Guild Wars 2

Putting them in boxes and sell them = okay
Putting them in boxes accountbound and RNG = not okay

BLC in general was allready a blatant moneygrub.
This new system isn’t helping that.

Zorbakpants.5792:

I’d just like to say that HoT was a £30 expansion for the game, most DLC of this price point would add the following:
- more than 5 hours of content
- added features that aren’t walled behind 20+ hours of grind

HoT added neither. The story is a lost cause, and would take far too much work and money for ANet to fix, but the hero points would be one tweak of one number to fix the problem and stop gating the content behind unreasonably hard to solo content, which no-one who has done it before will join a group to complete, because there’s no incentive to. This would be solved if one of the following were true:
- there would be enough hero points in central Tyria to complete the elite specialization for a character
or
-the hero challenges in Heart of Thorns areas would be possible for most players to do without a group

EDIT: Grammar

Let me disect your post a little bit:

5 hours of content
If you don’t play any HoT content for less than 5 hours you are definetly do something wrong.
Story quests (even with bugs), do take half an hour each if you really want to enjoy it and don’t rush through it for the shinies.
Then there is the map meta which roughly takes half an hour and up to two if you are aiming for dragon stand.
Then we got raids.
Several new meta archievments, hidden stuff, etc…

I think you are a bit wrong on the 5 hour part.
Just because you dabbled in everyting doesn’t mean you have experienced everything.

Features behind a wall
So you want everything without any effort?
So you want to be 80 and have all the skills from the beginning and don’t do a task to progress towards a better or stronger character?
You want a completly finished character?
So you want to play PvP? because there you get exactly that.

Which features do you talk about? Masteries? Elite Specs?

I don’t know. Reaching lvl 80 for the first time was also very hard and could be described as gating, but now I breeze through everything and have 9 characters at lvl 80.

If you really look at the things required it isn’t that hard, just migh need you to get a bit out of your comfort zone.

JORBLES lives? oh noes

Frozen lake means not much in the wake of magical weather.
There could just be a frozen lake somwhere.

Scott McGough.6897:

This tight focus, along with the precedent of not having detailed backgrounds for every profession in the core game, was also a factor in the decision to not present background lore for the new elite specializations. The elite specs did not all originate in the jungle during the relatively small window of time covered in HoT; exploring their origins would have meant tangential story threads that took place outside the jungle and outside the timeline of the events in HoT.

I can’t really agree here. I believe there isn’t much detail needed for these specializations to exist, but rather show that they are part of this world.
The core professions actually have background, most of the time reaching back to GW1 and thus they have their place in the world.
Being based on these core professions and adding some simple NPCs, that would explain some nuances of the them, which might be tied into the specialization collection and would have actually enhanced them.

Like that we had to find some NPCs, that trained their core class in that direction. Maybe we have to best them in battle, to prove our worth, or something (not to unlock the spec, but for the collection).

I mean, even our core profession is an abstract of the abilities the profession actually has. We are combat focused and that’s why we see other NPCs who are our profession use other or supperior abilities (like bone bridge, flying, perma stealth, Mass Clones, etc.)

Dropping in NPCs, who give a bit of background, would greatly enhance the stand, these new spezializations have in the world and these could be “unfocused”

I mean, most specializations explain themselves, but then we have something like the Dragonhunters, who are just full of WTF (remember the big DH thread after reveal, that still hasn’t gotten a better explanation aside from “They ran with a very rough concept idea.” and “witch hunter”.)

Adding a “Master” or a specialy trained group of a profession into the world, would just fill that gap.
For example:
- A hidden thieves den, which houses daredevils.
- A group of Dragonhunters that patrols in Orr
- A master at the statue of Grenth in Lonars Pass or in Kessex, who hides close to the underworld and trains his art.

There would have been several ways to show few indiviuals mastering these skills and thus give us a reason to believe that the specs are actually integrated into this world, since most we have right now, would be similiarities between the Biconics and the Specs.

Questions
Well, since there might be a better system for these things coming, I put my little questions out, hopefully in “easy” terms.

1. Can you confirm that it was indeed Mordremoth Scarlet heard and that pushed her to perform the things, she did?
Right now we only have a unreliable source that confirmed that. However with the reveal that the Sylvari are dragon minions, her motives are still to be doubt.
I am asking to take as many unclear parts of Scarlet’s story to rest. (aka no hidden enemy, ala Abaddon, that pushed Mordy awakening for his own plans and will resurect her later to spite us)

2. Is Queensdale in danger of being flooded, if something bursts the damm?
This area seems unstable in the long run and we already have confirmed quakes (big hole in DE) for that area.
Bonus How tight are the rules for greatly reveamping starterzones, since something like that would end up doing that.

Aaron Ansari.1604:

What Taimi’s after is acknowledgement, to be treated like an equal- something she can’t get in Rata Sum. As far as we know, we’re the only one who treats her like that. She’s with us because we’re the only one who allows her the freedom to do her own thing, and as the biconic motivations go, that’s probably the strongest.

Rytlock is the ‘professional’ of the group, an experienced dragon fighter who teamed up with one proven and trusted comrade to rescue the rest of his team. Again, pretty strong reason to stick with us.

Canach, incidentally, I see as being along for a similar reason to Taimi- we’re the only ones in the heat of the action that he knows will allow him to contribute. He likely could’ve found another such group, but it would’ve been a time-consuming risk with no comparative advantage.

I think Taimi would have found acknowledgement elsewhere, over the course of the story, she just happened to stick with Braham after he took care of her in the mists.
Her reasoning is okay for a kid her age, it is just a bit sad for her, as we know that Zoija is actually acknowledging her.
Her own selfish desire to be on the front is a bit iffy for me in the whole HoT story to be honest.
If she would proclaim that she wants to safe Zoija for example, we would have seen more of her inner turmoil.
She doesn’t like Zoija, but she was the one who brought her up, so there should be a bit of a greater connection there.

Rytlock has the same goals as everyone else. Fight the dragons, rescue his friends and comrades. Strong reasons, sure, but none that the others don’t have as well. Though, his bond to DE might be more reason than the voice in his head.

Canach is shoved into the group. Actually our group is the one he would have had the most trouble with, since the PC and the rest knows too much about his dealings and his background.
He has built up a better reputation with other pact soldiers in the silverwastes (as seen in S2), than with us.
The turn of our PC from I don’t trust Canach to Canach is my best buddy felt forced and I don’t remember any particular moment where he proved to have changed.
He mostly acted on his own selfish desires, which gave him strenght. His goals happened to align with the mission at hand, but the proposed change we see in the final mission with him is nothing I really feel that happened.
If someone can pinpoint me to these things I would be glad, but so far Canach is actually one of the more unlikely members of the team, because he isn’t there on his own volition and actually is/was in a non-trusting enviroment.

No, I didn’t like the effect.

I would have liked it as an air overload with a few better animations on my temepest, though.

Aaron Ansari.1604:

I don’t really care if they’re the best picks for their job- after all, our character’s only real qualification is being very, very good at killing things, which isn’t sufficient to earn the shot-calling position we find ourselves in. What can really get my goat is the lack of stake the biconics have. Just in HoT- Canach, Rytlock, Taimi, and when she joined, Caithe all had good reasons to be with us. No problem there. But the others were either tag-alongs (Kasmeer and Rox) or out for a revenge they showed a suspicious disinclination to pursue (Marjory and Braham). S2 was even worse, and S1… yes, it’s getting better, but they’ve still got a ways to go before it feels like a group that would believably be out doing what we do.

If I remember Taimi’s reason was, that she wanted to study Scarlet (maybe even become her aprentice) and to show off what she is able to do.
She only ended up with us, because Zoija handed her to us and Braham had to babysit her.
She then ended up becoming part of the team in S2, after spending the finale of S1 in the camps, getting traumatized by the destruction her former idol caused.

Her reason for HoT was that she finished upgrading her Golem and then went along, with the same reason everyone else had. Fight Mordremoth.
her personal endevor was: Show off that I am to be taken seriously. , though we can add that it was fueled thanks to S2 and the destruction of LA, even though she is still a kid .

