Guild Wars 2

Anyone else notice that the story is about anyone but your character? There are stories about:

Marjory and Kasmeer
Rox and Rytlock
Braham and Taimi

All these characters have growth. But there was absolutely zero story about your own character. I believe it is time to have some personal growth in our characters. These story can be around your own race, profession, Order or personality type (e.g. Scoundrel).

For example I have a necromancer. Perhaps there should be a quest for her to locate the body of a long dead dragon minion, and reanimate it as my minion with a new elite skill.

She is also a Norn. Perhaps there should be a quest for her to go search for some long lost animal god, for a new transformation or summoning skill.

One anime I enjoy watching is Naruto. He start off as a nobody. In fact initially he would appear as the class drop out, good for nothing. But he would get stronger and stronger, and overcame different challenges. Along the way he would face enemies well outside of his league. But in the right time he would get the help he needed (either though training or a very strong ally).

One thing I enjoy about Naruto is how “balanced” that world is. It isn’t even a game, but the world is so balanced. There is a counter against every jutsu. No one is invincible, even if they appear that way initially. The key to winning a fight is discovering the enemy’s weaknesses and exploit them.

Conclusion: I believe the story need to be more about your main character. It should be about how you grow to become that hero you are bounded to become. Along the way the universe should feel balanced enough to make it believable.

I am not against “side stories” like Taimi. But I should be the main character, not her. There need to be a balance in this also.

If the Pale Tree dies than the Sylvari players would want one thing: Revenge!

At long last we shall meet our Personal Nemesis and it is one Sylvari players have been destined to face since meeting his incomplete avatar in the Dream…..

ah come on… you do not like that they nearly finished their checklist with episode 4? That many established charactertraits are beeing taken care of?

- Braham meets his mother and excepts her

- Taimi gets finaly some recognission

- Rox is on hold, but was finaly able to talk to Rythlock again

- Kasmeer is on her way to be a forgiven and taken back into the noble circle, if Anise can be trusted (did not finish the episode, so i don`t know what happens at the end of the interogation yet)

- Majory… well she got something else to chew on. I mean she was the only rounded character so they “had” to do something to get her into a sour mood. Let`s kill her sister -_-

For yourself? Well it appears even though the writers have lined out a timeline and that everything is happening after the PS and the LS1 they still do not know how to advance your involvement in the world.
They jump from pact commander, to errand boy, to friend with DE, to weedkiller, to “BOSS” of the Biconics, to killer of Scarlet.

Sure we got different status with different characters in the story, but right now it feels like we are at the same point the PS stopped.

It’s a MMORPG, not a solo RPG. It’s already too much that there are millions “second in command” of the Pact. Also, focusing the story on the player will make that not all people would be satisfied and will need more time. They have to make a story for each race.

Oh but the story is about you ! You know everything and everyone. Even the Pact Commander comes to you, you the person who has been away for 2 years chasing after Scarlet, to learn informations on an ED.

You’re the main character. You already got the part that covered how you got to where we are (the PS). Now you just run around, get told what to do and everyone simply listens to you.
And then you tell your “friends” all about it. And sometimes one of your friend tells you something then you repeat it to the NPC right next to him like you were the one who came up with the idea.

RedStar.4218:

Oh but the story is about you ! You know everything and everyone. Even the Pact Commander comes to you, you the person who has been away for 2 years chasing after Scarlet, to learn informations on an ED.

You’re the main character. You already got the part that covered how you got to where we are (the PS). Now you just run around, get told what to do and everyone simply listens to you.
And then you tell your “friends” all about it. And sometimes one of your friend tells you something then you repeat it to the NPC right next to him like you were the one who came up with the idea.

I want a watch with a video transmitter. That way Kasmeer can be my obligatory mission briefing girl and we can reenact Metal Gear Solid… now where do I have my cardbord box…

In every MMO, it rarely is about the player character. It’s either about a small group of people, a nation or nations. Sometimes about an individual but rarely about your character because it’s very hard to write for that sort of thing.

That’s not to say they can’t make your character important, which they’ve clearly done.

It’s called headcanon. Unless they make a point of it story wise, MMORPGs are always going to have a rather blank player character. The developers give the players the world, the cast of characters, and the storyline. The players can then fill out their own story for themselves.

Now I have to leave quick, lest I laugh myself sick with the thought of Naruto having a “balanced” world. Lol

The entire personal story was about you. as for living story, YOU the leader of Destiny’s Edge 2.0, and you get to do some cool things in the living story. YOU got to go into Omadd’s machine. YOU defended the pale tree from a dragon, if you are a sylvari, it is the same dragon you saw in the dream. Then the pale tree showed YOU a vision. YOU got to bring the world leaders together and lead a summit.

