people it will be a very long process and since it’s not actually presented as a narrative it’s hard to see it that way when you’re doing it.

I’m actually still on the first tier collection, and at the moment that consists entirely of crafting 1 spiritwood plank per day. Which I don’t mind because I’m not in a hurry to finish and I couldn’t afford everything now anyway.

But as I said it was only when I wrote out everything I’ll need in order, essentially running through the process in my mind, that I saw how it would work. If I hadn’t done that I’d probably never have noticed it.

On the plus side now I have that list I’ve identified several things I can work on ahead of time to make it easier later on, like going to Southsun more often so when I get to the second tier I’ll have more of the karka shells and passiflora I’ll need.

i like the journeys been having fun going through all the t1s, only have 2 left. its the 2nd tier which sucks because its really just a cost wall (yes i understand its neccessary to maintain value on precursors but it still sucks and is no fun)

mtpelion.4562:

The issue is that most people wanted the story to be “look at how I got my Precursor in 10 minutes at no cost!”

How dare you!!!
I want it to take 2 weeks vor so but cost nothing!
No… Seriously though i am bloody poor, but i kinda liked the axe hunt.

These “journeys” are why we don’t have new legendaries coming.

I like the part in the Nevermore ‘story’ where the brave adventurer sits around tabbed for 3 hours waiting for ghosts to appear in Barradin’s vault.

Truly gripping storytelling that is.