Guild Wars 2

I am just going to say this: This fascination for Cantha is inching closer towards schizophrenia.

There is nothing presented within the last 2-3 months that so much as hints towards Cantha coming out anytime soon. And ill explain…

When Rytlock opened those doors, all I heard was air and creaks. I am certain plenty of others heard the same thing. Not even a syllable of the word “Cantha” was uttered. What probably going on was auditory hallucinations. Its like staring at a Rorschach except with sound and hearing. You can imagine what the ink stain is all you like but the reality is it is an inkstain.

This Celebration of the Ram is an official celebration. It is currently the year of the Ram meaning that celebrating it is a legitimate medium to create events within the game. But just because its all “asiany”, it is in no way hinting towards a release of Cantha at any point within the next year at minimum. HoT is about Mordremoth and Maguuma, not Cantha. And expect a LS that ends with the defeat of Mordremoth since it will most likely keep us occupied until the next expansion. Speculation can run wild at that point.

But kitten , use a little common sense instead of screaming “CANTHA?!” at the slightest and most indirect hint of Asian culture.

yolo swaggins.2570:

I am just going to say this: This fascination for Cantha is inching closer towards schizophrenia.

There is nothing presented within the last 2-3 months that so much as hints towards Cantha coming out anytime soon. And ill explain…

When Rytlock opened those doors, all I heard was air and creaks. Not even a syllable of the word “Cantha” was uttered. Its like staring at a Rorschach except with sound and hearing. You can imagine what the ink stain is all you like but the reality is it is an inkstain.

This Celebration of the Ram is an official celebration. It is currently the year of the Ram meaning that celebrating it is a legitimate medium to create events within the game. But just because its all “asiany”, it is in no way hinting towards a release of Cantha at any point within the next year at minimum. HoT is about Mordremoth and Maguuma, not Cantha. And expect a LS that ends with the defeat of Mordremoth since it will most likely keep us occupied until the next expansion. Speculation can run wild at that point.

But kitten , use a little common sense instead of screaming “CANTHA?!” at the slightest and most indirect hint of Asian culture.

What about the serpent encased in Jade in the Durman Priory archive?

Tom Gore.4035:

yolo swaggins.2570:

I am just going to say this: This fascination for Cantha is inching closer towards schizophrenia.

There is nothing presented within the last 2-3 months that so much as hints towards Cantha coming out anytime soon. And ill explain…

When Rytlock opened those doors, all I heard was air and creaks. Not even a syllable of the word “Cantha” was uttered. Its like staring at a Rorschach except with sound and hearing. You can imagine what the ink stain is all you like but the reality is it is an inkstain.

This Celebration of the Ram is an official celebration. It is currently the year of the Ram meaning that celebrating it is a legitimate medium to create events within the game. But just because its all “asiany”, it is in no way hinting towards a release of Cantha at any point within the next year at minimum. HoT is about Mordremoth and Maguuma, not Cantha. And expect a LS that ends with the defeat of Mordremoth since it will most likely keep us occupied until the next expansion. Speculation can run wild at that point.

But kitten , use a little common sense instead of screaming “CANTHA?!” at the slightest and most indirect hint of Asian culture.

What about the serpent encased in Jade in the Durman Priory archive?

The Durmond Priory is everywhere collecting every bit of knowledge from every point of the globe. What do they not have? There are hundreds of hints within the Durmond Priory, but very few of them hint towards Cantha. Hell, I think there were more Elonian “hints” in there than Canthan.

Yes, there were A LOT more hints at Elona than at Cantha in the priory archive.

I imagine Cantha was taken out the game because they didn’t want to offend “China” since Guild Wars 1 wasn’t in china it could get away with it.

I imagine A.Net is doing what little they can in the lore side of things and non offensive Armour/Weapon sets in hopes of drumming up enough support from the community to force NCsoft to cave and say “Fine you can do cantha” because of the extra revenue.

