Guild Wars 2

While I enjoy going through many varieties of the story across different race+order, this is perhaps the first time I felt so disjointed upon completing a scene.

When Forgal (the Vigil’s mentor) did it, this scene fits in perfectly. It makes sense because he’s capable and it fits his character.

When Sieran (the Priory’s mentor) did it, it suddenly became… Forced? She’s neither capable nor it fits her character.

IMHO, instead of giving the hero a speech like Forgal did, I would say it might even fit in better if Sieran tricked the hero out. Like… “Go grab my crisis control pack while I distract them here” or simply “Bring the wounded to the ship first and I will join you quickly”?

Hmmmm,
First of all I understand where your comming from, but also see it different. I think that when someone with the physique and background of Sieran does this sacrifice, knowing she really doesn’t have a fighting change, it make s the feeling to make that sacrifice worthwhile only stronger.

The only thing is that way she goes down if compared to Forgal is too hard (Sieran wouldnt last as long), but keep in mind that the story is designed not to know the faith of Forgal and how he did it-

Sacrificing the mentor in all three cases was a cheap way of getting rid of them..

Tybalts sacrifice was the best though. (also he was the worst one to lose as I think he is the best of the three mentors. Forgal was way too stiff and boring).

Pfft. Forgal’s sacrifice was totally Norn… and totally Viking. They way he pleaded with my Norn to tell his story in order to keep his Legend from dying was very moving.

Sieran was actually a very powerful elementalist though wasn’t she?
She even has a highly overpowered version of mist form .-.

It’s funny because I feel the opposite. Likely because I played through with Sieran first, so later when I saw other characters try to make the same sacrifice, I felt like they couldn’t hold a candle to the original.

Perhaps Sieran has foreseen her death at Claw Island in her dream, just like how Truffles Trahearne has foreseen his role in cleansing Orr in his dream. In her shock from realization that “Oh fertilizer, is this IT? Everything is the same in the dream…”, she could have decided that buying time for player is her wyld hunt and she did what she had to do.

I think it’s really subjective, we all have a different favorite, and probably is our first order? Mine was Vigil, and Forgal’s death I actually almost cried. His speech was epic and it totally fit in character. Tybalt’s was alright, he kind of morosely accepted his fate, while Sieran was just like “oh darn, guess I gotta die, huh?” OP’s suggestion is pretty good, it would totally fit more if she sent the PC away under the guise of something else, and she turns around and holds them off

Forgal was getting old and wanted to go out with a bang, Viking-style.

Tybalt felt useless after his accident, and wanted to do something that mattered at last.

Seiran felt… what exactly?

Must admit that I did not think of the play-through order as a factor, and it is really interesting to take that into consideration. Still, even though it is a somewhat expected plot in my second play-through (I did Vigil > Whispers > Priory), I wouldn’t say I felt the disconnection with Tybalt – not as much impact, but I can totally relate to his character.

I think the challenge here, as the earlier response pointed out, is that the story branches uniquely, with three mentors developed so well individually, then I compared them together because suddenly everyone doing it with the same execution.

IMHO, doing it with the same motivation is not a problem, for one I think it works out well – they all want to save someone, with different reasons, Forgal for heroic, Tybalt for self-redemption, Seiran for friendship. This emphasis the character and make them memorable.

Then comes the speech, and I felt exactly as the above response said – I related to Forgal and Tybalt’s character, but not Seiran. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a great character, but I felt disconnected right there.

And this is what makes me wonder, what would make the scene connected with Seiran?

Oglaf.1074:

Forgal was getting old and wanted to go out with a bang, Viking-style.

Tybalt felt useless after his accident, and wanted to do something that mattered at last.

Seiran felt… what exactly?

I think that’s what made Seiran’s sacrifice all the more dramatic. She wasn’t old or useless. She wasn’t looking for glory, or a dramatic way out, she actually really seemed to enjoy life.

In my opinion she was feeling the only thing that really mattered….

“If I can hold these undead here at the gate, even for a little while, the others can escape.”

She didn’t do it for selfish reasons, which is why I felt that her sacrifice, more so than the others was sincere.

I wouldn’t exactly call the other two selfish either.

Oglaf.1074:

I wouldn’t exactly call the other two selfish either.

No, of course not… but Seiran, being young and full of life offers a much greater sacrifice.

Raincrow.1840:

Oglaf.1074:

I wouldn’t exactly call the other two selfish either.

No, of course not… but Seiran, being young and full of life offers a much greater sacrifice.

Debatable.

