Episode 4: A Star to Guide Us

[ugrakarma.9416]

@"kasoki.5180" said:Even though I'm ok with not dwelling on post-Joko world for too long and am ok with returning to dragons storyline, I think that this is way to soon.

At this point it almost feels like certain stories are just a waste of company resources and my time as a player. Like what was the point of these previous three episodes if the game is gonna pretend like they hadn't happen?

"lore debt": show gw1 players how Elona become in Joko dominated era.

[perilisk.1874]

@Blocki.4931 said:It doesn't necessarily mean she needs to be able to contain all that magic herself, just cycling it through herself bit by bit.

Ew. Well, now that all magic is performed using dragon poop, I'll just play warrior and engineer exclusively.

[Zola.6197]

I feel like this is gonna be a feels heavy episode for Aurene ;A;

[Phillip.9318]

I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

[Blocki.4931]

@Phillip.9318 said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

@"maddoctor.2738" said:Going after Kralk is the right move. We have a dragon to fight and "post Joko Elona" doesn't sound very exciting or even threatening compared to an Elder Dragon right next door. Let the Elonians figure it out themselves, or cause more trouble so we back to help them, but the real threat is the big purple crystal.

I mean, the whole "Order of Shadows are actually manipulating backstabbers who have been maintaining the status quo even at the cost of their allies just so they can maintain power" combined with how they have Kossan as a political figure waiting in the wings for when they "can take down Joko" to use him as a figurehead for Elona to rally behind, combined with how Kito had completely disappeared for Long Live the Lich and still has an unexplored but known-to-be-designed-and-important past, could create a rather curious episode.

Not a series of episodes mind you, just the one.

@Blocki.4931 said:It's not? Obviously she is still too small to eat all of it, but she can consume a huge chunk of it no doubt. She will grow until that time comes due to eating more magic in the following chapters. Honestly, I'd expect Kralk to move once more and having to deal with him throughout Season 5, but what do I know. It would give her enough time to grow, while in the meantime we chase him and help whatever region he terrorizes next.

Again. There is a lot of emphasis on Aurene being the key not to HOARDING magic, but releasing it back into the world in a way that doesn't destroy everything. See her as some form of filter or catalyst directing it in a harmonious way. It doesn't necessarily mean she needs to be able to contain all that magic herself, just cycling it through herself bit by bit.

It's been established that the issue is that The All is out of balance, not just magic. And we don't know what the requirement to make something tied to The All is. If it was just eating magic, then there was absolutely no issue with letting Balthazar kill and effectively replace Primordus. Similarly, if it was just eating magic, then something should have replaced Zhaitan and/or Mordremoth in the All, since a lot of their magic got eaten/stored, be it by a former god, bloodstone, dragon champions, or other Elder Dragons.

There is a key on Aurene not "hoarding" magic, but that's in reference to how Elder Dragons go from "letting there be almost too much magic" to "eating almost all the magic" - they balance by taking Tyria from one extreme to the other and back again. The hope for Aurene (and Glint and Vlast) is/was to let them maintain magic in the middle.

@ugrakarma.9416 said:

@"kasoki.5180" said:Even though I'm ok with not dwelling on post-Joko world for too long and am ok with returning to dragons storyline, I think that this is way to soon.

At this point it almost feels like certain stories are just a waste of company resources and my time as a player. Like what was the point of these previous three episodes if the game is gonna pretend like they hadn't happen?

"lore debt": show gw1 players how Elona become in Joko dominated era.

It seems pretty obvious that Episode 4 has no lore debt. It's Aurene's Magical Adventure Time by the looks of it, and that wasn't really part of the lore debt of things that "need to be resolved" before going after Kralkatorrik.

At this point, I'm fairly sure that statement by Price was BS.

@Blocki.4931 said:

@Phillip.9318 said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

In Season 3 it's established that one more Elder Dragon's death will send The All irrevocably out of balance. While it's nice that Aurene can replace Kralkatorrik, it's rather risky to put the fate of the world literally on the notion that Aurene can replace Kralkatorrik fast enough for us to not pass that tipping point.

