Guild Wars 2

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Festival_of_the_Four_Winds

It is unfair that newer players will never get to experience this fun event. We have too few events during the year, and since the once we have are repetitive too, why can’t this one be brought back?

The Labyrinthine Cliffs is a very nice little map, it should be accessable permanently imo.

Because the Zephyrite airship was destroyed and doesn’t exist anymore. The remains are around Dry Top

Ashantara.8731:

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Festival_of_the_Four_Winds

It is unfair that newer players will never get to experience this fun event. We have too few events during the year, and since the once we have are repetitive too, why can’t this one be brought back?

It’s not any more unfair than newer players being unable to participate in any of the other parts of the game that took place in the first 18 months or so, including all of the first Living World Stories, the first Halloween (and the second), and so on. It’s among the least compelling of reasons to ‘add’ content to the game.

Instead, describe the things that you liked about the event — if they can’t return to the game as part of ‘Four Winds,’ maybe ANet can find a way to do something similar in another recurring festival.

While I disagree with the “unfair” part of the OP, I do agree that GW2 needs more festivals. A nice spread of festivals through the year would do a lot to keep people interested between content updates.

Djinn.9245:

I do agree that GW2 needs more festivals. A nice spread of festivals through the year would do a lot to keep people interested between content updates.

Yeah, I’ve never understood why we go from May to October without a festival (and that used to be February to October).

Festival of the Four Winds was good for two things.

1. Sanctum Sprint – Currently available in the Activity rotation in Lion’s Arch.
2. Traders – Shoveling tons of underpriced, vendor-trash goods for unique prizes.

Can we bring the second back? For some of our price-sagging materials (and runes/sigils), have vendors be willing to take stacks of them in exchange for their unique currency. Trade that currency for new and old skins, recipes, minis, consumables, etc. It could even hold some unique Zepherite-themed runes (lightning, sun, wind).

Rumor is we’ll be getting Wintersday in July. It may not be the festival that the OP wanted but it’s something.

Ayrilana.1396:

Rumor is we’ll be getting Wintersday in July. It may not be the festival that the OP wanted but it’s something.

Source for the curious?

I mean, no biggie if there isn’t one, I find rumors quaint too.

>.> I just hope it’s not the “give away lots of quartz” kind of Wintersday in July.

Yes I wish they broight this back as well… or even better.. made it permanent. It was definitely one of my favorite maps.

Rauderi.8706:

Ayrilana.1396:

Rumor is we’ll be getting Wintersday in July. It may not be the festival that the OP wanted but it’s something.

Source for the curious?

I mean, no biggie if there isn’t one, I find rumors quaint too.

>.> I just hope it’s not the “give away lots of quartz” kind of Wintersday in July.

Go to the GW2 reddit for the datamined thread. I’d post a link except I’d get my hand slapped for doing so. Based on the other posts, it could just be the next guaranteed item from the black lion chests.

maddoctor.2738:

Because the Zephyrite airship was destroyed and doesn’t exist anymore. The remains are around Dry Top

That’s the zephyrites, they held the Bazaar of the Four Winds.
But the location was an already inhabited place, just like we were, the zephyrites were guests there. They hosted the event at the cliffside.

Even though the traveling ship is gone, the Zephyrites (I doubt) have forgotten their love for the sun, the storm, and the wind, so why not have a new bazaar in the Dry Top. This year they can have a festival where we help the survived Zephyrites make money and resources, and next year they have a new ship. Maybe then we can even have another election for who the new Elder will be.

I don’t disagree with the idea of the festival happening again, but I kind of disagree with the reasoning why, fairness.
None of this is about being fair, it is more about what is.
If the argument for the festival to return was, “the Zephyrites, after suffering a heavy blow in Dry Top, have been able to rebuild and want to celebrate a new beginning by reactivating their traditional festival,” then I am on board for that.

Amaimon.7823:

maddoctor.2738:

Because the Zephyrite airship was destroyed and doesn’t exist anymore. The remains are around Dry Top

That’s the zephyrites, they held the Bazaar of the Four Winds.
But the location was an already inhabited place, just like we were, the zephyrites were guests there. They hosted the event at the cliffside.

