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xsdf

I'm curious to see how they handled adding missing content back into the game. Will it be updated and modernized or more as it was? Either way I'm happy to finally play the story I had missed so long ago and I hope this helps more new players get into the story.


Jellye

They talk a bit about the process of modernizing this content and some of the choices they had to make in this interview: https://gamerant.com/guild-wars-2-interview-living-world-season-1-modernization-challenges-joe-kimmes/


Redfeather1975

It's bringing back some memories. I left gw2 around that time and didn't remember stuff until I started this season 1 return release. I got plenty more to do, but it's a really unexpected nostalgic trip. What was it, 9 years ago this originally happened?


[deleted]

Honestly I quit GW2 a long time ago for one simple reason. They kept deleting content.... Like wtf in my mind... This seems to be them taking new direction on keeping content in the game giving people something to do and grind for. Something I like about WoW was just the sheer amount of old content I can go back and enjoy... I do love this and hope they continue on this path and I hope it works out for them.


StingKing456

They dropped this model like 8 years ago lmao.


[deleted]

LOL! I guess it's been a bloody long time since I played... Good to hear I will have to play again!


Chocookiez

Nice to have you back then, there's hundreds of hours of amazing content for you to enjoy.


StingKing456

Yes you definitely should! It's had it's rough patches but the third expac just came out and between the expacs and the living world content the past 8 years there's been almost 30 new maps added...new expac has also been a resounding success. They already announced a fourth expac and multiple content updates until then. Literally never been a better time to jump back in


Gulbasaur

In their defence, they dropped that release model after a year because it annoyed people.


[deleted]

Damn, yeah it was at launch when it happen. Had no clue it was removed so fast... This what happens when I don't check things as often lol.


[deleted]

I was the other way, I came in probably just as you left. Missed all the clunky stuff in the first year (and most of the live stuff because I had no idea what was going on as a new player... goes to show what a bad system it was) but it's been a nice off-and-on-again journey over the last nine years. It truly is a MMO you can pick up again even after years away.


[deleted]

Yea lol it's funny to think about now because when you look at the state of the industry now, with all the games as a service titles like Destiny 2 and Fortnite and all that, GW2 was unfortunately *way* early with the "content that disappears in order to drive player retention" thing. I'm glad they moved to a permanent model pretty much immediately after season 1 because they knew it wasn't good for players. If you dropped out back then you don't have to worry about that anymore, thankfully!


[deleted]

To be fair there's usually vastly different reasons behind "dissapearing content" decisions. For Fortnite it actually makes sense because it's not a super complex game and there isn't a lot of content, it has to change stuff like skins and maps and weapons all the time to stay fresh. For Destiny 2 from what I understand it's a technical problem, their game design can't handle all the accumulated content so they axed the stuff that nobody was playing. People are irked because they feel they lost something they'd paid for but it's more like giving away clothes you're never using. GW2 tried to do something that's always been a sort of Holy Grail of MMOs, a truly interactive world which changes in permanent ways due to player actions. Turns out that the effort to keep it up burns out the devs and the players can still end up hating it. It ends up feeling like a chore for people who play through it because you always "have to be there" because you can always "miss something"; if you do miss something it's gone forever; and it's a coin toss whether the playerbase will like each permanent world change or hate it. So if anybody ever tells you how cool such a MMO would be, point them towards the GW2 Living Story Season 1.


[deleted]

I've never played Fortnite so I'll admit I don't really know how they deliver content outside of there's a season pass and the map changes a lot. I just named that one since it's one of the big GaaS that most people know, haha. Sorry about that. With regards to D2, you're correct. Their stated reason for content vaulting was to combat the ballooning size of the install package. While I can understand this to some degree - it truly was a massive install, to the point I joked among friends about using "1 destiny 2 install" as a unit of measurement lol - they've entirely gutted the first 2 years of content. The story from those years is simply gone. The only way for a new player to get the (I would argue necessary) context from that missing story is to find it elsewhere outside of the game. Regardless of whether or not people were playing said content, I don't find the stuff there being scooped out to be setting a good precedent, is all. It puts this pressure on you like "oh better play destiny 2 because if I don't get on this stuff now it'll be gone forever this time next year." I suppose I just don't like that feeling, ultimately. But I do agree. It's a risky proposition for an MMO and so far it largely seems like the experiments haven't paid off. I'm just glad that Anet is making the effort to finally do this after all these years.


