Regarding Adding New Races

[Einlanzer.1627]

Now, the presumed idea here is that Anet isn't creating new races largely due to difficulties in integrating them into the story, but, here's an idea -

 

How about they just don't?

 

New races could be unlocked at level 80 or through an achievement of some kind, and could part of a new system of "supporting races", where they are intended to be played as races that are allied with the "main races" but don't have quite the same presence in the story. Therefore, they could maybe have a simple personal story, but would never become the commander and play through the LW. They could access LW zones through alternate means, or whenever a main race unlocks them on your account. This might be a good option as well for people who just aren't that interested in the story.

 

This game is so alt friendly anyway - by having them be unlocked as a special level cap feature, you are ensuring everyone has the ability to play through the full story on at least one of their toons. I've only played the story at all on a couple out of my 10 characters.

 

This new "system" would allow them to add a lot of new races with relative ease, and we could eventually have a large number of supporting races available for play. Wouldn't that be better than never getting new races at all?

 

 

[Ashantara.8731]

Just no. Either fully integrated new races or none.

 

You don't get the difficulty behind new races: armor sets, new body types,... This isn't just about story content. If it was, we'd probably already have gotten new playable races.

 

I still hope there will some added in the near future, but that might just remain but a dream. :/

[Einlanzer.1627]

> @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> Just no. Either fully integrated new races or none.

>

> You don't get the difficulty behind new races: armor sets, new body types,... This isn't just about story content. If it was, we'd probably already have gotten new playable races.

>

> I still hope there will some added in the near future, but that might just remain but a dream. :/

 

Sorry, completely disagree that not getting new races is better than not getting them retroactively integrated. They can and should create a new system of supporting races to make it feasible to add new ones.

 

And yes, I assure you I do "get it". Work has to be done, but none of the other things should be prohibitively difficult. Adding new races is a thing other MMOs do pretty routinely because it's something that's in high demand and generates a lot of hype.

[JDub.1530]

I think it's having to remodel every piece of armor in the game that is the bigger barrier to getting new races. And it IS a problem for ANet, which is why we mostly get new outfits and rarely get new armor sets.

 

So let me get your idea straight, new race characters couldn't participate in story at all? Even new story content going forward? That would cause a lot of complaints from people who don't want to be forced to go to core race alts to do any story content. A far better idea I've suggested in the past would be to give a new race a truncated personal story (with high XP to get to 80 fast) that takes place during the current time period of their release that introduces them to the current cast of LW characters, and sees them as ultimately taking over for the "slain" commander. At which point they progress into the main LW story as the new commander.

 

It's a handy way of them getting to know the characters and stepping into the commanders shoes in a storyline only that race can experience, but allowing it to make sense once they move on to the main LW. Hopefully only a few alternate lines of dialogue would be needed going forward to adjust for the fact this new commander doesn't have the same past with the story as a core race character would.

 

If a new race ever happened. Which it probably won't.

[maddoctor.2738]

Not part of the story, not becoming a commander. For something so simple you can always use a tonic...

[Nopesarenotforme.5190]

> @"Einlanzer.1627" said:

> Now, the presumed idea here is that Anet isn't creating new races largely due to difficulties in integrating them into the story, but, here's an idea -

>

> How about they just don't?

>

> New races could be unlocked at level 80 or through an achievement of some kind, and could part of a new system of "supporting races", where they are intended to be played as races that are allied with the "main races" but don't have quite the same presence in the story. Therefore, they could maybe have a simple personal story, but would never become the commander and play through the LW. They could access LW zones through alternate means, or whenever a main race unlocks them on your account. This might be a good option as well for people who just aren't that interested in the story.

>

> This game is so alt friendly anyway - by having them be unlocked as a special level cap feature, you are ensuring everyone has the ability to play through the full story on at least one of their toons. I've only played the story at all on a couple out of my 10 characters.

>

> This new "system" would allow them to add a lot of new races with relative ease, and we could eventually have a large number of supporting races available for play. Wouldn't that be better than never getting new races at all?

>

>

 

Anet could say that the commander and the team found new races in Tyria that want to cooperate in their cause and that should do the trick.. maybe add an achievement collection too.

This way or another I just want a new race :#

[Ephemiel.5694]

Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

[Oglaf.1074]

> @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

 

I’ve not played WoW since wayback when Shamans and Paladins were actually exclusive to one side, correct me if I’m wrong here, but WoW characters are not fully voiced like in GW2. You’d have to re-record every single line in the story, twice as there are two sexes, and multiple times for the different languages supported.

