Guild Wars 2

I was trying to nail down the design asthetics from each race in the very multicultral Pact military fortress and weapons.

The basic core of the Airship seems to be Charr, the weapons Asuran, and the human contribution seems to be either the propulsion or the balloons themselves.

For Fort Trinity, the secondary turrets are Charr, the power source and lasers are Asuran, and humans seem to be in charge of running the logistics train to keep the fort supplied.

Anything I missed? I don’t see much of a Slyvari or Norn influence on many of the designs.

Norn are meat puppets
Did I say that o.o
Sylvari are partially to do with the blue vines around Pact outposts

Not to mention the vines that Mystic mentioned seem to be almost like wiring, bringing the energy from the asuran built generators to the large gun batteries, as well as various other parts of the fort. And they are most definitely sylvari.

sylvari technology powered with asura tech seems to be the way to go on orrian outposts. notice how they’re all basically vines with lasers. they lay the walls, the sylvaris plant the magic vine things, and at some point the asuras tamper with those vines (maybe even before planting) to add that laser power thing of theirs.

those same vines can be seen all over fort trinity, and they look a lot like optic fiber, so maybe they’re being used to transfer energy around and fuel various devices?

Actually, I always found it funny how they had to show their whole “mixed tech” idea. I mean I totally get what it is supposed to say in a more abstract sense, but I always have to think that all those asura technology stuff could be utilized better if they didn’t felt the need to strap it onto a giant zeppelin just do demonstrate unity. The sylvari really are the only ones whose technology might be considered worthy to merge with, but it seems this is more of an inherent advantage of being able to manipulate plants the way they do.

I mean it’s not like there are that many different approaches to knowing about avionics, and I’d bet the asura would know a hell of a lot better then just about anybody else, but maybe thats just me.

Well, the zeppelin is for aerial mobility, which the Asurans have not mastered yet. (If you talk to the Asura onboard he’s pretty defensive about it.)

Also, Charr technology has the important military benefit of not exploding, summoning extradimensional creatures, or otherwise disastrously malfunctioning if you look at it the wrong way.

Yeah, when it comes to air mastery remember that for years before the asura were an underground race. In fact in GW1 there was a group called the Sky Krewe that were attempting to bring the sky down closer to the earth so it would feel more home-like. So it makes sense that the asura would have reservations about air travel. I can’t help thinking of poor Master Klabb back in Edge of Destiny, lol.

drnuncheon.8029:

Also, Charr technology has the important military benefit of not exploding, summoning extradimensional creatures, or otherwise disastrously malfunctioning if you look at it the wrong way.

Very much this. The KISS principle.

Superior in the long run. See WWII Tank War or Russian vs. US space program for a more recent example.

What do the Skritt, Ogres, Quaggan, Hylek, and other minor races contribute though? I’ve sometimes seen Ogres helping the assault on Arah but never else.

^ infantry, of course. they don’t need every kitten race providing technological support.

Kain Francois.4328:

What do the Skritt, Ogres, Quaggan, Hylek, and other minor races contribute though? I’ve sometimes seen Ogres helping the assault on Arah but never else.

More than humans, at least! Or so it seems. I went into Orr expecting to see some major lore revelations for the human race and the Six, only to leave bitterly disappointed. I’ll admit there’s a few interesting scraps here and there, but most races (aside from the charr, who seem to get special treatment) are usually watered down so they fit into multi-racial organisations instead of pursuing aspects related purely to their racial identity.

Kain Francois.4328:

What do the Skritt, Ogres, Quaggan, Hylek, and other minor races contribute though? I’ve sometimes seen Ogres helping the assault on Arah but never else.

Scavenging, man power (and pet power!), aquatic reconsecrate (no need for aqua breathers), aquatic reconnaissance and alchemical concoctions (in one of the sylvari storylines – the blossom is brother to the weed – the hylek have access to the Zelisco plant, which has extracts that can be made into anti-undead poison).

Very interesting Jeff! If you know or had to speculate, what part of the Airship design came from human technology?

Also a good catch on the glowly blue vines, that’s definitely Slyvari.

I’d love to see future content that shows off how the different races combine their differing areas of expertise against the Dragons.

The “mixed tech” is not just to show unity, but rather because the individual approaches complement each other to generate superior results.
The technology in Orr contributed by the different peoples seems mostly in line what is being indicated already in the lower level, racial areas. Good examples would be the Asuran delegations visiting other places to exchange expertise, which also points out how everyone’s own technology is lacking in certain areas.

For example in the Black Citadel, an NPC comments on superior Charr metallurgy and production techniques, while stating how Asura excel in power generation.
At the submarine docks in Plains of Ashford, an engineer points out how Asuran creations often are innovative, but not exactly practical. Speaking about submarines, the ones at Fort Trinity seem to retain the design of the Charr prototype.

As for Orr, other noteworthy contributions can be found in the other facilities along the coast Fort Trinity sits on: to the north, there are cannons shooting golems all the way into Cursed Shore. Golems are the trademark Asuran tech, and it would not surprise me if Charr helped with the cannons.

I admit, though, I cannot think of obvious examples for human technology, most of it seems to be based around Asura/Charr/Sylvari.
Human expertise might be in other fields, though, maybe on the magical side, considering their long and diverse history with magic. Possibly also historical knowledge, since humans were spread out across the world far longer than any other of the current races and have a knack for written accounts.

Garenthal.1480:

I went into Orr expecting to see some major lore revelations for the human race and the Six, only to leave bitterly disappointed. I’ll admit there’s a few interesting scraps here and there, […]

That’s just my personal impression, but to me, Orr seemed to hold a wealth of information and revelations on human lore and the time when their gods still resided among them. Especially the Shelter Docks outpost in Malchor’s Leap with it’s Orrian History Scrolls is so rich in lore I’d call it more than just “scraps”.

