scientifically speaking, why do sylvari sound like humans?

[Samnang.1879]

i get that asura norn and charr sound like humans cuz their vocal cord is made of muscle (presumably), but why do sylvari sound like humans? shouldn't their vocal cord be made of plants? In other words, something like the video below?

Was this an oversight? or was there something in the lore I've missed? Did the pale tree magically give them human voices? What's the tea?

[Tzarakiel.7490]

Sound is just movement in the air. For all we know Sylvari have the plant version of an electric speaker or a mechanical gramophone.

[Samnang.1879]

@Tzarakiel.7490 said:Sound is just movement in the air. For all we know Sylvari have the plant version of an electric speaker or a mechanical gramophone.

yes sis, but each sound sounds different depending on the material, e.g. human vocal folds produce human voices, violins make violin noise. each material and the way it is constructed makes the sound what it is. no two humans can sound alike (even monozygous twins).

so it confuses me that sylvari sound like humans, their vocal box should be of different material (not muscle) and constructed differently... its impossible for a natural creature to form a gramophone in their voice box... and even then, it shouldn't sound like a human...

at best, it should sound like a xylophone since that is made out of wood material or something woody instrument

[Khalisto.5780]

because they're like vegan humans, have you heard a vegan talking about something that's supposed to be a meat substitute, it goes like this, it has the taste and texture of meat but has none of meat, it's the same for silvary.

[Dragon Priestess.9760]

Eh, I have the same question about Charr like... why don't they have 6 breasts like other felines.

Some things are just not meant to be, lol.

[Kodokuna Akuma.9570]

I blame modremoth.

[Samnang.1879]

@"Dragon Priestess.9760" said:Eh, I have the same question about Charr like... why don't they have 6 breasts like other felines.

Some things are just not meant to be, lol.

according to anet, "what look likes a cat but stupider than a cat"... so technically they're not feline but ... something else...

@Kodokuna Akuma.9570 said:I blame modremoth.

according to the lore, mordy corrupts minds not vocal cords :disappointed:

[Kodokuna Akuma.9570]

@Samnang.1879 said:

@Kodokuna Akuma.9570 said:I blame modremoth.

according to the lore, mordy corrupts minds not vocal cords :disappointed:

Maybe sylvari are subtly corrupting everyones mind so to make everyone think they sound human

[castlemanic.3198]

The lore (from what I understand) is that the sylvari were shaped from the bodies of Ronin and his family from GW1, meaning that their vocal cords are shaped like human vocal cords, despite being plantlike. their anatomy would theoretically mimic that of a human, and as such, would provide similar results on all fronts, including vocal.

Also, that video you linked is very specifically not the sound of trees talking. Trees blowing in the wind =/= trees actually talking and using human language.

[mtpelion.4562]

Sylvari don't actually talk, they just invade everyone around them's heads with psychic noise that tricks them into thinking the plant was talking. They move their mouths to further this illusion.

[derd.6413]

it's magic

[Turkeyspit.3965]

So if a Sylvari is downed in the forest, and nobody is around to see it happen, does it make a sound?

[castlemanic.3198]

@Dragon Priestess.9760 said:Eh, I have the same question about Charr like... why don't they have 6 breasts like other felines.

Some things are just not meant to be, lol.

Felines don't have human like breasts. There's minimal sexual dimorphism in most feline species, the only example i can think about is how adult male lions have manes and adult female lions don't. As such, Charr are actually pretty realistic on the sexual dimorphism front, so that's why female charr don't have 6 human like breasts. Because cats don't either.

[Samnang.1879]

@castlemanic.3198 said:The lore (from what I understand) is that the sylvari were shaped from the bodies of Ronin and his family from GW1, meaning that their vocal cords are shaped like human vocal cords, despite being plantlike. their anatomy would theoretically mimic that of a human, and as such, would provide similar results on all fronts, including vocal.

