[imperatorefram]

my main tags explained:

gw2 spoilers- always for the latest release.

commander- generic, non oc-specific commander commentary and lore.

other peoples ocs- I reblog ur gw2 ocs. I love them

trahearne- trahearne

[godkiller-sinead]

Still pissed the fuck off for what they did to canach. It literally goes to show how companies saw his character arc: being a champion of the people was a mistake, while being a capitalist pig founding an expedition to an unknown ecosystem is the real endgame.

Not to mention. That is EXACTLY WHAT THE CONSORTIUM DID. Yknow. The people he lost everything to combat.

Theyre gonna make my boy do "the good kind of colonization" and im gonna eat my own combat boots in pure rage. My god.

[godkiller-sinead]

In the end its a matter of priorities when considering a character's motivations. To me, in my interpretation of the character, the problem wasnt the fact he did direct action as an ecoterrorist, but the fact he didnt consider civilian causalities in his plans. He was short-sighted and did more harm than good, but the consortium absofuckinglutely had to get a bomb up its ass and blow up. They colonized an island and used refugees as slave labor. Canach was 100% in the right, but his approach was rushed and poorly planned.

But more and more anet has made it clear that their centrism trumps whatever revolutionary messaging theyre trying to implement in their stories. It was clear with peitha's limp dicked coup ending with the defacto military ocupation by the wizards (and it being framed as a good thing), but with the turn canach's character has taken it just clearer than ever than they didnt only saw his actions as flawed, but his motivations as well. Just look at the consortium still hanging out undeterred in LA.

Or maybe its the new writing team whos so revolutionary praxis-aversed they wrote a military occupation as a good thing and was told to "toss the lore book out". Who knows.

[imperatorefram]

It's like they thought Canach character development was not "deeply hurt person learning to work as part of a team and support their friends" but "former criminal becomes 'law abiding'. Rags to riches. Look, here he is being successful"

They forcibly removed his spine. When I say I miss old Canach I don't mean his voice actor – I mean the character who had values.

[godkiller-sinead]

VoE spoilers

so... prefacing this by saying i've been thinking of it, and I simply don't think this story is for me anymore. I came to gw2 looking for cool, intricate narratives that said things about the world and remembered more than what happened yesterday, and i'm not getting that anymore. What i'm getting is a more railroad-y, superficial, amusement part-like experience, and I can just go to WoW for that.

with that out of the way, I didn't like the update. It was so, so painfully padded with busywork (this time not only outside the instance with canach's stupid fucking list, but inside as well!), and the writing seems to have taken a complete nosedive. It gave soto vibes so hard.

first, the busywork: Do Not. Make me. Do 800 slow ass steps in an instance and call it a puzzle. The fact that one of the "puzzles of the mind" was a goddamn connect the pipes-style mobile game made me laugh so hard I shot past my bedtime trying to calm down enough to finish the damn puzzle. It was like the game was calling me stupid. Which connects to...

the writing: did something happen? did all of the writer's team lose their memories collectively? did they all get fired and replaced? cuz didn't vloxx sic his lackeys onto us at the end of the last instance, then once again with kuda? Why are we pretending this isn't already way past parlay? It just made me feel like I was an idiot for following along with whatever the fuck he was saying, considering he had made fairly obvious he wasn't gonna listen to reason.

In that vein, why the everloving fuck did we go along with kuda's request? it was so painfully obvious it was a trap. did the commander lose tactical prowess cuz of the fog? was he affected with the sidoni's curse too? jokes aside, it was just the writers forcing us down a path that no reasonable person, let alone a veteran commander, would take. The writers were either lazy or didn't have enough instances on selling us to the "last resource" exit.

Finally, why is rytlock the only one who's still in-character? sayida's characterization is weird, flopping around being the Angry Character and just giving middle of the ground comments about acting "like a politician", and. Canach. Fucking Canach.

I can make out that 1, maybe 2 moments, were planned beforehand: the goddamn instance when you gotta follow boring instructions with absolutely no combat in between them to make his doohickey, and idr the other one right now. The weird ass dialogue about needing to have his "priorities straight" in the middle of combat on instance fucking one... it felt horribly like course correction and response to feedback. Why are we having this convo now? where did this sudden change of attitude come from? this isn't the same character who was screaming like a little bitch about his stupid boat during the first instance of the first patch. Also, I should link my post about canach's politics being completely erased and replaced with lukewarm centrist. The anarchist who gave up direct action cuz it would make him "just as bad" as the villians. Bleg.