 

That’s a huge undertaking. It is not as “simple” as remodeling all the arms and armour to fit the new race.

 

Furthermore Blizzard have been absorbed into the cancerous blob that is Activision and had nigh-unlimited funds (at the cost of selling their soul). Anet has no such luxury.

 

 

[Trise.2865]

So a sort-of Elite Specialization: Race Change? Hm... I don't hate it, but I can't say I like it as-is.... it needs something, some "sauce".

 

I prefer the idea of small, self-contained content like Activities and Adventures featuring different races... mini games and "elsewhere" stories. I very much support adding Character Creation options to them as much as possible. Perhaps they could unlock tonics so the Commander could become their "alternate personas" temporarily? (either without event-specific abilities, or with a Toy that activates them as Costume Brawl skills?)

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"Einlanzer.1627" said:

> Now, the presumed idea here is that Anet isn't creating new races largely due to difficulties in integrating them into the story, but, here's an idea -

No, that's not their stated reason why they have planned not to consider adding new races any time soon.

 

There are a number of recent threads on the topic that go into gory detail about all the issues, including armor, voice acting, racial skills, personal story. A lot of the work is comparable to that already needed for other projects, in effect it's the equivalent of adding several new LW episodes and several new armor sets, without even worrying about integrating into existing stories.

 

****

Further reading from just last month's thread (in which the OP participated):

* https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/550654/#Comment_550654

* https://en-forum.guildwars2.com/discussion/comment/550656/#Comment_550656

[Ephemiel.5694]

> @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

>

> I’ve not played WoW since wayback when Shamans and Paladins were actually exclusive to one side, correct me if I’m wrong here, but WoW characters are not fully voiced like in GW2. You’d have to re-record every single line in the story, twice as there are two sexes, and multiple times for the different languages supported.

>

> That’s a huge undertaking. It is not as “simple” as remodeling all the arms and armour to fit the new race.

>

> Furthermore Blizzard have been absorbed into the cancerous blob that is Activision and had nigh-unlimited funds (at the cost of selling their soul). Anet has no such luxury.

>

>

 

You wouldn't have to "re-record" anything, that would imply they already did it. All they need to do is get 2 new voice actors to do the same thing the rest have and since the script barely changes throughout the entire game depending on your race, they'd literally just have to read the same script everyone has [only unique part would be the leveling story before joining an Order]. Hell, just hire Yuri Lowenthal to voice the male Tengu since he voices a few of them already [and he's already voicing Lord Faren, so he's already there working with ANet] and his voice fits them well.

[Oglaf.1074]

> @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > > Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

> >

> > I’ve not played WoW since wayback when Shamans and Paladins were actually exclusive to one side, correct me if I’m wrong here, but WoW characters are not fully voiced like in GW2. You’d have to re-record every single line in the story, twice as there are two sexes, and multiple times for the different languages supported.

> >

> > That’s a huge undertaking. It is not as “simple” as remodeling all the arms and armour to fit the new race.

> >

> > Furthermore Blizzard have been absorbed into the cancerous blob that is Activision and had nigh-unlimited funds (at the cost of selling their soul). Anet has no such luxury.

> >

> >

>

> You wouldn't have to "re-record" anything, that would imply they already did it. All they need to do is get 2 new voice actors to do the same thing

 

That’s exactly what re-record means, lol

 

 

[Ephemiel.5694]

> @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > > @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > > > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > > > Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

> > >

> > > I’ve not played WoW since wayback when Shamans and Paladins were actually exclusive to one side, correct me if I’m wrong here, but WoW characters are not fully voiced like in GW2. You’d have to re-record every single line in the story, twice as there are two sexes, and multiple times for the different languages supported.

> > >

> > > That’s a huge undertaking. It is not as “simple” as remodeling all the arms and armour to fit the new race.

> > >

> > > Furthermore Blizzard have been absorbed into the cancerous blob that is Activision and had nigh-unlimited funds (at the cost of selling their soul). Anet has no such luxury.

> > >

> > >

> >

> > You wouldn't have to "re-record" anything, that would imply they already did it. All they need to do is get 2 new voice actors to do the same thing

>

> That’s exactly what re-record means, lol

>

>

 

....re-record means doing it again. Wouldn't be "doing it again" if it's the first time for that voice actor, would it.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

> @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > > Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

> >

> > I’ve not played WoW since wayback when Shamans and Paladins were actually exclusive to one side, correct me if I’m wrong here, but WoW characters are not fully voiced like in GW2. You’d have to re-record every single line in the story, twice as there are two sexes, and multiple times for the different languages supported.

