Core Story Rework

[Bastrii.3047]

When can we expect a Core story update? Overall, the story isn't bad. It's the implementation that's severely lacking. After recently completing it, I feel it's fair to say why it's a poor introduction to the game by today's standards.

1. There's too many cutscenes. Very few can be skipped. In fact, if you cut out every single cutscene, the story would drastically improve. This is because the majority of these cutscenes are just "fly bys" with the camera, as NPCs clip through terrain and fall through the world/run through walls to reach their next position.

2. It utilizes the old dialogue menu at least 3 times per mission. You know, the cutscene where your character sits on one side of the screen, and the NPC you're talking to sits on the other. This is poorly done compared to today's standards, where most NPCs simply talk to you in-world.

3. The difficulty has not scaled at all with the changes over the years. It's too easy, even for incredibly new players.

4. The final few chapters are a SLOG to get through. The battle with Zaitain (Zhaitan? Zha... whatever.) Is incredibly anti-climatic, and I dozed off at one point when manning the canons.

Like, if you just removed the cutscenes and had the NPCs talk entirely in-world, not only would this speed up the process dramatically, but it would improve the entire experience. It really just needs some trimming and small changes here and there to really improve this story. Also, speeding up the Trehearne bits by about 50% overall would really make the core game something worth playing.

[costepj.5120]

49 minutes ago, Bastrii.3047 said:

When can we expect a Core story update?

Fairly sure the answer is "never".
The one time they tried to tweak the story it broke the game.

[TheGrimm.5624]

52 minutes ago, Bastrii.3047 said:

4. The final few chapters are a SLOG to get through. The battle with Zaitain (Zhaitan? Zha... whatever.) Is incredibly anti-climatic, and I dozed off at one point when manning the canons.

Could see them reworking this bit, but not sure on all the rest. Think the other time would better be spent elsewhere for the bang for the buck. That's why a lot of people asked for HoT to be ramped up due to the same lack of challenge involved. Had a guildmate that just did the core play thru and they were what was all that. Then they hit HoT and was, ok that's more like it. So yeah core is seen more as the training ground that you can do solo or with a group, and then the PvE games begins in HoT.

[Gibson.4036]

1 hour ago, Bastrii.3047 said:

When can we expect a Core story update?

When there would be money gained from it.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Been there, done that...didn't work, so put it back.

[trunks.5249]

today's standards? todays standards are even more cut scenes. no it playing out in real world would not speed things up just ask anyone that has played the last few missions after the end of dragons

Edited August 1, 2023 by trunks.5249

[DeanBB.4268]

1 hour ago, Bastrii.3047 said:

2. It utilizes the old dialogue menu at least 3 times per mission. You know, the cutscene where your character sits on one side of the screen, and the NPC you're talking to sits on the other. This is poorly done compared to today's standards, where most NPCs simply talk to you in-world.

Personally, I wish they'd kept this. At least you could then skip them, if desired. Too often with the new method I don't realize someone is talking out of camera and miss dialogue.

[kharmin.7683]

2 minutes ago, DeanBB.4268 said:

Personally, I wish they'd kept this. At least you could then skip them, if desired. Too often with the new method I don't realize someone is talking out of camera and miss dialogue.

I liked it, too.  Gave me a chance to see my toon close up as well as the NPCs.

[wolfof.1842]

32 minutes ago, kharmin.7683 said:

I liked it, too.  Gave me a chance to see my toon close up as well as the NPCs.

real time cutscene could do this too and better: even show characters move around, interact with environment,..

instead of just stand in one place with wallpaper only

[Tachenon.5270]

I my own kitten self would like to see them revoke the NPE. Alternately, they might devise some sort of (brace yourselves, I think it's gonna explode) Legend-dairy achievement for dancing with cows all across Tyria -- and beyond!

[Randulf.7614]

That would be a huge amount of work. It took them nearly ten years to restore Season 1 and that was noit only a lot shorter, there was very little story in comparison. Given that touching core stuff causes breaks in the game and the story journal, I think we can safely rule out this ever happening, even if I'd at least like a decent Zhaitan fight

[solzuul.6294]

"I'd rather resources be spent elsewhere." 😂

Better to work on a new zone and a new story than to try and fix that mess. We could do a better zhaitan fight though, in the form of a strike mission or a fractal. 

[Randulf.7614]

5 hours ago, Tachenon.5270 said:

I my own kitten self would like to see them revoke the NPE. Alternately, they might devise some sort of (brace yourselves, I think it's gonna explode) Legend-dairy achievement for dancing with cows all across Tyria -- and beyond!

That would be milking it a bit

[vicky.9751]

The game has went through a lot of changes in 11 years. Base game was basically left untouched. It is a free trial also btw, so I doubt they'd make money from redoing it.

Actually to my memory the base game story was shorter than what we get now. You could only do it every 10 levels.

Edited August 1, 2023 by vicky.9751

[Dante.1508]

18 hours ago, Bastrii.3047 said:

When can we expect a Core story update? Overall, the story isn't bad. It's the implementation that's severely lacking. After recently completing it, I feel it's fair to say why it's a poor introduction to the game by today's standards.

