Guild Wars 2

So during the story, Rytlock finds a way out of the mists, learning some Ritualist-esk stuff to co-mingle with his warrior skills, and when asked what happened and how he can do what he does now, can only say hey, I found some stuff, made it work, I don’t have time to explain for all of the story, so don’t ask. So at some point, finds the time to pass that learning on without ever breaking the story flow, and that little Johnny, is how Revenants are born? Really? I feel like I either missed something, or this is some terrible retcon lol. I mean I could handle the idea of the Charr being a playable race…Love the fur balls. But for a new profession I would have expected a bit more of a back story because as of right now, unless I misunderstood, it goes that there were no Revenants, and now there are lol. I know each race has a starter story area to go do something, and then it’s business as usual. Maybe there should have been some explanatory level 1 instance, with Rytlock teaching the new class.

The way Rytlock addressed the Revenant origin leads the door open for it to be explained later on. Especially since he promised Rox that he would explain things later. Honestly when Rytlock jumped into the Mist Portal back in LS2, that felt rather out of the blue too. Like things happened, just without any real logic to it.

I fear that there probably isn’t much to the Revenants as we are expecting there to be. The way Rytlock summed up his wielding of new magic was intentionally vague because there isn’t a whole lot there other than a cool concept for a class. When you compare the Revenant to other professions and the new elite specializations, it actually has more in-game lore.

No no no no, the lore is even way better:

There have been Revenants since before the pact was founded. As a Revenant you become the Pact’s commander, defeat Zhaitan and stuff. Then Rytlock vanishes into the mists and somehow manages to change his class. Later in HoT he returns (becoming the “first” Revenant) and you wonder what those new skills and the new magic is that he uses (Even though you can do the same since the beginning).

Multiple years (story wise) after you’ve started your journey as a Revenant, Rytlock becomes the “first” Revenant and brings with him completely “new” and “unknown” magic.

BunjiKugashira.9754:

No no no no, the lore is even way better:

There have been Revenants since before the pact was founded. As a Revenant you become the Pact’s commander, defeat Zhaitan and stuff. Then Rytlock vanishes into the mists and somehow manages to change his class. Later in HoT he returns (becoming the “first” Revenant) and you wonder what those new skills and the new magic is that he uses (Even though you can do the same since the beginning).

Multiple years (story wise) after you’ve started your journey as a Revenant, Rytlock becomes the “first” Revenant and brings with him completely “new” and “unknown” magic.

The one issue with this is your character still exists within the time frame of the living world. starting a new character right now starts their journey with the HoT story going on. Since all personal story is instanced content, it would make sense that it is perhaps a flashback or something. In the case of the Revenants, if you run one through the PS you are the only one, right? You could make an argument that you are using your “spirit powers” to experience killing Zhaitan through the Pact Commander, no?

BunjiKugashira.9754:

No no no no, the lore is even way better:

There have been Revenants since before the pact was founded. As a Revenant you become the Pact’s commander, defeat Zhaitan and stuff. Then Rytlock vanishes into the mists and somehow manages to change his class. Later in HoT he returns (becoming the “first” Revenant) and you wonder what those new skills and the new magic is that he uses (Even though you can do the same since the beginning).

Multiple years (story wise) after you’ve started your journey as a Revenant, Rytlock becomes the “first” Revenant and brings with him completely “new” and “unknown” magic.

He emerges as a full fledged Herald, though. That’s something you can not be before HoT. So, maybe that’s the “new” magic you’re talking about in that case.

“Hold on, Rytlock. I get what you’re doing, mostly. But where and how in the world did you start channeling an effing DRAGON?”

Palador.2170:

BunjiKugashira.9754:

No no no no,

Multiple years (story wise) after you’ve started your journey as a Revenant, Rytlock becomes the “first” Revenant and brings with him completely “new” and “unknown” magic.

He emerges as a full fledged Herald, though. That’s something you can not be before HoT. So, maybe that’s the “new” magic you’re talking about in that case.

“Hold on, Rytlock. I get what you’re doing, mostly. But where and how in the world did you start channeling an effing DRAGON?”

Found Glint in the Mists.

