Guild Wars 2

Heya, guys.
- I just came to wonder about something here the other day. Actually, it has been in my mind for some time. Anyhow, what is your take on the look of Guild Wars 2?

- Now, before you answer, I am not talking about the graphics here.
I played GW1 and I was surprised to find, say, Kryta having a completely different feel as opposed to the first game. The look of Kryta in GW1 was more tropical, and I actually liked it that way. The look in GW2 is more the standard rural woodlands, and although charming, I don’t look at it as an improvement.
- Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of Guild Wars 2, but to be honest, I would have preferred if the zones would remain true to their original design. If they wanted a more traditional kingdom with woodlands surrounding it, they might as well have migrated the Ascalonians north into the Woodland Cascades and have them settled there, and then have kept Kryta the more tropical place that it actually is/was. 250 years have passed, it would have been possible for ANet to accomplish this.

- To me it is a matter of staying true to the world and the lore in the Guild Wars universe. I know it probably won’t be changed now, but it could help ANet when it comes to designing the new zones that are yet to come. Awesome look, with a twist of nostalgia.

Just thought I’d throw the question out there: What is your take on this subject?

I have taken about ten times more screenshots in the few months since Guild Wars 2 released than I took in WoW over the course of four years. Tyria is gorgeous.

Tajmo.1836:

I have taken about ten times more screenshots in the few months since Guild Wars 2 released than I took in WoW over the course of four years. Tyria is gorgeous.

Haha, same. I have over 700 screenshots so far, this is the most beautiful game I’ve ever played.

It’s like playing in a painting. A true work of art.

Then you don’t get my point. I didn’t take screenshots in WoW either, but I’ve done that in GW2 way more than in any other MMO. The graphics and look is awesome.

It is not that look I am referring to, so read my top thread again. I don’t need the answer to something I already know.

I would’ve loved it to be kept more tropical!!!

Living in the UK I see enough boring trees and woodland!

But that’s why I just hang around Caledon (P.s please can we have a lvl 80 jungle zone!!).

I would love to spend more time on Southsun Cove, but with a lack of any city or events it’s pointless.

I think GW2 is gorgeous, the graphics/artwork is outstanding.

Especially love the abstract painted look…

I think Kryta (Caledon Forest, metrica province) still have that jungly-feeling. Especially when compared to zones like Queensdale or Plains of Ascalon. Every zone does have its distinct flora and fauna, that can be traced back to GW1.

Guild Wars 2 is just utterly beautiful! (Like I said in my other posts). The artwork in this game is phenomenal (Really!) and the environments match the game style!

Also, the character models looks great! (Especially the women models Huehuehue)

Overall, the game is great and I took over 250 screenshots so far!

Wow, you people just keep talking about the graphics… have you even read, what I wrote?
- The look from GW1 to GW2 (not graphically but designwise) is somewhat different to what I had hoped. Not saying that I dislike GW2, but the difference from Kryta in GW1 to GW2 is a significant change that I’m not really sure that I like. The flora and fauna from Kryta in GW1 to GW2 has changed significantly, and I want to know: Does the zones in GW2 resemble the zones from GW1 enough?

did no one read his original post??

he isn’t bashing the graphics, he’s talking on how Kryta has changed (i never actually played gw so i can’t personally comment on this)

It has been 250 years since gw1 landscape can change over time due to forests being cleared and climate changes. In Kessex Hills you can still see some of the jungle. Landscape does change. Might take in real life longer but not a big deal in a fantasy world.

Sinifair.1026:

Heya, guys.
- I just came to wonder about something here the other day. Actually, it has been in my mind for some time. Anyhow, what is your take on the look of Guild Wars 2?

I think it looks better than Guild Wars 1, especially in Ascalon. Especially especially in Ascalon.

