Guild Wars 2

I love Kas and Jory, but they’re not exactly breaking the mold. I think conventionally attractive women in a lesbian relationship is a lot easier for most people to accept. However, what I personally would love to see is a gay male relationship in the spotlight, where neither party is a stereotype, i.e. where neither of them is expected to play ‘the woman.’ or act flamboyantly. I’d also ideally like them to be human, because I find that other species don’t really ‘count’ to the average person.

Good job Anet on inclusion so far, just another hopeful suggestion from a queer player who is desperate to see gay men in an actual romance, as opposed to portrayed negatively or in a way that’s oriented around sex.

I know that you want human couple, but Sylvaris have plenty of gay males couple in the story.

Alekt.5803:

I know that you want human couple, but Sylvaris have plenty of gay males couple in the story.

yeah i kinda figured Trahearne was gay…you know, not that it matters.

Personally, i don’t care to see romance added to story unless it’s really relevant to the story. Too many movies add a romantic interest for no reason other than trying to market to a wider audience, not because it is important to the plot.

Isn’t there a gay relationship with 2 sylvari in the personal story (I’m not talking about Caithe and Faolain).

I guess that a male/male relationship is harder to write because they have to be extremely careful to not offend anyone while at the same time developing both character and their relationship.

Personally, I found the Kasmeer/Marjory love to be somewhat out of place. I mostly saw Marjory as a big sister for Kasmeer. And once their love was out, it twisted that sister relationship to Marjory being too caring for Kasmeer, which at the same time became too dependent on Marjory.
I’m not saying it was badly written. I’m saying that personally I didn’t like the direction it took and the subsequent changes of both characters.

But to come back to the point : gay relationships are probably harder to correctly write and as annoying as it is, let’s not forget that Today’s society is more likely to not mind a lesbian relationship compared to a male/male couple.

Smooth Penguin.5294:

I vote Logan x Rytlock.

That has to be your first post I’ve ever +1’d
Kinda figured Logan was a furry with that hair. Either that or a Twihard hiding behind his armor

RedStar.4218:

But to come back to the point : gay relationships are probably harder to correctly write and as annoying as it is, let’s not forget that Today’s society is more likely to not mind a lesbian relationship compared to a male/male couple.

This is exactly my point. I think Jory and Kas are nice enough but they’re a lot easier for the average gamer to accept. As for why I want humans well, it’s for this reason too. If they’re a different species it’s easier to put in the Other box. Like oh, who cares they’re plant people whatever.

And yes in the Green Knight storyline you see a gay male couple for like twenty minutes and that’s it.

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

I love Kas and Jory, but they’re not exactly breaking the mold. I think conventionally attractive women in a lesbian relationship is a lot easier for most people to accept. However, what I personally would love to see is a gay male relationship in the spotlight, where neither party is a stereotype, i.e. where neither of them is expected to play ‘the woman.’ or act flamboyantly. I’d also ideally like them to be human, because I find that other species don’t really ‘count’ to the average person.

Good job Anet on inclusion so far, just another hopeful suggestion from a queer player who is desperate to see gay men in an actual romance, as opposed to portrayed negatively or in a way that’s oriented around sex.

I think you’re mistaking Anet pandering towards its audience for them trying to go for more inclusion.

They’re doing the lesbian thing because they know a large percentage of their customers are young males — and a large percentage of them like to see exactly that.

DeWolfe.2174:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

I vote Logan x Rytlock.

That has to be your first post I’ve ever +1’d
Kinda figured Logan was a furry with that hair. Either that or a Twihard hiding behind his armor

That means you hate me 99.9% of the time. :P

On a side note, there’s gonna be some good RPing once we get Faren swimtrunks in the Gem Store. My charr is ready.

I’m mostly in agreement but I also don’t want to wholly dismiss lesbian relationships as fan service, though I do protest the fact that there are some pretty big aspects of that. Still, at least Kas and Jory are portrayed as interesting and as a legit couple. They even [spoiler=scarlet cut scene]got the iconic scene of Kas crying over Jory, thinking Jory was dead. [/spoiler] That’s a scene usually reserved for straight romances.

