Whatever happened to "Tyrian Travels"?

[mathion.8549]

About six years ago, there was a story track featuring a very self-conscious, exceptionally timid, and atypically modest Asrua named Vikki who created a device that could determine the lifespan of "livestock", including her pet moa Momo.   No spoilers for anyone who wants to read it.  It went to six chapters, ending abruptly mid-story in Divinity's Reach when Vikki ran into a Norn named Alfhildr, who was looking for the person who bought Vikki's device.  There doesn't seem to be a follow-up on that.

 

I dislike cliff-hangers with a passion, but five years is a bit long to be waiting for a next chapter.  Any chance anyone knows what happened, or if that story arc was ever going to be finished?

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

I'm guessing it's because the writers - Leah Hoyer and Ross Beeley - both left ArenaNet, and other developers didn't feel like picking it up. Leah left in October 2016, while Ross left in March 2017; the last chapter was released in January 2017.

Most dropped plot points are basically a result of this.

[The Greyhawk.9107]

1 hour ago, Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

I'm guessing it's because the writers - Leah Hoyer and Ross Beeley - both left ArenaNet, and other developers didn't feel like picking it up. Leah left in October 2016, while Ross left in March 2017; the last chapter was released in January 2017.

Most dropped plot points are basically a result of this.

I'm beginning to hate this sort of arrangement with a passion, I mean real genuine HATE, this thing much of mainstream entertainment does with multiple writers with different ones popping in an out over time.  Comics have it the worst in this, and only in part do to how long a backstory many have.  Maybe I've a case of rose-colored glasses, but I'd swear things didn't used to be this bad, this chaotic, in entertainment with multiple writers. Very much inclined to think that writers should all stick to their own works at this point, if they don't want to do something anymore, then just end the story like novelists and manga writers (typically) do it instead of handing it off to someone else.

Or something, just anything besides this horse kitten of writers not bothering to continue what the previous started, or wildly diverging from what had been laid down.

Edited October 18, 2022 by The Greyhawk.9107

[mathion.8549]

4 hours ago, The Greyhawk.9107 said:

I'm beginning to hate this sort of arrangement with a passion, I mean real genuine HATE, this thing much of mainstream entertainment does with multiple writers with different ones popping in an out over time.  Comics have it the worst in this, and only in part do to how long a backstory many have.  Maybe I've a case of rose-colored glasses, but I'd swear things didn't used to be this bad, this chaotic, in entertainment with multiple writers. Very much inclined to think that writers should all stick to their own works at this point, if they don't want to do something anymore, then just end the story like novelists and manga writers (typically) do it instead of handing it off to someone else.

Or something, just anything besides this horse kitten of writers not bothering to continue what the previous started, or wildly diverging from what had been laid down.

I really get that.

The thing is, it's out there, there may be notes where it was going, and it would have been pretty trivial to have someone pick up those threads and continue the story to its conclusion.  I mean, I've written a couple of dozen books so I know how story-writing goes.  This story isn't a book (even assuming it's a long narrative).  It's basically a short, first-person narrative that explores a lot of the people, places, events and such that add to the lore of  Guild Wars 2.

Assuming anyone knows where it was going or the main outline of the story, it's pretty trivial to finish it, and even include characters from players that were solicited back in the day (assuming those players are still active and OK with their characters being included in the story).

A new influx of players from Steam accounts adds to the need for more backstory, even if that backstory is 6 years or more old, to flesh out life among the denizens of Tyria who aren't exactly "heroes", but just ordinary folks trying to get by in a world where the extraordinary is ordinary.  It seems to me, socially speaking, that's a really positive message to be putting out there these days.

All new writers would need would be the notes and plot lines from the original writers.  I assume ArenaNet owns the copyright, so I don't think there's any impediment to having the story finished, except the for will to do it on ANet's part.  I just find it disappointing they never got around to doing that.

