Guild Wars 2

Why are mesmers always tied with looking fancy, classy, tuxedos, ball room dresses?
Either that or funny, witty, clown, carnival magician entertainer looks?

I understand lyssa being the goddess of beauty to an extent,and i understand illusion magic being associated to modern day illusionists magicians from las vegas….and then there are some “well known” guild wars characters who are mesmers that fit in that stereotype like Kass, or Anise, or that magician from human noble personal story who pops out of nowhere at the end of the zhaitan story during credits who throws confetti and dances with moas…

What happened to the dangerous mesmers from guild wars 1? The one who wielded chaos storms, drained their foes from their energy, conjured horrifying images of fear and nightmare who tormented their foes.

Mesmers who were attacking the enemies brain, causing them to be clumsy, making them cry from pain and frustration, making them delusional, made them feel imagined burden and slowed them down.

Caused migranes, wracking their minds, making them mistrust their own allies, making them feel shameful and even emphatic towards their enemies that they hated enough to kill on sight..

Is there anyone out there who made their mesmer look something that compliments that kind of mesmer? The kind of mesmer who isnt a rich fancy noble human, or a happy go lucky human carneval entertainer?

Also, how do you even “fit” a non human into such stereotype?

Not to rain on your parade here, but I decided to take a look at the GW1 wiki to see the sort of aesthetic for Mesmer that you were talking about. Helpfully, the wiki had a big picture of Mesmers on the main Mesmer page, so it was easy to see.

https://wiki.guildwars.com/images/3/36/Mesmers.jpg

Oh wait…

i wasnt trying to compare the LOOKS of gw1 mesmers and todays “human dresses and tuxedos” standard, im talking about the actual skills.

As in trying to find a set of armor that compliments the theme of what a mesmer really does besides using illusions to look pretty and entertain the nobility of divinitys reach.

Also, non human mesmers

Vukorep.3081:

…

What happened to the dangerous mesmers from guild wars 1? The one who wielded chaos storms, drained their foes from their energy, conjured horrifying images of fear and nightmare who tormented their foes.

Mesmers who were attacking the enemies brain, causing them to be clumsy, making them cry from pain and frustration, making them delusional, made them feel imagined burden and slowed them down.

Caused migranes, wracking their minds, making them mistrust their own allies, making them feel shameful and even emphatic towards their enemies that they hated enough to kill on sight..

…

I’m no expert on mesmers, but I think you just perfectly described mesmers in GW2.

Well done!

no energy draining, no horrifying images of fear and nightmare (just clones and ghostly looking phantasms), they dont make them clumsy or cry from pain and frustration, they might interupt them (so could gw1 mesmers) and delusional only works on pve mobs and some players i guess when you are using lots of clones ,stealths and blinks..but only mechanically. I get more feelings of delusions and loosing somoenes mind when a revenant embraces the dark using malyx ultimate.

no migranes, and no forceful attacks on opponents feelings?

This is what im looking for.
http://gw2101.gtm.guildwars2.com/global/includes/images/hero-mesmer.jpg

Not this
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/thumb/8/82/Mesmer_02_concept_art.jpg/250px-Mesmer_02_concept_art.jpg

Lorewise mesmer has been conveyed, at least to me, to be a particularly difficult magic to master and be good at. Therefor, it would be logical that the nobility are more apt to becoming good mesmers, because they have the resources and free time to practice and become really good. I don’t think its a coincidence that two of the most prominent mesmers in the game lorewise are high ranking nobility from DR. So that is most definitely one aspect of it.

Personally, I just also love the idea of this incredibly elegant mesmer destroying your mind and shattering his/her illusions to torment you. To me its much more kitten that the person destroying your mind is dressed up, possibly in a tuxedo, and seems to do so without any effort than some mad-man wielding a sword and charging at you as fast as he can.

Vukorep.3081:

no energy draining, no horrifying images of fear and nightmare (just clones and ghostly looking phantasms), they dont make them clumsy or cry from pain and frustration, they might interupt them (so could gw1 mesmers) and delusional only works on pve mobs and some players i guess when you are using lots of clones ,stealths and blinks..but only mechanically. I get more feelings of delusions and loosing somoenes mind when a revenant embraces the dark using malyx ultimate.

no migranes, and no forceful attacks on opponents feelings?

This is what im looking for.
http://gw2101.gtm.guildwars2.com/global/includes/images/hero-mesmer.jpg

Not this
https://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/thumb/8/82/Mesmer_02_concept_art.jpg/250px-Mesmer_02_concept_art.jpg

Think about it for just a second: You’re running in EBG and come across mesmer. Suddenly an eerie image of face that shouldn’t exist covers your screen and starts screaming at you to the point your ears start bleeding irl. At the same time other mesmer that’s running toward you summons Shatterer’s illusion and makes it devour the whole area you’re standing in. So after the vision from first mesmer is finally gone you find yourself burried in the rubble of what was just 5 seconds ago a full sized keep.
Cause if that thing would happen it would be bloody scary and would make me have scars for life.

