Guild Wars 2

As the title says, what made you pick the Sylvari to play as? I know a lot of people play multiple races, but I know there are some of you who were jet set on playing a Sylvari the moment they heard they would be playable.

Personally, my interest in them was perked when I heard we’d be able to play as them. In Eye of the North, you got the see the Charr, the Norn, and the Asura. You never got the see the Sylvari because they were just coming into existence. They are so mysterious.

That was the main reason I chose them, but I also absolutely adore the Magumma/Tarnished Coast/Jungly areas of Tyria. When I was bored in Guild Wars, I would honestly just map over to Henge of Denravi and hang out there no matter how void the city was of players. That city and it’s surrounding maps was incredibly beautiful in my eyes.

So, I now leave this question to all my fellow Tyrians. Let everyone know your love for the Sylvari!

Also, if you want, let us now what kind of Sylvari you’re playing.

I am currently enjoying my Sylvari Necromancer. Dagger-dagger/staff combo is so amazing.

The amazing artwork. And I stayed for the racial skills.
-Sylvari Elementalist
D/D air/water

its very different and i didn’t see any race like them they are very special.
plus the atittude they have and the innocent mentality the race gain as a young race is simply great.

My friend said you couldn’t make one look good. So I made one that looks human. Now it’s my main.

Well, general interest in each race eventually let me to give the Sylvari a try. I am playing with my wife, and she really likes plants, so it seemed like a good fit. We started, and from the moment I heard my character’s voice it was the race for me. The grove is fantastic and beautiful. Their love for exploration and adventure drew me in as well, as I’m an explorer kind of gamer.

So far, I have enjoyed their ability to show wisdom, knowledge, and experience despite their young age. This is a mystery to other races, but obvious to any Sylvari: we have a Dream! I loved the Emerald Dream from Warcraft lore, and the druid’s connections to nature and the world through this dream. Once again I see that spiritual connection through shared experience with other Sylvari, that is specifically NOT shared with other races. That kind of bond is really attractive.

During the beta I played sylvari because I didn’t think I would be interested in them. Now I can’t imagine being anything else. I am Broin, Sylvari thief and Alpha of the Rain Dogs.

I became instantly interested when they were redesigned. The fact that they are made of plant material everywhere makes them look distinct instead of being a human with plantlike features. Their eyebrows are leaves! Their hair can be leaves, wood, or even a mushroom! Their muscles are sculpted with leaves. They glow at night and in the dark!

Also with my second character I wanted to make a ranger as well as use a different race to experience a different story, but it just makes so much sense to have a ranger be a sylvari! So now I have two! I just love their innocence and curiosity.

I think it will be difficult to try a new race unfortunately!

I’ve always been partial to bright, magical nature settings. I could tell right off the bat the Sylvari would be that race with this type of starting area.

As a tabletop roleplayer, the newness of the race and the fact that a lot of their lore would develop over the lifespan of the game seemed attractive to me. Once I saw the tie ins to arthurian/celtic legend I was sold ^^.

At first it was mainly a shallow reason for me, basicaly i thought they looked awesome :P But after reading the books and other lore i find them to be the most fascinating of all the races. I really like their curiosity of the world and their struggle to understand the world seeing as they have only existed for a little over 20 years.

Because they are the youngest race and plus they look amazing and i felt with a new race will have an amazing storyline too and i was right. i just love every this about them.

I wanted to glow. Duh.

I was already planning on being a necro and the thought of a Necrotic tree was interesting.

Pyrite.9641:

The amazing artwork. And I stayed for the racial skills.
-Sylvari Elementalist
D/D air/water

Till you go into fire spec, then nothing makes sense anymore……

I personally liked the artwork on the.

In short, because they are new/unique. After having played one, I’m glad I made the choice. Their lore is great, their city is BEAUTIFUL, and I think they look neat.

I wanted to make one to have a character of every race.

They’re not really doing it for me though. They’re a little too “wholesome” for my taste. They’re curiosity about the world can be entertaining (and there are a few sylvari NPCs I really like), but the “I AM THE HERO, COME TO BANISH EVIL FROM THIS FOUL LAND!!” approach the personal story takes is gag-inducing.

I originally tried them because they looked a bit different and fae-like – used them like a substitute for elves, really. I was a little speculative to start with, but I absolutely love playing my sylvari now.

I also went the Necromancer route (which I wasn’t sure of either, to be honest) and am very pleased with it. She went from being an experimental alt to my main within a few levels.