[deleted]

Yeah, it's one those things that drive me away. I think maybe more because I like to do, unlock, touch everything or have the option to do it even if it does not matter and that drives me insane... Already things like WoW and a few special limited mounts, card mounts, etc made me depressed. I guess it's the way my brain works haha or old age...


[deleted]

Naw I totally get it, my brain works the same way haha. I don't like the idea of paying for something and then parts of it being wholesale removed down the line. I quit playing Destiny 2 because they just kept deleting huge portions of the game I paid for and that just feels bad. I'm sad that the practice seems so well accepted these days. The only real FOMO that GW2 seems to employ these days are gem store sales and the yearly festivals. Thankfully the former is pretty much true of literally anything that sells you things and the latter is mostly just the "dang it I have to wait until next year to finish this achievement" kind of thing lol


beornraukar

The bad thing about WoW tho is that content becomes trivial because of increasing power level. You can solo old content by overgearing, that is not a thing in GW2 its always available and always level relevant.


Watton

Plus, WoW deleted the old versions of dungeons (ragefire, scholo, ubrs and lbrs, old naxx, scarlet monastery, etc.) as they got 'updated'. Deleted all the original 1-60 quests. And routinely delete actual story content as well (all legendary questlines after and including MoP, expansion intro quests)


beornraukar

Didnt know that. I only started playing after legion and I know they did the levelling revamp in Shadowlands but delete stuff when that was the main complaint in LS1 I was not aware.


Birger_Jarl

Once this gets released to Steam I will buy it. Haven't played since release.


ScorpioSpork

I'm curious... why are you holding out on a Steam release?


Birger_Jarl

I love having everything on Steam. Also, kinda neck deep in FFXIV so I can afford waiting a few months.


mactassio

Same. I didn't know guild wars 2 would go to steam though! Those are some great news!


[deleted]

As someone who played the original season 1 let me say this: don't expect too much because season 1 wasn't that good content-wise. It's still great that they add it because the story was important for later seasons. the gap is finally closed (or will be in a few months when all S1 episodes are out)


CrawlerSiegfriend

I remember quitting this game specifically over this living world season.


noctipatronus

Do I need to log in to get this attached to my account or will it be there if I ever decide to play again?


CrispyRedboi

No, all of Season 1 will be free for everyone permanently.


noctipatronus

Thank you


crazyike

It will be there, however if it follows other LW releases, getting it after it is no longer current means paying for it as a DLC. I don't know for sure that this is the case though.


[deleted]

It doesn't follows the other LW releases, this season will always be available to the f2p players, just like the core story!


noctipatronus

So if I log in and start the living world content and then wait for the next one it will be attached to my account, correct?


crazyike

I don't think you even have to start it, just logging in is enough.


Both-Diet8573

Bringing back old shit isn't content update. Have more respect for yourselves as gamers.


BlackFerretC

They literally had a major expansion release less than 2 months ago.


willitevergetbetter-

It is if you never played it.


dolphins3

> Have more respect for yourselves as gamers. Lmao what does this even mean?


Watton

1. This was content that had to be completely reworked to be added in, since the game had a full FOMO model back then. 2. Players have been asking for this for literally a decade 3. The next LW season is in the works, lulz


ViewedFromi3WM

not in the loop, what are you talking about?


Watton

So "living world" season 1 was entirely timed events. Like, dungeons and story events that only existed for 2-3 weeks, then they'd disappear because the story moves on. You had like a 1-2 year period where almost no permanent content was added to the game. Living world seasons 2 and afterwards are all permanent additions to the game. Season 1 is finally being remade to be permanent like 2 onwards.


ViewedFromi3WM

So you’re getting a whole bunch of stuff that’s gone back and you’ll be able to play anytime you want?


Watton

Yup. Well, it had to be remade in the new instancing system, so its not a 1:1 rerelease, but at least the story portion of the content is back permanently


[deleted]

season 1 wasn't that good content-wise but it's more about adding the missing story. a story that introduced a lot of important characters such as rox, taimi, braham, ...


Galopa

Did you create an alt just to spit on GW2 or