My general theory in any MMO in-game setting is that it is representational but not all-inclusive. We can run from the Monastery to Beetletun or to the Godslost outpost very quickly, yet we see caravans setting out as if it is a long and arduous journey. We can see a few houses where there should be thousands of them. I remember in the fall of LA, per ANet tens of thousands died in the attack — and old LA in game was a very small thematic beach resort with room to house a few dozen.
Thus Queensdale in game is a compact sample of Queensdale in Tyria. One should, imo, safely assume there to be many more small towns and fortresses than we see, longer roads and vaster forests.
So…mechanic-wise, yes; lore-wise, not so much, is what it seems to be.
It is exactly this. Just imagine, if you will, that Tyria is the Americas (North, Middle, and south). Let’s take a chunk of that, Frosgorge to Orr. Now imagine walking from Hudson Bay Canada (Northern edge of Frostgorge) to Cape Horn Chile (Southern edge of Orr). Not such a fun walk to make, nor explore fully, in the time most people would be willing or able to put into a game. Not exactly practical. Thus shrinking down of what would otherwise be massive expanses is needed for reasonable gameplay. So, as said; Mechanic wise it is the entire map. Lore wise these areas are massive beyond the scope.
Can tell for yourself just how different they are lore to mechanic by reading the “Edge of Destiny” novel and then going to play the areas they go through. Ebonhawk to Ascalon takes them several days/weeks and is a hard journey. Where as we can walk from Cursed Shore to Frostgorge Sounds in less than an hour with little to no danger.
Can tell for yourself just how different they are lore to mechanic by reading the “Edge of Destiny” novel and then going to play the areas they go through. Ebonhawk to Ascalon takes them several days/weeks and is a hard journey. Where as we can walk from Cursed Shore to Frostgorge Sounds in less than an hour with little to no danger.
Every time I go to the Dragonbrand I find myself thinking of that. To them crossing it was a massive undertaking, if I remember correctly they were hoping to be able to do it within one day because they didn’t want to be there in the dark, and just about made it because they were attacked in the middle. It’s the same for the Sentinels in the game, they spend ages carefully planning a trip into the Brand and make a big deal of crossing it without using their bridge.
Meanwhile I’ll often zig zag across it several times in an hour without really think about it, until I remember the book. Sometimes I cross it just to get to a gathering node, or speak to an NPC.
But distances seem very inconsistent in Lore. In Chapter 4 of Tyrian Travels Vikki says she crossed the Krytan border at twilight and got all the way to Shaemoor in the same evening, just as the moa keepers were putting the flock to bed. That’s all the way across Kessex Hills and the southern half of Queensdale. I just timed it and (going around Viathan Lake) to the west, which is the shorter path it took me 8 minutes to reach Shaemoor Garrison and another 3 to reach the moa ranch. That’s following the roads and without a speed boost, but also not stopping for anything, whereas Vikki apparently spoke to several people. The timing fits the story but doesn’t fit at all with other lore, where just part of that (like going from Altar Brook Trading Post to Claypool is apparently a long journey).
Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).
To be fair they had to go a very round-about route because of the charr, Stone Summit and geography at the time. They went from Ascalon city up to Yak’s Bend (which is in Frostgorge Sound) and then all the way down to the northern edge of Lornar’s Pass before going slightly north again into Kryta and then south to Lion’s Arch.
These days there’s a pretty much straight path across the mountains through Wayfarer’s and Snowden.
Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).
I’m not sure why people are saying that the Queensdale map isn’t all of Queensdale. Stories that don’t take place within the game probably take creative license in order to make a several-hundred-page book more interesting. Just like any story that is portrayed in different media will not be exactly the same in both media.
The important thing is that the game came first so I’m not sure how you can say it is the game that is lacking.
it’s this luck based mystic toilet that we’re all so sick of flushing our money down. -Salamol
I’m not sure why people are saying that the Queensdale map isn’t all of Queensdale. Stories that don’t take place within the game probably take creative license in order to make a several-hundred-page book more interesting. Just like any story that is portrayed in different media will not be exactly the same in both media.
The important thing is that the game came first so I’m not sure how you can say it is the game that is lacking.
The question is how big the land is in lore, and that is clearly much bigger than what we see in game. Take a look at https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Talk:Tyria_(world)#Size for Konig’s mention that "Even so. In GW1, Scorpion Wire gave a measurement and I used that to measure the continent of Tyria, and got about 1.5 miles by 2 miles. Presented to devs and got “nope, it’s way bigger in lore.” " — I cannot find a dev comment directly stating this right now but I’m sure they’re out there, as for any MMO.
Did you see Warcraft? Whatever its (many) flaws, it showed Stormwind as a metropolis sprawling much more vastly than in game, it showed Goldshire as a long ride from the city, Elwynn Forest as a true many-miles woods with settlements far away from the seat of human power. That’s the idea here. Kryta cannot in-character be jogged across in a few minutes.
To be fair they had to go a very round-about route because of the charr, Stone Summit and geography at the time. They went from Ascalon city up to Yak’s Bend (which is in Frostgorge Sound) and then all the way down to the northern edge of Lornar’s Pass before going slightly north again into Kryta and then south to Lion’s Arch.
These days there’s a pretty much straight path across the mountains through Wayfarer’s and Snowden.
