A little something different today.
There has been a noticeable uptake of new players in Guild Wars 2 in the past few months, with a lot of them asking for advice and suggestions on Reddit. Quite a few asked what makes GW2 different from other MMORPGs, and while many veteran players have offered their own takes, there is one recent Reddit post that really caught my attention.
The post was done by Reddit user KnightOfArsford, describing an unplanned experience in-game, which I thought was not only touching and bittersweet, it perfectly captures what is so unique about Guild Wars 2. I asked for their permission to copy and paste the post here, so enjoy!
P.S. The title image is from the original Reddit post. I opted to add the other images to complement the post.
As I walked out of Divinity’s Reach, I noticed a small group forming near the waypoint at Shaemoor. Two veteran friends looking for companions to join them on a walk across Tyria: from Queensdale to Ebonhawke in the Fields of Ruin. I approached them and suggested a different way. “How about the Lion Road?” It passes through a lot of places from Maguuma to Ascalon. Always wanted to walk that road alone, but this is better. They agreed to travel there instead, but I asked why they were doing it. Apparently, this Norn player is leaving the game indefinitely and wanted to spend his last few hours enjoying all of Tyria. Our Norn friend linked the first waypoint in Soren Draa, and off we went.
We were joined by several other players, mostly newbies who spotted the comm tag near the first waypoint of Shaemoor. We were mostly humans, besides our Norn friend and a single asura. At Metrica Province, we were still figuring it out. Mounts or no mounts? Walk or Run? Where’s the Lion Road exactly? We decided to go on foot and just run normally like it’s 2012. Our first hurdle was this floating rock bridge. Good, the newbies can experience one of the game’s numerous JPs. We came across the first Lionguard outpost of the Lion Road: Arterium Haven. I talked about the purpose of these forts and how the Lionguard protected Tyria’s entire trade network through the Lion Road. I was then asked to lead us through the road, and so I did.
In Caledon Forest, our next stop, we took in the sights. At Caledon Haven, we marveled at the structure and the whole atmosphere of the map. There’s this little bridge next to the fort that I mentioned was going to be the first of the many great bridges we’ll come across on the Lion Road. We pushed forward through the swamps. Pesky mosquitoes and hostile wildlife aside, we came across an unmarked outpost called Lionguard Waystation. We talked about its structure, how it’s made of wood and different than all the other Lionguard outposts. Well, it’s a swamp, no solid ground for a fort to stand on. We push ahead and approached one of my favorite forts: Kraitbane Haven. We enjoyed the view once again, however, a group needed help saving from invading enemies. We took a little detour and finished the event, levelling some of our companions, and entered the fort. I pointed at this tower inside, which is another JP which we did as a group. A few strangers noticed our crew and asked if we were doing field trips for new players. Well, sort of. We were trying to give our Norn friend a grand farewell. Funny thing was, after walking across another bridge, there was this small tower that also had a JP on it. We did it too, of course. Finally it was time to say “Goodbye Caledon!” and onto Kessex Hills.
At our first viewpoint, we veterans mentioned how this entire area was polluted by a certain Scarlet Briar. Our newbie companions promised us that they’ll kill this Scarlet when they reach that point. Godspeed. Approaching yet another Lionguard outpost, I pointed out the Roller Beetle rental services available. The fort itself was pretty simple compared to our last one, so we pushed forward up the mountain pass. Apparently some enemies thought it would be funny to set up a blockade and so we made quick work of them. On the crossroads to Black Haven, I talked about how the Lion Road splits at certain points, and in this case we’re avoiding the path back to Queensdale and head east to Gendarran Fields. Near the fort, I tried to find a bandit champion for the newbies to kill, but alas, they haven’t spawned.