Even though the traveling ship is gone, the Zephyrites (I doubt) have forgotten their love for the sun, the storm, and the wind, so why not have a new bazaar in the Dry Top. This year they can have a festival where we help the survived Zephyrites make money and resources, and next year they have a new ship. Maybe then we can even have another election for who the new Elder will be.

Yep, good points. All of the Zephyrites aren’t gone.

Did Anet say that they wanted each map to be a snapshot stuck in time? So, even though we killed Zhaitan, the Eye will still keep coming back and having to be killed since that map is a snapshot of that instant in time. Lake Doric will forever keep having White Mantle attack Saidra’s Haven and DR…long after we’ve killed Caudecus and gutted the ranks of the White Mantle. And the millions of Centaurs wiped out by the Engineers. So exactly why can’t we have the Cliffside map with the Zepharites and their airship again while it is simultaneously spread across Dry Top? DT is stuck in time…sometime after the Bazaar of the Four Winds in Cliffside.

maddoctor.2738:

Because the Zephyrite airship was destroyed and doesn’t exist anymore. The remains are around Dry Top

I know, but they could have reorganized after all these years and built a new one, no?

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

It’s not any more unfair than newer players being unable to participate in any of the other parts of the game that took place in the first 18 months or so

I agree. Your point being…?

Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946:

Did Anet say that they wanted each map to be a snapshot stuck in time?

Map? This is not about a map but about more festivals and diversity, not always the same repetitive, boring ones (or at least add more of the “old, boring” ones so that people have a little bit more diversity).

Amaimon.7823:

Even though the traveling ship is gone, the Zephyrites (I doubt) have forgotten their love for the sun, the storm, and the wind, so why not have a new bazaar in the Dry Top. […]

Now, that sounds like a nice idea. Finally someone not being grumpy about their sacred exclusiveness of having participated in a historic event, but some fresh ideas instead. Thank you.

Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946:

Did Anet say that they wanted each map to be a snapshot stuck in time? So, even though we killed Zhaitan, the Eye will still keep coming back and having to be killed since that map is a snapshot of that instant in time. Lake Doric will forever keep having White Mantle attack Saidra’s Haven and DR…long after we’ve killed Caudecus and gutted the ranks of the White Mantle. And the millions of Centaurs wiped out by the Engineers. So exactly why can’t we have the Cliffside map with the Zepharites and their airship again while it is simultaneously spread across Dry Top? DT is stuck in time…sometime after the Bazaar of the Four Winds in Cliffside.

Ooo, nice point!

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Djinn.9245:

I do agree that GW2 needs more festivals. A nice spread of festivals through the year would do a lot to keep people interested between content updates.

Yeah, I’ve never understood why we go from May to October without a festival (and that used to be February to October).

because the first annual Dragon Bash (June 2013), turned out to be the ONLY Dragon Bash ever. shame, but hey, at least the mini game was recycled into Lunar New Year.

Rauderi.8706:

Festival of the Four Winds was good for two things.

1. Sanctum Sprint – Currently available in the Activity rotation in Lion’s Arch.
2. Traders – Shoveling tons of underpriced, vendor-trash goods for unique prizes.

Can we bring the second back?

Don’t get me wrong, that functionality was nice and I’m all for bringing it back. But I’m even more for bringing it back as part of a renewed Festival of the Four Winds because that map was gorgeous, had a lovely atmosphere with fun events and activities, and it did verticality right. I’m not sure how that latter part holds up now that we can glide, but that’s a different question.

So, I’d love to see the Labyrinthine Cliffs brought back as the location of a Four Winds style summer festival to bridge the large gap between SAB and Halloween.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

It’s not any more unfair than newer players being unable to participate in any of the other parts of the game that took place in the first 18 months or so

Ashantara.8731:

I agree. Your point being…?

You argued that it should be re-introduced to the game as a matter of “fairness” — that’s too weak an argument to do justice to the idea.

