Guild Wars 2

Not to take anything away from my esteemed colleague Peter Fries, but he didn’t write this exchange. I did.

’Cause I love me some Hero-Tron (proof: https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/job-o-trons-journey-the-evolution-of-a-gag/)

That linked article also testifies to the shared effort Hero-Tron was and is: over the years, myself, Peter, and a handful of other talented folks have had fun giving him words to say and new names to bear.

Hey all,

Thanks for your patience; I’ve been unable to keep up with this thread due to all the other stuff that’s going on in and around the studio.

We are working on a more reliable and comprehensive method of addressing lore questions, and I will keep you posted.

I do have one more reply to contribute in the short term—I asked for a specific question posed by smitske to be rephrased and it was, so I’m going to tackle that.

We are keeping track of the rest and will revisit the list of questions once we have a plan for exactly how; until then, watch this space for updates, and thanks again.

But on to smitske’s rephrased question:

Still not at liberty to discuss future story developments, but: I understand you see missed opportunities in HoT that could have advanced or resolved some of the big outstanding questions surrounding the sylvari race. HoT’s story (both in story instances and the open world) was conceived and designed with a tight focus on the urgent, PC-led response to Mordremoth destroying the Pact fleet. For example, we initially had plans to include Malyck, but ultimately his plotline fell outside that focus.

This tight focus, along with the precedent of not having detailed backgrounds for every profession in the core game, was also a factor in the decision to not present background lore for the new elite specializations. The elite specs did not all originate in the jungle during the relatively small window of time covered in HoT; exploring their origins would have meant tangential story threads that took place outside the jungle and outside the timeline of the events in HoT.

Okay, I’ve done my best in the time that I have; I haven’t gotten to everyone yet, and internally we are exploring the best process to get all the questions we can answer organized, answered, and distributed.

So this thread may not go on much longer, but until ANet has a plan for how to efficiently address all the stuff being raised here, I’ll keep answering as much and as best I can.

NOTE: this will be my last round of answers for this week. I’m starting my long weekend early so I’ll be off line until early next week.

Aaron Ansari/Jaken: Format
I think bolding and bulleting the questions would be a huge help; side discussions can and should continue, but if we bold and bullet the parts that are aimed at ANet, it’ll help me find them and reply faster.

I appreciate the collected and simplified list of questions that was compiled for me; I’ll be referring to it going forward.

Thanks!

smitske: heartfelt loaded question (but still a loaded question)
I appreciate you have a strongly held opinion.

However, this is a good example of the type of question I will not answer until you rephrase it as a non-loaded question without insults baked right in.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loaded_question

PetboyJoshua: Mordremoth influence over sylvari
Sylvari are a special case/special type of Elder Dragon minion, and their situation is made even more unique by Mordy’s influence over minds in general (and theirs in particular).

Mordremoth’s corruption is analogous to weeds and moss invading a garden and totally taking it over. The invader (for the purposes of this analogy, the weeds and moss) claims the nutrients and resources that would otherwise go to the existing plants, surrounds and envelops the native plants and digests them/converts them into more raw material it can use to grow, and then spreads outward, colonizing as it goes. The invader continues to get stronger and expand while the native plants are choked out/starved/digested and wither away. This sort of overwhelming growth/colonization can also be seen in the bodies of its minions like the Mordrem Wolf or Mordrem Troll (who were originally something else before they became Mordremoth minions—I’d call out an analogy to Alan Moore’s excellent classic Swamp Thing story, “The Anatomy Lesson,” where the creature’s original body is slowly replaced by plant material until you have essentially a plant version of the original that has the same general form but not necessarily the same function); there are also things like the Mordrem Vine Crawlers and Tendril Roots, which Mordy basically crafted from scratch using the plant material at hand.

A Mordrem Guard’s appearance is more due to Mordremoth’s ability to control and shape plant life—sylvari are plants, after all, and once Mordy’s mental influence takes hold of a sylvari, it then twists their physical form into this more formidable configuration. It is related to/a dark mirror of a sylvari’s ability to change their own appearance, but in this case it’s being directed by Mordy and not the individual.

It is entirely possible for a sylvari to be emerge from their pod mute, or blind, or otherwise physically challenged/disabled. I don’t believe there are any examples of this currently in game, but that’s down to the Pale Tree’s creation of new sylvari being so solid and reliable. If something injured a sylvari in the pod before they emerged, or if there was the human equivalent of a genetic quirk that affected them during gestation, it could happen.

