That theoretical “some crazy time in the future” after we’ve dealt with all the elder dragons and explored Maguuma, Elona, and Cantha is here! Now theorizing about reimplementation of season 1 again. What a great time capsule WP, could you have thought that seven years later we’d be coming back to this video?
I am so sad for you. It wasn't just a beautiful city. It was a spot where EVERYONE hung out. old Lion's Arch was more then just a city it was a hub. The center of Tyria for everyone
Yeah man, I personally can't stand the new LA. One of my most fond gaming experiences (ever, in all honesty) was when I was fortunate enough to receive a beta key some odd months before the game launched, and though I loved every minute of getting to play/explore the game I had waited so long for, nothing stopped me dead in my tracks the way Lion's Arch did. I remember actually spending almost 4 hours doing next to nothing other than admiring the masterfully designed city, thinking how far the gaming industry had come to convey that level of detail in what (as DDraycon said) was not just a town, but a true MMO hub. Anyway /endrant... I do miss this place, though :'(
I miss old lionsarch. i never had any problems with the city, even tho i heared that a lot of poeple had massiv performance issues. i really dislike the "theme park" style of the new one. plazas everywhere and big spaces of nothingness.
It's funny that you brought this video out today. Earlier, I was telling my husband how much I miss old GW2 Lion's Arch. I remember the first time I saw old GW1 Lion's Arch, while exploring underwater, I stopped and gazed at what's left of the steps with the little lion statues and it honestly gripped me. Kind of like seeing the Lion statue, right now in shambles, just breaks my heart. When you invest so much time in something, it's more than a game, you know? Thank you for this video!
It's definitly more than a game. Tyria is out there somewhere, waiting. Or maybe we're the ones waiting. The asura will come here eventually, perhaps. A gate will appear next to the other main cities' gates, and it leads to earth. And a GW player will see a circular archway with purple swirls, and know exactly what it is, and jump through for joy to really be exploring Tyria at last. It's my hope and dream (and I'm writing a fanfic about it on FFN as Tiffany Smithi). But even if that never does happen, my friends - my FAMILY - will always be in Tyria, and I will curse ArenaNet every time one of them dies. Tyria's Real somewhere...
Thank you for uploading this video, as a relatively new GW2 player it is amazing to see what Lion's Arch used to be like. Most tour videos usually just show off some of the main areas without any thought to what it would be like if it ceased to be. I really appreciate, and I know I am not the only one, how much detail you did put in to this even when it was uncertain whether it would be a waste if it did not get destroyed and the city would end up not changing. I really hope that Anet will rebuild it to be different in many ways but keep a similar atmosphere to what it was. Great video, thumbs up all the way! :)
My friend and I are working on a novel based on the events of Guild Wars 2, I just wanted to say thank you so much for making this time-capsule of the old Lion's Arch! We'll find a way to pay tribute to you in the book!
I stopped playing before it was destroyed, and came back a year or two ago. Because of all that time off, I forgot how it used to look until I recently restarted the Personal Story and was FLOORED. Thank you so much for doing this!
Came her from the new Lion's Arch video. Thank you for giving me pretty big nostlagia feelings for the last 50 minutes. I will forever miss this place. There are many memories connected to it, for real...
Oh wow i want to really thank you for taking the time to do this vid a year ago despite not knowing if youd ever post it - i'm a new player to gw2 as of like a month ago. I have never gotten to see lion's arch before scarlett - i'm starting to feel kinda cheated because it was beautiful! Your vid is now inspiring me to really explore the current broken LA and see how things changed. I eould love another vid too that goes over changes. Thank you!!
Sadly, I didn't play regularly, until the tower in Kessex, and then for this amazing battle. I also sadly, never explored much of Lion's Arch, past Trader's Forum. Thank you for sharing, and allowing us a rare view of old Lion's Arch. :) Who knew Scarlet was going to do, what she did. Hard to believe it was only a year or so ago. One of the BEST battles, where we all really had to pull together, and fight as one.
@WoodenPotatoes - I've been following you since around the release of gw2. You taught me about the lore of GW1 and Tyria whilst I played GW2 which enriched my experience exponentially. One of the last times i played this game was when lions arch was destroyed {life got in the way} and ive recently picked this game back up again 7/8 years later and everythings changed lol. Thank you for not only this huge bout of nostalgia but also for everything you've done and do. Keep it up :)
WoodenPotatoes OMG . Just click that damn completion star . You did an hour long video with that thing ''screaming '' there - Click me ! Click me! Annoying as hell.
