Steam Punk American North VS South

PVE expansion concept.

I did a search, & a couple of the closest things I could find are.
http://www.guildwarsguru.com/forum/s...ht=mecha nist
& there are way to many Elementalist summoner threads out there to mention >_>
A few threads that have native American Toltec ideals in them.
lots of stuff scatterd arround but nothing really gunshot about it.
But for the most part I think all this tossed in together to work synergistically as a triumvirate is basically a new ideal.

A war torn American Continental theme setting.

North = Colonial Victorian steam punk. Where industry is sapping the magic from the land. From here we get the Mechanist. A summoner of clockwork steam machinations. The weapon of choice is an enchanted wrench which enlarges, or shrinks clockwork steam craft minions onto the battlefield. From small ladybug like Kamikaze bombs which run up to the enemy, & explode. To robotic clockwork Steam Golems which march up to the enemy, or fire small artillery blasts. & the ultimate power. Enhanced exo armor.

Mechanist, Mechanic, Engineer, Alchemist etc…: A class that specializes in summoning mechanized steam powered, & clockwork minions to the battlefield like the MM Necro, As well as repairing/healing them, & the Armor Rider’s armor. Each Minion could fill a niche similar to the Necro’s undead.. Using technological affects to emulate classic abilities. Like AOE blasts from ranged artillery bombardments. AKA Meteor Strike. Each Summon would add a pip of energy degeneration to the Mechanic. Rather then their health degenerating like the Necromancers. The Mechanist would have other abilities as well. Such as Smoke bombs witch blind enemies, Grenades which do ranged AOE splash damage, the Oil slick grenade, the stink bomb that does no damage but makes the enemy run, the acid grenade which lowers the enemies armor for a time. Etc…

Armor Riding: Would summon a massive exo armor transforming the Mechanist into a clockwork, & steamcraft walking Tank. I’m thinking something that looks similar to Escaflownes designs. A few different variant designs with marginally different strengths, & weaknesses.

Gunfighter, Swashbuckler, Gun Mage, Musketeer: Similar to ranger. Switching between a gun, & a blade. Or even the gun blade some Pirates used to love using. With slow recharging high powered ranged attacks that may incorporate magic affects in the case of a ‘Gun Mage.‘ Then a swashbuckling fencing art for close in melee attacks, while the guns are reloading. A dueling champion of the musketeer variety. Perry, thrust, withdraw.

Middle = Central American/North American native tribal cultures. Toltec, Aztecs, Mayan, Inca, Blackfoot, Cherokee, Navaho etc... Where each village has a different tribal theme. Necromancy rules the day, & the southernmost cultures revolve around death & sacrifice. From here we get the new ranger/ritualist/Necromancer skills. Nature spirit Totems. Summonable Minion spirit totems for the Ranger/Ritualist, In the case of spirit sommons they could add a pip of health degeneration, & perhaps a form of health exhaustion to the summoner rather then needing a body. Bear, Raven, Wolf, Turtle, Jaguar, Eagle, etc…

South Antarctica Atlantian Arcanist Culture = High Magic, From here we get the new Elementalist/Mesmer upgrades. Elementalist Summoner. Summons work off of the same principle as the Totem spirits adding a pip of magic degeneration instead of health degeneration for each Minion. Multiple pips for stronger summons. & perhaps a form of permanent exhaustion while elemental minions are still in play.

The Arcanist: Elemental Summoner, A long needed upgrade for the Elementalist. The ability to summon elemental golems. Element made manifest The big summons that appear for a few moments, look really awesome. Then leave. Inspired by the Summoner from Final Fantasy. Here are some ideals. & or Elemental Incarnations where the Summoner transforms into an uber elemental for a short amount of time. Similar to the Dervish’s ability to go Avatar.

Earth: Rock of ages, Atlas, Titan. A massive stone giant looking thing incrusted in fine jewels, & precious metals. Causes earthquakes which knock down all opponents in range every couple seconds causing damage each time they get knocked down. Very slow for the duration of the summon.

Air: Thunder Bird, Quetzalcoatl, ’ A giant feathered serpent dragon like Quetzalcoatl. Adds bluish feathered wing affect to party members Increasing their skill recharge, running, & attack speed for the duration of the summon. & unleashes lightning breath every few seconds on any foes the Elementalist summoner is attacking.

Water: Sea Serpent, Leviathan, Kraken. Slows the skill recharge, running, & attack speed of all hostile enemies in range for the duration of the summon. & attacks enemies in range. This one would be immobile, & unable to move. Stuck in a small pond like rift at the nucleus of the summon. In the case of a sea serpent water breath, For a Kraken tentacles would lash out.