I will also say that it’s possible for sylvari to be emerge from their pods with psychological problems (that can also develop after they emerge as a result of trauma, abuse, etc.). Ceara (who would become Scarlet), for example, emerged with and immediately demonstrated an extreme lack of empathy for others that, in humans, would be associated with antisocial or borderline personality disorder.

I have no further info to share regarding the Mordrem Guard who seemed to revert back to their original personality once given a reprieve from Mordy’s influence, Stavemaster Adryn’s backstory, the sylvari society’s approach to “reclaiming” someone from Nightmare, and the impact of the Pale Tree’s coma on new sylvari.

wouw: Balthek
I’m afraid I have no additional information to provide on this mysterious GW1 character.

Spyritdragon: mesmers and magic tricks
A. Mesmers routinely cast convincing illusions, some of which have substance, so their magic is more than just tricking people’s minds. But they do have control over what people see or how they see it, so that things that aren’t really there seem to be, and things that are really there seem not to be—this control is limited by their power and experience in casting illusions.

Using the Tower of Nightmares as an example, there was mesmer magic concealing the huge tower so that anyone who happened by wouldn’t see it. The spell that concealed the tower was on the tower itself, rather than on all the people who might happen by.

As Angel and Yojimaru said, top-level mesmers may be able to exert genuine mind control, but if they can, they’re keeping it secret—if everyone knew, someone would work out a countermeasure. Apart from that, most mesmers use spells to create something like a post-hypnotic suggestion rather than turning a sentient being into their puppet. As such, they can get people to do small or seemingly unimportant things based in misdirection, but the larger or more obvious/contrary to their preference the thing a mesmer wants them to do is, the more likely the target will resist/their brains will say, “Hang on, why am I doing this again?”

B. Spellcasting is a strenuous discipline and magic is an unpredictable form of high-octane energy, so the kind of tiny, precise spell impacts you’re describing are beyond the skill of most spellcasters. It’s analogous to painting a wall with a can of spray paint vs. painting a photorealistic image of a duck on a postage stamp with a brush—casting a giant ice spike to crush somebody is a lot more accessible and doable than casting a spell that boils a tiny bit of the water in somebody’s brain, especially in a combat situation.

C. Not sure I fully understand the C question about magic being restricted to skills; there are definitely spells in the world that do not appear on a player’s skill bar. People channel and focus raw ambient magic via specific spells and skills, and also through devices and constructs, but unfocused magic can also produce strange and unpredictable effects spontaneously (such as in the Thaumanova reactor, where the disaster led to raw magic creating all sorts of strangeness without anyone directing it or focusing it).

D. Rata Sum politics is a complicated beast. The Inquest hold a seat on the Arcane Council, and that advocacy at the highest level of government buys them a lot more leeway than they’d have if they didn’t hold such a powerful position. Think of a parliamentary government with lots of different parties; there are often fringe parties that hold controversial, even dangerous views, but they have representation in the government and are part of the body politic, and therefore part of the political/social landscape. If they commit crimes, the local constabulary steps in to address it—this is what you’re seeing when Inquest and Peacemakers skirmish. The Inquest is allowed to operate, and as long as they aren’t openly committing crimes or atrocities, the Peacemakers let them be. There’s also the question of corruption and officials being rewarded or threatened to look the other way, but in general the Inquest is allowed to operate because they’re part of the rich tapestry of Rata Sum’s social and political structure.

The Inquest doesn’t like its members to leave, and they have taken extreme steps to punish or reclaim those who try. They’re especially tough on those who try to get out if those people have valuable or incriminating information the Inquest wants to keep to themselves. That said, it’s not an automatic death sentence/those who leave always have to spend the rest of their lives looking over their shoulders. To bring it back around to politics, if the person who wants to leave has leverage (i.e., “kill me and this box full of incriminating evidence goes to the Arcane Eye (or worse, a competitor’s krewe)”) and/or it’s not politically expedient to exact retribution at the moment (because the person in question has friends in high places, or the heat is on and the Arcane Council is currently watching the Inquest’s activities closely), the Inquest will bide its time and wait for an opportunity to act…and they’re very patient.