I liken The All's balance to a six legged table. And we've cut off two legs on opposing ends. That's fine, it's not as reinforced as before but it's still stable; but if we cut off a third leg, that stability is gone and any pressure on that quarter of the table will tip things over.

[Genesis.8572]

@Phillip.9318 said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?There will probably be some back-pedaling to say that the Pale Tree absorbed some of that magic too such that she can be a replacement as well.

[Zoltar MacRoth.7146]

@"Genesis.8572" said:We have destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region, but let's march on the dragon!

Destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region. Going after a weapon of mass destruction. Wait.. why does this plot sound so familiar?

[Cragga the Eighty Third.60]

@"Genesis.8572" said:We have destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region, but let's march on the dragon!

Joko has been 'dead' before and come back. We may know there's little chance of his coming back as anything but fewmets, but what makes you think his believers will accept that? They will just laugh, and carry on as they did the last time Joko disappeared. Joko killed Balthazar, Mordremoth and Zhaitan and banished the gods, he's not going to be thwarted by an upstart commander and an adolescent dragon's digestive system. Right?

If the awakened army had all dropped dead when Joko did, that might be another story.

[Loesh.4697]

@Zoltar MacRoth.7146 said:

@"Genesis.8572" said:We have destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region, but let's march on the dragon!

Destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region. Going after a weapon of mass destruction. Wait.. why does this plot sound so familiar?

You mixed up the names you fool, we were supposed to attack Erona not Elona!

[Zoltar MacRoth.7146]

@Loesh.4697 said:

@Zoltar MacRoth.7146 said:

@"Genesis.8572" said:We have destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region, but let's march on the dragon!

Destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region. Going after a weapon of mass destruction. Wait.. why does this plot sound so familiar?

You mixed up the names you fool, we were supposed to attack

Erona

not Elona!

Oops! I misspoke. Now I've completely ruined Operation Desert Scepter.

[Sajuuk Khar.1509]

@"Konig Des Todes.2086" said:I mean, the whole "Order of Shadows are actually manipulating backstabbers who have been maintaining the status quo even at the cost of their allies just so they can maintain power"I think people looked too far into that.

Yes the Order of shadow maintained the status quo of Joko being in power, but that's because they should have. Without getting to far into real world politics, we have seen how quickly deposing a brutal tyrant just leads to more problems. Making sure Joko stays in power until Elona, as a whole, is ready for a post-Joko existence is the RIGHT thing to do, despite the fact Joko is a brutal tyrant.

Too many people have too simple minded of thinking of "Joko tyrant! -> tyrant bad! -> get rid of tyrant!" without actually thinking about how all Joko does to maintain some semblance of order in the nation, and would make Elona worse by their single minded obsession with getting rid of "the bad guy". This is ultimately the same sort of quick action, that doesn't think about the consequences of said actions, that Joko calls us out on. The Order of shadows were actually not being dumb about the whole thing, and thinking it through. It isn't that they don't want Joko gone, its that they only wanted to get rid of him when Elona was ready for it.

[draxynnic.3719]

@"Cragga the Eighty Third.6015" said:

@"Genesis.8572" said:We have destabilized an entire "Middle Eastern" region, but let's march on the dragon!

Joko has been 'dead' before and come back. We may know there's little chance of his coming back as anything but fewmets, but what makes you think his believers will accept that? They will just laugh, and carry on as they did the last time Joko disappeared. Joko killed Balthazar, Mordremoth and Zhaitan and banished the gods, he's not going to be thwarted by an upstart commander and an adolescent dragon's digestive system. Right?

If the awakened army had all dropped dead when Joko did, that might be another story.

I could definitely see some of Joko's commanders attempting that.

However, what might break that attempted coup could be if Awakened start showing genuine free will and defying those who claim to be speaking for Joko. The new brand of Awakening appears to make it impossible for the Awakened to resist orders beyond evil-genie-style creative misinterpretation, but if we get Awakened disobeying direct orders, that might put the lie to claims that Joko is still in control.