If we talk about Rytlock , we actually have no idea what his stakes are at the moment, aside from the obvious eldar dragon danger, that concers everybody.
He never told us how he got back and what is really driving him. Well, aside from the magic he can cast and the acompanied voices he appearently hears now.

Though I could be making it too simple.

I agree on the rest, though. If their “stakes” would have been explored in HoT, or even be talked about, they would have been more relateable.

Ironicly Braham actually got a new goal, though it is basicly the same he had allready with his introduction: revenge , which unfortunatly cements him even more as the one-track muscle of the group, that is now overshadowed by Rytlock (as long as we keep him around)

Overall they need to be explored more, to be more rounded. Even if the focus is on one particulary, the others shouldn’t feel like random NPCs that struddle along with us.

In HoT each of them should have progressed, yet some were mostly neglected, which makes me ask, why they were even there to be begin with.

We allready have a story which is mostly focused on key moments, that leaves world progression mostly in the dust (for obvious reasons).

I would actually like a little icon that would change depending on what time it is.
Nothing too fancy, just a little indicator.
Maybe with a checkbox in the options menu.

This is a question that is bothering me for a while.
Do we really need a team following us around?
Do we need to be a “boss”?

The question occoured to me while reading Shirens Post in another thread.

The Biconics are a group of people that don’t really have a reason to be at these places they are aside from plot convinience.
There is no “real” reason why they got together and started what they are doing.
Everyone just happened to be there at some point and then stuck around.

This is problematic, because even though we are supposed to handle them as “close friends” and people we can trust, we actually don’t know much about them.

They are the “recognizeable” and “affordeable” people to stick around our PC for exposition and their internal drama.

Which is a bit of a shame, as we got a whole world of interesting people we could meet and use instead.

By delegating so much info and energy on the Biconics, the world itself looses flavour and importance.

In LS1, the whole continent was unable to catch Scarlet, even though it has prooven otherwise before. They had a portal expert, who was very quick to hack into her network and there was no follow up?
She attacked Norn, Charr and Humans and all we saw was Rytlock sending an outsider and investigating a little bit?
Or Logan saying hello, before vanishing again, saying he can’t do anything?
All so that Majory (and I liked her there) is able to solve the puzzle, which the priory had for months?

LS2 pushes them in arbitary reasons to have them “usefull”?

Yes, we get told reasons, but why is it that I can ask so often: “Shouldn’t be there someone more suited for that?”
Which is basicaly my main gripe there. There are only so many things people are supposed to be doing, based on their supposed experience and the world they inhabit.

I don’t think any of these characters is really used to their full potential if they stick around the PC.
In fact being there is only harming them.

Majory is supposed to be a smart, rational, priory turned detective and for two storylines she did nothing. Yes she is grieving, but that happened most of LS2 and the whole of HoT

Braham… is the muscle of the group whon is now replaced with Rytlock and is the token Norn, which extra purpose was to link to DE via Eir… well even that isn’t the case anymore. All he has now is his revenge and being Rox’s “partner”?

Taimi is our token asura genius, who shouldn’t be at the frontline and could be replaced by almost every other asura, who dabbles in similar topics. I mean we see several Asura doing the same things as her. She just isn’t as special as people make her out to be.

Kasmeer… well yeah. Super mesmer and on-off royality. We actually have Logan and in extension Anise for that, so she is Majorys partner, know Faren and has deus-ex-truthsight.

Rox is a Charr, with no real standing, who now appearenlty has a standing and has a cute pet. She knows Rytlock which could have been important, but turned out it wasn’t so far, as he just “played” with her.

Canach is still debateable.

Td:lr: What I am saying is, that I believe the story could be told, by placing these interesting characters at better places, but not neccessary alongside the PC.
It feels weird traveling with them for so long and not knowing enough to warrant their place at our side, aside from what the game meta-narrative is telling us.

The world shows us so many “better suited” people, but we are to believe the biconics are the ones who are solution.

Wanderer.3248:

She was far too unpopular to be revived. I’d be less surprised to see Zhaitan or even Abbadon make a return.

Yes, she wasn’t popular.
Doesn’t mean she created holes.
Even if she is about to get pushed under the rug, it would be nice to have the devs at least clean up behind her, by clearing up everything that isn’t clear.

I mean, thanks to her we “lost” the mystery of the steam creatures and the alternate future storyline.

I don’t really like any name.
However we have a class called dragonhunter without any justification why it is called that way so in my opinion they really need someone who’s job is to find names that fit.

Giving us a choice of names without any background or justification on why they should be called that is not a good move.
It is as in considerate as the naming of one of LAs districts.

None of them is considering the view we players have on the biconics.

Why do they need a name, even though the ending of HoT hinted on them being part of destinies edge now.
There was never a new guild formed and yet the dialog said it has happened somehow and the PC is the boss?

Why has the community not been asked for input aside from the given barely relateable choices?

I like the idea of the community being a bit more involved, but I would have liked these things handled a bit more like with ether election of Ellen Kiel or Evon, as we got enough information on either choice.
Now we are looking blindly at things, workout knowing the reasoning behind it.

WvW polls are better at the moment, because there we get additional info from the devs.

Also: * please let us go back and change or language in the poll*. I clicked German out of curiosity, but I play the game in English. I want able to change my selection.

I wouldn’t go as far as save her, but put her legacy in a bit better.

Like a priory room where all findings are collected and examined and some NPC is telling us what they deduced.

While many claim Scarlet’s story is over, there is still one thing that isn’t confirmed for sure: * who was in her head?*

The only person who confirmed that it was indeed Mordremoth is unfortunately not a reliable source and currently out of the picture. The pale tree.

While it certainly was that way, they can still use that angle later on to go ask Abaddon on us and reveal someone else’s plan.

However that is unlikely.

I find them all a bit too on the nose.

The thing is, making it a comunity thing and only reducing our involvement on three names that feel “out of nowhere”, is rather weak.

While they certainly have three different scripts ready on how the party decides on a certain name, I kinda wished they would have given the players a bit more influence.

I would have liked some kind of contest, or something.

It was a lackluster experience with the naming of some areas in LA and this feels the same.

Aaron Ansari.1604:

- snip-
big list of questions
-snip-

Thanks for your effort. You are doing great work there and I hope some of your questions also get some covering as well.

No, Dry Top and Silverwastes are free to go to.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Dragon minions seem capable, regardless of their actual form, though the most powerful ones tend to have draconic features.

And we have the Six Gods, who were humanoid and had a lot of magic themselves.

I am kinda on the edge with the “most powerful”.

While every ED seems to have a dragon like creature on the front line, we don’t see them that much later on.

Yes, there are dragons in the sky with Zaithan, but only because there is an army of them and it allows for air supperiority.
None of them is as powerful as Tequatle (or shown as strong, as one airship can take down several)

The Shatterer and Claw of Jormag are always reformed in “canon” like Tequatle. There don’t seem to be more of them, aside from one weird glitch that happened to the Shatterer.

The Shadow of the Dragon seemed to be a one time thing.
It was kinda weird not to see him returning in HoT, but instead we focused on more humanoid beings.

Maybe the dragon motive was something they started out with, but got tired for the furure.

I mean, the only two who are left t o show of their dragon would be Primordus and Steve (though a concept art showed some kind of Hydra, which could be called dragonlike).

Powerful in terms of brute force maybe, but appearently nothing they really care about having around in the long run, which makes me questioning their role in the hirarchy of the EDs.

Which begs the question if only dragons are able to wield ED power?

If that isn’t the case, is it the ED-Energy that forces said form upon it’s host?
So far the known forms are very “traditional”.

What would happen if we are able to pump a non dragon with ED-Energy? Similiar to what happened in CoE, but only one type of energy.

Would it start to shapeshift, if it is able to contain the energy?

I mean, we allready know about the fact/idea of the ED-Energy being able to be transfered and we have the theory that it is seeking something akin to a host. Or at least the being that has the most of it’s energy is governing it’s distibution, towards his minions.

Scott McGough.6897:

On to my answers—the first round, anyway. Questions about marriage and languages and calendars require more time, thought, and fact-checking, and I’m already pushing the envelope of how many hours per day I can devote to the forums.

