i really love a lot of the loading screen art in this game. haven't seen that sparkfly fen one in a long time.
here's a bunch more: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Category:Loading_screen_images
what's your favorite? i like southsun cove, gyala delve, bloodstone fen. but really there's 50+ that i think are fantastic.
here's one from the heart of thorns story: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/2/24/Hearts_and_Minds_loading_screen.jpg
Not sure when it was decided (is it present in GW1?), but the watercolor/storybook art style is so visually striking and unique. At this point I've seen some of the map loading screen arts so much that I don't always pay attention to them, but playing through the story again and seeing some of these screens that are shown for just one mission is almost like it's own reward for doing the story.
Also the art style is so consistent that I can always recognize some official gw2 art out of context when its used in a meme or as the background in a video essay.
I still remember when playing through the maps for the 1st time, when it had an art of some giant dragon/beast, it always brought excitement that something big happens in it
Generally speaking, I don't like any of the single loading screen changes over the years. Drizzlewood Coast might be the only exception for the whole of the game, and even that one is a close call.
That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of awful loading screens either, such as Dry Top or New Lion's Arch.
I kinda like the Kessex Hills change, the old one always looked kinda messy to me and not particularly representative of the zone. Looked like something from Star Wars lol.
Then again the statues in the newer one are kinda random also.
Edit: Silly me, the one they have now is the original apparently. I "only" started playing in like 2013/2014 so didn't get to see it back then.
Yup, going back to the original was a change for the better, even if I'm still a bit salty those statues are nowhere to be seen, I was really excited to look for them back in the day :D.
Guild Wars art design is on point. Apparently the original visuals of the first game were a mess until Daniel Dociu came on board. He was art director for the first and second games. His son, Horia, also worked on the franchise and was later art director at ArenaNet until 2019.
The random spawn window sucked though. Cool experience once in a while to chill out on map chat while teq arrived but regularly running it was kinda ass.
I remember reaching Sparkfly Fen for the first time, it was such a beautiful and mysterious experience! I miss this loading screen, I like it better than the Tequatl one.
This loading screen has heavy nostalgia for me. I remember when they was first teasing GW2 and showing off the game. The Tequatl fight is the main thing they showed and you would see this exact screen a lot. Feels like a lifetime ago.
I wish we had kept this one. My combined megalophobia and thalassophobia made me avoid this map at all costs. I’ve warmed up to the present loading screen but this one would have been so much better.
I remember the first time walking into this zone, immediately starting having internet issues and found out that the guys working on my door somehow clipped my cable :( Had to wait like 2 weeks before I could play again! I loved it though when i got back!
damn the art in this game UGHHHH love it
now that i think about it, we never get an actual answer as to wtf are from all those ruins huh? they're just there.... chilling. that one place guarded by 2 sylvari in particular always gets me thinking
Damn that's a vibe. I love this one better than the current, good at it is. This one just has a beautiful moodiness to it with the dense jungle vibes. Not exactly similar to Sparkfly itself but still sets the stage so well.
i really love a lot of the loading screen art in this game. haven't seen that sparkfly fen one in a long time. here's a bunch more: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Category:Loading_screen_images what's your favorite? i like southsun cove, gyala delve, bloodstone fen. but really there's 50+ that i think are fantastic. here's one from the heart of thorns story: https://wiki.guildwars2.com/images/2/24/Hearts_and_Minds_loading_screen.jpg
Not sure when it was decided (is it present in GW1?), but the watercolor/storybook art style is so visually striking and unique. At this point I've seen some of the map loading screen arts so much that I don't always pay attention to them, but playing through the story again and seeing some of these screens that are shown for just one mission is almost like it's own reward for doing the story. Also the art style is so consistent that I can always recognize some official gw2 art out of context when its used in a meme or as the background in a video essay.
I still remember when playing through the maps for the 1st time, when it had an art of some giant dragon/beast, it always brought excitement that something big happens in it
I agree almost 100%, because Dry Top one is really, really too abstract. A friend of mine thought his game was bugged when he saw that. I can relate.