[Genesis.8572]

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:And how much time did we spending cleaning up Orr? the Silverwastes? Dry Top? the Maguuma Jungle? Divinity's Reach? For each story, we've gone in, prevented or diverted the deadliest and/or most urgent threat, and then moved on. That's why the Player Character isn't the Pact Commander nor has any sort of formal role running any organization, except (vaguely), Fate's Razor Dragon's WatchNone of the places that you listed were nations controlled over two-hundred years by an autocratic lich worshiped as a god-king. How are Dry Top, Silverwastes, or the Maguuma Jungle even remotely equivalent? It's not as if we leave Maguuma and not touch on its storylines after Mordremoth. We spend time "cleaning up" Rata Novus, discussing how chak ingest leyline energy, working with the Exalted and Aurene in Tarir, and dealing with the destroyed Bloodstone. We even return (eventually) to deal with the ramifications of the Pale Tree and Eir's death.

In the case of Orr, for example, we knew that the presence of the Pact would still likely be required to deal with its gradual restoration. We weren't needed, because those forces were already in place. And time passed between the launch content and anything possibly related to fighting our next dragon. It was then "what is with these strange alliances with enemy factions?" When we return to Orr in LWS3E6 we see that sylvari and ghosts are involved in the clean-up effort. But this patch did address the restoration of Orr even if our focus was about tracking down the Eye of Janthir, Balthazar, and Lazarus.

In regards to Divinity's Reach? We did clean-up. That was the storyline ALL ABOUT cleaning up 4+ years worth of human storylines regarding the bandits, White Mantle, and Caudacus from the launch of the game, if not before (GW1: The War in Kryta). It's not as if we toppled a god-king. Our actions solidified the position of Queen Jennah. We reinforced the preexisting power structures. There was nothing really to clean-up, and we know that whatever clean-up ensued was likely carried out by the Seraph and Shining Blade.

So even if Kraalkatorik is the next, biggest threat, the political future of Elona is kinda a big deal that should be addressed in the LWS4 content, and it may be addressed. Who leads Elona post-Joko? Will Elona fracture? But ANet would be undermining its own writing when they talk about how big a geopolitical shock the loss of Palawa Joko would be to the functioning of the region and then we just say "Bye Felicia" after killing Joko and start facerolling our way across the keyboard towards Kraalkatorik.

[derd.6413]

@Blocki.4931 said:

@Phillip.9318 said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

@derd.6413 said:

@Blocki.4931 said:

@Phillip.9318 said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

Normal people cannot handle large amounts of magic, even ghosts. Attempts to do so makes them crazed, such as every one of our bounties. Though its strange that even dragon minions (or at least branded) seem to go crazed by excess ley energy despite being made to eat magic for their master... Unless the branded bounties aren't crazed and ANet simply never bothered to isolate dialogue difference for them.

Point being, while the Pale Tree is plausible due to being a dragon champion, the King's of Orr aren't. Tequatl was replacing Zhaitan but he was canonically killed in late 1326 AE.

[derd.6413]

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Phillip.9318" said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

Normal people cannot handle large amounts of magic, even ghosts. Attempts to do so makes them crazed, such as every one of our bounties. Though its strange that even dragon minions (or at least branded) seem to go crazed by excess ley energy despite being made to eat magic for their master... Unless the branded bounties aren't crazed and ANet simply never bothered to isolate dialogue difference for them.

Point being, while the Pale Tree is plausible due to being a dragon champion, the King's of Orr aren't. Tequatl

was

replacing Zhaitan but he was canonically killed in late 1326 AE.

it's entirely possible that the branded had entered a feeding frenzy of sorts because of the ley energy and come accross as enraged.

i was spitballing with the kings but they could Always find an excuse like "the replacement ritual prevents ppl from going crazed" or some nonsens like that.

