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Guild Wars 2 designers deliver more Asura goodies: Inquest and Golems
Other games have Dwarves or Gnomes for their token cutesy miniature race, but filling this role for Guild Wars 2 are the Asura. Last week, ArenaNet devoted a whole week to these spunky munchkins, expounding on everything from their history to architectural influences. Today, Designers Jon Peters, Jeff Grubb, and Ree Soesbee delivered an extra dose of Asura by giving us the lowdown on the Inquest and battle suit Golems. First, Grubb and Soesbee told PC Gamer that the Inquest wanted to be the culture that invented the device that would take down the elder dragons, and its members are willing to do whatever it takes to come out on top. Grubb explained, "Most Asuras will not experiment on sentients. That's one of those things that's just not a good thing. The Inquest don't have that limitation. They are more willing to not just manipulate, but to harm others because they've made the judgment that they're superior and therefore have the right to do what they will without worrying about you." Jon Peters was a little less verbose regarding the Asura's battle suit skills, mostly because these abilities are still in development. However, we learned that although the battle suit is designed for a single operator, when a battle suit is called, any race can pilot it. And when asked if these mechs could be used in PvP, Peters replied, "In World vs World vs World PvP, absolutely yes! In competitive PvP the battle suit will get banned from tournaments." We hope you caught all of ArenaNet's Asura-related activities last week. If not, we have everything you need to know right here, including a wrap-up in today's Flameseeker Chronicles.
Flameseeker Chronicles: Asura week wrapup
The videos have been watched, the stories have been read, the short jokes have been made, and we lumbering Bookahs have been put in our collective place. Guild Wars 2's Asura Week is over, bringing with it the end of Guild Wars 2 race reveals. We've now had an in-depth look at all five races of Tyria, and I have to say that these little guys might be my favorite. I was pretty enamored of them after logging some Asura playtime at PAX, and I loved getting to know their cocky little selves even better this week. Follow along after the jump and let's take a look at some of the highlights of Asura Week!
Ree Soesbee wraps up Guild Wars 2's Asura Week
The final day of Asura Week has arrived for Guild Wars 2 fans, and Game Designer Ree Soesbee takes the wheel with a mixed approach. Her look at the race combines hard facts with a short story about an Asura Krewe working through a dangerous task in its own devious and complicated fashion. The rest of the entry takes a deeper look at things we've learned about the Asura during the rest of this week: the political system, the various colleges, and the inner workings of Krewes. This entry serves as a nice wrap-up to Asura Week, highlighting the core of who the Asura are: highly intelligent, driven little guys with a ruthless desire to be the best and brightest. Head over to the ArenaNet blog for the full story.
Guild Wars 2 Asura week continues with new video and web page
Day four of Guild Wars 2's Asura Week brings the thing that many fans look forward to the most: a new video and the official web page for the race. The web page gives a rundown of the Asura race's history (which can be seen firsthand in the current Guild Wars game) as well as information on the ups and downs of being an Asura in Guild Wars 2. As with the other four races, there is plenty to enjoy and be proud of, but not everything is perfect. Threats from around the land of Tyria -- such as the elder dragons -- are an ongoing worry, but internal politics, individual agendas, and personal rivalries also contribute danger from within. Chief among those is the Inquest: "The greatest danger to the Asura is, to no one's surprise, other Asura. Putting aside the sometimes dramatic, even explosive, nature of their experiments, a group of Asura have banded together to form their own meta-krewe. Known as the Inquest, these Asura combine their resources into a larger organization and share their knowledge among their own members - never with those outside the Inquest." The icing on the cake is the video -- a detailed view of Rata Sum, the greatest of Asura cities. Follow along after the jump for a look at the video, and check out all the latest information on the race at Guild Wars 2's new Asura page.
Concentrated magnificence: Writing the Guild Wars 2 Asura
Day three of Guild Wars 2's Asura Week is here, bringing with it some detailed talk from writer Angel McCoy. In the new ArenaNet blog post, Angel looks at various aspects of writing the lives and behavior of the Asura. She covers everything from their views of other races, their jobs, even the ups and downs of their familial relationships: "A black sheep in the family affects everyone's reputation, so family tensions among Asura run hot." Angel makes one thing very clear: These incredibly intelligent little guys might be short on patience and long on snark, but it's not out of a sense of cruelty. "This verbal abuse may seem mean-spirited, but the Asura don't see it that way. They don't take it personally. Their competitive natures drive them to greater heights of achievement. Remember, Asura have survived against terrible odds, including their tiny statures. They've earned their attitudes, and a certain amount of bravado keeps them from being victims. With their jibes, they're telling it like they see it, and if you can't take the heat, get out of the laboratory." The blog entry is accompanied by several audio clips to lend some vocal backup to Angel's writings, so head to the ArenaNet blog to take a listen and read the full story.
Guild Wars 2's Asura Week continues with a look at environmental concepts
Asura Week continues today with another blog entry from ArenaNet's Matt Barrett. While yesterday's update looked at conceptualizing the floppy-earred cutelings themselves, today's blurb is all about their environmental art. Asuran design is heavily influenced by ancient Hindu architecture and features "massive stone columns, intricate, masterful carvings, and a sense of being inside a mountain," Barrett explains, before going on to share several thumbnail sketches and designs for more specific in-game props. While most of Barrett's showcase is in black and white, he does do color pieces as well, primarily toward the beginning of the conceptual process. After that, he says, "it's much more economical to explore designs in grayscale." So what is it that makes Asura tick, according to the ArenaNet's art department? They're "mad with ambition to harness the power of the planet, and they have all the best tools with which to do it." On a lighter note, today's update also features an Asura advice column filled to the brim with pearls of wisdom about everything from lemonade turrets to grawl-infested cabbage crops. Head to the official Guild Wars 2 website for the full Asura experience.
Not to be underestimated: Guild Wars 2 Asura Week begins
The first highly anticipated installment of Guild Wars 2's Asura Week has arrived, courtesy of the ArenaNet blog. Matt Barrett is the first to weigh in with an in-depth look at the design process behind the look of the Asura race. There have been a lot of changes from the original appearance of the race as the artists worked to find a style that truly reflected who the Asura are, and Matt treats readers to the original look as well as later iterations. The blog post also includes a video narrated by Matt that shows off real-time creation of a piece of Asura concept art. Check out the video and details of Asura creation on the ArenaNet blog.
Guild Wars 2 Asura Week begins Monday [Updated]
The Guild Wars 2 development team has brought us Human Week, Norn Week, Sylvari Week, and Charr Week. Four of the five playable races have been covered, leaving fans anxious for the scoop on the final and most diminutive race: the Asura. ArenaNet announced today that Asura Week will begin Monday and cover character and environment design, animation, lore, and writing. The team will also release new audio, video, art, and even a "Hey Bookah" advice column that's sure to put we humans firmly in our place. Several familiar names will be pitching in for Asura week, including writers Jeff Grubb and Ree Soesbee. Asura week begins Monday, September 12th, and will continue all week. Check out the schedule after the cut for the full rundown of Asura Week! [Update: The ArenaNet blog has been updated with the details of Asura Week.]
