In the early levels of the game, I felt little emotional engagement with the narrative because I was merely instructed to defend the village of Shaemoor against the attacking centaurs with no incentives or understanding of my position in the Krytan nation. However, as I witnessed my character’s death time and time again, I developed an aversion to, and even felt distress upon, encountering a centaur, despite still having minimal knowledge about the nation I was defending. The information conveyed by the Non Player Characters (NPCs) – the centaurs, the Commanders, the Lieutenants – automatically inserts my character on a ‘side’; I am to stand with the Krytan humans and defend them against the enemy centaurs and thieving bandits, made clear by the tasks I am given. Guild Wars 2 strategically uses its NCPs to influence the players’ engagement with the narrative; I, myself, began feeling emotionally connected to my own character, as well as to the NPCs, whether my emotions were positive or not.
NCPs who were not central to the story were used to create an atmosphere in the game. For example, while running through the Upper City in Divinity’s Reach, I encountered many human citizens who would convey to one another their worries about the Seraph’s ability to defend and protect the nation, evoking in me a sense of worry and creating a chaotic atmosphere. Additionally, the decisions that I was responsible for making for my character prompted my emotional investment into the narrative – I experienced feelings of stress, fear, sadness, distaste, and loyalty as I made choices that I felt dictated my character’s Living Story (whether or not my decisions actually influence the outcome of the story, I am unsure of). I felt increasingly compelled to engage with the narrative components of the game, gaining an interest in the backstory of the characters, NPCs and my own, and the land that they were living on, and I found myself researching the lore of the game.
I am torn in the problematic/unproblematic digital games debate: for one, I think the violent narrative in games like GW2 are problematic in the ways it can desensitize the player from acts of cruelty, but I also believe that digital games provide players a space to express feelings of aggression or anger that they experience prior to playing the game. However, I do think it is worthwhile to study the narrative of the game. MMORPGs like GW2 reach large numbers of people, and as digital storytellers, have to the ability to influence the way players perceive their own realities. Just as books, movies, and other forms of narrative mediums, the stories conveyed in games can work to perpetuate and reinforce certain ideologies and stereotypes that can have real-life, material consequences. For myself, the story is mostly told through visual media. Being able to see the landscape and environment that the narrative exists allows me develop a closer connection to it because it invites me to see myself in that world.