Also, that video you linked is very specifically not the sound of trees talking. Trees blowing in the wind =/= trees actually talking and using human language.

i know sis... how would u want me to find a video of a tree talking when trees dont talk irl... ? :confused :voice is produced by air + vocal folds in the throat. in the same way wind + leaves = produces the sound of rustling leaves, when the leaves touch one another that's when we can hear the sound, winds don't make sound, it catalyses the sound against an object through a hole and friction. the video is just a simulation of what a sylvari's voice would sound like, not how it would sound when talking, in other words their voice shouldn't sound smooth like a human's, but more like leaves rustling in the wind.

[Klipso.8653]

Everyone knows that plants sound like British people

[castlemanic.3198]

@Samnang.1879 said:

@castlemanic.3198 said:The lore (from what I understand) is that the sylvari were shaped from the bodies of Ronin and his family from GW1, meaning that their vocal cords are shaped like human vocal cords, despite being plantlike. their anatomy would theoretically mimic that of a human, and as such, would provide similar results on all fronts, including vocal.

Also, that video you linked is very specifically

not the sound of trees talking

. Trees blowing in the wind =/= trees actually talking and using human language.

i know sis... how would u want me to find a video of a tree talking when trees dont talk irl... ? :confused :voice is produced by air + vocal folds in the throat. in the same way wind + leaves = produces the sound of rustling leaves, when the leaves touch one another that's when we can hear the sound, winds don't make sound, it catalyses the sound against an object through a hole and friction. the video is just a simulation of what a sylvari's voice would sound like, not how it would sound when talking, in other words their voice shouldn't sound smooth like a human's, but more like leaves rustling in the wind.

There's no actual guarantee that a humanoid plant being would have a voice like that though, considering that we don't really have anything close to an approximation of plant matter shaped like a human vocal cord. That's flavour that many fantasy worlds go with, but from a scientific standpoint (as the title of your thread suggests it to be), it's more likely not to be anything close to that.

In fact, like I already stated, the plant matter of sylvari mimics human anatomy, which means from a scientific standpoint, we could get pretty close to human sounding voices from an arrangement of plant matter that mimics human vocal cords. So for sylvari to have human like voices, it's not really that scientifically far off.

[Dawdler.8521]

The real question here is why wouldnt plants speak with a snooty british accent? Can science answer that, huh?

[Samnang.1879]

@castlemanic.3198 said:

There's no actual guarantee that a humanoid plant being would have a voice like that though, considering that we don't really have anything close to an approximation of plant matter shaped like a human vocal cord. That's flavour that many fantasy worlds go with, but from a scientific standpoint (as the title of your thread suggests it to be), it's more likely not to be anything close to that.

In fact, like I already stated, the plant matter of sylvari mimics human anatomy, which means from a scientific standpoint, we could get pretty close to human sounding voices from an arrangement of plant matter that mimics human vocal cords. So for sylvari to have human like voices, it's not really that scientifically far off.

considering they dont reproduce in the same way that humans do (they come from pods or whatever iirc)...i am doubtful their vocal cord is a perfect or near perfection imitation of the human vocal cord...

but i'll take your words for it sis

[Pifil.5193]

@Samnang.1879 said:

@castlemanic.3198 said:

There's no actual guarantee that a humanoid plant being would have a voice like that though, considering that we don't really have anything close to an approximation of plant matter shaped like a human vocal cord. That's flavour that many fantasy worlds go with, but from a

scientific

standpoint (as the title of your thread suggests it to be), it's more likely not to be anything close to that.

In fact, like I already stated, the plant matter of sylvari mimics human anatomy, which means from a scientific standpoint, we could get pretty close to human sounding voices from an arrangement of plant matter that mimics human vocal cords. So for sylvari to have human like voices, it's not really that scientifically far off.

considering they dont reproduce in the same way that humans do (they come from pods or whatever iirc)...i am doubtful their vocal cord is a perfect or near perfection imitation of the human vocal cord...

