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.
Reader Comments (6)
Posted: Sep 13th 2011 5:11PM nightsong89 said
"When life gives you lemons, shoot them back at life at high velocity."
Absolutely love this answer. Seriously ArenaNet needs to make the 'Hey Bookah' advice column a recurring item where fans can submit questions and the best ones get answered in the hilarious Asura fashion.
Absolutely love this answer. Seriously ArenaNet needs to make the 'Hey Bookah' advice column a recurring item where fans can submit questions and the best ones get answered in the hilarious Asura fashion.
Posted: Sep 13th 2011 6:08PM DevilSei said
@nightsong89
Agreed! I thought that was an awesome touch they added in for this, and part of me wishes they had thought of these cool kind of extras sooner! I specially liked that last one, I'll be sure to carry around a spray bottle full of water in case I need to motivate any feline companion I might have.
Reply
Agreed! I thought that was an awesome touch they added in for this, and part of me wishes they had thought of these cool kind of extras sooner! I specially liked that last one, I'll be sure to carry around a spray bottle full of water in case I need to motivate any feline companion I might have.
Posted: Sep 13th 2011 7:47PM nightsong89 said
@(Unverified)
Umm... Jef Reahard is part of the Massively staff. His job is to report on any news from any MMO. So... he is simply doing his job by reporting the two new blog posts from ArenaNet. And they are anything but fluff, they give the community some background insight into the design of the Asura and the company's sense of humor (the Hey Bookah! advice column).
As for the SWToR article Jef wrote earlier, again it's his viewpoint. If your want to criticize him do so on that article, not this one.
Reply
Umm... Jef Reahard is part of the Massively staff. His job is to report on any news from any MMO. So... he is simply doing his job by reporting the two new blog posts from ArenaNet. And they are anything but fluff, they give the community some background insight into the design of the Asura and the company's sense of humor (the Hey Bookah! advice column).
As for the SWToR article Jef wrote earlier, again it's his viewpoint. If your want to criticize him do so on that article, not this one.
Posted: Sep 13th 2011 7:51PM drunkingamebar said
@(Unverified) *colors you surprised* and then *colors you a hypocrite*.
Reply
Posted: Sep 13th 2011 8:03PM aurickle said
@(Unverified)
He also was not trashing BioWare with his OPINION piece so much as MMO combat in general. Yes, he used SWtoR as an example in that piece (for the simple reason that it was a golden opportunity for BioWare to do something different). However, if you read that piece you will see that his complaints also pertain to the majority of what ArenaNet is doing with GW2's combat.
I think that ArenaNet does at least try to break from some of the traditions (if for no other reason that there's more consequence for failure), which is why he focused on BioWare with that rant. And let's face it, SWtoR is not doing diddly to break away from the old model of MMO combat. But at the end of the day, Jeff's complaints apply to both games.
Reply
He also was not trashing BioWare with his OPINION piece so much as MMO combat in general. Yes, he used SWtoR as an example in that piece (for the simple reason that it was a golden opportunity for BioWare to do something different). However, if you read that piece you will see that his complaints also pertain to the majority of what ArenaNet is doing with GW2's combat.
I think that ArenaNet does at least try to break from some of the traditions (if for no other reason that there's more consequence for failure), which is why he focused on BioWare with that rant. And let's face it, SWtoR is not doing diddly to break away from the old model of MMO combat. But at the end of the day, Jeff's complaints apply to both games.
Posted: Sep 13th 2011 9:07PM drunkingamebar said
@(Unverified) It has a 'source' what more do you need?
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