Guild Wars 2

What do hyper-ephemeral purple / pink butterflies have to do with anything? Why do my clones go from being ridiculously cool to worthy of the most indignant face palm moments in gaming history? Is this psychological warfare or trolling made into a class mechanic? Why can’t we turn them off? I like the purple spell effects, they look like a coke addled, manic-depressive clown’s idea of how arcane spell effects SHOULD look. Do they need to be degenerated into the despicable love child of Hello Kitty and a My Little Pony fetishist’s wet dream?

If there’s some lore reason for this utterly unfathomable effect then I’d love to hear it. If it’s just the developer’s way of laughing at us: could ya not?

Add a “turn superfluous ability graphics off” option, please! It might even help those rare, but vociferous few who have FPS issues.

I’m looking for links, anecdotes (things the developers have said), direct comparisons to obvious pre-existing imagery(gotten a good deal of that, for which I’m grateful <3), things that are official or are a truly strong / interesting possibility, rather than personal musings, poorly thought out ideas and feelings, or hearsay (again, if it’s interesting and hasn’t already been posted, than give me opinions and hearsay). Read what other people have said before posting, repetition is not helpful or in anyway desired by anyone except dementia patients. You are all unique individuals, but that doesn’t mean you ALL have something worth saying.

Especially the people obsessed with their sexuality.

Even more so those people who feel they have to be ostentatiously secure with their sexuality, as if you are special or enlightened for liking pink and purple butterflies. The probable reason you enjoy them is likely because they make you feel like you are secure with your sexuality or you’d have given a reason for liking them, rather than wasting space with talk of sex and how secure you are in regards to it.

If the bloody butterflies are just aesthetically pleasing to you personally, that’s neat. This isn’t the thread for posting “I lurv mah Mesmer and his butterflies” and other such uninteresting, irrelevant drivel. It’s a search for an answer. An answer that will allow myself, and anyone else who feel the urge to facepalm whenever they see their ridiculously cool looking character puff into a cloud of purple and pink butterflies, to love the little buggers as well.

“ITT: we’re in the closet and are insecure.

Acquire top hat and trench coat.

Dye it purple

Become pimpin"

You make it sound as if I haven’t had other men’s tongues down my throat If anything I’ve completely skirted the potential homosexual symbolism that is people turning into clouds of purple / pink butterflies. It’s unlikely that has anything to do with the developer’s vision. I’d say grow up, but that’s terrible advice.

“I find it somewhat amusing that the op mentions wet dreams before anyone could bring Freud and sexual insecurity into the conversation.”

Freud was a quack and I’m a cuddle kitten, choose yer gender Being observant and having a flair for amusing imagery leads me down many literary paths. It’s cute that people over analyze posts made over the internet and always come to the same Freudian conclusion. Everyone is sexually kittened (except them) and that’s the only explanation. It’s rather reminiscent of the Forer effect. Give a large group of people the exact same horoscope, but told it’s uniquely tailored to them, and they’ll all think it’s highly accurate. Give a bunch of people the freedom of being anonymous observers and they think they’re psychologists.

While this is to be expected from the imagery of the subject matter, it’s got nothing to do with the subject itself. I think people just get overly excited regarding anything sexually reminiscent (which practically everything is for human beings), so it’s understandable that they want to veer off into the sordid and sensationalistic. Don’t. <3

I admit it, rolled this class for the purple/pink butterflies.

That said, I really do like the music notes you get underwater and wouldn’t mind seeing an option to replace the surface butterfly graphics with the musical notes if you prefer those.

I personally like the butterflies. I think it fits the lore of the mesmer. Butterflies evolved their bright colors and patterning on their wings as a way to distract, confuse and intimidate predators and competition alike.

If you want something that is all about control and manipulation there are other classes available without all the frills and glitter. Play one of those instead. If the mesmer lost all it’s flash and frivolity then those of us wanting to play a class with that feel and look would no longer have one.

I think that Necros are morbid and depressing, even though I find the mechanics of them intriguing. . . I won’t go attacking their art direction, however. I found a class I liked everything about and play that one.

Don’t hate on my butterflies! I love them.

AnubisXy.5713:

I admit it, rolled this class for the purple/pink butterflies.