Follicle-wise, I’m afraid we’ll have to wait and see if asura can grow beards on their faces (or anywhere else).

Juniterio: GW1 Characters returning?
Can’t confirm or deny; see above’s blanket answer about upcoming story and character arcs.

Captain Vanguard: side NPC stories from the NPC’s POV
This is a great idea and one that ArenaNet did in GW1 with the Bonus Mission Pack. Right now ANet resources are focused on telling the mainline story of the Elder Dragons and their impact on the world. Belinda’s story (for example) would be fun and illuminating, but tangential to the larger story we’re telling.

Redfeather: GW1 Path to Revelations
I’m afraid I have no additional information to provide on this mystery.

That’s all for now, folks. Have a great holiday weekend!

Whew! Lots of questions to get through, and I’ll do my best.

One housekeeping note: Kalavier, I think this thread has gone beyond your original request for a response from Ree. What do you say to changing the title of this thread to something like “Lore Q&A?” I think it would help folks find it and contribute to it if it had a broader, more descriptive title. Otherwise, I’m inclined to start a new thread with a title that better reflects this discussion.

On to my answers—the first round, anyway. Questions about marriage and languages and calendars require more time, thought, and fact-checking, and I’m already pushing the envelope of how many hours per day I can devote to the forums.

I apologize in advance for not quoting the questions before each answer, but that quickly became a logistical nightmare. Instead, I have called out the questioner by name so you know to whom I’m responding:

Jaken, et. al.: General unresolved plots and specific plot/character questions

Firstly, regarding unresolved plot lines, I’m going to have to refer you to my answer above: while we’d love to get into the details of what stories and characters we are/are not going to explore in the near future, we can’t and won’t. Partly because it’s our company policy not to talk about future releases, and partly because doing so creates spoilers and undermines the impact of future stories no matter how carefully we phrase the answer.

So if I seem to have skipped your question, it’s probably because I can neither confirm nor deny anything about the topic you’ve raised.

But to Jaken’s specific point: Yes, we are aware that there are multiple unresolved plot threads in the Guild Wars universe, and it’s best for everyone if we stop adding to that list. The Narrative team is dedicated to resolving as many as we can while introducing as few new ones as we can; with the caveat that we will be doing those things organically, as part of the current story we’re telling.

Shiren: Elite Specs lore and Revenant legend interaction

GW2 has never delved very deeply into how the professions came about/were pioneered, in part due to character creation which starts you off as an established practitioner of that profession from the very first moment you enter the game. Players have room to develop their skills, but from the start they have basic spells and skills available without having a tutorial that teaches them how/shows them starting from zero and becoming a specific profession. That was mostly to get players in the world and playing as quickly as possible.

We opted to continue this approach for elite specializations in HoT. There is definitely a story behind how Rytlock became a revenant, but players don’t absolutely need to know that story in order to be a revenant themselves, any more than they need to know how an elementalist learns to channel earth/air/fire/water to play as an ele. For the purposes of gameplay, our introduction of the revenant and the other elite specs focused on exactly what they could do rather than exactly how they learned to do it.

Revenant legends do have personalities and opinions and we do catch glimpses of them, but each legend also represents a snapshot of the character, a Mist-echo of the actual person and not the person themselves. As such, the revenant legend doesn’t necessarily have the full range of memories & thoughts as the original.

Rytlock certainly could interact with the Glint legend he summons, but that legend wouldn’t automatically know everything that Glint knew/have all the knowledge that Glint acquired during her life. Given their history, I agree it would be interesting to see what Rytlock and a sentient snapshot of Glint might say to each other in the present-day game situation.

Shiren: Chronomancers and time manipulation

For both story and gameplay, actual time travel is a quagmire that has to be handled carefully.

I see the chronomancer as much more a case of manipulating the local perception of time rather than manipulating time itself. The Continuum Split skill text specifically mentions a rift in time and space continuum, but I’m like you in that I take that to mean “continuum” as a perceived possibility that the chronomancer is working with rather than an actual time jump. It visually appears to let the chronomancer rewind time, but functionally it’s a highly advanced, specialized mesmer clone that players directly control for a short duration while their real body is phased out—thus any damage, etc. happens to the Continuum Split clone (who disappears when the skill expires), and the PC resumes control of their real body unchanged from the moment they activated the skill (although they do retain any XP, etc. they garnered while in Continuum Split).

