What the Cantha District in DR looked like
It has already been discussed a lot. While devs actually wanted to put it into the game, the chief director at the time thought it would have been a bad idea because Cantha mixes together chines, japanese and corean cultures, and this is considered bad in Asia.
If you were a traditionalist asian (and there are a lot), you wouldn’t like to see your culture mixed with one of the other two cultures. Chinese, japanese and coreans people are very fond of their origins.
On the other hand I think it is bullkitten because not only at the time the game was available only in America and Europe(West side anyway), so most of the people would have been wetsern fascinated with oriental culture, BUT nowadays there is such a great mix of people, cultures and everything that it isn’t so offensive as before.
So to sum it up, thank this chief for cancelling the implementation of the district.
I went on to read the Manifesto again (good old fashioned nostalgia about when I was REALLY excited about GW2 coming out) and I discovered something that I hadn’t really taken notice of before.
- It seems to be a picture of Divinity’s Reach and the Canthan themed (Asian? Never heard of it. Give us Cantha… and Elona) district that was supposed to have been there.
https://www.guildwars2.com/en/news/guild-wars-2-design-manifesto/- On a side note: If I were asian, I’d be angry of the fact that the district prepared for me and my culture was made into a hole in the ground and later rebuild into the Pavillion for the amusement of other cultures and nationalities… just to share with you where my priorities would lie (Lets not make the Canthan/Asian themed content to accommodate the asians… or, if you will, lets exclude the asian themed content to make the asians feel welcome…)
It wouldn’t be unusual though. From what I understand, Cantha is ruled by a tyrant Emperor. Elona is plagued by Palawa Joko and his undead armies. Refugees in Krytan from other continents wouldn’t be unusual, although sea travel is difficult with Zhaitan Minions. Cantha styled building wouldn’t be something unusual either.
(edited by Saylu.8271)
My problem with the Canthan district is it doesn’t really look Canthan. Where’s the Kurzicks and Luxons?
Just found out what that place was. It was a district within Divinity’s Reach before the Great Collapse.
… a bad idea because Cantha mixes together chines, japanese and corean cultures, and this is considered bad in Asia.
Didn’t that happen with western cultures? I guess it is ok to mix them all up.
^ except it’s quite touchy to mix Japanese and Chinese culture up. It’s less touchy than before, but still, China remembers what happened.
It’s less likely to offend someone with western cultures.
Of course there is still tension and some people can get very touchy about their national identity (I won’t get into politics here but there’s a lot online about the recent EU elections if you’re interested), which can sometimes spill over into games, but usually only when you’re dealing with real people. (Like the whole fiasco with megaservers putting people in danger of seeing another language in chat.)
I think it might be because western, or at least European and (as a result of that and their own history) North American, cultures are pretty jumbled anyway. There’s a lot more similarity and cross-overs than in Aisa so it’s pretty hard to point to specific elements in game and identify what real-world culture(s) inspired them.
Whereas in Cantha in GW1 you had things that were very obviously Chinese alongside things that were obviously Japanese etc. Even families with names from different cultures (or nonsense names that looked generically Asian to westerners) and that apparently puts off Asian gamers.
Danielle Aurorel, Dear Dragon We Got Your Cookies [Nom], Desolation (EU).
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
“Life’s a journey, not a destination.”
Some westerners can’t tell the differences. Asians see themselves as different groups, distinctly different from one another.
My problem with the Canthan district is it doesn’t really look Canthan. Where’s the Kurzicks and Luxons?
Well to be fair Divinity’s Reach was built rather long after the Kurzick and Luxon were crushed by the emperor.
Krall Bloodsword – Mesmer
Krall Peterson – Warrior
Piken Square
Krall Peterson – Warrior
Piken Square
People are starting to take this Cantha thing way too seriously and personally; remember this is not Earth , this is a fantasy world, this is a game.
Chandiell-Chronomancer
People are starting to take this Cantha thing way too seriously and personally; remember this is not Earth , this is a fantasy world, this is a game.
That’s how most of us in the west feel. However, Arenanet is owned by a Korean company and having a big Chinese launch. Apparently they do not like to be mixed in with each other (or the Japanese), and to have Cantha be exclusively one of them at the expense of the other two would be just as bad.
Personally? I think they should just make Cantha all Kurzick (gothic) architecture, but lore already established that the Kurzicks and Luxons have been conquered.
Then again, Warcraft lore didn’t have the Draenei as space demons until one day they were and lol retcon all the things. Hell, Metzen himself didn’t even realize how badly he’d contradicted his own lore until the fans called him on it, so it goes to show how important maintaining continuity is in these processes.
Hit level eighty
Priorities, what to do?
Spend hours with dye
Priorities, what to do?
Spend hours with dye
Too bad there wasn’t a central thread to discuss something like this a… Cartha Thread or something.
Hi everyone,
We have a dedicated thread about Cantha here.
Therefore, we’ll now close this one in order to avoid duplicates and invite you to repost your comment, question and concerns in the topic linked above.
Thank you for your understanding.