Guild Wars 2

Okay first: SPOILERS

Now that the PC has been inside Omadd’s machine, it would be awesome if this was going to have some side effects. Now obviously we won’t turn into a raving lunatic since the PC was pulled out in time, but still the PC saw a lot. It must have affected his/her mind somehow.

It would be cool if we started hearing soft (possibly inaudible) whispers at certain moments or started seeing certain illusions. Because this may hinder normal gameplay it might be best to do this only during story missions.

Really hoping this is going to have some lasting effects on my character.

Copy/pasting from the other thread because it works here, and is a nice idea for this sort of thing.

RyuDragnier.9476:

Mickey Frogeater.1470:

So we’re the ones diving into the Pale Tree’s mind in this episode?….. Fascinating……

We follow Scarlet’s footsteps and don’t attempt to avoid the Pale Tree which would have given us actual data on the Eternal Alchemy…..

It didn’t drive us insane like it did Scarlet….. Probably because we’re not dumb enough to get a closer look at the Mordremoth corrupted Pale Tree in her mind…..

Nahh, we got pulled out before that could happen. I hope we at least can understand what the dragons say now as a side effect. Maybe even start hearing their voices like they’re trying to corrupt us.

Serophous.9085:

EdwinLi.1284:

RyuDragnier.9476:

Nahh, we got pulled out before that could happen. I hope we at least can understand what the dragons say now as a side effect. Maybe even start hearing their voices like they’re trying to corrupt us.

Though as much as I would be acting the same way as my character after being shocked by who knows how many voltage of electricity and seeing the Eternal Alchemy I would be a bit concerned if my mind was still intact or Mordremoth may have gotten into my head just enough that we may start hearing his voice as we progress farther into the storyline.

This would be cool in the fact as we are playing, a whisper can play in the background during story mode.

RyuDragnier.9476:

Add in our characters getting a dazed status when it occurs, along with some instances where we can’t tell who is friend and who is foe. You know, make it so we’re not even sure if we’re going to be able to take on the dragon without going insane in the process.

Even have a dungeon ending with a real fight worthy of a final fight, where we get to the point where we have to do the final blow to Mordremoth ourselves, only for him to try to take complete control of us. Being up close, we end up in our own mind, where we have to fight and defeat him there in order to allow us to pull the finishing blow on him.

Adding onto this, make it so we start having moments where we hear voices throughout the living stories, and even moments where our characters blackout or go to sleep as part of an instance and start hearing/having conversations with the Pale Tree, or the various EDs. Make us FEEL like we’re losing our grip with reality, that the war and the viewing of the Eternal Alchemy is taking a massive toll on us. Even give us a feeling that the leaders of the world and even the Pact and Destiny’s Edge themselves are becoming wary of us, that we could turn on them on a moment’s notice if we finally snap.

Thanks for your input

It would be kinda cool if this ends up happening,and especially if Rox and the rest start catching on to it.

I actually prefer the idea that my character’s mind is stronger than that of Scarlet’s. Similar to Mass Effect 1 where you see the Prothean Beacon vision, people keep saying that the images would break weaker minds – but not Shepard, the main protagonist. Well, kind of a similar situation really. Scarlet’s mind was broken – mine was not. I’m awesome, she’s dead.

Plus, if the vision opened way for Mordremoth’s corruption, then with the standing theory, only sylvari PCs should start going looney. But honestly, I don’t see it happening anyways. It will likely be akin to Shepard, and I’m fine with that. Because it proves that I’m better than that storyline wreckage of Scarlet Briar.

it would be a serious waste of potential if they don’t even play with that idea.

we were pulled out of the machine much sooner than scarlet presumably did (though we did get far enough to see something looking back at us), and we didn’t willingly throw ourselves into the corruption (hell, most of us aren’t plants to be corrupted). there’s also willpower to be considered.

i think they can play around with the idea that we’ve been affected, but not to the extent of being corrupted. headaches (read: stuns with those special effects that look like we put 3D glasses on), whispers, and of course, a plot device, but ultimately have us triumph over it.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I actually prefer the idea that my character’s mind is stronger than that of Scarlet’s. Similar to Mass Effect 1 where you see the Prothean Beacon vision, people keep saying that the images would break weaker minds – but not Shepard, the main protagonist. Well, kind of a similar situation really. Scarlet’s mind was broken – mine was not. I’m awesome, she’s dead.

Plus, if the vision opened way for Mordremoth’s corruption, then with the standing theory, only sylvari PCs should start going looney. But honestly, I don’t see it happening anyways. It will likely be akin to Shepard, and I’m fine with that. Because it proves that I’m better than that storyline wreckage of Scarlet Briar.