Thanks for putting this up WP! I had forgotten how the city was before Scarlet. It's a very nice touch of nostalgia to see it again. I had a good laugh at the thought of the Tengu helping when Scarlet attacked, seeing how they shot us down for getting too close to their gate.
I started playing the game little after Scarlet hit lion's Arch and never got to see this version, except maybe a little bit in the personal story.Thank you. I can see why people miss it but it does make the living world feel alive, having things we can never return to like in real life and having just the memories and old videos.
Thank you so much for making this video in advance. When I first started the game it took me forever to figure out how to get into the sewers for the poi....kinda a silly one to not know how to do but it really stuck in my mind all these years later. I wish that I had payed more attention during season 1, I was aware of it happening but i didn't really bother to pay attention, I was too busy playing wvw trying to get map completion. I remember trying to port to lions arch and being redirected outside the city, then going in through the portal and seeing all the events and everything red tinted.
Just curious, are you going to do an updated version of this. Things that did change, it's current state, speculation on if it will be fixed etc. Loved the flash back here. It's easy to forget what it used to look like.
So, things didn't change that drastically after all. Still, I surprise myself with just how much nostalgia I have for the old LA. It's starting to feel like the things we left when we moved from gw1 to gw2. The nostalgia was big even back then. Now all those first days seem so long ago... We've all aged a good bit during this time. Time has great power, there is no denying it.
Can't help but to think back to the opening cutscene in prophecies..."The last day dawns on the Kingdom of Ascalon. It arrives with no fanfare, no tolling of alarms. Those who will remember, will speak fondly of the warm morning breeze. People carry on with their daily lives, unaware that in a short while...Everything they have ever known, will come to an end." It fits the start of this video perfectly.
I'm 1 min into the video, and i'm already hitting thumbup, why? This is the quality of videos, you think ahead and you took your chance and risk 1 full year to upload this piece of content^^ Awesome, I miss old LA :'/ Wish i could rebuild it with all my ascended material : )
WP, are you planning a video that explains where things where moved and which were completely removed? For example, I have no idea if those refugee Grawl near that waterfall are still around somewhere or what happened to Dugal?
im pretty sure ive seen refugee grawl when getting %100 map completion. if you havent gotten %100 then turn off your story tracker and start exploring in lions arch.
Well, i did that over 2 years ago ... also who says they moved everything back to Lions Arch. Some NPCs could be in Divinitys reach and in the areas around Lions Arch and so on ... I am just saying a video about that could be cool
Nice vid. Was kinda nostalgic lol. I'd like to add a point, that pit underwater was always significant to me, since you get a nice underwater pet there. But its also the sight of a Personal Story step with the Vigil - where you find Zhaitan's Scout. Also, looking at this, specially when you mentioned the flat area near Fort Mariner, and Dugal Keane. One thing was always missing in LA: The Gladiatorial Arenas where Destiny's Edge met.
Thank you so much for this video. I'm a relatively new player which came to the game when it was impossible to play Season 1 of the Living Story, and this is a good way for me to finally see how that Old Lion's Arch looked before Scarlet.
Wow, it was so pretty! Really hope I can one day play the season one living story. Kinda sad I missed out on so many big events in the game. Awesome video. Ty!
You know. I thought I would cry at some point in watching this because I remember everything you showed and I miss it. Lion's Arch was so damn beautiful and now it's just this ruined, depressing thing they'll probably never fix... but it wasn't until you faded out that I got choked up. Damn you, WP!
Something is definitely happening with Lion's Arch. First Bog Otter posts a video talking about it, now WP releases this year old video he probably forgot existed until someone mentioned how cool it would be to see a tour of Lion's before destruction. I am curious to see if something comes from it on March 10th with the arrival of the next feature pack...
They are all NDA blocked or NBA? Basically they can't say much about HoT until a certain date mart usual talked about that. I think he might be hinting at something, although I'm probably just taking a giant leap in a direction that you know..... I want LA back so damn bad, I feel like it's an excuse for the captains airship pass and stuff like that to exist no one would buy that if LA was still there...
Awesome video. I just started playing late last year and didn't even know Lion's Arch had ever been different. When I finally realized what had happened, of course my initial thought was "I wonder what L.A. used to look like". It was good insight and forethought to make this video.
