High Elves

[NanoEliteSixSixSix.8935]

Even if we did end up with elves somehow, I can't think of any recreational drugs that are available to us players as consumables off the top of my head. How are the elves going to get high if we don't have any drugs to do that with? That's the real issue with this whole idea.

[Fenom.9457]

> @"Bakeneko.5826" said:

> > @"Mortymes.7139" said:

> > So Ion said we wouldn't get HIgh Elves in WoW, so how about High Elves introduced in Guild Wars? Most games have elves in their fantasy, but GW has no elves at all.

>

> Lives in a forest, loves nature, one with the trees, speaks with british accent. Sylvari much?

 

 

Now give me ice elves

[DarcShriek.5829]

We need high elves, dark elves, goblins, gnomes, halflings, dwarves, and orcs as player races. This way GW2 can be like every other second rate generic fantasy game out there.

[Donari.5237]

> @"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:

> Anyone else find it interesting that there's a whole page full of nothing but people saying "no" to the OP? Apparently it was such a touchy subject that every active forumer needs to voice their shared opinion on it.

 

Given that the OP has only ever posted that one single post that triggered this thread, I think it likely that is exactly what the OP was hoping would happen. Which is part of why I have not voiced my opinion yea/nay on it to this point. (For the record, I'm on the "nay" side. And would also decline to agree with suggestions in the WoW forums that WoW needs newly-podded leaf people just because GW2 has them).

[Blood Red Arachnid.2493]

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> > @"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:

> > Anyone else find it interesting that there's a whole page full of nothing but people saying "no" to the OP? Apparently it was such a touchy subject that every active forumer needs to voice their shared opinion on it.

>

> Given that the OP has only ever posted that one single post that triggered this thread, I think it likely that is exactly what the OP was hoping would happen. Which is part of why I have not voiced my opinion yea/nay on it to this point. (For the record, I'm on the "nay" side. And would also decline to agree with suggestions in the WoW forums that WoW needs newly-podded leaf people just because GW2 has them).

 

I'm getting flashbacks. I've been on new forums before where I would say one thing, only to discover the hard way that I stepped on a land mine. Its happened many times, actually. I brought up using a Gameshark in a Megaman forum once, and they cursed my name continuously for over a year about that fact. Seriously, I left because screw them, came back out of morbid curiosity a year later (and also because the game was fun) and they were still using me as the pen-ultimate example of an evil person.

 

There's a point where it reaches absurdity. If you're the first person to say something, go ahead. If you're the second person, it isn't so bad. But once the teens roll around, the horse is dead. I originally came to this topic to say "Sylvari are our elves", but after seeing it was said a bunch of times already, I declined.

[Just a flesh wound.3589]

> @"NanoEliteSixSixSix.8935" said:

> Even if we did end up with elves somehow, I can't think of any recreational drugs that are available to us players as consumables off the top of my head. How are the elves going to get high if we don't have any drugs to do that with? That's the real issue with this whole idea.

 

The game has [Zhaitaffy](https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Piece_of_Zhaitaffy). If your char eats Zhaitaffy there’s first a rush then a crash, with vomiting if s/he ODs.

[Talindra.4958]

I made my first sylvari dark olive skin and dark elven look.

[Sarpan.9074]

Heh. I misread the thread title as "High Elvis." Gave me a chuckle.

[Eekasqueak.7850]

> @"Ashantara.8731" said:

> > @"Eekasqueak.7850" said:

> > Elves are the Mary Sue of fantasy races, no thanks.

>

> You never have read classic fantasy novels, have you? Nor played classic (a.k.a. "high") fantasy RPGs, I assume? Because if you had you wouldn't make such a statement.

 

I made that statement because I've done those things. Elves were almost always the worst part of the setting.

 

In fact I've read and played so much of it that I find orcs and dwarves very bland and typical (re: generic)"high" fantasy very bland and unimaginative.