That said, I really do like the music notes you get underwater and wouldn’t mind seeing an option to replace the surface butterfly graphics with the musical notes if you prefer those.

That would make me so happy Music has long been associated with magic. Many games with bards utilize sound for debuffing, crowd control, etc… Often via hypnotic rythyms or sonic magic which manipulates the senses of the victim. At least that makes some kind of sense.

Unless Anet goes on record saying their magical hallucinogenic butterflies then I just can’t see what reason there is for putting them in game. Obviously people enjoy them aesthetically, but they are, seemingly, a completely random bit of imagery. By all means keep em as a default, but an option to disable them would make my Mesmer cease to feel like a major tool to me. I really hope they are, officially, hallucinogenic arcane butterflies. How cool would that be?

Well, in GW1 one of mesmer’s trademark skills was “Soothing images”, which created like illusory pink butterflies around the victim’s head. Just seems like they took that very recognisable spell and turned it into a motif.

I personally think it’s perfect, butterflies in real life frequently have patterns on their back that produce illusions such as making them blend in with a plant, or mimic a predatory animals face. Butterflies are natures mesmers, fragile, pretty and deceptive

It’s not just the confusion aspects, but I think butterflies are also used as an example for chaos theory, which also fit the theme of the mesmer. The butterflies are easy enough to get used to, if you want flashy without butterflies consider guardians, they have doves instead.

@Ryuujin – Good answer The link to GW1 helps justify it’s current incarnation in GW2. Also, I enjoy the connection you made to the self defense mechanism used by so many different types of butterflies; used in a magical capacity it makes a good deal of sense that this ability would be imaginatively amplified.

I’d still prefer just a puff of smoke or the spell used to create the clones unraveling in a string of sigils or some other esoteric lettering system rather than a bunch of butterflies. Silliness is great, but it needs some worthwhile ground to stand on.

Apolesse.8902:

…
If you want something that is all about control and manipulation there are other classes available without all the frills and glitter. Play one of those instead. If the mesmer lost all it’s flash and frivolity then those of us wanting to play a class with that feel and look would no longer have one.

I think that Necros are morbid and depressing, even though I find the mechanics of them intriguing. . . I won’t go attacking their art direction, however. I found a class I liked everything about and play that one…

No one suggested abolishing the current graphic scheme. I simply want the option to enjoy one of the two unique classes that GW2 brings to the MMORPG world without random as hell, garish, purple/pink butterflies popping out of my spells. Also none of the other classes come close to the Mesmer for control, subtlety and imaginative tactics. Why force me to omit the Mesmer from my game time over such a small, albeit inflammatory, aspect of the class? That’s rather more silly than the butterflies themselves

That’s nice that you found yourself a niche class. With the impressive technology at Anet’s hands, it’s not a difficult task to simply remove the butterflies from the clone dispersion graphic and assign it when the option to remove them is checked. No need for you to be put out by it. Also there are 8 classes in this game, 5 races and a huge number of unique stories to play through. With the very limited end game we have at our disposal, it’s alts that are the most promising reason for continued play. Most people don’t attach themselves to a single character as you seem to have done.

P.S. Necros are a chipper lot who enjoy fancy dress parties and frilly implements in their drinks. It’s easy to misunderstand their life style

P.S.S. As with any project, attacking, suggesting or making critical (positive or negative) comments are the lifeblood of progress. There’s no reason to feel antagonized should you like something and someone else doesn’t. It’s a terrible tragedy when even one person tries to halt this process. This game wouldn’t exist without people proposing intriguing ideas and changes. As individuals can’t be expected, as a whole, to like the same things we must have compromise in order to please the majority. The compromises that can be completely ignored by those that wish to do so are the best. My compromise falls under this category

Again: If there’s a specific reason or bit of lore in regards to the utterly ridiculous pink and purple butterflies than I’d love to hear it. A bit of purpose or good sense would go a long way to making me accept the little buggers. So far I’ve become attached to the idea that they’re an ethereal meta-species of Lepidoptera that cause intelligent, purposeful hallucinations, some of which have terribly harmful psychosomatic effects.

Heinel.6548:

It’s not just the confusion aspects, but I think butterflies are also used as an example for chaos theory, which also fit the theme of the mesmer. The butterflies are easy enough to get used to, if you want flashy without butterflies consider guardians, they have doves instead.

