Guild Wars 2

How do you feel about it, it’ve always been one of my favourite things in a huge expansions. This possibility to play a new race, with visiting totally new capitol and researching new racial stuff etc. etc. It kind of make me sad to thinking Heart of Thornes ain’t gonna deliver it to us. I mean if they had it planned why wouldn’t they showed it to us in a first place.

Sry for my tragic english skills.

The biggest problem with introducing a new race is that they would have absolutely no way to work them into the original campaign against Zhaitan. This actually goes double for Tengu, who were staying behind their walls during that time. We see no Tengu units in the Pact, at all, either. (I think we worked with one Tengu smith, but I do not believe he actually joined the Pact, just did some work with Beigarth and someone else for them.)

So we would be making a race that can’t do the entire base campaign. Or, if they can, it would have some disclaimer message, like early missions in the GW1 campaigns. “This mission is a reenactment of events that took place before the Tengu stopped hiding behind a wall.” (I might have a bit of a sore spot when it comes to the Tengu, ever since the Battle for Lion’s Arch. Talon would be ashamed of his kindred if he knew how they behaved.) However, my personal feelings do not invalidate the main point that they categorically did not take part in the Zhaitan Campaign.

THEN we have the already-mentioned logistical issues. Things that would be a factor regardless of what the new race is.

The first, as everyone knows, is armor. The art team would have to create armor assets for every nonracial armor set that currently exists. Tengu and Largos, specifically, would have issues with backpieces, due to their wings.

Second, they are going to have to come up with content for pretty much everything – whether they try shoehorning the races into the Zhaitan Campaign, or giving them fresh material for their leveling experience, there’s got to be something there. The core campaign was built on the “Personal Story” concept, which worked rather well with multiple arcs through all but the very final chapter itself. We can’t simply copy/paste existing questlines and make it feel “personal” to these new races.

Third, the following races CAN NOT be made playable without rewriting the Zhaitan Campaign itself: Grawl, Quaggan, Ogres, Skritt, and Hylek. These are the “sympathy races” that shape the fifth chapter of the story, and bringing them to playable status would raise questions in that regard. Even if they, themselves, get a different quest arc, it then becomes a matter of other races’ players suddenly going “why are we helping out a playable race?”. (This does leave the fan favorites – tengu, kodan, and largos – still available, however.)

There are doubtless a great deal more issues than those I am aware of, but these, themselves, are quite a large obstacle to bringing new races in to the game.

Tengu were the #1 thing I wanted out of this expansion. I’m so glad to finally be getting Guild Halls and GvG and new weapons/skills, but I still feel empty and disappointed that Tengu weren’t a major reveal. I don’t have any hope that they’ll make an appearance as a post-panel reveal.

I really don’t want to have to wait another three years to be able to make a Tengu.

That was my one and only real disappointment in a sea of excitement. Earlier in the week I…might have purchased two new character slots to reserve names in anticipation of Tengu.

Oh well. I’m sure it’ll happen someday.

Yah, I’m a bit bummed on no new race. I have 2 character slots just waiting for a Thief and a Warrior of a new race, and now I don’t know what to do with those slots. Save them for another 2 years hoping for a new race? Use them now on existing races, and if a new race does some have no profession left to use for them besides duplicate classes which I don’t really have much interest in? I just don’t know.

Its a small disappointment in a big announcement full of interesting stuff, but a disappointment nonetheless.

It makes me really disappointed and sad, I was hoping we’d get Tengu, since they are my favorite GW race and was ready to buy new character slots in order to make some bird people.
At this point I wish that ArenaNet would at least give us some kind of hint (or really anything) saying what are the chances of having a new playable race in the future.

I wanted a new race too, but it is possible that this expansion could open the door to another race later on. Always something to hope for.

I’m happy that we got a new class. A new race wouldn’t change much.

i wanted Tengu too

I wasn’t really anticipating a new race as much as other players. I just really wanted Guild Halls. I’m excited about the new class tho!
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To be honest, I would have loved to seen a new race. Unlike many other MMOs, the races also affect (though minimally) the skills their character can use in the game. That, coupled with my interest in seeing a deeper connection to a new race’s culture (or more of, depending) it would have been nice enticement.