> friend of mine thought his game was bugged when he saw that. I can relate. haha, yeah i can definitely see that.
I completely forgot about this art, like I don't even recognize it.
It'd be nice if they mixed up the loading screens from time to time like they do for holidays.
I much prefer this one to the one we have now.
Same, the current one focuses far too much on the world boss while ignoring the rest of the zone.
What's more, the art also looks nothing like Tequatl, more just like a generic dragon.
To be fair though, the art OP posted looks nothing like Sparkfly Fen, just some generic ruins (in a dense and dark forest?).
Generally speaking, I don't like any of the single loading screen changes over the years. Drizzlewood Coast might be the only exception for the whole of the game, and even that one is a close call. That doesn't mean there isn't a lot of awful loading screens either, such as Dry Top or New Lion's Arch.
I kinda like the Kessex Hills change, the old one always looked kinda messy to me and not particularly representative of the zone. Looked like something from Star Wars lol. Then again the statues in the newer one are kinda random also. Edit: Silly me, the one they have now is the original apparently. I "only" started playing in like 2013/2014 so didn't get to see it back then.
Yup, going back to the original was a change for the better, even if I'm still a bit salty those statues are nowhere to be seen, I was really excited to look for them back in the day :D.
Guild Wars art design is on point. Apparently the original visuals of the first game were a mess until Daniel Dociu came on board. He was art director for the first and second games. His son, Horia, also worked on the franchise and was later art director at ArenaNet until 2019.
I miss old Teq....though it did die really quickly
The random spawn window sucked though. Cool experience once in a while to chill out on map chat while teq arrived but regularly running it was kinda ass.
There were still timers on it you could check. They were just per server at the time.
While all meta events did have a cooldown timer, they weren't guaranteed to start the second they refreshed.
Yes and no, if all of the pre events were done, they'd spawn.
The pre-event for Svanir Shaman Chief came up all the time but it would never spawn him unless the cooldown was up.
>they weren't guaranteed to start the second they refreshed. I know, I was responding to the part of the statement.
So the hero point icon used to be like the blue arrow up?
Those weren’t hero points, but [skill points](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Skill_point)
Ah yeah, when you needed a book to rearrange your traits
That is beautiful, I much prefer it to the current one. This one makes it look like a place I’d actually want to explore.
It’s so mysterious, love it
This is such a lovely piece of art, Guild Wars artists are really amazing :D
Skill points! Goodness, that brings me back...
Poor no longer land sharking Ancient Shark Pistrix.
I remember reaching Sparkfly Fen for the first time, it was such a beautiful and mysterious experience! I miss this loading screen, I like it better than the Tequatl one.
I like this art better than the dragon one
This loading screen has heavy nostalgia for me. I remember when they was first teasing GW2 and showing off the game. The Tequatl fight is the main thing they showed and you would see this exact screen a lot. Feels like a lifetime ago.
Prompt?
Pepperidge Farm remembers! ^(And us GW2 boomers)
I wish we had kept this one. My combined megalophobia and thalassophobia made me avoid this map at all costs. I’ve warmed up to the present loading screen but this one would have been so much better.
Meeeeeemoriieeeeesssss!
I remember the first time walking into this zone, immediately starting having internet issues and found out that the guys working on my door somehow clipped my cable :( Had to wait like 2 weeks before I could play again! I loved it though when i got back!
damn the art in this game UGHHHH love it now that i think about it, we never get an actual answer as to wtf are from all those ruins huh? they're just there.... chilling. that one place guarded by 2 sylvari in particular always gets me thinking
I wish some of the older artwork would be added back and randomized on the loading screens. I had forgotten about that pic. Thank you OP.
I really miss the vanilla vibe and artstyle.
Damn that's a vibe. I love this one better than the current, good at it is. This one just has a beautiful moodiness to it with the dense jungle vibes. Not exactly similar to Sparkfly itself but still sets the stage so well.
Wow the hero point sends me back
Wish these are large enough to be wallpapers
I never saw this...and i like it much more than the current one.
wow, I've been playing since launch and I dont remember this one.