Where is zojja?

[Oldirtbeard.9834]

If Syfy can afford to bring her in for a guest star spot on the Magicians then I'm sure ANet could bring her in for a few throw away Voice Acting lines, I mean SyFy isn't exactly HBO or even AMC, hell CW has more money even than SyFy.

 

Remember that web series the Guild, how much money do you think she was paid for that, I'm sure ANet pays their no name Voice Actors more than Day made making the Guild.

[Imba.9451]

Replacing a voice actor shouldn't be THAT much of a problem tbh. I wouldn't care at least. Better than having such stuff affecting the writing for her character.

[VAHNeunzehnsechundsiebzig.]

just sent a mail ingame that Zojja in her weak state caused a lab explosion that killed her.

 

Problem solved. The most annoying character gone. Closure. Done.

 

I never understood why some people like Zojja. In the book she was downright evil. In the personal story she is nothing but unlikeable. Why people even care about this very minor character baffles me.

[Imba.9451]

> @"VAHNeunzehnsechundsiebzig.3618" said:

 

> I never understood why some people like Zojja. In the book she was downright evil. In the personal story she is nothing but unlikeable. Why people even care about this very minor character baffles me.

 

Same thing goes for Rytlock in my case.

I simply like Zojja for being straight-forward. She actually has similaritiers with Canach, both in regards to humour and her need for conflict. Thats a nice contrast to most Asuras, while Rytlock can perfectly be described with one word: Charr.

 

 

[VAHNeunzehnsechundsiebzig.]

Rytlock is able to accept other people's glory and success (see the destroyer harpy in the arena). He is able to see beyond the skin and forge friendships. He can't stand sylvari - but then sees Caithe fight and recognizes her loyalty and accepts her.

 

Zojja on the other hand, reacts badly if anyone ever shows a good idea, afraid that her genius might be diminished by the achievements of others.

 

She verbally abuses Snaff, she is always hostile towards Eir's plans, and ignores the other three as good as she can.

 

Zojja is a miserable person and if she never returns to the game, I would not mind at all.

[Moonyeti.3296]

If Felicia Day is no longer available on a reasonable budget, why not switch VA? It isn't the best solution nominally, but at the same time would fit here. Zojja is recovering from her near death captivity in HoT, so why not switch VA's and just claim that it is due to her injuries that her voice is changed? Have the new VA purposely 'strain' Zojja's voice to help hide it. For me that would be enough to suspend any disbelief for the sake of the story.

[Imba.9451]

Also, not to forget, even if you love or hate Zojja - she was meant to be one of the big 5 story characters. Just killing her off like that would, imho, be rather poor writing.

I fully agree on simply changing her VA. Thats just how it goes sometimes. Can't kill off Homer from the Simpons as well, if his VA dies.

[Castigator.3470]

I think Zojja's story isn't over yet. As long as the Inquest is lobbying for more influence, there will be one hero to oppose them. Changing VAs are not the issue, though.

The main issue is the current lack of plot hooks. For now Zojja has made her peace with the events of Destiny's Edge, but she currently has found some occupation as a mentor for new promising asura.

There's two things that may happen.

1. She settles down, becomes Teacher, Professor, even Dean of the College of Synergetics. She continues to lecture, deepens her research, she may even combine statics and synergetics knowlege to continue Snaff's research to build a modular floating golem that isn't just the size of a city, but an actual city. Her P.O.L.I.S. Project would make her the new big thing since Oola.

She tries to settle down, but there's something amiss. As tempting as super advanced golemancy can be, the fate of the world hangs in the balance and she really cannot allow the chaos troupe known as Dragon's Watch to fool around without supervision.

But how? What chain of events can be the catalyst that gets Zojja back into active adventuring? From the ascended gear we know that Berserker stats most closely match her temperament. Maybe we need to reignite the flame she had.

[Imba.9451]

> @"Castigator.3470" said:

Maybe we need to reignite the flame she had.

 

One way would be to make Taimi die. But as far as I can tell, Taimi is a fan favorite. Anet wouldn't just kille her off.

