Curse

TremorCrst · Oct 24, 2007, 08:31 AM // 08:31

At the conceptart.org forums it was recently opened a thread regarding GW:EN art (it's somewhat usual, and follows the ones, from previous years, dedicated to GW:Factions and Nightfall - more on that in the Nolani Arts section): http://www.conceptart.org/forums/sho...d.php?t=108591

What's more interesting in this one is that one of the Anet artists posted this (page 5):
"I just found these extras and wanted to make sure it was okay to post. These are from Utopia, the game that never was. ;} Oh, and below you might recognize the origins of the Mesmer Norn armor designs..."

I found it interesting that, infering from the concept arts, Utopia was after all an expansion for regular GW (at least it's what I think, given that they were developing more armors for existing classes/characters) AND that the setting was pre-columbian mesoamerican (mayan, aztec...).

So many of the rumors we heard months and months ago were indeed right, and the fact that Anet specified that Utopia "was used as a project name for an unannounced project, but we do not intend to use it for a product name" (http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_bl...stnews;title;4) didn't mean they had a "special" project... it meant that they just decided that Chapter 4 was to be canned xD

Don't know if you find it interesting, I did and wanted to share

Sleeper Service · Oct 24, 2007, 08:50 AM // 08:50

what i find disgraceful is that when chapter 1 came out we were told that there would be 2 new chapters per year at about what ...45 euros? per pop.
This would have resulted in the player (if they bought all the chapters) spending about as much as they would have for a "regular" MMO but in a different way.

Then we were told that this model was working well, ie: they were making a profit. So we were happy because we could expect more of the same for years to come.

WTH happened? now all we get is the standard "maybe in GW2" response or "our whole art team has moved to GW2 (so don't expect anything new)" etc.

Bale_Shadowscar · Oct 24, 2007, 09:04 AM // 09:04

Very cool thread. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Looks like at least some of utopia would have been set in a civilized, high class area (Like Vabbi), based on the Mesmer's dress.

SotiCoto · Oct 24, 2007, 09:09 AM // 09:09

Sounds like all that got squished into the Asura section of GW:EN.

Komes I · Oct 24, 2007, 09:47 AM // 09:47

Wow... I really like the way those guys make evrything in their art so... epic! I really can hear music and can picture a whole scene of what is happening in those pictures.

And I hope some stuff that haven't been put in the game already will be in GW2. Oh man, ANet has best concept artist ever!

Symeon · Oct 24, 2007, 10:12 AM // 10:12

Seems they were working on a sort of 'New World' chapter. There are pictures of Meso-American cities, temples, totem poles, and an arena with spectators.

Judging by the last five pictures in this post, they may have had a buccaneer/swashbuckler class planned... and possibly some sort of Aztec shaman?

Surena · Oct 24, 2007, 10:20 AM // 10:20

Do you notice how cartoonish (appealing to younger players) GW looks compared to the artwork? Man, I'd pay the double price for a "mature" look (for GW2 now) which probably won't happen.

Zeek Aran · Oct 24, 2007, 11:51 AM // 11:51

Wow. Their concept art is always so amazing... but it nevers gets put into the game as amazing. I bought the CE NF for example and like... thoughtgasmed in the car on the way home. I installed it, beat it in a week or so, and was not really impressed at all.

Bankai · Oct 24, 2007, 12:01 PM // 12:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sleeper Service

what i find disgraceful is that when chapter 1 came out we were told that there would be 2 new chapters per year at about what ...45 euros? per pop.
This would have resulted in the player (if they bought all the chapters) spending about as much as they would have for a "regular" MMO but in a different way.

Then we were told that this model was working well, ie: they were making a profit. So we were happy because we could expect more of the same for years to come.

WTH happened? now all we get is the standard "maybe in GW2" response or "our whole art team has moved to GW2 (so don't expect anything new)" etc.

While they were making profit, the quality of the game was going downhill. People were being spread over a huge areas, making it a neccessity to use heroes and henchies or guilds, PvP got gimped every chapter, etc. If they had continued the chapter plan, in 2 years we would have 14 classes, everyone who even thought of doing something high-end had to have all chapters, there would be a max of 100 people in hubs like LA and Kamadan, and PvP would be severely imbalanced.

=HT=Ingram · Oct 24, 2007, 12:54 PM // 12:54

yea I for one was really really sad to see utopia canceled, I just thought the concept and designs they had in store for it was going to be amazing... A lot of it came into GWEN expansion. But others of it just didn't make it... With GW2 now coming we can expect a significant engine change from the ground up... so that's good. And the story with the rising of Orr and the Dragons awakening... that's going to be HUGE. But ultimately I think that eventually GW1 will just be left in the dust, and eventually be taken offline in favor of GW2 expansions...