Fire: Phoenix, Surtur, Efrit, etc… A being of fire that walks around breathing a flame thrower on enemies, & combusting all enemies in range on fire.

The manifest super minions would appear on the battlefield on top of the Summoner remain for a few moments granting their abilities, or attacking the enemy depending on the major summon. Then return the mists. This is just an ideal really for summoner fans, it would be difficult to implement, & just having summons for the Elementalist would be awesome, & complete the Triad I had in mind. Another ideal is the Incarnation.

Incarnation: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Ice. This would transform the Elementalist into the incarnation of an element. Similar to the Dervish’s avatar form. Any skills associated with an element other then the Incarnation would be disabled during the duration of this manifested transformation.

The conflict revolves around war. The Northern Colonial Steam punk revolution is taping the land of it’s magic for a power source to supplement it’s clockwork, & steam mechanizations as it expands & consumes the native cultures around it.

The Central Tribes are slowly being invaded, supplanted, & assimilated by the expanding northern culture. While the Central Tribes Necromantic magic is being destroyed by the Primordial High Elemental Magic of the Southern Arcane kingdom.

The Southern Arcane Kingdom depends on the magic being depleted by the industrial technology of the Northern Nations. It sees the Central tribes as barbaric.

Here you have a paper rock scissors scenario. The Northern Colonies Steam Craft industries drain the magic energies that the Arcane Kingdom depends on. The Arcane Kingdoms magic damages the Central Tribes undead servants. The Central Tribes necromancy rusts the machinations of the Northern Colonies.

The key here is balance. & keeping the amount of minions you might have in a single party limited. If you have undead Minions in a party the Mechanist Minions health would degenerate rapidly. Elemental Golems make Undead Minions degenerate. Mechanist Minions make Elemental Minions degenerate. Also a cap should be placed on the amount of minions in a single party from 10-20. Making no more then 1-2 Minion masters of the same type easily feasible as well. This would also work in combat, a party with a Necro MM would lose to the advantage of a party with an Elementalist MM, but they would gain the advantage over a party with a Mechanist MM. Paper Rock Scissors.

Like the steam punk; not feeling the America thing though

I really dont see steam punk theme fitting in the guild wars universe.....

I mean we have magic...why do we need steam technology?

You can only do so much with the magic. It doesn't have to be based off of America I was just using that following the trend. I've noticed that Guild Wars tends to use real world settings as inspiration for their chapters.

A war between a kingdom of high magic, & one of Orwellian Iron & magic Steam Punk would be a classic premise to cover when the ideals stop flowing for what you can do with magic alone.

I know quite a few friends (myself included) that would love to see a Steam Punk setting for a game like Guild Wars. It really has not been done per excellence of standards that Guild Wars tends to present to the players.

It’s only a matter of time before another major company capitalizes on the steam punk fan base to create a setting online to play in. I was told that Privateer Press, & Their Iron Kingdoms setting may be in talks for developing an MORPG for their setting.

I dunno, the dwarves have the Iron Forgeman down in Sorrow's Furnace, he seems to do alright despite a lack of magic.

Wasn't the forgeman filled with flame djinn.....

What if they utilized magic to power technology. Kinda like how Shinra harnassed the life stream (which wasn't really magic but still...) >_<

The dwarves have magic and they still make giant machines in the Shiverpeak Mountains. I don't think it would be all that absurd in GW. Not every culture is going to be the same.

But, it has been done a lot, and a lot of the suggestions the OP has are lacking in creativity and originality. I'm fine with them doing a steampunk theme (not that it's my preference) but the rest of the stuff would really disappoint me if they went that route.

That's what I was thinking, Only It would anger any kingdom that depended on magic, thus the Arcane VS Steam Punk War.

If you want to see how steam punk can fit in; play Arcanum: of Steam Works and Magick Obscura

Was just thinking of that game, one of my favorite RPGs. I'd really enjoy a later chapter with a steam punk theme, but from the comments I've seen on some of the concept classes, some people are very, very strongly set against any kind of technological influences ingame.

One of my favorite Steam Punk settings is the Iron Kingdoms, War Machine setting. Lots of great ideals, & Artwork. I own every book they have published.

http://privateerpress.com/WARMACHINE/default.php

I realized there are quite a few pure fantasy fans that would dislike a pure Steam Punk setting.

That is where the ideal between for the conflict with the Arcane, & Steam Punk really takes hold. The Steam Punk fans vs. the Magic fans in PVP. The Steam Punk would only be one nation of three.