Edited October 18, 2022 by mathion.8549

[The Greyhawk.9107]

13 hours ago, mathion.8549 said:

I really get that.

The thing is, it's out there, there may be notes where it was going, and it would have been pretty trivial to have someone pick up those threads and continue the story to its conclusion.  I mean, I've written a couple of dozen books so I know how story-writing goes.  This story isn't a book (even assuming it's a long narrative).  It's basically a short, first-person narrative that explores a lot of the people, places, events and such that add to the lore of  Guild Wars 2.

Assuming anyone knows where it was going or the main outline of the story, it's pretty trivial to finish it, and even include characters from players that were solicited back in the day (assuming those players are still active and OK with their characters being included in the story).

A new influx of players from Steam accounts adds to the need for more backstory, even if that backstory is 6 years or more old, to flesh out life among the denizens of Tyria who aren't exactly "heroes", but just ordinary folks trying to get by in a world where the extraordinary is ordinary.  It seems to me, socially speaking, that's a really positive message to be putting out there these days.

All new writers would need would be the notes and plot lines from the original writers.  I assume ArenaNet owns the copyright, so I don't think there's any impediment to having the story finished, except the for will to do it on ANet's part.  I just find it disappointing they never got around to doing that.

I have a LOT of opinions and criticisms of the quality and motivations of the current generation of writers for mainstream entertainment (movies, shows, games, comics) and the above situation is but one of many that has informed said opinions and criticisms.  I think its quite likely that its not just things getting lost in the shuffle between changing writers, but some writers just not liking and as such not wanting to pick up some plot lines.

Out of curiosity, what kind of books have you written? Just the genres, I don't want to run afoul of the forum rules regarding personal info.

[mathion.8549]

On 10/18/2022 at 3:11 PM, The Greyhawk.9107 said:

Out of curiosity, what kind of books have you written? Just the genres, I don't want to run afoul of the forum rules regarding personal info.

My genres are Sci-fi and fantasy.  More than two dozen of them over the years.  None sell very well, but I write because I enjoy it, not really to make money at it.  I'd love to finish that Tyrian Travels story, since the world and characters and plot are already laid out, and would even do it for free.  The OCD part of me wants to see stories that were started be completed sooner or later. 

 

Poor, little Vikki has been hanging with Alfhildr for five years.  That's gotta be awkward.  Worse,  Vikki still doesn't have Momo back...

[Randulf.7614]

There’s nothing to stop you writing your own continuation and adding it to the community subforum as a post. I’m sure they’d be quite happy with that and encourage any fan/player written fiction

[Ray Koopa.2354]

7 hours ago, mathion.8549 said:

Poor, little Vikki has been hanging with Alfhildr for five years.  That's gotta be awkward.  Worse,  Vikki still doesn't have Momo back...

Well, at least Alfhildr told her the device was apparently "malfunctioning" in the last paragraphs of the last chapter. So Vikki no longer had to worry about the 1-year lifespan it gave before she sold it to Tonni, as the previous 15-year measurement was the correct one, at least that's how I understood it.

I suppose they wen't back to Mepi's Ranch - and I doubt Mepi would've done anything bad to Momo - and were reunited after all🙂

And yeah, re-reading these stories makes me miss old GW2 and its slower pace. Storytelling where I really want to take everything in ended for me with PoF.

[The Greyhawk.9107]

On 10/26/2022 at 12:38 PM, mathion.8549 said:

My genres are Sci-fi and fantasy.  More than two dozen of them over the years.  None sell very well, but I write because I enjoy it, not really to make money at it.  I'd love to finish that Tyrian Travels story, since the world and characters and plot are already laid out, and would even do it for free.  The OCD part of me wants to see stories that were started be completed sooner or later. 

 

Poor, little Vikki has been hanging with Alfhildr for five years.  That's gotta be awkward.  Worse,  Vikki still doesn't have Momo back...

Dang, thats the stuff I like to read, too...if it weren't for the forum rules I'd try to look up you're stuff.