My main is a Guardian Very fun class. Doves fit with a holy warrior as they symbolize purity and peace, two things that any Guardian or true holy warrior should aim for. I do appreciate the very abstract connection between butterflies and chaos theory (I already used it in a prior remark though not for the same purpose ). I’m still very much against being forced into a “butterfly or get lost” class, and it is very much an ultimatum for anyone paying 60 dollars to play the game. No other AAA MMORPG offers anything like Mesmers and anyone, myself included, that loves illusion magic has no alternative. An option to switch between butterfly and sans-butterfly graphics would be fairly simple and desirable.

I would like the option to change the sparkles and spell effects colors like the armor color change customization… give us black and yellow, or green and white, or something else thats not so…

While I have no problem with them making an “option” to change or turn off the effect, I certainly wouldn’t want the developers to take it out or change it. I rather like the effect. For some strange reason it greatly adds to the attraction that I have for this class. I was actually quite surprised to see this post with someone who hates it so much.

The purple butterfly effects are understood symbolically in certain circles. It is relevant to the theme. Similar character tropes appear in other media from time to time and ANets interpretation of it with their Mesmer would fit in well with them. The way to look at the effects is not that they are a biproduct of the spellcasting process but a specifically crafted theatric effect.

I’d also consider a little antagonism in the responses inevitable given how indulgently negative your portrayal in the op, but we can always feign ignorance after desired reply count.

Oh so you thought my clone was me when you killed it? poof goes my clone, it was only butterflies.

I love everything about the Mesmer class, especially the butterflies. If anything I wish I had more of them.

Best quote in the game: (true story)

“Oh great, now I’m all sunshine and butterflies.”

That is now my mesmer motto.

So what? Necros have green Locusts.
Our class icon is a pink butterfly, and it fits well.

Conceptually it might just be rooted in japanese mythology

Purple and butterflies fit the whole illusion theme. I don’t know where do you live, but this is common sense if you read after illusion or mesmers at all.

I love it and that shatter sound is just pleasant to listen to

It should be a shattered glass effect as opposed to butterflies. It’s ridiculous and ridiculous looking. /shrug I just try to ignore it because I don’t feel like playing anything else right now.

Speaking of imagery and aesthetics, I also think that the Moa spell should be removed and replaced with something else. To all of you old D&D players, what’s a polymorph spell doing on an illusionist? :P

While shattering glass makes sense, I’d keep that to actual Shatter-effects.

Glass shards to me embody the forceful breaking of the illusion. As an offensive action.
Butterflies embody the trickery of it, the effect which tells you a Mesmer just went invisible in a haze of butterflies, the effect an illusion an enemy tries to hit slowly falls apart in, the cloud from which blinking reemerges you.

Sorry but the butterflys must stay.

butterflies fit the class perfect.

IN real life they one of the few real life Mesmers.

Second they play a key role in chaos theory.

Third it was use in gw1.

I dont care much about the 3rd reason, but the other two makes butterflies to me, to be perfect for the Mez and I love that they did it.

It part of who she is(yes I see all Mez as female, and yes it the only class I see a gender to the rest can be either to me.) It not because of the butterflies it, it just the entire feel of the class all of it skills. The lore behind it, there is like no male Mez in the lore.
Just everything yells at you FEMALE.

I love this class like no other.

purple is the color of kings, just saying

I love the troll factor of my giant male norn and his pink butterflies.. You can’t take that away from me!

I don’t mind too much, though giving each class some different colours to choose from for their abilities wouldn’t go amiss.

Should be able to turn them off, not everyone has this feminist side wanting to see purple butterflies on their male characters. Don’t say you’re trolling, you’re trolling yourself saying that, we know how you are.

How is it a feminist thing, Zogyark? Purple is the colour of kings, as for the butterflies, see the link above.

You’re just not going to get me to agree that imagery typically targeted at 8 year old girls shopping at the mall is at all cool looking no matter how you try to spin it. And to try to make what we’re doing, shattering the minds of our opponents, at all noble is a stretch normally reserved for rubber bands and Plastic Man. The effects should be dark and reflect (so to speak) that.