ANet shouldn’t spend large amounts of resources for the sake of nostalgia for veterans or to introduce old content to new players. It should be because it’s the best use of their time, in the service of making the best, most compelling content they can.

nottsgman.8206:

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

Djinn.9245:

I do agree that GW2 needs more festivals. A nice spread of festivals through the year would do a lot to keep people interested between content updates.

Yeah, I’ve never understood why we go from May to October without a festival (and that used to be February to October).

because the first annual Dragon Bash (June 2013), turned out to be the ONLY Dragon Bash ever. shame, but hey, at least the mini game was recycled into Lunar New Year.

Sorry, I guess I wasn’t clear. I don’t understand why they didn’t introduce something else in its stead.

Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946:

Did Anet say that they wanted each map to be a snapshot stuck in time? So, even though we killed Zhaitan, the Eye will still keep coming back and having to be killed since that map is a snapshot of that instant in time. Lake Doric will forever keep having White Mantle attack Saidra’s Haven and DR…long after we’ve killed Caudecus and gutted the ranks of the White Mantle. And the millions of Centaurs wiped out by the Engineers. So exactly why can’t we have the Cliffside map with the Zepharites and their airship again while it is simultaneously spread across Dry Top? DT is stuck in time…sometime after the Bazaar of the Four Winds in Cliffside.

Good point, really. If they want things stuck in time, as much as I hate that they said that, then they should follow through and reintroduce (parts of) older maps. Why can’t the watchknight encounter exist anymore? why can’t the legendary Karka return? because timelines? Nuh-uh time doesn’t exist in Tyria, maps are stuck in timeloops. (yup I still dislike that notion xD)

Plot-twist: What we think is The Mists is the real world and we are actually playing in The Mists!

Ashantara.8731:

Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946:

Did Anet say that they wanted each map to be a snapshot stuck in time?

Map? This is not about a map but about more festivals and diversity, not always the same repetitive, boring ones (or at least add more of the “old, boring” ones so that people have a little bit more diversity).

Go back and read my entire post, not just the first sentence. It is my understanding that the festival of four winds took place on a specific map – Cliffside. If that is correct, then each map being “stuck” in time means that the Festival of Four Winds could be brought back with the Cliffside map and exist in-game SIMULTANEOUSLY with the crashed Zepharites in Dry Top.

Kaltyn of Torbins Deep.2946:

Go back and read my entire post, not just the first sentence. It is my understanding that the festival of four winds took place on a specific map – Cliffside. If that is correct, then each map being “stuck” in time means that the Festival of Four Winds could be brought back with the Cliffside map and exist in-game SIMULTANEOUSLY with the crashed Zepharites in Dry Top.

Sorry, my bad, you are right of course.

I wouldn’t even mind if they didn’t want to bring it back still for some Zephyrite-related reason (even when your argument suggests that there was no reason for it). They could come up with something similar instead. In any case, what many people have already stated: There are no festivals between spring and fall and it would be nice to have some, even if none of them was the Festival of the Four Winds.

Ashantara.8731:

There are no festivals between spring and fall and it would be nice to have some, even if none of them was the Festival of the Four Winds.

This is an argument I think every player can support: more festivals would be more better.

FrizzFreston.5290:

Plot-twist: What we think is The Mists is the real world and we are actually playing in The Mists!

Why, all of a sudden, am I having an awful “Lost” flashback?

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

This is an argument I think every player can support: more festivals would be more better.

Yay, we agree! I still would like to experience the Festival of the Four Winds (and other no longer existent events) first-hand though.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

This is an argument I think every player can support: more festivals would be more better.

Ashantara.8731:

Yay, we agree!

:)
(Stranger things have happened? )

Ashantara.8731:

I still would like to experience the Festival of the Four Winds (and other no longer existent events) first-hand though.

Yeah, I can’t blame anyone for wanting to see the old content returned. It’s one of the reasons ANet discarded the original ideal of Living World (a constantly evolving world, where we couldn’t expect anything to remain for long) — that was enormously fun for those present and jelly-producing for those that weren’t able to be there.

maddoctor.2738:

Because the Zephyrite airship was destroyed and doesn’t exist anymore. The remains are around Dry Top

I take it you have never seen a sequel to a movie that was never meant to have one? You can always connect to a story arc that looks like it is ended. For example, what if a survivor from the crash turned up?