In general I feel like the game's interest in irl politics is Gone. They were always kinda bad and centrist about them, but they had their hearts in a good place. Now there's Nothing. No bite, no comment, not even a handwave at the *gestures* all around us. Escapism is about being able to Do something to change the world. And then you get canach, the man who used to take matters into their own hands before they flanderized him, telling you that no, you can't change the world without becoming a power-hungry maniac.

I'll keep coming back to the story like an abusive relationship at this point, but I don't rly have any hope for it to become appealing to me anymore. I just want the relics and the new builds to play wvw with.

[imperatorefram]

Thanks for the honest review. I held off on buying VoE until I would see reviews of its second update – as the second update was where janthir and soto felt like they got bad imo.

Specifically, a review that talked about how it felt to play the update, the writing, not how pretty the new maps are.

I'm disappointed, but not surprised. Won't be getting it after all.

Canach and Sayida being out of character (did Canach get a taste of winning at capitalism during eod and forget his roots?) hurts, but what really grinds my gears is writing that doesn't make sense, "puzzles" that test your patience and not your brain, and doohickeys.

[allaark]

Ive gotten into guild wars 2 recently, and have just beaten living world season one earlier today, and it got me thinking.

According to the wiki, the first season was originally run in real time: it started with the molten alliance showing up in January 2013, and concluded with Scarlet's death in the middle of March the following year, and with the re-release in 2022 you can kind of tell. The first episode is alright, although its later chapters do feel somewhat geared towards needing help from others. (putting my first 10 points into scrapper and feeling out being a melee class for the first time in the molten alliance base, only for a major boss fight to involve the last remaining enemy hovering above a constant damage zone outside of hammering distance, while Im (unknowingly) playing as one of the few classes that don't get to swap weapons felt... bad.)

However, playing through the later chapters really makes you realize that this was meant to happen in regular gameplay, rather than instances. The start of the dragon bash, and subsequent aetherbalde attack was likely a one-time event. Individual wiki articles for the original versions of the season's episodes detail actual changes made to the open world as events transpired. Several missions steps feel partially like forced versions of story-important exchanges and events that originally ran on a schedule. Tower of Nightmares and Battle for Lion's Arch are story mandated Raids, getting everyone working together.

Except... I'm playing this in 2026. Lion's Arch has long since been rebuilt, and the dragon bash in episode 2 was the *first* time I'd seen the old city. There's a trans woman near the fractal mist portals that asks if you recognize her from the relief efforts during scarlet's attack, despite the fact that you can talk to her before meeting Trahearne in your personal story. The essential services have long since been moved back out of the vigil's headquarters. There's a charr in constant disbelief that a building in the distance is stingray-shaped.

The game doesn't really draw attention to the fact that the city was attacked and rebuilt unless you read the plaques near some of the statues commemorating the fallen, and even then I honesty assumed it'd happened before the events of the game, until I started that second episode.

I understand why there's no easy way to see the old Lion's Arch before Living World 1, as it might confuse new players, but it makes me think of the other ways the world doesn't actually live all that much, even if I understand why.

The pact forces in and around Orr will never acknowledge Zhaitan's death in the personal story. The war between Kryta and the Tamini in Kessex Hills simply keeps going, regardless of the rubble from the giant toxic flower, or whether or not it's been destroyed. Rox and Braham sit in the camp outside the tower, with only dialogue for deciding how to chase scarlet afterward. These days you're lucky if someone's running the public versions of the mandatory raids, and there's a non-zero chance you dont get to see the cool encounters because you entered the instance 10 minutes behind the main spear pushing through.

It just all makes me think of the context I lose by being a new player, doing content in chronological order long after it's been released. Long after the changes to the world have become just how the world is.

[little-trouble-buns-deactivated]

What a day to be alive! The Guild Wars 2 subreddit banning people for pointing out issues with someone showcasing wizard franchise homestead / cosplay really does remind me just how thankful I am to be away from that game and community.

That creators in the community feel the need to step in and call people insufferable and imply that trans folk should just take basic dignities like using the toilet being taken away is the cherry on a very politically "centrist" cake.