Jade things have been around in GW2 since we started messing with Zephyrites. It’s probably more tied to them specifically than it is to Cantha at this point. And while the Zephyrites supposedly probably came from Cantha, that doesn’t mean we’ll be going there any time soon. And by any time soon, I mean like 2 years. We’ve got 4 dragons to deal with on THIS continent, one in Elona and one in the sea that for all we know could be chilling just outside of Southsun. (or halfway to Cantha) And we’ve dealt with only one of them so far.

I imagine when they finally do get us to Cantha, it won’t be through some little living story series that they can throw together as they go over the course of a few weeks or months. It will probably be a pretty big deal with all kinds of announcements and seriously dedicated time. Probably bigger than the HoT expansion hype, since HoT isn’t revealing an entire other continent. Just more of the same old Tyria.

Paulus magintie.7432:

I imagine Cantha was taken out the game because they didn’t want to offend “China” since Guild Wars 1 wasn’t in china it could get away with it.

I imagine A.Net is doing what little they can in the lore side of things and non offensive Armour/Weapon sets in hopes of drumming up enough support from the community to force NCsoft to cave and say “Fine you can do cantha” because of the extra revenue.

IT WASN’T REMOVED FROM THE GAME… Godkitten.

It wasn’t meant to be in the game from launch AT ALL. It MAY be in an expansion.

PROGRESSIVE thought people. Its not kittene thing leads to another, stop grabbing things out of mid air.

I agree with you, but calm down buddy :o That much stress over a game isn’t healthy.
But I think what people mean by “removing Cantha” was the Canthan District in Divinity’s Reach. It was there in Beta, but replaced by a giant sinkhole at launch. Supposedly because of offended Asians, but I don’t really know. Regardless, though, I stand by what I said before. I would honestly be a little surprised if they never add Cantha, but I REALLY doubt they’ll add it anytime soon.

Tai Kratos.3247:

But if they are adding Chinese themed content in the game, doesn’t that go against their “cultural-neutral” feel they wanted? Because that was the entire point of cutting Cantha in the first place. Which was BS, and we all knew it. (Because there is clearly Western and African influence elsewhere.)

So if they CAN add Chinese themed content, why can’t it be just as easily translated into Canthan content? Do you see what I mean?

Whomever has the gold, makes the rules. Businesses of every stripe, no matter how principled they are, don’t tend to remain in business if they aren’t making money…especially when the only purpose they were created for was, ultimately, to make money.

Anet and NCSoft aren’t charities or non-profits. They don’t exist to make a moral point or to serve as any sort of funded-even-at-loss ethical chalice-bearing tools.

They exist to generate profit for, ultimately, executives and the shareholders.

They’ll basically do whatever costs them the least to generate the most profit, as best they can finagle it out in such fashions. These warmings-up to more orientally-themed stylings?

Looks like calculated risks to me. They want to generate more profit and are seeing what the market will bear. Don’t imagine for a moment anyone making the real decisions gives a crap about ‘Cantha’ or lore though. Chances are, the executives of even Anet don’t know much and don’t care to know much about the storied lore of anything – they have people for that.

Shareholders tend to be clueless fops that know only what the executives ultimately tell them. The motivated amongst them might very well do their own informative research, but in my experience, they too often have people for that and sometimes aren’t even really aware of what companies they’re shareholders in actually do or make or sell and so on.

The devs aren’t quite high enough up any such ladders to have a lot of say in what they will and won’t be allowed to build. After all, Anet’s owned by NCSoft and NCSoft is publicly traded as KRX under the Korean Stock Exchange.

Wee ikkle Anet gets told what to do. They very likely get to figure out, at best, how to meet expectations and demands. Whether or not they’d like to make Cantha is probably irrelevant. We’ll get Cantha if a bunch of people that know more about yachting than they ever will about this or any video game decide its a profitable risk to take.

That’s my summarized speculation on it all anyway. I could be wrong.

… I’d like to have Elona… /small voice from corner.
Like would wildly love to have it. Like sit in Nightfall even now enjoying the look and music.