Still, I'd love to see an enraged Zojja in action.

 

 

[Ephemiel.5694]

It's funny though how they gave you the choice to save Zojja or Logan first, yet completely invalidate that choice by having Zojja vanish and Logan happily return and even become Marshal of the Pact.

[IslaAvery.3041]

> @"Leablo.2651" said:

> > @"Cynder.2509" said:

> > she's just too tired to do this any longer.

> > Zojja's just doing other things now like teaching progenies in Rata Sum.

>

> Well it's funny because I think the same can be said for Felicia Day. She does not seem all that enthused about the role and had a baby which is presumably taking all her focus. Anet seems to have had an uphill battle trying to bring her back and it seems to be getting more onerous. When this became apparent for HoT, it would have been better to bite the bullet and either have replaced the VA or killed off the character so it wouldn't be left in limbo. Otherwise we will keep having to revisit this issue, which even in the best case likely means an absentee Zojja whenever Anet is working between expansion budgets.

 

That's really presumptuous of you to say. She's never given the impression that she isn't a fan of the role or wasn't "enthused" - quite the opposite. She's spoken about it publicly, and was featured in behind-the-scenes videos, and didn't seem "unenthused" by any means. She's still working, and has stated that she'd love to do more with GW2, and that she loves the character, but has not been contacted for additional recording. You seem to assume she's just "not available" despite not having any insight as to whether Anet has even wanted to record for Zojja. If they wrote for Zojja, and if Felicia wasn't available, they'd hire someone else - as they've done with other VA talent in the past.

 

Plainly put, you're making a lot of assumptions without any insight or information to back it up. Which is worthless.

[IslaAvery.3041]

> @"Leablo.2651" said:

> Of course Anet is going to say that. They will never publicly state that they can't justify the expenditure to retain Zojja's VA for the living story sessions. Nor will they admit to writing around her absence to avoid an ultimatum.

>

> The facts are plain enough: Day is the only member of the voice cast whose celebrity extends beyond the VA fandom. And Zojja is the only major character to consistently be missing from the story, except when Anet is working with a bigger budget. You can choose to connect the dots or not at your leisure, it won't affect anything else.

 

Also false. Matthew Mercer is quite prolific, and you also have Emmy-winner Sam Riegel, among others, who have their own fandom in Critical Role, in addition to VO work. Not to mention other talent like Nolan North and Troy Baker who are always swimming in work (considering they're in damn near every game, not including animated works) and are among some of the most in-demand VO talent.

 

Felicia Day stays busy, but IIRC at the time of Guild Wars 2 initially launching she was still running her own web series (The Guild), had launched/operated Geek & Sundry, and still managed to rack up acting gigs - which was equally if not more professionally demanding than her current commitments. So the argument that now she's got more starpower or is less available, when recording is arguably more workable (as a new mom) than a tv/web series - I mean, she still manages to livestream on twitch. Point being - there's just no basis in reality for your conjecture.

 

You have literally no facts to work from. Your comments are irresponsible.

[Jimbru.6014]

> @"Leablo.2651" said:

>

> Well it's funny because I think the same can be said for Felicia Day. She does not seem all that enthused about the role and had a baby which is presumably taking all her focus. Anet seems to have had an uphill battle trying to bring her back and it seems to be getting more onerous. When this became apparent for HoT, it would have been better to bite the bullet and either have replaced the VA or killed off the character so it wouldn't be left in limbo. Otherwise we will keep having to revisit this issue, which even in the best case likely means an absentee Zojja whenever Anet is working between expansion budgets.

 

Given how extreme Zojja's injuries apparently were, there's no reason why Anet couldn't bring the character back with a different voice actress and explain any differences in voice or personality as effects of her terrible experience in the Blighting Pod. Or even just have her be mute, or just grunts and whatever, if it's really that much of a problem. If mobility is an issue, Zojja has the example of Taimi and Scruffy to help her; no reason Zojja couldn't make a Mr. Sparkles 2.0 to help her get around.

