I think stories are one of the most compelling and influential aspects of games. A story keep you engaged and alert; it allows you to step into another dimension and experience a world, a life, a being outside yourself. It’s through such stories within games that cause people to continuously work towards the next level and achieve higher statuses. Theses narratives not only give individuals more information, but they also provide an avenue to engage with one’s character. Such usage within online games is also crucial as it creates real meaningful online relationships between players. Not only is the story engaging a player to its plot but it also opens up opportunities for gamers to create a sense of community where they can discuss and express themselves within such a context.

During Guild Wars 2, I was specially fascinated with my avatars story (Sylvari) and realized that, for the most part, games begin with a dilemma which almost always acts like a cry for help. Something bad has happened, a wrong needs to be righted, someone needs saving – they all lead to the ultimate goal of the ‘happily ever after.’ I found myself reading into the script of the story; any chance I got to speak to the other avatars during a mission, I would do so. The one-to-one conversations were particularly interesting as they kept me updated and in-tuned to the plot. I felt this to be a  motivating factor to successfully complete the missions while attaining the drive to learn about the other possibilities and of a potential happy ending. As each level progressively developed, I was being fed more and more information on the condition of my surroundings and what I needed to do to help and save my people. 

Through such stories, I learned to be a better participant. Often times I would get lost or stray away but found that the stories would continue to get repeated. Some would say that’s annoying but I felt that it kept me engaged and on track to successfully achieve the next level.