Guild Wars 2

I would like to know, for roleplaying reasons.

Even though I did not see any telescopes, or any kind of hint in-game that may reflect on astronomy.

Thoughts?

Probably not. Astronomy doesn’t seem to be a big thing in Tyria, and the Charr seem to be a more practical, down-to-earth kind of race. With Asura? Maybe. Humans? Maybe. But those are the only two aces who might use Astronomy as something other than looking at the stars and going “Ooh, pretty stars”.

I have a feeling it’s something that they could do but aren’t interested in for the lack of practical uses it offers so far.

I imagine a navigator or scout would have a familiar knowledge of stars. It might even be basic survival training in the fahrar.

The Charr race might be into astronomy and those type of charr’s that would be into that stuff would mostly likely be in the Priory Order. The same goes for Norn race as well. As an individual charr or norn to be into astronomy…I can say the chances of that can be 1-10% if they get the influence from someone or they get into it themselves.

Malomedies, the cycle of Night Luminari is an astronomer. So we know the sylvari are atleast interested in it to some degree. but as Hyena said, any sea navigator or sailor would have a basic knowlege of the stars. I origionaly thought any scout would too but stars aren’t needed for land navigation so that’s up in the air. Charr may prefer to use their sense of smell and familiarity with land marks to navigate over land. Who knows? but they may. Personaly, they don’t seem like the “astronomer type”.

Any kind of navigation would be terribly problematic without astronomy. I vote yes, they do. It would be pretty much relevant to any kind of long distance travel.

Would they get all gluey eyed over it? Likely not.

Ramethzero.3785:

Any kind of navigation would be terribly problematic without astronomy. I vote yes, they do. It would be pretty much relevant to any kind of long distance travel.

Would they get all gluey eyed over it? Likely not.

Ehhh. The land nav they teach in the U.S. military doesn’t use astronomy. Knowing north south east and west while using landmarks is more intuitive to land nav. Astronomy really shines when there are no land marks. Like on the water.

Thank you for your replies.

Now, for the unique snowflake’s sake, let’s say that a charr in the Priory met a twig(Sylvari) and befriended it. That Sylvari is into study of the stars, but not just for navigation, this Sylvari, and its group of interested individuals, seek knowledge beyond the stars. Studying the true nature of space and the meaning of the existance of everything around them. And trough a lot of chatter and bonding the charr gets interested aswell, and, as a result, creates for itself a new hobby. Astronomy. Deep space study of celestial objects type of astronomy, not just star navigation.

Not too far fetched, is it?

Dustfinger.9510:

Ramethzero.3785:

Any kind of navigation would be terribly problematic without astronomy. I vote yes, they do. It would be pretty much relevant to any kind of long distance travel.

Would they get all gluey eyed over it? Likely not.

Ehhh. The land nav they teach in the U.S. military doesn’t use astronomy. Knowing north south east and west while using landmarks is more intuitive to land nav. Astronomy really shines when there are no land marks. Like on the water.

You can figure out direction by using the stars. Two sticks in the ground at night is more or less the same thing as a compass, assuming you have clear view of a clear sky.

Dustfinger.9510:

Ramethzero.3785:

Any kind of navigation would be terribly problematic without astronomy. I vote yes, they do. It would be pretty much relevant to any kind of long distance travel.

Would they get all gluey eyed over it? Likely not.

Ehhh. The land nav they teach in the U.S. military doesn’t use astronomy. Knowing north south east and west while using landmarks is more intuitive to land nav. Astronomy really shines when there are no land marks. Like on the water.

The US military is also a modern day military that uses computers and satellite networks. Cartography relies heavily upon direction and distance referencing, and without maps you’re shooting in the dark on long trips. Charr should have access to something as simple as a compass, so that + accurate maps should equal success. Astrology would have really lent itself to the beginning of all that.

Ice.5162:

Not too far fetched, is it?

Not too far fetched at all in my eyes, and it need not entirely be species based in origin. You could have just been a dreamy eyed Charr that wanted to know what was beyond the dark in the skies, and didn’t need a spiritual or religious experience to contain your ideas about the stars.

Studying astrology could lead to others things as well. Math and Physics I figure are all well entrenched in Charr culture as it relates to engineering and war. This could also provide the gateway to more powerful ballistics and rocketry.

Though I highly doubt Anet had any intentions of sending Charr Rockets into space.

Granted, people in RP do really strange things. There is a huge trend of people right now claiming up land, taverns, and giving themselves arbitrary nobility titles for special snowflake status without any sort of in game structure that allows it. So.. at this point in time, you can pretty much do whatever you like, everyone else is.

