Guild Wars 2

Topic says it all, I summoned up a few Air Ele’s to find that they now are kinda scorpion like. And I really love it. Huge improvement in terms of aesthetic.

Good job A-net

I find it ugly, and it just confuses me that the patch notes said the change would only affect the lesser air elemental, but the big one was changed as well. Hopefully it is a bug and will get fixed.

Nepumuk.6071:

I find it ugly, and it just confuses me that the patch notes said the change would only affect the lesser air elemental, but the big one was changed as well. Hopefully it is a bug and will get fixed.

It works on both elementals with me

More reasons to stalk endless spark tonic!

Winds.3087:

More reasons to stalk endless spark tonic!

Except if the reason you got the tonic in the first place was for the old elemental looks… lots of karma went into that one and then they just completely change it.

Imagine if they changed Sunrise to look like a giant worm on a stick. Same thing. You invest in something and then they just snatch it away and replace it with something completely different.

So personally, no, I don’t like it at all. Not only it doesn’t look like an air elemental, but they could have spent that time fixing graphics issues which actually need fixing. Obsidian Skin noexistent effects, anyone?

Apparently I am in the minority here

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Lesser-Air-Elemental-Change/first#post1551306
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Air-Elemental/first#post1549250

Actually, I quite like it. Before it was the weakest of the elementals in terms of looks. It was… an orb. Now it has a degree of character.

Safer Saviour.9685:

Actually, I quite like it. Before it was the weakest of the elementals in terms of looks. It was… an orb. Now it has a degree of character.

It was a wisp. A form perfect for an air elemental. Now it has all the character of a lightning crab… a ground hugging, crawling creature. Might as well make the Earth elemental all misty with a feather boa stuck in its rear.

No reason in arguing about purely graphic change.

Winds.3087:

No reason in arguing about purely graphic change.

Depends if it is important to you. Some of us invested considerably into getting a Charged Potion, the effect of which was then completely changed.

As I mentioned, imagine if they did a simple graphic change on Sunrise that removed that shiny blade and replaced it with dried guano.

Or just take a look at the torrent of complaints that ensued after they broke the glow on some exotics last patch.

You can’t make people put a large investment into something and then change it just like that. It is just not done.

Gaudrath.6725:

Depends if it is important to you. Some of us invested considerably into getting a Charged Potion, the effect of which was then completely changed.

As I mentioned, imagine if they did a simple graphic change on Sunrise that removed that shiny blade and replaced it with dried guano.

Or just take a look at the torrent of complaints that ensued after they broke the glow on some exotics last patch.

You can’t make people put a large investment into something and then change it just like that. It is just not done.

The point is, only part of people will consider this simple graphic change as dried guano. Other part will actually like that. And there’s always larger part of those who simply don’t care.
Ultimate decision and the way it should be is in hands of designer.
Remember recent ponybow changes.

Winds.3087:

Gaudrath.6725:

Depends if it is important to you. Some of us invested considerably into getting a Charged Potion, the effect of which was then completely changed.

As I mentioned, imagine if they did a simple graphic change on Sunrise that removed that shiny blade and replaced it with dried guano.

Or just take a look at the torrent of complaints that ensued after they broke the glow on some exotics last patch.

You can’t make people put a large investment into something and then change it just like that. It is just not done.

The point is, only part of people will consider this simple graphic change as dried guano. Other part will actually like that. And there’s always larger part of those who simply don’t care.
Ultimate decision and the way it should be is in hands of designer.
Remember recent ponybow changes.

I do remember, and if I was the art director on the team, the artist which came up with that particular gem would be in the closet cubicle for a month.

Rule no.1 in MMO game design: if the item is something a portion of your player base has already invested in, you can improve the existing concept, but you do not change it. Ever. If you really want that new concept pushed in, you give players choice and options.

Rule no.2 of game design: you do not waste time on re-doodling stuff that is completely fine while there are items which are outright broken.