I just had another ideal for this steam punk setting. Character Profession Templates instead of having to try, & come up with completely new classes that ultimately do the same as the old ones. Perhaps expanding the aesthetic design of the older classes by applying a template for a temporary change of career & style.

Similar to sub jobs. Only these templates would change your character into something completely new. Breathing new life into old characters. Changing back, & forth would be preferable for those that would rather keep their characters as they are.

Steam Punk Classic Templates.
For the Ranger, the Template Gunfighter.
For the Warrior, the Template Conquistador.
For the Elementalist, the Template Summoner.
For the Mesmer, the Template Mechanist.

Native American Classic Templates.
For the Assassin, the Template Brave.
For the Ritaulist, the Template Shaman, or Medicine Man.

Mesoamerican Nahuatl Aztec warrior templates.
For the Dervish, the Template Jaguar knight-Moon
For the Paragon, the Template Eagle knight-Sun

Some Mesoamerican Weapons.

The Atlatl Spear thrower. A Hallow shaft, cut in half with a cup at the bottom which made a zipping sound when used. To quiet the device a flat ,wide Banner Stone weight was strapped at its center giving it a wooshing sound, & shortening its range. Using leverage it could hurl a spear at greater higher accuracy, & velocities then would allow for simply throwing it.

The Macuahuitl or Macana. Was a wooden club framed with long flat razor sharp obsidian blades arranged in segments with gaps in between each piece like teeth. These things where nasty, the blades where segmented & acted like the teeth of a serrated saw. When an Aztec warrior swiped this thing at you it would cut & tear. It was heavy & slower then a conquistadors thrust blade, but capable of decapitating a man. The Teeth like appearance is what gives this weapon its name. Meaning ravenous, or hungry wood.

Quauhololli: It was a stone club mace. That could bash a mans skull open. nuff said.

Tepoztaopilli: A long spear, or lance. Made of wood tipped with Obsidian stone blades. Used mainly by Eagle Warriors as a throwing weapon.

Xiuhichimalli: A frame work shield made of wicker, & hides. Its springy design allowed it to absorb the brunt of heavy hitting weapons like the Quauhololli club without causing its use to be knocked around as much.

Yaomiti: The Atlatls ammo. A short spear, or lance tipped with sharp Obsidian, stone, or bone.

Sorry for the brief read, as I only scann mostly over the OP....

Well, victorian theme steam-fantasy is one of the lesser tap themes, and one I do like. The suggest of Technology vs. Magic sound intersting, but why also lable it as North vs. South (refering to American Civial War)... East vs West would be more appropreate.

While I do think would be intersting to see a more Mechanical theme for GW, as it offer lots possibilites, but should keep it very mininmumal in its use of technology (basic gears and automatical doors and such.. nothing too over-top in compare to what we have now.) And I voice no on steam technology, but instead reason that the mechanics are power by magic (like have a inner magical crystal for source).

Thats my view, take it as you well.

I like the steam-punk idea, and would like to see that implemented, even if it is as an environmental basis. It would have to be limited, though. We don't need people running around with gattling cannons, but having an engineer build basic minions to help him would be cool.

And, to those saying it doesn't fit with the universe: how the heck do you know that? We haven't even seen the rest of the world, so you don't know if there're other civilizations far more advanced than those we've currently encountered. We've only got bows and swords, but so did the Native Americans when the Europeans arrived with their guns. I wonder how many of those Native Americans cried about the Europeans "breaking the realism".

Orrian were, by far, a civilization with great culture, knoledge and technology.

There could be more like the. Or maybe some Orrian scaped and started again anywere else. They could, they had boats.

Gunpowder does exist in this world. Dwarves know how to make it.
There are many warmachines in many places and machinery in Sorrow's Furnace.

But... as x64600 explains that ... 'template' thing... It would not work.

You don't neet to change the characters, just give them more skills that are campaing-related.

East vs West evokes the Cold War. Probably best just not to term things in 'direction vs direction' at all... Just have opposing cultures that just happen to be in a particular direction from another.

There is a theory that Antarctica was Atlantis. North VS South as North America VS South America VS Atlantis. It would loosely be based off America. Much like the other chapters are loosely based off the continents, & eras they reference for inspiration.

Yeah, Steam punk, is very magical. No Gasoline, No Computers. etc... Check out the Iron Kingdoms setting. it's a good mix of Steam Punk & magic. & what I had in mind for a good Guild Wars setting.

