My one gripe with Old Sharlayan..

[DamianFatale]

We get a beautiful Mediterranean Island country, but no beach! The port town is beautiful, and I absolutely love it. The bright blue seas, the architecture, it is all beautiful, but I want to see more of it beyond the city.

They teased it for years with Idyllshire, The Hinterlands, and the four Eureka Zones that used to be part of Sharlayan, but we cannot even go to one beach, and have its beautiful architecture in a backdrop.

That is the one thing that bugs about the lack of new housing hard for Sharlayan, because if it existed, it would probably be another beach. Just give us one more beach to visit. Labyrinthos is beautiful, but it would have been lovely to have an extra zone or two to flesh out the city state. We know there is more of it, we just can't see it. :x

[Enkidoh]

But, it's not a Mediterranean island country, despite the Grecian architecture, it's more closer climate wise to Nordic countries like Sweden or Norway (I mean, it actually snows there a lot). So lacking a beach is only to be expected (also, the city's whole purpose is academic pursuits, they simply do not have time to spend frollicing around in frigid water - it takes a lot of time and effort to get that Archon Mark you know!

Also wasn't it mentioned in the lore that the entire island's coast is trecherous and almost entirelly rocky shoals with no beaches? (Hence why Old Sharlayan was settled where it was, it was the only safe harbour on the island). I'm probably misremembering though so please by all means point out if that is wrong!

[DamianFatale]

But, it's not a Mediterranean island country, despite the Grecian architecture, it's more closer climate wise to Nordic countries like Sweden or Norway (I mean, it actually snows there a lot). So lacking a beach is only to be expected (also, the city's various purpose is academic pursuits, they simply do not have time to spend frollicing around in frigid water - it takes a lot of time and effort to get that Archon Mark you know!

Fair, but as a Scandinavian myself, I want to tell you, that Scandinavia is home to some beautiful beaches, and you absolutely can enjoy them to the fullest in the summers. Especially with the world warming as it is. I know that's not a good thing, but we are going to have to learn to live with it.

https://panamajack.com/blogs/travel-...navian-beaches Check this out for some gorgeous pictures of my cultures beaches.

Beaches in Scandinavia are clean and unspoiled by tourists. They may be colder, but if you want lots of shells, gorgeous scenery, and something that feels just more "pure" its absolutely a place to be, and I wish we could see that in game. X3

[Asari5]

just thought the other day: the whole area of the hinterlands is filled with ruins. compared to these ruins old sharlayan is so much smaller xD. i mean if there isnt more room you cant build more, but still

[AkaeiNox]

just thought the other day: the whole area of the hinterlands is filled with ruins. compared to these ruins old sharlayan is so much smaller xD. i mean if there isnt more room you cant build more, but still

That's why they built underground. :P

[TheMightyMollusk]

just thought the other day: the whole area of the hinterlands is filled with ruins. compared to these ruins old sharlayan is so much smaller xD. i mean if there isnt more room you cant build more, but still

We only see the part of Old Sharlayan that's relevant to the story. Go up to the northern parts of the city and you'll see closed gates leading to more, but like the residential district in Gridania, we can't open those gates to check it out, it only exists for flavor.

[Ransom]

It's Sharlayan. Days at the beach are an unproductive waste of time.

[Sotaris]

I want to tell you, that Scandinavia is home to some beautiful beaches

As a Swede, I don't think we have beautiful beaches at all. Maybe I'm blind from seeing them for 30+ years.
We have some beautiful forests and hiking trails though.

[SannaR]

Days at the beach would need a research reason to go there. We're talking about the same city-state that scienced food to find the best combination to get your energy back. It would be like if Mordin Solus actually got the chance to retire and count those seashells. Sharlyean might be less ridged, stuffy and less sticklers for conformity as the Ancients but they still are extremely bureaucratic academics.

[MeeDeggiThePunisher]

I know it's a city of scholars but that doesn't mean everyone living there is one. The maids, butlers, merchants, and gleaners need a beach day!