While I can understand and appreciate the personal preference, I cannot help but feel that stating such is similar to stating that you would like a minion based, heavy condition layering and Gothic style mage without the grotesque motif that comes with being a Necromancer.

It’s just seems to be a waste to make an entire function just because someone disagrees with the aesthetic style of a class. I’m not too keen on the butterfly motief myself but it fits the class well so I tolerate it.

That ettin stuff! You no touch!
Butterflies! That’s the reason some people play mesmers in the first place.

True, it’s similar to criticizing that Rangers always have a pet, Elementalists use elemental attacks or Unicorns have horns in most depictions.

Personal preference, yes, but in this case your preference would then be not to roll a Mesmer!

Hey you want to roll a male mesmer having butteflies flying around you all the time your choice. My female mesmer is quite hot and i’m in love with her, + the theme fits chicks better.

That’s a pretty juvenile way to look at it, but whatever floats your boat. :P

I don’t understand why butterflies are associated with femininity… butterflies have both genders like most animals. Something wrong with the male butterflies?

Some people just dont seem to escape their Middle Schools mentallities even after ‘growing up’. I suppose girls wear pink and boy wear blue as well?

As has been said, in no particular order:

- Butterflies use their camouflage for deception
- Butterflies are the symbol for chaos theory
- Butterflies were used as imagery in the original GW
- Butterflies represent fragility and trickery via mimicry
- Butterflies work well with the purple colour scheme
- Butterflies are a stylistic choice by ANet instead of music because then they become Yet Another Bard/Minstrel Class.

You aren’t being “forced” into this asthetic choice any more than any other profession and it is just as validated for Mesmer (due to the above) as the other professions with their aesthetic choices. Butterflies for Mesmers are no different than Locusts for Necromancers, Doves for Guardians, Elements for Elementalists… they were chosen because they represent that profession. Not to sound aggressive, as that isn’t my intent, but if you don’t like the aesthetic well… that is simply too bad. It makes sense and I can’t foresee them changing it anytime.

As an aside, I think that it would be an interesting experiment to have different “particle packs” as gem store items that allowed for different graphical tweaks. But then again, those graphical tweaks also make it better for distinguishing who is doing what during gameplay (especially any PvP aspect) that it might not be in ANet’s best interest. (The PVP aspect I talk about is also why in Team Fortress 2 you can change your hats and weapons, but your overall silhouette is the same: for easy distinction)

I kind of want to add that to my sig:

“BUTTERFLIES OR GET LOST”.

As I linked before, don’t discard the symbolism of butterflies for a trickster class.

In ancient greek, the word for a butterfly was “psyche”, they were seen as the embodiment of a person’s mind or soul. Considering the nature of our class, Butterflies seem extremely fitting.
Though, as I said above, I’d be more clear with the Butterflies vs Glass-Shards setup:

• Shatter effects => Glass
• Anything else => Butterflies

Glass butterflies?

Should be able to turn them off, not everyone has this feminist side wanting to see purple butterflies on their male characters. Don’t say you’re trolling, you’re trolling yourself saying that, we know how you are.

I’m so sorry that I’m comfortable enough with my sexuality and manliness to have a little fun with my very manly looking mesmer throwing pink butterflies around. This is a video game afterall, in case you’ve forgotten.

This comment coupled with the one you made below about being in love with your “hot” cluster of pixels leads me to believe that you are quite young, so I will just let your little stab at me go.

• Butterflies and and pink waves of ecstasy. *

I justify my mesmer by being a Sylvari, that happens to have a bit of a purple glow… Obviously a plant-person illusionist would use their attunement to nature (like insects, such as butterflies) to their advantage, in their magic.

Ill be honest, it took me a week and a half of re-rolling all kinds of toons until i found the proff/race i liked most, and i steered clear of mesmer for a LONG while because i coudltn get over how ‘frilly’ and ‘ghey’ the character creation was….. finally i powered through it, made snce of the butterflies by rolling a sylvari toon, and couldnt be happier; because i love the way this class plays…

So, i wouldnt mind a change, if they removed the butterflies, or give us options to change our own spell effects…. but even if that never happens, im still playing my mesmer. Butterflies and all.

The Dude Abides.