[Ayakaru.6583]

> @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > @"Bakeneko.5826" said:

> > > @"Mortymes.7139" said:

> > > So Ion said we wouldn't get HIgh Elves in WoW, so how about High Elves introduced in Guild Wars? Most games have elves in their fantasy, but GW has no elves at all.

> >

> > Lives in a forest, loves nature, one with the trees, speaks with british accent. Sylvari much?

>

>

> Now give me ice elves

 

Blue skinned sylvari?

Elementalists, maybe.

[Fenom.9457]

> @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > > @"Bakeneko.5826" said:

> > > > @"Mortymes.7139" said:

> > > > So Ion said we wouldn't get HIgh Elves in WoW, so how about High Elves introduced in Guild Wars? Most games have elves in their fantasy, but GW has no elves at all.

> > >

> > > Lives in a forest, loves nature, one with the trees, speaks with british accent. Sylvari much?

> >

> >

> > Now give me ice elves

>

> Blue skinned sylvari?

> Elementalists, maybe.

 

 

Blue skinned, pointy ears, magical aptitude. From there, the details could definitely fill a distinct new society. The only problem I have with your suggestion is sylvari have tree skin

[Ayakaru.6583]

> @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > > @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > > > @"Bakeneko.5826" said:

> > > > > @"Mortymes.7139" said:

> > > > > So Ion said we wouldn't get HIgh Elves in WoW, so how about High Elves introduced in Guild Wars? Most games have elves in their fantasy, but GW has no elves at all.

> > > >

> > > > Lives in a forest, loves nature, one with the trees, speaks with british accent. Sylvari much?

> > >

> > >

> > > Now give me ice elves

> >

> > Blue skinned sylvari?

> > Elementalists, maybe.

>

>

> Blue skinned, pointy ears, magical aptitude. From there, the details could definitely fill a distinct new society. The only problem I have with your suggestion is sylvari have tree skin

 

And elves have flesh skin, what are you? A fantasyracist? ;)

*its 2018 people, can we judge people by their actions (AP), and not by their skin, be it fur, wood or flesh*

[Fenom.9457]

> @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > > @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > > > @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > > > > @"Bakeneko.5826" said:

> > > > > > @"Mortymes.7139" said:

> > > > > > So Ion said we wouldn't get HIgh Elves in WoW, so how about High Elves introduced in Guild Wars? Most games have elves in their fantasy, but GW has no elves at all.

> > > > >

> > > > > Lives in a forest, loves nature, one with the trees, speaks with british accent. Sylvari much?

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Now give me ice elves

> > >

> > > Blue skinned sylvari?

> > > Elementalists, maybe.

> >

> >

> > Blue skinned, pointy ears, magical aptitude. From there, the details could definitely fill a distinct new society. The only problem I have with your suggestion is sylvari have tree skin

>

> And elves have flesh skin, what are you? A fantasyracist? ;)

> *its 2018 people, can we judge people by their actions (AP), and not by their skin, be it fur, wood or flesh*

 

 

Just saying as a playable race I’d prefer that aesthetic

[crepuscular.9047]

They were gonna do 'elves' with fiendish eyes in GW Utopia before it was canned


 

 

but i would personally like anet to bring Sidhe from GW:U concept to life as a separate race from Sylvari, the male somewhat remind me of Ventari


caster class of female Sidhe(?)


 

 

 

 

[Alatar.7364]

> @"Cuddy.6247" said:

> I think the mursaat kind of filled the role as high elves. They were hostiles, but there's still room to learn about them post mortem.

 

Yeah I don't think autopsy is a thing in Gw.

[Lord Kreegan.8123]

Most elves are _high_; it's that stuff they're always smoking in their pipes... Sylvari, however, can't be _high_ elves because they're vegetable matter; it they smoked the same stuff, they'd burn up.

[Vayne.8563]

> @"Kheldorn.5123" said:

> > Guild wars is not the kind of game where you call "but game X has it, so why not Gw2?"

