Curse

Symeon · Nov 03, 2005, 07:46 PM // 19:46

I noticed a while ago that there are several big gaps on the world map. There are weird rumors going round that Chapter 2 will be set in the southern lands of Cantha which are off the current world map. However, I think some of the gaps in the GW world would make good areas to fill in.

Forgive me if these ideas have already been stated in more detail previously.

1.Round the north side of the big sea called in the game 'The Giant's Basin'. I thought this would be a good area to put in a kind of hilly, remote Kryta-style land with some strange beastly inhabitants. Watchtower Coast contains several large watchtowers that it says were used to defend the coast from invasions across the sea long ago.

2.South of the Maguuma Jungle. This is a large area, and although there are plenty of jungle lands in the game already, I thought it might be good to expand southwards. Perhaps some marshy trails leading around a wild but not quite jungle landscape, dotted with ancient obscure villages that were abandoned long ago. This land could be filled with weird creatures.

3.South of Ascalon, north of the Crystal Desert. There is a large area south of the Regent Valley that comes to what looks like on the map a steep mountain wall. On the other side of this 'wall' of course is the northern edge of the Crystal Desert. In my head I imagine that as you head south from Regent Valley the land becomes more and more dusty, ragged and barren. In the manual it says the Charr went south to attack the kingdom of Orr. Maybe this land could have been scarred by the Charr's southward advance. There could be dark tunnels that lead through this 'wall' of mountains, coming out on the other side into a dusty desert that gradually flows into the big, open desert area near Elona's Reach. It would be full of high level monsters like Lornars, of course, so that young Ascaloners couldn't venture southwards.

4.Orr. This area has already been a much discussed issue. In the manual it is stated that Vizier Khilbron brought the entire land underwater in a big earthquake or something when he tried to destroy the Charr. I thought maybe there could be a port of some area of the city that didn't entirely sink and there are dotted around islands with ruins on them and shallows which you can walk across, the ruins of a half sunken city. It could be a bit like a ruined Venice, well not the same architecture but...you know what I'm talkin about. Also maybe this could link to the west Crystal Desert via some ancient path or something.

5.North of Ascalon, darn it! I know there are already some 'northern' Charr lands but I think that there still hasn't been an effort to fill in the area that would be 'the Charr homeland'. Weird tent settlements, high level Charr, monstrous habitat. That kind of thing.

Ok, so I'm a history and geography boff, but I think other people might share an interest in this. I'm sure it's not just me that have been asking questions in their head as 'what's in that land?','what lives there?','what is that place like?'

I know that not all of these areas will be filled in in the future but they are I think they are nice ideas for new lands. Can anyone develop these ideas further, or come up with any other areas?

kendaki · Nov 03, 2005, 07:52 PM // 19:52

I must agree with you some of those blank spots on the map would be extremely fun to explore. Who knows though they may have something already in mind for Chapter 2. Perhaps Some ruined temples in the jungle leading down into explorable caverns, or maybe bridges allowing you to walk to island chains. Or one of my personal favorites a city in the trees

how cool would it be to be running from tree to tree via rope bridges?

Symeon · Nov 03, 2005, 08:59 PM // 20:59

Tree temples. Rope bridges. I love it.

Here it is. It's the land south of the Maguuma as we know it. A little to east of Maguuma Stade, there is a path going south next to a tributary river to the one that goes into Riverside Province. This river meanders and there are minature waterfalls, and as you head further upstream there are several places in which the river seems to disappear, and for a moment you think you are lost in a strange land and there is no path to follow any more. But you keep finding it again and it gradually gets higher and higher, winding up a hillside that gets steeper and steeper. The landscape has changed from the jungle near Denravi to less dense a jungle. There is less vegetation, but trees seem to be getting taller as you walk. And then, you come to it. You have climbed all the way up to a tree temple, situated on a mossy slope halfway up the height of some very tall trees. There is a large rope bridge between two ancient temple ruins. This is the central outpost of the new land.
This new land mainly follows up this tributary river, but there are certain turnings. At one point, before you begin your ascent to the temple there is a large area of marshland to the south, covered in misty fog and full of jungle skale. Around this misty half jungle are dotted many ancient ruins, waterfalls and nice views.

