Guild Wars 2

Fashion Mage.3712:

Valmir.4590:

So, as you can see, the basis for the Dragonhunter is already here.

The traits you listed have virtually nothing to do with hunting, traps, or dragons, despite your best attempts at making it seem like they do.

They have everything to do with it, despite the best effort of the folks here. It just require to be open minded and not refusing any sort of proof that the theme of the Dragonhunter is well implemented in the mechanics and in touch with the Guardian, as if recognizing it meant that suddenly the name had to be good if ANet hasn’t failed at the theme, which it doesn’t have to, because it is bad, mainly because it doesn’t present the theme well.

Thanks you very much !

That’s a very stupid reasoning.

Contrary to the Guardian, the Warrior is a very non-magical class (except for the shouts, which are minor magic anyway). To hunt Dragons require more direct magical abilities, and the same goes for cleansing corruption.

But you, like many other just dislikes the names, which is objectively bad, and thus have chosen to reject the class and be blind to the many facts proving that, yes, it theme fit with the Guardian, it is a natural evolution for some Guardians to take and in doing so, weaken all your points. After all, if we go this way, every class should now be called a Warrior, because it is what we all do. We wage war against the Dragons and many other foes.

Yes so… what is your point ?

Because it shows that the Dragonhunter isn’t far-fetched compared to the Guardian.

Arrk.4102:

@Valmir Would you please go log on the game, choose a Guardian and read the list of skills and traits he has. Name ONE that has anything to do with “hunting”. Just one.

There isn’t a “Hunter something” trait yet in the Guardian traits, but I easily find some basis for the Dragonhunter “birth” :

Binding Jeopardy : Immobilizing a foe also applies vulnerability to them
This is basically a first step toward traps since the Guardian has to immobilize the foe, so theDragonhunter do that, but with some distance and full-blown magical traps.

Searing Flames : When you apply burning to a foe, remove a boon
The Dragonhunter also relies heavily in the use of fire, so this one is probably the basis of its evolution, with the Dragonhunter seeking to set fire to his enemies from afar.

Writ of Exaltation : Symbols are larger and Writ of Persistence : Symbols last longer
Once again, a basis for the evolution of simple symbols to traps for the Dragonhunter, since he has concentrated in transforming his symbols to a better effectiveness against the enemy.

Vengeful : Retaliation lasts longer
It seems to be a basis behind the Dragonhunter thematic here. Not much in the gameplay sense, however (at least, I haven’t seen the Dragonhunter using it so far, but I’ve maybe missed something).

So, as you can see, the basis for the Dragonhunter is already here.

And just saying, the elite specialization aren’t mean to be the class plus something, it is a very specific evolution of the class, which goes in new directions.

@Ephemiel.
The Warriors aren’t zealous. They are just heavy lifter doing their duty, or maniacs liking to fight and kill. They have no drive to protect, but a drive to fight, which is quite different.

I actually don’t like the Engineer helmet here. Because, like much of the Engineer themed armour, it doesn’t mash well with leather armours, especially when you play norn.

The thematic of a Hunter fit pretty well with the Guardian. He hunt downs hos foes, I don’t see any problem with it. he is basically over-zealous and go out of his way to cull them, instead of waiting for them to attack. What doesn’t fit ?

Were did you got all those informations about them ? Has the closed beta already begun ?

Edit : concerning Malyck, I’ve no doubt that we will help him in HoT. I mean, he is a fan’s favourite, after all (and even if the sole Sylvari I have haven’t met him, I want to encounter him too with my main). In any case, I hope we’ll be able to save Trahearne. I like the guy, he saved me from most of the responsibilities when I was the sole Pact Commander and let me go and kill Zhaitan’s minions everywhere. Time to help him now !

Come on… I know the name is bad, but at least, people have to recognize that, yes, the Dragonhunter is neither a Ranger wannabe, nor a totally unrelated evolution for the Guardian…

Some Guardians have chosen to deal with the Dragon’s corruption by going out. For them, protecting the innocent when the enemies comes at you is insufficient. They protect them by going to the enemy, , with hit and run tactics and support for others, through the cunning use of magical traps and the power of their cleansing fire.