The first time I saw Lion's Arch was at nighttime during the Dragon Bash festival where there was that giant holographic shattered dragon flying around, roaring, and landing on top of buildings. All the lights and vibrant colors at nighttime was really astounding, and was a terrific first impression of the city. Honestly I really miss Lion's Arch. Heck, I even miss the calm music that played there that I just remembered from hearing it in this video. RIP old Lion's Arch. Hope we meet again some time.
I started plating GW2 a couple months ago, so the only Lion's Arch I've known is the destroyed one. This video has blown my mind, the place was absolutely stunning! I hope when the reconstruction is done it looks as good as it did,
Just came across this video and it made me suuuuper nostalgic and now I want old lions arch back so badly. I never realized how much i hated the design of the new one until now.
Lions Arch was a lot more interesting before the Scarlet events. The new Lions Arch is "OK", but has a ton less exploratory value and interesting little quirks.
Really cool video WP! It could be awesome to see you make like a director's cut or WP reacts on this video, where you talk about how right and wrong you were about the different speculations on chracters and places :)
I coincidently watched this because my curiosity took me today. It happens to the the day before the 7th anniversary of Scarlett's attack on Lion's Arch. Man I wish I could've seen this place before the destruction. Would be cool to see this back in the game. I bet Taimi can make a replica model simulation of old Lion's Arch in her simulation device thing (back in Season 3)
I love how every few minutes he points out yet another thing that ANet forgot to finish. I almost wonder if resetting LA was just a way to make it less embarrassing for themselves that the whole city was full of unfinished features. Still, a city being full of a bunch of random crap is pretty realistic and true to life. Much more than a city that's just a blinding white blank landscape dotted with utility buildings.
Doing the quests on a new character and what a surprise I had when I chose whispers and went for the first LA quest. The quest runs in and old LA instance map !
I got nostalgic for old Lion's Arch after today's patch, and I had to come look at this. It's sad to see the old place go, but the new one is so pretty it kind of makes up for it. I wonder how long it will be around. LOL!
As a new player joining 2 years ago, I really hope Anet rebuilds lions arch to something resembling this in the future. I currently spend most of my time hanging around in divinity's reach but if lion's arch looked like this, I'd spend all day here wandering around
I didn't think you'd do this so soon! Okay, I realize a year doesn't exactly count as "soon", but still, for some reason I thought you'd wait longer to post this. Anyway, I guess you managed to hit the nostalgia button in many people c:
I appreciate this. I haven't played since right before this part of the living story.... and when I logged and and felt overwhelmed, I thought "I'll go to Lion's Arch. That'll be familiar." Whew.
Are the Gold coins still findable in ruined LA? That's pretty cool! I really miss LA in all its glory :) getting there for the first time and seeing the celebrations at the end of flame and frost was awesome :) running across gangplanks suspended in mid air, tapestries like waves everywhere, it was lovely! Appreciate this video muchly :)
Oh Old Lion's Arch how I miss you, you had so much more character than the new you. :( There's actually even a Lionguard who says pretty much exactly that in idle dialogue standing around in Fort Mariner, Tyrro I think he's called.
Interesting to see how the light seems to have changed so much. It's one of the biggest changes for me. Really makes the place feel different. I wonder if we will get a 6th (not counting the mist ones) asura gate in LA when the expansion comes out. One to the new area.
Thanks for this video. I had never seen the before of LA cause I started playing just after the patch. Never liked that the main zone was just a pile of rubble. Hope it gets rebuilt into the glorious city it deserves to be. Perhaps not the same as before though.
I thought it was hilarious seeing Canach, seeing what he's turned into now. He's a good friend. All of them are. I just wish I could've explored it on my own before Scarlet attacked. What DID happen to the Mystic Forge? I know it survived, but how and... whatever? Seeing this video, I like old Lion's Arch better. One thing I was happy to see was the probe. (My fanfic needs to know where that probe was, in like a million chapters.) And I noted on the map that yes, the Breachmaker probably did split the probe, and all OLD Old Lion's Arch remains obliterated. I'm a very sentimental person. To the point of wishing I had more things to be sentimental about. Seeing Old Lion's Arch (even though I have zero attachment to the place (wait, DE got together there! And had their argument at lvl 40!)) makes me nostalgic even though I've never seen it. Lol. I am so glad you had the foresight to create this video! Sometime, somebody should SO do a compilation of all Old Lion's Arch videos so new players can see it in everything. I really liked the vista you watched. That long-range target jump thing was awesome! I'm glad they kept it. Lion's Arch's destruction WAS massive. It was mostly the Breachmaker exploding, though, wasn't it?