That being said, connecting the dots and crossing my T’s, the chance I saw that even remotely happening was slim. Very slim. The only ones I can see being added that we were aware of was, in fact, Tengu. Like most of us here. However, none of the current Season 2 of the Living Story even remotely said anything close to being Tengu-involved, so I couldn’t even bet on it. Unless they made something completely new, a new playable race would not have happened. Not this time, anyhow.

However, expansions do this, this isn’t much of a surprise. Though the light on this in something for the future. They claim to be a new civilization in the expansion, something they trumpeted in the trailer, this obviously means this new civilization plays a key role in the new content. This civilization can also be a foreshadow, or a set-up, to a race in the next expansion.

Disappointed on no new playable race mentioned. It’s great to have a new class, but the lack of a new race (lore, capital and whatnot that comes with it) gives me less incentive in making a new character especially with how the leveling system is now.

It was the one massive miss in this announcement in my opinion.

It would have been fun if it had happened, but it’s not that big of a deal to me that it sounds like it isn’t happening.

Unless the “new ally” is a playable race!

Yeah makes me a little sad that there wasn’t one announced. Usually expansions in MMO’s have that new playable race selling point. Maybe they haven’t announced one YET? Maybe we can dream…but I’m not giving them the benefit of the doubt, since why wouldn’t a company announce a new playable race and use it as it’s selling point?

Actually, I’m kinda happy there was no new playable race announced. I don’t wanna see Tengu Revenants everywhere.

I’d take new weapons, skills, traits, class specializations over a new race, anytime.

Besides; lore wise, where do Tengu fit in the current story?, not even in LS S1 were relevant. I don’t know how people were believing were going to get Tengu any soon.

I’ve still got an empty character slot reserved for a tengu thief.

it says on the page somewhere that they will announce more details later, maybe that means they may add new races closer to release? Wouldn’t get my hopes up, but I really wanted tengu or kodan to be playable race too

Oh well, everything else seems awesome

I wanted Tengu and Largos

Wild thought: Perhaps they could add a new race via Living Story one day, after people have settled into HoT. ANet doesn’t have to do things just like everyone else, after all. Why not put something normally saved to sell expansions into freely delivered content when they feel it’s ready?

It’s a daydream, anyway.

Three empty slot. And no new races. Very dissapointing.
I hope Tengu and Kodan will be added in Expansion.
Especially Kodan as they have very epic background.
I understand that make new playable race much more expensive than new class, but this Expansion will not be free.

MrPersons.1560:

it says on the page somewhere that they will announce more details later, maybe that means they may add new races closer to release? Wouldn’t get my hopes up, but I really wanted tengu or kodan to be playable race too

Oh well, everything else seems awesome

Unfortunately I think that is unlikely. If the expansion was going to feature a new race, that would be a major selling point, not just something to toss into their publicity at the last minute. I would think if there was any plan to include one, the announcement would at least hint at it because they’d want to hype it as much as possible.

New race was the main thing I was hoping for out of the expansion, specifically Tengu.

Its a bit surprising to see a new class first as I do recall a number of interviews where it was repeatedly stated they did not have interest in adding new classes due to it complicating balance issues. But new races were on the list instead.

I’d much rather have a new class rather than a new playable race, so I’m satisfied with how things turned out.

I don’t think we need a new race, it would screw up the personal story and it would force the devs on reworking on all the armours, wasting their time over something superficial.

I’m as excited as the next guy over this expansion, but I’ll admit I’m pretty disappointed by the lack of Tengu, especially given they’re the most popular candidate for a new playable race.

Maybe when we decide to finally do something about Primordus, they’ll join us, as he’s been harassing them more than any of the other dragons, if I recall correctly.

Maxwell.7843:

I’d much rather have a new class rather than a new playable race, so I’m satisfied with how things turned out.

I don’t think we need a new race, it would screw up the personal story and it would force the devs on reworking on all the armours, wasting their time over something superficial.

Sadly for me you are right mate. I didn’t think about it before, but now I can see the main problem here. Probably we will never see a new playable race in GW 2. At least not in the expansion, cause of the structure of personal story and lore. It would be really weird if totally new race all of sudden jump in and helped with Zhaytan problem. That what expansion should really do, add new things to make a playability bigger, but amount of work needed in this case of new playable race seems not profitable enough and to much time consuming as you said before.