- Now, before you answer, I am not talking about the graphics here. I played GW1 and I was surprised to find, say, Kryta having a completely different feel as opposed to the first game. The look of Kryta in GW1 was more tropical, and I actually liked it that way. The look in GW2 is more the standard rural woodlands, and although charming, I don’t look at it as an improvement.

There are reasons this could be. We start with a changed coastline thanks to the flooding, and end with the idea we have more humans crammed into Kryta needing it to be more on par with someplace they’d live. There’s still enough damp and wet jungle. Also, Watchtower Coast was mostly on par with what I can see in Queensdale.

- Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of Guild Wars 2, but to be honest, I would have preferred if the zones would remain true to their original design. If they wanted a more traditional kingdom with woodlands surrounding it, they might as well have migrated the Ascalonians north into the Woodland Cascades and have them settled there, and then have kept Kryta the more tropical place that it actually is/was. 250 years have passed, it would have been possible for ANet to accomplish this.

Every time I see this I wind up saying the same thing: they didn’t decide that, they decided this instead.

Now, I’ll look up the map but the Ascalonians weren’t going anywhere. They were staying in Ascalon and dying out slowly to the charr or the fact they were living in a barren waste . . . . or they were living and acclimating to Kryta in the Ascalon Settlement.

- To me it is a matter of staying true to the world and the lore in the Guild Wars universe. I know it probably won’t be changed now, but it could help ANet when it comes to designing the new zones that are yet to come. Awesome look, with a twist of nostalgia.

“Awesome look with a twist of nostalgia” describes my trip through a few places even now. Brisban Wilderness, Harathi Hinterlands, Lornar’s Pass . . . there’s enough old hanging around to avoid preventing anything new from taking form.

Weren’t most of the tropical areas destroyed when Lion’s Arch and the surrounding areas flooded?

And there is still some tropical foliage found in the area of lion’s arch. It just appears that there has been a lot of township formation, warring, and disasters in the last 250 years which could definitely attribute to the change in environment.

Vorch.2985:

Weren’t most of the tropical areas destroyed when Lion’s Arch and the surrounding areas flooded?

And there is still some tropical foliage found in the area of lion’s arch. It just appears that there has been a lot of township formation, warring, and disasters in the last 250 years which could definitely attribute to the change in environment.

This is the point I pretty much made – Kryta was so jungle-grown because people weren’t living in those spaces. Once you have people moving in, well, things change. If you need a real world example, pick a major metropolitan area and study it for a while. If you’re in the United States, you’re looking at roughly two hundred and fifty years of development in a lot of places. The climate may be the same, but the land is rather different . . .

. . . and we can’t really feel the climate playing the game. (yet)

Well, Kryta is hardly overpopulated enough to change from tropical to rural.
- I went to Divinity Coast in Guild Wars 1, and even with the floodings and such, the climate and plant-life would not have changed that drastically.

When you say that they “decided this over that” it is like saying that Blizzard decided to give Deathwing the power to bring Onyxia and Nefarian back to life as to staying with the originally designed powers given to him. It’s called lorebreak, which they of course can decide over staying with the lore, but that doesn’t make it the best decision.
- I don’t think the drastic change of climate in Kryta could occur even with the floodings, and the change in USA is due to the industrial evolution.
They would have to destroy the whole of Kryta down to every last palm, and plant new trees in their stead to make it this rural. They haven’t become that industrial in Tyria yet, mate.

But anyhow, Kryta could have standed out more, if they had kept its original design, and made it evolve from there, instead of completely redesigning it.
- I expected change, but that drastically? It seemed more like an attempt to fit the traditional rural location that some people expect in an MMO.
- It’s not that I don’t still like GW2, and Kryta, but I would have preferred it to remain some of its charm.

Sinifair.1026:

Well, Kryta is hardly overpopulated enough to change from tropical to rural.
- I went to Divinity Coast in Guild Wars 1, and even with the floodings and such, the climate and plant-life would not have changed that drastically.