Lord Kuru.3685:

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

I love Kas and Jory, but they’re not exactly breaking the mold. I think conventionally attractive women in a lesbian relationship is a lot easier for most people to accept. However, what I personally would love to see is a gay male relationship in the spotlight, where neither party is a stereotype, i.e. where neither of them is expected to play ‘the woman.’ or act flamboyantly. I’d also ideally like them to be human, because I find that other species don’t really ‘count’ to the average person.

Good job Anet on inclusion so far, just another hopeful suggestion from a queer player who is desperate to see gay men in an actual romance, as opposed to portrayed negatively or in a way that’s oriented around sex.

I think you’re mistaking Anet pandering towards its audience for them trying to go for more inclusion.

They’re doing the lesbian thing because they know a large percentage of their customers are young males — and a large percentage of them like to see exactly that.

Gaymers ftw

I second the OP, but I must say I am elated with how they’ve developed Kasmeer & Marjory.

One you see for ten minutes is not plenty in my world.

Alekt.5803:

I know that you want human couple, but Sylvaris have plenty of gay males couple in the story.

My first reaction to a friend was:

Good move on the part of Anet, to take a risk. GW2 has become a little bit more mature. But a lesbian relationship is still playing it a bit safe. When will we see the first male + male romance?

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

. I’d also ideally like them to be human, because I find that other species don’t really ‘count’ to the average person.

What? I want male Charr romance. They do count!

Hey I have nothing against charr! Gay romance for everyone! It’s just less challenging when it’s portrayed within the non-human species because it can be written off as oh well, who cares what the non humans do.

Though I agree completely, I personally feel it would be kinda redundant. We have two major gay relations ships and they just happen to both be females. Adding yet another gay relationship but this time male and male (as great as that would be) would feel like cramming it down our throats, especially since Kas and Jory are pretty new to the overall story. Let’s just wait a while and let the current stories characters progress and develop first then add more relationships of this matter to present themselves.

I bet we get Zojja & Rox or Jenna & Anise

Miroe.2054:

I bet we get Zojja & Rox or Jenna & Anise

I totally always suspected Anise has a thing for Jenna.
I do see a Rox/ Braham pairing much more likely.

As for the OP- I would love to see a male/ male relationship in the game.
Problem is I see no place for it atm and no candidates at all- at least not in the prominent NPC’s

Heck I have enjoyed Kasmeer/ Marjory and Penelopee/ Boomaloo so much, that I now want more romance- it just makes the characters more real and normal to me, like they have a life that is not tied to kill kill kill all the time.

Even though I was against Player character romance before- like some people suggested- I feel left out now :p
I want my little home and a companion- I would be more than willing to try find Trahearne’s emotions

Bring ALL the romance

Smooth Penguin.5294:

DeWolfe.2174:

Smooth Penguin.5294:

I vote Logan x Rytlock.

That has to be your first post I’ve ever +1’d
Kinda figured Logan was a furry with that hair. Either that or a Twihard hiding behind his armor

That means you hate me 99.9% of the time. :P

On a side note, there’s gonna be some good RPing once we get Faren swimtrunks in the Gem Store. My charr is ready.

I’d buy that for a dollar!

I think if ANet created another same-sex relationship and put it in the spotlight too soon, it’d probably spark a riot on the forums.

I personally think a well written love story is fantastic, regardless of gender. That said, I felt the slow development of Jory and Kas’ relationship was adorable. When they started holding hands, I immediately smiled inwardly and thought: “I knew something was up between those two.”

If ANet were to include a guy-guy relationship, I’d probably suggest they subtly add some side-quest implying such for players to stumble over.

Neek.9531:

Though I agree completely, I personally feel it would be kinda redundant. We have two major gay relations ships and they just happen to both be females. Adding yet another gay relationship but this time male and male (as great as that would be) would feel like cramming it down our throats, especially since Kas and Jory are pretty new to the overall story. Let’s just wait a while and let the current stories characters progress and develop first then add more relationships of this matter to present themselves.

Agree with this. I understand why it’s being done, but too much of it is going to start seeming like it is a social agenda being aggressively pushed. I don’t recall anything while GW2 was being developed where the devs wanted it to become a vehicle for political correctness.

However, I would like to see the character of Taimi developed next. As we’ve all seen, she is popular with…well, everybody with a heart, and now that Scarlet has gone to the Great Compost Heap in the Sky I’m curious to see what she does next.

i get your meaning but i would never want to see that

At the moment GW2 has arguably more gay romantic characters than straight romantic characters (Logan/Jenna, Kasmeer/Jory, Caithe/Faolin). They don’t need to pioneer gay relationships to such an extent that straight relationships are rare.