And because they don’t believe that you protect someone by waiting for his enemy to come closer, they have chosen to use bows. And no, it doesn’t make them Ranger’s wannabe, not more than Guardian using two-handed swords would be Warriors wannabe… or maybe Ranger wannabe ? And what about the Guardian with staff is obviously some Elementalist wannabe…

Okay, enough with the irony, I know it isn’t really funny here. But what I want to say is : dislike the Dragonhunter name because it is objectively bad (being two words merged together), not for its supposed lack of thematic. Because it has a well-rounded theme and I think that aside of the name, it deliver it (because, except in Fairy Tail, when I think of a Dragon Hunter, I don’t think of someone using powers mimicking Dragons, but a guy who developed ways to kill those monsters most efficiently.

The only thing I hope is that not all those cool looking creatures will be enemies. I would love to try to find some way to cleanse them from Mordremoth influence (mainly because it could help provide a way to preserve our Sylvari friends from its influence, and because I would like to see how the children of the Pale Tree would deal with former Mordremoth minions being freed. How much those Jungle Sylvari would differ from the ones from Caledon ?).

But on average, the enemies seen so far in all the HoT trailers looks amazing, instead of simply recoloured versions of known enemies.

Yeah… With some luck, it will be changed to Faucheur or Moissonneur …. In the second case, we could pretend to be the Harbinger in Mass Effect.

PookieDaWombat.6209:

Valmir.4590:

Well, while the English name is quite cool, the french translation is ugly as hell. I knew we would have to pay for the better name we got for the Dh, but not this fast…

What’s the translation?

Fauchemort. Word for Word, it is Reapdeath. And that’s crazy, since Reaper would be Faucheur, (and the name of Death is sometime the Grande Faucheuse, so it would have been better).

So, it’s basically the reverse of the Dragonhunter.

Well, while the English name is quite cool, the french translation is ugly as hell. I knew we would have to pay for the better name we got for the Dh, but not this fast…

Orpheal.8263:

Everyone who dislikes the motives of that D-Junk will be automatically locked out basically from this Elite Specialization, if they don’t want to get immersion breaked with their characters they play.

First… How so ? Really, I can’t understand why one couldn’t play a Dragonhunter if he dislikes the name…. since nobody ever call you by your class anyway in the game, and that it’s something really minor. And that’s true also for why it came to be in lore. Because you can always explain it by justifying that your guardian developed more or less the same skills as the “official” Dragonhunters (seriously Anet.. Dragon hunter, please, it would already be better. There is no reason for a class/specialization to be made of one word only).

Second… Seeker is just as lame, hardly fitting (the DH isn’t seeking anything, apparently) and extremely hard to translate correctly in many languages. As for the Inquisitor, it is associated with the White Mantle atrocities, even 250 years after they were committed. It seems counter-intuitive for a Guardian to call himself an Inquisitor in Tyria.

And finally, not aimed at you but… why is it okay to have a name for a specialization born out of human traditions (since all the proposed names are basically that, humans “titles”) but not a name born out of norn traditions, or charr traditions (or even asura traditions) ?

Caerbanog.3410:

The specialization new mechanics are fine. But the name is really awful and the same is true for the skins chosen for the guardian in the trailer. Now the combo of the two gives: “OMG WHAT IS THIS HORRIBLE THING ?! The mesmer spec was so awesome that i’m begining map completion with mine but that…. Why so much hate for my beloved guardian ?” cry

Well, I think that Anet made a mistake by revealing the Chronomancer first, since I can’t see how any of the other specializations, save perhaps the Tempest, can hope to equal it in visual awesomness. I mean, I really love my Engineer main, but I now that the elite spec will look bland compared to most of the others.

Am I the only one disappointed that the third specialization revealed isn’t one of the intermediary armours ?

Ojyh.9842:

Come on guys ! Don’t tell me you never saw that ?
https://dviw3bl0enbyw.cloudfront.net/uploads/forum_attachment/file/179625/Druid_shoulders.jpg

I’m sure that’s the Druid’s shoulders and staff we see here.