There are some aspects of the new Lion's Arch that I like better than the older version and vice versa. I like the fortress-city feel of the newer version and the addition of fun sounds, lighting, textures, and airiness. But for older versions I love how archways go up into the air and how ships were repurposed for commercial and cultural hubs.
I only started playing GW2 when HoT released so never saw the original LA. This vid helps me understand why people miss it so much! Not sure whether I prefer it over the new one, think I'd need the opportunity to run around there myself for a while first. One thing I realised as I watched this though, was how similar old LA and Claw Island are (design-wise)
I started gw2 after LA got whacked so I never saw it in this state, so thanks for this. I do like that GW2 has a sense of persistence that springs from events like this and also from continuation from GW1. It makes the world seem "lived in"
great video. when i came back after a while i didnt know that la was rebuilded so was a bit surprised when found out crafters at different places. also fractals gate was in a different place and new one i like way more coz its way more convenient
I miss this place so bad... I wish they introduced an entrepreneur that invested mad money to rebuild this old lions arch on top of the new one, maybe the old city was close to his heart. Anet, please :(
Thanks for posting this video. Please keep it up. I also miss old Lion's Arch and completely agree with those who feel the new design is like a 'theme park' (Seaworld comes to my mind). Some of the devs must agree, there is a charr Lionguard NPC in the game now who actually complains about the new city design, pointing out the old LA had more character lol
That theoretical “some crazy time in the future” after we’ve dealt with all the elder dragons and explored Maguuma, Elona, and Cantha is here! Now theorizing about reimplementation of season 1 again. What a great time capsule WP, could you have thought that seven years later we’d be coming back to this video?
No clue!
@@WoodenPotatoes thanks for this time capsule :D Im newer player (since 2017) and Ive never seen this old lions arch :D this is awesome
I feel so nostalgic... I really miss this city, so cool. This was my fav city from 2012 to 2015. Rip.
So sad I never got to experience LA like this, it's so beautiful
I am so sad for you. It wasn't just a beautiful city. It was a spot where EVERYONE hung out. old Lion's Arch was more then just a city it was a hub. The center of Tyria for everyone
PrinceRapthorne
IMHO, it was the most striking city in the entire game. There was a ton of sightseeing that you could do.
The LA we have now looks so boring compared to this!
Yeah man, I personally can't stand the new LA. One of my most fond gaming experiences (ever, in all honesty) was when I was fortunate enough to receive a beta key some odd months before the game launched, and though I loved every minute of getting to play/explore the game I had waited so long for, nothing stopped me dead in my tracks the way Lion's Arch did. I remember actually spending almost 4 hours doing next to nothing other than admiring the masterfully designed city, thinking how far the gaming industry had come to convey that level of detail in what (as DDraycon said) was not just a town, but a true MMO hub. Anyway /endrant... I do miss this place, though :'(
I miss old lionsarch. i never had any problems with the city, even tho i heared that a lot of poeple had massiv performance issues. i really dislike the "theme park" style of the new one. plazas everywhere and big spaces of nothingness.
It's funny that you brought this video out today. Earlier, I was telling my husband how much I miss old GW2 Lion's Arch. I remember the first time I saw old GW1 Lion's Arch, while exploring underwater, I stopped and gazed at what's left of the steps with the little lion statues and it honestly gripped me. Kind of like seeing the Lion statue, right now in shambles, just breaks my heart. When you invest so much time in something, it's more than a game, you know? Thank you for this video!
It's definitly more than a game. Tyria is out there somewhere, waiting. Or maybe we're the ones waiting. The asura will come here eventually, perhaps. A gate will appear next to the other main cities' gates, and it leads to earth. And a GW player will see a circular archway with purple swirls, and know exactly what it is, and jump through for joy to really be exploring Tyria at last. It's my hope and dream (and I'm writing a fanfic about it on FFN as Tiffany Smithi). But even if that never does happen, my friends - my FAMILY - will always be in Tyria, and I will curse ArenaNet every time one of them dies. Tyria's Real somewhere...
Watching this November 2020. So many memories.
Thank you for uploading this video, as a relatively new GW2 player it is amazing to see what Lion's Arch used to be like. Most tour videos usually just show off some of the main areas without any thought to what it would be like if it ceased to be. I really appreciate, and I know I am not the only one, how much detail you did put in to this even when it was uncertain whether it would be a waste if it did not get destroyed and the city would end up not changing. I really hope that Anet will rebuild it to be different in many ways but keep a similar atmosphere to what it was. Great video, thumbs up all the way! :)
By Ogdens Hammer! What nostalgia!
haha I think I heard that line over 10,000 times
Dude, with you explaining all the stuff and talking about old times this feels like one of your GW1 videos
My friend and I are working on a novel based on the events of Guild Wars 2, I just wanted to say thank you so much for making this time-capsule of the old Lion's Arch! We'll find a way to pay tribute to you in the book!