Which leads me to believe that there is, in fact, no Lead artist on the team and ANet designers just do what strikes their fancy.

Where are missing skill effects? Where are missing legendary effects? How about more weapons and armor skins?

Nah, let’s just slap the karka skeleton on top of the air elemental orb and call it a month for the graphics team.

Gaudrath.6725:

Safer Saviour.9685:

Actually, I quite like it. Before it was the weakest of the elementals in terms of looks. It was… an orb. Now it has a degree of character.

It was a wisp. A form perfect for an air elemental. Now it has all the character of a lightning crab… a ground hugging, crawling creature. Might as well make the Earth elemental all misty with a feather boa stuck in its rear.

I feel I must disagree, I can honestly say that I have never saw an air elemental look like the new model. And for that I like it. I am in the camp the the air ememental lacked character, as in it did nothing. The other elementals all have idle animations and look like they are living being. The old Air model was just a ball, it bounced from time to time.

TheBlueI.3486:

https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Lesser-Air-Elemental-Change/first#post1551306
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/elementalist/Air-Elemental/first#post1549250

now where were they when I searched the topic

Avatar Rage.4369:

Gaudrath.6725:

Safer Saviour.9685:

Actually, I quite like it. Before it was the weakest of the elementals in terms of looks. It was… an orb. Now it has a degree of character.

It was a wisp. A form perfect for an air elemental. Now it has all the character of a lightning crab… a ground hugging, crawling creature. Might as well make the Earth elemental all misty with a feather boa stuck in its rear.

I feel I must disagree, I can honestly say that I have never saw an air elemental look like the new model. And for that I like it. I am in the camp the the air ememental lacked character, as in it did nothing. The other elementals all have idle animations and look like they are living being. The old Air model was just a ball, it bounced from time to time.

That’s a matter of taste… to me a floating ball bouncing from time to time has plenty of character – for an Air Elemental. Character isn’t something you get from having limbs, or else R2D2 from Star Wars would be a really boring character.

The main point is that nobody complained about the old looks. And there are plenty of unfinished graphics in the game. Obsidian Skin literally has no effect!

And finally, this change is loved by some and hated by others. Previous look was loved by some, while others were indifferent. That’s a change for the worse whichever way you turn it.

Gaudrath.6725:

Avatar Rage.4369:

Gaudrath.6725:

Safer Saviour.9685:

Actually, I quite like it. Before it was the weakest of the elementals in terms of looks. It was… an orb. Now it has a degree of character.

It was a wisp. A form perfect for an air elemental. Now it has all the character of a lightning crab… a ground hugging, crawling creature. Might as well make the Earth elemental all misty with a feather boa stuck in its rear.

I feel I must disagree, I can honestly say that I have never saw an air elemental look like the new model. And for that I like it. I am in the camp the the air ememental lacked character, as in it did nothing. The other elementals all have idle animations and look like they are living being. The old Air model was just a ball, it bounced from time to time.

That’s a matter of taste… to me a floating ball bouncing from time to time has plenty of character – for an Air Elemental. Character isn’t something you get from having limbs, or else R2D2 from Star Wars would be a really boring character.

The main point is that nobody complained about the old looks. And there are plenty of unfinished graphics in the game. Obsidian Skin literally has no effect!

And finally, this change is loved by some and hated by others. Previous look was loved by some, while others were indifferent. That’s a change for the worse whichever way you turn it.

I see your, point though I must say that R2D2 had character because it was expressive in term of intonation not movement. This cannot be compared to the bouncing air elemental. The character of this new elemental comes from the limbs because you can just do more with limbs in terms of animation.

Though as you say it is a matter of taste some will like it some will not, either way.

On the bright side it show that A-net are not done with changing the aesthetic of the game. Which means that if people it bring up and their make their voices heard, then it increases the likely hood that A-net will see it and consider to make the change.

Not so sure about that. Have you ever seen anyone mention the air elemental looks, nevermind complain about them?

And yet, people have been complaining about certain subpar or missing effects for months and got nothing.