 

Besides, do you think any DE member is going to miss the fight with Kralk if they're self-mobile at all? The next two LS episodes could be seen as a sort of culmination of their story. Defeating Kralk, avenging Snaff, avenging their failure. We've got Logan, Caithe, and Rytlock all in the trailer; don't be surprised if Zojja doesn't make at least a cameo appearance, in either this episode or the next. Also, don't be surprised if one or more of them bites the dust...

[Hybarf Tics.2048]

Four different rumors are going around.

1) Last I heard she went to play Polymok and got hooked , no one has seen her since.

2) She was last seen heading south on a boat heading for Cantha. I don't know why but sea dragons seem to like Asura.

3) When Ritlock went to the mist he came back with a blindfold, starved and with a bad temper she was the first one he met when he came out and had an argument with her, rumor has it she ended up in his plate.

4) Asura are simply annoying rodents anyways, let it go. ;)

[VAHNeunzehnsechundsiebzig.]

> @"Hybarf Tics.2048" said:

> 3) When Ritlock went to the mist he came back with a blindfold, starved and with a bad temper she was the first one he met when he came out and had an argument with her, rumor has it she ended up in his plate.

 

those big brains are pretty tasty....

 

 

[starhunter.6015]

If they can't get Felica back, Anet could always replace the VA and use the change in voice as a side affect of the blighting tree.

[Jimbru.6014]

Even just a letter in our mailbox from Zojja would address the issue better than simple silence. "Hey, I'm still alive. But I'm not...well. Not myself. So I've withdrawn to my lab while I recover and rebuild Mr. Sparkles. I wish I could be there to help, but I physically can't. I hope you understand. -- Zojja."

[Amaranthe.3578]

> @"Leablo.2651" said:

> Of course Anet is going to say that. They will never publicly state that they can't justify the expenditure to retain Zojja's VA for the living story sessions. Nor will they admit to writing around her absence to avoid an ultimatum.

>

> The facts are plain enough: Day is the only member of the voice cast whose celebrity extends beyond the VA fandom. And Zojja is the only major character to consistently be missing from the story, except when Anet is working with a bigger budget. You can choose to connect the dots or not at your leisure, it won't affect anything else.

 

Why not? Anet contantly uses the "its too much work"(which basically means its too much money) answer for other questions. Don't see the problem in them admitting this if thats actually the case. But you never know.

[Amaranthe.3578]

> @"Hybarf Tics.2048" said:

> Four different rumors are going around.

> 1) Last I heard she went to play Polymok and got hooked , no one has seen her since.

> 2) She was last seen heading south on a boat heading for Cantha. I don't know why but sea dragons seem to like Asura.

> 3) When Ritlock went to the mist he came back with a blindfold, starved and with a bad temper she was the first one he met when he came out and had an argument with her, rumor has it she ended up in his plate.

> 4) Asura are simply annoying rodents anyways, let it go. ;)

 

AsuraMR

[Jimbru.6014]

> @"Amaranthe.3578" said:

>

> Why not? Anet contantly uses the "its too much work"(which basically means its too much money) answer for other questions. Don't see the problem in them admitting this if thats actually the case. But you never know.

 

To be frank, I think they also use that as an excuse for not knowing how to fix their own game. Which is why we're still living with things like bugged events in Iron Marches that have been that way for literally years. Kinda like the Problem of Evil...they either don't want to fix things or can't, and the longer this misbegotten LS season goes on, the more I suspect it's both.

 

[Castigator.3470]

> @"Jimbru.6014" said:

> To be frank, I think they also use that as an excuse for not knowing how to fix their own game. Which is why we're still living with things like bugged events in Iron Marches that have been that way for literally years. Kinda like the Problem of Evil...they either don't want to fix things or can't, and the longer this misbegotten LS season goes on, the more I suspect it's both.

>

Nah, It's a far simpler problem. In the industry, you have to justify your proposed changes with a cost benefit analysis. Since reworking old content doesn't promise any financial benefit, managers tend to shut those ideas down. Fixing issues on your payroll without being ordered to do so can get you into hot water with management.

