Q: What do you do in the Guild Wars community and where can everyone find you?
A: I’ve been obsessing over GW2 since its playable demo at Pax Prime in 2012. I’ve been enjoying the game and the community over the past 3 years and have just recently begun streaming over on my Twitch channel: http://www.twitch.tv/mute_herald. I’ve created GW2 fan art in the past, and have been offering my design skills to other GW2 content creators as of late! Oh! And I have a bizarre blog experiment going on here: http://mute-herald.tumblr.com/
Q: Did you hear of/play GW1 and what was your experiences/ you're impressions? What is your earliest memory if so?
A: I recall first taking notice of Guild Wars on stores shelves. I was in college at the time and the box art really grabbed my attention. I was totally absorbed with Everquest 2 at the time, so I didn’t get far into Guild Wars other than experimenting with character creation. However, the game art impressed me so much that I used it as the subject of a rebranding project in my design studies.
Q: Did you/are you playing other MMO's? What attracted you to them?
A: Guild Wars 2 has my whole heart! MMOs are such large, richly diverse games, that in order for me to fully enjoy the experience I limit myself to one MMO at a time. Guild Wars 2 has been my favorite MMO of all time by a large margin.
Q: When did you start playing GW2 and what got you involved in the game itself?
A: Playing the demo at PAX in 2012 instantly sold me on the game. If I recall correctly though, the Mac client wasn’t announced until a few days after launch, so I missed on out the pre-purchase goodies. Otherwise, I have been playing since launch!
Q: What have you enjoyed about GW2 and what has kept you playing?
A: I love that GW2 has set itself apart from the sea of MMOs by embracing active combat mechanics. I also enjoy Anet’s game design philosophies; their willingness to welcome new players, and encouraging the community to exercise creativity and experimentation in their playstyles.
I keep playing because it’s still fun! And I can’t walk away from the sheer beauty encountered within Tyria. The art in this game is unrivaled. Even the user interface has been touched by the hands of a clever and delicate artist. I am so grateful to see that GW2 continues to provide a richer and richer visual and mechanical experience.
Q: What has been your favourite memory of GW2?
A: My favorite memory is from the second oldest character on my account. I created a Ranger and played until level 15 or so before realizing there was a whole world full of pets for me to charm. So I ran like a madman through all the zones of Tyria as a level 15 Ranger to collect every last pet I could find. It was thrilling! I died a ton, I got lost, but it was my first real immersion into the gorgeous environs of Tyria and I will never forget it. And did get those illusive critters ;)
Q: How do you feel about the upcoming expansion HoT?
A: Duh! I’m so excited for it! New mechanics! New lands to explore! Expanded game modes! Druid! Dragonhunter! Treefrog villages!? The excitingly dangerous Mordremoth?! *deep breath*
Q: What class do you main/ What is your least liked class and why?
A: I main a Sylvari Ranger. I’ve always loved nature and animals, so the Ranger is an obvious choice for me. I also love the pet mechanics even though they could use a little tweaking. Engineer is a close second for my favorite profession because I love elixirs so damn much! I find the Thief the least enjoyable to play simply because I’m not interested in bursting or being bursted.
Q: What is your preferred game mode/Have you been drawn to any other modes?
A: I enjoy PvE the most overall because of the environments, and exploration is my favorite activity. Though recently I have become a PvP addict! It took me a while to get over the anxiety of being in direct competition with other players, but now I really enjoy the challenge whether I win or lose.
Q: Why did you choose to make content from this game mode?
A: I love streaming while in PvP because the queue times give me fun opportunities to interact with chat. PvP is also faster paced than most PvE content and I think that makes for a more exciting viewing experience.
Q: What is your opinion on the lore of the game?
A: I really love learning more and more about the lore of Tyria! That being said, I don’t really enjoy the personal story to its fullest because I have to make choices that I don’t think my characters would actually make. So I prefer to simply learn about the world as a whole; finding unique NPCs, hints about Tyria’s past, and speculating on the future relations between the different races. The library in the Vigil keep is such a great time waster!
Q: Is there a place, theme or person you would want new content to include?
A: Yes! Malyk! More Sylvari and Pale Trees! Oh and the poor Avatar of the Tree! I really want her to survive and unleash some sort of unholy assault on Mordremoth.
Q: What do you speculate as the next possible race?
A: The only race that seems feasible would be the Tengu. They already have a distinct culture, variety of appearances, space for a home region, and intelligence that rivals the 5 playable races. Also they’re birds! So fun!
Q: What do you think of the current Meta, do you think this will change?
A: Hmm, the power Meta in PvE is just so boring. I already have a natural aversion to the typical, but this “kill it as fast as possible” mentality is stunningly uninteresting. The game presents a variety of different playstyles, and it’s a shame that many people do not explore those options.