Please share it after you're done!
I stopped playing before it was destroyed, and came back a year or two ago. Because of all that time off, I forgot how it used to look until I recently restarted the Personal Story and was FLOORED. Thank you so much for doing this!
Came her from the new Lion's Arch video. Thank you for giving me pretty big nostlagia feelings for the last 50 minutes. I will forever miss this place. There are many memories connected to it, for real...
Oh wow i want to really thank you for taking the time to do this vid a year ago despite not knowing if youd ever post it - i'm a new player to gw2 as of like a month ago. I have never gotten to see lion's arch before scarlett - i'm starting to feel kinda cheated because it was beautiful! Your vid is now inspiring me to really explore the current broken LA and see how things changed. I eould love another vid too that goes over changes. Thank you!!
bailuli
LA looks nothing like it used to. You really missed out. The old LA was probably the most visually stunning city in the game.
Thank you for making this! Just came back to the game after 5 yrs and it’s so cool to remember how Lion’s Arch looked. Loved the ships!
No problem! I'm glad you find it fun!
Sadly, I didn't play regularly, until the tower in Kessex, and then for this amazing battle. I also sadly, never explored much of Lion's Arch, past Trader's Forum. Thank you for sharing, and allowing us a rare view of old Lion's Arch. :) Who knew Scarlet was going to do, what she did. Hard to believe it was only a year or so ago. One of the BEST battles, where we all really had to pull together, and fight as one.
@WoodenPotatoes - I've been following you since around the release of gw2. You taught me about the lore of GW1 and Tyria whilst I played GW2 which enriched my experience exponentially. One of the last times i played this game was when lions arch was destroyed {life got in the way} and ive recently picked this game back up again 7/8 years later and everythings changed lol. Thank you for not only this huge bout of nostalgia but also for everything you've done and do. Keep it up :)
Cool! I'm the player form China mainland.When GW2 online in China,the Lion Arch "had" been destroyed...I AM VERY HAPPY TO SEE THAT VIDEO! Thank you!
梁伟 No problem! Glad to be of assistance!
WoodenPotatoes OMG . Just click that damn completion star . You did an hour long video with that thing ''screaming '' there - Click me ! Click me! Annoying as hell.
Thanks for putting this up WP! I had forgotten how the city was before Scarlet. It's a very nice touch of nostalgia to see it again. I had a good laugh at the thought of the Tengu helping when Scarlet attacked, seeing how they shot us down for getting too close to their gate.
Thanks for this. My daughter just started playing recently and I took her to LA and walked a bit telling her about "the old days". Now I can show her!
Aww! I first started playing when my dad introduced me to the game. I promise you you're making wonderful memories.
I started playing the game little after Scarlet hit lion's Arch and never got to see this version, except maybe a little bit in the personal story.Thank you. I can see why people miss it but it does make the living world feel alive, having things we can never return to like in real life and having just the memories and old videos.
Thank you so much for making this video in advance. When I first started the game it took me forever to figure out how to get into the sewers for the poi....kinda a silly one to not know how to do but it really stuck in my mind all these years later. I wish that I had payed more attention during season 1, I was aware of it happening but i didn't really bother to pay attention, I was too busy playing wvw trying to get map completion. I remember trying to port to lions arch and being redirected outside the city, then going in through the portal and seeing all the events and everything red tinted.
That's an awesome anecdote, I'm really glad you enjoyed it!
Just curious, are you going to do an updated version of this. Things that did change, it's current state, speculation on if it will be fixed etc. Loved the flash back here. It's easy to forget what it used to look like.
Perhaps yeah! Depends on if we have a decent lul in HoT!
WoodenPotatoes xD lul = dick in dutch makes it sound wrong for me
Marc Hol Said Marc HOL ;D
XDD did you realy have to do that
So, things didn't change that drastically after all. Still, I surprise myself with just how much nostalgia I have for the old LA. It's starting to feel like the things we left when we moved from gw1 to gw2. The nostalgia was big even back then. Now all those first days seem so long ago... We've all aged a good bit during this time. Time has great power, there is no denying it.