The first outpost in Gendarran Fields was a sight. A majestic structure plagued by minions of Zhaitan. Again, we talked briefly on who this was, and our new players promised once again to kill this Zhaitan once they level up. There were lots of Oakhearts and open plains, even a few small bridges on the road. As we approached the massive Gendarran windmill, we gazed at the entrance to Lion’s Arch, the owner of this road we’re travelling. None of our newbies have ever entered it. By the waterfall, I led the group to a group of pirates shipwrecked by Zhaitan. Our Norn friend also led us to an odd NPC past the windmill and through the orchard, who looked creepy. A few players asked us if this tag they’re mistakenly following was for the Ley Line Anomaly. As we passed through another bridge, I pointed out how this particular bridge was wider than most. It was agreed that Lion’s Arch was a bit too biased on bridges near its territory. We came across a Toxic Alliance event where we have to destroy this giant stalk. It was too much for our newbies, so with a swiftness boon and a “RUN!!” in chat, we ran towards the icy cave. We passed through Junction Haven, and we were sidetracked following the trail of enemies leading south. We were going the wrong way, so we turned north and moved on.
In Snowden Drifts, there was nothing but ice and snow. We fought a group of dredge and a bunch of Icebrood while walking through the barren parts of the Lion Road until we reached our first outpost. I told the group of what lies ahead, and it was my favorite thing in the area. A long wooden bridge stretching across the ravine. We viewed the bridge from a cliffside (where some of us accidentally slid down to the ravine). Moving on, we came across an NPC telling us of a detour where can head south because of an Icebrood blockade. Well, we already did it once so pushed through the Icebrood. Our newbie friends were getting downed in this champion fight, but we succeeded in the end. We reached the last stop before heading to Wayfarer Foothills. I told our Norn friend that the Lion Road will end soon, but we can make our own route to Ebonhawke. Why this place? It was where he used to spend his time crafting, selling, and generally hanging out years ago. A special place to see for the last time before logging off for good.
The Wayfarer Foothills greeted us with a swarm of Icebrood and some other strangers who tried to follow our group for a bit. We made a detour to Crossroads Haven before moving on. I pointed out how we were just walking across Tyria all this time, and yet we see many players outside our group doing their own thing, NPCs starting events. The group agreed and that GW2 is very much a game that feels so alive. We were sidetracked by another Sons of Svanir event before we headed east to our last outpost for this map. Along the way, we came across a funny Sylvari NPC who was freezing in the cold. “She’s naked, I told her to put some clothes on,” said one of us.
In Diessa Plateau, we were met by an angry group of dredge which we fought alongside some other players. Unfortunately, one of us had to leave the group early, so we said our goodbyes and gave them a small parting gift, a thank you for joining us in this journey. We passed through Meatoberfest, and the group was pleased having to sample the ale and meat around. After doing some nearby events, we pushed south, through the refugee roads and helping NPCs along the way. One of our friends pointed out this hidden strawberry garden down at Nolan where the Lion Road ends. As we reached the gates of the massive Black Citadel, we entered the nearby Town of Nolan. Fireflies everywhere. It was night and we enjoyed the sights for a while. Then I pointed out the area where the secret garden was. After some embarrassing tries, I told the group that I forgot how to do the jumps to reach the pipe as I usually just fly in with a Skyscale. We ferried our flightless friends with our Siege Turtles and finally entered the pipe. “Wow.” The secret strawberry garden is one of the best sights in all of GW2. We climbed up and picked some strawberries, then suddenly our Norn friend told us, “I wanna die here.” Surprisingly, it was his first time seeing this place in all his years in GW2. What about Ebonhawke? Apparently, this is good a place as any to log off for good. The strawberry garden being the final thing you see before leaving Tyria. We gathered around our Norn friend, all 6 of us at that point. He thanked us for coming with him, even giving the group some gifts. I took the screenshot above. Later, I received a mail: a specific amount of gold, silver, and copper. It was all he had left. We said our goodbyes, but back in Queensdale, I once said to them that no one’s actually leaving Tyria. Even if you’re gone for 10 years, Tyria will always be here. That’s the beauty of this game, and isn’t as easily replicated in many other MMOs. Who can often claim that after a long hiatus, you log in exactly where you left off and you can continue again from there? Even if you were gone for too long, the strawberries will always be there.
This was the single best experience I ever had in this game so far. I randomly walked out of Divinity’s Reach and was led to an adventure of 3-4 hours. I felt that I had to share with you all.
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