Q: What do you enjoy so much about the profession you play as most and why?
A: Ranger is so fun in PvP! I’ve got sustain, condi damage, distraction and damage with my pet, and tons of mobility. I equally enjoy playing Engineer. They are so versatile, but I’m obsessed with playing with elixirs and the elixir gun!
Q: What build do you run for that class?
A: I don’t run any Meta builds but I have tried to make my Ranger as competitive as possible. I run shortbow and sword/torch condi, and survival. I’m traited in Nature Magic, Wilderness Survival, and Beastmastery. And I love my Cave Spider and Hawk pets!
Q: What is your favourite/least favourite PvP map and why?
A: I am smitten with Skyhammer! I don’t even particularly care about the actual Skyhammer, but I love the architecture and the overall layout of the map. It lends itself to some really fun kiting opportunities and I feel like I always have a route to escape through. My least favorite might be Spiritwatch? I love the map, but the orb can really drag the team down if you aren’t well coordinated or playing with people you know.
Q: How do you feel about the new PvP mode to be introduced in HoT?
A: Stronghold is really fun! I see the need for more balancing, but at least its a very nice addition to the normal PvP rotation. I find it to be a nice break between Conquest matches!
Q:How did you get started with the community, what inspired you to get involved?
A: Well, I’ve been a lurker in the community for years, but it took finding Aurora Peachy on Youtube to really push me into having an active role. The internet can be such a toxic place, yet Peachy has managed to carve out a pristine fortress for polite and kind people to gather. The passion and kindness these people display has really pulled me out of my shell. I am no longer a mute herald ;)
Q: Why do you think GW2 has such a great community around it?
A: I think the artistic bent to GW2 has attracted a unique type of gamer. It caters to gamers of all kinds, but it presents itself in a way that appeals to those that shy away from more hardcore, elitist game communities. I also think that ArenaNet’s open and honest, community-focused staff have played a huge role in bringing all of these nice people together.
Q: Why did you choose your particular format [Youtube/Twitch/blogs ect] ?
A: I really enjoy broadcasting on Twitch because it feels so organic. I can just play a game, be myself, and have good conversation and company. There is some pressure involved in being live, but in a way its more freeing because I don’t have to worry about my sessions being saved for internet immortality, or spends hours editing down playthroughs.
As for art and design? That simply comes naturally to me. I am always making things, and when a game really resonates with me, it seeps into my creative space and “demands” to be expressed!
Q: What content do you create? Anything of note coming up soon?
A: I’ve been working closely with a number of GW2 streamers and Youtubers to create branding and help them develop the visual aspects of their online identity. I really hope to continue this work and spread happy, well designed imagery all across the web!
Q: How much does the audience and community influence your production/creations?
A: I’ve started streaming my design work on Twitch while it’s in-process. I’ve found this to be engaging, encouraging, and surprisingly popular. I never expected to have dozens of people watching me poke at letters on the computer! This has also given me a unique opportunity to get an active critique from the target audience while the designs are still in development. I hope that by streaming this process, viewers can feel like they had a part in designing with me!
Q: Do you have any advice for people wanting to follow in your footsteps?
A: I’m terrible with advice! All I can say is that if you wish to share parts of yourself for the world to see, be careful. And be yourself! Its exhausting to pretend you’re something that you aren’t, and you only form real connections with people if you are honest and genuine.
Q: Do you play anything else which you make content for? If so what type of content? Anything of note coming up soon?
A: I have been making stuff for games for so long! Most notably I’ve created art and decals for Pokemon, Minecraft, and Katamari Damacy. I’ve also created a few Youtube tutorials for Animal Crossing!
Q: What type of games do you play for your own enjoyment?
A: Like mentioned above; Pokemon, Minecraft, anything by Level-5, Age of Empires, Mount&Blade, Splatoon, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Super Smash Bros., Magic the Gathering, my own version of a D20 based role playing game, lots of boardgames, blah blah blah!
Q: Who else would you recommend in the GW2 community?
A: Aurora Peachy, Bog Otter, MMOInks, and The RPG Shack are all such honest, intelligent, and kind content creators, but you already knew that!
Q: Who is your favourite YouTuber/streamer [non GW2]?
VMy good friend and PvP streaming guest Radiant_S0L has a huge collection of YouTube videos and streams featuring console games! He’s super chill, funny, and dedicated to documenting every minute of some great games! I also enjoy watching Heroless00 on Twitch. He streams Bloodborne, Dragon Age, and Destiny. He is extremely knowledgeable about game lore and mechanics, and puts on quite a hilarious show when things aren’t going well in game!
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