Sylvari seems to have an easier time throwing their life away in my eyes. They’ll just say it is their Wyld Hunt and go banzai.

Oglaf.1074:

Raincrow.1840:

Oglaf.1074:

I wouldn’t exactly call the other two selfish either.

No, of course not… but Seiran, being young and full of life offers a much greater sacrifice.

Debatable.

Sylvari seems to have an easier time throwing their life away in my eyes. They’ll just say it is their Wyld Hunt and go banzai.

LoL…. maybe you’re right.

Since I was a male silvari it seemed to hit alot more for me than other people, only because I felt like that she had feelings for my character. The characters I enjoyed the most during my story was Caithe, Sieran the most, and then the 2 asura that joined me to take over the undead ships.

While at times they may be annoying, a-net did a good job with the mentors because players are able to connect with them in different ways.

I also believe that she could have held up against the undead just as much as the other 2 could have. She was powerful and would have survived until the dragon fought her or massive amounts of undead attacked.

Kalas.6743:

I also believe that she could have held up against the undead just as much as the other 2 could have. She was powerful and would have survived until the dragon fought her or massive amounts of undead attacked.

I think so too. From what I experienced with my Priory character, Sieran doesn’t have a huge damage output, but she has pretty good survivability. Since she wouldn’t actually need to make a lot of kills – she would just need to stay upright long enough to provide a reasonable distraction – I think it would be within her capabilities to succeed at her part of the mission.

I haven’t done Whispers yet, but the Vigil was my first order and Forgal’s speech almost made me cry. I loved his character. That’s not to say I didn’t love Sieran either, which I did, but I agree her sacrifice seemed a little off and forced.

I also agree th at if she tricked the character into thinking she’d be okay, it would have been much more.. believable? And would probably break my heart. With Sieran’s sacrifice I was just kind of left with a feeling of… ‘I don’t really understand why she would do/say this, even with her change of heart.’

Sieran grows up. Her sacrifice comes as the effect of realizing life isn’t just fun and games but also responsibility.

If getting eaten by an undead dragon is what happens when you grow up, I’ma stay a child forever!

I haven’t experienced the Vigil or Whispers stories yet, but Seiran’s death almost made me cry a little.

Also, if I may add this on: I don’t get how people thought she started to develop feelings for their character. It didn’t really seem that way to me. I mean, maybe it’s the eager and emphatic way she said everything that makes people think she’s super into their characters, but I just didn’t see it. Maybe it was just too subtle for me…perhaps she was a Whispers agent in disguise.

i don’t think Sieran actually starts to fall for the PC, but i know thay MY Sylvari ranger was definitely into her. her sacrifice only prompted him to head to the Mists after he helped kill Zhaitan, just in case she’s there in some shape or form

as for me, i just wanted to reach into the screen and hug the walking tree to death. she’s too energetic for her own good

I wanted to exchange her with Trahearne at the very last second. Just toss him in there, lock the gate and grab Sieran around the waist and leg it.

We all just want Truffles Trahearne dead and our mentor back.

I’m going to be honest and say the sacrificial scene nearly brought a manly tear to my eyes, I would have lost it if when you return to Claw Island you find your mentor (Seiran in my case) risen and a boss you must fight alone. I was imagining a cut-scene where your risen mentor appears, you tell the pact to go on, saying you must deal with this by your self.

I was just happy she was dead. She was so annoying. But as others have said, a lot of the characters in the personal stories lack depth (not Seiren though, annoying is better than plain, so props for that). They feel like a cut and paste job. And they miss so many great opportunities with lackluster writing. Not just the generic dialogue, but other things, like not having to go face the risen version of your mentor.

Really, ANet you should have sent me the dialogue before you had the VO done. I’ve made many mods for STO, Neverwinter and other games. I would have helped you out. It only takes a thoughtful sentence here and there to develop a decent character. Trahearne for example, really would have benefited from this. And I am by no means the only person who could have done this for you. Live and learn.

Seeing Tybalt barricade himself in was a stupid sacrifice, but knowing it’s just the generic action that all of the mentors perform cheapens it even further.

I admire what the story writers are working towards — to produce a feeling of uniqueness for players in an MMO, and make them feel like they’re individually important to the story. I know it’s hard to produce so much content, knowing most players won’t see it all.

But if you’re going to provide branching choices, and you decide you just have to get rid of loose ends, don’t make cookie cutter characters that all die the same way. It makes the choice seem so fake.

Sieran kinda had it coming anyway.

I’m biased. I didn’t like her. Obnoxious little… >>;