1. There's too many cutscenes. Very few can be skipped. In fact, if you cut out every single cutscene, the story would drastically improve. This is because the majority of these cutscenes are just "fly bys" with the camera, as NPCs clip through terrain and fall through the world/run through walls to reach their next position.

2. It utilizes the old dialogue menu at least 3 times per mission. You know, the cutscene where your character sits on one side of the screen, and the NPC you're talking to sits on the other. This is poorly done compared to today's standards, where most NPCs simply talk to you in-world.

3. The difficulty has not scaled at all with the changes over the years. It's too easy, even for incredibly new players.

4. The final few chapters are a SLOG to get through. The battle with Zaitain (Zhaitan? Zha... whatever.) Is incredibly anti-climatic, and I dozed off at one point when manning the canons.

Like, if you just removed the cutscenes and had the NPCs talk entirely in-world, not only would this speed up the process dramatically, but it would improve the entire experience. It really just needs some trimming and small changes here and there to really improve this story. Also, speeding up the Trehearne bits by about 50% overall would really make the core game something worth playing.

Actually a core story rework would be awesome, it could be changed to add new races and race changes.

A complete overhaul i'd pay for if it meant the above was possible.

Edited August 2, 2023 by Dante.1508

[dace.8019]

Awhile ago, ANet were talking about updating core Tyria. It may have been more superficial to bring it up to the standards of the expansions but I also wondered if it also meant tuning up the story and other core experiences. We haven't heard anything on that front now in years so I think it's safe to assume that project will never come to fruition.

[vares.8457]

They shouldn’t waste time and resources on a core story rework. 

[trunks.5249]

10 hours ago, vicky.9751 said:

The game has went through a lot of changes in 11 years. Base game was basically left untouched. It is a free trial also btw, so I doubt they'd make money from redoing it.

Actually to my memory the base game story was shorter than what we get now. You could only do it every 10 levels.

no the core story is longer. end of dragons can be done in 1-2 days core unless you never sleep it takes a few days

[SouthPaw.9705]

13 hours ago, vicky.9751 said:

...Actually to my memory the base game story was shorter than what we get now. You could only do it every 10 levels.

I remember this wasn't always the case; you used to be able to blast through the story in one go as long as you levelled up as you went. Walking into a level 20-35 map when you were still lvl 18 was not fun lol 

It did stop my housemate from playing the game when they introduced that mechanic, he was just looking to see what the story was like.

I didn't like it at first but I've just started a new playthrough and I realise how neccasary it actually is, especially if you're new to the game. Also the Adventure Guide achievements really boost you up a lot quicker now.

Edited August 2, 2023 by SouthPaw.9705

[Gibson.4036]

22 hours ago, kharmin.7683 said:

I liked it, too.  Gave me a chance to see my toon close up as well as the NPCs.

It also prevented my mini angry chest from upstaging meaningful scenes.

I replayed LW2 recently, and during what was supposed to be a particularly emotional scene, all I could see was Chompers taking up the foreground, tongue lolling.

 

[Dibit.6259]

10 hours ago, Dante.1508 said:

Actually a core story rework would be awesome, it could be changed to add new races and race changes.

A complete overhaul i'd pay for if it meant the above was possible.

Considering it took 6 years to make gw2 and is said to have cost millions of $ you sure about that? (I can't find an confirmed figure)

[wolfof.1842]

26 minutes ago, Dibit.6259 said:

Considering it took 6 years to make gw2 and is said to have cost millions of $ you sure about that? (I can't find an confirmed figure)

It took 2007 - 2012 to develop full game with engine, event system,..

for story rework or overhaul they don't have to create everything again 

Combat is there, event system is there, UI is there, server system is there already. 

[Dibit.6259]

6 minutes ago, wolfof.1842 said:

It took 2007 - 2012 to develop full game with engine, event system,..

for story rework or overhaul they don't have to create everything again 

Combat is there, event system is there, UI is there, server system is there already. 

Yes but there's no denying that it takes time and money to make these things. Plus they said to add new races etc which would probably require more work as they have to get voice actors, create new story lines etc. Anet see more worth in creating new content rather than remaking old content. It took them a long time just to implement season 1 back into the game.

Edited August 2, 2023 by Dibit.6259
Typo

[wolfof.1842]

7 minutes ago, Dibit.6259 said:

Yes but there's no denying that it takes time and money to make these things. Plus they said to add new races etc which would probably require more work as they have to get voice actors, create new story lines etc. Anet see more worth in creating new content rather than remaking old content. It took them a long time just to implement season 1 back into the game.

truth is we don't know how long season 1 took, maybe they spread out release over year to fill time after EoD (until Gyala Delv).

and how many people work on S1 rework we also don't know

but yes is right, will take lot of time and cost so it depend for ANet if it worth or not
(probably too much to do full rework today)

Edited August 2, 2023 by wolfof.1842

[Kiki.9450]

Personally I'd like the ability to replay the story without having to create a new character. They can force players to play through the choices made from the original play-through like we see in Amnoon to avoid continuity issues.

 

I'm also on team Zhaitan Fight Revamp. A strike version would be neat.