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Phillip.9318" said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

Normal people cannot handle large amounts of magic, even ghosts. Attempts to do so makes them crazed, such as every one of our bounties. Though its strange that even dragon minions (or at least branded) seem to go crazed by excess ley energy despite being made to eat magic for their master... Unless the branded bounties aren't crazed and ANet simply never bothered to isolate dialogue difference for them.

Point being, while the Pale Tree is plausible due to being a dragon champion, the King's of Orr aren't. Tequatl

was

replacing Zhaitan but he was canonically killed in late 1326 AE.

it's entirely possible that the branded had entered a feeding frenzy of sorts because of the ley energy and come accross as enraged.

i was spitballing with the kings but they could Always find an excuse like "the replacement ritual prevents ppl from going crazed" or some nonsens like that.

Maybe but doubtful if Hidden Arcana didn't lie / get retconned with how Glint nearly became an Elder Dragon before dying. Suggests that it is possible for there to be more than 6 Elder Dragon's, curiously.

But also suggests that only dragons can fill the role. If so then even the Pale Tree is likely void.

Time to find Shiny, Albax, and Kuunavang!

[derd.6413]

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Phillip.9318" said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

Normal people cannot handle large amounts of magic, even ghosts. Attempts to do so makes them crazed, such as every one of our bounties. Though its strange that even dragon minions (or at least branded) seem to go crazed by excess ley energy despite being made to eat magic for their master... Unless the branded bounties aren't crazed and ANet simply never bothered to isolate dialogue difference for them.

Point being, while the Pale Tree is plausible due to being a dragon champion, the King's of Orr aren't. Tequatl

was

replacing Zhaitan but he was canonically killed in late 1326 AE.

it's entirely possible that the branded had entered a feeding frenzy of sorts because of the ley energy and come accross as enraged.

i was spitballing with the kings but they could Always find an excuse like "the replacement ritual prevents ppl from going crazed" or some nonsens like that.

Maybe but doubtful if Hidden Arcana didn't lie / get retconned with how Glint nearly became an Elder Dragon before dying. Suggests that it is possible for there to be more than 6 Elder Dragon's, curiously.

But also suggests that only dragons can fill the role. If so then even the Pale Tree is likely void.

Time to find Shiny, Albax, and Kuunavang!

i probably need to read it again but i thought it was implied she would become an ED by replacing kralk.

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Phillip.9318" said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

Normal people cannot handle large amounts of magic, even ghosts. Attempts to do so makes them crazed, such as every one of our bounties. Though its strange that even dragon minions (or at least branded) seem to go crazed by excess ley energy despite being made to eat magic for their master... Unless the branded bounties aren't crazed and ANet simply never bothered to isolate dialogue difference for them.

Point being, while the Pale Tree is plausible due to being a dragon champion, the King's of Orr aren't. Tequatl

was

replacing Zhaitan but he was canonically killed in late 1326 AE.

it's entirely possible that the branded had entered a feeding frenzy of sorts because of the ley energy and come accross as enraged.

i was spitballing with the kings but they could Always find an excuse like "the replacement ritual prevents ppl from going crazed" or some nonsens like that.

Maybe but doubtful if Hidden Arcana didn't lie / get retconned with how Glint nearly became an Elder Dragon before dying. Suggests that it is possible for there to be more than 6 Elder Dragon's, curiously.

But also suggests that only dragons can fill the role. If so then even the Pale Tree is likely void.

Time to find Shiny, Albax, and Kuunavang!

i probably need to read it again but i thought it was implied she would become an ED by replacing kralk.

Ogden Stonehealer: The brotherhood believed that she would one day become an Elder Dragon. She was old and wise, well on her way.Ogden Stonehealer: You can imagine how it might have changed the world if she had survived long enough to become that powerful.

Suggests to me that she merely needed time and magic. But it isn't exactly clear cut.

