Confession time: I have a love of maps and cartography that borders on a fetish. Back before proper in-game maps were common, my study was overflowing with graph paper covered in labyrinthine mazes and maps of towns, and I often found myself ignoring school work in favour of doodling my own maps of fantasy lands plucked out of my own noggin. Right now, my mouse mat is currently a giant map of the world, and several random maps are scattered across my walls and floor. Yeah, I’ve got a problem.
So I feel confident in saying that ArenaNet is an enabler. Not only does Guild Wars 2 have an absolutely lavish map that I lose myself in every time I look at it, the developer has put up a new interactive map on its site, which is “designed to lead fans through a process of discovery that illustrates the game’s current living world storyline.” The bastards.
The map tells a story. Investigating the different lands of Tyria, you’ll uncover audio clips, videos and art that puts together the yarn that ArenaNet has been fleshing out over the last year.
“It’s a narrative that began more than a year ago when players first recognised Scarlet as the enemy, seeing her become a major threat to Tyria and ultimately rally an army of dark allies to attack Lion’s Arch,” says ArenaNet.
As the first, year-long, season of Guild Wars 2’s Living World draws to a close, they seem to be pulling out all the stops. Titanic boss battles, Lion’s Arch in flames – it’s all rather dramatic. In The Battle for Lion’s Arch, due out on March 4th, you’ll finally discover what the nefarious Scarlet Briar’s goals are.
The battle will see Scarlet continue her assault on Lion’s Arch with her armies devastating the ancient city with foul war machines. “Central to her attack has been a massive airship drill, which as the video reveals continues to hover over the city and bore deep beneath its surface,” ArenaNet explains. “In a fitting end, the trailer becomes a call to arms, exhorting players to “gather as one and take back Lion’s Arch”, the historic yet now devastated city dating back to the first Guild Wars”