Guild Wars 2

This image was posted on the official GW2 facebook page – and I was kind of curious about it.

Obviously it’s an out of game image so we can’t necessarily take it as factual or representative of the game. But there was something that struck me about it:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/arenanet/12841676423/in/photostream/

On the top left corner of the image there is clearly what looks like a birds claw, which makes me wonder if the Tengu (oh my god I just said Tengu lets all scream) are going to be involved in the next update in a more positive light? If we go clockwise from the top it looks like Marjory’s hands, then Rox’s, Kasmeer’s and Brahams. But the claw is definitely throwing me off. Unless it’s Taimi and for some reason Asura have chicken claws – but I feel like I would have noticed… So yeah, just thought I’d point it out for anyone who doesn’t use facebook.

It’s supposed to be Taimi- it has four digits and is next to her bow.

Are you sure? All other Asura have hands the same colour as their skin (and none of them have yellow skin, including Taimi). To my knowledge Tengu also have 4 digits. But I fully accept that it could just be Taimi, I noticed the bow as well.

The yellow is her glove, I think. It matches the color of her coat.

You’re probably right, I’ll just go cry in a corner or something and mourn the absence of the Tengu.

Just don’t do it in their corner, or you won’t need to cry for long. : P

Then your pillow gets soggy, which is not at all pleasant to sleep on.

In game picture of Taimi attached, it seems to match.

Just to start teasing players, they should make a tengu one of the biconics, with slightly improved animations (maybe even the same animations as charr, like how human and sylvari share all but dancing – and then give him a unique dance), but the playable race… never… comes…

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Just to start teasing players, they should make a tengu one of the biconics, with slightly improved animations (maybe even the same animations as charr, like how human and sylvari share all but dancing – and then give him a unique dance), but the playable race… never… comes…

You should replace Scarlet as the new “evil mastermind”-villain!

I’m surprised we haven’t started playing “Caption This!” with that pic.

Why are these guys the one planning the operation to retake Lion’s Arch? Shouldn’t that be done by people who have forces under the command like the three Orders (or the Pact)? Or maybe even the people who know Lion’s Arch the best – the Captain’s Council and the Lionguard?

The only person in that image who has any military experience as far as I’m aware is Rox and that would have to be trumped by dozens of people from the Orders or even the Lionguard. These guys don’t make sense as primary protagonists of this story.

I’m glad to see people constantly jump at anything tengu. It shows people are passionate about them as a playable race and hopefully encourages ArenaNet to make it happen.

I have to disagree with Konig, the tengu member shouldn’t join the B team, they should join Destiny’s Edge. The B team doesn’t even include all five currently playable races.

The terminology and nature of the map seems like it was developed by the orders & Lionguard. Rox & company are just taking their part on the strategic planning.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Just to start teasing players, they should make a tengu one of the biconics, with slightly improved animations (maybe even the same animations as charr, like how human and sylvari share all but dancing – and then give him a unique dance), but the playable race… never… comes…

Sylvari and Humans actually have different ambient animations as well.

Shiren.9532:

Why are these guys the one planning the operation to retake Lion’s Arch? Shouldn’t that be done by people who have forces under the command like the three Orders (or the Pact)? Or maybe even the people who know Lion’s Arch the best – the Captain’s Council and the Lionguard?

The only person in that image who has any military experience as far as I’m aware is Rox and that would have to be trumped by dozens of people from the Orders or even the Lionguard. These guys don’t make sense as primary protagonists of this story.

I’m glad to see people constantly jump at anything tengu. It shows people are passionate about them as a playable race and hopefully encourages ArenaNet to make it happen.

I have to disagree with Konig, the tengu member shouldn’t join the B team, they should join Destiny’s Edge. The B team doesn’t even include all five currently playable races.

Do you see ANY representative of the Orders in Lion’s Arch?

