The goal is narrative immersion, which is the main factor I personally enjoy when gaming.
The idea came to me after reading so many comments about if people are "enjoying" this or that game, and what is their motivator to play. Fundamentally, it depends on what level of immersion you enjoy.
People who really enjoy PVP are looking for more Tactical immersion, which means they get a warm fuzzy when performing actions that involve reflex and skill that are rewarded with success over another player.
WvW is Strategic immersion, like a huge game of chess, and gives warm fuzziness to people who enjoy finding broader solutions and strategies...more in depth tactical immersion comes from the Dagger Squads.
Narrative immersion is what we'll be primarily focused on, or what would happen if I read the game like I am reading a book.
We'll meet outside the gate as friends and follow the road if we chose. We do not open the mini map. You play off of what is in your characters field of view. That part is actually Spatial immersion, or how well the world around you character is made to keep you on track and occupied while still feeling "free", a tremendous challenge for any designer and something I feel Anet did very well on.
Granted, the are not the only reasons people are motivated to play. Some folks just enjoy the fellowship interaction and some get satisfaction from leading others around, some like crafting and giving in game presents and some enjoy writing about their experiences. Our website here rewards and records those :). Some folks are simply completionists who want to experience "everything".
Knowing what motivates you to play can really help keep you happy with your gaming! For example, I really enjoyed WvW in Warhammer because of the way the battlegrounds were natural extensions of each zone. To me, that is uber-win. I can take my character to an area to quest, and if the cry arises on the battleground I can run to my friends to assist. Very fluid, very natural and no loss of my characters immersion.
In GW2 I have to queue for an instanced zone, which is not representative of any particular zone on the PVE map. With all three Borderlands being identical except for cosmetic differences, its very hard for me to retain interest. That does not mean it's a bad experience, just for me it does not reward my play style on a high level. I can only do it for so long, and am there for the fellowship. I do hope ESO has a more narrative immersive pvp (or wvw) experience.
» Edited on: 2013-04-26 04:33:30