Guild Wars 2

doesn’t get good until the end then it’s not a good story. Just because the last part is good (and we have no proof so far that it will be), doesn’t excuse that a third (or more) of the story sucked.

Personal story was terrible. Living story has been terrible. Your writers really need to up their game, and if they can’t you’d be best served hiring some new ones, because despite what people say story in MMOs does matter.

If the same people who wrote the previous chapters wrote the finale, there’s no chance it’ll be good.

But the real problem is that Anet actually thinks the story is great but that it hasn’t been delivered properly (and having story and game features in the same patch confuses players LOL!!).

If they can’t tell good stories from bad, there’s really no hope.

Lord Kuru.3685:

If the same people who wrote the previous chapters wrote the finale, there’s no chance it’ll be good.

But the real problem is that Anet actually thinks the story is great but that it hasn’t been delivered properly (and having story and game features in the same patch confuses players LOL!!).

If they can’t tell good stories from bad, there’s really no hope.

Their story did suffer because it hasn’t been delivered well. (I don’t want to use the word “properly” – it was intended to be released this way, and that turned into a disservice.)

Their story suffered more because there wasn’t enough story bits included to really telegraph or suggest any kind of continuity of world between one part and the next except for what was actually important. Southsun’s refugees stopped being a “thing” after Last Stand at Southsun, for instance. The trade negotiations with the Zephyrites still haven’t been talked about even to go “they’re still ongoing”.

At the very least the Tower of Nightmares and its associated parts seemed far better than the stuff preceding it because something was telegraphed, it was paced so people didn’t have to rush the content, and there were actually some fun/interesting things going on.

If they can put out the next run of Living Story chapters with this kind of attentiveness? I don’t think it will turn out so badly.

. . . taken on its own merits though? The writing is probably never going to make me go “awesome”. But then, very little of Guild Wars lore has . . . most of what has revolves around Pyre’s warband.

As long as the game play is good, it will make up for the mediocre story to some extend. I just hope this is not another zerg fest.

Not for me it won’t, at least. I play games mostly because of the story, gameplay, graphics etc, are at best secondary values. If the story doesn’t drag me in, I’ll check it out, look in every nook and cranny, sigh and carry on my merry way never to look back.

I liked Personal Story

I’ve enjoyed the story personally.

There are others out there who feel the same.

I bet there are, and they are fully entitled to be both happy wit it and to express their opinion about it. I also am entitled to do the same, and I’m not trying to coerce people enjoying the LS fully to cease and desist having fun, but merely to express my opinion on a platform where I can be heard.

I enjoyed parts of the LS, I enjoyed morally grey Southsun release with Consortium and Canach, I enjoyed the Bazaar for many reasons, and I really do see the imporvement in Scarlet related releases.

However I can’t shake the resemblance between Scarlet and my 10 year old’s nephew first pen and paper rp character attempt, in idea, backstory, visible motivation and execution. So it’s nigh impossible for me to enjoy scarlet related releases, and though I hope to be surprised each new release, so far I haven’t. I simply don’t like simple black and white “good and evil” stories. Guild Wars 1 enchanted me with it’s depth, sadly GW2 so far at least fails to deliver in that regard.

I will most certainly give the story and the new release an honest try, but I don’t expect anything mindblowing story wise.

Not saying that the story is impossible to like, only that it does not suit my tastes, and hence even though I really want to, I can’t enjoy it. Which is my problem, and which is why I chose to express my personal 100% subjective and biased opinion.

/end rant

The personal story had dept, so if anything Anet did not fail with GW2 on that part. The living story will be better and I for one am VERY happy that they chose to use Scarlet’s story as the ‘test’ living story season and not one of the elder dragons. I’m hopefull that was part of the intent for creating Scarlet (even though I like her really).
Imagining the potential of it when doing a living story season focused on Jormag and the Far Shiverpeaks or a journey spread out over a few months toward Elona? I’m turning all giddy!

Looking at it like that, yeah, better they have used Scarlet as a lab rat, or lab lettuce.

I think however than if she would be better written, the flaws of LS delivery I wouldn’t notice even.

After all, I have enjoyed Southsun, the storytelling flaws did not stop me from learning the story, and since I liked it, I had fun playing.

Of course, I speak only for myself!