I miss old lions arch. I come back to this video once in a while for the nostalgia
Can't help but to think back to the opening cutscene in prophecies..."The last day dawns on the Kingdom of Ascalon. It arrives with no fanfare, no tolling of alarms. Those who will remember, will speak fondly of the warm morning breeze. People carry on with their daily lives, unaware that in a short while...Everything they have ever known, will come to an end." It fits the start of this video perfectly.
now i'm sad :( all the memories... and all those friends who stopped playing :/ I really miss this place..
I'm 1 min into the video, and i'm already hitting thumbup, why?
This is the quality of videos, you think ahead and you took your chance and risk 1 full year to upload this piece of content^^
Awesome, I miss old LA :'/ Wish i could rebuild it with all my ascended material : )
Who'd have thought I could feel wistful about visiting a virtual city. Thanks for the nostalgia tour.
Wow, there was stuff in your video that I had NEVER noticed in LA. So glad that you did this.
WP, are you planning a video that explains where things where moved and which were completely removed? For example, I have no idea if those refugee Grawl near that waterfall are still around somewhere or what happened to Dugal?
im pretty sure ive seen refugee grawl when getting %100 map completion. if you havent gotten %100 then turn off your story tracker and start exploring in lions arch.
Well, i did that over 2 years ago ... also who says they moved everything back to Lions Arch. Some NPCs could be in Divinitys reach and in the areas around Lions Arch and so on ... I am just saying a video about that could be cool
Nice vid. Was kinda nostalgic lol. I'd like to add a point, that pit underwater was always significant to me, since you get a nice underwater pet there. But its also the sight of a Personal Story step with the Vigil - where you find Zhaitan's Scout. Also, looking at this, specially when you mentioned the flat area near Fort Mariner, and Dugal Keane. One thing was always missing in LA: The Gladiatorial Arenas where Destiny's Edge met.
Geez.. I can't believe it's been 7 years since GW2 came out. So many good memories of Lions Arch 1.0.
Thank you so much for this video. I'm a relatively new player which came to the game when it was impossible to play Season 1 of the Living Story, and this is a good way for me to finally see how that Old Lion's Arch looked before Scarlet.
“Your face is funny. All squished and weird.”
“No, your face is funny. it's like a little raisin.”
Looking at this in 2020 is like a gut punch you weren't expecting. Memories. Thank you WP
No probs man!
Wow, it was so pretty! Really hope I can one day play the season one living story. Kinda sad I missed out on so many big events in the game. Awesome video. Ty!
BlackSunshine
It was pretty.
You know. I thought I would cry at some point in watching this because I remember everything you showed and I miss it. Lion's Arch was so damn beautiful and now it's just this ruined, depressing thing they'll probably never fix... but it wasn't until you faded out that I got choked up. Damn you, WP!
Something is definitely happening with Lion's Arch. First Bog Otter posts a video talking about it, now WP releases this year old video he probably forgot existed until someone mentioned how cool it would be to see a tour of Lion's before destruction.
I am curious to see if something comes from it on March 10th with the arrival of the next feature pack...
They are all NDA blocked or NBA? Basically they can't say much about HoT until a certain date mart usual talked about that. I think he might be hinting at something, although I'm probably just taking a giant leap in a direction that you know.....
I want LA back so damn bad, I feel like it's an excuse for the captains airship pass and stuff like that to exist no one would buy that if LA was still there...
I'm quite sure that LA will stay as it is for a while, but my hope that it gets a second life with the expansion.
He hadn't forgotten this video existed, he's mentioned it and talked about releasing it several times.
Awesome video. I just started playing late last year and didn't even know Lion's Arch had ever been different. When I finally realized what had happened, of course my initial thought was "I wonder what L.A. used to look like". It was good insight and forethought to make this video.
Holy crap, its just an open area now with a buildings throughout. That is crazy, and you get to say you called it. Legend.
Wow! Really cool and nostalgic... It's almost hard to believe it has been so long since LA was destroyed... Thanks for the remembrance WP :)
The first time I saw Lion's Arch was at nighttime during the Dragon Bash festival where there was that giant holographic shattered dragon flying around, roaring, and landing on top of buildings. All the lights and vibrant colors at nighttime was really astounding, and was a terrific first impression of the city.
Honestly I really miss Lion's Arch. Heck, I even miss the calm music that played there that I just remembered from hearing it in this video. RIP old Lion's Arch. Hope we meet again some time.
