Guild Wars 2

I rolled a Charr as my main because of a few simple things regarding the other races:

Humans: First off, far too generic. Secondly, most games that have humans in them make them able to do anything as any class (such as Mass Effect 3 multiplayer). Third, they stole Ascalon from the Charr, and they have the gall to claim that they have done nothing wrong and that the Charr are just as bad as the Dredge or Centaurs in the Ascalon Settlement (and the Centaurs were the original inhabitants of Kryta before the humans stole that too, or so I’ve heard). Simply put, I consider humans in MMORPGs to be boring and ignorant.

Asura: Though they are interesting, their “We are the superior race of Tyria, and everything else is genetic garbage!” makes me shake my head. I already know a lot of people like that in reality and have seen people trolling the comment sections of other websites with the same mentality of “I’m superior to you, so deal with it”, so the last thing I want to partake in is an entire race with that mentality.

Norn: I just found their lore not as interesting as the Charr lore, so while I didn’t choose the Norn for my first character, I do have a Norn alt.

Sylvari: This race just doesn’t really interest me much. They’re unique in my opinion, but just not interesting enough for me to want to play as one.

Simply put, I find the Charr to be the most interesting and enjoyable race to play.

because i dislike Logan…
pretty much explain it all

Mainly because they look kitten and for once I get to play a female version of a beast race that actual looks fierce and bestial rather than being a oversexed cat girl or an animal head pasted on top of a human body. YAY!

After actually playing them I unexpectedly found that I really like a lot of the Charr characters, imo their personal story are the best and their culture is interesting.

First, because Pyre Fierceshot from GW1 looked awesome and made me really interested in the race.

Second, because I read the women’s rights theme in charr lore. As a woman, female liberation hits an emotional point for me and draws me to any story .

Third, because I was looking forward to seeing Ascalon 250 years later. Playing GW1, I always wondered if the land would regrow, and always wished I could see it happen.

Fourth because screenshots of the female charr were released. By that point I was sick and tired of getting poorly drawn boobs-on-a-stick for every female character, as opposed to cool-looking males. The female charr were something I never dared hope for.

Fifth because I hated Gwen with a passion, and was willing to adore anybody she disliked.

I was never interested in GW1 nor GW2. Just not my thing, I thought. Then I read an awesome blog entry about designing the charr, and specifically the female charr. What was that, a “bestial” species done right? Female characters done right? I was hooked. There was still a lot about the game that I didn’t like (namely the design of most of the other playable women and their armor), but between the charr and later the sylvari, I was definitely interested. So there was never any doubt that my “mains” would be from those two species.

Seeing as how I normally loathe militaristic types and don’t like tech in my fantasy, it says a lot that I fell in love with the charr as much as I did. It’s not just the awesomely kickarse women, but also the general “feel” of them. And then there are the warbands. I like how the defining social structure isn’t nuclear family based on ZOMG Twoo Wuv (or forced marriages of convenience), but a “band of brothers and sisters” that is as close as it can get, that means the world to its members. I liked all the warband-mates from the tutorial, and I was very sad to learn that all but one of them die. Rebuilding the warband was fun, but I constantly wished for more banter with them, more missions with them. I don’t want to leave them behind when it’s time to pick an order!

(So Dinky is popular, eh? I picked Euryale and love her, but I want a second charr eventually to try a different Legion and warband-mate.)

Also, I agree with the poster who said that the charr use “proper” technology, and they’re good at it. I can respect that. Asura “cheat” by mixing it with magic, and they’re utterly intolerable in every way to boot.

The cattle ranching in Diessa Plateau showed another aspect of charr culture that I found rather charming and amusing. Well, aside from “Meatoberfest”. That name made me groan and roll my eyes something fierce. :p

Weindrasi.3805:

Fifth because I hated Gwen with a passion, and was willing to adore anybody she disliked.

Did anyone like Gwen?

She was just a really insulting character, she broke under pressure, she went crazy, she became a murderous maniac who tortures unarmed prisoners in cages and then accuses them of being evil (Pyre), and… well, she was just weak. Of mind and of will.

There are better examples out there in literature of strong, female characters. But to be honest, with the little I’d heard of Bathea and Kalla, I’d be much, much more willing to follow them into battle than I would someone like Gwen. And I like how Kalla was strong enough to stand up to the Iron Legion Imperator without being all crazy and insane about it.

So yeah, after listening to how crazy Gwen was for a little while, I was ready to love anything that she hated. Even Vekk, an asura (known for being cold), though she was an evil, disturbed maniac.

But then, she was just the female version of Adelbern, really. I mean, for all his faults, Rurik was actually okay. He had the interests of the common people at heart and he would have made an okay king. I wish Gwen had taken after Rurik rather than mad old Adelbern.