Draxynnic: Sylvari are jungle dragon minions reveal

The Mordremoth/sylvari connection (specifically Mordremoth as the “grandfather” / ultimate source of the sylvari race) was planned from the very beginning of GW2 story development and world-building. When I started at ArenaNet back in 2008, that was well established canon and one of the first lore bits I was entrusted with and told to keep entirely secret until we had the chance to reveal it in game. As such, we put clues in the game to hint at that conclusion, and people took the hints and figured it out. I was surprised how quickly people figured it out, but I was more impressed at our community’s theorycrafting than I was unhappy they had guessed the correct answer.

Jaken: Warrior’s banner a physical thing?

I say yes, because once it’s created, other players can pick it up and wield it.

Regarding golems “teleporting” to catch up/cross otherwise impassable gaps: it’s much more of a game mechanic/suspension of disbelief thing than a lore/continuity thing. As a rule, players move faster than NPCs, and have movement abilities/skills that NPC AI can’t employ as effectively as a living person, so NPCs need an additional mechanism to keep up. The same thing happens with ranger pets and necro minions. Players rely on having their NPC companions around to back them up, and story characters need to be there to participate in the story, so we make sure they are included.

Valento: bring back short stories

I will do my best. No promises, but I was also fond of the short stories we published in support of Living World Season 1 and 2 and would like to see more of them in the future (and for them to be included in game).

Kalavier.1097:

Well, if I can post them here. These shouldn’t be related to any spoilers at all hehe.

A: When stated that “Basically everybody learns their first spells from tutoring of their parents.” What does that mean? Human example: does this mean most people learn the “Prayer to Dwayna” style skills, or profession specific. That specific source mentions Charr in Farhars learning their first spells (implying nearly all), yet we have Rytlock who never used magic, that is until his anti-foefire ritual.
B: Part of the “warriors and magic debate” I see a lot. Warrior shouts. Can a warrior use the one shout to actually heal a wound(Like the one skill does ingame)? Or is this a case of “most of the time, it’s just morale.”
C: This one is stupid, but I’m putting it here just to silence it… Warriors do not summon banners from the sky do they? Again, something I see a lot despite how silly it is.
D: In comparison to adventurers/military forces/orders, what kind of spells or power levels do civilian spellcasters have, like the civilian necromancers in Divinity’s Reach.
E: Relating to above slightly, how often (in a generalized statement across all the races), do warriors use magic in a trained manner? How much magic could a Seraph warrior squad be expected to showcase? Obviously some warriors train in magic (asura especially), but how about the other races?

Those are the ones that pop into mind immediately.

As Konig stated, warriors and engineers absolutely can use magic. Most of their skills are presented as nonmagical, but they do wield magical or magic-infused weaponry, so the lines get blurred (and the debate you’re describing occurs). Take the warrior’s torch skill Flames of War, for example. It creates a mobile flame field that follows the player around and explodes when it expires. There may be a non-magical weapon that can do those things, but a simple knotty branch with a burning oily rag tied to the end isn’t one of them. Likewise, the engineer’s pistol produces a lot of different effects—poison, burning, bouncy lighting blasts, glue—and it’s pretty hard to say there’s no magic involved in a pistol that serves as a dart gun, flamethrower, arc thrower, and glue bomb (and never needs reloading).

So there is no absolute in this case—i.e., you can’t say “warriors never use magic” any more than you can say “warriors always use magic.” Most warrior and engineer skills generally don’t use magic, but there are some with a clear magical component, be it in the weapon itself or in the skill’s effects.

A:
I’d draw an analogy to a child IRL learning to cook: the child sees their parents doing something, expresses an interest or is told “this is something you need to learn,” and the parent teaches the child how to do it. Once the child learns to grill a burger or mix up some mac & cheese, they may never use that skill again in their entire lives, but their experience includes learning how and, if ever called upon to do it later in life, they have some experience upon which to draw.

In other words, spellcasting in Tyria is a basic life skill like cooking, riding a bike, or swimming—it takes discipline and practice, and each family has its own way of teaching it, but learning how to master that basic life skill starts early. In your Rytlock example, he learned basic spells in the fahrar like every other charr cub, but he doesn’t routinely use spells in his adult life as a soldier (though he does carry a sweet magical flaming sword, so that does balance things out a bit).