Each map is an instance frozen in time. There is nothing, beyond Anet’s own technical limitations, preventing the festival from returning.

Can they do it: I have no idea…although they likely could.
Is there any “lore” reason or in game reason not to: no…every map is a snapshot of a time in the past. If this wasn’t true, there would be no way to do map meta events more than once.

I think this could be done…and within the lore. Perhaps not a festival ALL the time, but it it could be live all the time.

I could see some of the survivors of the crash in Dry Top migrating back to the cliffs and it becoming the “2nd Home” for the Zephyrites.

Then, once a year they could have a festival honoring the spirit of the Zephyrite people and having all the special events and such as a celebration of life…which is greatly valued by the Zephyrites.

I am not a programmer, but I would hope, since the area exists, it could be done with a smaller investment of time and resources to set the area up as an independent area, perhaps a couple of dynamic events, and a few crystal nodes…nothing too complex. Possibly the biggest adjustment would be adding gliding…which we all know people would want.

Its an idea…take it for what it is…:)

The festival had many great things, I hope to see it again soon.

Menadena.7482:

maddoctor.2738:

Because the Zephyrite airship was destroyed and doesn’t exist anymore. The remains are around Dry Top

I take it you have never seen a sequel to a movie that was never meant to have one? You can always connect to a story arc that looks like it is ended. For example, what if a survivor from the crash turned up?

there’s no need to what-if a story, we know there’s quite a bunch of survivors, they’re all in drytop, there’s at least 14 individual zephyrites alive, and propably more if you think about a few hidden ones

Thorfinnr Sleggja.1209:

I think this could be done…and within the lore. Perhaps not a festival ALL the time, but it it could be live all the time.

I could see some of the survivors of the crash in Dry Top migrating back to the cliffs and it becoming the “2nd Home” for the Zephyrites.

Then, once a year they could have a festival honoring the spirit of the Zephyrite people and having all the special events and such as a celebration of life…which is greatly valued by the Zephyrites.

I love this idea! I hope the devs are reading this thread. <3

With Glint’s scion, Aurene, now part of the story, they could be celebrating her as well. There is definitely enough material in the current lore to support bringing the Zephyrites and their festivals back.

I wouldn’t care if the festival was exactly or nearly or even not at all like the original. I like that cliffside map! Bring it back. Make it accessible via travel. Something! Let’s do this.

Apart from the map which was beautiful, the festival itself was boring (for me at least) and didn’t represent anything in particular. At least events like holloween and christmas have a sentimental tie to the real world.

Ayrilana.1396:

Rumor is we’ll be getting Wintersday in July. It may not be the festival that the OP wanted but it’s something.

that’s only BLTP stuff, nothing really event-like

sorudo.9054:

Ayrilana.1396:

Rumor is we’ll be getting Wintersday in July. It may not be the festival that the OP wanted but it’s something.

that’s only BLTP stuff, nothing really event-like

I know as I stated this a few posts later after doing more research. It’s also obvious by now with their blog post and it being available in the store.

It could still be brought back, lore-wise. Not ALL of the Zephyrite ships were brought down. Zephyrite survivors you can speak to in Dry Top report that they saw several of their ships sailing on even as they fell from the sky, and given that it’s been well over two years since LS2, the surviving Zephyrites could easily have recruited more to their numbers, rebuilt any destroyed ships, and be back to do more trading. (We know that two of the Zephyrite Masters survived, and presumably they went back to rejoin their brethren after we discovered what happened to the Master of Peace. I presume that one of them got elected to become the new Master of Peace.)

On top of what Zaxares said, the Bazaar of the Four Winds is actually NOT related to the Zephyrites. The Zephyrites were visitors just as Lion’s Arch and the PCs were, arriving to trade there when they got wind of it.

The Bazaar of the Four Winds is Tyria’s black market, which changes locations and shows up “randomly” in the lore. So it wouldn’t even be at Labyrinthine Cliffs next time, necessarily.