I wonder if ArenaNet ever regretted the writing of Gwen?

Because I’m a sexy beast.

They just appeal to me over the other races, They range from highly intelligent to highly kitten they have the most interesting history and culture to them, and you can’t dispute a race that killed their own gods, to prove their own supremacy.

That and they are really just big giant kittens =3

I’ve never liked the typical fantasy races. This is mostly because of humans. I am human, I know humans, they exist and they are boring. Seeing them just reminds me of real people. Elves, tall humans with pointy ears. Dwarves, short humans with beards. These are the stereotypes. They all tend to have similar themes as well. Elves theme is nature, Dwarves are metal(mining, engineering, etc..) , Humans are the jack of all trades. They vary slightly yeah, but generally give the same vibe in most fantasy. Guild wars 2 actually does a pretty good job of covering it up, which is why I can play it! Of course they have the standard Human, and Sylvari are pretty much elves. I actually dislike Sylvari more because I’d feel like a stalk of broccoli <.<; Asura and Charr are really the only races that break the mold. Asura can still be associated with dwarves, but it’s definitely not that obvious. Asura appear as delicate, science oriented, intelligent, and a certain cynical attitude. A fun personality that identifies them. A contrast to the typical dwarf’s crude, stout, rough, tough, dirty, and drunk type. Charr doesn’t really need an explanation. Their appearance, lore, and personalities all seem to be fairly unique to my experience. I am so glad I chose Charr. If you take the time to listen to some of the conversations of Charr, you will laugh your kitten off. Go the the devourer pits in plains of Ashford and listen the conversation with the cubs for an example xD. Oops I almost forgot Norn… well they are pretty similar to human, but I don’t feel as strongly about them for some reason. Mostly because their lore seems to be pretty interesting and unique. Just not interesting enough for me to roll one xD.

I liked their industrious mindset, their lack of any faith-based beliefs, and their sense of pride. Humans are norn have weird beliefs centering around “gods” that left them, or animal spirits. Asura were annoying(the male having the same voice as whiny Fayt Leingod from SO3). Slyvari would be the only passable alternative, but even they barely make it.

Arahzor.1832:

The tail makes it a must to roll one. When you stand still the tail is moving to left and right like a dog when it is happy. ;D

More like a cat when it’s on alert; watching, thinking about, or actively hunting. This makes more sense, considering Charr culture.

Chadramar.8156:

The cattle ranching in Diessa Plateau showed another aspect of charr culture that I found rather charming and amusing. Well, aside from “Meatoberfest”. That name made me groan and roll my eyes something fierce. :p

I don’t remember where now, but passing through Diessa on my first character I swear some NPC was complaining that meatoberfest ’isn’t even a real holiday’ or something along those lines.

During the three day head-start the name “Captain Charrmandre” popped into my head as a portmanteau of Captain Crunch and Charmander, but in the first ten hours of gameplay a more real reason to roll the race grew. Since the Charr race prides itself in militarism and stratocracy, the name of my toon unintentionally fell in line with the race as a rising rank-and-file member of the Iron Legion who worked up the ladder to become a respected, battle-hardened officer and leader. On a different note, the religious beliefs of the Charr allied legions were congruent to my own as an antitheist (with great credit to Christopher Hitchens).

Because Charr. Do I really have to say anything else?

Charrzooka! Oh yeah!

At first I wasn’t thinking of rolling a Charr and they look hideous like in GW1… But then I tried rolling one on the beta event a Charr Engineer and tried the emote animation /surprised… and that’s it. It hook me with just that emote!!! “OMG it looks like my cat awwwwwwww”.

And now I’m obsessed with anything Charr and when I look at my cat the music from character selection screen is playing in my head.

1. They seemed like a hardcore race to play next to Norns.
2. I like anthropomorphic stuff

I knew very little about the races’ culture and such prior to my first Charr character, having never played GW1. I knew basically just what the character creation screen / official website blurbs told me, so that didn’t factor in much.

Appearence played a big part. I always like to play non-human races any time its an option (I see plenty humans in real life), and while I do really like living tree beings in general which would have made me lean towards Sylvari, Charr won out just because I like the unique body structure and the unique combination of features (generally feline but with horns, strange ear placement, beastly body shape).

But another reason that played into it was because I knew I wanted my first character to be a Ranger, and a Sylvari Ranger would just be far too typical. Tree people fighting with a nature theme and taming animals… meh. I prefer more unique combinations than that, if I can manage it.

Well I was torn between to start with an Asura, Charr and Sylvari (all of their plots interest me). So after a bit of thinking about it I decided I would probably more fit for Ascalon and I am. I love the architecture and the hearts and events around the charr lands. I really do want an expansion where we get to see the other home lands of the charr and see their architecture and culture.

