Guild Wars 2 Sylvari race shown off

Guild Wars 2's playable plant people the Sylvari are the stars of a week of features from developer ArenaNet, with story details, sound snippets, videos and more.

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Guild Wars 2 developer ArenaNet is shining the spotlight on its playable plant people in a week of videos and articles. The Sylvari race might have similarities with the elves seen in every fantasy game under the sun but, thankfully, they seem far a more interesting take on the idea of wise and noble forest-dwellers, and not nearly as tiresome.

The Sylvari, writer Angel Leigh McCoy explains in a blog post, are a race of plant people who've only existed in the game's universe for 25 years, spawned from pods grown on a magical, sentient tree. Lore lovers can enjoy heaps of details on Sylvari society, culture, life, and whatnot, and a few speech samples.

The evolution of their leafy look is shown in another post, by character artist Kristen Perry. The challenge, Perry explains, was in finding middle ground between a race which look like humans wrapped in costumes and decorations, and a race of woody, leafy, rooty dryads or ents. Plenty of pictures showing ArenaNet's refinement of the idea.

There's no firm word yet from publisher NCSoft on when the subscription-free PC MMORPG will launch.

And now, a pair of Sylvari trailers:

From The Chatty
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    August 11, 2011 10:00 AM

    Alice O'Connor posted a new article, Guild Wars 2 Sylvari race shown off.

    Guild Wars 2's playable plant people the Sylvari are the stars of a week of features from developer ArenaNet, with story details, sound snippets, videos and more.

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      August 11, 2011 10:44 AM

      It can't be matched huh? Sounds like a elf with a native american background. :p

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        August 11, 2011 10:45 AM

        Still look cool btw... I'm impressed.

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        August 11, 2011 10:54 AM

        As I said in valcan_s's thread, they're wood elves with more wood (or just a blatant rip off of D&D's Wilden from Player's Handbook 3).

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        August 11, 2011 11:47 AM

        They do seem to fill the elf-y role that fantasy RPGs seem to demand, which almost every RPG simply uses rubbish old elves for, but the origins are more dryad-y, with an aesthetic that's somewhere between the two.

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        August 11, 2011 11:54 AM

        i don't understand why they keep getting compared to elves. what part of the sylvari is elf-like? as someone who wanted elves, i don't think the sylvari fit that role at all. humans are a much better fit.

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          August 11, 2011 12:43 PM

          A treehugger is a treehugger I guess.

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          August 11, 2011 1:50 PM

          They live in the woods, are tied closely to nature, have pointy ears and slender features... and if you look at them before the visual overhaul, they WERE elves. That being said, I think the change is amazing and I"m glad they took it in a somewhat new direction

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            August 11, 2011 1:57 PM

            Elves are people though, yes? Syvari are like.. sentient plants I guess. They grow from trees!

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            August 11, 2011 2:01 PM

            we're talking about post-visual overhaul obviously; the pre-overhaul race no longer exists. pre-overhaul they had looked like a reasonable elf race. this is all fine since humans are in the game and they are sufficiently dainty but true elves would've been better

        • Ebu legacy 10 years legacy 20 years
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          August 11, 2011 1:52 PM

          The first thing I notice is the name.

          Sylvari is a very elfy name.

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        August 11, 2011 2:25 PM

        Their origins and purpose are not original, but their design is unique.

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      August 11, 2011 10:55 AM

      i got the weirdest boner right now

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      August 11, 2011 11:52 AM

      Looks fucking incredible, can't wait!

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      August 11, 2011 11:56 AM

      I think the remake looks great and fills the gap for some more girly race that dudes can still stand to be around. Probably won't roll one right away but I might at some point.

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        August 11, 2011 2:26 PM

        i like the Norn... i guess i'll try the Sylvari eventually but the Norn look cool

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      August 11, 2011 4:43 PM

      so much better than yet another elf race. I love the artwork and thought behind changing the characters.

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      August 11, 2011 5:05 PM

      There just green Elfs that grow abit like warhammer Orkz nothing you can call a rose a brick but its still a rose.

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      August 11, 2011 7:21 PM

      Sylvari (modern day Kokiri), have the coolest racial ability yet: ...Chores!! =]

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      August 11, 2011 8:37 PM

      Come go and see, will not regret it Oh look

      http://www.ifancyshop.com

      000000000000.0.0.0.0

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