Why can’t the Sylvari be corrupted? Aren’t they overpowered enough?

ThiBash.5634:

Why can’t the Sylvari be corrupted? Aren’t they overpowered enough?

there’s no known answer. they’re just immune to it, like one person would be immune to a disease.

this lack of answer is used to feed the popular theory that the sylvaris (and the pale tree, by default) are related to a sixth, unknown elder dragon.

BrunoBRS.5178:

there’s no known answer. they’re just immune to it, like one person would be immune to a disease.

this lack of answer is used to feed the popular theory that the sylvaris (and the pale tree, by default) are related to a sixth, unknown elder dragon.

But in an odd twist of irony, this is actually stronger proof for them not being such, given Kudu’s Monster, Kudu, and Subject Alpha from Crucible of Eternity. :P

Konig Des Todes.2086:

BrunoBRS.5178:

there’s no known answer. they’re just immune to it, like one person would be immune to a disease.

this lack of answer is used to feed the popular theory that the sylvaris (and the pale tree, by default) are related to a sixth, unknown elder dragon.

But in an odd twist of irony, this is actually stronger proof for them not being such, given Kudu’s Monster, Kudu, and Subject Alpha from Crucible of Eternity. :P

hasn’t run CoE exp yet

but kudu and his monster are based on known dragons. he knows as much as we do. his monster is based on existing minions he captured and tested on, so even if the theory was proven to be true (i’m more in favor of the sylvaris being some sort of tyrian anti-body thing, even if that means they’ll all wither and die eventually), kudu couldn’t have known.

Although the existence of Zone Green – should it follow the pathing of the other Zones – actually indicate that the Inquest, and by extension, Kudu, does know about the Sixth Elder Dragon (whether they know who, what, or where it is – that’s unknown). Though Zone Green could be dedicated for the sylvari not because of being ED minions, but due to their immunity to ED corruption.

After all, Kudu retains free will so there must be something to himself outside willingly becoming corrupted by four ED’s energies.

^ if i recall, in early sylvari days, the asuras were awfully curious about them, and experimented. then they realized sylvaris weren’t just weird plants. but the curiosity wasn’t saciated.

crucible of eternity is a major inquest lab. they have no morals. just like they capture kodans to turn into icebrood, they could be planning to vivissect sylvaris to learn more about them. after all, sylvaris have one factual tie to dragons: they are immune to it. the inquest could, for example, be working on an anti-corruption serum to immunize themselves.

If memory serves me me right, Kudu was the one who experimented on Melamodies – though I can’t recall where I heard this, and I’d imagine that if I remember correctly, that this may be why Snaff stopped being Kudu’s master/teacher. Furthermore, I wouldn’t really say “the curiosity wasn’t satiated.”

why wouldn’t you? the sylvaris are a great “tool” against the elder dragons, since they don’t turn on us as soon as they fall dead. the inquest does a lot of dragon research. having access to that immunity would allow them to take their research that much further, without any of the risks of permanent corruption of the mind and body. hell, they could use it to manipulate just how corrupted someone gets. the scientific potential is there, and if the inquest doesn’t take interest in it, no one ever will.

so i’d say that the curiosity is far from saciated. there are still too many “hows” and “whys” to the sylvari, and they are, like i said, somehow closely related to dragons, although not necessarily minions. of course the inquest would take interest in them.

That’s actually the reason why I believe the Inquest have entered an alliance with the Nightmare Court. They get assistants for handling dragon minions and draconic energies, Nightmare Court gets more torture (sadistic/masochists that they are), and the Inquest probably get the double helping of studying sylvari immunity.

And by the curiosity being satiated, I actually meant for the initial experiments – you don’t really need to dissect a sylvari to find out why they’re immune to dragon corruptions, and the vast majority of asura would frown upon such just as much as they’d frown upon doing the same to humans because they originate from the Mists.

Quaggans have defensive magic that can outclass any guardian.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

That’s actually the reason why I believe the Inquest have entered an alliance with the Nightmare Court. They get assistants for handling dragon minions and draconic energies, Nightmare Court gets more torture (sadistic/masochists that they are), and the Inquest probably get the double helping of studying sylvari immunity.

And by the curiosity being satiated, I actually meant for the initial experiments – you don’t really need to dissect a sylvari to find out why they’re immune to dragon corruptions, and the vast majority of asura would frown upon such just as much as they’d frown upon doing the same to humans because they originate from the Mists.

i know the average asura frowns upon it.

but the inquest isn’t the average asura.

manwiththemachinegun.6873:

Also a good catch on the glowly blue vines, that’s definitely Slyvari.

Actually, if your referring to the blue lines on the gates in the camps, those would be Asuran. More specifically, designed by Arcanist Slizz (the NPC in the Antre of Adjournment jump puzzle, he explains that they are something of electric fences that repel undead). Additionally, to answer other questions, I am pretty sure that the Norn (and the Tengu) were set to work constructing armaments and armor, like Jeff said.

There are like actual vines in Straits of Devastation outposts at least
They’re not the lasers that are used for gates, they’re usually just like barbed wire fencing almost

Well in my story line i learned that the “vines” are powerd by an orb found underwater that REPELS undead and the dragon corrupted.

The orb is anti-undead, yes…But I don’t remember it saying anywhere that the vines specifically are tied to its powers.

Found some more human tech, several of the turrets outside different Pact bases have the “barrel” turret design seen in Caudecus Manor.