Oh - they still have the Pride logo up too, because of course they do. Pride for all the polite cis gays that can't move on from transphobia wizard nostalgia.

The quality of the creators in the community 💯

Just scroll past your rights being removed! Noting that supporting a particular franchise *directly* funds the removal of rights = harassment.

The intersectionality is not strong in the GW2 go flappy birdie mount community.

[little-trouble-buns-deactivated]

[neverloseguy]

Forgive me if I'm being ignorant, but does enjoying the franchise (which I don't, btw) necessarily have to mean you're supporting the author's sentiments or personal thoughts on this matter? I usually like to treat a person and what they make as separate things, because in my mind, liking or supporting one thing doesn't correlate to the other, but please explain to me if there's any flaws in this line of thinking.

[little-trouble-buns-deactivated]

I think this is a great question! In short, you can't really practice 'Death of the Author' if they are still living and working towards making a group of people subhuman. So there is a choice - do you continue liking the work on its merits (and take on board that there will be people that feel very strongly against your choice) or do you move on? If it is the former, criticism is to be expected. How the GW2 subreddit appears to have dealt with this - banning voices pointing out that supporting the work gives it cultural weight and normalises that it is okay to like (thereby okay to consume and fund) - is the wrong way to go about it. They've very clearly sided against the voices of people who are being made to be subhuman in the UK (recent guidance states that it is now okay to ban trans people from any gendered space on the grounds of discomfort, there is no obligation to provide alternatives) directly as a result of wizard franchise money. This is a subreddit that happily waves their pride imagery in the icon but bans trans people for talking about their dehumanisation as being "political" or "looking for a fight".

So, they are complicit in the normalisation by silencing any dissent.

Maybe the original poster has their head under a massive rock, maybe they really don't like trans people, maybe they did things deliberately to provoke a reaction? Who knows. Their initial actions are more excusable, but given that they double downed, I think it was intentionally hostile.

I think the worst reaction is from the community content creator in the screenshots. This is outright victim blaming and denying a voice of a minority that is actively being oppressed due to money from the franchise. To just be like "scroll based it" is crass. Thy Weeping Willow might be able to ignore things - she seems like she's got a pretty okay life - and she's unlikely to be getting banned from cinemas, book groups, gyms and toilets. Her absolutely visceral reaction just makes the GW2 community look really shit to be honest.

Which is a lot to say, no, I don't think you can separate someone that is living from media that they create. Lost Prophets were tainted by Ian Watkins' actions, Sandman by Gaiman's and so on. Wizard franchise is tainted.

[imperatorefram]

[fregion-bond-breaker]

Continuing my rant

in fact i have many things to say appently

For example why were we trying to make any of the mursaat empathetic outside of mabon. We are all aware that the mursaat that were on tyria were monsters right? Like we know the ones that fled to the mists are different from the ones that stayed. So why are we suddenly trying to make a bunch of the ones we know to have committed vial atrocities some kind of empathetic. We should have been rejoicing in their destruction and suffering imo. I get why the titans we first we killed having personalities was explained and i accept that. But why would mabon, give pitty to a titan???? It shouldnt have even been capable of expressing fear! most titans we faught didnt have any sort of thought in their head and unlike the mursaat they can be remade in the foundrys of failed creation. They are not a species they are not a people with a history. Why are we doing this thing??? Speaking on the foundry. IT SHOULDNT EXIST! The lore states that kormir swept through the realm of torment (which should also not exist and is ALSO not part of the underworld, sorrow) and made it in to the reclaimed realm with the aid of the hero of nightfall. Idk what kind of shade Isgaren was tossing the nightfall hero or what hes talking about in regards to cleaning the place up (again we swept through and killed everything in the realms so kormir could reclaim them) just....UGH so much just did not make sense.

[vinetooth-prime]

incredibly funny huge fuckin L to the Marketing Team today

[vinetooth-prime]

ID: tags reading "Wait what'd they do? VoE spoilers I'm assuming" End ID.

Absolutely 0 spoilers. They have been teasing us the "location" of Castora with ripped-up pieces of maps which the community has already identified and put together. Image below, courtesy of that_shaman on bsky.

It's Just Our Normal World Map.

[vinetooth-prime]

incredibly funny huge fuckin L to the Marketing Team today

[thatweirdnoiseat3am]

So after my 10+ year long hiatus from GW2 and replaying the whole core story and LWS1 on a new asura alt, I decided I really want to do HoT as sylvari actually, so I boosted a sylvari necro. I still did the early sylvari story tho.