/Shrug. Just my two cents.

Ramethzero.3785:

Studying astrology could lead to others things as well. Math and Physics I figure are all well entrenched in Charr culture as it relates to engineering and war. This could also provide the gateway to more powerful ballistics and rocketry.

Astrology leading to WMD… now that would be amusing. I think you mean astronomy however.

I wouldn’t see the charr caring much about astonomy. Practicality is basically the byword for the charr, and at this point in history studying the stars (beyond simply knowing where they are for navigation purposes) has no clear practical applications. Asura, humans, and sylvari all have interests in Tyria’s place in the greater universe that would lead them to study the stars, but the typical charr response towards studying the stars is probably along the lines of “Couldn’t we be doing something useful?”

An individual charr might grow a fascination with astronomy, especially one in the Priory to begin with, but I don’t think we’ll be seeing any charr observatories being constructed any time soon.

Kerithlan.1659:

You can figure out direction by using the stars. Two sticks in the ground at night is more or less the same thing as a compass, assuming you have clear view of a clear sky.

Right, it can be done but it isn’t always done because there are other reliable ways.

Ramethzero.3785:

The US military is also a modern day military that uses computers and satellite networks. Cartography relies heavily upon direction and distance referencing, and without maps you’re shooting in the dark on long trips. Charr should have access to something as simple as a compass, so that + accurate maps should equal success. Astrology would have really lent itself to the beginning of all that.

The US military also teaches basic land nav without the technology. they teach you to recognize diections without maps or stars. (basic rules like rising and setting of the sun/moss on trees/counting your steps/correcting your natural gait). astronomy is pretty obsolete unless you go a vast distance because the sky is so huge. And on land there are more reliable ways to get the same results.

Astronomy shines when traveling on the sea because your going so far and there is nothing else to go by. But you don’t need to map the stars to go north, fall asleep then decide to go west and still know where you are in relation to where you were.

LameFox.6349:

Astrology leading to WMD… now that would be amusing. I think you mean astronomy however.

Uh, yeah.. pardon that. lol

Dustfinger.9510:

The US military also teaches basic land nav without the technology. they teach you to recognize diections without maps or stars. (basic rules like rising and setting of the sun/moss on trees/counting your steps/correcting your natural gait). astronomy is pretty obsolete unless you go a vast distance because the sky is so huge. And on land there are more reliable ways to get the same results.

The longer distances were my argument for Astronomy. Short trips are not that tough at all, as you have said. Furthermore, the system of roads in Tyria alone can make those short trips even easier.

Ramethzero.3785:

The longer distances were my argument for Astronomy. Short trips are not that tough at all, as you have said. Furthermore, the system of roads in Tyria alone can make those short trips even easier.

I thin kw eare in more agreement than we think. We may be arguing two diffrent sides of the same coin.

It’s common knowledge That Charr do have hobbies they indulge in when off duty, be it taking care of a garden or raising a pet to participating in the arena. Let’s be honest; if there is a Charr who tries to catapult cows to transport them as food, I wouldn’t doubt there’s a Charr out there who likes astronomy.

In fact, it may turn out they’re one and the same.

Even their hobbies tend to be aimed towards a practical purpose, however – growing food, training an animal, practicing for combat, or developing a new means of food delivery. I could see a charr taking up telescope design as a hobby, but if they point it to the sky at all it’d be more likely to be as a yardstick of how good their telescope was… and their target would be something portable enough to use on the field, not something like a two-metre reflecting telescope mounted in what’s effectively a bunker. (After all, that’s a waste of a perfectly good giant howitzer mount!)

Dustfinger.9510:

Kerithlan.1659:

You can figure out direction by using the stars. Two sticks in the ground at night is more or less the same thing as a compass, assuming you have clear view of a clear sky.

Right, it can be done but it isn’t always done because there are other reliable ways.

That doesn’t mean it isn’t taught or looked at. The Boy Scouts still teach this as one of their survival techniques, for example. Sorry that you’re stuck in a US Military rut though.

Kerithlan.1659:

That doesn’t mean it isn’t taught or looked at. The Boy Scouts still teach this as one of their survival techniques, for example. Sorry that you’re stuck in a US Military rut though.

Rut? My whole point is that astronmy isn’t neccesary in land navigation. I’ve demonstrated that point. Never did i claim that no one uses it in navigation. Never did I claim it wasn’t helpful. in fact i’ve given instances where it is absolutly neccesary in navigation.