It would help the living story to put act numbers (Act I, Act II, etc.) in the title of each living world update.
This would give the living story a sense of structure; something it profoundly lacks. Players would know when one chapter of the story is complete, and when another begins that focuses on a different group of characters.
In retrospect, it is clear that some of the updates fit into acts.
- Act I is the Molten Alliance updates.
- Act II is the Secret of Southsun through Cutthroat Politics.
- The Queen’s Jubilee began Act III and I believe we are still in it.
Later they could patch in a Tyrian historical society or something, that has a library in every major city in Tyria. When you enter one it would have paintings or artwork highlighting some of the events in previous updates (like a statue of the Karka Queen, or something).
You could talk to a member of the society and tell them:
“Tell me about Act I”
“Tell me about Act II”
“Tell me about Act III,”
etc.
Then they would summarize the events of that “act” in one of those stylized, water-color cutscenes that GW2 does so well.
If they wanted, they could even have exclusive rewards (like titles) based on the number of living world updates you participated in every year. These would reset every year and scale just like achievement chests.
This game is not about out-DPSing you. It’s about
out-flashing you.