Q: Given the engineer’s focus on technology, the profession doesn’t seem to fit within a traditional fantasy setting. Do you feel that the engineer’s mines and grenades and turrets seem out of place in a world of dragons, magic, and swordplay?

A: Since 250 years have passed since the original Guild Wars, technology has advanced a great deal, and we wanted the engineer to personify this progress. And frankly, we didn’t want to feel constrained by typical conventions as to what is or is not acceptable in a fantasy story. Still, the technological revolution represented by the engineer is relatively new and is not widely embraced by all cultures, so you’ll still see plenty of medieval weaponry. The new prominence of technology and hardware in Tyria is an important theme in Guild Wars 2, and the engineer allows us to explore that idea.