I thank you very much for your efforts and the time you ended up dedicating.
Let me just tell you how much we appreaciate these interactions (even though I can’t speak for everyone).

Your answer on how aware you are about the many loose ends were exact the words that I wanted to hear for a long time, as everytime questions in these directions were asked the endresult was often: “you have to wait till release”, which often didn’t ended up being as satisfying, because of obvious limitations.
Follow up questions were then often resolved through theorycrafters, but something official is of course much more appreaciated.

I think you know very well of how much you are able to tell vs. how much you have to tell in your medium and I can understand the frustration if big, small and detailed questions like in this thread pop up.

While we can’t expect this to become a regular thing, as you (and your collegues have work to do as well), is there any way we can help you (and maybe others who are free to chime in.), to keep it more organized?

Aaron Ansari allready offered the idea of organization:

Aaron Ansari.1604:

Fantastic of you to be sticking with us! On all of this, though- would it be easier for you if we had a format? Bullet points, numbers, something that lets you quickly tell the questions apart from all the rest of the back-and-forth we’ve got going?

And we have seen things like that allready being done in other dev/community interactions, where ideas got collected and listed for easier consumtion.

draxynnic.3719:

We did see the front part of Primordus in GW1, and it looked pretty dragon-like. From memory, though, there are some indications that it might not be the typical four-legs-and-wings body shape behind, but something more suited towards moving and burrowing underground.

Yeah, we saw it. However he was sleeping and pretty “rocklike”.
If he governs molten stone (or heat), then he could be as flexible as Mordremoth or even Zaithan.

I don’t think only dragons are able to wield eldar dragon power. I mean, Mordremoth didn’t look like a dragon in his mind, which could mean that this was his original form, thus maybe the ED-energy itself forces the image of the dragon upon it’s wielder?

General Health.9678:

If you don’t like it you should not just buy it.
If enough people did that then maybe you’d get someone to ask what you do want and get the barrel. All the in-game reporting however will suggest you liked it enough to buy into it.

I just get it for the heck of it, however I didn’t know that thing was in it.

Somehow it was advertised as something very special, not a simple time gated skin.

At least there is some nice flavour text.

Scott McGough.6897:

C:
Well, the animation does pretty clearly show the banner slamming down into the ground from above, or at least, blinking in/appearing as a result of the gesture the warrior makes. I could see that interpreted as the warrior had just pulled the banner out of their inventory and planted it (kind of like weapon swapping), but I come down on the side of the warrior magically summoning it from the sky.

This is actually quite interesting, as it could mean that the banner is nothing physical that is build by hand, but rather the expression of the warrior “planting” his power into the ground?
Or does he really get one out of his magical satchel and slams it down?

I am asking, because we recently were arguing a bit about the ability of physical objects and immersion. Like what is just mechanical and what is canon. Porting in golems means that they have the ability to teleport, for example.
There is no teleport effect if I am not mistaken and they just pop into existence (which also happens when NPCs in story move over gaps. We can suspend our disbelief with humanoid characters we are able to play ourselves, but if something like taimis golem suddenly pops up and there are not a lot of jumping golems ingame, it is questionable)

draxynnic.3719:

I think we’re seeing some potential closure of loose ends now, with the increasing hints that the White Mantle are going to play a significant role in the next arc. It’s moving frustratingly slowly (particularly for people who have little interest in raids and are thus missing out), but it’s there.

“Will plot threads be tied off” is a question that I think is hard for Scott or any of the other writers to answer without dropping plot hints…

They don’t really have to drop plot hints.
I should be enough for them to tell us that they are aware of the multitude of stories that are going on at the moment which go in all kinds of directions and if there are a plans to cut them down a notch as some reach back to GW1 and new ones get still introduced.

There are several ways to do so. Some “easier”, some “harder”, but all in all, just the confirmation that there too many open questions around (like mister E, just to name one that is of “current” events), where some resolution would be apreaciated.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

What’s a wedding for different races like? We know about Ascalonian marriages and have a glimpse into norn and asura weddings from Hearts of the North in GW1, but do Krytans, charr, or even sylvari do things differently?

Are we aware of Sylvari who have entered a partnership akin to husband and wife? As a race that mimics (and is not really able to procreate?), shouldn’t their methods be closer to the ones of the humans?

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Similarly, written and spoken languages – norn are said to have a different language, but we never see nor hear it; charr used ideograms, but did they always speak “common” – and for that matter, is there a name for the language spoke? Some lines in GW1 called it “Tyrian” while in the Ecology of the Charr it is called “human” – and why do so many minor races (grawl, jotun, ogre, harpy, hylek, etc.) know how to speak it?

I think we are at a point in time where that just “happened”. Let’s say through trade. For example the humans were very aggressive traders, so their language, or “common” became the norm, as they had contact with all the other races and thus it evolved into the “common” language that is used for all races, as it is the “easiest” to speak for all.

Sylvari were adapting from common since their “birth”. Humans brought the Charr, Norn and Asura together in EotN, which might have ended up in something that deepened their relationship over the years.

We see the words “bookah” vanishing in 250 years and in GW2 it isn’t a common word anymore.
Charr learned human words sometimes in their war out of neccity. Norns and dwarfs are said to have contact with humans for some time allready and Asura might be quick learner in general.

We still see them use their own language in written form, so I guess it is just a mechanic.

[/quote]

Rym.1469:

Tbh, I think they now regret that they went with massive dragons. Sounds cool on paper, but in practice it’s shallow, cliche plot and extremaly limitating when it comes to combat.

We have already slain arguably the second most interesting Elder Dragon (after DSD) – of Mind – and they wasted it’s potential. From the get-go I can think of dozens of unique mechanics related to mind-manipulation that could’ve been here, stories and that’s just a tip of an iceberg. I believe you can’t blame storywriters for all of that, since it’s company-wide effort, but still.

Yeah, Angels and Demons were never heard of…

Overall it is a matter of execution.

I mean, in general “dragons” is just a name for them, as they don’t really have the form of dragons most of the time (though there is a theme going around).

We saw the early artwork, but aside from Zaithan and Kalkratorik (who was only discribed to us via book at the moment) we don’t know if the others still follow that pattern.

Even Mordremoth wasn’t that dragon like (maybe a chinese dragon) and by all means Steve or Primordus don’t have to follow that shape at all.

What the dragons do isn’t that “special” either (feeding on magic, etc.). It could have been done by demons, while angels (Exalted, etc..) try to stop them and we are cought in between, because no one who knows something is telling us what is going on.

The “who” of the danger isn’t as important as the execution.
I don’t care if I slay dozens of demons with grotesqe forms or dozens of dragon minions who look as scary.

At least with only two factions as antagonists (big ones), the scope would have been a bit smaller and more focused.
Right now we have to get through all six dragons first, which can take a while.

That being said, two out of six down is only 1/3 of the potential seen. Just because mordy was cranky when he woke up and maybe not up to his A-Game, doesn’t mean the other dragons are as “stupid”?
I don’t know, we haven’t met them yet.

I am not really a fan of thse shelve backpacks.
They just don’t feel right carried into battle.
As we aren’t brewing these ourselves, it doesn’t really make sense as a crafting backpack.

Then again we wield things that are weird anyway, so yeah…

I remember Warhammer Online having a similiar item but a (subjective) better design:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I can’t speak for Jaken, but I don’t think he was asking you to confirm or deny the continuation of certain plots, but rather asking if the sheer amount of loose ends – both large and small – will be reduced rather than expanded.

Season 1, Season 2, and Heart of Thorns pretty much only opened more loose ends, and tied very very few. Even the Personsl Story did this. At this rate, we’re just going to have more and more storylines set up years prior to them getting closed, with an ever increasing number of storylines opening up.

I think Jaken’s just wanting to know if you’ll ever reverse this tactic to storytelling, or if we’re just going to be left going time and time again “well there’s another plot that won’t be touched upon again for years to come, why bother being interested.”

Though I might be more critical than Jaken.

Nope, that was exactly the direction my question was going, though I asked it on several occasions, with no answer, so I might have just thrown it out.

