Story Telling & Character Development | Guild Wars 2 PC (GW2)

In many MMOs storyline takes a major backseat for quests, PvP, and social interaction with other players. Guild Wars had a much deeper storyline than traditional MMOs and Guild Wars 2 continues this tradition while expanding heavily on the concept.

In Guild Wars 2 you have multiple unique stories being forged, such as the primary story about the awakening of the Dragons, the breakup of the Destiny’s Edge, and even your own personal story in the world of Tyria. The Dungeons really go deep in to the story of the Destiny’s Edge but what about your own personal story and the decisions you make that affect the bigger picture, the upcoming threat of the awakened dragons?
The elements listed in this section add to the overall experience and make you feel a connection to the world (server) you choose to reside in.

In a traditional MMO it is really hard to get absorbed into the story when you complete an epic quest only to watch the enemy respawn ten seconds later as another player takes a stab at him. Guild Wars 2 aims to move beyond this tradition with a living, breathing world that has random events, dungeon events, and personal story arches that make your character feel like he or she really has an important place in the world of Tyria that is unique and needed.

With Guild Wars 2 you have tons of social interaction and many of the elements that make traditional single player RPGs so much fun. There is no more cookie cutter characters and what happens with your character can affect the world around you for better or worse.

Unique NPC’s That Add to the Experience

 
The choices you make with your character will actually affect how an NPC interacts with your player character in Guild Wars 2. If you have gruff warrior type character that prefers to use the fist before diplomacy, NPCs might seem more hostile or even respond as being somewhat threatened by your character. If you have developed a charismatic and easy-going character then NPCs will feel at ease around you. It is possible these interactions might result in different dialogue options, although keep it mind that choosing a certain personality type won’t disbar you from specific content or quests. The purpose of the different NPC reactions has more to do with making the world feel more alive, and giving it more depth.

Cities in GW2 feel alive and as important centers of activities, not just a random background where you buy stuff and take on quests. The city of your origin should feel connected to you and GW2 will make interactions with NPCs feel personal, making you sincerely want to take out the Dragons in order to protect those in the world that you have developed friendships and interactions with.

This also means that NPCs will have understandable motivations, real character flaws, and qualities that make them feel like more than just a quest or merchandise trigger that has no real depth.

Crafting A Character That Is Truly A Unique Individual

 
From the start of the game you will design a character that feels personal and more than just a meaningless figure for playing an MMO. You will choose your race, profession, and can even answer a set of more complex questions that will make up your characters “biography”.

With each character you make you can answer the questions differently and end up with a completely different personal story in the long run.

A character’s biography will influence their storyline even from the beginning. Some of the choices you make will include race, class, and even heritage. As a human you will be asked to define your social background such as gentry, commoner, or from the streets. Other questions might even establish how you feel and interact with other races.

You will also choice if you consider your character unfriendly and intimidating or as charming and kind, which will result in the world around you reacting differently to you.

You can have these questions automatically generated if you wish, but taking the few minutes to feel them out will really make your character come alive.

Your character in GW2 is part of the community and world around them. They have friends, enemies, and a past that can affect how the game unfolds. In the long run, a character’s personal story and overall personality will affect how they handle the dragons and the war with them. The fight will seem personal and you will be compelled to stop the dragons to save the world you care about.

In Guild Wars 2 you even have a native home and a direct house to call your own. This home area will change to reflect your decisions in the game and will add to the concept of a living world. These home instances will never stop updating as your character changes and interacts with the world around them, making your home a personal part of your life.

In Guild Wars 2 you aren’t a wandering hero that is an outsider with no real place in the world. People know you and already have opinions of you, you are part of Tyria. This isn’t about being a hero, it’s about defending the world you care for.

There are thousands of individual paths that you can take to develop your own personal story and every decision in the game will lead to a chain reaction that ultimately can affect another situation. There will be individual story elements and quests that help further your own story. These can be solo experiences or enhanced by inviting your friends to participate in your personal story as well. Friends can assist each other in completing life goals and in doing so see parts of the Guild War story they otherwise might not have encountered in their own story.

Choosing An Order

 

There are special orders in GW2 that each are attempting to handle the upcoming threat of the dragons in their own unique ways. A player has a choice to join one of this groups and this decision will further affect their personal story. Each order looks at the world from a different view point, so choosing the right order for your character’s personality is very important.

The Order of Whispers

This Order of Whisper originated in the nation of Elona, long ago. The order’s new purpose is to discover a way to put the dragons back to sleep. The order doesn’t believe that the dragons can be physically destroyed and is instead looking for alternative methods to stop the dragons. This order has spies, thieves, and agents within every nation that will seek to get the dragons back into slumber at any cost.

The Durmand Priory

This order is dedicated to preserving knowledge and lore. They believe that true knowledge and understanding is key to finding a way to stop the dragons from rising and destroying the world.

The Vigil

The Vigil swears to defend those in need and fight against the darkness, aiding those who can’t aid themselves. The Vigil wishes to face the dragons head on and believe they need to bring the fight on as soon as possible, before the dragons grow too strong.

Reaping The Rewards

The decisions you make in your personal story come with consequences both good and bad. Some of the rewards that can spring from your own story included having special NPCs in your home instance, getting special clothes, or unique cinematic events. On occasion, completing a storyline might give you prestige rewards, titles, or even reveal special lore about the world around you. Story choices won’t affect how powerful your character becomes or what weapons they use, or even the skills you get. The storyline is just another unique aspect in Guild Wars 2 that adds to the overall experience.

Overall

 
Guild Wars 2 was designed with flexibility in mind, and something for everyone. If story isn’t important to you than you don’t worry about pursuing it. For those of us that love a good story, it is a welcome feature. MMOs have put story in the background, but with Guild Wars 2 story is everywhere if you wish to seek it.

Go out and forge your story. How will the world of Tyria remember you?