I'd say that the fast update cycle means that the disappointment doesn't get to ferment for long, rather than the hype.
It can go both ways, but you're right; if a less than stellar update comes along, you never really have long to wait until something new comes along. The most disappointing update for so far was the SAB 2, but that at least had Ascended weapons, Magic Find and Scarlet's Invasions were still relatively new from the last update. But even then, we didn't have long to wait for the Taco revamp to sweep in (literally) and shake things up.
My money remains on the Ring of Fire islands and I would be so very happy to see it be so.
I'd be okay with any new zone, given that the last time they added one we got the Labyrinthine Cliffs and that was just tops.
Are these related to the final event? Who knows!
I think Scarlet is engineering an army (since the Toxic Hybrid was a new form of life) that incorporates elements from the various factions she's created. One theory on reddit suggested she didn't actually see the Eternal Alchemy, but because Rata Sum lies along a ley line of dragon energy, she basically got a full dose of a dragon in her head, and she's become it's minion.
I see the molten alliance as a source of weaponry and armor, the toxic alliance as a source of life and the watchwork knights as a form of control. Based on the Nightmare Ends instance, I think the Inquest (via the Aetherblades) provided tech support (since it seems like their device was mostly about data collection) and camouflage (since it mentions Aetheric energy is similar to mesmer magic).
It's wrapping up though, so we'll see.
Welp, it was inevitable. Due to new players entering via Queensdale, and coming across the train, they're now starting to spread to other areas as they level up and ask "where's the train for this zone". Starting to see this in all the zones around Queensdale, or other starter zones, as people enter thinking this is the norm.
Disgusting.
Not happening anytime soon but I want Cantha for an expansion... I think one of strongest point of Guild Wars 2 was art design and atmosphere landscape, i.e. Zephyr Sanctum, the festive events. Good luck to them on the living story though.
I still don't understand why it has to be Living Story
or an expansion (it can be both), or why the Living Story can't deliver expansion-style content. Southsun and Labyrinthine Cliffs both show that they can and have added new zones, though there's obviously some growing pains with the tech (in terms of the former) and permanence (in terms of the latter).
The interview with Chris Whiteside seems to boil down to "We had a great first year, but we've learned a lot and you'll see that in the near future." I still say this is the calm before the storm and the next couple of months will be interesting.