I like it, but it looks more like a Norn-themed piece of armour than anything else (with the Spirits of the Wilds and all).

Honestly, if they truly want to keep the “dragonhunter” then they could use another language for it, since it doesn’t sound great in English.

In Latin, it would be Dracovenator, if we merge the words Draco (Dragon) and Venator (Hunter). Sure, it isn’t perfect, but the touch of exoticism could do wonder, I think. Or Dracovenor, if they use the verb to hunt with Draco. And if they want a modern language, the French Draconnier seems more in tune with what the Dragonhunter “high concept” is supposed to be, IMHO.

And from what I read elsewhere, the mechanisms of the Dh are very well welcomed by a lot of players. But, just like the Chronomancer, it doesn’t fit everyone’s way of playing their class, and honestly, it shouldn’t do. The point of the new trait systems is to have meaningful choices, and the Dh seems at least to provide such choices for the Guardians, with very different ways to play the class.

At this point, Anet should post an official poll with maybe ten names for the players to choose, I think.

If the Elite specializations aren’t in the Add-on, what is the point in buying it ?

ANet has to have funds, otherwise the game won’t last long or won’t develop anything anymore. Or are people so used to free access to everything now ?

Jelle.2807:

Valmir.4590:

This name sucks as hard as the Dragonhunter and it means nothing.

“Tempest”

Honestly, Tempest doesn’t bother me. At least, it doesn’t yet, since I haven’t seen what it will be. The problem with Dragonhunter is that it is a two words name forced into one. Dragon Hunter would have been fine and I really don’t understand why they have chosen to force the “one word” theme over the specializations names, since it reduce quite a lot of their possible choices.

This name sucks as hard as the Dragonhunter and it means nothing.

Mordeus.1234:

And who would these people be? I’ve never met them.

For all the other professions and specialisations, you simply become them without any training or lore enforced explanations. Sure Rytlock maybe the first Revenant but he has nothing to do with why I would be a Revenant, I have the Character Creation screen to thank for that. I might be born with the innate ability to wield magic hence why I’m a Mesmer or Elementalist, there is no-one there to teach me magic or to share in the credit.

It’s cool that you may choose to play this game in regards to an interpretation of the game’s lore. But GW2 is great because it encourages different ways of playing and different ways of roleplaying. I could care less if Brahams becomes the first Dragonhunter and offers to mentor me, I’ll deny him.

The elite specializations are differents. You can’t just log after having installed HoT and change your mesmer to a chronomancer. You’ll need to undergo a series a event in the Heart of Maguuma, where you’ll slowly obtain the specialization armour and finally the specialization itself. And Anet has been seeding some teachers for those specializations :

Eir for the Druid
Marjory for the unnamed Necromancer Spec
Kasmee for the Chronomancer (what with her growing and “unique” abilities as a Mesmer ?)

As for the others, Zojja could be a tempest, and Logan a Dragonhunter.

However, I’ll grant that the Dragonhunter name imply that the character is a lone-wolf. I think that Dragoon would fit better.

So what ? That’s up to you to play in WvsW, but lorewise, a Dh is a Guardian who specialized himself (and thus ceased to be a Guardian) in hunting down dragons and huge preys (probably).

Honestly, Arbiter is just as lame as Dragonhunter and it doesn’t even define what the specialization would do. All I think when I read Arbiter is “referee” since it is how it would be translated in French, and it sucks.

Dragonbane, Dragonaire (I like the second, sound a kittenarr-ish, if you ask me) or even Draconnier if they really fail to find a a proper name. But I want something still relating to the Dragons (they managed to achieve a cool name in French with only one word, surely they can too in the language of D&D – I mean, there isn’t even one thread not happy with the French name while us French are never happy about anything usually, so surely they can manage it in English too !).

And when I said that it wasn’t in the face with the theme, it was with the skills seen so far (no draconic wings, for instance), since this specialization hunt and kill huge game, and do not mimic the Dragons. And are we not all warriors in this game ? Even me with my Engineer, going to wage wars on the battlefields of the Mist, Orr and Maguuma ?