You're asking for scientific explanations about why the magical plant creatures that came from the magical fruit of a magical tree sound like humans. You won't get it. :smile:

I think that @castlemanic.3198 has given you the closest you'll get, the Pale Tree based her children on the bodies of Ronan and his family, that's why they look and sound more humanlike than the Mordrem Guard sylvari.

[castlemanic.3198]

@Samnang.1879 said:considering they dont reproduce in the same way that humans do (they come from pods or whatever iirc)...i am doubtful their vocal cord is a perfect or near perfection imitation of the human vocal cord...

but i'll take your words for it sis

Right, because even if they have human physical physiques and likenesses, need to eat and drink like humans, even feel hot and or cold like humans, but let's dismiss these facts because they were born in a magical fantasy way.

If you don't want a scientific explanation, don't ask for one. But the sylvari biology (including human like sexual anatomy minus the reproductive capability from what i remember) was made to mimic human biology where it could (wood for bone, bark for flesh, they even heal at the same rate as humans and have the same biological needs as other mammilian species). So the idea that they wouldn't have a close approximation to human vocal cords when so many things ARE similar is dismissive of facts at best.

[VDAC.2137]

Scientifically speaking, plants are substantially different from metazoans down to the cellular level and it would not be possible for them to move around as they do. But this is fantasy and magic! ;)

[Trise.2865]

Short version: because they want to.

There are a number of possible situations:Fibrous, reed-like appendages somewhere in the upper chest produce sounds, while cavities and fluid sacs in the head and neck shape them, similar to grass whistles and woodwind instruments.They aren't, but the game uses human speech to represent it, universal-translator style, because we've simply learned to understand them.Sylvari have mild psychic abilities. They are projecting their thoughts which we interpret as humanoid speech. Their bodies are just mimicking the movements.F'n magic. (always a possibility)Their anatomy is modeled perfectly enough on humans that their bodies function identically (as illogical as that may seem)....and any number of other explanations. But yeah... mostly "because they want to".

@Dragon Priestess.9760 said:Eh, I have the same question about Charr like... why don't they have 6 breasts like other felines.

Some things are just not meant to be, lol.

They do! But, also like common felines, they're hidden by thicker fur (also clothes, but most felines don't wear them). The bikini/tank top on the naked model is purely for identification purposes.

[Samnang.1879]

@castlemanic.3198 said:Right, because even if they have human physical physiques and likenesses, need to eat and drink like humans, even feel hot and or cold like humans, but let's dismiss these facts because they were born in a magical fantasy way.

If you don't want a scientific explanation, don't ask for one. But the sylvari biology (including human like sexual anatomy minus the reproductive capability from what i remember) was made to mimic human biology where it could (wood for bone, bark for flesh, they even heal at the same rate as humans and have the same biological needs as other mammilian species). So the idea that they wouldn't have a close approximation to human vocal cords when so many things ARE similar is dismissive of facts at best.

sis i like your answer but it still doesn't answer how woody material in form of vocal cords = human voices...robots sound like robots because theyre not made of musclesnodules on the human vocal cord = changes the smoothness of the voice dramatically

so wooden/plant made vocal cord = ... ????

though i do like the answer about the psychic thingy...

but need an official LORE statement from @anet_lore_teller otherwise i wont be satisfied

[Samnang.1879]

@"VDAC.2137" said:Scientifically speaking, plants are substantially different from metazoans down to the cellular level and it would not be possible for them to move around as they do. But this is fantasy and magic! ;)

thats another good point, although one can argue if those plants (sylvari) eat meat i guess they can attain enough energy to move like these carnivorous plants that can move on their own

[Tinker.6924]

Blame it on temperamental actors and a tight budget. When Anet reached out for voice actors, none of the trees would even look at the compensation package anet was offering. Anet had to settle for low budget, human voice actors.