I’d prefer Elona too. And I would especially like the Crystal Desert. That was probably my favorite place in GW1 as far as looks go. Plus, I think it’s supposed to be green and fertile now because the Elon River was diverted through it. Those giant fallen statues with plantlife all over them would probably look pretty sweet.

I know better. They already said Cantha and Elona are a no. Might as well forget about them.

When did they say that?

Zera Allimatti.2541:

I know better. They already said Cantha and Elona are a no. Might as well forget about them.

Actually if I am not wrong, which I could be, they said no to Cantha, not Elona…

I’m not sure Anet is even capable of being that direct sometimes. Are you sure it was a “No” and not a cryptic “Not right now”?

Tom Gore.4035:

yolo swaggins.2570:

I am just going to say this: This fascination for Cantha is inching closer towards schizophrenia.

There is nothing presented within the last 2-3 months that so much as hints towards Cantha coming out anytime soon. And ill explain…

When Rytlock opened those doors, all I heard was air and creaks. Not even a syllable of the word “Cantha” was uttered. Its like staring at a Rorschach except with sound and hearing. You can imagine what the ink stain is all you like but the reality is it is an inkstain.

This Celebration of the Ram is an official celebration. It is currently the year of the Ram meaning that celebrating it is a legitimate medium to create events within the game. But just because its all “asiany”, it is in no way hinting towards a release of Cantha at any point within the next year at minimum. HoT is about Mordremoth and Maguuma, not Cantha. And expect a LS that ends with the defeat of Mordremoth since it will most likely keep us occupied until the next expansion. Speculation can run wild at that point.

But kitten , use a little common sense instead of screaming “CANTHA?!” at the slightest and most indirect hint of Asian culture.

What about the serpent encased in Jade in the Durman Priory archive?

Omg an artefact from cantha? Think about whole jade maw fractal, this is literally Cantha!!!!!!!!1111oneoneone

What about all references to Elona? Or even Elona district in DR? OMG WE’RE GOING TO ELONA

Seriously, the self-hype you’re creating here is going only one way – Stairway to Disappointment.

Just a quick fyi, ncsoft wasnt a fan of cantha because it merged several asian cultures different architectures together. So you’d have chinese style building, next to a japanese one.

So while it’s true that references to Cantha don’t exactly indicate that we’ll be going to Cantha, you have to admit that within the Guild Wars universe what we in real life consider to be “Asian-themed” is actually Canthan-themed. So while it’s true that we won’t be going to Cantha itself in the foreseeable future, please at least admit that these things are definitely aspects of Canthan culture. To deny that is just silly, since everything in-game at least attempts to follow the lore of the game.

Elona = desert. Crystal desert = desert. Deserts have lots of sand and more sand. As great as the sand was in GW1, Cantha has numerous more potential to be better. Years of isolation and unity. http://danieldociu.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/0/0/13009351/6102340_orig.jpg

I could also argue.

omg Look at Mt Maelstrom! Destroyers! We’re going back to the Ring of Fire!

As was said already it has nothing to do with Cantha. It’s that Chinese client content that we were promised wouldn’t interfere or determine our content.

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

They even added asian looking builds at the Crown Pavilion now. You know, that place that used to be the canthan district but got scrapped?

I heard it used to be an asura embassy until they wound up overclocking some golem contraption and burned kitten down to the center of the world. Queen Jennah hushed it up with this story about “Canthan District” like we would forget. Fight the lies! Never forget.

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

They even added asian looking builds at the Crown Pavilion now. You know, that place that used to be the canthan district but got scrapped?

I heard it used to be an asura embassy until they wound up overclocking some golem contraption and burned kitten down to the center of the world. Queen Jennah hushed it up with this story about “Canthan District” like we would forget. Fight the lies! Never forget.

It’s actually pretty funny if you think about it. They placed asian buildings in a place that got scrapped pre-release because it had asian buildings.

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

Tobias Trueflight.8350:

Windu The Forbidden One.6045:

They even added asian looking builds at the Crown Pavilion now. You know, that place that used to be the canthan district but got scrapped?