Meh. Arbiter sounds boring, and surely not tied to dealing with the Dragons Minions (which is basically what the Guardian must do in the Jungle). I for one like the draconic theme behind this specialization, especially because it is not “in the face” but a lot more subtle than that apparently.

Arbiter may sound correct in English, but in other languages, it sucks.

Honestly, it is only in English that the name is kind of lame, and here is way for Anet to solve this with the dragon theme.

I like the French version, so I want to keep a Dragon themed name.

Draconeer, Dragonbane, Dagonstalker.

Honestly, if this spec is tied to Glint egg, I can dig the Dragon theme. But Dragonhunter in one word is lame (and even in two words, it isn’t really great).

I think it is actually a boss. But that to hype the Guardian specialization, they made him fought it alone.

arthurobenzi.2619:

Valmir.4590:

I actually prefer it (in French) over Paragon/Parangon.

Yes , in french “Draconnier” is really catchy, a mix between “Dragon” & “Braconnier” ( = poacher).

I hadn’t seen it. Now I imagine the Guardian coming to poach in Mordemoth lawn with the Elder Dragon throwing a tantrum about "dem evil and vicious poachers " !
XD

It would be quite hard to pronounce for non-french speakers, I think. The first part is easy, but the double “n” followed by a sound which is closer to some misspelled “yeah” than anything seems not really easy to use.

I actually prefer it (in French) over Paragon/Parangon.

Leo G.4501:

I keep hearing the French name sounds cool. What is it in French?

Draconnier.

It is a name I’ve seen and read before in the Fantasy (there was this book in my neighbourhood library which talked about a kid becoming one, taming a huge kitten Dragon and all, I was really hooked when I was a kid).

I prefer it because it is simpler (one word) and is tied to Dragons without being too specific. The Draconnier know the Dragons. Maybe he tames them, maybe he hunts them, maybe he simply study them. That’s up to him, but he knows them all too well.

Edit : well, Ojyh was faster.

But as he said, it isn’t a real word in French (even if it can be used, as I’ve written above). But I’m quite happy that they didn’t translated it by Chasseur de Dragon or Dragonnier (Eragon is a dragonnier, not my Guardian !)

I actually like the Dragon Hunter (even if, for once, his name is cooler in French than in English). It is actually what an Elite specialisation is about : a whole new way to play a class. If you want to play a melee guardian, you’ll get the new “normal” attributes, and it seems to be better (with more synergies between the branches) so its fine, but the DH basically bring support to a whole new level (there is a reason for why one of his skills destroys enemies arrows, I’m certain).

I agree with those who think that the DH isn’t as flashy as the Chronomancer, but it was a given : the magical classes will have flashier and more impressive looking specializations, but what I care is less the flash and more the bang. And the DH is definitely the equal of the Chronomancer here. Both seems to require a lot of hard work to reach their full potential and their peak is achieved through a timely work with other characters.

I think that they’re hyping the elite specs for now., that’s why we can’t see any drawback yet. But if I remember well, it was said at some point that the “elite” would lose access to some weapons/skills (and it seems that some skills are gated by the new trait system-at least I had that impression).

Furthermore, the chronomancer seems to require quite a lot of knowledge and reactivity to be used at its best. It is quite possible that to play an elite specialization in a correct way, a player will have to invest a lot more into it than he did with the core class, which could lead to some gap -at least for a time- between the effectiveness of an elite class and a core class.

But now, it was a magical class here. Thieves, warriors and engineers won’t be as flashy, I think.

The Charr storyline :
When news of the Pact failure to deal with Mordremoth reach the High Legions, tensions rise between supporters of the cease-fire and the more belligerent faction. The later believe that the destruction of the Pact’s fleet is a proof of the inherent weaknesses of the other races, while the other point out to the impossibility for the Charr to defeat Mordremoth or any other Elder Dragon by their sheer force alone.