B:
Without getting too meta or gamey: a player’s health automatically regenerates outside of combat, and conditions like bleeding or burning eventually wear off even if the player doesn’t administer first aid or stop, drop, and roll.

By the same token, I’d describe a warrior using a shout to heal as psyching themselves up to keep fighting, pressing on despite an injury, and otherwise refusing to let physical damage stop them—in effect, accelerating/activating that natural automatic recovery process that starts once combat is over—but bypassing the normal cooldown/out of combat requirement.

C:
Well, the animation does pretty clearly show the banner slamming down into the ground from above, or at least, blinking in/appearing as a result of the gesture the warrior makes. I could see that interpreted as the warrior had just pulled the banner out of their inventory and planted it (kind of like weapon swapping), but I come down on the side of the warrior magically summoning it from the sky.

D:
The average citizen has basic magic, but people who use magic everyday as a soldier or order operative have had a lot more practice and experience, so they’re able to cast bigger and more powerful spells more regularly. Think of it as a natural talent like singing or athletic ability—if you’re blessed with a lot of that talent, but don’t exercise it/practice it, you won’t be as good at it as someone who does.

E:
Warriors rely on their physical skills more than their magical ones, but as stated above, everyone in Tyria can use magic and almost everyone learns to do basic magic as a part of growing up/learning basic life skills.

Game-wise, one of the first things a new character does is level up their weapon skills by using that weapon; this is analogous to training hard and mastering the basics, which opens up access to the more advanced skills for that weapon. So as a natural consequence of perfecting their warrior abilities, the warrior PC learns some skills that have a magical component, and how to apply magic to some of their basic physical skills to improve the effect.

Jaken.6801:

Oh, a dev. Quick catch him.

Nah, my only question is, if the near future will trim some of the “loose” storylines, that are mostlikely not being resolved in the next 1-2 years.

Jaken,

Sorry, I’m a little unclear on the specific storylines you mean. I’m not playing dumb or trying to assert that there are no open-ended plotlines from GW1/GW2 that need resolution—it’s just that I’d have to guess which plots you mean. Which brings me to:

This is a great example of the type of question we’d love to answer, but really can’t. We do have plans to address some of the big questions/unresolved plots that players (and especially players on the forums) have been asking about, but to confirm or deny which ones (or even when) would directly or indirectly create a spoiler for the upcoming storylines. “Directly” as in we say an upcoming release definitely will feature <fill in the blank> plot; or “indirectly” by saying an upcoming release definitely won’t feature <fill in the blank> plot, so by the process of elimination, we make it clearer what the upcoming release will be about.

Add to that the mad skillz of our community’s theorycrafters, and we quickly find ourselves in a situation where the plot we’ve settled on (and dozens of people from various departments and disciplines are working on) gets thoroughly discussed, dissected, examined, and evaluated before it ever gets released, so that by the time it does get released, it’s old news and there are no surprises.

Kalavier,

I say go ahead and ask your questions.

Aaron A. is right, we can’t and won’t say anything that might spoil future story lines, but if it’s a question we can answer, this forum is the right place for it.

Cale.5372:

For the record who voices Laranthir? Cause I’m pretty sure it’s Trey Parker

Good guess (GW2 would be a very different game with Trey in the mix, wouldn’t it?), but Laranthir is voiced by the one and only Crispin Freeman.

For the record, the actor who played Ruka the Wanderer is named Rob Shapiro.

Thanks for notifying us of this issue. This was an error, a case of content that slipped through the continuity check just before HoT launch.

We’ve adjusted the text and the fix will be deployed to the live game in an upcoming future build.

Thanks again,

Ferever.7014:

Hey just a confirmation if you are bringing the VO back is it confirmed that Ron Yuan is still doing the Charr male voices?

Yes, Ron Yuan is still providing the voice for the Charr Male PC.

From https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/hidden-arcana-creating-the-chronomancer/ (2nd to last paragraph)

“Since elite specializations are only available to level 80 characters, this has given the development team greater freedom to create skills and abilities that reward skillful play and continued improvement, even at the level cap.”

Hope this helps,

The Human Male PC is still Nolan North, same as in the core version of GW2. Could you be more specific about what you mean when you say it sounds significantly changed?