Other than using Vigil Keep as a refugee camp, and some Priory folks trying to document what’s happening (“Scarlet invaded Lion’s Arch? Let me get my pen and question all the refugees while others take it back!”), the Order of Whispers has thus far been MIA, and the Pact is involved only when Dragons are (sans on individual discretion).

The Biconics are the ones who’ve been after Scarlet from the beginning. Thy’re the new figure heads. Them being part of the promotional image is more than reasonable.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Just to start teasing players, they should make a tengu one of the biconics, with slightly improved animations (maybe even the same animations as charr, like how human and sylvari share all but dancing – and then give him a unique dance), but the playable race… never… comes…

Sylvari and Humans actually have different ambient animations as well.

Yes, but tengu already have that uniqueness. :P

All three of the orders have been helping out in LA get citizens out and defending areas.

But as you said, the B-Iconics have been the ones tackling Scarlet the most the past year (other than ourselves), so it makes the most sense that they’re part of promotional images. Plus, for an image like that, having actual recognizable characters’ hands there is more interesting than having ‘generic Priory member one’’s hands there. You recognize those hands instantly.

JayMack.8295:

All three of the orders have been helping out in LA get citizens out and defending areas.

But as you said, the B-Iconics have been the ones tackling Scarlet the most the past year (other than ourselves), so it makes the most sense that they’re part of promotional images. Plus, for an image like that, having actual recognizable characters’ hands there is more interesting than having ‘generic Priory member one’’s hands there. You recognize those hands instantly.

Those are just a couple of members of the orders though. We haven’t seen anyone higher up and we haven’t had any word from the heads of the orders. They’re also only trying to get the citizens out, they haven’t been seen trying to stop Scarlet or fight her.

FlamingFoxx.1305:

Those are just a couple of members of the orders though. We haven’t seen anyone higher up and we haven’t had any word from the heads of the orders. They’re also only trying to get the citizens out, they haven’t been seen trying to stop Scarlet or fight her.

You could say the same thing about us. The dialogue in the camps says that the Vigil, at least, will be part of the assault once the evacuation phase is complete.

The first appearance of the new cast was Braham and Rox during Flame and Frost. As far as I can remember, the Vigil was involved in taking down the molten facilities, so to say that Braham and Rox have been onto Scarlet since the beginning would also require you to recognise that the Vigil was as well, they just didn’t have named NPCs or prominence in the story (Almorra actually says they need every able bodied soldier dealing with the threat in Wayfairer and Diessa). The Order of Whispers infiltrated the Molten Alliance and that’s what the Secret Contact achievement was all about.

I know the Seraph (Sergeant Walters and her soldiers) were involved with the Tower of Nightmares (although like all NPCs they took a back seat for the Living Story cast – in that instance it was Marjory and Kasmeer) and the Vigil and Priory were also present.

During Edge of the Mists the marionette was attended by five Priory members replacing the new characters.

As far as Lion’s Arch itself, the evacuation is facilitated by the three Orders and the Lionguard. The defend events actually place Order NPCs in the city when they complete (although none of them seem to have names). When the citizens leave the city they do so via a stealthed Order of Whispers NPC and as was mentioned, the Priory have been studying the recent events all along.

While the orders haven’t been prominent in the story for the last year, they have been vaguely present in the back ground for most of Scarlet’s appearances and they have been stopping her since her first alliance attacked. It would be inaccurate to say the new characters were more involved (they just had greater story prominence).

As far as the Pact goes, where do you draw the line between all three Orders being present (like they are in Lion’s Arch right now, admittedly they seem to operate independently of each other and not in mixed teams like we saw in Orr) and the Orders in the form of the Pact? Could the operation in Lion’s Arch be argued to be a Pact mission in its current form?

I understand the promotional argument. It makes sense to use your “iconic” characters for a promotional image even if it doesn’t make sense in the story (I didn’t filter this as a promotional image).

As far the heads of the Orders, I tried talking to Almorra and she gave me dialogue indicating I hadn’t defeated Zhaitan yet (I have). I was expecting her to comment on the renovations done to our lovely HQ.