Fearing that such division could be used by the Flame Legion or even seen has a reason to back out from his deal by Bangar Ruinbringer, thus destabilizing the whole region of Ascalon. Smodur’s advisors are advocacing for two different ways to deal with the problem. The first, the most pragmatic, is to reassert the authority of their Imperator over Ascalon by force, and to harshen his position toward the new human settlements in the Field of Ruins.

The other, to the contrary, believe that Smodur should actually promote joint operations between the Ebon Vanguard and the Iron Legion, both in the Brand and against the Ogres to prove the greater efficiency of the combined races. The players would endorse one or the other position in the first half of the story by trying their best to enhance their endorsed “party” and then the second half would deal with the consequences of such rise to power for one faction.

Remember that those “examples” are only fanfictions and that I thin ANet could really work more complex ideas. But still, what do you people think ? Is a mlore political angle a better way to use the LS in the future ?

I know that with HoT, we will get a lot of story and content (well, hopefully, but I have faith in Anet) but I wouldn’t the LS to go to the trash bin. But I don’t think that merely using it as a prequel to an expansion would be a good thing. Instead, I believe that the LS should become something used more for the problems at home for the various playable races, with player’s action influencing the way the story unfold (just like when we had to vote for either Gnashblade or Kiel, but in a more well-rounded and developed way). Here are some “examples” of how I see it.

The Human storyline (1) :
With the war against Mordremoth going badly, Lion Arch destroyed and still dangers plaguing Kryta, Queen Jennah has to contend with growing frustration among her subjects and the faction supporting Caudecus over her has grown among the Ministers. Bold moves are needed if the Queen wish to retain her throne.

She has thus wished to strengthen her southern border, by sending as much help she could muster to Lion Arch. However, the help of the Krytan throne to its former capital is not free, and Jennah actually wish to convince the Captain Council to grant a permanent position in it for a Krytan noble. She hope that such a position would allow her to have some political leeway on Lion Arch, and thus insure that more of its wealth when it will be rebuilt will flow to Kryta than before.

Meanwhile, the Ministers are trying to undermine the open work of the Queen by supporting Evon Gnashblade bid for a place in the Council, in the hope that the charr will repay their favour when the time will be ripe for them to better the political system of Kryta. They believe that by doing so, they’ll manage to posses occult control over Lion Arch, to a greater extent than Jennah wish… but they could be played by Gnashblade.

Meanwhile, the Captain Council is doing its best to preserve Lion Arch independence, despite its terrible state.

The Human storyline (2) :
The centaurs have been weakened. Their various offensives have been repelled, albeit with losses for the humans. Better yet, their terrible warleader Ulgoth has been slain. In the power vacuum, various Modniir warriors have risen to claim the control over the tribes. However, the weakest of all, the Tamini, are actually facing the prospect of extinction, should another onslaught against the humans fail. Therefore, in secret, they have sent emissaries to the Shining Blade.

The Tamini leader hope to achieve at least a cease-fire, just like the humans did with the charrs. She knows her hope is mostly a fool hope, but she believe that it is the only chance for the centaurs to survive and see the next century. And the Shining Blade, under orders from Queen Jennah, has responded with interest to the Tamini’s plight. However, the deal is far from signed, and many in the Chamber of the Ministers would oppose it.

The Shining Blade is thus tasked with the protection of the emissaries from the humans and the Tamini from both the servants of the Ministry, and the other tribes. Here the choices of the players would influence the content of the deal :
-Rejection of the deal
-A mere cease-fire
-An alliance between the Tamini and the Kingdom of Kryta, with the centaurs being promised free settlement in the Queensdale in exchange of serving alongside the human forces in conflicts
-A full blown admittance of the Tamini in the Kingdom of Kryta, with the centaurs sending at least one of them as a Minister in Divinity Reach

Obviously, all the choices would influence the following Seasons.

Hello everyone.
Before writing more about the core of this subject, I want to precise that I’m French, so I’m sorry if there is some grammatical errors in this post, sorry. And I’m not quite sure this thread belong to the Lore section, but I can’t really find another place for it so…

So, what is hidden behind my title ?