Tonally, we did shoot for a terser, more urgent and in-command feel to the PC’s lines, as arriving on the scene of the Pact fleet wreckage is a much more intense situation than, say, bantering with Lord Faren at a party (as seen in the Human Noble Personal Story).

Inculpatus cedo.9234:

Lol… Elvis and Costello. Typo? or slip of the tongue?

Sounds fascinating; I can’t wait for the Blog, the PoI, and the release! =)

That’s totally a typo/transcription error—I’ve been a huge Bud & Lou fan since I was 6 years old, and I would never swap in Elvis for Abbott. :-)

Who’s on first?

Tim.6450:

For those who want to main Phlunt you can petition for this little game (https://forum-en.gw2archive.eu/forum/game/gw2/Suggestion-Asuraball-Make-this-official/4438817) to become official and then petition to make the ball look like Phlunt. Story wise it could be a petty vengeance from Taimi where she creates golems/holograms that look like Phlunt for the game.

This is a fun idea—I can’t promise it’ll be anything other than an idea, but if we ever were to go forward with it, I would push hard for it to be called “Punt Phlunt.”

Corporal Jantzen is voiced by the very talented Gregg Berger http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0074185/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1

Sinbold.8723:

Job-o-Tron, as he was first known, was never supposed to receive the development he received, according to (I think) Scott McGough, one of the writers. This was mentioned in either a Ready Up or POI video. He was developed because of player feedback, and is truly a product of the Living Story.

Thanks for all the H-tron love—the article you mention is https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/job-o-trons-journey-the-evolution-of-a-gag/

And a minor correction for clarity: audience reaction to Job-o-Tron was definitely a factor in his recurring appearances during his evolutions in LWS1, but internally, the writers and artists and designers also definitely intended to bring him back, even before we knew exactly how people would react to him. The reaction helped, of course, but we were dedicated to letting the gag roll on for a few releases to see where it took us.

As of the end of his first appearance on Southsun Cove (where he realizes he’s out of a job himself and sets out to find a hobo bindle ), we absolutely planned to have him return so we could see where he wound up. And then things snowballed from there.

So I’d say it was an internal/external audience team effort: there were as many H-Tron supporters inside ANet as there were on the outside, and together we brought him from where he was to where he is now.

And I’d also say, on behalf of everyone involved in bringing the little beggar to life and then bringing him back for repeat performances, Thanks—for—your—support.

KarateKid.5648:

If you kill her, I’m coming after your goldfish (assuming you have goldfish). So unless you want them to sleep with the, ermmm, mammals; she better stay safe.

Dr. Fishy! NOOOOOOOO!

(8 seconds in)

The effect Taimi’s degenerative condition has on her varies. Like a lot of people with chronic pain, she has good days (when she can get around relatively easily) and bad days (when she can’t). The worse her pain is on a given day/time, the worse her limp. As she stated in the Festival of the Four Winds:

PC: How are you feeling?
Taimi: Thank you for asking. My legs are good today discomfortwise, but I can’t get complacent: my mobility is capricious, changing from one hour to the next. Luckily, Scruffy is always standing by.

Hope this helps,

StinVec.3621:

Scott McGough.6897:

Tanith.5264:

Taimi has the best lines.

“I don’t have a fop to quote…”

Thank you! So glad you like Taimi’s dialogue, and specifically that line. It’s one of my faves, too (and it’s hard for me to pick a fave because Taimi’s way fun to write).

I could listen to you talk about character design and development all day long. It’s a real pleasure to hear your passion for the writing when you speak.

I know how she got her name, but did you happen to have any alternative names for Taimi (or Rox, Marjory, etc.) that you, personally, were fond of, but they ended up not being chosen for various reasons?

Thanks very much—it’s a topic I love exploring, and as such it’s not often people tell me to keep talking about it. ;-)

Angel McCoy had the names for Rox and Taimi ready to go, and we liked them so much we didn’t have to think of alternatives. Fortunately they both passed all the subsequent reviews by Editing, QA, lead writer, etc..

I remember collaborating on Marjory’s name, in that Angel had the first name locked in and I think I suggested the surname. Or maybe it was vice-versa. It was a team effort, in any case, and once we put ’em together we were happy with the result.

I’m going to refrain from listing the alternates we suggested because we might need ‘em later. During the brainstorming process for names (namestorming?), we usually generate several ideas that we like, and those we don’t use we usually put aside in case we can apply them to another character later on.