I heard it used to be an asura embassy until they wound up overclocking some golem contraption and burned kitten down to the center of the world. Queen Jennah hushed it up with this story about “Canthan District” like we would forget. Fight the lies! Never forget.

It’s actually pretty funny if you think about it. They placed asian buildings in a place that got scrapped pre-release because it had asian buildings.

Like I said, not what I heard.

LordEnki.9283:

As was said already it has nothing to do with Cantha. It’s that Chinese client content that we were promised wouldn’t interfere or determine our content.

LEL, its Canthan whether you want to accept it or not. http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Canthan_New_Year . Its still going on in GW1, and guess what its here in GW2.

No one said this event wasn’t Canthan. Just saying it doesn’t mean we’re getting Cantha anytime soon.

They didnt remove everything cantha either. Infact quite the opposite several NPC’s in game are Canthan and speak of their homeland if you listen to them.

yolo swaggins.2570:

I am just going to say this: This fascination for Cantha is inching closer towards schizophrenia….

…But kitten , use a little common sense instead of screaming “CANTHA?!” at the slightest and most indirect hint of Asian culture.

…No need to be so angry and rude, man. O_o

For me, Cantha is just something special. I’ve always loved the aesthetic of Chinese, Japanese, and Korean culture. So when I played GW1 for the first time years ago, and I bought Factions years ago, that place was absolutely magical to me. Everything about it capture my imagination, and it was in Cantha that I spent almost all of my time. I only had one Ascalonian born character. The rest were all from Cantha, and the moment my Dervish and Paragon were able to get on the boat, I sailed them straight to Kaineng.

I never said anything about wishing for Cantha in this expansion. And I currently like the idea of them building up two seasons of living world to an expansion and new dragon as a trend. That means that Cantha and Elona are far off. At the very minimum, 2 or 3 years. My hopes aren’t unrealistic demands for Cantha right now. My hopes are that Cantha is not gone forever, and perhaps that Bubbles and the land of the Kurzicks and Luxons might be next in a 2+ years.

I would really appreciate it if you would not bring the biting, cynical tone your previous posts have had to this topic. I know people will disagree – I’m not looking for a crowd of people agreeing with me. But I like civil, well meaning discussions.

I don’t think I’m freaking out or being unreasonable. I’m just a long standing fan who has hopes of jumping around Kaineng and swimming in the Jade Sea.

segman.3560:

Those are not hints of cantha.
This is for chinese client which our clients were merged with so when china gets an event we get it too.

I find it rather ironic that we celebrate some of the Asian (in this case Chinese) culture in the area once called The Great Collapse, and even prior to that, The Canthan District (obliterated prior to launch).

“At one point during development, this area was originally a completed Canthan district and included a blend of Asian architectures. However, this mix of styles received negative feedback from China and Korea, since those gaming markets traditionally prefer a uniform design. Due to time constraints the district was replaced by the Great Collapse.” (source: GW2 Official Wiki)

As an ethnic Chinese, I don’t really understand the fascination with Cantha.

(Warning: Long)

As far as Asian influences go, Cantha in GW1 is simply the most stereotypical aspects of East Asian culture mixed together into one single identity. GW2 already has content that is heavily influenced by Asian culture, and in my opinion, far more consistent: The Kodan.

The part that irritates me the most about Cantha is their naming conventions. It’s a small issue I know, but it’s very jarring considering how much consistency is present in the other races. “Xunlai” could easily be a made-up Chinese word, but this exact spelling is unpronounceable in Japanese. And for an English-speaking audience, I can only imagine how clumsy it must be to talk about a specific NPC but not know how to articulate the name.

In comparison, the Kodans have very flowery descriptive names which resemble Native American names. But these are easily translated in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. In fact, many Chinese names do sound this flowery when literally translated into English. In popular Chinese culture, two of the most well known comic characters are called “Striding Cloud” and “Whispering Wind”. Do these sound very Kodan to you?