It’s just my fear that we end up with the same situation we had with GW1, where “filling the blanks” ourselves just isn’t enough and we are still waiting for some explanation/resulution in GW2 (or GW3?).

This is a matter of concern for the big overall storyline and also for the current and in compairson smaller ones (who are relevant as well, as they are the focus of the living world).

In the past I tried to compile a list of “open questions”:
- https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/lore/Living-Story-open-questions/first
- https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/lore/Spoiler-Open-Questions-post-HoT-edition/first#post5742247
And these were just some examples in there and mostly concerned about the running seasons and not about the “whole world”.
Some got answered off-topic or by some “theories”, but as far as I know the rule at the moment is If it isn’t in the game, it doesn’t count (or something along the line).

The post-HoT one showed some fatigue allready, though. Which isn’t a good sign.

I feel like we need a bit less “new plots and twists”, but rather resolutions and merging of older loose ones.

little rant, sorry for that
Or we need little things added, that advance just a little bit. A bit like the “new events”, but less cookie-cutter.
Like the orders issue new defense orders for their members as the dragon minions start attacking the borders more. Some new events in fomerly secured zones for example.
New events more related to the story, or just to advance the story in old areas a little bit towards the greater stuff.
Maybe a bandit, who saw too much and has be escorted to the seraphs for questioning and you get a little bit of info out of him.

There is so much “small” stuff, that could be added that would counterbalance the feeling of standing still.
It’s a bit sad that the cookie cutter events which don’t really tell a lot are enough for hype.

Just a little Idea
How about adding a collection to Lonars Pass, which is all about Scarlet (yes, people hate her mostly, but with S1 gone, some assets are lost as well). Open up a Scarlet research room in the priory and have the players visit the places of her terror, maybe have some flashback fights based on her holgram tech and award them with some of her items for karma at a new merchant at the end. It’s nothing for old players (but could be if some unclear things about her a straight out said by some researcher), but could fill in players who entered after S1 (also I know that some rewards are gem-store and some are now dropped into the mystic forge, but that isn’t really rewarding.)

Addition: I like the smaller details that are being put in here and there. I recently read about a soldier in the raidwing and that you are able to find his lover in LA and talk to him. These are great, but unfortunalty don’t eliviate the other problems.

Btw. Sorry for hijacking your topic Kavalier

Oh, a dev. Quick catch him.

Nah, my only question is, if the near future will trim some of the “loose” storylines, that are mostlikely not being resolved in the next 1-2 years.

Kalavier.1097:

My questions mostly fall into the age old, super kittening hot topic debate of “Warriors and magic” and “Magic in general civilian use.”

Simply because I’m tired of it and wish for a concrete, solid answer that will silence it either way, once and for all. :/.

It is stated that everyone uses magic. Some more, some less.
Every supernatural ability a Warrior uses is based on magic.

I know it is kinda wonky, but it actually makes sense.

draxynnic.3719:

Not a lot. A GW-focused magazine in 2007 had concept art of the ‘Tannek’, which were originally designed as, essentially, classical balrog-style demons with a GW twist. Over a few iterations they became the Destroyers.

There are also indications that angelic beings exist – all the statues of winged women, and the Nightfall manual suggests that harpies are essentially fallen angels.

Apart from that, I don’t think there’s a lot known. Mind you, I don’t have a copy of that book (being in Australia makes getting hardcopies of some things more difficult).

Oh great and here I am about to finish my Harpy Slayer Archievment. Hope they don’t hold a grudge…

There might be some ways, but as you aren’t alone with your questions, I guess it isn’t really possible.
Some News-Sites and high-profile members of the community with a releative big following get sometimes the opportunity to ask a few questions, but overall there isn’t really a way for it.

Maybe you can catch them at some public meeting, if you live nearby, but as far as I am concerned the Lore is kinda taboo.

f it weren’t, we would have gotten some answers already for several questions and lot’s of things wouldn’t be hanging in the air to be never answered.

Teofa Tsavo.9863:

Shrug. Yes, there were a tiny bunch of non aggro Tengu in Factions. I wouldn’t call them friendly.

Meanwhile the vast majority of Canthan Tengu, and all of the Tyrian tribes would have just as soon gutted you on sight. In fact they killed everything that entered their territory that wasn’t Tengu.

Plus we have the “modern” enlightened GW2 Tengu, who calmly stood at their precious gate in LA shooting down any refugee that ventured too close.

Bad enough the Charr got snowflaked into being our “pals”. They don’t need to whitewash another historical enemy that remains both xenophobic and ultra Territorial that did nothing in the struggle to destroy Zhaitan and Shrub Dragon but observe.

So the good GW1 people who sacrificed their own people were perfect?
The Kurzick and Luxon who hated each other?
The war in Elona?
The family feud of the Ascalon humans?

Yes, by all means, the GW1 humans were the only race that is deemed worthy.

I mean yes, Charr are our “pals” right now, but only after 250 years we reached that point and the groundwork was laid out in? Yes, GW1 in Eye of the North.

Oh and we still have the angry I kill all human Charr as well. We meet them in the Citadel of Flame for example.
Or when they try to sabotage the peace treaty near Ebonhawke

Did you ever took a step back and ask why the other races hated humans in the past and might not now?

Tengu have clear reasons why they behave like that. They fought for territory with humans (white mantle for example) on Tyria and in Cantha they were treated as outcasts mostly. The xenophobe emperor that took over wasn’t helping either. The ones we got on Tyria are refugees who build a wall, because they don’t trust the other races anymore.
It’s not like there are similiar things that happened thorughout history.

The world isn’t black and white and people/races change.

With the rangers throwing their axes like a bummerang in some ocasions, i am corious why it haven’t happened before.

Maybe in the design of a curves blade/axe, that is used like a machete and blurrs the lines.

There won’t be a new race in the near future, simply because it is a lot more effort then “just” a class.

A new race means, that every content before ahs to be converted to fit the class, which means:
- Every armor and outfit has to be adjusted to fit.
- A new starter zone with new story, that ties in somwhere
- Several different design options for the class
- Recording and writing a lot of stuff
- Content that takes advantage if the class has to be adjusted (like race specific dialog), throughout the whole game.
- and many other things.

While the game has been improved, it still isn’t at a state, where they can pull reccources into this (unfortunatly).

As for races, there are several possible, all in front the Tengu, followed by the Kodan.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I wouldn’t say they point to the Elder Dragons at all. None point to the Far Shiverpeaks, and while one does point towards Glint’s Lair, Kralkatorrik isn’t there anymore. And we got one pointing to The Artesian Waters/Arah.

Nothing necessarily mandates that the Elder Dragons sit on ley line nexus’s either – especially if they’re mobile like Jormag, Primordus, and Kralkatorrik are (or were last we knew).

As for Primordus’ location – if Mount Maelstrom is any indication, we might fight him in Deldrimor Front (which could serve as an accessway into the Depths), or if the Great Collapse theory proves true, we might be fighting him in Woodland Cascades. If we fight him.

I’m rather doubtful we’d fight him in the Ring of Fire. Simply because while yes it is fire, that’s just too boring to me. I’d rather fight him in an area transformed into his domain, rather than him seeking out his domain. After all, lore puts him as clearing out tracks of underground in the past 200 years.

There is the “trajectory” of the leylines, that point into their direction (there are always 3 directions at each events, which point in specific directions)

They don’t seem to be unintentional.

That being said, I agree with the fire island chain. it would indeed be boring.
I was just pointing out possibilities.

There are new events with this patch.

The itneresting thing for me is that we only have destoryer activity in mount malestrom, but not in Kessex, even though the ley line flow passes through there.

The other events happen randomly along the ley lines, attracting ED minions.
So far, the events follow a line roughly towards the direction we think the EDs are currently located, except for Primordus, who is a big mystery.

What if the stonger activity indicates the direction to where their master is?
Jormag and Kalkratorik fit.

For Priomordus two directions seem fitting.
Going towards Orr and the fire island chain and going towards Elona.

The fire island chain would be a very obvious place for him, since it is basicaly his element and we have a bloodstone there.