Which of course would give reason to make Labyrinthine Cliffs a permanent map, just removing the vendors and Zephyrites as that seemed to have been some local village or some such there (can easily keep some vendors, of course, as well as various Zephyrite crystals since that’s what the Zephyrites were trading in return for food and other supplies).

Konig Des Todes.2086:

On top of what Zaxares said, the Bazaar of the Four Winds is actually NOT related to the Zephyrites. The Zephyrites were visitors just as Lion’s Arch and the PCs were, arriving to trade there when they got wind of it.

Source: wiki

In the Season of the Scion, 1326 AE, the Zephyr Sanctum briefly docked here and set up the Bazaar of the Four Winds. Ships were available from Lion’s Arch.

The Zephyr Sanctum also returned to this area for the Festival of the Four Winds to aid in the efforts to rebuild Lion’s Arch after Scarlet’s attack devastated the port city.

According to the wiki, the Zephyr Sanctum, a Zephyrite vessel, set up the Bazaar and the Festival. So, according to lore, indeed the Bazaar & the Festival were intimately linked with a group of people (and their ships) that were all but destroyed. That’s a decent-sized bottleneck to “bringing back” the festival.

But, that’s actually moot. The vast majority of interest is in the idea of some festival — any festival — that takes places between May and September, for a chance to experience some of the sorts of things that veteran players enjoyed during the first season of the Living World, for some nostalgia of things past.

And there are all sorts of ways to make that happen, as folks have written about above. It could be a festival of remembrance of better times, the establishment of a not-so-secret Black Market, an instance fixed in times past, or any of a number of other time-honored MMO mechanics for setting up lore.

In short, while there is some relevant lore that would need to be dealt, there are plenty of ways to do so. So in my strong opinion, let’s skip to the chase: do we want a festival like BotFW or FotFW? something new? or are we okay with no festival at all ?

The Bazaar of the Four Winds is gathering — merchants are converging from all corners of Tyria to sell their wares. But this time it’s not just shady characters and risky trades; this year, the mystical, flying Zephyr Sanctum has landed, bringing their magical crystals and amazing movement skills to savvy traders and daring adventurers alike! What a joy it will be to experience the thrill of the trade—and the race. Let’s go!

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Bazaar_of_the_Four_Winds
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/july-09-2013/

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

According to the wiki,

According to a player written article – and falsely so. You should look at the original sources, not the rewritten parts of wiki articles, since they can occasionally be wrong.

Check out these two links:

The Bazaar of the Four Winds is gathering— merchants are converging from all corners of Tyria to sell their wares. But this time it’s not just shady characters and risky trades; this year, the mystical, flying Zephyr Sanctum has landed, bringing their magical crystals and amazing movement skills to savvy traders and daring adventurers alike!

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/july-09-2013/

Magnus the Bloody Handed: By the way, did you hear the bazaar is back? They’re expecting Zephyr Sanctum to make an appearance.

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Strangers_from_the_Sky

In other words, the Zephyrites regularly show up to the Bazaar, but not all the time.

I was going to fix that little error you quoted, but it seems someone else already fixed it for me.

Illconceived Was Na.9781:

In short, while there is some relevant lore that would need to be dealt,

Except not really. 3 years have passed since Dry Top so even with the Zephyr Sanctum + 2-3 other out of 11+ ships falling and half their leadership dead, the Zephyrites could have rebuilt by now and be back in the sky easily.

Given how often people bring it up, it’s clear folks want Crown Pavilion, Dragon Bash, and Bazaar of the Four Winds specifically back.

I just need the map space uncovered as I was occupied with real life during that event.

Ubi.4136:

I just need the map space uncovered as I was occupied with real life during that event.

That area was only ever uncovered during the events. After the events, it went back to being the unexplored texture.

Im sure they could redeign it in keeping with the original layout, but using different merchants and airships. Perhaps the consortium or the BLC have gained possession of some zephyrite crystals and made a theme park in tribute to the original festival.

Or perhaps the survivors of the zephyrites have gained a new airship and set up anew back there or return their yearly as before.

The Anet team are imaginative enough to find a workable reason for it to exist, I suspect it is resource and time factor issue. Many plates to juggle and all that.

I would def welcome its return though, in any form.