I started plating GW2 a couple months ago, so the only Lion's Arch I've known is the destroyed one. This video has blown my mind, the place was absolutely stunning! I hope when the reconstruction is done it looks as good as it did,
Man i didn't think I'd care as much as I have....this trip down memory lane was awesome.
Just came across this video and it made me suuuuper nostalgic and now I want old lions arch back so badly. I never realized how much i hated the design of the new one until now.
i only just started playing this week, cool to see what the city was like before. thanks for the time capsule!
This is a fantastic time capsule! Man I had forgotten so much over the years...
thank you a lot for making such video. I started to play in 2020 and this video is a breath of air!! Thank you!
Lions Arch was a lot more interesting before the Scarlet events.
The new Lions Arch is "OK", but has a ton less exploratory value and interesting little quirks.
Really cool video WP! It could be awesome to see you make like a director's cut or WP reacts on this video, where you talk about how right and wrong you were about the different speculations on chracters and places :)
cool cool cool. Good thinking making something like this in advance. looking forward to everything else you are up to
I coincidently watched this because my curiosity took me today. It happens to the the day before the 7th anniversary of Scarlett's attack on Lion's Arch. Man I wish I could've seen this place before the destruction. Would be cool to see this back in the game. I bet Taimi can make a replica model simulation of old Lion's Arch in her simulation device thing (back in Season 3)
the only thing i miss is the norn npc 'By Odgen's Hammer,What savings!'
That youtube name doe
I love how every few minutes he points out yet another thing that ANet forgot to finish. I almost wonder if resetting LA was just a way to make it less embarrassing for themselves that the whole city was full of unfinished features.
Still, a city being full of a bunch of random crap is pretty realistic and true to life.
Much more than a city that's just a blinding white blank landscape dotted with utility buildings.
Doing the quests on a new character and what a surprise I had when I chose whispers and went for the first LA quest.
The quest runs in and old LA instance map !
i remember having such a blast climbing old LA with guild members and friends. was a good good time.
Man, that was nostalgic! I wonder if we'll see a rebuilt LA after the expansion... I guess we can only hope.
Oh the loss of Lion's Arch! It was so nice. Looks just like I remembered it.
holyshit original LA was WAY better :(
Yup it was.
Literally a memorable city, not some empty space.
:((
Its good to see old Lions Arch again, god its been freakin' ages.
The last two and half years has flown by.
FYI this video helped me to realise that the Edge of the Mists portal is not in the Memories of Lion's Arch map - so thank you for documenting this!
Hah no worries!
Great video, give me and the rest of the new players of what the game was looked like back in the day
And now you can finally visit old la in 2022 again. The best update since years.
I love this video! It was really nice being able to look back and remember what it was like. Thanks WP! ^_^
This was the last thing I expected, as part of your catch up! Super excited!
I got nostalgic for old Lion's Arch after today's patch, and I had to come look at this. It's sad to see the old place go, but the new one is so pretty it kind of makes up for it. I wonder how long it will be around. LOL!
Wow, 1h gw2 video from WP, its like Xmas all over again.
As a new player joining 2 years ago, I really hope Anet rebuilds lions arch to something resembling this in the future. I currently spend most of my time hanging around in divinity's reach but if lion's arch looked like this, I'd spend all day here wandering around
I'd love to see more tour/exploration videos from you about other cities/maps with some cool places and interesting stories :0
thank you. i was feeling nostalgic for old LA just the other day. aww i miss it.
i was suppose to go to sleep, but i guess i have 53 minutes and 58 seconds to spare :D
Its 59 seconds, lol
EXACTLY my thoughts XD
I fall a sleep watching it xd
It just hit midnight watching this I'm gonna fall asleep walking it
Really nostalgic for Pre-Destruction Lion's Arch now.
I didn't think you'd do this so soon!
Okay, I realize a year doesn't exactly count as "soon", but still, for some reason I thought you'd wait longer to post this. Anyway, I guess you managed to hit the nostalgia button in many people c:
Thank you so much. I only just started GW2 and never got to experience the original Lion's Arch.
Didn't even think of the nostalgia until you mentioned it, I genuinely miss the old LA and I have only just realised now
I appreciate this. I haven't played since right before this part of the living story.... and when I logged and and felt overwhelmed, I thought "I'll go to Lion's Arch. That'll be familiar." Whew.
Imagine exploring old LA now with mounts.
This popped up in my recommended today...
Mannnn... I want Lion's Arch back, seriously.
7 years later we finally get to return. I missed old LA so much.