Elona would be interesting, as it would mean we woud have two EDs in one location.
We would be able to see how they interact with each other (since we don’t really know, even though CoE did some experiements).
We would have a very interesting szenario, as we got the Elonian People, Palava Joko and two dragons fighting for the same space.
We could even see a glass dessert at some point (thanks to the heat).

I really hope these events have some meaning and don’t end up being nothing in the long run.

DoctorDing.5890:

You were doing well until:

PopeUrban.2578:

However, it may behoove you people to remember that PvE in GW2 is an endeavor solely in the pursuit of skins.

Then I stopped reading, because you are wrong.

To be fair, he put it in cursive, which indiacates that it isn’t actually the sole purpose, but that it comes across that way.
“solely” might have been better.

That being said, it is very appearent that they are not really consistent with their rewards and how they distribute them.

I am personaly for game first, shop later.

All the enemies using BLC weapons? Have them drop them. Mordrem with Ley Line Weapons? Tengu with these windy weapons? Molten Alliance fused weapons? Let them drop.
Guild Weapons and Armor which help promoting your guild and feel more connected to them. Should be first aquired ingame and maybe some additional pieces in the shop.
Which means the backpiece banner are better suited for the Guild Hall.

BLC weapons should be additions to the world and not the sole way to get something cool you see every enemy you encounter have.
If I kill someone with a cool hammer, I would like to have a chance of picking it up. WYSIWYG.
It makes certain areas of the game just much more rewarding that way.

It is allready a shame that there are certain items sold via BLC, before they were even introduced ingame.
Form a lore perspective it seems like Evon Gnashblade is working with every enemy to get us their weapons.
How else would we get Ley Line Weapons months before we even meet the first Mordrem Guard?

It is not like their artist aren’t able to provide a constant stream of weapons for the gem-shop.
They are certainly capable of doing so.
Distributing some of them to certain loottables shouldn’t be a problem.
Though there would be some angry, that they spend a lot of gold or money to get them beforehand… ups…

Anyway. The weapons are great. It is great that they exist, but please think about where you put them and don’t go after the quick cash.
It is much healthier for the game.

We will approach point, where BLC weapon sets are outnumbering ingame weapon sets, which isn’t a good thing.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

On the part of leaking out – I haven’t fought Matthias but from reading the dialogue on the wiki I took it to be that Matthias was taking in magic actively and losing control of it, not that magic was seeping into the world from the bloodstone shards.

As to the first part – while the amount is on lower levels, that doesn’t mean it isn’t what the Six Gods basically did when they siphoned magic off of Zhaitan to empower the Bloodstones. It’s just a different scale.

However, keep in mind that the “windstorm” talked about appears to be the magical energy from Mordremoth’s death going through the ley lines that pass through the raid area and empowering everything magical there. That “everything” likely includes the Bloodstone. Now, consider what would happen to other Bloodstone-like materials elsewhere placed on ley lines… now remember that when Mordremoth died, his magic went into four directions – north towards Tarir and the raid… and south, towards the Ring of Fire Islands. And what’s there?

Food for thought.

But I doubt it’d come to pass.

What about devices that are recently installed and are on ley-Line crossroads or use their energy in their study?

- Will Rata Novus, suddenly go haywire?
- What about the Taumanova Reactor, which is still in turmoil? (Fire Elemental upgrade?)
- What about the Crucible of Eternity? While it is mostly used for elder dragon research, it is on a ley line if I am not mistaken. It also sprung from the Taumanova Reactor incident.
- What about the Chakk? Will the sudden burst in power cause them to go even crazier?
- What about Rata Sum? They knew about Ley Line energy for a much logner time, then they said. What if some of their power is based upon said energy?
- What about the open ley line access in Lions Arch? Will it cause trouble, as it is easily accessable.

Concerning the White Mantle, though. If they were filling the bloodstone allready in a -controlled- manner, then a sudden unexpected burst of energy could throw a wrench into their plans, as it would charge them up much faster then wanted and cuse all kinds of troubles.

Celine.6857:

Jaken.6801:

Why do you have a problem with people not accepting her so easily? Even if they give you valid reasons.

This is a debate and that’s all. No one is dissing anyone’s opinions here, we are all just maturely debating the concept of Taimi as the op first considered, and I completely accept her.

As for (as you put it) ‘valid’ reasons people may have for not accepting her, some reasons may be valid in the ‘real world’ but not here in GW2 in my opinion. Where I am able to use my imagination to accept, and understand Taimi along with whatever magic she may use with or without Scruffy, yours and others’ who have an issue with this character alone, cannot. It’s a simple bias against the character (and indeed possibly the disabled in general, regardless of how influencial I, and others who are disabled can be). They don’t like her, its as simple as that. I hate Trahearne and I’d completely choose to do anything without him. Gladly I killed him so… LOL

But, as people have rightly said, she is very important to us, not least for her knowledge of Ley Energy which is far superior than anyone elses.

Regarding suspension of disbelief, none of what we do in GW2 is real, so you have to give in and suspend your disbelief for anything really in GW2 to make sense.

Interestingly, you’ve not addressed any of my arguments I put forward in response to your last post about Scruffy/Taimi, since again, I believe your issue was over Scruffy!

Is she really that needed by us?
Ley Line energy?
has been studied for a longer time than Taimi and was just hidden. Yes she was there as the lid was opened, but we have several sources of research in that matter.

In the tangled depths the Pact had no problem adapting the technology there, even if they saw them for the first time.

So i guess Taimi isn’t as unique as you might think.

Here is the thing. You are saying GW2 is fantasy and as such real world analogy doesn’t apply.

So why is it, that the GW2 world bites back? Why is it that we can find things that just don’t add up, by only using the information the game is giving us? The fantasy world you hold so dear.

It is not like the reasons are only based on real life observations, but on things from the game itself.

Taimi has plot armor. Like everyone else, the story deems worthy as such.

Why is it that you completly ignore when I say, that Taimi could possible be there, but that there are inconsitencies.

I am well aware of why she is there. It is for the story. Romantizising a weak character, who overcomes his disability and shows, that even if the odds are stacked against you, you can pull through.

It is a great story. She is agreat character.
I care about her, that is why I ask these questions.
Why has it to ber her?
Why can’t it be one of the dozens of other Asura we are friends with and have the same or even better experience?

To beginn with, Taimi forced her way into the party. We accepted her because… well actually we don’t have a real reason. Braham adopted her, after being forced to babysit her and then she just tagged along, because why not.
If we hadn’t found something related to Scarlet, which led us to the ley lines, her role in the group would be even more questionable.

That being said there are pros and cons for every partymember and right now we are just following a story. Does it make sense? No.
Why do we accept Canach so easily?
Why do we still keep Braham around?
What happened to Majory, the once only sensible person on the continent (okay, death in the family. It brings every detective down)?
What is the deal with OP Rytlock?
etc.

The story and the world does not make sense in the grand sheme, simply because there are so many things working against each other. It isn’t just a story. It is a game. It has to work on several levels, which often just doesn’t work in its favour.

My example of golems not jumping is something related to how the game works. However since there isn’t much shown to contradict it, it begs the question if it is deliberate and thus part of the worlds story.

We just don’t really know where the game ends and the canon beginns. Thus any argument is viable.

That also adresses your argument with Scruffy. I am fully aware of these things.

And for pets and minions:
Minions are summoned, thus shouldn’t have a problem to be bound close to us and most pets are able to traverse like us or are being magicaly stored, though the latter is more likely a game mechanic.

Again gamemechanic vs worldbuilding. We have to compromise and yes, these things don’t make sense as well.

The thing with the story is, though, that the creators want to make it more cinematic. More immersive, thus it believe it is okay to call them out in fields where they could improve.

In Rata Novus, Scruffy stopps, waits for us to fight off the enemies and then pops up on the other side of the gap.
Add a teleportation effect and it isn’t just a gamemechanic anymore, but established as an ability of Scruffy.

Celine.6857:

I still have the issue with calling her a child though. As several people have explained above, she isn’t actually a child, but not an adult either and is somewhere inbetween.

