I told you so...

[WaveIn.4091]

I love the idea that asura technology is getting better and spreading in influence with time 

[Mad Queen Malafide.7512]

Siege Turtles with gatling guns or lasers... when?

[Ashen.2907]

I am not sure that GW2 was ever a, "classic fantasy." 

 

From launch there were submarines, aircraft, machine guns, artillery, flamethrowers, and more.

 

I would have preferred a lower tech level myself, but that ship sailed before launch. 

[Ashantara.8731]

30 minutes ago, Ashen.2907 said:

I am not sure that GW2 was ever a, "classic fantasy."

In regard of story, character design and fashion, it was when it launched, in spite of a certain level of development in technology. But there are limits to what makes it fantasy and what makes it cyberpunk. When it's getting out of hand, it's shifting genres.

[Ashen.2907]

15 minutes ago, Ashantara.8731 said:

In regard of story, character design and fashion, it was when it launched, in spite of a certain level of development in technology. But there are limits to what makes it fantasy and what makes it cyberpunk. When it's getting out of hand, it's shifting genres.

At launch one of my characters used a mortar, flamethrower, grenades, and autonomous turrets...with visuals/fashion to match. 

 

Another character, at launch, had matching machine pistols as part of his fashion statement and design.

 

All of my characters, at launch, participated in story including tanks, helicopters, aircraft, submarines, artillery, and so on.  They worked with characters designed around a ww1-ww2 aesthetic in the process.

 

Cyberpunk fiction and fantasy have blended elements since the 80's with the advent of Shadowrun (and perhaps other source materials that I don't know).

 

Again, I prefer a classic fantasy approach as well, but GW2 has never, not even for a minute, been a classic fantasy.

[Obliviscaris.6937]

The 'new' watchknight has artistic references that appear to draw from Metropolis (1927) & illustrations by Hajime Sorayama. At least from what I can see. I'm sure you don't need an artistic background to appreciate them. They're slick.

 

I think it's more believable for them to develop over time (as they have), as technology does in real life (at a similarly fast pace)

 

It looks brilliant and is a massive step-up.

[Turin.6921]

I think i really like the Jadepunk theme they are going for as for me i agree with the rest. Gw2 was never been classic high fanstasy. You have Humans and Silvari that are closer to high fanstasy stuff but Charr were always diesel/steam punk and Asura were always Sci-Fi. And many non-playable races follow this trend like Dwarves and Dredge. Tyria in gw2 is quite technologically advaced. We have teleport gates, holograms, tanks, flying machines, anti-grav tech, explosives, artillery , submarines etc since launch... So this variety makes everything stick. You can definitely  make a completely high fantasy themed character and stick with it (and maybe that is where the OP gets the feeling that things have changed),  but you cannot ignore the fact that the advanced technology element was always part of the world.

The Jadepunk seems fully in line with the technology of the rest of world and for a place like Cantha 250 years later seems very fitting.  I mean a blade runner-like Jadepunk Kaineng City? Yeah i cannot think of anything more fitting when i remember the original. 

Also I love how people are still blaming the watchknight change on "wokeness" when pretty much anyone over 20 can see the old model and say: "Yeah this does look a bit silly". You know it does not have to be an agenda. The artists have the right to say "kitten this looks silly to me now. What were we thinking 4 years ago" and make changes. You do not need complaints to make that kind of thought process. I think its an improvement for sure. They look slicker. A design that would make sense if you build something like this.  Also appreciate the kinda metropolis reference.  

Edited December 4, 2021 by Turin.6921

[Maikimaik.1974]

20 hours ago, Ashantara.8731 said:

In regard of story, character design and fashion, it was when it launched, in spite of a certain level of development in technology. But there are limits to what makes it fantasy and what makes it cyberpunk. When it's getting out of hand, it's shifting genres.

Have you ever been to Rata Sum??

[Ashantara.8731]

Just now, Maikimaik.1974 said:

Have you ever been to Rata Sum??

Rata Sum is, as I mentioned repeatedly, moderate in comparison (at least in my eyes), plus it's a unique style that has been there from the start. The "in-your-face" toxic green jade tech and the nature of the computer consoles used alongside it are over-the-top, it's too much and I don't appreciate that direction of development.

[Maikimaik.1974]

6 minutes ago, Ashantara.8731 said:

Rata Sum is, as I mentioned repeatedly, moderate in comparison (at least in my eyes), plus it's a unique style that has been there from the start. The "in-your-face" toxic green jade tech and the nature of the computer consoles used alongside it are over-the-top, it's too much and I don't appreciate that direction of development.

But this in the mistlock observatory is fine?

[Kossage.9072]

On 12/4/2021 at 4:01 PM, Turin.6921 said:

Also I love how people are still blaming the watchknight change on "wokeness" when pretty much anyone over 20 can see the old model and say: "Yeah this does look a bit silly". You know it does not have to be an agenda. The artists have the right to say "kitten this looks silly to me now. What were we thinking 4 years ago" and make changes. You do not need complaints to make that kind of thought process. I think its an improvement for sure. They look slicker. A design that would make sense if you build something like this.  Also appreciate the kinda metropolis reference.  

The change of DR watchknights would've been received better if the return of the Twisted Marionette had retained the original model instead of using Mists shenanigans to retroactively change its look. Not only was the marionette Scarlet's experiment, she was also unhinged and liked outrageous designs for many of her inventions (even when adapting others' work such as the Krytans'), so the sexualized look works there due to being linked to a villain. Especially since it's the memory of the marionette manifesting on Tyria, so retaining the original look works for the historical narrative angle too.
 

It would've been pretty cool to keep one or two of the original curvy Watchknight models around while most of them would be replaced by the sleeker model, and we'd get NPCs discussing the change and how Jennah's engineers improved on the original design for better combat maneuverability etc. so the original artists' work isn't fully deleted. That way both sides of the argument would've been satisfied enough, and it'd fit the lore of Tyria moving forward.

As for time marching onward in Tyria, GW2 has established itself as progressing with new breakthroughs in the study of Eternal Alchemy, magic etc. to enable rapid change in just a few decades. I like that at least they didn't continue with the constant map changing of the original Living World iteration as it was sad to see earlier devs' lore being tossed out in favor of the new (plus trying to update the wiki with constant changes to area dialogues was very time-consuming) while it also burned out many devs in the process. I'll reserve my judgement on dragonjade tech until I see more examples of it in context while exploring Cantha itself (since the whole inclusion of dragonjade tech plays a major part in Cantha's backstory as well as the three-way conflict between the Empire of the Dragon, neo-Jade Brotherhood, and the Speakers as devs explained on strem), but I imagine they'll find a way to make it blend in well enough to fit into the world of Tyria aesthetically. 🙂

Edited December 5, 2021 by Kossage.9072