Guild Wars 2's latest patch kicks off a "living story"

According to ArenaNet, the latest Guild Wars 2 patch - Flame & Frost Prelude - sees the birth of the game's new "living story". It's small, pink and wriggly at the moment, but the developers plan for it to grow over many updates into a tale that could result in dramatic changes to the world of Tyria. A post on the ArenaNet blog explains the Living Story team's plan.

"The job of the Living Story team is to bring the world to life," writes narrative designer Angel McCoy. "On an ongoing basis, we'll spin out story threads that will introduce you to new heroic characters, mysterious plot twists, and dramatic moments that affect the world."

With Flame & Frost, that story is only being hinted at. "You can participate by volunteering to help the refugees streaming down from the Shiverpeaks in both the Wayfarer Foothills and Diessa Plateau. These refugees have lost their homes and their loved ones. They're arriving in the Black Citadel and Hoelbrak with little more than the clothes and battered armor on their backs."

McCoy claims that each portion of the story will be available for a limited period of time, but will have a repercussions on the world. "The Living Story is simultaneously transitory and permanent. As the story arcs play out, the tale evolves." To ensure you don't miss out on anything, a new Living Story Achievements category will guide you to the relevant characters and locations.

"Story arcs will play out over time. You won't necessarily know how long an arc is, and some could take months to fully unfold. We're weaving many plot threads together to make one big cohesive world, a river of story, a living world."

Thanks, Massively .