When you say that they “decided this over that” it is like saying that Blizzard decided to give Deathwing the power to bring Onyxia and Nefarian back to life as to staying with the originally designed powers given to him. It’s called lorebreak, which they of course can decide over staying with the lore, but that doesn’t make it the best decision.
- I don’t think the drastic change of climate in Kryta could occur even with the floodings, and the change in USA is due to the industrial evolution.
They would have to destroy the whole of Kryta down to every last palm, and plant new trees in their stead to make it this rural. They haven’t become that industrial in Tyria yet, mate.

The charr have become that industrial, though it’s focused entirely on war machines and such.

And I didn’t say “overpopulated”. A LOT of Krytans in GW1 didn’t live out in the wilderness of open zones. There was one spot in the Talmark Wilderness, the Ascalon Settlement, Shaemoor, and Nebo Terrace . . . I don’t think there’s all that much else which would have survived the flooding. Now there’s small settlements in places where there weren’t before (ESPECIALLY in the Kessex Hills and Black Curtain regions).

I agree with you on that. A lot more population there. I remember the quest called “The Villainry of Galrath” from GW1 very well.
- The thing is just that it feels like the characteristics of Kryta have vanished. Back when I first saw Kryta in GW1 my personal preference was woodlands and such, so I wasn’t overly thrilled. Later, however, I came to have some great experiences in Kryta and the different areas there. I expected more of the tropical environment around Kryta in GW2 than I found. While charming, it doesn’t feel like I’m hanging around in Kryta. Just because some people inhabit some of the areas around Queensdale, doesn’t make the palms turn into Pine trees and whatnot.

- My personal opinion is that it would have been better to preserve the characteristics of Kryta somewhat more than they did, and savor those woodlands for other areas (such as the outer parts of Woodland Cascades).
Hope you can follow my point with this thread.

Sinifair.1026:

I agree with you on that. A lot more population there. I remember the quest called “The Villainry of Galrath” from GW1 very well.
- The thing is just that it feels like the characteristics of Kryta have vanished. Back when I first saw Kryta in GW1 my personal preference was woodlands and such, so I wasn’t overly thrilled. Later, however, I came to have some great experiences in Kryta and the different areas there. I expected more of the tropical environment around Kryta in GW2 than I found. While charming, it doesn’t feel like I’m hanging around in Kryta. Just because some people inhabit some of the areas around Queensdale, doesn’t make the palms turn into Pine trees and whatnot.

- My personal opinion is that it would have been better to preserve the characteristics of Kryta somewhat more than they did, and savor those woodlands for other areas (such as the outer parts of Woodland Cascades).
Hope you can follow my point with this thread.

Oh I can follow your point . . . but I can also have the counter-point: “So why shouldn’t the world change after 250 years?” Sometimes you just can’t release the same material over again, because it plain doesn’t make sense in context. In 250 years, I really would expect to go back to where I was born and find it completely different. Heck, I could go back there now after ten years of having left and I know already the whole neighborhood has changed :P

Certain things can change a lot in 250 years – buildings, even towns and cities, can be built or torn down, forests can be destroyed or burned or arise in areas no longer cultivated/tended, and in some areas there might be dramatic changes in shorelines – but the underlying terrain, the ‘lay of the land’ shouldn’t change. It would probably take something like an asteroid strike, or a big volcanic upheaval, or yeah, maybe even dragons, to cause major changes – which, I would think, would likely be extinction level events.

Heh, I don’t know. GW looks great even today. GW2 looks great, too. I just wish there were more familiar landmarks – actually recognizable by appearance, not just by name! – from GW in GW2.

Some of the vistas really make be sad, such beautiful scenery that took lots and lots of man-hours to complete and in general day to day gameplay most of the scenery goes almost completely unnoticed.

Tachenon.5270:

Certain things can change a lot in 250 years – buildings, even towns and cities, can be built or torn down, forests can be destroyed or burned or arise in areas no longer cultivated/tended, and in some areas there might be dramatic changes in shorelines – but the underlying terrain, the ‘lay of the land’ shouldn’t change.