I don’t propose a complete mindbreak like what happened with Scarlet. Just some subtle things, like something hearing soft whispers in the background and eventually some dialogue with your companions about it.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I actually prefer the idea that my character’s mind is stronger than that of Scarlet’s. Similar to Mass Effect 1 where you see the Prothean Beacon vision, people keep saying that the images would break weaker minds – but not Shepard, the main protagonist. Well, kind of a similar situation really. Scarlet’s mind was broken – mine was not. I’m awesome, she’s dead.

Plus, if the vision opened way for Mordremoth’s corruption, then with the standing theory, only sylvari PCs should start going looney. But honestly, I don’t see it happening anyways. It will likely be akin to Shepard, and I’m fine with that. Because it proves that I’m better than that storyline wreckage of Scarlet Briar.

Argh, I hope not. That’s actually one of things I hate in stories. It makes a character seem like someone’s “I’m just naturally special and better than everyone” sue and if its a games makes it seem like the writers are more interested in stroking the players ego than actually telling a good story.

Scarlet made improvements on the device. It’s possible that it’s safe now. There’s a theory on the lore sub forum exploring the idea that Scarlet encountered the Entity before she used Omadd’s device. Even if sylvari aren’t more vulnerable, Scarlet may have ties to the Entity and that’s the catalyst needed to go mad. Without it, the PC is safe.

Shiren.9532:

Scarlet made improvements on the device. It’s possible that it’s safe now.

we were there for much less time than scarlet, and we were “screaming in agony with lightning flying everywhere”. they also thought we were dead for a moment.

hardly “safe”.

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I actually prefer the idea that my character’s mind is stronger than that of Scarlet’s. Similar to Mass Effect 1 where you see the Prothean Beacon vision, people keep saying that the images would break weaker minds – but not Shepard, the main protagonist. Well, kind of a similar situation really. Scarlet’s mind was broken – mine was not. I’m awesome, she’s dead.

Plus, if the vision opened way for Mordremoth’s corruption, then with the standing theory, only sylvari PCs should start going looney. But honestly, I don’t see it happening anyways. It will likely be akin to Shepard, and I’m fine with that. Because it proves that I’m better than that storyline wreckage of Scarlet Briar.

I don’t propose a complete mindbreak like what happened with Scarlet. Just some subtle things, like something hearing soft whispers in the background and eventually some dialogue with your companions about it.

Hallucinations in your dreams and seeing people others can’t could work too, ala Mass Effect 3. I only want mindbreak in terms of a final battle against Mordremoth in your head, and that’s just so you could grab control of yourself long enough to kill him off in reality.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I actually prefer the idea that my character’s mind is stronger than that of Scarlet’s. Similar to Mass Effect 1 where you see the Prothean Beacon vision, people keep saying that the images would break weaker minds – but not Shepard, the main protagonist. Well, kind of a similar situation really. Scarlet’s mind was broken – mine was not. I’m awesome, she’s dead.

Plus, if the vision opened way for Mordremoth’s corruption, then with the standing theory, only sylvari PCs should start going looney. But honestly, I don’t see it happening anyways. It will likely be akin to Shepard, and I’m fine with that. Because it proves that I’m better than that storyline wreckage of Scarlet Briar.

As much as I agree with most of the things you talk about….having a stronger mind means little versus dragon corruption. Something gets corrupted, it’s corrupted. While strength of mind/will may be a mitigating factor against forces that try to corrupt mentally first, or ones that tempt you into joining them willingly before corrupting, I haven’t seen anything to suggest having a stronger mind prevents getting corrupted.

We still don’t know enough about Scarlet’s trip into there, and the differences between what she saw and what we saw to specify what in that vision drove her over the brink (although, it probably didn’t help her any that she was already kind of evil by that point anyway. She did join the Inquest of her own free will, after all).

It’s possible that either our characters being yanked out early kept them safe from whatever was looking back. Or perhaps it was just an elaborate use of holomagic to record what she had seen.

Or perhaps whatever got hold of her managed to link with our mind, and simply hasn’t chosen to utilize it yet.

While our character is indeed special in a sense (comes back from death, though as a gameplay mechanic, we don’t really die in the story, being stronger/smarter than the NPCs in battle most times), saying our characters’ minds being stronger prevented corruption…feels a bit silly and Mary Sue-ish.

Shiren.9532:

Scarlet made improvements on the device. It’s possible that it’s safe now. There’s a theory on the lore sub forum exploring the idea that Scarlet encountered the Entity before she used Omadd’s device. Even if sylvari aren’t more vulnerable, Scarlet may have ties to the Entity and that’s the catalyst needed to go mad. Without it, the PC is safe.

Ah yes. As Scarlet’s journal from Origins of Madness shows, something was trying to get at her seemingly way before she even went off on her quest to learn everything. It’s possible that is what drove her to learn about ley lines and be obsessed with the inner workings of Tyria.

