Showing Posts For snares.5801:
Hi there, I was able to play the previous night. No password or settings changed. This morning however, I get the error message, “The game client was unable to connect to the log-in server…”
Hero Home Persistence
While I do observe that certain NPCs I’ve either encountered or chosen along the way have appeared in my home instance, the overall execution seems lazy and the impact it has seems insignificant. I’m saying this in reference to how ArenaNet has constantly marketed the scenario where you have to choose between saving the burning orphanage / hospital (human world story).
As a Charr player, my home instance has barely had any note-worthy change to it in comparison to the above said human instance. I still the Vigil representative at the roof of the Hero’s Canton, but so what? Does he offer any useful advice? Does his presence there alone contribute to anything? Why doesn’t he do anything besides stand there? The execution so far is that, I meet these people, so they’re here. Empty wooden boards set up to convince me that my actions matter, but the truth is, with the exception of the race you picked to assist at one point, they don’t.
I’d like to invite my friends into my home instance and show off to them, so these are the options or choices I’ve made, this is how drastic things have become… Rather than just NPC space-fillers. If I’m a Legionnaire and renowned hero, why aren’t the streets plastered with posters of my stunning image? Why aren’t the copy-and-pasted merchants selling merchandise of me instead of generic weapons that I can get outside the instance? If I’ve lived in the instance for so long, why don’t the NPCs respond to my presence or choices made?
Choices Need Consequences
Say I picked this Charr NPC for my warband. Maybe he’s a talented mesmer and for whatever reason, I’ve saved his tail and recruited him into my warband. Let’s give him some character flaws for conflict and flavor. Turns out everyone in town hates him (for whatever reason) and are reacting negatively to his being there (rather than having everyone stand idly about). You talk to him, a new event / quest begins. This is an opportunity for ArenaNet to make the bonds they’ve been talking about, yet most NPC choices have been primarily a matter of apples or oranges with no real consequence (save the choice of which race to assist).
Let’s say I picked or saved this NPC from my adventures. He becomes a merchant in the town and occasionally gives me free stuff (in gratitude for my heroic deeds). Perhaps he/ she likes collecting pebbles as a hobby, and gives me gems or ores that I can actually use in reasonable quantity. Or maybe they’d like to show me this new armor they’re wearing and want to hear my opinion, something to establish that connection with you, the player, that they acknowledge your presence and actions. You choose a personality type response that encourages the NPC to continue with his/ her course of action but say, later has real consequences. (Fallout 3 – save the Ghouls and they take over all of Tenpenny Tower) If you encourage the NPC to keep up with the gem collection, you get more free stuff, but eventually in an over-zealous effort to please you, the savior, he/ she ends up getting killed from a recent misadventure. If you discourage them, they may go off and pick up some other job thing, rob a bank or something… A seemingly harmless choice leading to surprising after effects.
Give Us A Real Home To Return To
All in all, as much as the game needs to have this ultimate end goal of saving the world and fighting the dragons, more time and levels can also be dedicated to side-tracking personal stories (not tied to the main arc) that add more flavor and depth to the characters and racial choices. Events can occur in home instances unique to individual player choices and provide and incentive for inviting friends and sharing with them. Customization options can be made available for purchase or discovery to provide another layer social interaction and sharing on social networks. Meaningful and even quirky NPC merchants can be saved, recruited or instructed to provide new item options (instead of the generic copy-paste gear) that are tied to lore and your choices. I understand that while the game has higher priorities like skill balancing and bug fixes, I do feel that much more work can be done to improve the home instance and pacing.
Hello, I am currently experiencing similar problems as mentioned above. There doesn’t seem to be many spirits to begin with, some do not respond properly. Also, the event “Defend Bria” is also bugged and seems to have been so the past 2 days.