More lore integration for outfits

[Squeesidhe.4761]

This is probably a thought more relevant for GW3, but... I have the Astral Scholar outfit and cloak for my Necro. And then I was thinking, why is she dressed this way? Is my Necro actually a scholar of astrological events? When did this happen? There's no mention of it in her background. To my knowledge there's no "Astral University" where she can go and hobnob with colleagues where they might say "Oh hi Saoirse Mourne (my Necro's name), how have you been? You've been away fighting dragons and saving the world for a while, huh? How's that been going? Oh, I have some thoughts on your latest research paper. Which you wrote, because you are an Astral Scholar, which is a thing that exists in the world we live in." 

 

Maybe there are other Astral Scholars running around? Is it a Cantha thing? I tried looking it up but didn't see any mention of it. 

 

This might be a silly observation, but in addition to a game about jumping puzzles GW2 is also a story - the story of the Commander. So outfits that the Commander wears are story details that should inform something about character. Like, what if Indiana Jones, halfway through Last Crusade, just started appearing in scenes wearing a clown outfit? As a viewer engaged in the story, you might ask, "so wait, is Indiana Jones also a professional clown in his spare time? How come I never knew that before? Why has no one mentioned it before now?"

 

SO I was thinking? What if future (GW3 probably) outfits were actually "character packages?" In addition to the outfit itself, maybe you also got a title unlock, access to a specific location (like an "Astral University," an an update to your character's bio. 

 

Just a thought. 

[Danikat.8537]

I like the idea, but I think your solution is overly complicated. I'd prefer them to just add some flavour text to the outfits (and other gem store items) to say what it is and what sort of person might use it. Otherwise it makes what's currently a simple purchase decision - "do I like this outfit and would any of my characters use it?" - much more complicated because I also need to consider whether I want any of the extras that come with it and which of my characters gets the story update (I assume we'd be able to choose who to give it to, and hopefully choose more than one without having to buy multiple copies of the same thing). It also sounds like it would add a lot of work for Anet which would almost certainly result in an increased cost for outfits.

Elder Scrolls Online has descriptions for all their crown store items and it's a really nice detail. A lot of the costume (their version of outfits) descriptions are variations on "people in [Place] where this for [Activity]" but it still helps tie it into the lore. You'll also see NPCs in the game wearing costumes appropriate to where they are and what they're doing.

In GW2 I only choose outfits which I think look like something my characters would wear, and then I invent my own reasons for where they got it and why they're wearing it. Mostly it's ones which look like normal clothing (for Tyria) which they wear if their armour would look out of place, especially in cities and in non-combat story instances. So then the story is it's something they got from a shop or tailor, or maybe made themselves, for that situation.

The big exception is the Herald of Aurene outfit which I bought because when IBS started I made my own 'Champion of Aurene' theme for my main character, but I didn't want to keep it forever or keep changing all the skins each time a character is doing a story step where I think they'd want to look official so the outfit was a good compromise.

[AgentMoore.9453]

25 minutes ago, Danikat.8537 said:

I'd prefer them to just add some flavour text to the outfits (and other gem store items) to say what it is and what sort of person might use it.

This. This right here.

For example, where did the Pegasus come from? Did it escape the Foundry of Failed Creations? We may never know, but a line or two of flavor text might have cleared that up. Who is the pharaoh the Pharaoh's Regalia outfit is named for? A primeval leader in Elona? A children's storybook character devised by an in-world author? Flavor text could clear that up. Elf ears, the Gallant Lightbearer, White Feather Wings, and a host of other items would land a lot more solidly in Tyria with just a small scribble about where they fit in the world.

The easiest example I can pull up would be the Queensdale Academy Outfit and related wands. Right away we can assume the existence of an academy outside Divinity's Reach that teaches people how to use/hone their magic and that wands are a common implement in use there. No need for a physical location in-game; short and sweet, easy world building. I would like to see more of this. 👀

[Squeesidhe.4761]

Flavor text would work in lieu of something better, I guess. I'm mainly just overthinking stupid crap today for fun. You should see what I just posted about the Mad King. 