Still, it’s mostly speculation…

I too think the player should start hearing voices. Or rather, one voice. A voice that occasionally tells us things that we don’t know, but proves useful. A hint, a suggestion, a bit of information about where we need to be for the next surprise. And when it becomes clear that the voice isn’t just our imagination, we go back to the machine to confront it. And there, we try and fail to learn its true name, but …

… it says you can simply call it “Mister E”.

BrunoBRS.5178:

Shiren.9532:

Scarlet made improvements on the device. It’s possible that it’s safe now.

we were there for much less time than scarlet, and we were “screaming in agony with lightning flying everywhere”. they also thought we were dead for a moment.

hardly “safe”.

Indeed, we may have been pulled out before our mind was completely broken, but not before the device started to have at least some lasting effects (or at least I hope so).

Demented Sheep.1642:

Argh, I hope not. That’s actually one of things I hate in stories. It makes a character seem like someone’s “I’m just naturally special and better than everyone” sue and if its a games makes it seem like the writers are more interested in stroking the players ego than actually telling a good story.

Except our characters ARE just naturally better than everyone. It’s shown repeatedly throughout your personal story and in gameplay by making NPCs incredibly weak compared to you. It’s the reason why we’re the heroes and not the rank and file soldiers.

Heck, the Street Rat Human PS choice alone makes the entirety of the Seraphs look incompetent if you choose to help Quinn.

Filaha.1678:

Demented Sheep.1642:

Argh, I hope not. That’s actually one of things I hate in stories. It makes a character seem like someone’s “I’m just naturally special and better than everyone” sue and if its a games makes it seem like the writers are more interested in stroking the players ego than actually telling a good story.

Except our characters ARE just naturally better than everyone. It’s shown repeatedly throughout your personal story and in gameplay by making NPCs incredibly weak compared to you. It’s the reason why we’re the heroes and not the rank and file soldiers.

Heck, the Street Rat Human PS choice alone makes the entirety of the Seraphs look incompetent if you choose to help Quinn.

Well some biconics are pretty strong. Marjory can summon huge bone bridges and summon dozens of minions all at once. Kasmeer can summon dozens of phantasms all at once and spam Time Warp during the fort Salma mission. I tell you my necros and mesmers were never able to pull that off :P

And there have been more NPC’s who did special things for the sake of the plot you (the player) would never be able to pull off. The reason why most NPC’s might seem incompetent is because it would make the game too easy otherwise. It’s just a matter of story/gameplay segration.

I don’t know if we are stronger or not than Scarlett but I don’t think we experienced exactly what she saw. Maybe the machine keeps some echo of her vision and we actually see what she saw but rather as an external spectator because during the cinematic we clearly hear the voice of Scarlett and the one of the Pale Tree.
There is no reason for the Pale Tree to speak(in a teacher way) to non sylvari PC . I’m still puzzled by her dialogue in the Grove where she clearly states that her knowledge is too small to really know the Dragons… if she was really the center piece of the whole world I hope she wouldn’t say such things.

There are even less reasons to hear Scarlett now she’s dead. Vorpp said she only could see what she brought in the machine so maybe we have a whole vision of the world as seen by Scarlett. Like somebody creating a theory and suddently analyzing everything in that frame only making the theory stronger (you know like saying the Pale tree is a dragon champion and only finding proofs of it). The machine would then only hold a copy of her mind at the moment Mordremoth made contact with her.

Filaha.1678:

Demented Sheep.1642:

Argh, I hope not. That’s actually one of things I hate in stories. It makes a character seem like someone’s “I’m just naturally special and better than everyone” sue and if its a games makes it seem like the writers are more interested in stroking the players ego than actually telling a good story.

Except our characters ARE just naturally better than everyone. It’s shown repeatedly throughout your personal story and in gameplay by making NPCs incredibly weak compared to you. It’s the reason why we’re the heroes and not the rank and file soldiers.

Heck, the Street Rat Human PS choice alone makes the entirety of the Seraphs look incompetent if you choose to help Quinn.

NPC’s are also much weaker for game-play reasons.. You want them there but you want the player the one doing most the fighting and determining the outcome of the battle not having NPC’s fight for you while you sit back. It means they don’t have scale up the fight so much to compensate for NPC allies which could go really badly if the AI dose stupid things and they all die. Trahearne can summon several flesh golems where I can only summon one and every mesmer in the story seem to be able to do things my character cannot do. Its gamplay/story segregation.

There is also a difference between you being an exceptionally good fighter or commander and just being better at near everything with a outright superior mind. It’s lazy cheap writing.

The thing was the Seraph was bad writing to. You shouldn’t be making a character important by making everyone else incompetent.