Man, I'm sad the whole "sylvari from other trees" thing got scrapped in the end bc I feel like the sylvari PC and Malyck lowkey had some great chemistry.

[thegreatyin]

guild wars 2's story is largely a middling rpg plot, like 5/10 and 7/10s across the board, it doesn't do anything too special or deep but it has decently engaging characters and the accompanying world design makes it fun to play and see what happens next. and then occasionally it spends a grand total of 2 seconds focusing on something so fascinating and so engaging it knocks my socks off. and then it never touches on that topic again. and this is how it has single-handedly made me lose my marbles

[lady-quen]

Honest to god "came back wrong" is one of the sexiest tropes there are. Especially if the catch isn't "oh it's not them after all, it's just a monster wearing their shell" but instead it IS still them, just changed. Irrevocably so, perhaps in grotesque ways, but at the core of it all, past all the whispers and strange looks behind their back, past even their own self-doubt - lies a small part of the person they used to be. The very part that counts.

Yeah, get driven to near-insanity by what you lost and can't get back. Struggle with your identity, your own skin. Ask yourself every day and every night, was it really worth it?

And then, find the strength to eventually answer, yes, yes it was.

Despite everything.

It's still you.

[rabicano]

man anyone else feel like gw2 has been getting progressively more.....heterosexual....this expansion?? maybe I'm just more attuned to notice these things than most but we really didn't have any gay side characters like normal this time - all the random npc couples I found were het. and now jennah is crushing on logan after years of firmly friendzoning him??? I had to gag tbh.

[imperatorefram]

Literally get Jennah away from Logan. that ship is GONE queen go kiss Anise and leave the ex-cop alone, who cares about his retirement arc

[wretchedbirdcryptid]

I know folks don't like negativity and would prefer not to see it at all, but I wanna vent about Guild Wars 2. I'll put it under the cut tho.

It's true that it's hard to let go of something you spent years investing. I feel this with Guild Wars 2. But after the last expansion, well...

I may need to take a very long break from this MMO. I just haven't been able to really get back into it since February, and with this last patch of Janthir Wilds, it's killed my passion for this MMO.

I'll still talk about my OCs, still discuss past stories and whatnot. However, I don't think I'm gonna continue forward with future expansions until Anet/NCSoft do better.

[fregion-bond-breaker]

End of Janthir Wilds Thoughts (SPOILERS)

my thoughts and spoilers under the cut

Well with me finally finishing the story. All i can say was that final bit of the story was....kind of a massive whimper to the banging start that was janthir wilds. Dont even get me started on whatever the hell is going on with Jenna suddenly wanting to get Logans attention? Like girl you told that ship to leave? I also thought better of Ellen and shes gunning for Logan now too? I do NOT want to see that become a damn thing. The ending felt like a rushed way for them to get rid of a powerful weapon. Like a really obvious way for them to write out the scepter of orr so we cant just go "lets use the scepter". This was such a disappointment. And again it brings me back to the Astral Ward being the weakest parts of the expac. Im just kind of bummed out and even if i am excited for the return of paragon and ritualist im not excited for any of the story so long as it continues to involve the ward because its going to in my opinion hamper the writing. Im also let down that Stoic didnt kiss me but thats another thing.

[asleepinawell]

me too queen

[imperatorefram]

overall thoughts on the entirety of JW:

sort of boring. The most excitement I felt was when Mabon walked out of that gate like 'need some help :) ' then my excitement faded when I realized he was just going to die again, and my next thought was "Hey! Maybe we can see Trahearne- no, they're going to close the gate." and pretty much all of the boss battle encounters except for the fight with Greer and Decima in the very first release were underwhelming.

the last one, especially so. We fight three humanoid spirits... one by one, even!... and then use the conveniently all-purpose swiss knife of a plot device to finish them when they're at 33%. That's it. I was worried about that "survive all encounters in this chap without getting downed" achievement but it was actually very easy, and I'm bad at my class.

And what do you mean, Isgarren, "Maybe none of us deserve salvation" Cool. Speak for yourself. I get that you're trying to make something deep out of this encounter but don't do me and especially Poky like that. You think that bear is ever going to end up a tormented soul? nah.