In this post I will detail some of my opinions of what I think might happen with the future of the franchise and what we could expect story-wise from expansions and the like. I have used a map of the entire Tyrian world to extend the possibilities of what can be achieved, I doubt that all of these will be incorporated into the game (would mean an incredibly long lifespan for GW2 considering the size of some areas) but to me seem like feasible ideas that could make it.
Key:
Orange = Tyria (current GW2 area)
Red = Elona
Blue = Cantha
Green = Delta
Yellow = Summit
White = The Northern Lands
Purple = The Sunken Ruins
As to better understand some of the story and where fights with Elder Dragons take place, this map shows the areas of influence of each of the ED’s:
Key:
White box = Zhaitan
Purple line = Kralkatorrik
Blue line = Jormag
Red line = Primordius
Green line = "Bubbles" aka Deep Sea Dragon
Tyria is already set and for the majority of us we know roughly how the story is going to pan out, so I will not elaborate any ideas on Tyrian story.
Elona
I expect that Elona will be the first of the expansions to be released, this is because 1) it is physically next to Tyria and 2) because it was part of the original game.
New playable races? No
New playable professions? Yes, the Dervish. I predict that the dervish will make its comeback from the original game, being an adventurer in profession.
New weapon types? Yes, to go along with the Dervish. Together these two could bring in an adventurer profession that focuses more than the others on AoE.
Objectives:
-Defeat/quell Kralkatorrik
-Defeat Plawa Joko
-Re-establish Istan as home of the Sunspears
I see Istan currently being occupied by the last of the forces dedicated to keeping Palawa Joko suppressed, but is facing overwhelming pressure from his undead forces. It will most likely be human orientated as travel to the island will not have been easy. Where the mainland Nightfall took place and to the area East of this, I can see being completely under the control of Palawa Joko, save for a few well kept outposts on the shoreline. The majority of the scenery would be ruin-spotted desert and sand dunes; as the Elon was dammed by Palawa to choke the human population it would have had a catastrophic effect on the land, destroying what little vegetation was already there. The lands to the far East would be sulphurous with perhaps a small aquatic species settlement on the archipelago off of the East coast (possibly Quaggan).
The Northern region of Elona (to the East of what would be the Crystal Desert) I can see being dominated by Kralkatorrik and his forces. The land would have turned to amethyst like that of The Dragonbrand, and would be where we faced off against the dragon himself.
Cantha
If there is a Canthan expansion in the future then It could almost be anywhere along the positions of released expansions due to it being a stand-alone continent in Tyria. However I think that it will be the second expansion due to the fact it was part of the original Guild Wars series.
New playable races? Yes, the Tengu
New playable professions? No
New weapon types? No
Objectives:
-Topple the Imperial Empire
-Ensure Tengu freedom throughout the continent
The Northern bulk of the continent, Including the Jade Sea and the Echovald Forest are under strict Imperial rule. Kaineng Centre has evolved from a small run-down city of sorts, with its stacked slums and shanties; to a fully-fledged and thriving imperial citadel. The Palace which stands proud above the surrounding citadel would be home and headquarters to the Emperor and the imperial ministry. The palace itself would be a highly fortified area, possibly a dungeon in the expansion. Shing Jea Island has now become a peninsula due to Zhaitan’s uprising and the same effects which flooded Lion’s Arch.
The lower section of the continent is cut off from the north by a mountain range which is occupied by many Yeti, the lower land to the South contain the descendents of those purged from the north by Emperor Usoku’s forces and even still the imperial ministry still tries to cull them altogether. The Southern Islands remain largely unexplored and with a few outposts, the largest and Southernmost Islands (including the pole island) are mostly lost to inhospitable conditions of snow, ice and wind.
Delta
Located to the Central-West on the continent of Tyria, it is easy to see a large delta water formation on the world map. This, to me, was the most striking thing about the map and I could imagine a lush rainforest environment set here.
New playable race? No
New playable profession? No
New weapon types? No
Objectives:
-Discover the true origins of the Sylvari
-Recover the Ancient Seeds of Being from deep within the forest
Ok so as previously stated, the area will be mostly covered in thick rainforest; in addition to that there are a large series of waterways in which underwater areas can be implemented. Where the shores meet the forest there will be mangroves containing a number of amphibious creatures (such as Hylek) and insects. Within the rainforests lurk sentient creatures known as Elim, these creatures tend to the forests and protect them; the creatures themselves taking on the form of bipedal trees (much in the same way the Ent did in LotR).
These creatures also have a special relationship to the Sylvari, being of the same genus; the most coveted role of an Elim is to tend to an Ancient Seed of Being. These seeds are said to take generations upon generations of even the long-lived Elim to sprout and flower, but doing so rewards the forest with renewed vigor and life, in which the forest expands and claims back land.
We later discover that there are 5 seeds in existence and around 250 years ago one of them was taken with no trace left behind, until the Sylvari emerged from the Pale Tree. The seed Ronan acquired and planted with Ventari turns out to be that seed, and the Sylvari were born out of the love given to the seed and the tree by Ronan and Ventari respectively.
The region, as yet is the only one not to experience the terrifying consequences of the Elder Dragon’s awakenings. However, deep within the forest all is not as peaceful as it may seem; the threat of the Mursaat is on the rise, along with their numbers. The last bastion of hope for the Mursatt seems to have bolstered their place within the world, and recent raids on the Elim have seen the last 4 Ancient seeds fall into Mursaat hands; it is yet unknown just what they plan on doing with them.