But I can say, as a huge MST3K fan, I try to avoid names that sound like they’re from the list that Mike and the ‘bots generated for the hero of the MST3K classic “Space Mutiny.” (e.g., Rip Steakface! Bulk VanderHuge!). Sometimes it’s harder than others (I’m looking at you, charr and norn).

Cheers,

Tanith.5264:

Taimi has the best lines.

“I don’t have a fop to quote…”

Thank you! So glad you like Taimi’s dialogue, and specifically that line. It’s one of my faves, too (and it’s hard for me to pick a fave because Taimi’s way fun to write).

Konig Des Todes.2086:

Vesuvius.9874:

They’re actually known as Destiny’s Orphans.

Actually, no they aren’t. That was scrapped (read: never came to canon) dialogue. Just like Arachnia or Abaddon’s Dead Children, it holds no weight in the canon story.

Confirmed: “Destiny’s Orphans” is not the official name of the adventuring group that includes Rox, Braham, Taimi, Marjory, and Kasmeer.

It was playfully mentioned in a scene between Rox and Kasmeer, but it’s not their official name.

Countess Anise is voiced by Cat Taber.

wingybaby.4162:

http://owl.li/v8glk

Thanks everyone at GW2 for making a game so amazing and inclusive.

-Mac
Easter Seals Inc. Intern

On behalf of ANet as a whole, the Living World teams, and myself in particular: you’re welcome.

And thank you for posting such a moving account of your first encounter with Taimi. I’ve said it before, but it’s still true: this is the kind of reaction every storyteller hopes for when they put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard).

We put a lot of thought and effort into Taimi, and we’re proud of the result…and prouder to have inspired such a positive reaction from players who identify with her.

Cheers!

Christina,

The cookies arrived! 2 varieties: chocolate chip/butterscotch and berry. Both are delicious and the entire team is devouring them as I type this.

Thanks very much. Again, we didn’t need cookies because your reaction was rewarding enough, but mmm-MMMM! These are some good cookies.

I apologize for cross-posting this link, but I think it’s important for folks who want to know more about Taimi and the thinking that went into her character.

Bobby, Angel, and I discussed Taimi at length in this livestream from Feb 14, 2014:

http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2/b/503338980

Enjoy!

Also, thanks again, and join me in raising a fist bump to Christina <bump>

On behalf of the writers, artists, game designers, and everyone else who contributed to Taimi’s character development, you are very welcome.

Speaking as a writer, one always hopes one’s characters will matter to the audience as much as you describe Taimi mattering to you. I am honored for my part in inspiring such a reaction and I am moved by your eloquent description of the positive impacts Taimi’s character has had on your outlook.

All of us here at ANet are sending you our most positive vibes—hang in there. I sincerely hope the support of us and the larger GW2 community continues to be a source of comfort.

Now bring on them cookies! <JK—in all seriousness, this thread is all the sweet reward we could ever hope for, but if there are cookies on top of that, we’ll take them, too :-)>

cheshirefox.7026:

._. wall of text
there was an entire live stream for taimi?
anyone having a problem with zojja will be crushed by a hobnailed boot

There is, and it’s here: http://www.twitch.tv/guildwars2/b/503338980

Enjoy!

Regarding the pronunciation: it was always intended to be as Canach pronounces it, “KYAR-ah” or if you prefer, “kee-YAR-ah.” We settled on the hard-K sound at the front and the multiple vowel sounds in the middle because that was one of the potential acceptable pronunciations (names like Kira and Keira are derived from it) and the soft-C or S sound at the front took the name too close to “Sieran” territory).

I believe this release marks the first time Scarlet’s original name has been voiced out loud by any character (previously Caithe mentioned her by name in an unvoiced conversation).

In addition, regarding the name’s origin/meaning: we considered a great many names with a great many meanings. Along with the other meanings of Ceara (and its variants) like “spear” or “dark,” one of the variant meanings was “fiery red,” and the collective impact of all those definitions pushed the name Ceara into the winner’s circle.

Firearm.6904:

Is it just me, or am I getting a Jimmy Neutron vibe from our new Asuran friend?

Thoughts?