[derd.6413]

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Phillip.9318" said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

Normal people cannot handle large amounts of magic, even ghosts. Attempts to do so makes them crazed, such as every one of our bounties. Though its strange that even dragon minions (or at least branded) seem to go crazed by excess ley energy despite being made to eat magic for their master... Unless the branded bounties aren't crazed and ANet simply never bothered to isolate dialogue difference for them.

Point being, while the Pale Tree is plausible due to being a dragon champion, the King's of Orr aren't. Tequatl

was

replacing Zhaitan but he was canonically killed in late 1326 AE.

it's entirely possible that the branded had entered a feeding frenzy of sorts because of the ley energy and come accross as enraged.

i was spitballing with the kings but they could Always find an excuse like "the replacement ritual prevents ppl from going crazed" or some nonsens like that.

Maybe but doubtful if Hidden Arcana didn't lie / get retconned with how Glint nearly became an Elder Dragon before dying. Suggests that it is possible for there to be more than 6 Elder Dragon's, curiously.

But also suggests that only dragons can fill the role. If so then even the Pale Tree is likely void.

Time to find Shiny, Albax, and Kuunavang!

i probably need to read it again but i thought it was implied she would become an ED by replacing kralk.

Ogden Stonehealer: The brotherhood believed that she would one day become an Elder Dragon. She was old and wise,

well on her way.

Ogden Stonehealer: You can imagine how it might have changed the world

if she had survived long enough

to become that powerful.

Suggests to me that she merely needed time and magic. But it isn't exactly clear cut.

wouldn't really be a lie or retcon then.

[Bast.7253]

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Konig Des Todes.2086 said:

@derd.6413 said:

@Blocki.4931 said:

@"Phillip.9318" said:I'm just wondering who is going to replace Zhytan and Mordremoth? Isn't magic crazy unstable now, doesn't matter what Aurene does?

The world suffered, but it's not breaking just yet. The situation is stable, neither breaking nor perfect. Aurene will make sure it stays that way, which is the best bet we have. I'd imagine that eventually it will be normal again

mordremoth is easy: the pale tree

zhaitan is a bit iffier but but the most likely candidates (that we currently know) is probably one of the kings of orr

it's never stated elder dragons can only be replaced by their own creations/other dragons.

Normal people cannot handle large amounts of magic, even ghosts. Attempts to do so makes them crazed, such as every one of our bounties. Though its strange that even dragon minions (or at least branded) seem to go crazed by excess ley energy despite being made to eat magic for their master... Unless the branded bounties aren't crazed and ANet simply never bothered to isolate dialogue difference for them.

Point being, while the Pale Tree is plausible due to being a dragon champion, the King's of Orr aren't. Tequatl

was

replacing Zhaitan but he was canonically killed in late 1326 AE.

it's entirely possible that the branded had entered a feeding frenzy of sorts because of the ley energy and come accross as enraged.

i was spitballing with the kings but they could Always find an excuse like "the replacement ritual prevents ppl from going crazed" or some nonsens like that.

Maybe but doubtful if Hidden Arcana didn't lie / get retconned with how Glint nearly became an Elder Dragon before dying. Suggests that it is possible for there to be more than 6 Elder Dragon's, curiously.

But also suggests that only dragons can fill the role. If so then even the Pale Tree is likely void.

Time to find Shiny, Albax, and Kuunavang!

i probably need to read it again but i thought it was implied she would become an ED by replacing kralk.

Ogden Stonehealer: The brotherhood believed that she would one day become an Elder Dragon. She was old and wise,

well on her way.

Ogden Stonehealer: You can imagine how it might have changed the world

if she had survived long enough

to become that powerful.

Suggests to me that she merely needed time and magic. But it isn't exactly clear cut.

I don’t know how they would do it but it would be interesting if they found a way to have multiple Kong’s and queens share Zhaitans magic.

I wonder if living in Orr above Zhaitan in a city that was already highly magically influenced would have given them more potential to house that specific magical influence.