This is why some modded projects offer a higher level of polish and quality than whatever the original developer came up with, precisely because modders are not restrained by considerations of profitability.

[Amaranthe.3578]

> @"Jimbru.6014" said:

> > @"Amaranthe.3578" said:

> >

> > Why not? Anet contantly uses the "its too much work"(which basically means its too much money) answer for other questions. Don't see the problem in them admitting this if thats actually the case. But you never know.

>

> To be frank, I think they also use that as an excuse for not knowing how to fix their own game. Which is why we're still living with things like bugged events in Iron Marches that have been that way for literally years. Kinda like the Problem of Evil...they either don't want to fix things or can't, and the longer this misbegotten LS season goes on, the more I suspect it's both.

>

 

I disagree. I think its a money issue too. If fixing those bugs takes a lot of time but its not generating much activity/money they dont do it. Which is basically what "too much work" means. Since they seem to be pretty frank on that issue I dont think they wouldnt say the issue with Zojjas VA is money if that was the case. I also dont think Felicia Day has a big price tag, shes a pretty small potato.

[Amaranthe.3578]

> @"Castigator.3470" said:

> > @"Jimbru.6014" said:

> > To be frank, I think they also use that as an excuse for not knowing how to fix their own game. Which is why we're still living with things like bugged events in Iron Marches that have been that way for literally years. Kinda like the Problem of Evil...they either don't want to fix things or can't, and the longer this misbegotten LS season goes on, the more I suspect it's both.

> >

> Nah, It's a far simpler problem. In the industry, you have to justify your proposed changes with a cost benefit analysis. Since reworking old content doesn't promise any financial benefit, managers tend to shut those ideas down. Fixing issues on your payroll without being ordered to do so can get you into hot water with management.

> This is why some modded projects offer a higher level of polish and quality than whatever the original developer came up with, precisely because modders are not restrained by considerations of profitability.

 

Hes not really talking about changes though. Fixing bugs is basically standing by your promises to the customer and by your public announcements. Companies that dont do that tend to flop.

[Jimbru.6014]

> @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> Kinda funny that, during HoT, you can CHOOSE who you save first, so if you saved Zojja first, it would make no sense for her to be so weakened and Logan be up and about.

 

In fact, I did choose to save Zojja. And she was up and about and talking semi-coherently, albeit very weak, once that part was over. So yeah, it doesn't make sense based on what's actually in the game.

[Aaron Ansari.1604]

> @"Amaranthe.3578" said:

> > @"Castigator.3470" said:

> > > @"Jimbru.6014" said:

> > > To be frank, I think they also use that as an excuse for not knowing how to fix their own game. Which is why we're still living with things like bugged events in Iron Marches that have been that way for literally years. Kinda like the Problem of Evil...they either don't want to fix things or can't, and the longer this misbegotten LS season goes on, the more I suspect it's both.

> > >

> > Nah, It's a far simpler problem. In the industry, you have to justify your proposed changes with a cost benefit analysis. Since reworking old content doesn't promise any financial benefit, managers tend to shut those ideas down. Fixing issues on your payroll without being ordered to do so can get you into hot water with management.

> > This is why some modded projects offer a higher level of polish and quality than whatever the original developer came up with, precisely because modders are not restrained by considerations of profitability.

>

> Hes not really talking about changes though. Fixing bugs is basically standing by your promises to the customer and by your public announcements. Companies that dont do that tend to flop.

 

Depends on what you consider 'standing by' and 'promises' to mean. For instance, if you go back and watch the pre-launch videos laying out GW2's design principles, very few of them resemble the game of today.

 

Ultimately, I think the social contract here is just whether ANet is delivering engaging, enjoyable content, and that they measure their success on that front by the metrics they gather. Given that there _was_ a period, early on, when they did make a concerted effort to revamp old content, and given that approach was quietly and decisively dropped afterwards, I'm guessing that their numbers didn't show that the player base as a whole cared too much about those fixes... or, at least, that they didn't follow up on that care with actual participation in the content.