Guild Wars 2

Rognik.2579:

If it is a critique, I feel like Professor Gorr’s plotline in the asura personal story is also a reference to climate change. He’s spouting about how magical energy is changing, and most people doubt him without hard evidence. The big government, the Arcane Eye, even tries to silence him. It’s not a perfect parallel to Al Gore and his lectures about global warming, but it does seem somewhat similar. After all, it is Professor Gorr who gives the speech.

Whoa, how have I not made this connection? What an amazing parallel!

Danikat.8537:

On the other hand it wouldn’t be entirely inappropriate to have a group of well meaning and enthusiastic envrionmentalists who got started on a clean-up operation in spite of not having the slightest idea what the issues actually are or what needs to be done to combat them.

That’s true! I suppose my only qualm is that this trope seems to be pretty played out. I’m not so sure that a radical, misinformed activist character really has all that much to add to the conversation anymore. Where are the level-headed environment organizers that are so much closer to reality?

EDIT Also, could you elaborate on this:

Danikat.8537:

I work for an environmental conservation charity (non-profit for the Americans) in real life, and there’s definitely an element of “with friends like these who needs enemies?” to some issues.

To be clear, I feel that in contrast the inclusion of this “level-headed environment organizer” type is important in deconstructing the very established misconception that environmentalism is some sort of radical movement. I remember reading recently that islamophobia/homophobia. is more prevalent among those who’ve never met Muslim/gay people. I’d venture to guess that interactive media could have the same sort of influence along similar principles.

Konig Des Todes.2086:

I took that line to mean that you don’t have to be a genius (what asura, especially Inquest, claim to be and sometimes are) to make a difference in the world. Rather than “environmentalists are ignorant” that “even if you’re not smart, you can still make a difference.”

I guess it’s a half-full half-empty situation.

That’s a good way to interpret it! It would definitely make sense to make that sort of remark in contrast to the Inquest. I went back to check with the Tyrian Protectors, too, and the dialogue is fortunately pretty tame. It’s really only a couple that provoke some hostility from your character.

Maybe it’s best to provide a least a small amount of criticism of the left. It’s not uncommon for dogmatism/anti-intellectualism to run rampant in certain circles.

To clarify, the bit about how “you don’t need to know anything to make a difference” feels as though it may be insinuating that environmentalists are ignorant or misinformed.

Environmental Activist Jenrys’ Eco Mission Statement reads:
I don’t know much about Inquest technology, but you don’t need to know anything to make a difference.

Ouch. Am I reading too much into this? My character’s interaction with the surrounding NPCs seemed a bit off as well—almost as though the environmentalists were being painted as radicals or extremists.

I was so excited to find a task motivated by environmental stewardship! I suppose I was just hoping it’d be handled a little better.