But when it comes to teens and children in battle, there are plenty of fantasy stories where kids are fighting at the fore-front, and many are also disabled. So, why its a problem for GW2 I’ve no idea :P

An interesting website: http://www.gamesradar.com/10-inspirational-disabled-characters-from-sci-fi-and-fantasy/

Yes there are and there is a term for it. Suspension of Disbelief

It doesn’t matter if it as fantasy story or anything, several needs need to be fullfilled.

Again, the thing many people are asking why we still take her along, even if it is counterintuitve for the setting.

Just to make a trope happen. To prove a point. Etc.

If in the real world a unlikely person saves the day the circumstances have to fit. Be at the right time at the right place to be of use.

This is easier in fictional worlds of course, because the writers can make things up.
However they still have to create a szenario that makes sense for the readers, to be accepted.

As you can see, there are people who have an issue with it. As there are people who have no issue with it.

That is how far they go with their supsension of disbelief.

And to be fair the odds aren’t in Taimis favor if we look at the supposed story.

It is supposed to be a very dangerous area, where even the main protagonists are struggling. Where they have to run on several occasions. Where they can only procceed if they are quick on their feet and able to trust and protect each other.

Everyone who isn’t at the top of their game more or less) is seen as a liability or a danger to the mission.

For every fantasy story where a disabled or unlikely hero emerges victorious, how many things needed to happen in his/her favour to make it happen?

Even if he/she is able to counterbalance her shortcomings, how often are these clearly ignored by the danger at hand?

I think you misunderstand the reasons why people are upset. It isn’t something sudden. It something people are able to accept under the right circumstances.

Why do you have a problem with people not accepting her so easily? Even if they give you valid reasons.

Well, seems like they have to adjust the effects again

Aaron Ansari.1604:

Jaken.6801:

That being said. Have you seen a golem jump who isn’t a player?

I actually agree with most of your points, but for this one…
Have you ever seen a norn jump who isn’t a player?
An asura?
A human?
It’s not a golem thing. It’s that, mechanically, NPCs are incapable of jumping.

As for the bigger question of whether golems can jump, I see no reason why not. I know they look heavy, but they’re already set up so that everything but their feet is suspended in midair, and they can move that floating bulk at high velocities (Remember the spin attacks?) If there’s any reason they shouldn’t be able to, it’s because their legs aren’t built for it, but Scruffy is more human-like in that regard.

That’s true.
We unfortunatly don’t see golems or NPC in that regard being able to leave the ground.
They have to follow the ground, which might just be engine limitation.

That’s why I put the “transformation” into an golem in as well. Most of the ones we have, don’t allow us to jump (and some were patched in over the years I think).

Getting into the golem suit for example doesn’t allow you to jump.

Basicly I my therory is mostly based on what we see and experience the most.
Other things are possible, but not shown to us at this moment.

Thats why I said that adding some simple effect here and there, would fix these problems.

However I don’t think these are a priority at the moment.

Celine.6857:

-snip-

Fantasy vs. story
Yes, fantasy as the name implies is imagine the unthinkable, etc. .
The thing it, we aren’t talking about fantasy alone, but in a story constuct.

A story needs some kind of consistency. There are always some rules and even if they are unrealistic , they are established at some point throughout the story, or else the reader screams DeusEx Machina.

The more of a story is told, be it fantasy or not, it becomes clearer what is possible and what not in a certain context.

Almost every fantasy story implies rules of what is pussible and what not. How great magic always require some sort of sacrifce. That nothing happens just because you want it to, but because you fullfilled the requirements in this fantasy world.
These are rules. These are boundries. These are limits.

There is a reason why something like willpower is often used as something to messure ones strenght in these kinds of szenarios where people just make things up.

GW2 has the mists which is discribed as a space where everything is possible, yet there are rules to it. Like the fractals kittenet themselves.

Going by lol it’s magic or it’s just a fantasy story isn’t enough to point out inconsistencies.

It is okay if these things happen, mind you, it is part of the fantasy alure. However some kind of explanation needs to happen, so the story makes sense.
Not the fantasy.

Like this:
You fight a giant monster, you are down for the count, but then you take a bag of magic dust out of your bag and it becomes a leaf of gras.

The magic dust was never established and you never told anyone that you have it.

Yes, the reader could come to his own conclusions now, since it could have happened ofscreen, but he will never be sure.

Now looking at taimi, she has a very defined golem. His abilities are clear and when he is about to use abilites outside his realm it is the game cheating and not the golems abilities being revealed.

Again, I accept that the golem could be there. However we aren’t shown how and there are good reasons against it (which can easily be debunked, which I also said). Thus it creates a break of immersion.
It’s not that big of a problem actually, but it still has some validity.

Transformations and gliding
I allready said that it isn’t really established what nature transformations are. How they really work.
The fact that msot of them don’t show the abilities of what they are supposed to be displays a great deal of inconsisty anyway.
I just put it up as another point, nothing more.

That being said. Have you seen a golem jump who isn’t a player?
Weren’t we these little golems in mount malestrom?
Again, some inconsitency, thus questionable again.

Consistency
I mean consistency in the whole world. We have seen certain things, which outline possibilities and limits of this world.
If something new happens, it should be handled as such.

Yes the world is changing, but it should be aknowledged in some form. Though I am aware that GW2 is lacking in that department from time to time.
I mean, they litteraly give you the glider in an throw away sentence and you imediatly got it and understand it.

Oh and speaking of masteries, don’t even start. These are just sad in a lore context. For a game that went out of their way to establish completly new alphabet on several occasions and not doing the same for three races, we should learn to understand is kinda sad.
A cool cultural experience dumbed down to gating and a very simple gamemechanic.

Steven Taimi Hawking
Ah yes, a hologram. Why didn’t Taimi think of it? She would be more suitable to use it, then him, right now, though.
He would propably use some kind of drone.

Why might he not have to traverse the jungle and yet Taimi needs to?
Again it is a matter of tech, not the person, as they both might be useful, or not.
I would chuckle if there wasn’t an asura city throughout the story and Taimi would end up just being there and “annoying” (she isn’t all the time. i like her, but sometimes…)

You point out one interesting thing, though: racial golem summon. They also pop up, explode around you or somehow fly in.
Again not expained, but it happens.

I accept it as a game mechanic. There is teleportation magic and asura could run around with a permanent beacon to call them from a central station, but then i ask myself why they break down so easily, or why the usual teleportation effect isn’t shown.

An effect which they use constantly around the world.
I might have to look at this again on my asura.

Celine.6857:

-snip-

Okay, I agree we don’t see the NPC use gliding, but we get one right at start (never shown) and it is implied to be part of the equipment, thus I expect everyone to get one as standart issue (and since DE2.0 is part of my group, if I get one, they get one as well).

As far as I know Golems can’t jump. Transforming into a Golem usually doesn’t allow you to jump.
I don’t think gliding is possible, but I actually didn’t test that.
Then again, I don’t know if tonic transformations are a valid compairson.

Scruffy doesn’t displayed more abilities then your run of the mill golem. Yes he had an unique design, apearently an armor upgrade and a ley line affinity, but that mostly makes him more durable.

A great thing usually. He might survive more.
The thing i am more concerned with, however, is his ability to traverse the terain in the same manner, the rest of the group is.
Which he isn’t and if we see him, it is usually through cheating . As no real ability is displayed (As in any effect being show, like with every other character)

All other group members are able to jump for example, as it is part of their nature.
Golems so far did not display that ability and the only way we saw them get airborn is by blowing them up or use them as bombardement.

There are golems who can fly, but these are rare and so far Scruffy didn’t display that ability (and won’t at this time, till we see Scruffy 2.0)

As for your comment about fantasy.
Sure you can go with the it’s magic, shut up argument, but even fantasy has rules.
It has nothing to do with with the unthinkable or unimaginative.

it is a question of consistency.
I accept a world where magical golems, who are made mostly of stones, crystals and magic do exist.

I don’t accept it so easy if said golem abilities are on display all around the world and thus their limits are known.

If Taimi had outfitted her golem with some special abilities like teleporting, gliding or the simple ability to jump, then it would have been on display in some form.

The only mention of special upgrade however is her ley line and armor plating upgrades, nothing more.