LittleZoe.4970:

Purple and butterflies fit the whole illusion theme. I don’t know where do you live, but this is common sense if you read after illusion or mesmers at all.

I love it and that shatter sound is just pleasant to listen to

I live in the land of reason. It’s a nice place, but we’re rather stuck in the mud over nonsensical things Also I’ve played plenty of games with illusion magics, made studies of myriad religions, myths and legends across the world and have a veritable kitten for fantasy in any medium. To memory, Mesmers are the only instance connected with unexplainable butterflies.

Understanding symbols is a part of my scholarly pursuits, as well as being an important ability for anybody, so this is bit of confusion is rather jarring. It’s nice to see everyone has so many, apparently unfounded, opinions, but I’m looking for an answer to a question as opposed to what you kind of sort of think / feel justifies the existence for hyper-ephemeral pink and purple butterflies erupting from our clones.

P.S. You need to google Common Sense. You obviously don’t understand what is common or correct :S

pinkbunnies.4620
I would like the option to change the sparkles and spell effects colors like the armor color change customization… give us black and yellow, or green and white, or something else thats not so…

What is this talk about changing the mesmer colors? The mesmer embodies the spirit of characters like the lacy effete Sir Percy Blakeney, aka The Scarlet Pimpernel. The pink colors and butterflies just add to the effect.

“They seek him here, they seek him there”
“Those Frenchies seek him everywhere”
“Is he in heaven, is he in hell”
“That kitten elusive pimpernel.”

KEEP THE PINKS AND KEEP THE BUTTERFLIES

Yellow and black would be awful and kill the effect. This is a mesmer and not the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ben Roethlisburger. If you want those colors, go play a Charr warrior.

Carighan.6758:

True, it’s similar to criticizing that Rangers always have a pet, Elementalists use elemental attacks or Unicorns have horns in most depictions.

Personal preference, yes, but in this case your preference would then be not to roll a Mesmer!

That’s not personal preference, that’s being forced to not play a part of the game that I paid for simply due to unfortunate graphics design. Immersion is the key to any RPG. Also the clones are what are characteristic of the Mesmer. The butterflies are additional.

Good attempt, but not in line with the purpose of the thread. Options and answers rather than vague concepts that have no ground in reality.

Sunju.8310:

Carighan.6758:

True, it’s similar to criticizing that Rangers always have a pet, Elementalists use elemental attacks or Unicorns have horns in most depictions.

Personal preference, yes, but in this case your preference would then be not to roll a Mesmer!

That’s not personal preference, that’s being forced to not play a part of the game that I paid for simply due to unfortunate graphics design. Immersion is the key to any RPG. Also the clones are what are characteristic of the Mesmer. The butterflies are additional.

Good attempt, but not in line with the purpose of the thread. Options and answers rather than vague concepts that have no ground in reality.

You are not “forced” if you are making the decision to not play a particular part of the game because you dislike the art direction around it. People have already given plenty of reasons WHY the butterflies are there. Even if there was no reason at all (which, as I’ve stated, there are plenty of reasons stated) it, frankly, isn’t there problem at this point. Don’t go talking about how you “can’t access” certain parts of the content because you don’t like the looks of them. That isn’t how “forced” works. You are CHOOSING to not take part in a certain part of the content because you, PERSONALLY, do not like the appearance of some aspect of a profession.

If your reasoning for feeling like this has been somehow unfairly forced upon you outside of “but I don’t LIKE the butterflies!” for no reason other than personal preference, I don’t see what there is to discuss.

Purple is generally the colour associated with chaos.

So are butterflies, the way they follow a chaotic flying path, with no order.

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” – Muhammed Ali
Our illusions do just that…they even die after they “sting” :-P

I don’t know why, but the Butterflies aren’t a problem for me perception wise.

Though that might be because of Sluggy Freelance, where an Alt-Riff replaced the entire population of his world outside of himself with multi-colored butterflies. Hence, giving me the thoughts of a Butterfly Armageddon somewhere in my mind.
Edit: Not Insanity, but Chaos from the quote
It has been said that something as small as the flutter of a butterfly’s wing can ultimately cause a typhoon halfway around the world – Chaos Theory

Now if only I could identify where I keep getting the Hallucination(No longer including Insanity in this.) implication I get from Butterflies.