But! We’re not done yet! An elementalist from your team comes running and rips off a nearby mountain and throws it at mesmers obliterating them. He then proceeds to call down the flood that floods the map an then necromancer plagues the water killing everything else still alive.

Now, if I didn’t convince you then it’s probably because this is just a game and these limitations are needed, otherwise we would all walk around game mad from everything that would happen.

And mesmers do give migraines. Especially when they explode me out of nowhere. Really hurts my feelings.

Vukorep.3081:

they dont make them clumsy

Other than the fact that they apply confusion (damaging themself when they try to do something), torment (hurting themself when they try to walk), cripple (can’t walk effectively), and weakness (50% fumble chance)

or cry from pain and frustration

You must be new if you don’t think that people haven’t cried from frustration over mesmers, thieves in particular, which is amusing given that at the time that I kept up with PvP, they were a mesmer counter.

Actually Lyssa is Lys and Issa. They are sister Goddesses of Beauty and illusion.. or some would say lies.

Mesmer has been an entertainer class ever since Lady Althea, (GW1 noob island,) and I, for one, love it that way. It’s our Dharma to steal an Earth phrase.

Here you go

1850 replies. A LOT of pictures
https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/professions/mesmer/Show-us-your-Mesmer/page/37#post6383992

Who was that mesmer who youtubed running a whacky looking char with all sorts of clashing colors and garments? Must be Bamf Joe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APW_UEeiQRE

Anyway, aesthetics, I love them but curdle whenever I see someone complain about gw2 related things on the forums.

Anyway here’s a mesmer for you

Norgu in Nightfall was a very glamoury/theatralic mesmer:

https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Norgu

But I understand your concern. They had a lot of scary hexes and skills which are now toned down. If we are lucky we get a demonizer mesmer in the next expansion.

Would you consider these fancy? I wouldn’t. Flashy yes but they also look a bit ominous … you can’t tell if they’re gonna slice you or hex you. Good representation of the GW2 mesmer.

EDIT: sorry didn’t read the whole thread, I see you linked the same pics. I don’t understand how you see the GW2 mesmer as “fancy”.

How’s this for scary?

SaltAndLight.4652:

How’s this for scary?

Or this

I would post a pic of my charr mesmer but cant login atm. Looks more like anakin skywalker when he embraced the dark side. Pretty kitten looks.

Because dark and edgy is kinda Necromancer’s schtick, with Revenant coming in a close second. Elementalists are displayed as Arcane masters and typical High Fantasy wizards, while Necromancers as brutish casters of the dark arts who eschew moral or conventional dictations for power. Mesmers on the other hand are not just noble and graceful, but also masters of misdirection, schemers and masterminds, the kinda people who are always 3 steps ahead of your every move. It’s all about dividing the professions equally across different themes and characterizations.

While the current Utility Skills might not be to your liking, I’d advice you to take a look at the Specialization lines, specifically Domination, Chaos and Illusions.
You’ll run into traits such as Rending Shatter, Mental Anguish, Power Block, Imagined Burden, Descent into Madness, Mirror of Anguish, Chaotic Transference, Illusionary Retribution, Maim the Disillusioned, Ineptitude and Malicious Sorcery.

Those kinda names definitely brings to mind the kinda stuff you just brought up, they’re just there as Traits rather than Utility Skills. We got Chronomancer this time as an E. Spec, but most likely we’ll eventually get an E. Spec that focuses more on mentalism rather than temporal manipulation. Maybe that’ll help too, who knows.

I honestly think OP is mostly stuck up on the light purple theme of most of our attacks and artwork more than anything else. Because if you look at the name it isn’t all cute and fancy

OriOri.8724:

I honestly think OP is mostly stuck up on the light purple theme of most of our attacks and artwork more than anything else. Because if you look at the name it isn’t all cute and fancy

If I had a dollar for every time there was a thread posted complaining about the pink, or asking for an alternative color option, I’d be RICH! :D

Mesmers obviously face the Mesmeriarchy, making Mesmers feel forced to be fancy. You can fight the Mesmeriarchy by not submitting to traditional Mesmer roles in Tyria.

Mesmers are suppose to be gay, and like most gay characters they dress better than others. Obvious really when you think about it.

The last boss in Nightmare Tower is a big slimy Krait Mesmer—right down to his gravity well/shatter combo.

Oh what I wouldn’t give for the days of gw1 denial Mesmer in gw2!!! The days where you could rupt their next attack and deal 1/5th of their life in damage!

its because the current gw2 theme reaches (acceptable, agreeable) more people. I personally love the dark and foreboding theme (think dragons dogma dark arisen) but unfortunately that style is not as popular.

Fancy can be unsettling in itself.

Also the gw1 mesmer obsidian armor was either a tux or a LBD, it’s not like they weren’t sharp dressers from the get go.