AuldWolf.7598:

Did anyone like Gwen?

I did.

She appeals to the Protector in me, who remembers the innocent little girl she was in Pre-Searing, and who is deeply saddened by the experiences she’s endured that turned her into the person she is in EotN. Yes, she’s almost psychopathic in her hatred of the Charr, but given what happened to Ascalon during the Searing and the years of slavery she endured since, can you really blame her?

I cannot, however, forgive ANet for making her marry Keiran. Gwen is MINE, you Balthazar-blasted grawl-spawn who can’t even keep his awesome PvE Ranger skills after he becomes a Hero! :P

Back on the original topic though, I admire the Charr’s emphasis on self-reliance and dogged determination. While I’m not a fan of steampunk (keep your guns out of my fantasy!), I believe ANet has done a good job in not letting it become overwhelming in the game. However, it wasn’t until I rolled up a Charr character and heard these words:

“I am a Charr.

In this world of constant conflict, I am the deadliest weapon of all."

That I knew I was going to enjoy playing a Charr.

Found the choice easy enough, I knew I’d be going for Charr before the initial release of the game.
Humans? Generic samey guys, couldn’t think of any reason as to why i’d play a human this time, never have in any MMO.
Norn? I know they’re meant to be this big strong race of Viking-like people, but I just don’t like their bodily proportions, freaks me out =/
Sylvari? Just your regular tree-hugging, life-embracing and dull elf-like characters, I despise elves =)
Asura? I rolled Asura twice and tried getting used to them, I like their designs and their home-city, I didn’t however like their stories, not because of the content but because I just didn’t like the Voice actor nor personality of any of my Asura.

So in the end Char was an easy choice, they’re really likeable, humorous, strong, have the best npc’s, the best customisation I’ve seen for any non-human race in any mmo, EVER! Oh and Dinky, that is all =)

1. Steampunk (awww yiss)
2. I constantly felt bad fighting Charr as an ugly human in GW1 so I just had to make one to take revenge

They’re the only playable race that doesn’t have some form of a higher being. The Norn have the Spirits of the Wild, the Humans have the Six Gods, the Asura have the Eternal Alchemy, and the Sylvari have the Dream and the Pale Tree. The Charr refuse to bow before any higher being regardless of consequence, and I share that feeling.

I originally picked Charr (after several others) because I liked the run animation and I didn’t see a lot of them. It was completely out of character for me- I usually play healer types and never go for the “furry” races. I knew nothing at all about the lore or background of the race.

Reading through these forums I doubt I’ll ever roll anything again- an explicitly atheistic race that refuses to bow to anyone/thing. One that started an industrial revolution with gear that actually works, unlike the asura. Equality based around competence- if you can do the job nothing else matters. The explicit militarism is understandable given their history- I’m surprised they still aren’t at war with everybody.

All around a nicely set up race

played all the races during the beta and i thought charrs had the funniest and most charismatic atmosphere, along with the best personal quests

Because rawr

that’s why

AuldWolf.7598:

Weindrasi.3805:

Fifth because I hated Gwen with a passion, and was willing to adore anybody she disliked.

Did anyone like Gwen?

She was just a really insulting character, she broke under pressure, she went crazy, she became a murderous maniac who tortures unarmed prisoners in cages and then accuses them of being evil (Pyre), and… well, she was just weak. Of mind and of will.

There are better examples out there in literature of strong, female characters. But to be honest, with the little I’d heard of Bathea and Kalla, I’d be much, much more willing to follow them into battle than I would someone like Gwen. And I like how Kalla was strong enough to stand up to the Iron Legion Imperator without being all crazy and insane about it.

So yeah, after listening to how crazy Gwen was for a little while, I was ready to love anything that she hated. Even Vekk, an asura (known for being cold), though she was an evil, disturbed maniac.

To be honest, Gwen was a character that went through the Searing and survived. Saw her home burned, family killed, everything around her destroyed by the Charr when she was a child, it’s kind of understandable why she’s such a maniac. Years alone and everything taken from her and all that.

I helped a guild colleague of mine (who was playing a Charr mesmer) with a personal story mission, and that was when he introduced me to two of the greatest things in Guild Wars 2 – Dinky and the Charr /surprised emote.

Several reasons. Firstly, I always though that they were kind of cool, ever since Prophecies. Secondly, their mindset is in many ways similar to mine, specifically the rejection of religion and the acceptance and admiration for taking from the world what is yours.. Thirdly, I’ve liked the aesthetic of dirty machines that are clearly machines ever since I watched Junkyard Wars as a child. Lastly, the name that I had chosen for my first character, Feanor Sunfyre, could only be a Charr name.

The real question is: Why would you roll anything else?