Secondly, the Ascalon-Crystal Desert Path. When I got Guild Wars, I hadn't been on any websites or anything so I hardly knew anything about it. I thought that the entire world would be explorable, that there would be no boundaries to the land. I came out of pre-searing just after my brother, and when he reached Fort Ranik he showed me where it was and I rushed down to get there - I didn't know you could just do the Northern Wall. As I headed there I found myself walking along the very southern edge of Regent Valley. I wondered why there was no way to get through - it seemed to be a boundary. I thought that I could have walked far south down to the Crystal Desert. I left it and went to Ranik, but I found out soon later that there were boundaries and that a lot of the world wasn't explorable. I was seriously disheartened, but by the time I first finished the game I was still looking at the map and wondering why there was nothing in that giant gap. At the southern edge of Regent Valley you look out across some murky liquid channel. On the other side are some cliffs that then seem to roll away into a barren landscape. I imagine a frontier bridge built long ago by the Ascalon armies, that heads south along a weathered path, through a land that becomes more and more un-Ascalonly and increasingly barren. Along the way are fort ruins, and the remains of Charr camps that they abandoned as they marched south. There is much evidence of the Charr's advance as you head south. The land almost becomes a dusty desert as you finally find an outpost - a haven built by adventurers like yourself, in a cavern in the mountainous wall that divides Ascalon from the Crystal Desert. You head out of here into a dark cavern. You come out swiftly, into a dusty northern-Crystal Desert, plagued with wind riders and the like. It finally reaches the area around Elona's reach with a gradual land transformation.
I know this would be a bit like a second Lornars, but it would certainly only be for very experienced players and it would be impossible for parties with any low levelers in them to survive in it. Perhaps an outpost for 8 player parties could be at the 'frontier bridge' at the edge of Regent Valley.

Run out of time, maybe I'll go into the other two ideas another time. Please give feedback on these.

Align · Nov 03, 2005, 08:59 PM // 20:59

Can someone who has explored the world post a nice screenie of the map?
While we're waiting:

kendaki · Nov 03, 2005, 09:17 PM // 21:17

It sounds quite interesting but I would keep the boundery between ascalon and the desserts, add an area in between but still keep a wall there. the reason for this being people could get a run streight from ascalon to the crystal desserts with little to no effort at all. granted they can just get a run to sanctum cay and do the mission that way but at least they are somewhat going through the land instead of a streight run south to the desserts.

Align, I believe there is a fully explored map on the main site here if not i know this one works http://www.gwonline.net/images/cartography/worldmap.php

Shimus DarkRaven · Nov 03, 2005, 10:35 PM // 22:35

I'd also like something like a Kilika-type thing <from final fantasy 10> like tropical islands all linked by bridges and with a unique coastal people <Tan skinner, medium height and build> <---This woud be located off the side of the shiverpeaks facing the ocean that little coastal strip you see the full way up

I also reall love your other ideas, so you get a /Signed

/Signed =)

--The Shim

Align · Nov 03, 2005, 10:39 PM // 22:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by kendaki

Align, I believe there is a fully explored map on the main site here if not i know this one works http://www.gwonline.net/images/cartography/worldmap.php

I meant a non-close-up, which are thirteen a dozen... usually with ugly borders and markers disrupting the otherwise pretty map.

Empty areas seem to be:

Ruined Orr Peninsula
North of:
Maguuma Jungle
Kryta
Ascalon,
South of:
Maguuma Jungle
Ascalon(those big mountains there look ripe for searching for passages in)

.

Symeon · Nov 04, 2005, 03:41 PM // 15:41

Hmm yes I like the idea of bridged island chains too. Well, going back to my first five ideas, I'll put them in order of preference for myself.

1.New land south of the Maguuma (possibly including island chains, tree temples, marshes, winding rivers etc.)
2.Ruins of Orr. I think as this area has been so long discussed because of it being in the manual, it almost has to be put in sometime. Theoretically it sunk underwater, but there could be parts of it still above sea level. Dunno what the devs are currently working on/done/thinking about, but surely Orr must be on their minds.
3.High level Charr lands. Cmon, surely the devs must have thought of this. I mean, we fled from Ascalon from these Charr that were highest lvl 8/9, and now we're level 20 and the Charr still camp up in the Northlands, they aren't defeated, Ascalon still isn't saved. Surely, we must go and defeat the lvl 28 Charr once and for all?
4. The idea of a land beyond the Giant's Basin. I've often been farming in Watchtower coast and looked out across the sea. The Watchtowers were historically built to defend against invasions from across the sea. Who were the invaders? What was this land they lived in?
5.Ascalon-Crystal Desert Path. I agree this could cause quite a lot of trouble as people could get run down, but it would not be impossible for the developers to make it impossible to run down, or go down with a lvl 2 in the party. Maybe, as I said before, there could be a 'Frontier Bridge' outpost on the edge of Regent Valley in which 8 people could form a party, but into which only level 20s could enter. Dunno how it would work, but I think that is a big gap that could be filled in.

I hope the devs have come up with something nice for Chptr 2, because I'm 'exploration thirsty'.
What are you guys' lists of importance, or can you think of any more ideas? Feel free to start a /sign for a certain idea

Symeon · Nov 05, 2005, 07:42 AM // 07:42

I'm disheartened to see not many people have a lot of interest in Guild Wars geography.

Crowskie · Nov 05, 2005, 08:06 AM // 08:06

There is also the posibility of Catacombs under alot of places.

