Musical Echos from Ascalon

During the BWEs I was positive one of the the songs in the background music of Queensdale was either a song from the starter area music from GW1,pre-searing, or close to it.  The problem was as soon as I realized it was there it ended since the background music cycles through different songs.  Finally I waited until I heard the music and then recorded it with my kid's Bloggie.  It is not the exact same song but the musical similarites are striking.  Listen for your self and decide.

First, listen to the the song "Gwen's Theme".  This is the song that plays in the pre-searing Ascalon starter area.  Pay attention to the flute at the 30 second mark.

Now the Queensdale music from GW2.  Again, pay attention to the flute around the 30 second mark.  (The video is black since I was just recording the audio.  Also, my apologies for the sound quality.)     

This sounds amazingly similar, not the same...more like similar themes.  For me this is one of the many amazing ways GW2 ties into GW1, like listening to a familiar echo of the past.

Players and NPCs actually NOT getting in the way!

Uncoordinated Coordination

Not the event I'm describing but I needed a picture :)

I was exploring Shaemoor and had just passed through the Ettin pass. I made my way past a host of harpies and noticed a way-point down the hill, so off I went. After the way-point was discovered a familiar notification appeared - a world event was starting. I ran over on my human thief only to run into an ugly, over sized cave troll running rampant around the fields. a few other folks had engaged the nasty beast so I attacked it from range as others came in closer. Now here is where things become amazing. An asuran necro gets aggro, and goes down. A melee player pops a trinket/seal which ever and hit the troll hard so it turns to him. I and an elementalist kite around to the downed necro and revive him. We only get the necro to half when the troll comes storming back toward us, swinging hard. We both dodge out of the way, I stab the troll and shadow step backward. A ranger pulls troll-face off and we aid the necro and another elementalist that went down. Melee start hoping in and out, dodging, evading and range is pouring it on. If someone went down, two people went in to revive them while others distracted the troll. The troll finally goes down and there is much rejoicing. "TY"s and "GJ"s go out and everyone splits up. There were about 15 people involved in the event and none of us said a word to each other - we just simply worked as a team.  I continue to find this in GW2 event after event after event.
    
NPCs actually HELPING?!?!?

Playing in the Charr starting area I realized something about most of the NPCs, they actually interact with what is going on around them.  In the first screen-shot, I was cleaning up and organizing the scrap yard and I disturbed a Rust Ooze.  Notice in the NPC is shooting it.  The oozes are ornery lil' slimes that spit out a fire AOE and it hit the NPC.  He was none to happy about having his fur singed so he popped a cap into it-an typical charr response to solve problems with aggressive adversaries.

Now in the next screen shot you'll see a three charr iron legion patrol attacking a tar elemental.  One of the patrol members was downed and the two remaining are fighting.  The blue is a guardians shield spell.  They continue fighting until only one is left standing. 

I helped finish-off the tar elemental and once it was defeated the remaining charr immediately starts reviving the others and I ran over to lend a hand as shown in the third screen shot.  Oh the insanity but yes, some NPCs actually do something helpful.



This game is amazing!

:)