Guild Wars 2

So, those of you who know me know that this has been a thorn in my side for a while, but since ArenaNet is having fun adding faces and hairs to the gemstore, I think now is a really good time to bring this up here.

There is only one face option for female humans, and none for male, that has an underlying bone structure that actually works for creating a black character. The darker skintones are ashy and unhealthy-looking, and there are no hair styles (except dreadlocks and roflafro, both on men) that give the impression of a character with natural, nappy hair. As someone who wants to create a character of Elonian origins, this is incredibly frustrating. I’ve often heard people complain that there are very few options available for Canthan characters and I’d love to see that addressed as well (limited yellower skintones, limited facial options), but there are virtually none for Elonians and it makes me really sad. Along these same lines, none of the reddish skintones we saw on Krytans in Guild Wars 1 exist in Guild Wars 2, or the appropriate facial structures.

It would be nice to see some better skintones made available, as well as some faces and hairstyles that actually allow for ethnic diversity amongst human characters, rather than repainted white people.

The only other thing I’d like to add before I open this up for discussion is that it would also be nice to see a few more facial and hair options that aren’t so fresh-from-the-salon glossy-clean.

I think I will be happy with anything you guys decide to implement. The one request I have is that you allow us the ability to preview guild halls easily as a group on low-level characters, as we were able to do in Guild Wars 1. This was great for allowing anyone to weigh in on the design, and also created a vast diversity of safe, easily-accessed landscapes for RPing in.

So I was talking to the good people in Divinity’s Reach map chat and we were discussing which race we’d most want to see made available. We decided that if the tengu were made available, they should dance the Chicken Dance. Thoughts from y’all?

Awesome, Konig, thank you for sharing this. There’s some really useful stuff in here.

I’m not really sure what the bulletpoints actually show, other than that Dan Marriner looked very young or someone was bad at judging age. Can you elaborate more?
I suppose it’s not utterly impossible that humans in Tyria reproduce around the age of 70-80 (which is about the age at which Logan’s predecessors would have had to have been when their offspring were born for the timeline to work), but I’m sure if that was the point a-net was trying to make they would have said something. I mean . . . Really?

Edit/addendum/thing: If reproducing around the age of 70-80 -were- common and Adelbern was, as you say, in his 70s at the time of the Foefire, why was his son, our strapping young Prince Rurik, fully mature and leadership-worthy and engaged years before that, and already saying King Adelbern had grown old and foolish? Shouldn’t King Adelbern have just barely been making his way into his prime reproductive years at the time? I mean, I know kids say the darndest things, especially when they’re upset, but still . . .

Additional edit: I won’t discount the notion that with the aid of magic, reproducing late in life might be possible. When all else fails, you can always blame magic. Or so I’ve been led to believe.

@Konig: I was (reluctantly) preparing to buy into the prolonged lifespan theory until I remembered this little tidbit from an interview, in which they discussed the lifespans of asura:

“Asura live for slightly longer than a human – perhaps 5-10% longer (an exceptional lifespan for an asura might be 120 years).”

Source: http://m.incgamers.com/2010/02/guild-wars-2-developer-interview-2/

As for whether the little popup info box is, in fact, a popup info box and not what’s written on the tomb . . . Maybe. It’s a solid enough theory, based on the points you raised.

Well . . . Okay.
Why would they put that she was the great-grandmother of Logan Thackeray ANYWAY? I mean, Logan might be a contemporary heartthrob, but that’s no reason to go changing some distant ancestor’s tombstone. Did they change all the other tombstones of all his other distant relatives from the past two centuries as well? Why don’t they just chisel in every relative these guys have ever had on this tombstone?

So either we can handwave this as gamemakers being sloppy (boring and lazy option), or we can come up with a working lore solution to this (you know which one I’m going to go for).

I would like to put forth the notion that Gwen really did have a great-grandson named Logan Thackeray, and that he is not our modern, handsome hero. Instead, perhaps this Logan Thackeray was someone very very dear to Gwen—perhaps she even helped to raise him— and perhaps he was an individual of note in the Ebonhawke community as well. When Gwen died, his ties to her were such (and his own notoriety in the community was such) that it wasn’t -such- a painful stretch to put his name on the tombstone.

Our modern Logan Thackeray may be named after Gwen’s great-grandson, or the naming might be a coincidence (Logan is not a hugely uncommon name for the Ascalonian naming scheme). Perhaps, even, his parents heard the name at some point but forgot about it, so when they were thinking, ’what’s a good name that goes with Thackeray?’ Logan popped up in their heads and they went with it. I know I’ve inadvertently named characters after pop stars and people from books this same way, so it’s possible!

lordkrall.7241:

Acharyn.4738:

You have to pay for those custom PVP servers with gems. Doesn’t cut it.

This comment is more of a ‘every MMO has a duel system’ than ANet told us we would get one.
Especially with how PVP heavy GW2 is. I would expect a duel system.