Maybe it will have if they ever release a new campaign, which I think now is not going to happen.

kitten that’s really sad…

But now at least I can understand why Arenanet wont do it and it easier to take.

Thx mate for shed light on this topic.

the first new race i would expect would be tengu but given we are heading into further into the maguuma to deal with mordremoth i am not convinced they would be a good fit

Do we know for a fact that there will be no new race? I mean, that trailer specifically points out “New Civilizations”, so maybe that’s a nod to a new race? They could always flat out state that later on.

yeah majorly disapointed no new playable races with the expansion shown all new stuff looked nice but no new races i wanted to be a hylek frog race would have been complete </3

and to videoboy i hope your right

Icee Charr.5410:

(…) i wanted to be a hylek frog race (…)

me too :P

For any already existing minor race too problematic to be introduce as playable.
Only 3 variants possible:
1 Tengu
2 Kodan
3 Completely new race that never met in GW1/GW2

IF they made a new race it wouldn’t be that hard to have them be expansion story mode only, and just NOT have them related to the original plot line. Unlikely but maybe we’ll be able to play as Mursaat hahaha… xD

But in all seriousness doing something that just linked each new race to one of the orders of tyria is enough. Or locked behind a “must have at least one 80” wall so it doesn’t spoil it all for the starting players if it was new content only.

Duke Darkwood.4237:

The biggest problem with introducing a new race is that they would have absolutely no way to work them into the original campaign against Zhaitan. This actually goes double for Tengu, who were staying behind their walls during that time. We see no Tengu units in the Pact, at all, either. (I think we worked with one Tengu smith, but I do not believe he actually joined the Pact, just did some work with Beigarth and someone else for them.)

So we would be making a race that can’t do the entire base campaign. Or, if they can, it would have some disclaimer message, like early missions in the GW1 campaigns. “This mission is a reenactment of events that took place before the Tengu stopped hiding behind a wall.” (I might have a bit of a sore spot when it comes to the Tengu, ever since the Battle for Lion’s Arch. Talon would be ashamed of his kindred if he knew how they behaved.) However, my personal feelings do not invalidate the main point that they categorically did not take part in the Zhaitan Campaign.

THEN we have the already-mentioned logistical issues. Things that would be a factor regardless of what the new race is.

The first, as everyone knows, is armor. The art team would have to create armor assets for every nonracial armor set that currently exists. Tengu and Largos, specifically, would have issues with backpieces, due to their wings.

Second, they are going to have to come up with content for pretty much everything – whether they try shoehorning the races into the Zhaitan Campaign, or giving them fresh material for their leveling experience, there’s got to be something there. The core campaign was built on the “Personal Story” concept, which worked rather well with multiple arcs through all but the very final chapter itself. We can’t simply copy/paste existing questlines and make it feel “personal” to these new races.

Third, the following races CAN NOT be made playable without rewriting the Zhaitan Campaign itself: Grawl, Quaggan, Ogres, Skritt, and Hylek. These are the “sympathy races” that shape the fifth chapter of the story, and bringing them to playable status would raise questions in that regard. Even if they, themselves, get a different quest arc, it then becomes a matter of other races’ players suddenly going “why are we helping out a playable race?”. (This does leave the fan favorites – tengu, kodan, and largos – still available, however.)

There are doubtless a great deal more issues than those I am aware of, but these, themselves, are quite a large obstacle to bringing new races in to the game.

While I can understand where you’re coming from and what you’re saying, in reality it ends up being a pretty silly excuse because it amounts to saying “ANet can’t ever do anything disruptive because it will change the game world!” There’s no real reason why a Tengu or Kodan would have to repeat the exact same Priory/Order of Whispers/Vigil/Pact Commander story-line.

Zanna.8294:

While I can understand where you’re coming from and what you’re saying, in reality it ends up being a pretty silly excuse because it amounts to saying “ANet can’t ever do anything disruptive because it will change the game world!” There’s no real reason why a Tengu or Kodan would have to repeat the exact same Priory/Order of Whispers/Vigil/Pact Commander story-line.