Actually GW2 mesmers have what you think is missing:

• Mind Wrack: F1
• Cry of Frustration: F2
• Chaos Storm: Staff 5
• Confusing Images: Scepter 3
• Mirror Images: Utility

The skills exist… now to the lore part: not every profession / race combination has a role model. But just because there’s no human engineer in the main storyline doesn’t mean they don’t exist. The same holds for asura mesmers.

@Vulkorep

1: Lyssa are the goddesses of beauty, illusion.

• Many believed they taught the first Mesmer. So like other professions they copy some of the imagery of the patron deities.

2: The ability to attack the brain directly without visual cue is a hidden art safeguarded by the Mesmer Collective (of which Jennah, Anise, and Kasmeer are a part).

• They say it’s to prevent abuse.
• Most likely it’s to allow false associations between Mesmer magic and fanciness.
• Either way the delusions are still there, and the victim never realizes because Mesmer magic doesn’t normally look that way.

Mesmers are the actors and rulers of Tyria. The Queen Jennah is a Mesmer. So, yes they are the fancy ones

Even in GW1, they had the fanciest looking armor and Male Mesmer’s looked like Dandys. Here is a GW1 – in GH getting ready for some ORIGINAL DRAGON BALL (well called Lightning Ball) it was a one hit game.

So, yes, mesmers are fancy due to the lore and history of the game.

Rawr I so scary!
https://wiki.guildwars.com/images/b/bf/User_Justice_SpectreAnvilRock.jpg

Fancy heroic human female Mesmer!
https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/File:User_Justice_Justices_Spectre.jpg

OK I found scary Mesmer,
https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Yxthoshth

Oh wait, now this one is not so fancy human Mesmer!
https://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Tachi_Forvent

I get what the op is saying. I think they are fancy because Anet focused the whole class mechanic around illusions. They have be more like tricksters using illusions to fit the theme. No more of that mental domination feel like before.

Between being able to wear every cloth armor set in the game, and outfits, there’s no reason YOUR mesmer can’t be tough or sinister instead of fancy.

Mesmers have gotten LESS fancy since Gw1. In Gw1, you were forced to wear tuxedos/dresses, and be human, and be pretty, and use a sceptor. No variation at all.

Now you can be a norn shaman in battle armor or a char or something, and use swords and shields and stuff.

Speaking of norn shamans and charr, there are plenty of beasts and demons who have been atypical mesmers in Gw history. Xera, for one, is a knight. And Abaddon was kind of mesmer, and so was the fortune teller peasant lady. not to mention raven witch in that cave by snowden drifts or something. There have been dwarf and jotun mesmer champions that just live in caves and use domination magic.

Gwen was an antifa goddess rebel warrior princess. Why the majority are noblemen and women and theater kids? idk, but i kinda like it

Speaking as a Charr Mesmer (I love my CharrMer – see what I did there?), I actually enjoy being fancy and refined, breaking the “savage mold” of many charr. I wouldn’t say I quite fit the fancy of nobility perse, but I still enjoy looking “spiffy,” and thus dress the part. If they ever introduce whips into the game, I really hope they give the mesmers whip-dancing abilities. Whips lend themselves to be particularly elegant weapons with all the curves and moves you can do with them.

I dont wonna see any other mind wrecking, tear generating, Noghtmare producing mesmer spec tbh. I want a power spec for the next expac pls arena nito.

Think of it as an act you see mismirs run around all fancy and good looking. Then, when you kitten off one they reveal they actually are condi and the proceed to destroy your sould your will to live give you nightmares make you too scared to look under your bed etc etc

Its all an act mesmers are the teemos of gw2 just good looking.

I don’t mind being fancy and running around being a commander. It’s a excuse for me from roleplay/lore side. I am a strong mesmer and at the same time I disguise myself with some fancy robes to hide battle scars and what not.

I think it’s all about how you roleplay your character. Even though my character is a sylvari, I see him as spending a lot of time in the desert, first as a court wizard for elonan nobility, but now gone more rogue.

Armor skins in game are always limited. Look at standard medium armor with all the trenchcoats and padding? And light armor for female characters are often revealing. If you’re talking about availability, this is a game-wide situation that can’t really be addressed unless you want Anet to change all their designs and intentions. If you’re talking about people’s choice, that’s something up to the player to decide right? I personally prefer looking pretty and misleading and dancing around enemies Not too many classes are like that, mesmers have alot of survivability and tanking ability too, especially with new elite specs, so it feels pretty impressive to have a dainty looking mesmer block a lot of hits. If you’re talking about Anet’s class mechanics, skills and designs, then that’s a totally different story that has been discussed for so long. Mirage is coming though, and we have to see how that feels. However, the simple answer is use outfits. There are heavy armor looking outfits, and something like a ninja, even a sci-fi exo-suit? there are selections available if you want to achieve a certain look, you shouldn’t have any problems!