Incorrect.
You have to pay to CREATE and OWN a custom PvP server. There are however LOADS of servers that are already up that focus on dueling.

Hm? There are quite a few MMOs that does NOT have dueling, so why assume this game, where they stated there would be none, would have it?

Calm down, kiddo. The dude wants a dueling system— it’s something that’s common in MMOs; it’s not an unusual request. It won’t hurt you if he gets one, so why get upset?

Personally I’d like to see this. It’s not my absolute highest priority (access to Cantha and Elona = more important than duels!) but it would be nice. Please and tank u.

Korrigan.4837:

That’s how democracy works, and as “some famous guy” said:
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”

Winston Churchill.

“Clawr Island.”
He was okay until then.

I would honestly be happy if we could just use makeover kits our characters and redye the accessories to any dye color we have unlocked at that time. I’d be willing to buy a makeover kit if I could make my asura’s headband a paler pink.

However, I certainly wouldn’t be one to complain about being able to dye the accessories like regular armor. I just also understand that that could be overly difficult to implement.

Khyron.8735:

I don’t think they were always subterranean though, or at least not entirely. There are several places in the world where you come across ancient ruins from a lost Asuran civilization. There’s one in Mnt Maelstrom being researched by the Priory and I believe there’s one in the Straits of Devastation near Fort Trinity.

I think those ruins were left by something else. The asura just found Rata Sum and similar ruins when they surfaced 250 years ago and must have decided they liked the style.

Aura.9530:

The commando gear shares the same model as the barbaric gear.

I probably should have clarified— I meant medium armor commando. Thanks though

If you go to the Luminates Plant in Metrica Province and do some poking around, you’ll run into large quantities of food, including what looks like possibly skale meat packed in ice; fruits and vegetables including apples, berries, melons, and possibly onions; some kind of bean (probably coffee); and other items which are more difficult to discern. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an asuran beverage that wasn’t brightly colored. We know from Guild Wars 1 that asura have Asuracake, because Blimm did not receive a piece.

I’d say it’s safe to assume that asura have roughly the same dietary requirements humans do, though based on what I found at the Luminates Plant, perhaps they tend to rely more on fruits than vegetables. I found it odd that their food was stored in open containers, rather than being sealed, especially in such a hot and buggy environment. Maybe they have some magical technology preserving it? Or maybe they eat really quickly. There’s a lot of food here to just be out in the open. I assume some of the coffee is going to be sold, though perhaps asura just really consume that much coffee (there was a ton).

Thoughts and input appreciated.

Over the course of the storyline we get a bunch of armor rewards, some of which are irreplaceable. For example, I sold half my Commando’s armor before I realized how cool a full set would look. It would be really nice to have access to a vendor once we hit endgame (or whatever) where we could get those armors again. I hate to think that the only way I can get that armor set now is to completely remake my character.

Just a thought.

That would be great, because it could be applied to more than just the armor.

Shh don’t ruin it.

I think there’s at least a second moon with a scary face that can only be seen around Halloween.

First off, thank you for giving us a preview option on the TP, ArenaNet!

Something that would make my armor shopping on the TP way less cumbersome is the ability to select which armor type I’m looking for— light, medium, or heavy. It’s not really much fun to have to sort through a bunch of armors I can’t wear anyway. It would cut down the number of items I’d have to sift through to 1/3 of what it is now, and for someone who really likes to play with armor that would be fantastic.

Do sylvari have souls like the other races do, and if so, what happens to them when they die? Do they return to the Dream? Can they become ghosts and wander Tyria and the Mists like humans do? Is there any known lore that answers this question?

Honestly, it doesn’t make sense to me just because there were plenty of non-human dervishes in Guild Wars Nightfall & Eye of the North, not to mention the White Mantle Devotees in War in Kryta. But whatevs. If ArenaNet doesn’t want to give us dervishes (or monks— I will never stop complaining about monks), we can’t force them to.

Just addressing some of the points I’ve seen on this thread:

Kryta was settled as an Elonian colony in 300 AE. When our characters first arrived in Kryta during the events of Prophecies, almost everyone there had dark, reddish skin, often with dreadlocks, tattoos, and green eyes. The secondary, much less prominent Krytan look was red hair, tan skin, and blue or green eyes. Think of Evennia and Saidra. This look became more common during War in Kryta. For example, Queen Salma was reskinned from the original standard black-haired peasant to a redhead. Krytan names in GW1 tended to be sort of Italian, as stated.

There were dark-skinned Ascalonians. The female academy monks in Prophecies often had dark tan skin and short black hair with a skunk stripe going down the side. I would guess that these were descended from Krytan immigrants, but who knows? Most Ascalonians were white, often with brown hair and brown eyes. Bandit Bloodsworns had blue-black hair and Cynn (among others) had blond hair, so obviously there were hair color variations.

