I don't like using them as the main villain

[Slowpokeking.8720]

I mean Titans?

They work fine as the big bad's minions like in GW1, but not much as the main villain.

Also we've fought armies of them in GW1, even destroyed their foundry. I don't see them being fearful in GW2, after we defeated dragons.

[Slowpokeking.8720]

Menzies would have been the best choice as the big bad.

[Narcemus.1348]

I don't think the Titans are the big bad of this expansion. They definitely feel like this expansion's Cerus, especially with Ura calling themselves Godspawn. 

[EDOTDOT.9265]

I recall one of the devs stating that they were going for more of a regional threat for this expansion instead of another existential one so as to avoid the problem that WoW has with constantly one-upping each villain.

[maxwelgm.4315]

I think the story is going to remain in smaller stakes from event to event, with us mostly facing the Titans, but have an overarching plot that carries on into possibly the next Expansion so they can remain realistic with how they develop things across a year (Nayos tried too much, too fast, and failed to deliver the scope).

Spoiler

For instance, Waiting Sorrow in the end of the episode mentions she has an idea of what might have caused the Titan incursion. Then there's also all the things about Isgarren and especially Mabon's relation to Janthir that may or may not go beyond just the Titans. We also still have no idea what the Heart of the Obscure actually is though they might as well never reveal that, but it's a thread that could follow beyond the Titans.

So in short, the Titans being the main villains is on par with keeping a year-long mini-expac in check with a realistic scope that they can actually deliver. They can then explore a multi-year underlying plot that goes parallel to this and can properly climax over a longer amount of time. Now that I think of it, Anet might be establishing the Marvelization of GW2 lol (which I don't mean as a bad thing, it just better matches their new release tactics that they don't do DBZ tier universe ending threats as main villains).

 

Edited September 6 by maxwelgm.4315
Woopsies spoilers

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

On 9/6/2024 at 2:08 PM, Slowpokeking.8720 said:

Menzies would have been the best choice as the big bad.

If Menzies returns, it won't be for Janthir Wilds.

On 9/6/2024 at 3:41 PM, Narcemus.1348 said:

I don't think the Titans are the big bad of this expansion. They definitely feel like this expansion's Cerus, especially with Ura calling themselves Godspawn. 

I dunno, Ura feels Eparch-levels of big bad in comparison to how SotO sets up the enemies.

As to them calling themselves godspawns, might be tied to how the Titans were made by the Foundry, though per GW1 lore they predate the Six Gods' presence on Tyria by all indication.

[SoftFootpaws.9134]

On 9/6/2024 at 4:06 PM, maxwelgm.4315 said:

I think the story is going to remain in smaller stakes from event to event, with us mostly facing the Titans, but have an overarching plot that carries on into possibly the next Expansion so they can remain realistic with how they develop things across a year (Nayos tried too much, too fast, and failed to deliver the scope).

  Hide contents

For instance, Waiting Sorrow in the end of the episode mentions she has an idea of what might have caused the Titan incursion. Then there's also all the things about Isgarren and especially Mabon's relation to Janthir that may or may not go beyond just the Titans. We also still have no idea what the Heart of the Obscure actually is though they might as well never reveal that, but it's a thread that could follow beyond the Titans.

So in short, the Titans being the main villains is on par with keeping a year-long mini-expac in check with a realistic scope that they can actually deliver. They can then explore a multi-year underlying plot that goes parallel to this and can properly climax over a longer amount of time. Now that I think of it, Anet might be establishing the Marvelization of GW2 lol (which I don't mean as a bad thing, it just better matches their new release tactics that they don't do DBZ tier universe ending threats as main villains).

 

spoilers for living world season 3, secrets of the obscure and janthir wilds

Spoiler

we did likey get some idea of what the heart of the obscure is in this expansion. we now know its original purpose is probably not to close mists portals, but to drain magic away from things, effectively destroying them, which coincidentally causes portals to close since they're magical constructs. given what we know of her, my personal theory is that waiting sorrow originally created it to use against jormag, in a way similar to ankka's extractor, but decided it was too dangerous to do so. its possible that the device has the ability to tap into the the all itself just like omadd's machine, though curiously it works in other realms too.

 

all of this is unconfirmed of course, as waiting sorrow is intentionally wishy-washy about it in the bloodstone mission, or why it could even drain and detonate the bloodstones when previously it was something only a high-ranking mursaat had done.

 

Edited September 27 by SoftFootpaws.9134

[voltaicbore.8012]

I'd personally be happy without anything bigger and badder as the boss of this story - I'd much prefer the ability to unravel some mysteries while poking around Bava Nisos.

I've accepted that this is never going to happen - for a long time GW2 has been a game where exploration and discovery are just things that happen between fights. I think the core maps (and HoT, to an extent) were just unique in the unusually deep exploration possibilities, but I also accept them for what they are - exceptions to the rule in this genre

[GeraldBC.4927]

I think the janthir wilds/titan story is self-contained, just like SotO. I have a specific idea of where I think the janthir wilds story is going and will stick to that being what it is until proven otherwise in the first or second content patch. 

[Dean Calaway.9718]

They're probably gonna pull an Eparch because they couldn't be content with just a Cerus, so the Titans might not be the main judging by how many cooks were in the kitchen at the start already.