North VS South would be an odd label, I agree. It's a quick label to pitch the ideal of war between Arcane Magic, & Steam punk Magic. As well as the native cultures being supplanted in reference to an American myth theme.

I like the ideal of the Steam Punk society being Orrian refugees colonists.

Throwing out some more brainstorm ideals for the steam punk.

Gremlins. Like Imps only Mesmers instead of elementalist. New skills for Mesmers like Rust which lowers armor. Malfunction which causes consecutive knockdowns.

Steam Golems. Automations, Robots, Bots, Drones
Iron Clad, Iron Giant, Iron Maiden, New Golems based on metals: Iron, Steel, Gold, Silver, Copper, etc.
Arch Bots, Tesla Drone, electrics, Clockwork Golem. Clockwork ranger pets.

Bomb Golem: Little round golems with fuses on their heads that role after then waddle up to the enemy, & explode. It would be funny to see these things chasing after people in PVP. Hit it & it explodes. Its on a timer so run long enough, & it explodes. A ranger could take it out, Run, or Get hit with the explosion.

Siege engines, Small Immobile Automations similar to the Ritualists Spirits which do ranged damage by flinging small bombs, rocks, fireballs, Spears, nets.

Iron Maiden as a summonable, & or as a monster.

Gear Heads. Another name for the mechanist, or for the mechanists mechanical creations.

Clockwork, Steam Craft, Tinker Bots.

Gnomes, Rust, Oil Blob, Street urchins.

Some resources I can think of off hand for reference, & inspiration.
WoW (World of Warcraft) They are delving into Steam Punk in the form of Gnomeregan.

Some Steam punk authers of note: Jules Verne, Edward S Ellis, H.G. Wells, K.W Jeters Morlock Night, Luis Senarens, Mary Shelley, Mark Twain, Mervyn Peakes Titus Alone trilogy, Michael Moorcock. Terry Pratchetts Discworld, Etc.
Some more Victorian steam punk settings.
Neal Stephensons The Diamond Age
Ronald Clarks Queen Victorias Bomb
S.M. Sitrlings The Peshawar Lancers
Diane Duane To Visit the Queen

Some movies/shows that incorporated Steam Punk into them.

Jim Hensons Labrynth- The Goblins where so Steam Punk.
Howls Moving Castle.
Castle in the sky
Sleepy Hollow
The Brothers Grimm
Sakura Wars
Wild Wild West. The new one with Will Smith.
Full Metal Alchemist, (Though it was more pulp 1920s sci-fi.)
Steam Boy, (Victorian feel with extensive industry.)
Disneys Atlantis the lost empire.
Frankenstein
Avatar the Last Airbender
Twenty thousand lieges under the sea
The Wizard of Oz
Journey to the center of the earth
Young Sherlock Holmes
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Last Exile
The Vision of Escaflowne- A great example of high fantasy Steampunk.
Steam Detectives

my favorit steam fantasy is a movie call
College Dorm: Hot Steamy Co-ed Shower vol 4.


Anyhow, FF6 has a very good steam-punk theme too (the mech mounts)

But again, I would avoid most type of steam-power technology. They could use large gas vents or huge furance (Furance of Sorrow?) to power their large machines, or infuse magic into their robotic-like golems, but would say no on the conventional Trains and Ironclade and such.

Also the West vs East was more referncing to the American-Indian war, of the clash of two culture (one still more Mystical while other indurstry-technology driven) as America conqure Westward.

Arcanum really was a great game, and I'm slightly saddened there aren't more like it. adding a continent to Guild Wars to that effect would send shockwaves of euphoria throughout my body. But I also agree that the technology shouldn't be overdone (but what encompasses "overdone", however, is up for debate) and that some of the ideas offered seem cliched or contrived. On a related note, anyone have any idea where all these topics have sprung from all of a sudden?

It can get overdone. Full Metal Alchemist for instance is more 1920s
While Last Exile was also very 1930s ish SciFi.
Something like Sakura wars would also be post indiustrial era.

Escaflowne sets a nice setting for a Guild Wars Steam Punk.
So Does Warmachine, & Iron Kingdoms. Though they push the industry a bit on a larger scale.

That is why I was thinking the society would be colonial. New to the area with potential drawn from their homeland. But without the extensive industry of something like trains. If they where from Orr, or a society that fell then you would never have to push the industry to far.

Muskets but no six shooters. Nothing so advanced. Something more like the three musketeers.

Iron Kingdoms for instance uses an Alchemical process for their guns. Breach loaded pistols similar to flint lock.

