Guild Wars 2

Title says it all, where’s our pollen? Is it a bug that it’s gone, is it intentional, is it coming back? It was small, but one of my favourite things about the race.

For those that don’t know, Sylvari in beta used to have a particle effect around them, similar to what the Pale Tree has now but toned down as to be more subtle. It would gather about you when you stood still, and poof off you when you walked. It was beautiful, and I miss it.

Agreed. It was a subtle thing I noticed in beta, but I imagine it has to do with generating too many particles when a lot of sylvari are around. Rendering all of those particles would slow any computer.

I’m allergic to myself. ;_;

I didn’t have issues with it on my computer, but I can see where others would have. Simple fix though. Make it like shadows.., if a person want to see it turn it on for all characters, if not leave it off for all characters. That way everyone is happy, those that hate it and those that love it.

Nayukhuut.4269:

I didn’t have issues with it on my computer, but I can see where others would have. Simple fix though. Make it like shadows.., if a person want to see it turn it on for all characters, if not leave it off for all characters. That way everyone is happy, those that hate it and those that love it.

I haven’t noticed a UI option for particle rendering (assuming the pollen was even rendered as particles), so that would be something they’d have to code for too.

Keep in mind that beta didn’t have the population of players we have to contend with today. 30+ sylvari standing around in one little area all generating pollen particles would be a nightmare. So as you say, and assuming they were particles, they’d have to include the option to turn them down—or off completely.

Wow I never noticed this! Maybe they feel that the bioluminescence is good enough?

I always thought it would be funny if your player became rooted to the ground if they stood in a single spot for a while

I hated that in the beta. I hope to never see it again

i never saw it and i was in all 3 beta weekends

I was too busy to play the beta, but if what you say is true, well then i want them back. its will make us stand out from the rest of the races, not that we don’t stand.

I miss it to, I loved the effects of sparkling glow in the dark salads and having the water effects on my weapon i would love to see the sparkles with them

I don’t think it was for technical reasons as there are many limits that you could place upon it. I suspect it had more to do with preference.

I would like to see the pollen make its return as well.

I never noticed this in beta, but I’m genuinely interested.
Bioluminiscence is awesome and all, but it’s not enough now that I know this.

catqeer.1954:

i never saw it and i was in all 3 beta weekends

It was only in BWE3 and in subsequent stress tests, and even then it was only if you were zoomed in far enough. If you were zoomed all the way out it didn’t show on you, or on other Sylvari.

Odd thing about taking it out. I originally thought it was a bug since you can still see it in certain situations, least you could when I did the quests. Both the quests that gave me disguises (nightmare court and human bandit) showed my pollen, it was only when I was my beautiful self that nothing shows.

I hated it, and hope it never comes back I would rather have us glow all day then have the sparkles come back.

Zesbeer.8365:

I hated it, and hope it never comes back I would rather have us glow all day then have the sparkles come back.

I say let us glow all day + add the pollen. That’d be twice as awesome.

i really want to know what are you talking about. anyone has a picture of it?

Go talk to the Pale Tree in the Grove, it was kinda like that but toned down a lot. She has Super Pollen, we had the baby version.

Let’s all go around silently screwing each other ;P

I want my pollen back, too. :<

Does anyone else find the idea of female sylvari spreading pollen kinda disturbing?

Technically, pollen is plant equivalent of sperm.

Technically, but their gender doesn’t really have much meaning for them and neither serves any specific purpose because they’re all born from the Pale Tree and haven’t been able to reproduce otherwise. So I think it doesn’t matter much.

So no, in this case I don’t find it disturbing.

I want it back more than anything :<

does anyone have a video of this so called pollen?

Formis Sage.2638:

Technically, but their gender doesn’t really have much meaning for them and neither serves any specific purpose because they’re all born from the Pale Tree and haven’t been able to reproduce otherwise. So I think it doesn’t matter much.

So no, in this case I don’t find it disturbing.

True. However, why should they have pollen then?

Red Jay.2516:

True. However, why should they have pollen then?

You could say the same about genitals and reproductive organs in general, primary and secondary sex characteristics both unnecessary in their case.

Though I doubt they even have the primary ones since they can’t reproduce like we do, or they have some equivalent but it’s naturally sterile. However there’s no reason to create it in the first place then.

Generally, in most fantasy environments, pollen is just a catch-all for “magic dust” (i.e. Tinkerbell), or mind-control, etc, and doesn’t really represent actual pollen in any way, considering sometimes it’s generally female characters (i.e. Poison Ivy).

It’d be nice if they gave it back to us, there is little visible difference between Sylvari and Human’s once they’re enclosed in armour.

Red Jay.2516:

Does anyone else find the idea of female sylvari spreading pollen kinda disturbing?

Technically, pollen is plant equivalent of sperm.

In reality most plants in our world are hermaphroditic. In that they have sexual characteristics from both genders. So if Sylvari females have pollen…

Food for thought, I guess.

Edit: Also to add to what was said above, for Sylvari gender essentially only affects outward appearance. It has little to nothing to do with who they actually are, how they act, or who they… do.

MotionBlue.9687:

It’d be nice if they gave it back to us, there is little visible difference between Sylvari and Human’s once they’re enclosed in armour.

Well, the same technically goes to Norn and human females if you make tall human or small Norn.
And all you have to do to distiquish Sylvari and humans at first glance is to either not display helmet or use Cultural Armor.
The pollen would nevertheless be nice (re-)addition.

I vote a big YES for pollen!
Make it to toggle off, for those who hate it.

I did not notice it, so hate that. Well then yes I want to back to.

Soo…. I tried to get some screenshots but the event is subtle so it doesn’t screen well. However, for those that wish to see it there is a heart in Caledon Forest that transforms you in the a Nightmare Court member. Take your Sylvari to that heart and wear the disguise. You can see the pollen while it is on, at least I can.

no shiny glowy flashy stuff. no thx. there are already way too much :P

That sounds awesome….. o.O. I never saw it, but if what you say is true they better bring it back.

It wasn’t flashy. It was a very subtle pollen puff that was pretty neat.

Like I said, I tried to get a picture but it just is so subtle that is doesn’t come across well. Anyway, here is my little Ele in her Nightmare Court disguise, it’s the glowy stuff puffing off her. The picture doesn’t do it justice though.

I suddenly have to wonder if sylvari have allergies.

I miss the pollen and I want it back

It usually showed up the most when you started running from a stand-still position. It would leave a little -poof- of pollen behind floating in the air before fading into the wind.

DrakeWurrum.6049:

I suddenly have to wonder if sylvari have allergies.

More like would it be rude if a human was allergic to Sylvari?

You do realize spewing pollen from you as you run means you are gushing sperm everywhere, regardless of gender right?

Icarus Pherae.4680:

You do realize spewing pollen from you as you run means you are gushing sperm everywhere, regardless of gender right?

Sounds… AWESOME.