[Randulf.7614]

This all feels like a chapter in a larger, multi expansion arc that is dealing with these various Mist invasions, but with a specific endgame in mind (possibly related to the Gods or something veen bigger). Whther that is a new game or a big expansion in a few years is uncertain. On the way we are ticking off classic GW things like The Wizard's Tower and the Titans and probably The Foundry. I have no doubt a Mursaat return and maybe Menzies, Deep Sea Horror and other similar things will be checked off en route

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

On 9/26/2024 at 9:22 PM, SoftFootpaws.9134 said:

spoilers for living world season 3, secrets of the obscure and janthir wilds

  Hide contents

we did likey get some idea of what the heart of the obscure is in this expansion. we now know its original purpose is probably not to close mists portals, but to drain magic away from things, effectively destroying them, which coincidentally causes portals to close since they're magical constructs. given what we know of her, my personal theory is that waiting sorrow originally created it to use against jormag, in a way similar to ankka's extractor, but decided it was too dangerous to do so. its possible that the device has the ability to tap into the the all itself just like omadd's machine, though curiously it works in other realms too.

 

all of this is unconfirmed of course, as waiting sorrow is intentionally wishy-washy about it in the bloodstone mission, or why it could even drain and detonate the bloodstones when previously it was something only a high-ranking mursaat had done.

 

Come to think of it...

Spoiler

What if Waiting Sorrows created the Heart of the Obscure as an anti-wizard weapon? Since the main thing about Wizards is that they are super magical and tapped into the magical stream of Tyria, the best way to defeat them would be to drain their magic first. Sure it'd work on Elder Dragons too technically, but Waiting Sorrows was butting heads with Isgarren a lot at the time she created it.

 

[EdwinLi.1284]

On 9/29/2024 at 3:45 PM, Randulf.7614 said:

This all feels like a chapter in a larger, multi expansion arc that is dealing with these various Mist invasions, but with a specific endgame in mind (possibly related to the Gods or something veen bigger). Whther that is a new game or a big expansion in a few years is uncertain. On the way we are ticking off classic GW things like The Wizard's Tower and the Titans and probably The Foundry. I have no doubt a Mursaat return and maybe Menzies, Deep Sea Horror and other similar things will be checked off en route

I honestly won't be surprised if the Mursaat return happen in the upcoming updates or one of the upcoming expansions since we got lore hints about survivors in the Mist that are located in what is believed to be their original homeland which also suggest Mursaat are maybe Mist origin beings. Not to mention SotO identify the evil Mursaat of GW1 to be Exiles of their society while all the Good and Neutral Mursaat went to this city located in the Mist. 

Though they did mention something important being in the Mursaat City in Janthir so I won't be surpried if the Mursaat returns in upcoming patch due to whatever is the thing that is in the Mursaat City in Janthir. It maybe some kind of relic that may allow people to go directly to the suggested Mursaat City in the Mist.

Edited October 2 by EdwinLi.1284

[draxynnic.3719]

19 hours ago, EdwinLi.1284 said:

I honestly won't be surprised if the Mursaat return happen in the upcoming updates or one of the upcoming expansions since we got lore hints about survivors in the Mist that are located in what is believed to be their original homeland which also suggest Mursaat are maybe Mist origin beings. Not to mention SotO identify the evil Mursaat of GW1 to be Exiles of their society while all the Good and Neutral Mursaat went to this city located in the Mist. 

Though they did mention something important being in the Mursaat City in Janthir so I won't be surpried if the Mursaat returns in upcoming patch due to whatever is the thing that is in the Mursaat City in Janthir. It maybe some kind of relic that may allow people to go directly to the suggested Mursaat City in the Mist.

I'd be very surprised if that's it, because they seem to have committed to only three maps. Although they might do a Fahrunar and have zones you only visit in an instanced story step.

[Narcemus.1348]

12 hours ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

I'd be very surprised if that's it, because they seem to have committed to only three maps. Although they might do a Fahrunar and have zones you only visit in an instanced story step.

Minor correction. They are going to have 4 maps with the last two being about the size of Lake Doric.

[EdwinLi.1284]

2 hours ago, Narcemus.1348 said:

Minor correction. They are going to have 4 maps with the last two being about the size of Lake Doric.

considering this we may only get half of each map for each update or atleast one map per update with the last update focus on some kind of Meta event related to the finale of the story. 

Edited October 3 by EdwinLi.1284

[Randulf.7614]

42 minutes ago, EdwinLi.1284 said:

considering this we may only get half of each map for each update or atleast one map per update with the last update focus on some kind of Meta event related to the finale of the story. 

The road map shows map 3 is with update 2 (next year) and and map 4 is with update 3 (the final one). So no half released maps

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

17 hours ago, draxynnic.3719 said:

I'd be very surprised if that's it, because they seem to have committed to only three maps. Although they might do a Fahrunar and have zones you only visit in an instanced story step.

3 hours ago, EdwinLi.1284 said:

considering this we may only get half of each map for each update or atleast one map per update with the last update focus on some kind of Meta event related to the finale of the story. 

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/secrets-of-the-obscure-looking-back-and-forward/

https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/guild-wars-2-janthir-wilds-launches-today/

Update 1 will give us a raid wing / convergence, and update old content (I expect this means expanding the Janthir Syntri meta with a new phase at the end). Update 2 will give us "Map 3", and Update 3 will give us "Map 4". The raid wing is said to reflect open world events, while Maps 3 and 4 are compared to the size of Lake Doric; I imagine the convergence will be a new map like SotO's convergence.

[GeraldBC.4927]

On 10/2/2024 at 9:08 AM, EdwinLi.1284 said:

Though they did mention something important being in the Mursaat City in Janthir so I won't be surpried if the Mursaat returns in upcoming patch due to whatever is the thing that is in the Mursaat City in Janthir. It maybe some kind of relic that may allow people to go directly to the suggested Mursaat City in the Mist.

Considering the fact that there's new titans, I'm pretty sure the thing that's located in Bava Nisos is just a portal to the foundry of failed creations.