It’s been a while since Seeds of Truth came out and I think most of us have been able to digest the experience. I’d like to talk about one of the more unusual parts of the release: the fact that we play as Caithe and not our own PCs.
Playing as an NPC and using it as a narrative device reminded me of the interview Leah Hoyer (the new Head of Narrative at ArenaNet) gave a while back (http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2014-11-25-game-industry-coming-around-on-story-hoyer) and how she spoke about story being about more than just the dialogue or the events – that it’s told through the gameplay experience and even the controls. How do you guys think playing as Caithe enhanced or hindered your experience this last release? Did it convey the story better? Was it more immersive?
Personally I have mixed feelings about this. From a gameplay perspective it can be rewarding and frustrating. I like my build and play style, swapping to a set bar (even if it’s “OP”) can take me out of the moment and force me to focus on learning gameplay again instead of focusing on the story (that might have been a cool “story experience” if I was playing a newly awakened sylvari, learning how to function in the world thus mirroring me learning a new skill bar, but I was playing Caithe, an experienced veteran at the time). As a ranger I really missed my pet and my longbow so in that sense, I did feel less like myself, being forced to sneak around and fight up close. Personally though, this was a gameplay challenge/experience for me, it didn’t fully transcend into a story experience. I do wonder if it’s because I play several alts (and am used to several different playstyles) – my personal experience is rarely tied to my toon, but rather my account – Caithe, to me, wasn’t much different from an alt.
I feel like there was a missed opportunity with Caithe’s skill bar. Once again we see more detail for biconics than more central parts of the story – Marjory’s sword attacks have added onto their chain as she uses it more, Caithe’s skill bar remains the same through both missions. As a story telling tool, I think they could have done more with her bar, causing it to evolve as you progress through the release and tieing changes in the story/Caithe’s character to changes in her skill bar. Maybe giving us a whole new bar to learn was enough and altering the bar, forcing us to relearn it, was not a good gameplay experience? I remember in GW1 there was a mission where you play as Keiran with Miku as your ally. Miku has a skill which inflicts a condition on the enemy Keiran can’t inflict, but he has a skill which has a bonus effect when used against enemies with that condition, simulating good team work between the two. Similarly, Ralena and Vassar in Asalonian Catacombs Story Mode get bonus powers when near each other (as the lovers). Caithe and Faolain are supposed to be very close with each other, so much so that it dominates Caithe’s story many years later. It would have been nice, while playing as Caithe, if we had seen some kind of mechanics which allowed us to experience this. Of course this again becomes challenging when you are learning a whole new skill bar, the stealth mechanic of the first mission and then need to look out for additional mechanics to learn.
Generally I think it’s easy to forget your playing Caithe (or who Caithe is). Others commented her personality felt weak and I agree. It would have been nice to have more reminders throughout the content that I am experiencing the world as Caithe. Maybe if voice acting was used every now and then to “narrate” Caithe’s thoughts or feelings. In hindsight, the fact that I’m playing as Caithe doesn’t seem to matter much, I feel like her identity or personality wasn’t utilized well here. Maybe that’s intentional due to the way the memory seeds work.
Overall I think the unique setting did most of the story telling. We got to experience moments in sylvari history. I don’t feel like I truly got to experience what it’s like to be Caithe. That didn’t come through for me. In this specific instance I think they could have done more.