The latest blog post from ArenaNet is up at the official Guild Wars 2 site. This time Curtis Johnson does the honors and spends his time discussing the issue of personality in Guild Wars 2. As Johnson states, "In persistent game worlds, NPCs commonly get the all the good lines and dialogue, and the player character is more of a flat character that is passing through with very fixed or very little emotion."
In Guild Wars 2, a player's actions will have an effect on the world around him. Choosing to end a dialog with an NPC with a punch in the face will result in being known and treated as a barbarian. Helping the little old lady across the street might result in a player being seen as noble and kind.
Unlike more traditional single player RPGs, a player's dialog choices don't restrict or close content. As in real life, sometimes a player character will have a bad day and treat people accordingly. Similarly, a player may have a great day or perhaps have one of those days when being sly and underhanded is the rule.
Going back to that little old lady: The day you helped her across the street, for instance, you are seen as kind and noble. But perhaps the day after, you cheated a bunch of folks out of their hard-earned cash. Meeting that little old lady again will result in a different reaction from her. Personality is not set in stone.
And then Johnson talks about something called 'karma points':
Personality is one of the primary ways you will cash in on karma rewards earned by participating in events and helping other players with their personal stories. While most interactions are free or of a minimal cost, there are many opportunities to impose your personality on the world for significant reward. Doing so requires you to have earned some karma first, but it can save you a lot of gold.
For example, in the persistent world you may find a norn mercenary who likes your style and decides to follow you exclusively for a while, without charging his normal fee. Along the way, you might talk a farmer into parting with some strength-granting pies, or you may even meet a local dignitary who offers to double your experience gain or boost your speed for a short time. Personality rewards can be beneficial, prestigious, and even humorous—like the farmer who is willing to give you a jar of bees to throw at your enemies.
Lastly, Johnson talks about how personality will help players earn titles through their interactions with others.
Want it straight from Johnson himself? Head here.
