Guild Wars 2

Hello people, I just bought Guild Wars 2 and I read about this living world stuff which sounds very exciting, but I just have a few questions.

1) I read that Living World changes some stuff in the game world, so now that I’m just starting to play and I missed Season 1 will those changes be implemented to me? Or will it be as if Living World season 1 never happened to me? (that’s what’s most important to me)

2) Do I have to watch some videos of Season 1 online or do they not do the game justice/won’t make sense?

3) Is there anyway to unlock those episodes even for a fee? I really want to play Season 2 but I don’t wanna miss on Season 1! I read somewhere that there’s a journal implemented now but it doesn’t support Season 1 episodes, is that true?

Anyway, what do you propose I do in order to get the full experience now? Also, can I start the living world Season 2 episodes (after watching Season 1 online, if there’s no other options) at any time? Even like at level 5? Or do I have to start it at a certain point in-game for the story to make sense? Is the Living World story related to the normal in-game story?

That’s all, sorry for the wall of text, but I’d really appreciate an answer! Thanks!

1) The changes have happened. For instance, in Divinity’s Reach, there used to be a giant pit. This has since been rebuilt in one of the Living Story Season 1 update.

2) There are in-game ways to get updated on what happened, but there are also plenty of videos documenting various parts of the living story. Choose which you think is best.

3) Living Story Season 1 is lost forever at this point. I hear some of the story is in the Fractals dungeons, found in Lion’s Arch, and Arena Net may bring other parts into the Story Journal at a later point, but currently it’s not available as it was before.

As far as enjoying the content, I hear that you need to be level 80 to start it. I would just go about the world and enjoy the events and discussions you hear from the various NPCs around you.

Rognik.2579:

1) The changes have happened. For instance, in Divinity’s Reach, there used to be a giant pit. This has since been rebuilt in one of the Living Story Season 1 update.

2) There are in-game ways to get updated on what happened, but there are also plenty of videos documenting various parts of the living story. Choose which you think is best.

3) Living Story Season 1 is lost forever at this point. I hear some of the story is in the Fractals dungeons, found in Lion’s Arch, and Arena Net may bring other parts into the Story Journal at a later point, but currently it’s not available as it was before.

As far as enjoying the content, I hear that you need to be level 80 to start it. I would just go about the world and enjoy the events and discussions you hear from the various NPCs around you.

Thanks so much for the quick reply! So you’re saying I should just play the in-game story without starting the Living World till I’m level 80, right?

The living story is essentially a living world meaning you’ll see all the updates. Living story is meant to show you how the in game world progresses after your Personal Story is over. That being said, the content is meant to be played after you have finished your Personal Story as the events in it take place after the Personal Story (PS) is done. Currently the events of Season 2 take place I believe 2 in game years after the Personal Story has finished. That being said there is nothing stopping you from playing the Living Story once you hit lvl 80 but it would make more sense if you finish the Personal Story first. I’d suggest playing normally and finishing the Personal Story. It would do you good to at least read about what happened during Season 1 so you know how the world was changed.

Some changes include:

1- Kessex Hills having a destroyed plant tower in the middle of the water (Tower of Nightmares)
2- Lornar’s Pass having the remains of the Marionette (can’t remember which update this was)
3- Lion’s Arch being mostly destroyed and rebuilt you can find the remains of the machine used in the water as it has it’s own PoI (Attack on Lion’s Arch)

This can give you an overview of Season One and what changes have transpired: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/the-game/releases/

Once you have a Level 80 character, you can start playing the Season Two Story Instances you have unlocked just by logging in, and clicking the big Green Star each release window.

Prior to that, once your character is of a high enough level, you can enjoy the Open World content associated with each Living World Release. Such as the new Dry Top map, etc.

Welcome to Tyria, and good luck.

So Season Two story instances don’t go away even though I’m not 80 atm?

frostybroc.5329:

So Season Two story instances don’t go away even though I’m not 80 atm?

The Season Two instances will be available when you reach 80 as long as you login to GW2 at least once while each Living Story update is live. If you fail to login during that 2 week period, they say that you can purchase the story instance from the gem store.

Regarding waiting until 80 to do Living Story, last year none of my characters were level 80 but I participated in the Living Story and didn’t have any problems. I continued with my Personal Stories while the Living Story was going on. This year they changed the Living Story to be instances in the same system as your Personal Story. But I still am not having a problem doing the Living Story instances even though my 2 level 80 characters have not completed their Personal Stories.

My opinion is that I would hate to miss doing the Living Story while everyone else is doing it. That’s one objection I have to needing to be 80.

Want a recap on season 1 and Scarlet Briar?

Check out this 30 minute detailed video!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUQih3Z4O2E

There are also some videos and pictures with descriptions of the LS S1 in the Atlas:

http://atlas.guildwars2.com/en/
http://atlas.guildwars2.com/en/#/map/library

EDIT:
There are also some videos here:
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/media/videos/

And here’s one of the short stories, What Scarlet Saw:
http://gw2.jouwweb.nl/information/short-stories/short-story-what-scarlet-saw

There’s plenty of material out there that recaps the LS S1.

The point is not that you can’t find material about LS1. The point is that there is nowhere in-game that you are told about previous events as a new character. You just get dumped into LS2 as though you know everything that went before already.

Another thing that the developers should have thought out before they implemented the Living Story is how new players were going to be introduced to it after it already started.

I agree. Luckily I have a friend I play with who filled me in with what happened in S1. However, I was just saying that if the OP wanted to find/was looking for information about LS S1 that there’s plenty of that online. :P

Sorry to revive the necro but…

I have just reached the living story, having come to the game late. I was utterly confused, having no idea who this scarlet character was – or indeed the npc’s I am supposed to know!

This is putting me off season 2; I shouldn’t have to go trawling the web to find out what the heck is going on.

I am not asking to be able to play season 1 – although that would be nice! – I missed it, fair enough. But, a summary of the dramatis personæ and basic plot would have been nice!

Now… off to watch that 1/2 hr video!