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

I love Kas and Jory, but they’re not exactly breaking the mold. I think conventionally attractive women in a lesbian relationship is a lot easier for most people to accept. However, what I personally would love to see is a gay male relationship in the spotlight, where neither party is a stereotype, i.e. where neither of them is expected to play ‘the woman.’ or act flamboyantly. I’d also ideally like them to be human, because I find that other species don’t really ‘count’ to the average person.

Good job Anet on inclusion so far, just another hopeful suggestion from a queer player who is desperate to see gay men in an actual romance, as opposed to portrayed negatively or in a way that’s oriented around sex.

ehmmm

Stooperdale.3560:

At the moment GW2 has arguably more gay romantic characters than straight romantic characters (Logan/Jenna, Kasmeer/Jory, Caithe/Faolin). They don’t need to pioneer gay relationships to such an extent that straight relationships are rare.

Not saying that they need to pioneer gay relationships more, as they’ve done well enough for the moment, but I don’t see where the number of gay romantic characters outdo straight romantic characters.

From the top of my head:
Logan/Jennah
Seraph/Bandit (sitting outside a human fort somewhere, maybe Fort Salma in Kessex? Can’t remember atm)
Ysvelta/Tiachren
Eir/Braham’s Dad (separated)
Gairwen/Evart (deceased)
Norn woman & Potential mate at Talecrafting Steading in Dredgehaunt Cliffs.

vs.

Caithe/Faolain
Marjory/Kasmeer
Dagdar/Eladus

I’m sure there’s former/current/insinuated couples I’m missing in both straight couples and gay ones, but just from playing casually through the game I fail to see where homosexual romances outweigh straight ones. Straight relationships in-game are far from becoming rare.

Maethor.2810:

Seraph/Bandit (sitting outside a human fort somewhere, maybe Fort Salma in Kessex? Can’t remember atm)

Seraphette and Bandito, they are in a cave in the southwest corner of Harathi Hinterlands if I remember right.

Narcemus.1348:

Maethor.2810:

Seraph/Bandit (sitting outside a human fort somewhere, maybe Fort Salma in Kessex? Can’t remember atm)

Seraphette and Bandito, they are in a cave in the southwest corner of Harathi Hinterlands if I remember right.

I managed to find the wiki entry and they are indeed in the kittenattler Caverns in Harathi, so you remember well!

Maethor.2810:

Not saying that they need to pioneer gay relationships more, as they’ve done well enough for the moment, but I don’t see where the number of gay romantic characters outdo straight romantic characters.

From the top of my head:
Logan/Jennah
Seraph/Bandit (sitting outside a human fort somewhere, maybe Fort Salma in Kessex? Can’t remember atm)
Ysvelta/Tiachren
Eir/Braham’s Dad (separated)
Gairwen/Evart (deceased)
Norn woman & Potential mate at Talecrafting Steading in Dredgehaunt Cliffs.

vs.

Caithe/Faolain
Marjory/Kasmeer
Dagdar/Eladus

I’m sure there’s former/current/insinuated couples I’m missing in both straight couples and gay ones, but just from playing casually through the game I fail to see where homosexual romances outweigh straight ones. Straight relationships in-game are far from becoming rare.

Maybe the poster forgot to add “major relationships”. Because we can very easily say that with how many children are running around, straight relationships are far from becoming rare.
But I still fail to see the point of having developed Marjory/Kasmeer past being a sister-like relationship to being lovers. Aside from a kiss (which I consider fan-service) I don’t see what it provided to the story.

RedStar.4218:

Maybe the poster forgot to add “major relationships”. Because we can very easily say that with how many children are running around, straight relationships are far from becoming rare.

If they did mean major characters, DE level and post level 20 PS, and that, then yes there’s 2 vs 1 in terms of relationships. That I will concede.

Heraldusluminare.2946:

I think if ANet created another same-sex relationship and put it in the spotlight too soon, it’d probably spark a riot on the forums.

I personally think a well written love story is fantastic, regardless of gender. That said, I felt the slow development of Jory and Kas’ relationship was adorable. When they started holding hands, I immediately smiled inwardly and thought: “I knew something was up between those two.”