Elena · Nov 05, 2005, 09:07 AM // 09:07

i really like youre idea's and i think if they get in the game it would ammount to fantastic scenery

/signed

Sister Rosette · Nov 05, 2005, 10:49 AM // 10:49

/Sweet delicious Jesus signed

Lexar · Nov 05, 2005, 11:21 AM // 11:21

The large building structures on the mountains you can see all over kryta in the background. Cities full of npc's.

Or the peninsula east of the crystal desert. Sort of looks like a no-man's land, like the character selection screen, that could be cool too, with nomadic npc's travelling around outside of towns.

To the southwest of the mountains you can spot some beaches, maybe a port-town, with more than one ship would be nice.

Symeon · Nov 05, 2005, 11:58 AM // 11:58

I think I'm gonna take a copy of the map and put it in paint and paint some ideas in

Shusky · Nov 05, 2005, 12:46 PM // 12:46

My opinion:

It's rather small as it is, but the map can be slightly expanded northwards.

Basically, deep in your heart you know that the Vikings could beat the living daylights out of any forgotten jungle civilisation ever

In post-searing world, out of 6 large environments, only Kryta and parts of Maguuma are green. Personally, if I see yet another grayish-orangish-whitish-yellowish area, I'm going tp shoot myself with a Sundering Short Bow of Hurting a Lot. This area above would look like Northern Europe in summer: pine forests, happy green grass with flowers, and generally cool green-blueish colour palette. Occasionally fog and rain, occasionally hot sun.

The only parts of GW map right now that resemble it are some regions of Pre-Searing, especially near the mountains (At least IIRC, I have 4 chars, so I can't check back and see

). Aside from being very different from generally tropical world Tyria is, such setting has a great Medieval-esque feel to it. I'd also love it to be an open space with forests, as most of the world is now a maze of canyons.

But quite frankly, I'll be happy with anything with no devourers in it.

Symeon · Nov 05, 2005, 01:50 PM // 13:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shusky

My opinion:

It's rather small as it is, but the map can be slightly expanded northwards.

Basically, deep in your heart you know that the Vikings could beat the living daylights out of any forgotten jungle civilisation ever

In post-searing world, out of 6 large environments, only Kryta and parts of Maguuma are green. Personally, if I see yet another grayish-orangish-whitish-yellowish area, I'm going tp shoot myself with a Sundering Short Bow of Hurting a Lot. This area above would look like Northern Europe in summer: pine forests, happy green grass with flowers, and generally cool green-blueish colour palette. Occasionally fog and rain, occasionally hot sun.

The only parts of GW map right now that resemble it are some regions of Pre-Searing, especially near the mountains (At least IIRC, I have 4 chars, so I can't check back and see

). Aside from being very different from generally tropical world Tyria is, such setting has a great Medieval-esque feel to it. I'd also love it to be an open space with forests, as most of the world is now a maze of canyons.

But quite frankly, I'll be happy with anything with no devourers in it.

That area is the same thing I had in mind for the land of the invaders that came across the Giant's Basin (that's the bigger of those two seas). Something somewhere mentioned the watchtowers in Watchtower coast being defences against these invaders.
Exactly! GW Vikings! And they sailed across the sea in their longboats to raid Kryta! And where do they live? A chilly, foresty land like Scandinavia! This is a great idea. Maybe there could be like a little Viking-style settlement outpost with wooden walls and a longhouse and that kinda stuff. And you could get up to this land by the road from Nebo Terrace, but there would be some kind of Krytan defences. These defences on land would have meant the 'GW Vikings' attacked across the sea. I'm tryin to do something in paint like paint some of the various ideas we've come up with onto the map.

ange1 · Nov 05, 2005, 01:55 PM // 13:55

we go underwater!, now we have to swim~

The undead Mesmer · Nov 05, 2005, 04:06 PM // 16:06

the big lake to the north-west of maguuma could be the place of a big temple resting on the water Amazones ftw

a big inside structure inside the temple with dozens of floors filled with strange creatures from zombies to giant flesh eating bats.

its arleady giving me the creeps. OOOOh and traps like darts flying from the wall.

NightOwl · Nov 05, 2005, 05:32 PM // 17:32

Chapter 2 is supposed to have the same amount of content as chapter 1...so I don't think that blank areas on the current map can provide that. Time to move to a new map!

Symeon · Nov 05, 2005, 05:47 PM // 17:47

Personally I think that the current map can be at least x 1.5, with each of the gaps mentioned filled. However, I guess if it were a whole new storyline, yes we would need a new map. However, most sources seem to suggest that Chapter 2 is coming around April 2006. There's still quite a while until then...during which more updates like Sorrow's Furnace could be put in - that was the summer update...how about new land for a christmas update?

Anyway , lets bring together some more ideas on what to put in these gaps.