Although I agree that a new race would not “have” to repeat the same story-line as the original game it would be a same to have that story-line restricted from the new race simply because they had no presence in that story, or have the content with a disclaimer stating their involvement, or even have the original story re-written just to suit the new race. ArenaNet seems more responsible than simply adding content just because people want it and would take special considerations or measures to properly set up a race for inclusion in their overarching narrative. To do anything less would be irresponsible on their part and detrimental to the whole experience of the World of Tyria.

Zanna.8294:

Duke Darkwood.4237:

The biggest problem with introducing a new race is that they would have absolutely no way to work them into the original campaign against Zhaitan.
THEN we have the already-mentioned logistical issues. Things that would be a factor regardless of what the new race is.
This does leave the fan favorites – tengu, kodan, and largos – still available, however.

There are doubtless a great deal more issues than those I am aware of, but these, themselves, are quite a large obstacle to bringing new races in to the game.

While I can understand where you’re coming from and what you’re saying, in reality it ends up being a pretty silly excuse because it amounts to saying “ANet can’t ever do anything disruptive because it will change the game world!” There’s no real reason why a Tengu or Kodan would have to repeat the exact same Priory/Order of Whispers/Vigil/Pact Commander story-line.

I think the main problem is amount of work that must be done for implementing new race. But it is possible for Tengu/Kodan.
For Largos we receive strong logical issue as they are lonely hunters (like tigers or large sharks in nature). And they are aqua creatures.

codiac.5642:

Unless the “new ally” is a playable race!

5 allied races. “New ally”. 6 allied races. They’ve got a large city… I hope this will be their capital and we’ll be able to play Mursaat. But it’s unlikely…

Btw, playing the old storyline wouldn’t be a problem. Canthan or Elonian Characters were able to play Mission of the past, Nolani Academy e.g. , too. They only got the message that they are now relieving events of the past.

I still think we’ll get a few new races someday. Maybe in the Gem store or something.

For now though the expansions looks amazing.

@Duke Darkwood
Yes, I can understand your thoughts as well. But as one of the people who waited for a new class AND new race for the most part of yesterdays presentation, I must disagree on some points.

Armor Sets: Other MMORPGS manage to fit existing armor pieces perfectly for new races, I can give you a list of all the games that can do that if you want. Of course it would be a big effort for ArenaNet to do so, but if you want to sell an expansion (something big!), probably new character slots and gem shop costumes that would look best on the new race, that should be doable.

About the living story: The only problem would be the later part with the pakt (chapter 6-8). You can create new areas, quests and a new storyline for lvl 1-30, there are the main differences between all races. After that, you can find easily a reason why the new race (let’s take Tengu here) won’t help later with the pakt. Let’s say your playable character is like Talon from GW1. No other Tengu helped us beside him, so our character might too be "the only Tengu that WANTS to help out against Zhaitan and become allies with the other races. That way, ArenaNet could explain the relationship between your new character, the new race and the pact in new dialogs and everything else could be the way it was with the already existing races. The reason for the new race to appear in the jungle is simply the fact that they realized the danger that comes from Mordremoth…

I was very disappointed that they didn’t announce a new race to us. My candidates would have been Tengu, Zentaurs or even Mursaat (apprentices, because full trained Mursaat are just to strong and would be overpowered)

Duke Darkwood.4237:

There are doubtless a great deal more issues than those I am aware of, but these, themselves, are quite a large obstacle to bringing new races in to the game.

As far as the armors are concerned you are quite right. However as far as story is concerned I must disagree. If they went with a new race, which I suspect they will, the story will not be related to Zhaitan but Mordremoth, with an entire new story specified for that race.

Don’t know why but i but i hope that they add the race from the monkey king tonic. They have a cool jump and dodge. Plus if there is a new weapon i hope it looks like this

ShelBlackblood.7826:

Armor Sets: Other MMORPGS manage to fit existing armor pieces perfectly for new races, I can give you a list of all the games that can do that if you want. Of course it would be a big effort for ArenaNet to do so, but if you want to sell an expansion (something big!), probably new character slots and gem shop costumes that would look best on the new race, that should be doable.