To solve this issue about lore, I would rly like to see it being expanded in form a mini personal story. Basically a story of 2 – 3 parts, which are all about the lore of that proffesion/elite spec (For rev + every elite spec there should be personal story). In rev’s story you’ll be transformed into Rytlock and you’ll be travelling in the Mists, meeting and working with rev’s legends. In elite specs stories, you’ll be learning the basics of your spec, how your character found its powers, and completing some task(s) attached to it. And these stories will be the 1st step to unlock your elite spec (not the rev). For the herald… well… maybe in this story you’ll meet Rytlock, who will teach you what he learned in the Mists (in a time between rev’s story and his return to Tyria) and show you how to summon Glint. What do you think? ^^

(For that thing about you becoming the 1st rev instead of Rytlock, uh… I am not sure.)

Avador.8934:

What do you think? ^^

While I appreciate the thought behind it, I don’t like this idea.

The main problem I have with it is that it basically forces all of our characters into a shared background moment, and for a lot of characters that may not make sense. Instead, I find it more fun to think about some of the underlying ideas of the class/spec, and think of how it may have gone for each character.

Let’s look at Tempest as an example. A norn elementalist may have heard of or seen an avalanche triggered by a loud noise, and set out with a warhorn to try to replicate the effect, only to discover more than they intended. A charr, on the other hand, may have started on the path by trying to combine a battle cry (charr racial ability) with an invocation, and discovering the elemental shout skills. And an asura might have been experimenting with a theory about musical tones being used as a sort of spellcasting language. (“Well, instead of becoming stronger, my assistant seems to have burst into flames. A minor set back. Put him out, and we’ll try again tomorrow.”)

Their paths may eventually cross as they trade knowledge back and forth, both what they’ve discovered on their own as well as older knowledge they’ve come across, but they’re not “one background fits all”.

Revenant’s an odd case, and harder to work with, but not impossible. It is the nature of the mists to be a bit beyond mundane reality, so someone that went into the mists may very well have a few moments of their life fall out of order without those around them realizing it. Of my two Revenants, one was already studying something along those lines when Rytlock’s return provided the missing pieces, and the other was a charr already lost in the mists that pretty much just followed Rytlock’s path back.

I’d hate it, and I know a lot of others would agree, if they suddenly declared that all Reapers learned their sword skills from Swordsmaster Bongo the One-Eyed. I’d rather have it left somewhat vague, and let us decide.

actually Rytlock gone into the mists (again) to boost himself (herald)and to make this expansion more sellable.

Maybe there is a special gemstore in the mists that sells future professions and elite specs and he bought that profession and elite spec for 2000 gems.

That fits the lore doesn’t ’it?

(And explains why he doesn’t want to talk about it, since he paid for it rather than learning it while in the mists).

Funny someone should mention this. Was doing the prologue again as getting all the elite specs on all my alts and the whole Rytlock think is hilariously poorly done.

I’m a Revenant “just cos” right ok? Accept it. Whether it’s something they plan to flesh out later or they don’t have an explanation for it atm, I don’t know. Either way, it was very poorly done and it shows how far behind the curve Anet are with their writing and storytelling compared to someone like Bioware.

They have still yet to create characters we really care about. I mean, would any of you really give a toss if Kasmeer and all that lot were wiped out?

Palador.2170:

BunjiKugashira.9754:

No no no no, the lore is even way better:

There have been Revenants since before the pact was founded. As a Revenant you become the Pact’s commander, defeat Zhaitan and stuff. Then Rytlock vanishes into the mists and somehow manages to change his class. Later in HoT he returns (becoming the “first” Revenant) and you wonder what those new skills and the new magic is that he uses (Even though you can do the same since the beginning).

Multiple years (story wise) after you’ve started your journey as a Revenant, Rytlock becomes the “first” Revenant and brings with him completely “new” and “unknown” magic.

He emerges as a full fledged Herald, though. That’s something you can not be before HoT. So, maybe that’s the “new” magic you’re talking about in that case.

“Hold on, Rytlock. I get what you’re doing, mostly. But where and how in the world did you start channeling an effing DRAGON?”

No he’s clearly the first revenent herald or not. It was a bad design choice. If anything they should have done one of the few things wow did right and do something like a DK starting area and maybe level up to 80 at start or 55+ or something. Then they should allow you to “channel” your powers or something to go back in time or to experience flashbacks for the old story.

Any retcon is terrible.

There were Ritualists, a declining class that decayed because others sorcerers have better abilities.

Then, Rytlock came back from the Mists with Ritualist powers used in a way that never was explored before.

Rejuvenated from this discovery, Ritualists start channeling the power of Legends instead of their ancestors.

(obviously, Shiro is better at kicking kitten than grandma)