In fact, it’s quite simple : we know that Arena Net is wishing to give a “life” in Tyria, so the world isn’t as static as other MMO can be. And they have delivered the Living World updates which, despite some obvious flaws have steadily improved over time (at least in my opinion, that is). And yet, there is something which seems to have been forgotten. The minor NPCs, those civilians and ordinary people going about their lives.

Some examples :
Lady Sarah Marduke or Samuel Cuttler in Hoelbrak are here since launch and they haven’t changed their patterns since that time, and yet both of them could be used to show the passing of time, with relative ease.

Indeed, Samuel could have managed to convince the Norn to build a little shrine to the Spirits of Action somewhere in Hoelbrak and he could have a dialogue like thise :

To human characters : Hello, friend, I welcome you to this shrine of the True Gods.
[Player]The True Gods ? I thought it was a shrine to some “Spirits of Action” ?
Yes, that’s how the Norn call our Gods. But I’ve good hope that they’ll come to see them for what they are. After all, they do have build a shrine for them.

To non-human characters : Hello my friend. Have you come here to learn more about the Six True Gods ?
[Player] : the “True Gods” ? I thought it was some shrine to the Spirit of Actions ?
That’s how the Norn call them, but it is in fact that Gods who dwelt in Arah who are worshipped here.
[Player] Can you tell me more about them ?
(There, Samuel would revert to his previous informations, since it is already quite complete)

As for Lady Marduke, she could have been moved somewhere in the Great Lodge with a dialogue as follow.

To non-norn characters : How I wish I had never made known my interest to the Norn…
[Player] Why are you saying this ?
I’ve spent two hears with those… those savages ! And for what ? Nothing and even less !
[Player] What do you mean ?
I was supposed to have diplomatic talks with Knut Whitebear. But when I told him that I spoke for Krytia just like he did for the Norn, he laughed for hours on end !
[Player] And did he explained what he did found funny ?
He said that the Norn aren’t a nation and that he speaks only for himself, not the whole of them ! What interest is there, then, in me being stuck here ?

To human nobility characters Oh “Player name” it’s you ! Please, tell me that the policies have changed in the Reach !
[Player] What ? Which policies are you talking about ?
Those which wanted to disgrace me by sending me to the Norn !
[Player] Do you think your appointment here was due to some tactical moves in the Chamber of Ministers ?
Of course it is ! I’ve spent two years for naught here ! It has to be because I’m a support of the Queen that I’ve been sent to this pit of savages !
[Player] I don’t think that you should scream this out there…
I’m sorry, but I’m running out of patience. Either I’ll be allowed to return to the Reach in months, or I’ll to leave in disgrace, but one way or the other, I’ll leave this place !

To norn-characters : What do you want you… you lone hunter !
[Player] Is that supposed to be a human insult ? I really don’t understand your kind.
Oh, I know this very well, you like your “independence”, right ?
[Player] That’s right. We are Norn, being independent is who we are. Just like you humans tend to gather like bees in there nests.
Bees have a well defined and refined social structure.
[Player] Well, they produce some delicious honey, I’ll give them that. You humans, on the other hand…
I don’t want to talk anymore, you may leave.

And that’s just two examples, I’m sure that each capital city is filled with such NPCs which could be used to develop the world in a less dramatic but nonetheless essential way. For instance, there is this sylvari gravedigger in the Reach, who could have some problems with the awakening of Mordremoth and the corruption of the Sylvari in the Pact forces.

So, what do you people think about it ?

That’s when I’m happy happy to hang out in the Shiverpeaks. Hoelbrak and the surrounding regions are always calm. Save for the Svanir’s kicking contest, but foreigners are most welcome at that time.

BobbyStein.2315:

If they weren’t presented as tours for other racial cities but instead shown with characters walking and talking about their surroundings (perhaps independent of player participation) it could get the information across while also differentiating the feel of the different races. Thoughts?

For the Norns, it could be some guys boasting about the Legends of the past who made this place famous (for instance, two or more Norns arguing in the Great Hall about Asgeir and what he did). After all, the legends are at the core of the Norn culture, and it would be great to see it reflected, with this over-exageration which often seems a part of the norns.