Well, originaly after the first glance at races in GW2 I was set to play as Asura because they simply looked cute. Plus at that time Sylvari still looked more like coloful humans than plants so first glance didn’t tell much.
Then I got a good look at some lore and stuff, found out Asurans are supposed to be kinda arrogant race which weakened my interest a bit and when I found out Sylvari are supposed to be actual plants I was hooked.
I mean, all the other races, Asurans included, were already used in many games in one form or another even if with different names, but I don’t remember playing for a plant anywhere so I was lamost 100% sure my first character would be Sylvari.

After their modification I was sure at 110%. I liked their looks, their philosophy, their curiosity and naivety, and I just could wait to create my cute Sylvari girl.

The glow. Also imo the best voice acting out of all the races by far.

Celtic, forest-dwelling elf-esque people? Yes please.

Reasons to play Sylvari:

1) Bioluminescence.

2) Their hair/eyebrows are leaves.

3) The total juxtaposition of a stereotype concept: an “sylvan/elvish” race that’s not quadgabilgillion years old and snooty, but one that’s young (25 years young!) and infinitely curious.

4) Bioluminescence.

5) Fear Not This Night is the default soundtrack of the Grove

6) Their dialogue (“The last straw was the turtle in the desert.” and “Will that Charr eat me? Is it vegetarian?”)

7) Bioluminescence.

The Nightmare Court.

No joke, was reading some of the lore on the wiki and the dynamics, history, and the relationships with the Nightmare Court and all the things that came out of it grabbed my attention.

I like them because of their childlike outlook on the world. They are curious about everything. And there really isn’t a race quite like them in any other game that I’ve played. Plus their expressions. If you’ve ever watched the female idle poses they are just too cute. Possibly the only thing cuter is watching an Asura roll on the floor laughing.

the uprising.6317:

The glow. Also imo the best voice acting out of all the races by far.

This x1000. Especially the glow effect.

Any skin color looks good on them…….

The lore. I’ve read about them in the books, and I just love Killeen so much (Caithe too, so kitten). I wanted to know more about them in the Personal Story quest. They’re just full of mystery. So I wanted to be born as a Sylvari. <3

They are the elves of this game. They had a cool story too. Next to Charr

I have a character of each race, but Sylvari are my fave and main. I found them the most interesting and unique.

Jennifer Hale.

I like elven sorts of races so I knew I would make a Sylvari from the first I heard of them. They also remind me of fey somewhat with the ability to have a winter/fall or spring/summer look and the relationship between the mainstream curious Grove-dwellers (Seelie Court) and the mean-spirited Nightmare Court (Unseelie). Even so, they’re a very unique race on their own too and I like the lore I’ve seen so far playing as a Sylvari.

When I first heard of the Sylvari, I immediately fell in love with them.
Their behavior, their attitude towards life, and – of course – their look.
When I read of Killeen and Caithe in the books – wow, just love their naivety and their curiosity :)
Well, and now, with their make-over, I even love them more. ^-^

The whole plant-people thing sounded really cool, and then I tried one as a mesmer during the betas and generally fell in love.

Then I realised I was playing 5 games with Jennifer Hale voice acting at once. -_- (D3, SWTOR, KOTOR, ME3, this).

I think I have a problem.

I didn’t really know anything about them (didn’t even know about our bioluminescence!), but I found the Grove such a beatiful and intriguing place I just fell in love with it. Plus, I managed to make my walking cabbage look cute as all get out

I’ll explain it in a brief way I explained them to my friends.
They aren’t elves from InsertfantasynameDale, they are new. They see the world from new eyes. It would be like playing Humans just as the Gods brought them to Tyria.

They are exploring everything from the lands down to their own personal feelings and even gender interactions in relationships.
The very idea of existing is new to them and I like this aspect.

Everything! They’re so unique and creative and just tickle my character design bone.

What cemented it though was
a) their take on gender and sexuality which allows me to finally play a character I can truly connect with without having to ‘force it’.
b) the interview in which Ree described how their unique way of coming into the world influences them… they are not naive, guileless or clueless, in fact, they are often wise and witty, but they have had no ‘training’ in dealing with their emotions yet (what we humans have childhood and puberty for). It was just so well thought out and anti-cliche.

Avalron.1569:

Pyrite.9641:

The amazing artwork. And I stayed for the racial skills.
-Sylvari Elementalist
D/D air/water

Till you go into fire spec, then nothing makes sense anymore……

I personally liked the artwork on the.

Actually no, living plants burn slower then humans.

Edit,,,now I played one because I love this type of race. Always have, and always will.
However, they took it to the next lvl with this race. It better then any other that ive every play.

I live the talking, the looks, the lore, the ps, the bio. I LOVE everything about them.

I even love nightmare court, it adds so much more to it.