If ANet were to include a guy-guy relationship, I’d probably suggest they subtly add some side-quest implying such for players to stumble over.

Anything less than the treatment Kasmeer and Marjory got is not going to be enough to fulfil a request like this. To get the same treatment and prominence would mean we have to sit through a second relationship that has no relevance to the plot and it makes Tyria feel less like a place where you go on epic adventures and more like an episode of Glee, where inclusion and subversion are the driving forces behind the story, or at least the characters.

I’d rather we get characters that sell the conflicts in Tyria, who are plot relevant, not character’s who’s primary role in the story (beyond their initial appearance) was a romance between each other. There are so many characters in Tyria that obviously have relationships (the world reproduces after all) yet we never hear about them. It’s going to be very jarring if suddenly we spend all this time with the lesbian couple and around the corner we have the gay couple.

I’d be happy if future romances were treated the same as they were before – primarily only mentioned when they were plot relevant or minor inclusions in a character’s presence in the story. Tyria isn’t a soap opera, relationships are part of people’s lives but they don’t define the world of Tyria or why I’m interested in spending time there. Less melodrama and more story.

Shiren.9532:

Heraldusluminare.2946:

I think if ANet created another same-sex relationship and put it in the spotlight too soon, it’d probably spark a riot on the forums.

I personally think a well written love story is fantastic, regardless of gender. That said, I felt the slow development of Jory and Kas’ relationship was adorable. When they started holding hands, I immediately smiled inwardly and thought: “I knew something was up between those two.”

If ANet were to include a guy-guy relationship, I’d probably suggest they subtly add some side-quest implying such for players to stumble over.

Anything less than the treatment Kasmeer and Marjory got is not going to be enough to fulfil a request like this. To get the same treatment and prominence would mean we have to sit through a second relationship that has no relevance to the plot and it makes Tyria feel less like a place where you go on epic adventures and more like an episode of Glee, where inclusion and subversion are the driving forces behind the story, or at least the characters.

I’d rather we get characters that sell the conflicts in Tyria, who are plot relevant, not character’s who’s primary role in the story (beyond their initial appearance) was a romance between each other. There are so many characters in Tyria that obviously have relationships (the world reproduces after all) yet we never hear about them. It’s going to be very jarring if suddenly we spend all this time with the lesbian couple and around the corner we have the gay couple.

I’d be happy if future romances were treated the same as they were before – primarily only mentioned when they were plot relevant or minor inclusions in a character’s presence in the story. Tyria isn’t a soap opera, relationships are part of people’s lives but they don’t define the world of Tyria or why I’m interested in spending time there. Less melodrama and more story.

This, this, a thousand times this. Let’s get back to the reason all these characters are standing together in the first place…there’s a bigger menace that hangs over all of them.

I don’t mind the whole Marjory/Kasmeer relationship and wouldn’t care if they were Mark/Karl instead, but as other said, we don’t really need MORE relationships, I mean theirs was fine, and I kinda liked seeing it bloom into what it is now, especially since it seems more natural than Logans sudden lust for Jenna (since no one cares about non major relationships for some reasons).

I’d prefer if they focus on the overall story than adding another couple into the major story, HOWEVER I wouldn’t be opposed to one being added so long as it made sense and didn’t feel forced…

Tanith.5264:

Neek.9531:

Though I agree completely, I personally feel it would be kinda redundant. We have two major gay relations ships and they just happen to both be females. Adding yet another gay relationship but this time male and male (as great as that would be) would feel like cramming it down our throats, especially since Kas and Jory are pretty new to the overall story. Let’s just wait a while and let the current stories characters progress and develop first then add more relationships of this matter to present themselves.

Agree with this. I understand why it’s being done, but too much of it is going to start seeming like it is a social agenda being aggressively pushed. I don’t recall anything while GW2 was being developed where the devs wanted it to become a vehicle for political correctness.

However, I would like to see the character of Taimi developed next. As we’ve all seen, she is popular with…well, everybody with a heart, and now that Scarlet has gone to the Great Compost Heap in the Sky I’m curious to see what she does next.

Have you ever wondered why there seems to be no smoking in Tyria?

DarcShriek.5829:

Have you ever wondered why there seems to be no smoking in Tyria?

With tonics that turn you into chairs, homicidal holograms, Thundercats from hell wielding chainsaws and an exploded “magic” reactor that warps creatures in and out of its vicinity all day…why would anyone need to smoke anything?