Rhys.5439:

The real question is: Why would you roll anything else?

Get this man a medal.

Rhys.5439:

The real question is: Why would you roll anything else?

Because charr-supremacy is an important component of any properly functioning RP guild.
We have decided this.

In other news:
Because charr possess an ethic and an aesthetic that clearly separates them from any other “fantasy” race, particularly any other race in Tyria. They have a steadfast dedication to science and to progress, coupled with a clear-eyed realism that is rather refreshing. Put simply, while the military might of the charr is definitively quite impressive, in the long term, their real strength lies in their understanding of economy.

That, singularly, is quite attractive to me.

Also,
SCIENCE LIONS.

Kaenes.7206:

Because charr-supremacy is an important component of any properly functioning RP guild.
We have decided this.

Just because WE know this, doesn’t mean that the other races know they’re wrong. We should convince them, or at least prove to them, how superior the charr are.

Anti-religious engineer cat monsters? If I didn’t know any better I’d think ANet was marketing the race with me personally in mind.

I thought they were pretty kitten in the first game and as soon as I saw the concept art for GW2 I turned to my brother and said “I WILL be playing a Charr warrior, no contest.”

I loved the Charr so much in beta. When the game was launched I started with an Asura and leveled it up to 80. I love that character but I kept missing a Charr. So i rolled a new toon last week to fix my Charr addiction.

For me it is the combination of attitude, how they look (Compared to the Asura it is a relieve to have massive weapons) and I love their running animation.

i <3 cats… woot

I never intended to play charr until I saw them in-game. They are just too awesome. Love the story, the areas, the lore of them… Yeah, charr rock.

/sleep makes me melt

For me it was the music. When I first watched the ‘Races of Tyria video anet put out forever ago I was hooked. The moment that huge percussive brass anthem played behind Steve Blum growling out Rytlock’s voice there was no going back.

“We rip each day from life’s teeth.” Enough said.

Sylvari seemed nice to start with then lost me with the story lines.
Humans well yea i play one IRL
Norn larger humans with alcohol and ego issues (ie college footballers)
Asura, cute but i can only handle cute for short periods
Charr, great stories, look great, females that dont look like they negotiate rental on a per minute basis, chance to have a black and white kitty called soft paws

I wanted to be an unlikely stealth race, the racials seemed cool, and when people ask me my race I like saying “charizard.”

<— In hindsight, my name matches their lore :P

I define Charr race as, “A seasoned front-line soldiers that are expendable.”

This is Guild Wars 2, and war requires soldiers.

In any war, soldiers are expendable.

If I’m gonna send a guy to get the job done in the front-line while getting torn into pieces, that would be Charr warriors.

When I play an MMO, its concept and immersion are everything to me. Charr race does exactly that in Guild Wars 2.

They had everything I wanted.

There was no choice, really.

I chose charr because I really lovgigbkndmjm.//.////…./.,,,.,nhm …, ,. ./ ,,,/,.

MEOW MEOW MEOW MEOW

I’m assuming this means ‘I was bitten by a cat during a full moon’.

I’ve always been into the “animal” races in every game I played so when my boyfriend first introduced the game to me he was like “well you can play as a human, a norn, a charr which is a big cat with horns..” And i didn’t even let him continue xD And when I read that the female charr kicked the flame legion’s shaman’s kitten I loved them even more.

I fell in love with their culture as well, the military type and the “I take kitten from no one” type. No useless “human” politics or anything.

I liked that they were a war mongering race and feared nothing plus theyre story is interesting what with the hatred towards humans

Main reason: It was love at first sight when I saw them in GW1. I thought to myself, “Wow! I want to play that thing, not this crappy human character!”

Other reasons now that they are playable in GW2: Running on all-fours, always loved playing beast classes in video games, the male charr player character has awesome voice acting, their storyline, their way of life (they think for themselves instead of relying on gods to answer their issues), the industrial revolution they’ve forged, their ferocious war-like attitude and the concept of warbands and legions, etc. – the list goes on and on. What’s not to love?

Pyre sealed the deal for me. His relationship with Gwen was stupendously written, sort of a “I know you hate me, but I also know it’s not actually me that you hate. We have much more in common than you think. You’ve seen far more than anyone should have to, but you still have a lot more you need to face.”

Yeah, that’s kind of verbose, but he seemed like a father figure to her in my mind. A father who fully expected to be stabbed the next time he went to sleep, perhaps, but a strange sort of father figure nontheless. Sort of a “you have rage, now let me teach you how to use it productively” sort of mentor.

But Pyre was just the tip of the iceberg. Everything about them has shown lots of love from ArenaNet (well, except their armor issues). They are the race who most seems like they recognize that times change, and you have to change with them or fall behind.

too many humans not enough charr!