It started 10 years past
With some friends we created a RPG guild in Dark Age of Camelot for Sylvan race only.
Sylvan race is the same race like we have here in GW2.
Our guild is www.celticleafarmy.com (Celtic Leaf Army)
Celtic : Because we joined the realm of Hibernia ( Celtic Mythology).
Leaf : Because all our members where Sylvans and got leafs on thier heads.
Army : Because we where RVR focust (Realm vs Realm).
After many years we played with he guild other MMORPG’s (WoW/AoC/D&D/WAR/TSC).
But not one MMORPG with a Sylvan race.
So… the WvW & the Sylvari race pushed me to play GW2
Many of our old DAOC members joined us also in GW2 with a Sylvari race (ofc also our CLA members from other MMORPG’s).
Big thx to give us acces to this great race.
Big thx for our old school feeling.

Horlely

I mostly wanted to play them just because they are really unique in MMOs. Yes, they’re elvish/fey, but they’re a unique take on it that I really like.

I think they’re adorable in their mannerisms for the most part too.

Also as someone mentioned upthread: Bioluminescence! That was a fun bonus I didn’t know about until I went to make mine! Then I spent a good 20 minutes trying to decide what color to make her glow.

Went Sylvari, because of one thing. Their strong ties with the Fey-lore.
As I am playing a Mesmer, who relies on trickery and guile, it just seemed like it fit better then a Human worshipper of Lyssa.

Its also why my Mesmer Sylvari joined the Order of Whispers.

Originally it was because I was going to do a sylvari necromancer for the growth-and-decay aspect… also because of the amusement factor of a vegetable with meat puppets. I lost interest in necromancer, though, and rerolled as thief, keeping sylvari because bioluminescence is cool, and the sylvari T3 medium cultural armor is totally a vegetative ninja.

When you create a sylvari, he’s basically born into the world unlike other races that are already adults with their whole lives behind them, so I really felt would be adecuate as the race of my first character since I’d also be new to the world and discovering everything.

I picked Sylvari first because I hadn’t seen a fantasy race quite like them before.

Ojimaru.8970:

Reasons to play Sylvari:

1) Bioluminescence.

2) Their hair/eyebrows are leaves.

3) The total juxtaposition of a stereotype concept: an “sylvan/elvish” race that’s not quadgabilgillion years old and snooty, but one that’s young (25 years young!) and infinitely curious.

4) Bioluminescence.

5) Fear Not This Night is the default soundtrack of the Grove

6) Their dialogue (“The last straw was the turtle in the desert.” and “Will that Charr eat me? Is it vegetarian?”)

7) Bioluminescence.

Basically all of this. Except add in I had my heart set on a Necro Charr, and ended up making a Sylvari Elementalist for kicks.

Then I couldn’t stop playing him.

Heh, you are right. One of the dialogue for my Mesmer Sylvari was a happy accident. Bioluminescence was the beginning reason why I chose it, as it was unique to just the Sylvari.

I ended up joining the Lost Legion of the Rose [Rose] for my guild. Then I finally ended up hearing the battle cry that simply fit afterwards. Its slipping my mind at the moment, as I keep remembering it wrong but it starts…

“This Rose has its thorns.”

This rose has thorns… And here they are!

Happens when you get retaliation.

Glowing hair and vines =]

I went "avatar"ish with my toons color and build so I liked it. Ranger fits me nice.

Funny thing is that the sylvari are why I bought this game in the first place! I was pondering looking at some trailers when I saw a screenshot of the bark faced male sylvari with the glow in full force. I just knew I had to have one. I Bought the game that night, a day before release.

Reasons for having three sylvari (Ele, Ranger, Engineer):

1) Utterly unique twist on the elf stereotype. They fit the role but in such a new and interesting way I can’t help but want to know more. How cool is the Dream?

2) Adorable charm to them. Not quite naive, but very curious and honest.

3) I can be a tree that breathes FIRE. What is more awesome than that? (Double dagger fire ele forever!)

4) The Nightmare Court are a little over the top but at the same time, quite a chilling brand of evil. I’m having fun weaving a story for my ranger involving an encounter with the Court.

5) Caithe is awesome. She has that innocent edge at times but then she goes and stabs someone. Love her.

6) All the nicknames the poor things get: Twigs, sticks, salads, walking ferns… I haven’t seen one get offended yet but I’m waiting for it.

7) Lastly… They get the best options for customization out of the races in my opinion. I don’t see many neon pink Charr around. ;D

In RP I got called an “Empty-headed potted plant”.

So many amusing insults are possible.

Kari Wahlgren :]
That’s why I play on the Sylvari side.

Their look, theme, story are quite unique. There are other tree-themed characters in other games but it’s pretty rare to see plant characters that look more “human” rather than “human-shaped trees”. I wanted to play as Sylvari very since I heard of the race =D