SirMoogie.9263:

RedStar.4218:

Because we can very easily say that with how many children are running around, straight relationships are far from becoming rare.

Being gay is not the same as being sterile. Sorry if this seems all too obvious to state, this is a particular peeve of mine that gets thrown around too often to combat gay rights. If everyone were gay there would still be children. Gay couples have children now, they just do it through means that are different, such as having a surrogate mother.

I don’t want to spark a debate on this subject, but I’ll be just a little clearer on what I said : you still need a man and a woman to make a baby. Now you can say that some couples have kids then a while later one of them finds out they are more attracted to the same sex or whatever, or like you said through surrogate mothers.
In the end it was just a simple joke to say that it’s terribly obvious that straight relationships in GW2 are far from being rare.

Tanith.5264:

DarcShriek.5829:

Have you ever wondered why there seems to be no smoking in Tyria?

With tonics that turn you into chairs, homicidal holograms, Thundercats from hell wielding chainsaws and an exploded “magic” reactor that warps creatures in and out of its vicinity all day…why would anyone need to smoke anything?

Why not? Seriously, imagine Gandalf without his pipe. The only reason people don’t smoke in Tyria is due to political correctness.

Actually, Darc, now that you mention Gandalf I think it may be due to the ratings given to games (maybe someone from Anet can clarify?). I was also a LOTRO player and yes, you can “smoke” in that game and even grow your own pipe tobacco. But it seems I read somewhere that having such material in a game affected the ratings.

Like I said, maybe someone familiar with all this can clarify.

I like the slow progression of Kas/Jory’s relationship. It felt natural like a “typical” relationship. The point where it seems forced is when it becomes almost satirical and against the original point of including gay relationships.

There are the Sons of Svanir.

Well, my hope is that, now that Scarlet has been taken down, the current cast of Sidekick Heroes will take a well deserved break while a new group will come up to deal with the Elder Dragon Scarlet just woke up. Seems to be that it’ll be a good time to introduce characters who may have such a potential.

If I were asked to write it, I’d probably go with a Human Male (Mesmer/Elementalist, depending) who’s a, ‘Loremaster,’ an intellectual elite of Divinity’s Reach who is sent out on behalf of the Ministry to investigate the matter of the new dragon, and on the Queen’s behalf to seek out potential allies against it.

Pair him up with a guy from Lion’s Arch who’s looking to get his own kind of payback for Scarlet destroying the city. Toss in an Asuran Genius who hated that a Sylvari did what no Asura could do (mastering all three colleges), and a Sylvari who’s Wyld Hunt is to defeat the new Dragon. Seems like a solid cast included the two races that didn’t get a hero with the last batch.

@Vexander I like that idea. Taimi sounds perfect for the Asura, wanting to replicate the genius of Scarlet without resorting to her amoral methods. It would be nice to see a younger Sylvari too, since both Caithe and Trahearne are sort of sticks in the mud.

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

@Vexander I like that idea. Taimi sounds perfect for the Asura, wanting to replicate the genius of Scarlet without resorting to her amoral methods. It would be nice to see a younger Sylvari too, since both Caithe and Trahearne are sort of sticks in the mud.

Yeah, I’d love to see a Sylvari who’s a bit more, wild in their Wyld Hunt. I also like the idea of taking what Scarlet did and making sure it has a lasting impact. I didn’t care for her being involved in all the living story, but since she has been, her actions should have repercussions for a LONG time to come, so introducing new characters directly affected by her, and motivated by her, feels like a good method. As for that Scholarly guy, I just think having a Gentleman and a Scholar would be nifty. A bit of a dandy, perhaps, but in Peter Griffon’s immortal words, one of those, ‘Classy, maybe he is, maybe he isn’t, kind of gays.’

Yes I am a big fan of things having far reaching effects, and Scarlet impacted almost all of Tyria when you think about it. What about a Sylvari more like Sieran? She was energetic, even bubbly, but still cared and did her job.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the bit of a dandy thing, it’s just when the only gay characters are mincing stereotypes that I get mad. (Looking at you Zevran, you terrible, terrible character)

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

Yes I am a big fan of things having far reaching effects, and Scarlet impacted almost all of Tyria when you think about it. What about a Sylvari more like Sieran? She was energetic, even bubbly, but still cared and did her job.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the bit of a dandy thing, it’s just when the only gay characters are mincing stereotypes that I get mad. (Looking at you Zevran, you terrible, terrible character)

When I say Dandy I mean more in dress and hygiene habits. If I were designing the character, for example, I’d put him in a purple coat, such as the Heritage one for Light armor. Longer hair and such. Pleasant personality; polite, friendly, and informative. The kind of person you don’t expect could really hurt a fly, and who wouldn’t like to get his hands dirty.