One Note Chord.5031:

Arlee.7038:

Personally I don’t see why people want an expansion at all. I mean what do you think we’d get out of it?

Something on a par with GW1 campaigns, maybe? New continent, new professions, new story and missions, loads of new skills for existing professions, new elite pve areas, multiple new pvp modes.

And that’s impossible to create for an Mmo : Cantha alone is easily twice as big as the game since launch. At best, we could get a third of it for an expansion and maybe the rest unlocked via Living Story on the course of years, and people would be unhappy because we wouldn’t see Cantha as a whole in on go. Expansions always offer smaller contents than the Vanilla game, simply because the developers don’t have the time nor the resources to devote as much time and people for the creation of the expansion content, since it would deter from the actual game.

This being said, I think that Arena Net painted itself into the corner with the suppression of quests, because, if only on an “illusionary” level, people often that quests make the games longer. Anet made other choices which can be contested, but expecting GW1* level expansion for an MMO is unreasonable.

*GW1 wasn’t a MMo, so the campaigns could be created as quickly as they were, we have to keep that in mind.

As a French player, I would just want to say that even an English subtitle would really allow me to understand what happens in PoI. I can speak and write English well enough (I believe), but when it comes to slightly technical subjects such as those videos (The Nostalgia Critic isn’t a problem for me to watch without subtitles, most of the time, that is), having text in English actually help me both way : I understand what is said and I learn new words.

GeminiArcher.7809:

Shriketalon.1937:

It is extremely important for an author to be genre savvy. You don’t tell an epic legend like you do a buddy cop comedy

Really?

looks at Tybalt

Why does everyone love this dummy, then?

I actually quite dislike Tybalt, precisely because he is a comedy character in an order which should be anything but comedy.

More on topic, I think that the Biconics should be used more selectively : instead of having them all the time, use characters seen in the personal story and LS1, and bring new ones. hell, even bring characters that our PC would usually kill but that he would have to work with since the danger is to great as of now (basically my idea in this thread https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/livingworld/lwd/Hard-times-make-for-strange-bedfellows/first#post4296956 .

Don’t get me wrong, I like all the Biconics (even Taimi, of all people) but I think it is better to the story to use other characters. And Anet doesn’t have to discard them us old socks, since there is way to allow them to stay, even if only on the background sometime : we are a Commander of the Pact, and not any one, the one who brought down Zhaïtan, so I think that our good friend Treaherne would easily find volunteers to be the members of our personal Pact division. We would get the Biconics, but also characters we interacted with during the PS in our own Vanguard Base during the campaign. Obviously, some would die but instead of them being almost unknown (or totally unknown, if you choose poorly during PS) characters, they’ll be Our Guys. And I want the Biconics in.

And I would like that because I, Valmir Haakonsson, slayer of Zhaïtan and Vanquisher of Scarlet Briar have a personal grudge to settle with Mordremoth : he killed the sister of a friend and I need an army to take him down.

This thread is mainly because an idea popped in my heads just now about how we could add some more complexity to the Living Story, season , which is currently on break. So far, while Tyria itself is a complex world, the gaming experience of the players almost only offers the “Good guys versus Bad Guys” and it’s a shame, if you ask me. And now is the perfect time to change it.

Why ? Because Mordremoth is awakened and he did two very important things : he crossed over the territory of another Elder Dragon and attacked the Pale Tree. Indeed, Mordremoth attacked the lands East to the Shiverpeaks, an action which happened at a time of renewed aggression from Jormag servants, something which could be more than a coincidence, and he sent what is possibly his strongest Champion to attack the Mother of all Sylvaris.

But, how does it add moral complexity to the player experience, may you ask ? Well, the answer is that those actions enable the possibility to fight alongside two evil factions when we’ll try to take the Sixth Dragon down : the Sons of Svanir and the Nightmare Court. Yes, two groups that we are used to fight, but who have lore-friendly ways to fight Mordremoth with us.

