Guild Wars 2′s most current patch kicks off a "living story"

In accordance with ArenaNet, the most recent Guild Wars 2 patch - Flame & Frost Prelude - sees the birth of the Guild Wars 2 gold game's new "living story". It is nominal, pink & 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 weblog 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 impact the world."

With Flame and Frost, that story is only being hinted at. "You could participate by volunteering to help the refugees streaming down from the Shiverpeaks in both the Wayfarer Foothills & Diessa Plateau. These refugees have lost their residences & 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 restricted period of time, nevertheless 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 something, a brand 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, & a few could take months to fully unfold. We're weaving quite a few plot threads together to make 1 massive cohesive world, a river of story, a living world."