Are the Gold coins still findable in ruined LA? That's pretty cool! I really miss LA in all its glory :) getting there for the first time and seeing the celebrations at the end of flame and frost was awesome :) running across gangplanks suspended in mid air, tapestries like waves everywhere, it was lovely! Appreciate this video muchly :)
iirc the coins are not there anymore because the destroyed LA was made by someone else who didnt put them in there or didnt even know they were there.
Oh Old Lion's Arch how I miss you, you had so much more character than the new you. :(
There's actually even a Lionguard who says pretty much exactly that in idle dialogue standing around in Fort Mariner, Tyrro I think he's called.
is this a hint that in the new expansion lions arch is going to look different to this?
it already looks different. lions arch was destroyed like a year ago.
Fyurae no I mean when it's rebuilt lmao
@QueenEtna if*
QueenEtna forum-en.guildwars2.com/forum/game/gw2/Will-Lion-s-Arch-ever-be-rebuilt/first#post4739034
The link to the dev comment.. OMG
Interesting to see how the light seems to have changed so much. It's one of the biggest changes for me. Really makes the place feel different.
I wonder if we will get a 6th (not counting the mist ones) asura gate in LA when the expansion comes out. One to the new area.
Thanks for this video. I had never seen the before of LA cause I started playing just after the patch. Never liked that the main zone was just a pile of rubble. Hope it gets rebuilt into the glorious city it deserves to be. Perhaps not the same as before though.
oh wow this was awesome! I never got to see lions arch before scarlet! thank you!
man, this looks much more awesome than Lion's Arch in 2018...
I thought it was hilarious seeing Canach, seeing what he's turned into now. He's a good friend. All of them are.
I just wish I could've explored it on my own before Scarlet attacked.
What DID happen to the Mystic Forge? I know it survived, but how and... whatever?
Seeing this video, I like old Lion's Arch better. One thing I was happy to see was the probe. (My fanfic needs to know where that probe was, in like a million chapters.) And I noted on the map that yes, the Breachmaker probably did split the probe, and all OLD Old Lion's Arch remains obliterated.
I'm a very sentimental person. To the point of wishing I had more things to be sentimental about. Seeing Old Lion's Arch (even though I have zero attachment to the place (wait, DE got together there! And had their argument at lvl 40!)) makes me nostalgic even though I've never seen it. Lol.
I am so glad you had the foresight to create this video! Sometime, somebody should SO do a compilation of all Old Lion's Arch videos so new players can see it in everything.
I really liked the vista you watched.
That long-range target jump thing was awesome! I'm glad they kept it.
Lion's Arch's destruction WAS massive. It was mostly the Breachmaker exploding, though, wasn't it?
There are some aspects of the new Lion's Arch that I like better than the older version and vice versa. I like the fortress-city feel of the newer version and the addition of fun sounds, lighting, textures, and airiness. But for older versions I love how archways go up into the air and how ships were repurposed for commercial and cultural hubs.
I miss the old Lion's Arch, I started playing again after I found out there was an expansion and I had no idea where was I going.
Very nicely done, WP. I enjoyed the reminiscing.
I only started playing GW2 when HoT released so never saw the original LA. This vid helps me understand why people miss it so much! Not sure whether I prefer it over the new one, think I'd need the opportunity to run around there myself for a while first. One thing I realised as I watched this though, was how similar old LA and Claw Island are (design-wise)
I started gw2 after LA got whacked so I never saw it in this state, so thanks for this.
I do like that GW2 has a sense of persistence that springs from events like this and also from continuation from GW1. It makes the world seem "lived in"
I actually never went to Lions Arch before the Scarlet update, so this is an interesting look at the old place.
great video. when i came back after a while i didnt know that la was rebuilded so was a bit surprised when found out crafters at different places. also fractals gate was in a different place and new one i like way more coz its way more convenient
I miss this place so bad... I wish they introduced an entrepreneur that invested mad money to rebuild this old lions arch on top of the new one, maybe the old city was close to his heart. Anet, please :(
Totally forgot how pretty Lions Arch was
1:53 ... it IS heavy lore stuff now! Thanks so much for doing this.. I miss the old LA so much... why ANET, WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY
so nostalgic I actually wish it was nice sunny and happy like that again.
Thanks for posting this video. Please keep it up. I also miss old Lion's Arch and completely agree with those who feel the new design is like a 'theme park' (Seaworld comes to my mind).
Some of the devs must agree, there is a charr Lionguard NPC in the game now who actually complains about the new city design, pointing out the old LA had more character lol