Good ear! Taimi is indeed voiced by Debi Derryberry
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0220635/?ref_=nv_sr_1

Xanthia.7209:

I wonder how hobo-tron is doing……

Stay tuned…

A lot of folks have called out the right answer, but I’ll confirm it: Slick is not a Son of Svanir and does not worship Jormag.

In this case, he’s using “Jormag take these oozes” in the same vein as “to the Devil with these oozes” or “to hell with these oozes.” He’s wishing ill upon them and cursing them to suffer the Elder Dragon’s tender mercies.

Can’t say much at present, but if I have anything to say about it, players will definitely see Hobo-Tron again.

Because I love that little guy (as a character—as an individual, at least when he was on Southsun Cove, he was a total jerk-bot. Now that he’s fallen on hard times, it remains to be seen which direction his life will take).

Hope it’s not too late to chime in, but it’s pronounced “teh-KWAHT-ul.” Kind of rhymes with “heck bottle,” with the accent on the “BOT.”

That’s how we say it in-house and how we have NPCs say it in-game through VO.

Man In Zero G.8312:

Murderous Clown.9723:

Man In Zero G.8312:

I’ve loved it so far – the only complaint I have is NPCs referring to Divinity’s Reach as “DR” in dialogue…. that’s extremely immersion breaking, to be honest. Otherwise fantastic event!

Why? We use initials like that in real life e.g. LA and KL. I don’t see why Tyrians wouldn’t do the same.

Mostly because it’s all of the sudden. Never in the history of the game until now has an NPC referred to Lion’s Arch as LA, for example, (though players do) – or BC, or RS – it’s the same with Divinity’s Reach; never before now has it happened in game (or in the fiction as far as I’ve read). And it wasn’t just Scarlet, I’m pretty sure I heard Rox and/or our new asura sidekick do it too.
It just felt like poor editing on the scripts before they got to the voice actors is all. (i.e. it was meant to be Divinity’s Reach, but was shorthanded while writing, and never got changed in editing – pure conjecture, but that’s what it feels like.)

There actually is a precedent here: Lord Faren referred to Divinity’s Reach as “ol’ DR” several times while he was on Southsun Cove.

And as everyone knows, he’s a trend-setter.

Glad you enjoyed the story—thanks very much!

As for Rox’s, she’s unusually superstitious for a charr (or anyone else, really). A lot of soldiers are superstitious, but Rox was ahead of the curve before she survived the accident that killed her warband. Since she survived on almost pure luck (she was out of the mine when the disaster happened), she’s become even moreso.

Cheers, and thanks again,

Just to confirm: Hobo-Tron is absolutely Job-o-Tron from May’s Southsun Cove content—same model, same voice, same character, with a new name that reflects his new status.

As ReMortis and Meriem noted, when he lost his gig as the employment surveyor for the Consortium, he fell on hard times. Bit of poetic justice, really.

Good call—the asura announcer in the Crown Pavilion is indeed Tara Strong.

And Queen Jennah is indeed Jennifer Hale (who is also the Sylvari Female PC).

There are lots of different kinds of jubilees. We were using the term in the sense of Mirriam Webster definition 2a-b, visible here:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jubilee

“a : a special anniversary; especially : a 50th anniversary;
b: a celebration of such an anniversary”

No specific time span/duration is a required part of that definition; it’s just a term for an important anniversary/observance of that anniversary (and yes, it’s “especially” applicable to a 50th anniversary, that doesn’t mean it’s the only acceptable use).

Hope this helps,

Kyrel.8942:

Konig Des Todes.2086:

You forgot Scott McGough! How rude! :P

I wanted to, but the title would have been too long

My feelings aren’t hurt. But maybe for the next interview post title, go with last names only? “McG” only has three letters, after all. :-)

The actor’s name is Sumalee (pronounced soo-MOL-ee) Montano and we’re glad you like her, too—when we heard her voice, we knew she was on the short list for Marjory, and getting her for Marjory was a big win for us.

Glad to see the Faren love. Sorry he’s not everybody’s cup of tea, but he’s one of our favorites to write (and a fave of the voice actor Yuri Lowenthal, who supplies Faren’s dulcet tones).

Lady Kasmeer is a brand new character who is making her extended cameo debut in the Secret of Southsun. We will see more of her in future releases (or, I should say, we’ll spend more time with her but see less of her, as she won’t always be wearing her beach gear).