It might change, especially with natural disasters (or unnatural dragon-related ones) taking place. I could expect if a dam was put up over a river then the difference would be significant to the area downriver.

This is all academic, even if it’s interesting to conjecture. The changes to terrain which are of more extreme magnitude have been explained as a dragon did it

Lol, I read the topic wrong.

Going to the main topic at hand, I’ve seen the difference between the Kryta of GW1 and 2, and I have to say I personally prefer the one in 2 (1 is nice, and had a nostalgic feeling to it, despite me not being able to play it) mainly because of the vibrant colors and the sheer massiveness of the area. Also, the woodlands of Kryta feel just right on where it is (From a GW2 player’s standpoint, anyways).

Also, Zhaitan’s awakening could have morphed the world of Tyria like the rising of Orr, and the destruction of LA, which might have caused a few changes around the world of Tyria.

Guild Wars 1 wasn’t more ‘tropical’. In fact, only about what, a quarter of Tyria was actually tropical in design? I’m not trying to be condescending or anything, but have you considered that perhaps you’ve just spent most of your time in a Tropical area? So perhaps you’re just being biased due to your personal endeavours?

Nevertheless, I don’t see your point. I feel quite the opposite really. The design in GW2 is so much more lush and heavy, it really takes the GW1 feeling to a new level.

If anything I can only hope for longer night cycles, a swamp based map and thicker jungles.

Perhaps the Ascalonians brought seedlings of their flora. They planted them around Ascalon settlement, and it turned out that Ascalonian plantlife is terribly invasive and pushed out the more tropical plantlife of Kryta. Happens in real life. Sometimes a small introduction into a region will change it drastically.

Also consider the centaurs’ tendency to turn everything into barren plains. I’m sure the war has done a number on the native plant species.

Sinifair.1026:

Wow, you people just keep talking about the graphics… have you even read, what I wrote?
- The look from GW1 to GW2 (not graphically but designwise) is somewhat different to what I had hoped. Not saying that I dislike GW2, but the difference from Kryta in GW1 to GW2 is a significant change that I’m not really sure that I like. The flora and fauna from Kryta in GW1 to GW2 has changed significantly, and I want to know: Does the zones in GW2 resemble the zones from GW1 enough?

It’s been 250 years, the world has changed.

I think gw1 had a better design area-wise. Although GW2 is pretty detailed, the design of it is pretty simplistic & unrealistic. The maps are open fields serrounded by mountain, always forming a perfect square =S It makes me feel like i just entered another square of the same. In gw1, areas were unique, always different, each area had it’s own unique item or elite skill. GW2 also has many different areas, but you always do the same things in each area with minor differences. In gw1 it felt like you were following a story. You had a clear path that you followed, and never where you in the same area for more than 10-60minutes. GW2, you get so bored of being in the same place all the time. (TP costs is also a problem)

I actually despise how little resemblence this game has to the old landscapes, it feels a complete different world.

Even after 250 years, you’d still expect some resemblence, but not here. So much wealth of ambience from GW1 is gone. Now the areas look all too much the same.

GW2 Square (poor-design) style:
http://puu.sh/27fiv
GW1 (same area) style:
http://wiki.guildwars.com/images/thumb/c/c6/Kryta_map.jpg/1000px-Kryta_map.jpg

Why does gw1 look so much better & more realistic?

Is this thread abut Kryta or about GW2 in general? The op only mentions Kryta and I will agree that Kryta is less interesting this time around, it feels much more like a generic fantasy kingdom than the jungle kingdom with its own customs and architecture that it was in GW1

The rest of the areas outside of Kryta are much improved specially the shiverpeaks.