> >

> > That’s a huge undertaking. It is not as “simple” as remodeling all the arms and armour to fit the new race.

> >

> > Furthermore Blizzard have been absorbed into the cancerous blob that is Activision and had nigh-unlimited funds (at the cost of selling their soul). Anet has no such luxury.

> >

> >

>

> You wouldn't have to "re-record" anything, that would imply they already did it. All they need to do is get 2 new voice actors to do the same thing

>

 

It’s not just 2 more actors.

 

There are 6 supported languages. The 5 languages in the EU/NA client and the Chinese client. That means more 12 actors to do the lines. That means 12 more people to pay and 12 more times slots to fit them in to do the lines.

 

[Ardid.7203]

> @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

>

> I’ve not played WoW since wayback when Shamans and Paladins were actually exclusive to one side, correct me if I’m wrong here, but WoW characters are not fully voiced like in GW2. You’d have to re-record every single line in the story, twice as there are two sexes, and multiple times for the different languages supported.

>

> That’s a huge undertaking. It is not as “simple” as remodeling all the arms and armour to fit the new race.

>

> Furthermore Blizzard have been absorbed into the cancerous blob that is Activision and had nigh-unlimited funds (at the cost of selling their soul). Anet has no such luxury.

>

>

 

Steam creature species playable then. They will mostly be silent, making metallic clanking and pipe vent noises here and there, and only speak with robotic voices made with Loquendo or Vocaloid, so no need to hire actors. :bleep_bloop:

[MithranArkanere.8957]

As I see it, the best way to avoid having to voice all past story is just not doing it.

 

But that doesn't mean you would not be able to play old story. Instead, tengu would play as a 'friend of the commander' until a point in the story in which the commander dies, and your character takes the role of the commander.

 

So the only 'past' chapters to be recorded would be the initial 3 ones, in which the Commander somehow gets into Tengu territory, you save them from being executed, befriend them, and after that you join an Order with the commander. And they take the lead while you follow.

And why do you follow? Because you are ordered to make sure the commander doesn't break a bow of secrecy about the Tengu starting area.

Then at the point at which tengu lines are recorded again, the original commander dies, and they ask you to take over the role of Commander, and you do. And from them on your tengu character is the commander.

 

It'll be a bit boring to be a silent witness of someone else's deeds for so long, but that's definitely better than not having tengu at all.

[Illconceived Was Na.9781]

> @"MithranArkanere.8957" said:

> It'll be a bit boring to be a silent witness of someone else's deeds for so long, but that's definitely better than not having tengu at all.

 

That sounds worse (to me) than what we have now.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

> @"MithranArkanere.8957" said:

> As I see it, the best way to avoid having to voice all past story is just not doing it.

>

> But that doesn't mean you would not be able to play old story. Instead, tengu would play as a 'friend of the commander' until a point in the story in which the commander dies, and your character takes the role of the commander.

>

> So the only 'past' chapters to be recorded would be the initial 3 ones, in which the Commander somehow gets into Tengu territory, you save them from being executed, befriend them, and after that you join an Order with the commander. And they take the lead while you follow.

> And why do you follow? Because you are ordered to make sure the commander doesn't break a bow of secrecy about the Tengu starting area.

> Then at the point at which tengu lines are recorded again, the original commander dies, and they ask you to take over the role of Commander, and you do. And from them on your tengu character is the commander.

>

> It'll be a bit boring to be a silent witness of someone else's deeds for so long, but that's definitely better than not having tengu at all.

 

Are you saying completely revamp the personal story to follow another char/NPC who is the Commander while you stand around in the background?

 

Not only does that sound like something that no one would like but messing with the personal story like that is bound to expensive and full of bugs.

[derd.6413]

what you're suggesting is just a minor step up from battle tonics

[Rauderi.8706]

Problem with attempting to bypass the story is . . you can't. ANet would *still* have to re-voice *all* of Season 2, HoT, Season 3, PoF, *and* Season 4, even if the Personal Story were simplified. ...Even dungeons would need new voice work. >.>

The "Commander" is just too important to the story. And saying "Oh, this character can't do instances" is pretty much a coffin nail on the whole idea.