It just feels to me that there is little or no supervision or direction in ANet’s art department. Or else whoever is in charge seriously needs to improve their prioritization skills.
This and the unicorn-with-butt-tatoos shooting legendary bow makes me worry about more than look forward to what they have in store for us.

Gaudrath.6725:

I do remember, and if I was the art director on the team, the artist which came up with that particular gem would be in the closet cubicle for a month.

Rule no.1 in MMO game design: if the item is something a portion of your player base has already invested in, you can improve the existing concept, but you do not change it. Ever. If you really want that new concept pushed in, you give players choice and options.

Rule no.2 of game design: you do not waste time on re-doodling stuff that is completely fine while there are items which are outright broken.

Which leads me to believe that there is, in fact, no Lead artist on the team and ANet designers just do what strikes their fancy.

Where are missing skill effects? Where are missing legendary effects? How about more weapons and armor skins?

Nah, let’s just slap the karka skeleton on top of the air elemental orb and call it a month for the graphics team.

Arbitrary numbered rules are arbitrary.

But I’d say neither of those rules has anything to do with game design…maybe with customer support and PR or something…

I love the new air elemental. Looks way better now.

The wisp look was fitting but pretty boring imo.

Wasn’t really a fan of the old one either, but the new one is worse imo. The crawling doesn’t fit an air elemental..

I think it’s cute, looks like a little lightning headcrab.

That being said, a lightning headcrab doesn’t look like an air elemental, so I’m not quite sure where that leaves us.

Leo G.4501:

Gaudrath.6725:

I do remember, and if I was the art director on the team, the artist which came up with that particular gem would be in the closet cubicle for a month.

Rule no.1 in MMO game design: if the item is something a portion of your player base has already invested in, you can improve the existing concept, but you do not change it. Ever. If you really want that new concept pushed in, you give players choice and options.

Rule no.2 of game design: you do not waste time on re-doodling stuff that is completely fine while there are items which are outright broken.

Which leads me to believe that there is, in fact, no Lead artist on the team and ANet designers just do what strikes their fancy.

Where are missing skill effects? Where are missing legendary effects? How about more weapons and armor skins?

Nah, let’s just slap the karka skeleton on top of the air elemental orb and call it a month for the graphics team.

Arbitrary numbered rules are arbitrary.

But I’d say neither of those rules has anything to do with game design…maybe with customer support and PR or something…

no. 2 is closely related to feature crawl, the bane of game developers everywhere. Look it up.

no. 1 is there because you don’t want your designers pi**ing the playerbase off.

The change seemed kind of unneccesary. There was nothing really wrong with the original. The original design’s simplicity actually seemed more suitable. Not everything has to have appendages or an incredibly menacing look IMO.

They could have made the orb more appealing, instead, they turned them into karkas (seriously it’s the same animation).

Poor, redundant change.

The Air Elemental has the exact same animations as it did before. All the art team did was give it lightning ‘limbs’ where before it was invisible.

Personally I don’t mind the new look, although I do agree the old one was more “airy”.

I’m on the side that thinks the new look is an adorable improvement.

Aside from aesthetics, though: the simple orb didn’t have much of an attack animation, and that can be a problem with gameplay. Now you can actually time the attacks out for dodging and other actions, putting them in balance with the other elementals.

I dislike the change to the Air Elementals. First why did they add legs and a tale? They were nice the way they used to be, just balls of lighting flouting as if they were held up my static electricity. Now I find I just think they look silly, I mean I never once thought oh please make a lighting spider that would make it better lol.

I would like them to change them back, or at least the ele summon versions.

Getting used to it, but still prefer the old version.

Old version was better. How can a spider/crab be related to air element?

When I had originally read the notes I had hoped it’d be more tornado shaped (with a tiny tail below) and two legs it stood on and two tiny arms it cast with kinda like a miniature tornado man.

I got a lightning scorpion.

I’m not disappointed, just wasn’t what I was expecting.