Flameseeker Chronicles: Paving the way

Progression seems to be the theme of things everywhere I look in the world of Guild Wars lately. Frankly, anyone who says the game is dead is kidding themselves. We've just completed the months-long War in Kryta story arc, but even that isn't completely over. The arc is a part of the larger Guild Wars Beyond campaign, and there is almost certainly more to come.

Even with War in Kryta, the war didn't end with all the various tales wrapped up in a neat package. People are missing, people are dead, entire villages have been deserted, and that's just in Tyria. We know that significant events are coming in Elona and Cantha too, so will Guild Wars Beyond show us precursors to those events soon? We know that we've got some years before Palawa Joko returns, but will there be hints of what's to come? And what about Emperor Kisu's successor and his unification of the Kurzicks and Luxons? The possibilities are many, and ArenaNet has shown us that it has no intention of letting the current game stagnate.

As things go forward in Guild Wars 1, work on and news about Guild Wars 2 seems to be progressing at a breakneck pace as well. The interesting thing about the Guild Wars 2 news is a particular common theme — follow along after the jump as I take a closer look.
Before we dive into Guild Wars 2, I want to touch on the progression of the Massively guild.

Thursday night's adventure with Massively Overpowered began in Bloodstone Fen, where [MVOP] met up with alliance-mates, welcomed a few new members into the guild, and went tearing through the jungle to watch The Chosen be eaten by spiders. Much like Evennia and Saidra, one of our groups had a few miscalculations and unplanned events, which caused some delays and stops through the mission.

Far from being a bad thing, these little hiccups served to highlight something that makes these events such fun: the sense of humor and enjoyment that the members take from just playing together. Yes, there were delays and problems, but each unplanned afk and Vent glitch was met with laughter, and everyone worked to help get things resolved. All in all, a good time was had by everyone involved.

Once we completed Bloodstone Fen, the plan was to head to Eye of the North and continue the asura storyline that we began last week. Unfortunately, duty called and I had to drop out, but other members forged ahead. Next week we'll be making our way to Aurora Glade to engage in a footrace with the White Mantle, and continuing the Knowledgeable Asura quest arc, so keep an eye on the guild forum for the details and join us Thursday!

Now on to Guild Wars 2. There's a common theme that has emerged as we learn more about the game, and that is building on what's come before. The majority of what we've seen builds on two things: features from the later years of Guild Wars 2 and what we've heard previously about the game.

Curtis Johnson's recent blog post about character personality is an excellent example. Rather than a strictly linear progression of unrelated facts, this used many elements that we already knew as a foundation. The karma system was something we'd heard about a while back, and while the mechanics of it were explained beautifully, the application of the thing was still pretty fuzzy. "Okay, this sounds kind of cool, and it seems like a fair setup, but what can we do with it," the fans wondered. The explanation of how it will benefit the players came easily, because we've already learned the fundamentals of each system.

The same goes for character creation. We learned that your character would have a rich backstory, with history, preferences, and a distinct personality, but... then what? How does it apply to gameplay? Once again, after we'd had time to absorb the basic system, ask our questions, and gain a feel for how it worked, ArenaNet moved forward by explaining how it would function in-game. As with the karma system, it was a snap to understand because the foundation had been laid before.

And speaking of laying the foundation, what about those NPCs that react when you approach, depending on what your character has done before? If you've encountered Shing Jea Sherman at all, it probably sounds pretty familiar. Shing Jea Sherman is one of many elements of Guild Wars 1 that are being upgraded in a big way, applied to us as players, and added to Guild Wars 2. The concept introduced by Sherman will morph into a world full of NPCs that acknowledge our feats, good or bad, in a much more interactive way. Norn NPCs that morph into bears in Guild Wars 1 become player characters that can become a host of different creatures in Guild Wars 2. It's all familiar, but ten times bigger and better.

The beauty of this particular progression of Guild Wars 2 information is that it won't become overwhelming. The problem with much of what you hear about new MMO titles is that it can sometimes feel like you're drowning in a sea of factoids and features, and there's nothing to bring them together in a way that helps you make sense of it all.

ArenaNet has managed to create a sensible progression of information that builds on what we already know, so we can understand and appreciate what we're hearing more easily. Furthermore, they're using current game elements as a springboard for Guild Wars 2 features, with the same effect. These methods, combined with the ongoing Guild Wars Beyond campaign, has served to make the past five months or so some of the best in recent memory for buildup for a new title.

Well done, ArenaNet — thanks for keeping us fascinated, and I can't wait to see what's next.