The Ideal would be to use GW1 to build lore, for expansion in GW2.. The Biannual approach. GW1 expansion (to build lore for GW2) ; GW2 live, GW1 expansion (to build lore for GW2 EXP), GW2 Expansion, and so forth... But this model does not seem like it will be very popular with Anet for some reason... Not sure why...

I really hope we get the opportunity some day to see the new world concept that utopia was going to bring to it... The Aztecs are a really cool basis for development. it would be nice to see a few expansions down the line in GW2.

thezed · Oct 24, 2007, 01:28 PM // 13:28

I to was very disapointed to see the 2 chapter/year model go away. To me, that model felt like I was playing a really good series of fantasy novels, with my character as the lead. And with the revelation the Nightfall would tie up a triliogy it felt even better.

But I fully understand why they ended that model. Both for the balance issues mentioned by previous posts and for technical reasons. The game industry has been moving by HUGE leaps, and the current GW1 engine just cant handle what Anet wants to do anymore.

Sekkira · Oct 24, 2007, 01:33 PM // 13:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sleeper Service

what i find disgraceful is that when chapter 1 came out we were told that there would be 2 new chapters per year at about what ...45 euros? per pop.

They said no such thing.

The Shelf · Oct 24, 2007, 01:38 PM // 13:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sekkira

They said no such thing.

Not sure about the price, but they did say there would be a new chapter once every six months.

Lord Sojar · Oct 24, 2007, 01:42 PM // 13:42

Uhh, I want this monk armor...like bad.... for my male monk Sojar... omg.... /drool

Fril Estelin · Oct 24, 2007, 01:50 PM // 13:50

You can find some of these illustrations in the (US) PC Gamer. I remember in particular two that looked very much like Inca/South America (one is at the end of post #26 in the conceptart thread). And in one you'd see a guy on top of a high tower apparently moving with his hands a huge metalic round piece above him (as if the thing was floating), I think the text mentioned it was used as a light foci between the different towers.

Amazing art, for an amazing game! This artistic dimension to the game was one of the reason that brought me into it. You wish there would be more of it (but there's so much that graphic designers and implementers can do!). Thanks for sharing TremorCrst!

Sleeper Service · Oct 24, 2007, 02:42 PM // 14:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bankai

While they were making profit, the quality of the game was going downhill. People were being spread over a huge areas, making it a neccessity to use heroes and henchies or guilds, PvP got gimped every chapter, etc. If they had continued the chapter plan, in 2 years we would have 14 classes, everyone who even thought of doing something high-end had to have all chapters, there would be a max of 100 people in hubs like LA and Kamadan, and PvP would be severely imbalanced.

yes we can see that, but if ONLY Anet had looked a little closer at games that have managed to keep on rolling decades after their release they could have seen how to manage avoiding that.

Anyways, too late for that now. Im guessing that a lot of the "failed" concepts will come out in the form of Mission Packs between now and GW2.

It could have been truly awesome, it came out ok.

WinterSnowblind · Oct 24, 2007, 03:03 PM // 15:03

Wow. Now this is what the Warrior Monument armour should have looked like.

yazhgar · Oct 24, 2007, 03:18 PM // 15:18

To me snakes wouldnt be fitting for monuement armor, maybe for a naga armor.

also from my perspective theres no need for update gfx engine: 3.0shaders, dx10 and stuff... It looks good enough without those, just give me a offline store around here where I live which sells factions. (4shops= every other chapter [including Proph+EoTN pack] but no factions)

Neriandal Freit · Oct 24, 2007, 03:29 PM // 15:29

I really think a lot of this should be implemented for us in around one years of time.

I don't say that sort of thing very often, knowing fair well how many ANet folk are working on Gw2 at this time, but honestly this (for example) armor concept is gorgeous.

I mean, I would honestly settle to pay for this through the online store again. I'd be content in a year to pay 30.00+ (no more than 45.00) for a small expansion once more.

gene terrodon · Oct 24, 2007, 03:38 PM // 15:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sleeper Service

what i find disgraceful is that when chapter 1 came out we were told that there would be 2 new chapters per year at about what ...45 euros? per pop.
This would have resulted in the player (if they bought all the chapters) spending about as much as they would have for a "regular" MMO but in a different way.

Then we were told that this model was working well, ie: they were making a profit. So we were happy because we could expect more of the same for years to come.

WTH happened? now all we get is the standard "maybe in GW2" response or "our whole art team has moved to GW2 (so don't expect anything new)" etc.

The change wasn't due to a failed business model, but, in Anet's words, a desire to make changes that the community requested that the original engine could not produce.

In short, to put all of the things we asked in an expansion would have caused them to have to radically change the existing game.
Therefore, instead of changing an existing model, they decided to start from scratch.