 

At this point, the most viable way to get new "races" is probably through Outfits. We'd get the look, at least.

[Kalendraf.9521]

Please no more races at this point. The addition of the extra races & bodytypes in GW2 has led to armor design taking significantly longer. If they add another race, it will require even more work to add new armors.

[Ashantara.8731]

> @"Einlanzer.1627" said:

> And yes, I assure you I do "get it". Work has to be done, but none of the other things should be prohibitively difficult.

 

Extremely work intensive <> difficult

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

> @"Just a flesh wound.3589" said:

> > @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > > @"Oglaf.1074" said:

> > > > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > > > Even WoW was able to add Pandaren to both factions. Adding a new race here, especially when the races people want are already in the game, should not be hard.

> > >

> > > I’ve not played WoW since wayback when Shamans and Paladins were actually exclusive to one side, correct me if I’m wrong here, but WoW characters are not fully voiced like in GW2. You’d have to re-record every single line in the story, twice as there are two sexes, and multiple times for the different languages supported.

> > >

> > > That’s a huge undertaking. It is not as “simple” as remodeling all the arms and armour to fit the new race.

> > >

> > > Furthermore Blizzard have been absorbed into the cancerous blob that is Activision and had nigh-unlimited funds (at the cost of selling their soul). Anet has no such luxury.

> > >

> > >

> >

> > You wouldn't have to "re-record" anything, that would imply they already did it. All they need to do is get 2 new voice actors to do the same thing

> >

>

> It’s not just 2 more actors.

>

> There are 6 supported languages. The 5 languages in the EU/NA client and the Chinese client. That means more 12 actors to do the lines. That means 12 more people to pay and 12 more times slots to fit them in to do the lines.

>

 

Not that I think ArenaNet would, or should, re-do the Personal Story, or even add a new race, but there are only 4 supported voiced-languages: English, French, German and Chinese. Spanish is text-only. Thus, 8 VOs.

[Ephemiel.5694]

> @"Illconceived Was Na.9781" said:

> > @"Ephemiel.5694" said:

> > Even so, ANet and especially NCSoft are not tiny indie devs, NCSoft is one of the biggest gaming companies there is, so they can easily do this.

>

> They certainly _can_ do this. The question is _should_ they? What planned features & content are you willing to give up — not just for you, but for the entire community — so that they can spend more of the budget on script and acting than they already do? No matter how big a company is, there's a limit to what it can produce (and still turn a profit). Successful companies have to trade off among all the cool stuff they could offer and select just a few.

>

> ANet has said, more than once, that adding a new race uses much the same resources as needed for Living World, including writing, acting, and design. And they've chosen to stick with LW, because they believe that it will provide the best experience for the greatest number of their customers (and potential future customers).

>

> There's nothing wrong with imagining what a future race might be, what it would do, how it would integrate with stories told and stories yet untold. Just as long as we remember that ANet has, themselves, told us that their current plans, for as far out as they can see, don't include a new race.

 

I would like to know just what amazing feature and content the community is expecting by now that would be hampered because one of the biggest and most successful gaming companies decided to add a new race to GW2. Clearly this AAA developer would have to sacrifice much for this, so i really want to know what anyone is expecting. The only true feature we've gotten that affects gameplay are the Specializations and it's been done extremely badly in an attempt to emulate the subclass system of GW1.

 

Story? Why? Cause they would need to delay it? Great!! Delay it and perfect it rather than the current mess it is, with twists added for no reason, it would make M. Night Shaymalan proud. Idk if you've noticed, but people have wanted races like the Largos and Tengu playable before the Living Story was ever a thing, same with new classes like Ritualist, Dervish and Paragon.

 

I refuse to believe their budget for script was that high when people like Jessica Price were involved in it and the personality of the Commander changed much at the start of Path of Fire [one of the first things we do is THREATEN TO KILL SOMEONE for information, when the heck have we ever done something like that? Even in early parts of the whole story, we actively let people go or tried NOT to kill people]

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

Well, I know I would not want to experience another long content-drought that moving all resources to integrating a new race would likely entail, instead of Living World releases. It's not like the Devs could release just parts of a new race, periodically, like Living World Episodes. You'd have to wait the entire time period of a Living World Season.

 

Who knows? Maybe it's on the table for an expansion, or two, away. I doubt I'd take much advantage of it; maybe create a new character (or Key-runner) with the free character slot. Though, it would probably just end up a mule, or something, like my Revenant.