Also, I clearly said it is okay for Taimi to be there, if said requirements are fullfilled.
Like a simple teleportation effect, when Scruffy appears out of nowhere when he jumps a gap.

Right now it isn’t the case, so thank you for missing my point.

Oh and yes, steven hawking would be helpful in some way, i never doubt that… but he still has to traverse the jungle. As the problem is still with the tech and not with the person.

PopeUrban.2578:

Jaken.6801:

However it is a narrative none the less, they want to tell a story and if things contradict too much or are too absurd, it crumbles. A child in a supposed highly dangerous area is such a thing.

Why?

When we take in to account that child is:

• A member of a race codified as being composed of the finest intellects in the world
• An exemplary intellect even by her own race’s standards
• Has used that exemplary intellect to design and pilot an one of a kind piece of military hardware
• Has done all of this within the context of a world with the same “but magic equalizes things”

Why, all of a sudden does the appearance and success of one child seem so out of place? Do the Asura, as a race, seem out of place? They have the same advantages and disadvantages in the context of the world as Taimi does on a macroscopic scale. All of their military power is attributed to “Magitech” that allows them to leverage intellect in to offensive and defensive strength. Just like Taimi does. Taimi is simply the Asura ideal turned up to eleven, just like all of the other heroic main characters.

Marjory and Kasmeer are determined and tenacious despite bad circumstances. They’re humans.

Braham is headstrong and foolhardy, yet his impressive physical prowess covers for this weakness. He’s a Norn

Rox is a force of nature through a combination of physical ability and years of military discipline despite being emotionally stunted. She’s a Charr

In fact, the only character that really breaks form is Canach. The only reason he breaks form is to contrast Caithe, who is devoted to the mother tree, inquisitive, and holds dear the tenants of ventari. You know. A Sylvari.

In all that what defines these characters is how they cope with their weaknesses, not how they leverage their strengths. Braham learns to temper his pig-headedness. Rox learns to show emotional vulnerability and make friends. Canach and Caithe learn the value of independance and personal responsibility. Marjory and Kas… well the whole “we’re lesbians” thing took over their plot arc because it’s hard to write a race in a plot hook of ’we just get our butts kicked a lot" without literally making them just boring unstoppable kittenes.

Taimi IS asura. In fact she’s the MOST Asuran character in the game. That’s why she belongs, what makes her fun, and what makes her memorable.

It’s okay to not like a character because of what they represent, but making the “immersion” or “logic” argument in GW2 is just folly. It’s not because “It’s just magic so everything is OK” as much as it is that “It’s magic so the rules are extremely flexible.”

Taimi doesn’t even bend the rules all that much. Certainly far less than Canach, Eir’s fate, the convenient circumstances of the last HoT story mission, the central concept of Glint’s egg, and a host of other things more narratively problematic.

It’s all nonsense to one degree or another. It’s okay to not like some of the nonsense on a personal level. However, the idea that there’s some objective argument against Taimi rather than subjective dislike of the character doesn’t really hold any ground when you really look at the world and its story with a critical eye at this point in the franchise.

I don’t WANT Taimi to be “more reasonable” I wat her to live up to the hyper-asura she IS. I want her to design Scruffy 2.0 as a walking nuclear bomb that teabags dragons two at a time because it makes sense for the character, and more importantly, because the way she approaches these great inventions with a typical asuran disregard for safety and overestimation of her own capabilities creates entertaining stories and fun context for gameplay. That context makes her NEED our player character and other NPCs as much as we NEED her.

Here is the thing, though.
I don’t mind Taimi.

It is just that her being able to get that far just isn’t feesable to me.

The one of a kind golem she is appearently controling just doesn’t display the abilites that would be needed to traverse the jungle as fast as the story is supposed to go.

In the story the heroes do a b-line (mostly) towards their objective and that doesn’t mean they traverse the road on the ground, but going to places where you have to things like jumping or gliding.

Yet in no circumstances they have the golem display these abilities.

In fact instead of giving the golem the usual teleportation effect and ability they clearly show him just popping up beside or in front of you, when there is a gap.
This is shown a few times straight in rata novus.

If this was an ability of any kind, then they would have shown it, because I don’t think Scruffy is a mesmer and able to blink (but even that does have an effect)

So my simple problem with the whole szenario isn’t Taimi directly. It rather is the way they get her there.

The one of a kind ley line golem Scruffy just doesn’t show more abilities then the regular golems around, thus making him slow and not suited to traverse the jungle at the pace the story might want.
It is even more suprising if we put the Chak into acount, which feast on Ley Line energy and to get to Rata Novus you might get in contact with them (or be a great bait for them with your walking ley line energy battery, at least I think that is what Taimi said. That Scruffy is either able to channel or use Ley Line energy now).

I wouldn’t let Steven Hawking in the jungle. It doesn’t matter how intelligent he is. He would slow the group down. Even with a tank-style wheelchair. As long as it isn’t able to have some kind of gliding or flying ability he would get into trouble at some point.

However steven would have it easier.

So yeah, my problem is actually more around Scruffy than Taimi. The big hunk of metal, which glows, possibly attract enemies (though Rytlocks sowrd might do the same) and isn’t really as mobile.

In my opionion Scruffe needs some updates, to get around a bit better. Even if it just them adding a telportation effect, when he crosses gaps (though him transoforming to suit the situation would also be interesting.)

PopeUrban.2578:

I really don’t find Taimi harms my immersion in a world with such haphazard lore as GW2 in the first place. In a world where lasers, black powder firearms, and bows and arrows all have the same military utility, the entire plot is built around a series of Deus Ex Machinas, and general nonsense is liberally inserted at every turn simply for visual impact.

What makes GW2 interesting is its characters and how they take the absolute nonsense insanity of the world around them in stride. Taimi is no more immersion breaking, for me, than “Rifle” and “Bow” being equivalent options for ranged warfare, or people in heavy armor dodging all over the place like monkeys on PCP. A world in which an asura with a hammer and a Norn with a hammer of are roughly equivalent combat capability. A world in which people literally bring knives to magical laser gun fights like its just another tuesday. And that’s not a disconnect between player mechanics and lore. That’s literally just NPCS, fully in world, making all these anachronisms.

In all that, it’s not at all unbelivable that some kid builds a hotrod golem and runs all over the jungle just fine, while also being the only special snowflake that can unravel all the science things.

It’s heroic fantasy in the most ridiculous setting. This is not GW1 lore, where ridiculous things were constrained and the the world made an attempt at being belivable in the first place. This is GW2, where giant steampunk tanks and magic-powered laser guns find catapults threatening, and a jungle that took down a fleet of airships in a matter of seconds doesn’t immediately crush everyone that sets foot inside it.

If your argument is immersion, you’re already playing the wrong game. GW2 requires ridiculous levels of suspension of disbelief to be in any way immersive in the first place. The only consistancy is that the people in the world actually treat its ridiculous internal logic like it makes sense and behave accordingly. If not for the characters, GW2’s world is a laughable funhouse mash of up fantasy and science fiction tropes for no other purpose than visual spectacle.

However what you are describing is supsension of disbelief.

Even if it is ridiculus, there is still something that makes sense. There is a line to follow.
Things are able to be explained.
Your tank example completly ignores the fact that this is still a magical world and a catapult can be charged magicaly, or throw explosives.
If everyone might be able to wield magic, they way you attack them doesn’t matter as much, if you always have to expect some kind of negating skill.

Like in stargate where there were shields that were blocking high velocity attacks like gunfire, but allowed passing of normal movement for obvious reasosn.
Thus a close combat knife attack is more suitable (I think that also the case in dune)

This is a game narrative, so even more things are simplified and won’t work like in real life.

However it is a narrative none the less, they want to tell a story and if things contradict too much or are too absurd, it crumbles. A child in a supposed highly dangerous area is such a thing.

It is believeable that the fleet is shot down as the biggest thread, but the few survivors are left to fight on their own. Even big organism usually focus on the biggest thread. There is a certain logic behind it.

If we kill an ants nest, we don’t go after all suvivors.

The thing is that her hot rod golem isn’t as capable as any other character in the group.