Summit
Summit is one of the smaller areas located to the South of the Delta, and contains the Crescent-moon mountain range, home of the highest point in all Tyria. It is here where a small group of people are trying to commune with an ancient power.
New playable races? No
New playable Professions? Yes, the Ritualist. Again an original profession from GW1, being a scholar and specialising in summoning mystic powers from The Mists to help them battle.
New weapon types? Yes, obelisks. These are like small, handheld portals with the power to summon energy and spirits from the mists.
Objectives
-Help commune with the power of an ancient race, the Seer.
-Defeat/quell “Bubbles”
The main feature of the area is the Crescent-moon mountain range, the range is rocky and arid and experiences no weather other than clear skies due to an ancient magic contained deep within the mountains themselves. Within this mountain range is the highest peak in Tyria and at the base of this peak are a group of ritualists trying to seek an audience with the ancient Seer, in order to help them overcome the Elder Dragons. The inhabitants of this area have had no outside contact with the world since the awakening of the Elder Dragons due to the perilous mountains to the North and the influence of “Bubbles” to the South.
In the body of water that lies between the mainland and the Southern islands, you can find the largest concentration of Krait in the world. The majority of which are hostile, but there are those who seek an aid in their battle with “Bubbles”. The Deep Sea Dragon is fought underwater here and the islands to the South remain wretched and corrupted by his influence.
The Northernlands
The original home and hunting grounds of the mighty Norn, most would have logically placed this expansion as the third as it would best represent the future of what happened regarding the Eye of the North expansion. However I think it would make more sense to place it around here as the story flows better from this point into the final area.
New playable race? Yes, the Kodan. Mighty, bipedal polar bears. Need I say more?
New playable profession? No
New weapon types? No
Objectives:
-Defeat/quell Jormag and the Sons of Svanir
-Help the Kodan rescue their main sanctuary
-Discover the secrets of the Eye of the North
The majority of the mainland is controlled by the forces of Jormag and Sons of Svanir, the scenery for the most part would consist of alpine forests and snow covered mountains to the South and icy tundra to the North. The Elder Dragon Jormag has spread his influence throughout the area and is located to the North-East, with his Champion Drakkar located in amore central position of the mainland. The shores of this area are dotted every so often with Kodan Sanctuaries, smaller parts of the bigger sanctuary which is the island looking place in the North West.
The problem with this Kodan stronghold is that it is actually a thick frozen sheet of ice, anchored to the sea bed by a colossal column of underwater ice. Due to the movements of the Elder Dragon Primordius in the South (purple continent), the sea around the sanctuary is heating and starting to melt apart both the ice sheet and the pillar of ice. If the ice sheet were to melt from the pillar, it would drift into the continent of tyria and cause huge coastal damage.
Sunken Ruins
This is where the Elder Dragon Primordius is currently residing, ancient Dwarven chambers beneath the North-Western island. He sends a constant stream of destroyers to the surface in order to wreak havoc on the area, but they are met by worthy opponents......
New playable races? Yes, the Stone Dwarves. Resilient creatures once made of flesh and bone turned to stone in the prelude of the battle with the Great Destroyer and remaining ever firm against Primordius and his minions, chasing them to the ends of the world.
New playable Professions? Yes, the Brawler. Taken as an inspiration from Kilroy Stonekin’s line of brawling quests, the brawler needs not edges of metal or shots of black powder (although he can utilize them if he so wishes); he simply uses brute force to drive his opponents into the ground and has plenty of that being a soldier profession.
New weapon types? Yes, to go with the brawler we have Knuckle Dusters, to give that punch the extra bit of oomph that you want it to have.
Objectives:
-Discover the past, present and future of the dwarven race
-Discover the ancient ruins of the dwarven people, which pre-date the Great Dwarf
-Force Primordius South
-Discover how to finally beat the Elder Dragons
-Beat the Elder Dragons
Ok so this one has a lot of water, most of the action here will take place underwater. The island to the North-West is occupied by Primordius and his magma army, and on the smaller island to the East of that, the Stone Dwarves have set up camp. Between the two islands there are points that almost reach known as the “Dual Pillars” where the two factions fight endlessly until Primordius moves on.
Some dwarven exploration teams have moved further South into the waters below the islands, in these depths the ruins of an ancient dwarven civilization have been discovered; the age of the findings have been pre-dated to that of the Great Dwarf, throwing all current known dwarven history into the air. Information within these sunken ruins tell the story of how the Great Dwarf came to be, by going through a process similar to the “ascension” of Kormir.
Within this expanse of water there is a ring of land; from the surface it just seems like an unnatural formation, but closer inspection beneath the waves discovers it to be an ancient volcano. Stone readings from dwarven settlements around the base of the volcano indicate that the last time the volcano erupted; it shaped the continents into what they are today. The force of this eruption was so great that it physically pushed the volcano and the surrounding land into the sea, flooding and almost wiping out the ancient dwarven race.
Accounts of those that survived tell of five beings born from the volcano, five beings able to shape the world in the same way the volcano was able to, five Elder Dragons. Dwarven legend also tells of a solution to the dragon problem, a long shot of ridding the world from the tyranny of the dragons; by defeating them in the very place they entered the world.
Ok so that wraps it all, up and please remember that these are just some individual opinions and possibilities for the future of GW2.