As for Elonians, Vabbians did have a definite Arabic look to them, with the exception of the gypsies and commoners, who had very dark skin. Istanis were also quite dark, and Kournan commoner NPCs actually tended to be a slightly nasty grayish-brown.

Also, weirdly enough, most Canthan NPCs had brown hair. Not that that has anything to do with anything.

I too am very disappointed with how white Kryta is when the only white human nation in Guild Wars 1 was Ascalon, and most of Ascalon died. I mean, those Ascalon settlers and the red-headed Krytans must have bred like rabbits in the last 250 years or something. I was looking forward to a black Kryta with a thriving Canthatown and Ascalon Settlement, so the human lands, especially Divinity’s Reach, are kind of a let down. I’m hoping ArenaNet will fix this in the future, but I doubt they will. I don’t think they really care that much. They have bigger things on their plates.

I’ve been wondering about this for a while now. I know there is the Dynamics dorm on the lowest level of Rata Sum, over by the Inquest Recruiting Station, but I haven’t noticed any other living quarters anywhere for asura. Where do all the asura live? What is their housing like? I know family is very important to asura, so do families live in multigenerational housing, or do the progeny flee the nest as soon as they’re old enough?
Edit: I also found a Statics dorm, so it stands to reason there’s also a Synergetics dorm. Just was too busy at the time to check.

GuzziHero.2467:

That leaves the Norn. I do not know much about nutrition, but I can hardly believe that their diet is completely carnivorous.

Norn hunt and farm. I remember some references to farming from the NPCs in Guild Wars Eye of the North. I can’t remember where, though. I remember it being surprising to me, since it’s so cold in the Shiverpeaks. And no, I’m not talking about the description of “Blood Washes Blood”— I mean an actual reference to a growing season and that sort of thing.

Aethgar.1784:

I… I have to ask this. Because I have an obsessive attention to detail.

… I’m so sorry to ask this.. but I have to.

We know because ANet actually tells us these things that Sylvari replicate human anatomy, though via plant growth. We also know that they are anatomically correct, and have a vast thread on nipples indeed worrying about this. So.. sap… vis-a-vis their choice or not to engage in mimicry of, or actual enjoyment of, acts which we ALSO know have no direct benefit to them as organisms, as they are incapable of reproduction, more like sapient flowers or fruits.

Come on, has no one else wondered about the actual mechanics?

Haha, I’ve had entire conversations with people where we tried to figure that out. I was wondering when the thread was going to take that direction. Anyone else want to take this one?

Shadowlancer.7102:

Just to add something to the equation, Sylvari’s Sap (Life Blood), would have to be of acidic properties because there seems to be alot of hint’s that they are cold blooded and such and they consume food that are made raw or cooked materials by other races.

I doubt anything could eat a Sylvari other than something that can consume acidic properties.

Not to put down the warm sap theories, I think it was just a typo in lore, though I could be wrong.

I would think sylvari compartmentalize their digestive juices, same as many other organisms. I mean, a Venus Flytrap isn’t necessarily more acidic in its stem, despite the fact that it digests meat.

I’m liking what I’m seeing in this discussion, you guys. At this point, would it be safe to say that sylvari are not warm to the touch, but they do maintain some control over their internal body temperatures, to the extent that they can function reasonably well in varying environments?

Also, can we continue to compile what we know about sylvari anatomy? I’ve seen a lot of people saying that they have leaf-and-vine versions of human organs, but I always thought it made more sense for them to have interiors more like what DarkShriek and Dustfinger described.

zwierz.9012:

“Killeen and other members of her race were born fully formed as fruits of great tree growing in far south. Her body didn’t emanate with animal warmth.”

Do you have an approximate page number for this? It would be very handy to use as reference.

As a roleplayer playing a sylvari, a question has arisen a few times over the course of the last few months: Do sylvari emit body heat?

I wouldn’t think that they would, but I’ve observed other RPers playing them as though they do. I suppose that in order to maintain metabolic functions, they would need to have some sort of internal climate control, but would it be to the extent that they would be able to emit enough heat for coats and blankets to be effective means of keeping themselves warm, for example? Or would a sylvari out in the snow be in about as much trouble as a lizard out in the snow?

Where are we at now lore-wise when it comes to sylvari’s clothing? Is it part of their bodies, or do they make it out of plant matter they find lying around? In this case, I’m obviously not referring to the armor you get throughout the game that’s the same for every race. I’m wondering about the town clothes, the race-specific leafy armor, the conveniently-placed little leaves over their private parts.

If it is a part of their bodies, then why do scholar professions wear armor at all? Heavy armor makes sense, as mail would theoretically provide more protection than leaves, but light armor is just cloth.

If it is not a part of their bodies, then why the duck do they make their clothing out of plant matter? xD It doesn’t seem like a very long-lasting or durable material.