Gonnes, the earliest form of guns. Where basically small poles with cannons attached at the end. You lit a fuse in the side of the pole. Flint Lock where slow to reload More of a shoot then switch to a blade kind of setting.

If you think of guns up to the era where they actually become more efficient then swords then you have gone to far from classic Steam Punk. Early flint locks where slow, Gonnes where shoot, & drop weapons. Some where even built into lances, & spears. Musketeers would shoot, then switch over to their blades. Which is why the gunfighter class would be very slow, but hit very hard.

Maybe even a secondary skill called reload which is needed to synergistically work with fire skills. Like the Assassins skill set. Load fire, load fire.

This would drastically change the Gunfighter Musketeer from the ranger. While the ranger is quicker, the Musketeer would be slower, but hit harder. Also like the assassin the Musketeer would use fencing arts for close in range fighting when reloading is not an option. It would fit a more romantic Steam Punk setting much more eloquently. It would also change offhand weapons.

Off hand a flintlock pistol. Main weapon a fencing blade. Off hand a dagger for parrying, Main weapon a long gun.

I could just see it, firing lines drawn. Fire, then close in. Its classic.

I was considering another balance mechanism for the Mechanists summons. Power degeneration. They have so much power to fuel them. Once this power degenerates to a certain point they shut down. Skills could be used to recharge this power degeneration at the cost of the mechanists energy, or health.

The same could work for the Elementalists elemental summons.

Also the summons could use up their power faster through the use of skills which activate special attacks. Creating a more dynamic, synergistic feel to the builds.

Know Shelly, Twain, Verne, and Wells, never heard of others, only seen 8 of the movies you listed, havent heard of most, so I guess you can tell Im not real big on the "steampunk" idea.

I love the idea!

I mean there are MILLIONS of fantasy games (because its easy) with kings and knights and elves (*sigh*) and dwarves and orcs and fireballs and magic swords and dragons and evil gods and scantily clad ladies. But how many games have taken place in steampunk setting? While Arcanum's combat system was unbalanced and got boring quick the storyline (and the sidequests, oh my) was rock solid. And in my merory it has outlived quite a few mediocre run-off-the-mill fantasy games.

Back to the topic: it has been speculated that Rome at its peak had the technical knowledge to start industrial revolution so how come GW coulnd accommodate such scenario? And to be honest GW could use a fresh breeze: how about something completely original instead of elementalist/warrior/monk/ranger hybrids? I know I will choose mechanist over elf any day.

This seems interesting. But the first thought in my mind was FFVII lol.
I SAY WE DO IT!!!

This may never be added, but i want to see a Sephiroth Uber Boss.

I have fond memories of FFVII.

I know this diverges greatly from the trend to follow geographical inspiration. But soon we are going to run out of terrestrial regions to base settings on. We have the far Goth/east. African, & the mixed classic European feel. What is next? The Americas, perhaps Vikings, maybe Roman, Celtic, etc… Not much more to draw from.

If Viking is the near vector Guild Wars is going to run into Tolkein territory. There is so much competition drawn from Viking myth out there that it will be hard to keep the Kraken from sinking Anets boat.

Imagine bulky yet sleek skyships kept aloft on the winds by mystic forces generated from taping the power of strange minerals with steam craft engines. We already have seen a castle floating in the sky anchored ominously out of reach of our characters curiosity. Even pre searing held a mysterious tower which defied gravity.

Now picture entire islands, continents. The comic book Meridian comes to mind. A high fantasy setting many have dreamed of but few have dared to touch. Great stone mountains with properties that cause them to hover above the landscape.

Another ideal is why give us entirely new lands to explore? Why not expand on the lands we have. An industrial revolution of Prophecies perhaps? Excavating Orr may yield mystic steam craft that could provide a plethora of new ground to base a chapter on.

We are losing the player base by thinning it out. Some say the community is growing. They are correct. But I just ran through Factions yesterday with a Rit & it was almost devoid of other players. Most of the quests, especially the more difficult end game quests where lacking of other people to play with.

Expanding upon the prophecies setting by opening up new instances, & territories. Allowing new players to interact with the Prophecies campaign before moving on to the next chapter that takes place parallel, & directly after that campaign. Creating a more solid player base in PVE. While giving them access to new initial classes, new story archs, & new areas to explore. Rather then using an island to start characters off the prophecies setting would provide the initial character advancement. Then the next chapter would kick in providing expanded content to Prophecies itself. The same could be done for the other chapters seeing as they leave allot of territory left to the imagination. Chapters to revitalize older chapters which would otherwise be all but abandoned by the bulk of the community as it moves on to otherwise distanced chapters.