And you want story having to do with your race/ class combo. Do you know how many branches they would have to make to get every race or class choice in there? that is exactly what they did with the personal story, and they suffered for it. They cant make living story have a different version for every race or class

zallis.2138:

The entire personal story was about you. as for living story, YOU the leader of Destiny’s Edge 2.0, and you get to do some cool things in the living story. YOU got to go into Omadd’s machine. YOU defended the pale tree from a dragon, if you are a sylvari, it is the same dragon you saw in the dream. Then the pale tree showed YOU a vision. YOU got to bring the world leaders together and lead a summit.

The PS is about your rise in ranks and how you help and be part of the amry that brings down Zaithan. It is never about you alone.

The LS Season 1 is you encountering and investigating the issues around Scarlet alongside the Biconics.

The LS Season 2 so far is about you AND the biconics being send by Mister E to Dry Top. You as a Group investigate the Zephirites and get suddenly “promoted” to be their “Boss”.
You rescue someone out of the Machine and it is conincidental that you see the Vision.

The Biconics get the world Leaders together and you help them and the old DE to convince them fully. (Overall each segment here is a step of the respective iconic to his own redemption. Brahams mother issues, Rox`s Rytlock issues, etc…)

You are pushed into the center of a summit, trying halfheartedly to convince leaders with your half knowledge on a thread they all should be aware off and make better statements then you.

You fail to defend the Pale tree and only manage to hold off the Dragon till Kasmeer is able to get you out.

The Pale Tree showed you a vision because you were there and one of the few capable to understand it.

I am sorry, there is not a lot of “you” there.
Also I do not mind being part of a group, as long as I am able to make some decisions.

However the current narrow writing which only allows for a bit diversion form the plot here and there is not really supporting the “It is your story” the game was advertised with…

To be fair; the personal story is over. This is the living story, which is a story about the world.

zallis.2138:

The entire personal story was about you. as for living story, YOU the leader of Destiny’s Edge 2.0, and you get to do some cool things in the living story. YOU got to go into Omadd’s machine. YOU defended the pale tree from a dragon, if you are a sylvari, it is the same dragon you saw in the dream. Then the pale tree showed YOU a vision. YOU got to bring the world leaders together and lead a summit.

I am talking about character development. Personality, past history, etc.

Lead Destiny’s Edge 2.0, yet the story is all about Destiny’s Edge 2.0 other members.
Go into Omadd’s machine, yet the story is all about Omadd’s machine and its secrets.
Defending the Pale Tree, yet the story was all about the Pale Tree and her vision.

How did my main character’s personality changed from all of these events? How did my main character’s past history come into play? How did these event change my main character’s future?

My main character only exist to further the story of people around me. The story is not about my character.

Use my GW1 necromancer as example. She was limited by the useless “Order”. This eventually led to Ascalon’s destruction. The kingdom was run by a prideful king who rather make everyone fight to the death than escape alive. And then throughout her journey she was betrayed and betrayed and betrayed.

But throughout all of it she got more and more powerful. She went out to hunt legendary monsters to learn their elite skills. She spent hours mastering her skill set. She met powerful friends along the way. At the end she became quite a formidable necromancer. And as the enemies get stronger she continue to master her art, until even the most powerful foes runs in fear at the sight of her.

At the end she tries to protect Ascalon with forbidden magic. The Order, instead of helping her to fight the Charr, called her an evil witch and came against her and ruined her plan. She was killed by the very people she was trying to protect. And as she foresaw Ascalon fell.

My GW1 necromancer has personality. She has a past. She grow strong over a lot of time. There is a flow to the story. She was my very own necromancer with special skill bars.

I am not nearly as attached to my GW2 necromancer.

Jaken.6801:

You are pushed into the center of a summit, trying halfheartedly to convince leaders with your half knowledge on a thread they all should be aware off and make better statements then you.

They really should rewrite that piece of the LW. Since it’s all text it shouldn’t be that expensive to do. Currently it’s a bit clunky.

I think PCs should not be involved too much in the “World” Story in an MMORPG, there are just too many of us and it’d be much better if we were not referred to as a singular individual but as a group…

Kulvar.1239:

It’s a MMORPG, not a solo RPG. It’s already too much that there are millions “second in command” of the Pact. Also, focusing the story on the player will make that not all people would be satisfied and will need more time. They have to make a story for each race.

Bad argument considering how The Old Republic, despite being a poor MMO, did one thing great – story and characters (including main protagonists) – technically that’s two things :P

So, yeah, simply because it’s an MMO, that isn’t an excuse for bad writing. MMO’s can have good story with well written characters

kasoki.5180:

So, yeah, simply because it’s an MMO, that isn’t an excuse for bad writing. MMO’s can have good story with well written characters

Not bad writing per say. I think it deals more with resource management, and just how much resources ($$$) you have. For TOR to get anywhere near that level of storytelling, which all the voice acting, cinematics, animations, etc. helped flesh out, they had to shovel barrels of money towards it.

While gw2 probably had a good budget as well, it was probably no where near that of TOR’s.