This thread has been lurking in my mind for quite some time now, and seeing it keeps coming back in my mind, I’d better get it out of my system…
I wanted to lay out how I had expected the LS/LW to work so that maybe ANet can incorporate some of it into the LS/LW format.
1. My expectation was that the LS/LW format would focus on adding a deepening and expansion of the world, rather than focus on entirely new stuff. Now I realize that Mordremoth was part of the existing world all along, so I will elaborate some more: I had expected several stories to take us into new area’s or existing area’s, and have us deal with the various interesting sub-races around. F/e I had expected a storyline to deal with the Centaur, with the Krait (underwater map), etc, as well as dealing with the specific antagonist groups within each race (instead of piling them all up).
2. These stories would come with changes to the DE’s in existing areas, dealing with the particular foe-group, while at the same time, opening up a new area that could be considered this foes ‘territory’. The main story, the new DE’s, as well as the DE’s in the new area, would supply these foes groups with a deepening of their background, supply them with motives, internal conflict as well as binding against external forces, it would show how these groups dealt with the over-arcing thread of the Dragons. And as such enrich both these races as well as the over-arcing state of the world.
3. These LS segments would come with One-time Large Scale Open World Events, but wouldn’t consist entirely out of them; F/e the Ancient-Karka-Queen in SouthSun was a good example, even if you missed it, it didn’t diminish the story/content that much, yet for those who participated it added an extra dimension to the content. This event would have been a great source for footage for a cinematic shown as the ‘opening scene’ for replaying the story surrounding South Sun.
Other Large Scale Open World events would be scaled down to also function as a valuable replay step. Sure this means making the same content twice, once as large scale open world content, and a second time as small scale instanced content. But it would add a lot to the LS first time play through, as well as supply sensible content and story cohesion for both Alts as well as new players.
Aka. replayability of these LS segments would be high, and in a sense would function as an extension of the Personal Story… Due to their multidimensional nature (aka, each deals with a specific group, or area), would provide players with a choice as to what to tackle when. Sure the first time players could only play through events in the LS as a one directional story, but as soon as 2 story arcs would be present, a player would have a choice in the order of their approach. So in a sense the LS is weaved into and used as an extension of the Personal Story.
4. Because these LS segments are (besides a way to alter and add to existing content, as well as opening up new areas for play) a way to extend the personal story. These LS segments would use the same model where appropriate. While I acknowledge that a story is linear, and thus can not provide entirely different versions of the story, using different approaches to the same problem, or different angles/flavour to the main story, would be a great way to incorporate some choice and feeling of agency within the LS. It would add replayability for alts, and it would also supply the community (forums and chat) with information to share.
There, glad I got that out of my system, the LS2 has already somewhat provided ANet with the systems to make this work. Now it is mostly a matter of coming up with and making the content to create this kind of extension of the World through the Living Story…
The biggest reason for this view to resurface in my mind, is the continued ‘asking’ for an expansion, which to me originates from a current lack in the LS format to provide new replayable permanent content to the world. In my views the LS in the way described above would be capable of doing so…
25 okt 2014 – PinkDay in LA