Blackmoon.6837:

Guild Wars 1 wasn’t more ‘tropical’. In fact, only about what, a quarter of Tyria was actually tropical in design? I’m not trying to be condescending or anything, but have you considered that perhaps you’ve just spent most of your time in a Tropical area? So perhaps you’re just being biased due to your personal endeavours?

Nevertheless, I don’t see your point. I feel quite the opposite really. The design in GW2 is so much more lush and heavy, it really takes the GW1 feeling to a new level.

If anything I can only hope for longer night cycles, a swamp based map and thicker jungles.

It’s not the whole of Tyria I thought to be tropical. Just Kryta.
And I didn’t spend all my time in Kryta, actually far from it. It’s just that I feel that even with 250 years in difference, I should be able to recognize more of the world than I do. The Great Nothern Wall is one such sight, and some of the areas in Ascalon can be recognized somewhat.

Kryta is just my example of a place that was a more tropical place, actually also with a lot of area being marshland, which they have kept to some extend.

But anyhow, personally I would just like to be able to recognize the world more than I do. Not necessarily meaning that they should make it exactly like GW1, but at least I think the areas had some characteristics which should be kept intact to some degree.

SouthernCross.5286:

Is this thread abut Kryta or about GW2 in general? The op only mentions Kryta and I will agree that Kryta is less interesting this time around, it feels much more like a generic fantasy kingdom than the jungle kingdom with its own customs and architecture that it was in GW1

The rest of the areas outside of Kryta are much improved specially the shiverpeaks.

GW2 in general. I just used Kryta as an example, since it have had the most drastic change in its environment.
- It’s merely that graphically speaking, GW2 is probably on of the absolute best MMO’s out there, but I feel that the atmosphere in the areas should have some resemblance to GW1. 250 years aren’t all that long geographically speaking.

- And yeah, Kryta seems like the generic fantasy kingdom in GW2, which I feel destroys that uniqueness it had in GW.

AstralDusk.1670:

Perhaps the Ascalonians brought seedlings of their flora. They planted them around Ascalon settlement, and it turned out that Ascalonian plantlife is terribly invasive and pushed out the more tropical plantlife of Kryta. Happens in real life. Sometimes a small introduction into a region will change it drastically.

Also consider the centaurs’ tendency to turn everything into barren plains. I’m sure the war has done a number on the native plant species.

Yeah, I can follow you on that, and it had also crossed my mind. However, there are areas in Kryta more war-torn, where the battle has raged more, whereas in other places it seems more peaceful, still untouched (so to speak).

- As for the suggestion on seedlings, I hadn’t considered that. Found it an amusing suggestion as to how it might have occurred.
Still, it would have seemed more prudent to migrate the Ascalonians into the Woodland Cascades, or the outer parts of it, if they wanted this generic fantasy kingdom style, and then have kept some of Kryta’s unique look.

Kryta has always been loosely based off the Mediterranean region, like Spain, Morocco, France, etc. I think it still feels that way, but you’re right it’s not as much as before. I think it’s mostly due to the fact that there are now all sorts of things going on 250 years later, things have been built, destroyed, wars have come and gone, people have migrated, settled, moved on, etc…Some of the landscapes could have been altered over time due to all of that as that region seems to be a melting pot that moves around and changes things alot, unlike ancient civilizations that tend to stay the same, like Cantha. I’m really blaming centaurs though, they’re destructive, there’s almost no plant life where they set up shop so to speak and like a lot of real horses, they stomp out a lot of plant life because they’re stupid.

Florida was a swamp all throughout the panhandle. Kryta used to be a jungle/swamp. They cut down the trees and irrigated out the water to use for growing crops. It’s not a matter of a changed aesthetic, it’s a matter of what would realistically happen if you plant a massive capital dead in the heart of the swamp and then cut down the trees and pump out the water.

Prettiest game I’ve ever played, probably.

I do have a hard time remembering I’m playing in the same world because the topography is so different from the first game, and that does kill the nostalgia factor a bit, but…

Totally worth it, I think.