Thursday, November 12, 2015

A Sense of Scale : GW2

Everything in Heart of Thorns is overgrown, overblown, overloaded. The heights are higher, the depths deeper, the undergrowth thicker, the monsters bigger than anywhere else in Tyria.

And, let's face it, Asura aren't big to begin with. We have trouble climbing the steps in Hoelbrak. Of course, so do the Norn, but only because they're always drunk.


Then again, whoever built these cities, the ruined and the golden alike, worked on a scale that even a Norn would balk at. If it wasn't for the endless stairways this would be a fine place for a stilt-walkers' convention. They'd never have to duck going through an archway, that's for sure.

This is country that demands heft in all things. No wonder the cities are the way they are. The trees, the cliffs, the canyons, you could hardly put up a bungalow and call it home. Shhh. Don't mention Bongo. We're not talking about him. Whoever he is.

Even Rata Novus is oversized for an Asura settlement. Then again, so is Rata Sum. It's Dwarven Architect Syndrome all over again.

In the end all you can do is embrace, go with the flow, cast yourself to the winds and trust them to bear you up. And if they don't, well, if an Asura falls in the jungle, who's going to hear?

Chin up. It's not like the Charr have it so much better. Although they do have that always landing on their feet thing going. I wonder how that's working out for them?

Ah well, at least we're not Sylvari. That's a thought to keeps you warm at night. Sweet dreams.

1 comment:

  1. Not sure if that's a good thing though. On the one side it instills that sense of awe upon seeing it. Something that large and grandiose... on the other side it makes me feel like my character doesn't truly belong there. And yeh, that's obvious in a jungle but sometimes devs make cities and buildings with that principle and it just feels weird.

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