Guild Wars 2

Guild missions are severely underutilized by the developers. It’s been almost 4 years since we have seen any new ones.

The same can be said of many story chains and dynamic events throughout the game. Usually, they are only done when someone leveling happens by them. As a general rule, time isn’t good to old content in this game.

There is an obvious answer here. They could use guild missions to revitalize older content and keep it relevant. That includes everything from the push-pull centaur events in Kessex Hills to the assault on the gates of Arah in Cursed Shore through to the new events in Bloodstone Fen and Ember Bay.

This would work fairly simple. We have guild event flags that currently only work on three events – Tequatl, Triple Trouble and Karka Queen. Make those easier for guilds to build and then make them usable on many of these “story chain” events throughout the game. For example, let us start the Jade Construct/Unbound Guardian event in BF with a guild flag.

Once they’ve done that, they could then add a new category of guild missions – open world – and populate it with these events. On any given week, a guild’s missions might then include Shatterer or defending soldiers in Gendarren Fields or taking the gates of the Flame Citadel (or DOZENs of other things). And, if guilds get there and the event isn’t naturally occurring, they can use the guild interface (or the flags above) to start it.

The idea could eventually even be taken a step further – bringing things like the Marionette, the Scarlett metalbeast invasion or even the Ancient Karka (this one shortened, of course) back to the game. In fact, this could be a way to bring back just about all of Season One without disrupting the current game in any way.

By keeping the events in the open world, they would also achieve two goals – there would be no issues for smaller guilds (who could simply use LFG if needed on events like Jormag), and it would establish some semblance of organization at events throughout the game (because guilds would be leading the charge).

I know there would probably be some significant design challenges I don’t see, but this seems like a simple way to both keep guild missions alive/interesting and inject some energy into the maps that the story may be leaving behind (Bloodstone Fen is the obvious example, but it could also be said of any of the vanilla zones).

Just a thought.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Guildwars2/comments/57sndn/no_new_guild_missions_are_on_the_horizon_but/

I agree with this logic, but it could also be taken a step further.
Some LS events were designed to be performed by an entire map of players – and the scope would need to be scaled for smaller guilds.

Living Story 1 was (IMHO) the best written and executed LS to date – allow newer players to experience it through instanced iterations … much like the instancing that occurs in the Mad King Labyrinth at present. Create portal doors that allow players to enter the instance, and the larger LS1 boss fights could be scheduled much like DS or any of the other world bosses currently are.

Scalable events could be injected into or transformed into Guild Missions.

The player base is becoming fragmented; more so every day with the launch of newer zones (Bloodstone Fen is a prime example of a zone that has very little replay-ability interest to players other than the daily farm run that may occur). Players have moved to Ember Bay as the rewards / returns are perceived as better for the time invested. Will this trend move on though when a new zone is released with future episodes (only time will answer that question).

Please keep players engaged Anet

StrYdeR.2459:

I agree with this logic, but it could also be taken a step further.
Some LS events were designed to be performed by an entire map of players – and the scope would need to be scaled for smaller guilds.

Living Story 1 was (IMHO) the best written and executed LS to date – allow newer players to experience it through instanced iterations … much like the instancing that occurs in the Mad King Labyrinth at present. Create portal doors that allow players to enter the instance, and the larger LS1 boss fights could be scheduled much like DS or any of the other world bosses currently are.

Scalable events could be injected into or transformed into Guild Missions.

The player base is becoming fragmented; more so every day with the launch of newer zones (Bloodstone Fen is a prime example of a zone that has very little replay-ability interest to players other than the daily farm run that may occur). Players have moved to Ember Bay as the rewards / returns are perceived as better for the time invested. Will this trend move on though when a new zone is released with future episodes (only time will answer that question).

Please keep players engaged Anet

Agree 100% with every word of this. I think this would be natural evolution of the mission/guild flag system I outline in the OP.

The biggest barrier to doing some of the more complex events from days past is motivating people to organize groups/events. The guild mission system seems perfect for providing that motivation (the benefits of which are then reaped by the larger game population).

Once that piece of the puzzle is in place, not only can they revisit content like LW season one (which I also LOVED, btw), but they can also look at making some of the more mundane older events a teensy bit more involved/interesting.

I really, really like the basic idea. Guild mission really need more love, and (not current) open world need more people too. Do it, Anet, its a great idea.
+1.