The Sons are fanatics of Jormag, and seeing another Dragon invading its territory could probably stir them into frenzy. And they are Norns, which means that some of them can have, if not friendly terms, at least peaceful relations with Knut and the Wolfborn (after all, there is Sons in Hoelbrak with whom you can talk a little) and could come to hunt down Mordremoth and his minions with us, which would allow for some interesting storylines.

As for the Nightmare Court, it stated goal was (possibly still is) to “corrupt” the Pale Tree, so having Moredremoth attacking it could also be seen as a threat for them. Furthermore, they are also supposed to hate the Dragons and so, having some of them join us could also be interesting.

What do you think about it ?

I’m not okay with Taimi running of like that. If I could have slapped her when she tried to run away, I would have. But hey, I got to run after her when I had more important things to do.

Knut part of remembering Jormag arrival is definitively bad, however.

Horst Hortensie.5420:

Mysterious Stranger: Wait until you get to know my creations. In my reality, they conquered Tyria.
Mysterious Stranger: You don’t stand a chance. In your world, this technology hasn’t even been invented yet!

Okay, Scarlet had access to the asuran colleges and could have stolen/copied the infinity ball or it’s technology. But then either is the mysterious stranger wrong or Scarlet set the possible future to impossible before 1320 which opens the question why the PC saw it in 1325?

Cerea/Scarlet could have been killed by this evil “twin” before she finished the Steam creatures, and he hijacked her plans. It could have been done during her stay in the Colleges. It would be lore friendly and believable, in my book.

Kalavier.1097:

Yeah, but several Kodan come across as a bit rude when talking about it.

It isn’t really surprising : they consider themselves to be above the other races in their system of beliefs. So it is only natural that most of them sounds rude, especially when they are in “Norns” zones., and some of them consider that the Norns are a spiritual failure of a Kodan.

Thalador.4218:

Fun fact: SW:ToR had 8 classes with entirely diverging storylines and was and is still fully voiced. With the two genders that means 16 possible voices, with split lines of dialogue (usually 3 choices).

Actually, I’m not saying that you could’ve pulled off something similar as you didn’t have EA’s financial backing (although by not ditching quests for events and cutting down the ridiculous amount of ambivalent dialogue that in 90% of the cases is all about the everyday, boring lives of a zone’s denizens you would’ve had way more resources to concentrate on giving voice to the person who matters the most in an RPG: the PC… my 2 cents). However, I’m still waiting on a branching storyline where my choices matter, I have more than one line of dialogue, and which incidentally also takes my character’s personality, origin, species, and gender into consideration.

And remove the feeling that the zones are made of living characters that have their own lives and that not everything revolve around one character only ? I wouldn’t want that, like at all. The bolded part is for me one of the greatest point of GW2.

BobbyStein.2315:

Actually, it’s the same writing staff. We just planned better and collaborated more closely with design, art, and audio folks to weave the narrative more tightly with the episode structure. We learned a lot from season 1 and we’re applying what we can to season 2 to continually improve our storytelling and narrative design.

Really glad people are enjoying episode 1. The best is yet to come.

Actually, it did progress incredibly in the presentation and the flow, but what I like the more is all those very little pieces of lore which aren’t of great importance in the great flow of Story but flesh out the world; in my case, as a mainly Norn player (and an engineer) it is clearly the old legends of both Jotuns and Norns that are spoken about by Ogden and that I want to learn.

I’ve seen several times that people complain about exposition speeches, and it’s true that it’s a problem but I think it can be solved easily, maybe by putting the player in the skin of an npc. For instance, in the case of the informations found in this room in Prosperity, instead of exposition maybe we could have played Cerea/Scarlet for very short mini-missions while the Biconics were explaining what she did.

Nonetheless, it is indeed quite good and I’m waiting the next update with great impatience, and I know I’m lot alone since there is so many discussions on the forums about this Chronicle and all the possibilities that exists storywise. I just hope that all the following updates won’t suffer from the two weeks release since I believe that it is probably kind of hard to create a zone like Dry Top in only two weeks…