We can suspend our disbelieve for many other things, but not if they are clearly shown as false.

The golem is not able to jump. He isn’t able to teleport. He has no stealth module.
He doesn’t have anything that would help him survive, like all other characters would.

Jumping or Gliding, a skill neccessary (told us right at the start of HoT) to go quick through the jungle? Nope. Taimi would have to walk the long and hard way.

Again, I don’t mind Taimi. I don’t like her devalueing the supposed danger that should be around us.

Pact survivors are highly trained and the few we see, might jsut be a fraction of everyone else. They are either in high allert, fortified around save areas, have just crashlanded (depending on the screwed timeline), are on the outscirts and the fight at the end is not fought by us alone, but witht he help of others we found along the way.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Yeah, seems Anet’s doing another ‘gradual spread of things’ like the vines at waypoints or clearing out Fort Vandal or the Vinewrath’s encroachment during S2.

Each spot seems to be a location of 3 smaller ley line convergences.

While I wished some new events to be added throughout the game, these cookie cutter ones feel a bit to easy.

I personaly would have liked if they add new archievmentchains to cerain maps with some unique rewards, to make old maps more relevant, than just simple farm fests. Like adding a Collection/Quest towards Lonars Pass. There are several things connected to Scarlet there (Marrionete, Steam creatures, her hideout), so they could educate players on her in something like “Scarlet’s Downfall” (pushing players towards TA and dry top as well), in which they endup in a room in the Priory and have access to all research and left over assets of S1 (like hologram messages, books) and the opportunity to get some Scarlet karma rewards like her weapons, armor (pull it out of the gem-shop for that) and maybe some of the color cores.

Players are rewarded, educated on the past and some old content gets used again.

So yeah, right now it seems like we have a S2 repeat, which could be interesting, but again we are only following magic energy again.

If they want to confuse us, then there should be new events towards the parts of the map where ED minion territory starts. At possible new map locations, where we have to bolster up our defenses.

But GW2 was supposed to have “adventures” or similiar things from the start.
They just called it minigames back then.

So yeah, they were advertised but they never went through with them till now.

I mean, the shooting gallery adventure is exactly the one minigame that was supposed to be part of Divinity`s Reach since release.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Ceera hating the PC if they witnessed Tonn’s death is probably the best part of HoT.

Yeah, it was kinda heartbreaking to see her there as my engi went to her.
My main mesmer got it a bit better.

By the way, is there a timeline, depicting each characters involvment in the story? That would be neat.

Harper.4173:

Pretty much this – as with all obnoxious characters in this story we fist must complain about it a lot then it’ll get toned down (See Marjory and Kasmeer in LS s2 vs HOT).

So yes – I’ll complain about it the hopes we’ll get a decent story with more actually interesting things going on.

I don’t think Majory and Kasmeer were a big problem in LS2.
In fact Majory was toned down in LS2. Going from world greatest detective and leader to someone who stands more in the background, while Kasmeer went forward and more proactive, as a sign of her development.
HoT unfortunatly didn’t build upon these two characters, so the end of LS2 is the end of their story mostly.

I didn’t really think they are obnoxious, as Majory was actually my favourite character in LS1, simply because she got things done, in contrast to the rest of the whole world (I won’t go into the whole Scarlet things again)

Their lovestory is kinda cute and replaying the story it isn’t as annoying as some make it out to be. Yes, they are lesbians, so what? Let them have their moments.

Overall however crizism should isn’t bad and should be voiced, but shouldn’t go overbord and into hate or agression against others (which happens here from time to time) (not directed at the one I quoted). I mean it is just a game.

Sartharina.3542:

From what I’ve seen so far, Scruffy’s just as hard to crack open as any other member of the party. If it can kill Taimi in Scruffy, then it can kill anyone else. So unless you think some dying kid’s life is more important than any of the other’s, it’s irrelevant.

And a remote-controlled golem WOULDN’T be the same, because I don’t think Taimi has rapid long-range two-way communication – and having Taimi close enough for her to control a remote golem effectively puts her close enough to be in danger, and if it’s remote, it means Taimi is NOT safe inside a suit of autonomous power armor. Furthermore – Scruffy is not slow. It’s always been able to keep up with my commander.

If Taimi’s not in the party, where she has access to the situation, she cannot use her intellect to solve the problems the party ends up in. We’re not strictly an elite combat unit – we’re a fully-rounded adventuring party.

… Then again, telling her “No, you can’t come” may actually work out best for Tyria, depending on how vengeful she is feeling after building an even bigger, stronger golem and killing Kralkatorrik without you.

I think you quoted the wrong person here.
I never talked about an remote controled golem.
I talked about his physical abilities

And if we talk about being slow, do you know what rubberbanding, technical trickery, or teleprtation to destination means?
That is how Scruffe gets close and after the comander. I have seen him doing that a lot.

Furthermore he is not build to traverse the jungle, the way the comander is able to.
Did you ever see him jump anywhere? Glide anywhere?
He just magicly apears out of thin air.
In Rata Novus the model of him stops at a cliff and then he just appears on the other side several times, without any indication that he uses any teleportation (as far as I am aware).

Talking about durability. Sure, gameplaywise Scuffy goes down like everyone else, but let us just look at it from a realistic or even prefered narrative point of view: Scruffy is a big hunk of metal, which is even more improved at the end of LS2. He is certainly at the same level as a light tank.
That isn`t the case of any other of the fleshy DE2.0 members. They would go down a bit easier.
On the other hand. They are agile, nimble and certainly able to follow the commander thanks to their abilities and tools (they could use gliders for example). They can hide much easier, etc..

Another question is: Why does it have to be Taimi? Can`t we take one of the other “cool” Asura with us? We meet several along the way, all being as capable as her. I mean, most of them served the priory for example.

Harper.4173:

Aaron Ansari.1604:

Unless I’m very much mistaken, we’ve all mostly come to agreement. Having Taimi along is right for her character arc, despite the risk to her health, but wrong for the mission. The only point of disagreement is which one of those things the writers should prioritize, and seeing as that is a matter of preference neither side is going to win the other over. Immersion and narrative both have solid points in their favor, and nobody’s right, or wrong, for thinking one of those is more important than the other in this case. If you want to voice your opinion on the matter, by all means, do so, but the arguing with each other’s points is already just going around in circles.

Fair – what I’m trying to say is Anet should begin delivering both narrative and immersion – and should stop sacrificing immersion for the sake of token characters with which they can pride themselves because "omg look guys our game is so progressive – crippled children now do what they want woo woo empowering*.

I wouldn`t go as far calling their goal “empowering” , rather than implementing a broad spectrum of characters of many different origin to show diversity.

Their goal doesn`t have to be empowering.

With Taimi,they went a bit overboard and went with a “traditional” RPG story, that usually doesn`t care for realism.

I mean, how many 14-17 year olds have saved the world in the RPG history.

It is not wrong to have these characters, but in a game like Guild Wars, which so far was tending more towards realistic depictions, it is kinda weird.

Which is even more interesting is, that they starte great with her. With Scarlet she came in and then stood back.
When she entered the mists, she did`t go far, but broke down a few steps in.

Then with LS2 she also stood back most of the time and/or was in areas that were explored, while being escorted by other capable characters.

She made a mistake, then got up again, making her golem more durable in the process, ready for HoT… Which sounds good and all… if it would actually have done something.
It didn`t do anything. Scruffy was the good old Scruffy (maybe a different skin?)

Here is the thing, though. A plan rarely succeds the encounter with the enemy and her shouldn`t have. Scruffy is slow and not agile enough for the jungle. More so with enemies that are faster and stonger then he met before.

It would totaly be okay for ther to stand back and maybe learn a bit about drones from the scrappers and have her a hologram following us.

Even the Rata Novus stuff could have happened, with her suddenly being dropped down in Scuffy, via bombardement, her drone being the signal.

I don`t dislike Taimi, even though she needs to be cut back and learn her place (and I am talking more about her being written. I don`t think it portrays her as intelligent, the way she is right now. If any she is very impulsive and emotional, completly overestimating her abilities and usefullness. Yes she could help, but that role can be filled by almost every other educated asura)