Enough with the cliffhangers (PoF spoilers)

[Tregarde.6031]

Overall, I liked the PoF storyline. It did a better job with the pacing and less contrivances than HoT. It would have been nice if it wasn't over quite so quickly, though, so we could have seen the world developed more. It was nice having a proper epilogue, felt like a good way to wind things down. BUT then... the cliffhanger... Kralkatorrik flying across Elona, turning everything underneath into Brand, and the heroes about ready to soil their undies.

Personally, I think they should have cut it about one minute sooner. It's the same problem when LS2 ended - it could have left off with the Pact fleet flying into the distance, but it ends with the fleet's destruction and events clearly will pick up immediately after in the game; but in real life weeks or months will pass. This puts roleplayers in a bind because now we have to figure out how to justify the time in between.

ANet needs to stop doing that. They could easily have left things vague, cut things off when the heroes hear Kralk roar in the distance. It would have been the perfect time to end, leaving us with a sense of dread, but not knowing what to expect. Obviously, Kralk is rising, we just wouldn't know when. Maybe he let off a burp after his divine meal, whatever. Either way, it would have allowed time in game to pass while people get ready, and nervous.

Then they could have used those last seconds as the prologue to LS4. Kralk has had time to digest his lunch and is finally moving. Instead, now we have to justify why most of the maps we just explored are NOT Branded. Of course, realistically, it took more than a few days for all that traveling across deserts and Elona to stop Balthazar, but even that time runs out. ANet clearly learned a lot from the criticisms of HoT, and PoF has been superior in just about every way, but unless LS4 is starting up really soon this is one problem being repeated.

[Ashantara.8731]

The cliffhanger was intentional, since ANet announced they would start releasing the next Living World season soon after the launch of PoF. So the story will continue in a couple of months, and I have to say I am excited. :) I just hope that the same devs responsible for PoF will be the ones working on the next LWS -- if so, you can be certain it will be worth the wait. :+1: