Showing Posts For Olithia.4635:
The three princes of vabbi all were darkskinned. Most of them while dressed like Persians did not look Arabic. The obvious arabs of GW were the Orrian, there are links on this very thread that show the look of the Vabbians. Two of the princes had a Nubian Egyptian look and the other looked Sub Saharan African. Dressing Persian is one thing, looking Persian as far as physical features is another.
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Princes_of_Vabbi
They also had a lot of Egyptian mixed in there. Hopefully since the devs have whitened Kryta they won’t whiten Elona.
And thank you Dreamwalker for mentioning Nebo Terrace. I always forgot the name.
I’m happy that there are those that also see this.
Its also disappointing to see the older Krytan look in the far countryside where they are bandits or pirates. You will even see the Norn dreadlock style on the human women out there. One of them has a variant of the Marksman chest armor for sale with Karma points after you help her. You cannot get this hairstyle for human women in character creation, but it is out there on a Krytan pirate woman- lovely. Yet there is not one- not one human in the city (not even in the Ossan District) who has this hairstyle male or female. Its also disappointing to not see any of these Krytans in Lion’s Arch.
So most of the old Krytans left Lion’s Arch for banditry and piracy? Rolls eyes
(edited by Olithia.4635)
In the game’s lore Kryta was an Elonian colony (many of the old populace lived in thatched houses, and a lot of the areas of old Kryta had more African sounding names). Now as far as real life races, well with all the Hebrew names that they had also mixed with Italian I would say a combination of Italian and due to their Elonian origin I would say that they were somewhat an analog of Ethiopian Jews. Nowadays they seem to look more Ascalonian than anything in DR but outside of the city (in many of the criminal areas frown) they still carry that mixed or GW1 look that is closer to Queen Jennah. Without the cool tattoos.
I ask again, please respond if you HAVE played GW Nightfall, this is a discussion about ELONIANS and the lack there of. While I am discussing ELONIANS, I compare them to africans/african americans because that is who they looked like. They didn’t look like europeans-Ascalonians, they didn’t look like Asians-Canthans nor did they look like Arabs-Orrians. I don’t care about the one special snowflake needle in the haystack non african looking Elonian that popped up here and there. When you see Miyani in Lion’s Arch she identifies herself as a person from Elona, the girl looks so much like Rihanna that it doesn’t make sense.
Are there a few non african looking Elonians, sure there are. What I am saying that there are too few african looking ones when in Nightfall that was ninety percent of what the population looked like, and apparently Miyani was made to look like those folk as well.
I am asking, Can we see more Miyani’s please? Especially in the Ossan Quarter and not just women, not the newly added arab looking variants, the old school african ones, is that possible?
For every one light skinned Elonian there were thirty darkskinned ones, why has this changed for a people who have recently arrived and have only been in DR for two generations. I justify my question by the links I used above. Why the change, when did this happen and why does the Ossan quarter seem more like a “Elonian archetectural museum” as opposed to the Elonian hub of DR?
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Tibicia I don’t need to use conjecture I don’t need to go on perhaps this and that and that and this.
I only need to provide pictures, and what the devs have shown me in the pictures is what I am looking for. And i am noticing one big theme in the pictures I have below.
And as I have told others. I have this game gw Nightfall, we can play together if you want. My question to you is, do you have the game? You seem to assume that the Vabbians were lightskinned. Well my pictures below prove otherwise. So please, where is your proof? Please. provide some. I have several links with Vabbian npcs below including the three princes. Lets not assume here anything, show and prove. I can provide more links if you wish.
I don’t care about the possibility of a darkskinned Irishman or any other european race. This is a discussion about Elonians, so please lets keep it on topic yes? Now what I do care about is the race being represented as they were in the first game. I apply realism to what I SAW not what I THINK.
And here is what I SAW.
And I would like to see it AGAIN. Because you know, the devs SHOWED me that ELONIANS looked like the links below.
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Princes_of_Vabbi
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Norgu
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Norgu
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Category:Vabbians
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Sekou
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Festival_Coordinator_Khuri
1. There were never ANY black Ascalonians, not today, not tomorrow not ever. To say this means that the Ascalonians were also just as mixed as everyone else and they were and are not, so yes I would say that they are unique. Most European looking characters came from Ascalon, with Kryta as a small minority behind it. This is not assumption this is fact, and if there is an example of a non white Ascalonian please link me to it.
2. There is a difference between having a tan and an entire race getting lighter. Please show me that non white Ascalonian. Would one expect the Krytans to get lighter? Of course but since they are supposed to be the majority race to grow this light as a whole is a bit….well unrealistic. Especially when Queen Jennah is not a light character, there was a point made to make her look distinctively Krytan. Where as all of the nobles in the personal story that is based in KRYTA are not. To even mention a tanned Ascalonian is acknowledging that they are nothing else but white and that is as far as they can go.
3. Still waiting for that non white Ascalonian
4. I’m African American, never been to Africa a day in my life, so yes culturally I’m American. But walking down the street people are going to distinctly be able to tell I am African American. People become assimilated to others cultures all the time, but it doesn’t change their looks. African Americans have been in the United States for over 400 years. Most of us are still dark skinned or what would be considered to be dark. Fifty years- As what is told to you by the DR tour guide is not enough time to have a race become so whitened to the point of what they look currently look like, and if this is the case where are the dark Ascalonians who have been living with the Krytans for almost over 200 years? Even the ones in Ebonhawke?
5. The Elonians as told to you by the Ossan Quarter DR tour guide mostly have arrived in masse fifty years ago. Once again, are you saying that a race who has mostly only been there for fifty years ago should be less distinct than the Canthans who are fewer in number and have been cut off from Cantha for more than one hundred years?
6.So you’re saying that Ascalonians are now as varied looking? Please show me this. They have seemed to keep their looks, but the race who has arrived fifty years ago haven’t. I need this explained to me how this happened. I also ask you did you play Nightfall? The Elonians were very distinct. Even the three Vabbian princes were not white looking in the least, nor were they lightskinned.
See the thing is nobody expects them not to be homogenized. The issue is that there are more decidedly LOOKING (meaning facial features, etc) Canthans than Elonians, and the Elonians have only been in DR for fifty years. Again- as told to you by the DR tour guide.
6.Oh and by the way, for every one light skinned Elonian (who still didn’t look white) in Nightfall there were 20 who were darkskinned. So what happened to the darkskinned ones that came up in that last fifty years ago migration? Your words speak as if they have been in DR for centuries and even the game itself has told you that they were not.
If this was all of a sudden looks doesn’t matter case then it should be that way all around, including the Ascalonians. Which I am sure the lore crowd would scream bloody murder if the Ascalonians were all of a sudden as varied looking as the others. (Which the dark characters are the minority and there are no dark Krytan nobles in the personal story of note but yet a Krytan looking Jennah- how interesting).
7. Again, I would like to see your explanation of the Ascalonians and point out to me the dark characters of note and name in Ebonhawke. Here are mine for the Elonians. Zamon, his sister, Harlan Fromanj and your lost sister in your personal story. I raise you no dark Elonians (who have arrived fifty years ago en masse, DR tour guide tells you this) for a dark Ascalonian, and please named story important characters.
Not any more offensive than 2 races that existed in the first game being whitewashed completely out of existence. To where important parts of their lore (Sunspear-Seraph/ Order of Whispers), the Kryta-Elona connection being completely skipped over. I am sorry but there is nothing more offensive than that here. Where an entire race and the game that was based on them looks nothing like what was established, yet there are notable and obvious Canthans walking around.
I am curious to see what this says for the eventual Elonian expansion. Because if Kryta can be so whitewashed whats to stop Elona from suffering from the same fate? You have an entire district populated by someone else based on the people from your Nightfall game. Even the DR tour guide cannot seem to stay Elonian/black. For all of us who bought and appreciated GW for its diversity and applauded GW Nightfall for what it had and contributed to the overall gaming landscape, to even have to write a thread like this is an offense in itself and tells me that my appreciation fell on deaf ears and a sharp lack of caring. I bought two copies of this game because of Guild Wars Nightfall. To see a character named Zamon who looks Ascalonian is offensive when I am told that the districts have ministers that represent the races in the quarters they represent.
That my friend is offensive and using the word annoying would be too nice. Since whe does two entire races get bleached so? Some of you act as if I am asking for something new. I am not, I am upset because all of a sudden somebody turned my Euridites grey again and there was no excuse for it.
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Perhaps. Sees that Ossan Tour guide was changed yet again
“Yeah I’m pointing out some controversial conspiracy theories here, looking back at the old history you get an fantasy where the European based people are getting killed off while the Africa+Mid east based people have two fully functioning kingdoms”
See I don’t see it as this at all, I saw this as a chance for Ebonhawke to become a powerful influence on the world. By turning Kryta into New Ascalon you took away the impact of Ebonhawke’s place in the world. Also by downplaying the Elonians and Kryta’s history you also took away the powerful story of showing the special situation that is now DR and the interconnectivity of the humans altogether. There are far too many storypoints not being used. What the newer devs failed to realize is that by not capitalizing on keypoints in the lore and taking away other things that could have been utilized. You completely weakened the story of the seraph and the guardians by not mentioning the connection to the Sunspear. You also weakened the overall story of the Order of Whispers being an Elonian group. You did the one thing that DC comics is doing now- killed alot of your past. Only this time it doesn’t make sense at all.
Instead of forming an elaborate well told story containing a tapestry of the cultures and what they contribute to Tyria as a whole because of their contributions you instead created a weak story that was just jury rigged and bubblegum glued together because your people didn’t take the time to read, or the old GW1 group didn’t make enough noise as to WHY things where the way they were in GW1. Instead of telling a story of unision and of “let me tell you why fantasy United States is cool” and what all the cultures are bringing to the table you played the game of “oh but our new races are awesome! screw those human guys”. You know one thing that used to annoy the hell out of me in WoW? That there was more culture with the elves and trolls than anybody else. But time and time again you saw more humans being played than anything. When will the devs get this?
Just to touch on some nuggets that were not used and how they could have been
Imagine if:
Zamon was an Elonian elder he was one of the group that came over fifty years ago he now secretly works with the Order of Whispers, the same order of whispers that supposedly knows how to get in and out of Elona. Lets say he and said Order of Whispers is running an “underground railroad” getting people out of Elona.
Kryta’s connection to the Seraph and the Sunspears. The Seraph if some of us didn’t know were inspired by Nightfall’s Sunspear why not include this into your lore? Kryta was once an Elonian colony so the in game connection is already there. Same goes for the Guardian class which also is connected to the Paragon class. Me personally you kitten right I would of had that one old grizzled Sunspear in the Ossan Quarter who also trained alot of the Seraph himself. He would have been friends to Zamon because he was there also fifty years ago. Hell he was the one who got Zamon out. By the time the Elonian expansion came I would have had him start looking for apprentices. Zamon would have been the one who pushed the players to help him, the old grizzled Sunspear and his Order of Whispers group to go liberate Elona. Also why is the Order of Whispers multi race now? Because Zamon wanted everyone to be involved. Why did Zamon get involved with Caudecus? Why because he and Caudecus are old friends, and Caudecus promised his old friend that if he was in power he would help his old friend take back his home. (Which is only part of the story old Caudi really wants some of those Vabbian artifacts and jewels). I see this great story of an old man doing the wrong thing because he feels that he may never get to see the day his homeland is liberated. Imagine if by the time you confront Caudecus for his crap old grizzled Sunspear pops up too because of what happened with his friend Zamon.
Instead we get a story of Zamon why are you helping him! Why just because ahahahahahahaha! And look I got rid of that annoying black thing tooo!
Now i am just curious as I have not really been playing the personal story, who is the leader of Ebonhawke because I also have a very cool idea as well for them. I will list it once someone puts that information here. And yes it ties to everyone else, like it should.
A good point, and one I wish was emphasized by Anet a bit more. Humans have made tremendous sacrifices for the good of all races. There are evil humans, history is often tragic, but in the end hundreds and thousands of humans banded together to save the world from at least a half dozen major threats, and lost their influence and power as a result. Very Elf like in nobility.
In a way, I like that. I DON’T like how Anet has not-so-subtly pushed forth the idea, “lol, humans are boring and old news, play a Charr or Asura instead!”
I know a marketing line when I hear it. The last page in my “hero’s hand book” from Eye of the North was a blatant, “Yeah, humans aren’t so cool anymore” RIGHT AFTER the defeat of a general of Primordus.
Yeah Anet, we get it. You like the new races. That’s cool, some of us still like humans, and from the population census it seems new players are still overwhelmingly picking humans as the majority of their characters. So much for promotions!
I know it sounds like I’m being a tad bitter, but there’s plenty of room in the sun for ALL of the races to shine. There’s no need to bring down humanity to elevate the other races. Let them earn the street cred like humans did and are continuing to do in Guild Wars 2.
I agree with this times one hundred, it even shows in the storyline and a terrible lack of real interaction or depth between the different ethnicities of DR, even in some cases not even making sense or completely not utilized (*cough cough ZAMON)
You sell your previous games short by doing this and act like you are almost embarrased to talk about anyone in depth besides the Ascalonians. The Krytan story is not really being told and as I’ve said before, Queen Jenna looks like a minority in her own city. Don’t crap on the humans story for the other races, that just flat out sucks and makes those of use who appreciated the Non Ascalonian humans quite annoyed and dismayed. There was alot of depth there that could have been fully utilized by what was there already but is now ruined by sloppy writing and a complete rewash of things in certain instances. Its almost like they are ashamed of their past titles or just rushed in writers to just throw something together. Same goes with the designers. Sometimes I have to wonder if they have a bible for their lore and did they make the new writers read it, or just throw in anything for anything’s sake.
I’ve heard that if you pick your sister being from Cantha she looks Canthan is this true? And does Minister Wu look Canthan as well?
Something for those truly interested in what I am speaking about here and how it applies. I find it echoes the Greying of the Erudites of EQ2.
I’ve provided links to back up what I am saying, the question about Ethiopians is even answered in my wiki link. You so far have only provided conjecture and opinions and nothing to even back up your arguement. I think we are done here. You should read that wiki link its really very good.
Now back to wondering why Queen Jennah is darker than every important Elonan in the game, are the Krytans now the new dark people?
Oops, nevermind can’t say that she is really the only dark character that’s important of note. I mean hell there arent any Krytan nobles in the personal story for Christ’s sake.
I guess I answered my own question.
Wonders if there is going to be a new area for dark people to come from
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Making newer members of your team familiar with all of Guild Wars 1
in Suggestions
Posted by: Olithia.4635
I also remember hearing that there was a group of descendants from the Ossan Quarter who were talking about retaking Elona, where are these npcs?
I made a mistake, I’m sorry.
I would love to see the proof you have where the Eithiopians are not considered Africans, please provide links good sir.
As I said, walking down the street King Tut would be considered to be a black man in that picture.
And I would take the words over the eyewitness ancient greeks over anyone born after that time period.
Barack Obama is mixed, but how do people classify him? Is there anything about him that makes one say upon seeing him and not knowing "HEY that’s a MIXED guy!, they sure aren’t doing that down in Tea Party territory and I would be willing to wager a million dollars on that.
I’m also willing to bed that alot of people were shocked seeing Queen Jennah who are not familar with the lore. Wanna bet more than half didn’t think about her being mixed?
Anyway this is derailing the thread, I apologize for my one mistake. My wiki link provides more than enough evidence.
I grew up around Ethiopians here in nyc, trust me they get thrown into the black box just like any other african/african american.
Such liars those Grecians are, they all bought into Herodotus’s story! Fraud I tell you!
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I’ve named several Grecians. To pick one out of all the others is amusing. Also the man on the cover of the issue of National Geographic looks quite Ethiopian don’t you think?
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Posted by: Olithia.4635
Its also quite interesting that the peoples who have been removed from their home for much longer- the Canthans, when you pick that choice for your sister, she looks- Canthan.
I would think that they would be much more mixed than the Elonans by now, especially since they are fewer in number and they have not been in contact with Cantha for a much longer time.
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Posted by: Olithia.4635
I will just say that if Anet says “Hey this is what Elonans are like now” I can accept that wholeheartedly, that honesty would be appreciated, and the lone reason I bought the game will not be there anymore and I can go about my merry way and wait on the Redguard in TESO.
When you pick you and your sister are from Elona in the personal story and you see your sister........
Posted by: Olithia.4635
Agreed, Anet recently changed the DR Ossan Quarter tour guide to dark Elonan, and then they changed her again to that arabic look shrugs ah well…. She was originally Ascalonian looking.
Making newer members of your team familiar with all of Guild Wars 1
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Posted by: Olithia.4635
1. Not at all, I am sticking actually to what is there already. The Divnity’s Reach tour guide tells you that there was a large migration of Elonan refugees from Elona due to Palawa Joko’s ravages. That means there are people still alive who are from Elona, fifty years is not enough time to dilute the looks of a people.
2. Kryta is the home country, since when does a minority group have enough influence to make the majority’ s people look like they do? Please give examples of anytime this has happened in history. If a smaller group mixes into a darker group then they should turn out to look more like them and not the other way around, not to mention I am sure that not every Krytan married every Ascalonian.
3. The Ascalon bits of lore are quite accurate, Ebonhawke is exactly as one would imagine with its peoples, but the same is not so with Kryta nor alot of its lands. Its formerly sub tropical environment along with certain areas that the Krytan nobility of hail from, has this all been washed away? Are we saying that Kryta’s past does not matter anymore? Queen Jenna looks like how she is supposed to, she is indicative of her peoples past, but to one not familiar with the lore she looks like a minority in her own country.
I look to it as an indicator of a team not familiar with the lore of the first game. Do I expect there to be changes? Absolutely, but when I am told that Ministers (and this happens in the opening cinematic) are representative of their districts, and when I am also told that there was a mass exodus by Elonans fifty years ago- which means many elders who made that passage as a child or teen can still be alive now. It also means that in Elona’s oftentimes Elder driven culture that one of these people would more than likely have been the better choice of Minister. Could there be mixed children or those many generations removed like Zamon? Of course, but it doesn’t make sense in the area where you have people who are from the home country still alive and posess all the knowlege and memories of the home country- One that is still occupied by supernatural forces. Sounds like the makings for a very militant group perhaps even some focused on going back home and liberating their homelands because the wounds are still fresh in the mind of those that experienced them. Its one thing to tell stories of the xenophobia in Cantha that are passed down through generations as opposed to having family members who can tell you what it was like seeing fallen Sunspears with their own eyes. Familiarity with the lore would have rectified alot of this and also could have pushed forth other story possibilities making each district feel as vital to the overall storyline instead of writing a story just because you can.
Yes, I do find it to be a failing because it limits possibilities, it also contradicts even the importance of having an Ossan Quarter in the first place. Many of us who loved Nightfall were let down by having the people who are supposed to be from Elona not representative of what the Elonans looked like, and if that is the case then why put the option of me and my sister being from Elona at all? Would that even matter if she is going to look Ascalonian?
(edited by Olithia.4635)
When you pick you and your sister are from Elona in the personal story and you see your sister........
Posted by: Olithia.4635
Speak to the tour guide of the Ossan Quarter, and listen to the human’s opening cinematic. The Ministers are supposed to be representatives of their race.
Making newer members of your team familiar with all of Guild Wars 1
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Posted by: Olithia.4635
My suggestion is this, that way we won’t have super Euro inspired Kryta which was not like this, and european looking Elonans like Zamon, like the sister that you hail from Elona with. It would be nice if the entire team knew the series in and out and there was actually someone making them stick to what was established in the first series.
When you pick you and your sister are from Elona in the personal story and you see your sister........
Posted by: Olithia.4635
Do Elonans look like that now? I mean I see Zamon looks like that, so I am just curious if this is the case all around.
So Bard you’re saying that the ancient Egyptians built the Sphinxes with wide noses and large lips just because they wanted to? That Hitler blew off the noses and lips by shooting them because he was just bored? That statues with large lips and wide noses, egyptian statures at that were purposely made to look like their Ethiopian and Nubian cousins in ancient Kush/Nubia? I don’t know too many places in the world that direct neighbors don’t look like each other. And Ethiopians do not always have wide noses many of them have thin noses.
An excerpt from the link listed below I hope you read it in its entirety
“Some of the most often quoted historians are Strabo, Diodorus Siculus, and Herodotus.105 Herodotus states in a few passages that the Egyptians were black/dark (depending on the translation used.) Herodotus states that a Greek oracle was known to be from Egypt because she was “black”, that the natives of the Nile region are “black with heat”, and that Egyptians were “black skinned with woolly hair”.91 Lucian observes an Egyptian boy and notices that he is not merely black, but has thick lips.97 Diodorus Siculus mentioned that the Ethiopians considered the Egyptians a colony.99 Appollodorus, a Greek, calls Egypt the country of the black footed ones.97 Aeschylus, a Greek poet, wrote that Egyptian seamen had “black limbs.”106 Gaston Maspero states that “by the almost unanimous testimony of ancient [Greek] historians, they [Ancient Egyptians] belonged to the African race, which settled in Ethiopia.”[107
Were these Grecians lying? I mean surely the people who were there at the time would have an idea what others look like. Because if they are to be discredited here by what they saw then why listen to anything else they have to say?
A picture in the wiki article, apparently National Geographic agrees with the Grecians http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:National_Geographic_-_King_Tut_face.jpg
The original article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheikh_Anta_Diop
And the cover from the Nightfall original soundtrack, wasn’t it wonderful when Anet did its homework like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sANPBRr1Jxs
That guy looks like he could be related to ol Tut of the National Geographic recreation, he is from Istan, the Egypt inspired Island nation, home of the Sunspears.
Now, back to the conversation at hand
I’m wondering why also the sister that you rescue in the personal story if you click you both are from Elona, is not Elonan at all.
(edited by Olithia.4635)
I see the DR tour guide for the Ossan Quarter was changed yet again, from the darkskinned woman that made sense.
sighs
*Waits to see what the Elonan expansion is going to be like
Forgive me Kahnya, I was mainly addressing Red.
If you think its silly then you are entitled to your opinion. The player who addressed me who was happy to see my character tells me it isn’t.
Red, Red hair and blue eyes huh, Italian and Cayman, nobody looking like you right?
Let me introduce you to Queen Salma
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Salma
And Chadramar thank you, I appreciate your post. You are right on the money. Nightfall was a tasteful representation covering people that are not often covered in videogames. Just to give an example of the impact of such a thing.
The other day I was rping at the place my character runs in game, the tavern in the Ossan Quarter that I named The Golden Sun. There was another player in there playing a darkskinned character. I got a whisper from him upon seeing my character saying “black people are rare in this game”. He did not play GW1, I gave him the lore and told him about the Ossan Quarter and about Elona. I told him that if there is any game that does black people right its Guild Wars. -That- is why this post matters, because here you had a player playing a “black character” who was standing in the “Little Africa” area of town and didn’t even know it. When I told him about it and where we were he send me back a smile in a whisper.
I get whispers all the time from those telling me how cool Amaare is, even whispers telling me that he is the coolest black character they’ve ever seen. Now think about that for a second…..
Those moments are big for some of us. I remember the first time I saw the Eurdites in Everquest and the Redguard in TES, I smiled. It had nothing to do with me trying to fix some deep seated childhood issue. It had to do with me going “Holy kitten, the black people are f’n cool here, I am going to give this company my money forever”.
I was so hurt when Sony took away the formerly african looking Eurudites in EQ2 that I refused to play it.
That is why I get annoyed with the lack of the look of the people in the district. Or why I feel like the opportunity with Zamon was lost. Here you have COMPELLING opportunities for people to say “whoa perhaps I should pick up that Nightfall game to learn all of this, this is really cool”. You can tell strong stories in these districts! Not just Ebonhawke, but Rurikton, The Ossan Quarter and hell even The Collapse! Take advantage of these! The fantastic lore that was established with the diversity in the first game can be reestablished here! Show people HEY, this is why OUR humans are the kittening kitten! Don’t make them wait for expansions, your human city is supposed to be super diverse, then show it! Put some stuff there and stories there that really make those districts stand out individually in their own right! Lip service does nothing at the end of the day. If I can’t see it in front of me it doesn’t matter at all!
I love my character being the one who knows things about Elona, I love for him to be the one that is being regarded as the go to guy about Elona from the other Elonan players.
Sure it isn’t a big deal to many of you, when you aren’t affected by it you don’t think about it because YOU are catered to by DEFAULT. You don’t have to worry about seeing the one character that resembles you and you facepalm because he or she is an idiot/coward/brute or just plain kitten. You start to wonder, does everyone think of us like this?
A friend of mine asked me once, why do you care about this so much? I asked him, if you had a son who plays videogames and he saw the one character that looked like him in a game act like a slobbering idiot or some poorly made stereotype and he asked you why that character was like that daddy what would you tell him?
And he at that point understood…..
Think I’m reaching? Leroy Jenkins anyone?
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And Kahnya and Red (had to edit post) please, personal attacks are not necessary. You don’t like the topic and don’t care then you don’t have to post. But taking this to “oh you must be damaged as a child” is laughable at best and reaching at most. Lets not take this to where it isn’t. I made no personal attacks against anyone. If you cannot back up your reasons with facts then you have nothing to offer the conversation. It merely sounds like you are offended that I bring up something like this, and I don’t understand why or how it affects you personally enough to start making such accusations.
But I am willing to hear why such is the case.
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I suggest those who are coming in to do their research first, at least provide a educated reason why you are making your comments besides “I don’t care” or why does it matter.
I am speaking about consistently in lore here first and foremost. I do not see why that is hard to understand.
Furthermore, Vabbi, where the Ossan royal family hails from is of fairly light complexion with culture resembling middle eastern peoples mostly (Desert, mystic culture sects(see what a Dervish is in real life), Djins/Djinies etc.), not the super dark complexion seen in Istan.
Lightskin?
The Vabbian princes disagree withyou
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Princes_of_Vabbi
As do these Vabbian citizens
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Norgu
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Korvus
Norgu has an afro and large lips, Korvus, Mehtu and the other two kings are of chocolate complexion, and while two of them look ancient Egyptian, we all know that ancient Egyptians were africans not arabs just like those two. Should I put up pics of those as well?
Culture and looks are two different things, the races in guild wars are not exactly as they are in rl. The Luxons for example have alot of greek influences but they are asians in looks. The Kurzick also have alot of German influences but they are also asian looking.
The pictures clearly show this. And I am sure you saw the movie 300, when it came to the looks of the Persians. There were “africans” who lived in the Persian empire. So while they dressed Persian in style and had Persian influence they were indeed African.
I myself am African looking but American in culture, is this hard to imagine?
And please show me these pics of these lighter Elonians, I would love to see them.
Several of the names of old Kryta’s lands were african sounding, it was also in the Maguuma jungle, the lands that Kryta’s nobility are from is also african named. When I find it I shall post it. I recommend picking up the original GW Prophecies.
Here are my sources. pics included
http://wiki.guildwars.com/wiki/Kryta
Kryta was the third and last human kingdom to be established in Tyria. Originally a colony of Elona, it was established in 300 AE, it gained its independence in 358 AE. The kingdom’s royal family are descendants of King Doric, however it is not know how far Doric’s lineage goes into the Krytan royalty. There have been few notable members of this royalty, outside the last king, King Jadon, the only known monarch is Mad King Thorn. The royal bloodline, were buried in the Mausoleum that is now guarded by the undead dragon, Rotscale.
Kryta is home to many important landmarks, such as the Wizard’s Tower and the Temple of the Ages. It is also the origin of the now-mysterious Druids, former Krytans who left into the Maguuma Jungle to the west long ago.
And Kahnya is it so wrong for me to ask for the same things that was in Guild Wars part 1? Its no different from changing Captain America’s shield to a black one made of diamond or saying that Hobbits are now tall skinny hairless people with purple skin.
So because you don’t care lore should be changed? What about those of us who saw it as a breath of fresh air and are only here because of it and wanted to support Anet because of their efforts, showing them that what they did was not only noticed but appeciated?
I bought two copies of this game and had no problem with it just because of what Anet did with Nightfall. Any company that takes some of us in mind deserves double my money and I would think nothing of buying a third copy if everything that I loved was to make a return.
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Thank you Anet for changing the look of the Ossan Quarter DR tour guide. Its really appreciated. I hope you guys get some voice appropriate voice actors as well in the future.
“I, for one, don’t.”
I would also like to know why you feel this way. There is Rurikton, there is Ebonhawke, and even the small (but very Ascalonian) Ascalonian settlement in the Gendarran Fields so its not like you are going to be losing out on any factor of eurocentricity.
Also I would care to ask have you played the original game? You do understand that the breath of the human cultures in the first GW was one of the things that make it not WoW right?
*Wonders when a true Krytan area/town will be put in
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And just to clarify, I don’t mean Mrs Obama as far as role, I mean Mrs Obama as far as her look compared to the peoples of her lands.
Oh don’t get me wrong I more than understand that alot of these things will be put in for expansions. But I would like to know why Kryta was changed so much. From the look of its peoples to the name of its lands, it has gone to this unique place in an rpg to just another place in Europe. Its Queen looks like a stranger to her people, we don’t get to see the impact of a Rurikton or a Ebonhawke because well…because the visual impact of them doesn’t matter as much.
This was the fantasy mmo that could have made people’s heads turned, the one that could have beat TES to the punch when it came to its diversity in humanity. There were always more human races in GW which served a more world view. Yes, its lovely that we can play Charr, Sylvari and Asura now, but most people are playing this game for its humans-alot of us are playing because of the wide range of humans, something that has not occured before to such a level in a fantasy world. Sure EverQuest 1 had the darkskinned Euridites but they were turned “grey” in EQ2 this was very dissappointing, their uniquenesss was lost all so that players can now just "make a regular human who is darkskinned’. How dissappointing, it always amazes me how certain details of European medival fantasy worlds are done to the letter to echo the time period, but then all humans are thrown under the “human banner” and are from the same place with no differences in culture or anything.
Now the only other mmorpg that came out and is still going on is Vanguard with its multiple human races as well, and the only one that has Asian, Arabic and African groups, but unfortunately the quality of that game is lacking, but the vision was there.
Do I expect full Canthan or Elonan looks, hairstyles, etc day one? Absolutely not, but I do expect a Kryta that looks like the Kryta that was shown to me. Krytan looking nobles, commoners and street rats that look like they are the majority population of a city in their lands. I expect the african names of the different areas like the one area where the Queen Jenna comes from which has a history of Krytan nobility (this area had a strong african name). I do not expect a Ascalonized Divinity’s Reach to the point of Queen Jenna looking like a minority and the complete erasure of her peoples cultural lands and looks which was a beautiful unique thing, something to be respected.
I can honestly say that while I am glad that there is a very forward thinking presence of same sex relationships in the game, that there are more of us interested in celebrating the expansive human races and the thing that made this series something to cheer for starting from the first part of the series. I am sure the other places will be fantastic, but what about Kryta? What about the Kryta that was beautiful for its own merits? What about its unique situation and unique people and its current place in the world, visually and not just told on paper…
I again say the impact of having a lore accurate visually represented Kryta has much more power on the impact of the situation of Ebonhawke in the world than anything else and would attract more attention than anything else. You want people to love the beloved Ascalonians? Fine, then make their situation LOOK and FEEL more unique, make those player go “holy crap what happened to these guys?, they aren’t the number one’s here” This is something that would make players ask questions, want to learn why the “Western Europeans” aren’t the ones who are the dominate humans in the human area and I mean this for the one who are new to the lore, which are alot. Make them ask who this black guy Minister Zamon is and oh he’s from this place called the Ossan Quarter is that where the black people are from? Let me see who they are, oh wow there was a game based on them? Let me go buy it"
Instead the visual is just with some stock npc who is just some sidenote, and his presence as Minister of the Ossan Quarter is lacking visual impact making him less important not only as a character but also to the story of the Ossan Quarter itsself and why its unique. Same goes for Queen Jenna, as far as characters go she looks like a minority in her own city. This is not something I was expecting from Anet at all. It makes her lose importance because nobody that you really care about looks like her, none of the nobles do for one and I cannot understand why this is. Since when was the Queen relegated to the role of Mrs. Obama?
Visuals should have enough impact to make me want to start asking questions and learn more. You can tell a billion stories with pictures as opposed to the hundreds you can tell with words. Besides, most people nowadays don’t read more than what they have to. Make people want to know by what they see, not only by what they are told.
My character runs The Golden Sun, its the tavern in the Ossan Quarter and we are pretty active, come by to say hello. His name: Amaare Margolis
Perhaps we will be lucky enough to eventually see some “true Krytan” towns and areas in one of the expansions. With Krytan people and old styled Krytan architecture. I would figure there would be some towns that would be throwbacks to earlier times.
Well at least I hope so.
Poor Kryta, what a fantastic concept for a fantasy rpg. You will be missed.
Oh and by the way Mr. Zakani, have you played the original GW?
Kryta was subtropical…. its lands also had african names, not berberish- again Elona’s influence on Kryta. All of this African names for the areas are gone… I don’t have to guess this or speculate, its there in the game. If you played the first game you would know this.
One would think that the half Luxon half Vabbian would have issue with being the darkest man in Divinity’s Reach. For somone who is running for Minister I see where your loyalties lie friend. (messing with you here, lol)
Elect Amaare Margolis as Minister and find a true representative for the Ossan Quarter, one who cares about his people! Enough to even wonder where they went…..
(Just had to mess with you on that one, lol)
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My job is in Times Square, if you wish you can visit me there. I was born in Harlem on Flower Fifth a hospital that no longer exists. I grew up in Parkchester, which had the first Macy’s in the Bronx. Parkchester is replacing its old Uno’s restaraunt with an Applebees- just found that out yesterday. Now I live near the Clasons Point/Soundview area. I went to Christopher Columbus High School in the Pehlam Parkway section of the Bronx and transferred to A.Phillip Randolph High School in Harlem near City College, I used to take the D train to 145th street to get there. I go to work everyday taking the number 6 train which runs local because it doesn’t run express during the afternoons. I then transfer to the 4 or 5 train on 125th street because they both run express. Then I take the shuttle train from Grand Central to Times Square. Right now the mid track train has a full train advertisement where the entire car (they do this with the shuttle trains) about some new tv show about demons or something, the main female star is blonde and the ad contains alot of 666’s. This train runs on track 3. The train running on track 1 has a full wrap car ad about some sort of search engine, it looks like the design is bookshelves.
Recently there was the Carribbean day Parade out in Brooklyn on Labor day
Every Saturday I play a pnp rpg game two blocks up from 34 street, its right across the street from Duane Reade you can see Macys and you have to pass Victoria’s Secret if you are coming in from east 34th street, its a few steps away from the N,F,D, Q and R trains. The place has two floors is a buffet and has a seating area upstairs. Right next door is a Mcdonalds, and a Pax- the salad place. Often times I head to Jim Hanley’s comics right across the street from the Empire State Building on E33rd street. I buy my pnp games from The Compleat Strategist that I pass by on E33rd street. The owner’s name is Danny.
Speaking of the Village I used to hang there as a teen in Washington Square park, back in the nineties it would be open 24 hours. Remember Weed Day? I do. I would often buy things on w8th street and somtimes go into the Games Workshop on the same street. I sometimes get cheap hotdogs at Greys Papaya on the corner across the street from Barnes and Noble and going north towards fourteenth street but not even two stores away from Grey’s Papaya is a healthfood store called LifeThyme. Fat Beats is also there. My boys used to buy alot of underground stuff from them. I’m not sure if they are still open. They were upstairs.
One of the big issues in the city right now? Mayor Bloombergs attack on large sugary beverages- one could not make that sort of lunacy up.
Come by to say hello.
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^^Oh I one hundred percent agree with this, we see this with the children of immigrants all the time but one would think that
a. With a race of people who in some cases STILL have some of its members alive because they came over fifty years ago, wouldn’t it make more sense to have one of the ones who look like those people being the minister? I mean yes its easy to hide this because there aren’t any real Elonan npcs around anyway, but to have a representative that still has strong ties to the roots, to the culture, etc because the history of the homelands could be told directly from grandma’s mouth because she was BORN there? Wouldn’t you think that this representative would probably look more like the people than anyone else besides the Krytans (who you also cannot outwardly visibly identify even though the lands and the city is theirs)
Would they adopt the Krytan culture- of course they would, the children of immigrants adopt new cultures all they time, but to be only cut off by 2 generations is simply not enough time. It doesn’t make sense how the oldest wisest Elonan is not the minister. The one who is trying to hold the people together, still keeping the culture alive and perhaps even working with the Order of Whispers to secretly run an underground railroad to get people out of Elona.
Instead of a story about Sunspears in hiding, Order of Whispers members working with the Ossan Minister keeping him updated about the goings on in Elona, we get a non Elonan looking minister with no real connection to Elona at all save for his house in the Ossan Quarter. I wonder why even the one lone black male noble npc couldn’t have been used for Zamon’s model. I wonder as our friend above says why this hodgepodge is not visibly across the board. I wonder why the once again mixed character (if this was the case) was chosen as Minister above those who are the children of those who are now in their fifties, sixties, seventies and eighties? Hell you could have a Minister who was five years old when his family fled. Imagine the story you could tell with that guy and the missions you could give!
Imagine how cool it would be to have a Minister who was around sixty seven or so who remembers what Elona was like because he came over when he was a teenager? The gameplay and story that could stem from this would be downright amazing, all because he was old enough to remember the trip. Where are these Elders? Did they drop off the face of Tyria?
One of the great things about the original GW was the feeling that the people were part of a nation and you were part of a much larger story involved in the politics of the land and its people. I hope this returns.
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Here is why
a. Because a point is made about the district representatives being of their respective race. It isn’t like there is a lot of Elonan looking npcs looking around. So, now we have the Elonan representative and the man looks less Elonan than Queen Jenna.
My family has been in America for centuries, sure we have mixed but most of us have not to the point of not being recognizable of our race. Fifty years is much less time for that sort of dilution, noble or not.c. Because you get to show off the diversity of the human races that YOU (Anet) created- reread point a.
d. If this is the case why then are there no noticable Krytan (and I mean Mediterranean looking nobles) representing Rurikton? I mean everything is one big hodgepodge right now right? So why isn’t this true across the board? One would think that there would be more bronzed folk walking around because oh I don’t know, its the land of the bronze people, and the city of the bronze people, but that isn’t the case. You would have a point if this was the deal across the board, and please, point out examples if you have them. I would love to see them.
Hell I am hard pressed to find one “Krytan” in the personal story aside from Queen Jenna. The personal story opening has none at all.
Searches for a Krytan in the Krytan city
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I’m an rper, my character Amaare Margolis (true last name Margo’laku but he Acalonianized the name to better operate in alot of circles) is considered the owner of The Golden Sun tavern of the Ossan Quarter on the Tarnished Coast server. When I have him behind the bar selling drinks I name them all kinds of lore accurate names.
Our most expensive drink? Orrian Wine, we send people into the ruins to try to retrive it. It costs 2 gold a glass- hell because itskittenhard to obtain. I serve Ebonhawke’s Finest Whiskey, and Sylvari wine straight from the grove- Why? Because people that can cheer the grapes up on a daily basis would make the best wine, that’s just how it is. I serve Vabbian Sweetwine and because of Amaare’s secret contacts with the Order of Whispers (and himself being Sunspear) he is able to get his hands on Vabbian Sweetwine. We have alot of Charr bouncers because we Elonans don’t have as much issue with the Charr as the other districts do. I try to actively play with lore tropes to give players that come there a sense of a world, a sense of hey this is bigger than this.
Sure at the end of the day its nothing, but I figure people walking into an Elonan Tavern for the first time and asking "Hey why is this place called “The Golden Sun” is a fun way to get them to ask questions. Amaare is a scholar and a historian, so he gets to answer questions about Elona all the time. Sometimes we get people who think Elonans must be Arabs because Arabs=desert. Amaare tells them this is not true and tells them of the peoples from Istan (where he is descended from) and Kourna where his sixty five year old grandmother is directly from (she came over fifty years ago- as told by the Divinity’s Reach Tour Guide for the Ossan Quarter). He also gets to tell them about Orr and that is where the "Arab peoples are from, but there aren’t alot of them left because of the sinking of it (though he knows some personally who live in the Ossan Quarter because they can blend in easier there than the other districts- but he isn’t telling you this).
Things like this create a sense of atmosphere, I’ve always tried to reinforce the worlds I rp in, and to have a world where I can play the african and not have to change anything, hey these people are from here, well the impact of that being less than what was originally spoken of is a bit…disappointing, but it will not change the way I rp. Amaare will still have descended from Istan and he will still serve Ebonhawke whiskey and tell the Ascalonian patron visiting that the Charr bouncers here will protect you like everyone else which is to their fullest extent so you better be nice to them because we honor the treaty here and then he gives her a free glass of Sylvari wine and tells her to enjoy her time while at “The Golden Sun”. Yes, that really happened just recently.
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I also will agree with what the above poster said about the portrayal of single sex relationships being done very well. I also really have to give you guys alot of respect for having alot of female characters, not just the story/named characters but also as far as seeing the Seraph wandering around the city. I love this, but I would honestly like to know, these details were made apparent, but why was the one thing that made you guys games special overlooked? Aside from the look of the peoples of the region which was vastly different, the different areas of Kryta which had african names due to their Elonan pasts are no longer there. By changing all of this it makes the impact of Ebonhawke stand out much less and make it feel just like a satellite city of DR to those not familiar with the lore.
I’ve always been from the school of “If you don’t see it, it ain’t there” Please realize that the visual impact of something always outways the text impact. Yes you can tell me till I’m blue in the face that Kryta is supposed to be like this- and then I walk around and it does not look like that. It looks like Ascalon part 2.
Could you imagine what would be the thoughts of a player that walked into Kryta for the first time and then made their way over to Ebonhawke and saw the direct differences in how everything looked? How everyone sounded? The direct impact of walking into the Ossan Quarter or the future Canthan part of the city and hearing the different sounds, seeing the different decorations, hearing the different accents?
“Hey did you know that there is a holiday today in the Ossan Quarter?- The Festival of Lyssa”, “Whoa really, lets check it out?”
And each place has different food options to buy from the vendors, different drink options, and different music to mark being in a different quarter…..but at the same time being in the same city. I ask any of you, have you ever been to a large multiracial city? I have lived in one all my life. Its a wonderful thing when I can head down to Chinatown for pork buns head by an Irish pub for a pint, and pass by Harlem on my way back uptown for a slice of sweet potato pie and pick up some beans and rice in the puerto rican restaraunt near my house.
To have something like this in gaming for the first time would be absolutely amazing. Players who are in the Maiden’s Whisper talking about the Vabbian rugs they got to decorate their guild hall. Other players talking about the best silk to buy for crafting is from the old Canthan seamstress that set up shop in Rurikton after the collapse. The strange coincidence that there are more Charr in the Ossan Quarter than anywhere else in the city because the Elonans are not as fearful of them. The ability to buy cultural town clothing from vendors in these districts- including vendors selling traditional Krytan tattoos in either The Commons or Lion’s Arch, especially around holidays.
Its these touches that make a game feel like a world, you guys already have the pieces there. These are not things that have to be made up. Just small things that can be added to show “Hey we aren’t just Super Huge Stormwind with Games”. Can we see more of this? Is it possible? Am I wrong for wanting to see a continuation of the wonderful things you put in your first game but expanded?
Should I give up hope that the distinct looking Luxon will not be portrayed as they were previously? Or that the Elonans will all of a sudden grow lighter and that there will be less of them in Elona than in Nightfall?
What I don’t understand is there is more cultural diversity amongst the Norn than the the humans, there are no non straight hair options for female humans in character creation but a beautiful dreadlocked hairstyle for the Norn women. I don’t get this, I EXPECTED the Norn to look well…..like Vikings so to have this for them but not for the humans is strange.
There are also more dark Norn npcs than humans (especially the one sad Elonan/Krytan darkskinned male npc with the bald head- Come on really? One guy? Just one? In a city where there is supposed to have a district of people like that? I mean I guess I can see why the npcs look the way they do. One brother had to do all the work. Funny enough my character is darker than he is and its the darkest character in the game…Its interesting to see when Amaare walks through the city and the fact that nobody looks like him, he is nothing more than a darkskinned guy with dreads, but he looks very foreign there- even in his own district…….
What was the reason for this, and is there anything being worked on to bring in the changes that I am talking about?
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Is there a reason why this was done? It seems like there are no true Elonans (or Krytans or Canthans aside from Queen Jennah) in the personal story. Why is it that all of your friends are Ascalonian? I am suprised that there are no true Krytans amongst the bunch of noble friends shown in the opening of the noble personal storyline. Can anybody explain why this is?
Hey if anyone from Anet reads this I’ll say this. Please please stick to your guns on the design of what you established from the original series. I understand that time and cashflow play a part in mmo design, I really do, but It would be nice to be in Harlem or Chinatown and actually see Chinese and Black people. It would be nice to be in Little Rio and actually see Brazilians. Otherwise your game just becomes just another purely fantasy mmo. Your diversity was what made the GW series different, unique. Most people play human characters, its always nice to see a developer who has all people in mind when they are playing their game. I understand that most of the playerbase who played the original series played only the first game and have a strong love for Ascalon, but I hope you understand the beauty in your game is the depth and the assortment of colors and looks of the humanity of your world. I can only name two other mmo series that have this and GW is by far the deepest.
It was also the one who didn’t rely on “super physical black guy tropes” like The Elder Scrolls.
I cross my fingers that I am going to see the return of my beautiful brown Sunspears, and perhaps a return of dark Krytans and the tattoos and hairstyles for both groups to pick in the character creator.
I hope in the future expansions I can still find the same beautiful people I saw in Nightfall and factions (And please don’t let your devs turn the african looking Elonans into Arabs), I liked Orr alot and would love to see it and its Arab looking peoples one day be returned to its former glory.
The Divinity Tour Guide for the Ossan Quarter, my god that woman’s voice is horrible.
1. She isn’t even Elonan
2. She sounds like Susie from Idaho trying to speak Elonan. Hey, I understand that the game isn’t about voiceovers but can the Elonans sound like Elonans? Can they look like Elonans? Harlan Fromahj has a terrible voiceover, he sounds like as if he is mentally slow and doesn’t look Elonan at all! Its just the same reused npc of the scholar walking around. Ironically there is a black woman in the crowd that looks more Elonan than he does.
3. Minister Zamon looks and sounds nothing like an Elonan, he might as well be Ascalonian, the only thing Elonan about the man is his name.
I have to agree with this one. I also would say all of them, Logan doesn’t hit for crap in the early missions of the noble personal story and when you are fighting the general and his goons its a plain straight up jail gangkittenprison scene, it also sucks to not be able to level up for these to prepare because you are brought down. Don’t get me wrong, I love the downscaling system for being out in the world, but for the story events its a pain because if its a difficult personal story quest (which most of them are)and the npcs don’t really help its really hard to deal with when you get overwhelmed and no real solution. I’ve known people who have reached level 80 and have not finished the personal story quests because of the difficulty.
It would be nice to at least be able to be two or three levels above the goons and bosses at max at least. Then you can have a fighting chance. I love difficulty as well but the way I’m getting whooped in the personal stories is plain pathetic, and Logan should not go down that fast or seem like he is hitting the enemies with a toothpick and some chewing gum. I’m not saying he has to do all the work but at least let him be as strong as me in the scene.
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I am just curious as to why Minister Zamon looks like an Ascalonian. Aren’t the leaders of the districts supposed to be of the race of that particular district?
It would be nice to see more non straight hairstyles for human females, its really a pain seeing a beautiful long dreadlock option for Norn females and not females.
I would also be willing to pay for Old Krytan tattoos, Elonan hairstyles from Nightfall, etc.
One thing I have to say is that this is a great game, its probably overall the best mmo I’ve ever played and the world design is top notch in all areas except one- The npcs.
I am a lore guy plain and simple. I bought the first GW mainly because of one thing. The lore and especially GW Nightfall. I found the reflection of the game’s lore to have an area that is not really ever covered in gaming, dealing with a people who don’t get coverage as major characters very often as well. The game is very tasteful and respectful and non stereotypical for the most part (Sure there’s Koss, but that’s about it).
While awaiting this game I kept on reading about “The Grand Diverse Human City of Divinity’s Reach”. How the four major human races have their own district of the city and how diverse the city is, so on and so forth.
And what did I see while I was walking around. 20 percent everyone else as far as npcs go, and 80 percent Ascalonians as far as looks go. Ascalonians are the typical fantasy human race, the western europeans. Now before people jump in and say “But the races are mixed, they’ve been cut off for 250 years”. Let me jump in with a few points.
1. Divinity’s Reach is a Krytan city. Krytans were originally a Elonan colony, eventually they mixed with the Ascalonians and the race ended up having a Brazilian/Sicilian look to them. When you walk around the city you see very few people that look like this. But the interesting thing is that Queen Jennah the leader of the city looks this way. How interesting that the Queen of the city looks this way but the majority of her people do not.
2.I implore anyone to speak to the Divinity’s Reach Tour guide in the Ossan District. She TELLS YOU that the Elonians arrived en masse fifty years ago to the area fleeing Palawa Joko. Now why do I mention this? Because fifty years is not enough time for a race to become this diluted to the point of hardly seeing them- in their own district at that. Even she herself does not look Elonan in the least, she has a clearly Ascalonian look to her and she even speaks in a way that denotes that her words were supposed to have accents. Instead the voice actor sounds more like a midwest school teacher trying to have a Swahili accent.
3. Minister Zamon in the personal story is supposed to be the Minister of the Ossan Quarter. The man looks more Ascalonian (along with his sister) than even Queen Jennah herself who looks more Elonan than him.
4. While walking around the city I saw an npc introducing himself to some women, there was a dark skinned woman amongst the bunch, she looked Elonan but the man doing the introductions claimed he was Elonan (saying that his name was to be pronounced a certain way because of the pronunciations of the Elonan language". The man did not look at all of the race he said his last name was. Now sure, he could have been mixed, but with as few VISIBLE Elonan npcs walking around it would have been quite nice to see this man looking like one.
Now, why does this matter many would ask? I will give you several answers. The best thing about the original GW series was the depth of the humans and the human races. Now I know many people could care less. Most people are happy having the stock typical human races in fantasy because that’s what they are used to. I bought this series because there was a game in the series that represented ME. There were npcs that looked like me and there was an entire game centered around these people. As an rper its a bit jarring to walk down the street in the district that is supposed to be filled with those people and hardly see any of them, and then see other characters that are supposed to be of this racial group and none of them look like the race that is supposed to be of this district. Most people do not know GW lore they did not play the first game and are new to the second game. They don’t know the differences and why GW humans are so great and what makes them so.
These differences in diversity looks and culture is what makes this game truly feel like a world and not simply like the world of Europe. I’ve always applauded the Anet’s efforts and promised to support them for doing this. To see them pull back from this and go in the direction of most mmo companies is a bit disconcerting. It makes me wonder that when the eventual expansions into the other parts of the world arrive will the npcs look as they do now? Nothing like how they did in the original game? Now one could make the excuse again for the races being mixed, sure. But what happens when we see the original areas and countries? Will the npc’s reflect how the races looked in these areas that was established in the old game?
Divinity’s Reach was cool because it was supposed to be the NYC of GW with its own racial districts and such, and when you see the npcs it looks nothing like this at all.