Likewise, I’d love to see Sieran again. She was an amazing character. Really, all three of the Order characters were amazing. Still, a carbon copy wouldn’t really do well. Someone eager, energetic, and outgoing would be a solid choice for certain.

I would even be happy with just one of the pair being human, I think, though for reasons stated above I am highly in favor of human/human.

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

No personal offense meant, but I don’t think some of you realize how hurtful it is for people to assume LGBT inclusion is some soulless political ploy, or that if there’s even a hint that there might be more than one gay relationship in a story, it’s “shoving it down [your] throat.” I realize that gay rights is a political issue, but gay lives and relationships are not. They’re real and have all the same complexities and intricacies as straight relationships, and they’re as valid. The assumption that their only reason for existing within a popular medium is for the devs to get some kind of social justice points is painful.

Why does it bother you to see gay relationships? Does it make you feel alienated? Now imagine how I feel, as an avid gamer, where almost every single game asks me to accept and empathize with a hetero relationship. I have nothing against hetero relationships and there have been many that I have loved and supported. But to then turn around, when it’s a gay person’s turn to see themselves reflected, and say now don’t get any ideas that is going to be the norm…well I find that very discouraging. Why shouldn’t there be a game, for once, where LGBT people are common and front and center? Would that really be so offensive?

It’s like an authority figure waving a finger in your face like, don’t you dare think this (in this case Kas and Jory and arguably Caithe and Fao) means you matter.

And really GW2 is already pushing the envelope in other ways. It’s a VERY atheistic game. The internet kind of skews how common atheism is in the U.S.; it is still FAR more common to have faith and religion than it is to go without. Yet the major races in the game either have no gods (asura, sylvari) have absent gods (humans) interact with spirits (norn) or actively punish members with deity or faith based ideas (charr). And yet there is little to no uproar over that because the vast majority of people on the internet espouse atheist ideals.

I’m just saying, please think of the people and their feelings behind the issue. When you say inclusion is just for politics, it’s all so politically correct, it’s a smoke screen for real issues etc it invalidates a whole group of people who are already struggling.

Now if you just don’t like romance in games at all, that’s a different issue and worth debating. I love romance in games and I think it’s a natural part of an epic story, but there’s certainly lots of room for disagreement. I feel it breathes life in to the game and makes me care about what happens to the people in the relationship.

Eloquently worded.

I admit I’m not a fan of romance, but that’s just me. I forget whether it was this thread or the other, but someone brought up the appalling example of the Star Wars prequels for romance done badly. We may not all agree on the nature of GW2’s romances, but I think we can all agree that Anet at least is handling theirs much better.

I think the question of atheism you raise is an interesting one, but in GW2 it’s best summed up in the history of the Charr. Way back in EotN, Pyre Fierceshot recognized that “gods” were being misused by those in power, to remain in power. And to this day, the Charr are still saying “there are no gods!”

I always liked Pyre.

@Tanith
Thank you

Yeah I know the lore behind the charr thing and I think it’s really interesting that they’re taking that road, it’s just not a very common or usual one. Most people in the U.S. are moderately to very religious, so it is a big risk to make such a game where the gods are absent or even nonexistent.

HumaCarrionEater.8254:

@Tanith
Thank you

Yeah I know the lore behind the charr thing and I think it’s really interesting that they’re taking that road, it’s just not a very common or usual one. Most people in the U.S. are moderately to very religious, so it is a big risk to make such a game where the gods are absent or even nonexistent.

I don’t think its that odd. When Gods are present in a game, they -tend- to be killable, which I think is more offensive to the religious than the Gods being absent. Personally I’d love to know where the Six are and why they’ve gone silent. I suppose the absence of the Six helps Anet develop the other races though. It’d be a pretty big finger in the face to keep telling the Charr, “No Gods? We’ve got Six. Here, shake Dwayna’s hand. Don’t worry, she doesn’t bite.”