[Konig Des Todes.2086]

If so then asura should be capable of housing Primordus' magic since they built a city literally next to Primordus and siphoned his leaking magic to power the original asura gate network.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

@Genesis.8572 said:

@"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:And how much time did we spending cleaning up Orr? the Silverwastes? Dry Top? the Maguuma Jungle? Divinity's Reach? For each story, we've gone in, prevented or diverted the deadliest and/or most urgent threat, and then moved on. That's why the Player Character isn't the Pact Commander nor has any sort of formal role running any organization, except (vaguely),

Fate's Razor

Dragon's WatchNone of the places that you listed were nations controlled over two-hundred years by an autocratic lich worshiped as a god-king. How are Dry Top, Silverwastes, or the Maguuma Jungle even remotely equivalent? It's not as if we leave Maguuma and not touch on its storylines after Mordremoth. We spend time "cleaning up" Rata Novus, discussing how chak ingest leyline energy, working with the Exalted and Aurene in Tarir, and dealing with the destroyed Bloodstone. We even return (eventually) to deal with the ramifications of the Pale Tree and Eir's death.

In the case of Orr, for example, we knew that the presence of the Pact would still likely be required to deal with its gradual restoration. We weren't needed, because those forces were already in place. And time passed between the launch content and anything possibly related to fighting our next dragon. It was then "what is with these strange alliances with enemy factions?" When we return to Orr in LWS3E6 we see that sylvari and ghosts are involved in the clean-up effort. But this patch did address the restoration of Orr even if our focus was about tracking down the Eye of Janthir, Balthazar, and Lazarus.

In regards to Divinity's Reach? We did clean-up. That was the storyline ALL ABOUT cleaning up 4+ years worth of human storylines regarding the bandits, White Mantle, and Caudacus from the launch of the game, if not before (GW1: The War in Kryta). It's not as if we toppled a god-king. Our actions solidified the position of Queen Jennah. We reinforced the preexisting power structures. There was nothing really to clean-up, and we know that whatever clean-up ensued was likely carried out by the Seraph and Shining Blade.

So even if Kraalkatorik is the next, biggest threat, the political future of Elona is kinda a big deal that should be addressed in the LWS4 content, and it may be addressed. Who leads Elona post-Joko? Will Elona fracture? But ANet would be undermining its own writing when they talk about how big a geopolitical shock the loss of Palawa Joko would be to the functioning of the region and then we just say "Bye Felicia" after killing Joko and start facerolling our way across the keyboard towards Kraalkatorik.

I guess you & I have different ideas of "cleaning up." The Commander didn't stay in Divinity's Reach to rebuild the parts of the city destroyed by Mantle attacks; they headed into Doric to chase down the force behind the attacks. You make my exact point with Orr: we weren't needed and we didn't stay. Heading back to a funeral of one of our closest allies isn't "clean up" — it's paying respect to the person and what they stood for, to her son (and notice: he, too, went to deal with an existential threat instead of a ceremony). Similarly, we return to Rata Novus is to learn how to deal with Mordremoth, not because our main goal is "clean up." The Taimi's crew might stay (and become Phlunt's problem), but the Commander isn't part of the "clean up."

I'm not disagreeing about whether the political future in Elona is a big deal. I'm saying that things that threaten the fabric of the universe (or at least the planet) take priority over politics. The game spent a little time mentioning clean up; we didn't spend a lot of time doing it, so I personally am not surprised that the little we have learned about what happens next is focused on the big picture, not on tying up loose ends.

[Genesis.8572]

@Illconceived Was Na.9781 said:I'm not disagreeing about whether the political future in Elona is a big deal. I'm saying that things that threaten the fabric of the universe (or at least the planet) take priority over politics. The game spent a little time mentioning clean up; we didn't spend a lot of time doing it, so I personally am not surprised that the little we have learned about what happens next is focused on the big picture, not on tying up loose ends.WE are the thing that is threatening the fabric of the universe and not the Elder Dragons. We are the ones who are making a complete mess of the geopolitical landscape and the magical-ecological landscape. And so far we are not doing a good job of cleaning up either.