Also the clones are what are characteristic of the Mesmer. The butterflies are additional.

No, the butterflies are definitely a characteristic of the Mesmer.

Butterflies or get lost!

True Seeker.3682:

As has been said, in no particular order:

- Butterflies use their camouflage for deception
- Butterflies are the symbol for chaos theory
- Butterflies were used as imagery in the original GW
- Butterflies represent fragility and trickery via mimicry
- Butterflies work well with the purple colour scheme
- Butterflies are a stylistic choice by ANet instead of music because then they become Yet Another Bard/Minstrel Class.

You aren’t being “forced” into this asthetic choice any more than any other profession and it is just as validated for Mesmer (due to the above) as the other professions with their aesthetic choices. Butterflies for Mesmers are no different than Locusts for Necromancers, Doves for Guardians, Elements for Elementalists… they were chosen because they represent that profession. Not to sound aggressive, as that isn’t my intent, but if you don’t like the aesthetic well… that is simply too bad. It makes sense and I can’t foresee them changing it anytime.

---

As an aside, I think that it would be an interesting experiment to have different “particle packs” as gem store items that allowed for different graphical tweaks. But then again, those graphical tweaks also make it better for distinguishing who is doing what during gameplay (especially any PvP aspect) that it might not be in ANet’s best interest. (The PVP aspect I talk about is also why in Team Fortress 2 you can change your hats and weapons, but your overall silhouette is the same: for easy distinction)

You make excellent points and weren’t offensive in the least <3 Unfortunately those are only possibilities as opposed to Anet’s purposeful addition of butterflies as imagery or lore. That is, of course, unless you’ve seen the developers answer this question before and are giving me that information. If so then I’d love to hear that

Considering Mesmers already have a music notes animation the line between Illusionist and bard has already been crossed. Not repeating the skill is a good way to keep away from the bard motif, but this is very much in the same vein for my current predicament: what the hell do the butterflies truly have to do with my class?

Thematically you, and several people before you, have given very worthwhile reasons for the butterflies to be in place. I enjoy your reasoning and have come to the conclusion that the butterflies are a hallucinogenic, arcane meta-species of butterfly. It explains their physical presence, which is important in maintaining immersion and key to any RPG. Bugger accepting it as an abstract comment on the themes the developers focused on while making Mesmers. That just doesn’t have a place in my game.

Here’s hoping a developer takes a shot at explaining why they did what they did as opposed to people giving opinions rather than facts…unless those opinions are of this poster’s quality. Really, some of you just need to start screening everything you say. Others require a live-in editor to watch over your shoulder every second of the day.

Why do butterflies degenerate the class into the despicable love child of Hello Kitty and a My Little Pony fetishist’s wet dream in your, opinion?

Sunju.8310:

Carighan.6758:

True, it’s similar to criticizing that Rangers always have a pet, Elementalists use elemental attacks or Unicorns have horns in most depictions.

Personal preference, yes, but in this case your preference would then be not to roll a Mesmer!

That’s not personal preference, that’s being forced to not play a part of the game that I paid for simply due to unfortunate graphics design. Immersion is the key to any RPG. Also the clones are what are characteristic of the Mesmer. The butterflies are additional.

Good attempt, but not in line with the purpose of the thread. Options and answers rather than vague concepts that have no ground in reality.

If the mesmer is changed to your preferences, then we are forced to play a part of the game that we paid for in a way that we don’t want due to changes in graphics and design. Many of us mesmers do get immersed into the RPG because of the colors and butterflies.

The GW2 mesmer is what it is. Your personal preferences on what you think is right for a mesmer has no more bearing in reality than what Anet came up with, and your preference should not supercede what the majority want. Accept the mesmer for what is … or leave it.

Also please stop spewing those pseudo intelligent statements you end your posts with like “options and answers rather than vague concepts that have no ground in reality.” They add nothing and are merely condescending trash you throw in to bolster your ego.

OP you are really provoking me with your post. In rl I am 6’ 3" 208 lbs, with a beard and sometimes wear plaid. I also have two girlfriends (who know of each other’s existence) and YET I like the purple butterflies. In fact it’s the purple butterflies which drew me to the class to begin with. What exactly are you trying to say?