 

That said, I often do find video game storytelling to rely a bit too much on headcannon. For example, my Commander is a member of the Order of Whispers. Or is she, still? I assume she is, but when I venture into the Order of Whispers camp in Maguuma, none of my fellow Order acknowledge me as a member, even though by this point I'd presumably be the most famous member. "Oh, hey, it's the member of our Order who has been directly responsible for the death of multiple elder dragons and a human god, and who is revered across the world as a protector of the innocent, has returned from death, and is the champion of Aurene. What's up, how's it been hanging?"

 

So the fact that my Commander is a member of the Order of Whispers pretty much exists only in my head at this point. The game doesn't acknowledge it at all. 

 

I know it's work for Anet to do some of these suggestions, but that's, like, their job. It's what they do for a living, as professionals and stuff. 

[Kalavier.1097]

On 11/9/2022 at 12:14 PM, Squeesidhe.4761 said:

That said, I often do find video game storytelling to rely a bit too much on headcannon. For example, my Commander is a member of the Order of Whispers. Or is she, still? I assume she is, but when I venture into the Order of Whispers camp in Maguuma, none of my fellow Order acknowledge me as a member, even though by this point I'd presumably be the most famous member. "Oh, hey, it's the member of our Order who has been directly responsible for the death of multiple elder dragons and a human god, and who is revered across the world as a protector of the innocent, has returned from death, and is the champion of Aurene. What's up, how's it been hanging?"

 

So the fact that my Commander is a member of the Order of Whispers pretty much exists only in my head at this point. The game doesn't acknowledge it at all. 

 

 

If you mean the heart of the Maguuma? Or where? Because the maps are time-locked. The camp in Mount Maelstrom is locked to a period before the offensives took place to push deep into Orr, so the camp there will never acknowledge you having been part of the death of dragons and a god. In the Heart of Thorns area, most of them are more focused on staying alive then friendly chatter.

For the most part, our characters are like Marjory is/was to the Priory. We are on the roster, but we are not a currently active member. We retired from the Pact officially in Season 3 (after being on break from active duty post Orr during season 1 and 2, returning to active duty in HoT), but maintained close relations with the Pact and orders.

Similar to Marjory, who is a Priory member, is respected among the faction, but is not on the list of active staff to dispatch a request to go investigate X ruin or Y Artifact.

 

On 11/9/2022 at 11:01 AM, Squeesidhe.4761 said:

This is probably a thought more relevant for GW3, but... I have the Astral Scholar outfit and cloak for my Necro. And then I was thinking, why is she dressed this way? Is my Necro actually a scholar of astrological events? When did this happen? There's no mention of it in her background. To my knowledge there's no "Astral University" where she can go and hobnob with colleagues where they might say "Oh hi Saoirse Mourne (my Necro's name), how have you been? You've been away fighting dragons and saving the world for a while, huh? How's that been going? Oh, I have some thoughts on your latest research paper. Which you wrote, because you are an Astral Scholar, which is a thing that exists in the world we live in."

What outfits we have don't directly relate to details of the commander at all.

IE, there is a Sentinel outfit which the news blurb alongside it directly has it being gear built for those Charr soldiers working to contain the brand. An Asura can wear this outfit without issue because it's what we choose to equip, with no direct story relevance.

This type of stuff is great for personal headcanon/RP, but doesn't outright match up to the actual storyline going on. Much like how the raiders are explicitly a secondary group to the commander, the various outfits (and implied groups they belong to) don't have to be something the commander is involved in.

On 11/9/2022 at 11:56 AM, AgentMoore.9453 said:

This. This right here.

For example, where did the Pegasus come from? Did it escape the Foundry of Failed Creations? We may never know, but a line or two of flavor text might have cleared that up. Who is the pharaoh the Pharaoh's Regalia outfit is named for? A primeval leader in Elona? A children's storybook character devised by an in-world author? Flavor text could clear that up. Elf ears, the Gallant Lightbearer, White Feather Wings, and a host of other items would land a lot more solidly in Tyria with just a small scribble about where they fit in the world.

The easiest example I can pull up would be the Queensdale Academy Outfit and related wands. Right away we can assume the existence of an academy outside Divinity's Reach that teaches people how to use/hone their magic and that wands are a common implement in use there. No need for a physical location in-game; short and sweet, easy world building. I would like to see more of this. 👀

Sometimes they have short lore blurbs in the news articles, written in an in-universe style or from Evon himself. Not always, but occasionally.