Actually, could you provide a list of MMOs that do that? I’m aware of a few (AoC, FF14, WoW), but those don’t really count because the new races use the same kittenigging as existing races, so converting armors would have been an automated process with minor tweaks to address UV deformations. ANet can do this with the Largos (human body type) and Kodan (norn bodytype), but Tengu would require far more work than that.

usernameisapain.7163:

As far as the armors are concerned you are quite right. However as far as story is concerned I must disagree. If they went with a new race, which I suspect they will, the story will not be related to Zhaitan but Mordremoth, with an entire new story specified for that race.

Problem with that is if you run through the LS S2 with the new race, it will frequently refer to you as the commander of the pact who took down Zhaitan.

Monkey race could be cool, who knows who lives in the maguuma jungle. However I don’t think so, not until we reach Cantha at least. And I’m not sure it’ll ever be playable, as cool as that might be

Pandaman.4758:

ShelBlackblood.7826:

Armor Sets: Other MMORPGS manage to fit existing armor pieces perfectly for new races, I can give you a list of all the games that can do that if you want. Of course it would be a big effort for ArenaNet to do so, but if you want to sell an expansion (something big!), probably new character slots and gem shop costumes that would look best on the new race, that should be doable.

Actually, could you provide a list of MMOs that do that? I’m aware of a few (AoC, FF14, WoW), but those don’t really count because the new races use the same kittenigging as existing races, so converting armors would have been an automated process with minor tweaks to address UV deformations. ANet can do this with the Largos (human body type) and Kodan (norn bodytype), but Tengu would require far more work than that.

The original GW did it with EotN albeit it wasn’t playable characters, but they still did it. plus plenty of different Tengu armor from the original GW and GW2. I think they have the hang of the tengu.

To be honest, I predicted the Re..Ritualist profession, but thought we will kind of learn it from Tengu. Since they have just perfect ground and theme for it.

But well. Now I hope that we will get more than one spec. Greatsword Necro isn’t my thing. It sounds too manga and anime influenced for me, cracking the whole grim themd of profession.

usernameisapain.7163:

The original GW did it with EotN albeit it wasn’t playable characters, but they still did it. plus plenty of different Tengu armor from the original GW and GW2. I think they have the hang of the tengu.

But they didn’t? Talon didn’t have access to all the armors, he had two different sets from each campaign. That’s only, like, eight sets of armor. If ANet had to remodel all of the current armors in GW2 for Tengus that’s around 100 sets.

I know everyone wants the Tengu, but honestly I’d be a little disappointed if they just thrust them in all of a sudden. Just going from doing…whatever it is they do all secretive in their domain to all of a sudden joining us on our adventures because they have nothing better to do on a Saturday.
Whether they add them as a playable race in the future or not though, I’d like to see more of them. Maybe get them out of those walls. It’s got to get pretty crowded in there eventually.

The person who was selected as an answer is totally right.

In addition, unlike Guild Halls, another profession, greatsword necros, etc., Anet has never ever hinted at another playable race. Tengu or largos as playable races has been entirely a fan invention. People were hyping themselves up about nothing if they were expecting to get another playable race.

Pandaman.4758:

usernameisapain.7163:

The original GW did it with EotN albeit it wasn’t playable characters, but they still did it. plus plenty of different Tengu armor from the original GW and GW2. I think they have the hang of the tengu.

But they didn’t? Talon didn’t have access to all the armors, he had two different sets from each campaign. That’s only, like, eight sets of armor. If ANet had to remodel all of the current armors in GW2 for Tengus that’s around 100 sets.

I’m quite aware of that, in regards to Talon. However there were many npc’s with different armors. My point wasn’t that there was 1 of every type. But that they know how to make them. The same way they had the many clans of tengu spread throughout the games. Quetzal for example looks like somethings straight out of the maguuma jungle. I really don’t think that tengu armor is as big as a problem as it is made to be.
However whether that will be a plyable race or not I don’t know. But in returns to the difficulty of the armor, no I really don’t think that for Anet it is that big of a problem

Honestly, I was holding out for Tengu. I have been for over a year now.

Without Tengu, I still have no interest in coming back to the game come the expansion.