The Kodans’ dwellings closely resemble Chinese temples. I hear a lot of positive feedback about how the Chinese New Year decorations remind them of Kaineng City or Imperial China. But the Kodans have been in the game since launch!

The part I like most is that the Kodan’s go far beyond mere aesthetics. Some quotes from Wiki to show what I mean:

“The kodan believe that their god, Koda, is the creator of the world, and teaches the importance of balance.”

“The kodan also believe that everyone will always be reborn as their own race until they reach a higher stage of enlightenment, after which they reincarnate a step up in the spiritual ladder.”

Does this remind you of any religion? The former is very similar to Taoism, which is widely practised among Chinese. The latter is very similar to Buddhism, which is widely practiced among Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.

TL;DR:

1) GW2 already has Asian-themed content. If players truly want more Asian-themed content, then have Anet expand on Kodans.

2) As far as we know, Kodans have not created any negative political fallout, even though it is a melting pot of Asian cultures. There must be some other reservation why Anet is reluctant to broach the topic of Cantha.

MrIllusion.5304:

As an ethnic Chinese, I don’t really understand the fascination with Cantha.

(Warning: Long)

As far as Asian influences go, Cantha in GW1 is simply the most stereotypical aspects of East Asian culture mixed together into one single identity. GW2 already has content that is heavily influenced by Asian culture, and in my opinion, far more consistent: The Kodan.

The part that irritates me the most about Cantha is their naming conventions. It’s a small issue I know, but it’s very jarring considering how much consistency is present in the other races. “Xunlai” could easily be a made-up Chinese word, but this exact spelling is unpronounceable in Japanese. And for an English-speaking audience, I can only imagine how clumsy it must be to talk about a specific NPC but not know how to articulate the name.

In comparison, the Kodans have very flowery descriptive names which resemble Native American names. But these are easily translated in Chinese, Korean and Japanese. In fact, many Chinese names do sound this flowery when literally translated into English. In popular Chinese culture, two of the most well known comic characters are called “Striding Cloud” and “Whispering Wind”. Do these sound very Kodan to you?

The Kodans’ dwellings closely resemble Chinese temples. I hear a lot of positive feedback about how the Chinese New Year decorations remind them of Kaineng City or Imperial China. But the Kodans have been in the game since launch!

The part I like most is that the Kodan’s go far beyond mere aesthetics. Some quotes from Wiki to show what I mean:

“The kodan believe that their god, Koda, is the creator of the world, and teaches the importance of balance.”

“The kodan also believe that everyone will always be reborn as their own race until they reach a higher stage of enlightenment, after which they reincarnate a step up in the spiritual ladder.”

Does this remind you of any religion? The former is very similar to Taoism, which is widely practised among Chinese. The latter is very similar to Buddhism, which is widely practiced among Indians, Chinese, Japanese, and Koreans.

TL;DR:

1) GW2 already has Asian-themed content. If players truly want more Asian-themed content, then have Anet expand on Kodans.

2) As far as we know, Kodans have not created any negative political fallout, even though it is a melting pot of Asian cultures. There must be some other reservation why Anet is reluctant to broach the topic of Cantha.

You bring up good points, but Cantha is already established in Guild Wars lore. Maybe – just maybe – people are interested in Cantha itself, and aren’t obsessed with needing “ASIAN STUFF.”

A lot of people like the Kodan too, but no amount of added focus on the Kodan is going to make anyone familiar with Cantha want Cantha less. It is not “close enough.” If anything, opening up the Tengu Dominion of Winds would do more to satisfy the appetite for Cantha content.

It’s just convenient segway between content updates (really all annual festivals are). Lunar new year followed by april fools day, then some sort of summer themed (doubt dragon bash will reoccur, but something), halloween and then wintersday.

There’s not much point in going to Cantha, considering all the Elder dragons seem to be focused around the area’s we already have on the map.

That IS the main focus of this game more or less, defeating the Elder Dragons.

Really, honestly, the hints and calls to Cantha exist because a nice slice of the players liked Cantha. If Elona was more popular than Cantha, we’d be getting more on Elona I’d wager.