>

> - microtransactions

> - raiding

> - mounts

> - trinity

> - DRAGONS

> - dungeons

>

> But still no build templates. Yes, GW2 is bastion of originality /s

 

Microtransactions isn't in game. So it's hardly worth talking about. Games have to be funded in the real world.

 

Raiding is different in this game than most games. Because there's no raid progression and the gear you want isn't locked behind raids.

 

Mounts are done differently in this game than most fantasy games I've seen. They each move differently (bigger turning circle for the more ponderous raptors etc).

 

The trinity isn't quite the same as other games either, and in fact, it's only really part of raids themselves.

 

Dungeons were done differently than most games too, as were fractals. The fact is you can say swords too, but attaching skills to weapons is very different from WoW.

 

You're just looking for commonality, but even without that framework this is a very different game. Even when stuff is added, it's added differently.

 

Edit: Which is why Sylvari are "elf-like" (they fill the same niche), but they are not elves.

 

[Brother.1504]

As stated by many others guild wars engages the trope of the forest dwelling magical race with the sylvari. The twist is elves generally are extremely long lived and our sylvari are the opposite, essentially new borns.

[DarcShriek.5829]

> @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > > @"Ayakaru.6583" said:

> > > > @"Fenom.9457" said:

> > > > > @"Bakeneko.5826" said:

> > > > > > @"Mortymes.7139" said:

> > > > > > So Ion said we wouldn't get HIgh Elves in WoW, so how about High Elves introduced in Guild Wars? Most games have elves in their fantasy, but GW has no elves at all.

> > > > >

> > > > > Lives in a forest, loves nature, one with the trees, speaks with british accent. Sylvari much?

> > > >

> > > >

> > > > Now give me ice elves

> > >

> > > Blue skinned sylvari?

> > > Elementalists, maybe.

> >

> >

> > Blue skinned, pointy ears, magical aptitude. From there, the details could definitely fill a distinct new society. The only problem I have with your suggestion is sylvari have tree skin

>

> And elves have flesh skin, what are you? A fantasyracist? ;)

> *its 2018 people, can we judge people by their actions (AP), and not by their skin, be it fur, wood or flesh*

 

You must be from the future, because it's only 1331 here.

[Ardid.7203]

> @"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:

> Anyone else find it interesting that there's a whole page full of nothing but people saying "no" to the OP? Apparently it was such a touchy subject that every active forumer needs to voice their shared opinion on it.

 

Every community needs to join tightly in front of certain menaces. You know that, I know that. It may seem a bit fanatical sometimes, but there are limits no one must trespass, vices nobody must indulge in, crimes that can not be forgiven. So you are with us or against us. Because this is not a democracy, this is the kitten internet! NO MORE ELVES!

[Einlanzer.1627]

To be honest I would have liked those elves above more than sylvari.

[lokh.2695]

> @"Ardid.7203" said:

> > @"Blood Red Arachnid.2493" said:

> > Anyone else find it interesting that there's a whole page full of nothing but people saying "no" to the OP? Apparently it was such a touchy subject that every active forumer needs to voice their shared opinion on it.

>

> Every community needs to join tightly in front of certain menaces. You know that, I know that. It may seem a bit fanatical sometimes, but there are limits no one must trespass, vices nobody must indulge in, crimes that can not be forgiven. So you are with us or against us. Because this is not a democracy, this is the kitten internet! NO MORE ELVES!

 

Hello fellow citizens of the interweb,

 

I like elves as a fantasy race in general, they resonate far more with me than let's say orcs or gnomes, so I'm fine with that. But what I like more is original thought, creativity(yeahyeah, I know, there is no true creativity as everything is an amalgamated chimera of ideas hurled together in patterns of different predictability and so on, but let's stay basic here ;)) and "uniquenes".

When people see a new fantasy franchise they expect humans, orcs, elves, dwarves and other tropes like medieval weaponry and magic...and horses. These things code the genre of the game, here it's fantasy. Every game that doesn't offer enough genre specific tropes will not be recognized as part of the genre and might miss the intended demographic. On the other hand, ever game that lives solely on the genres tropes will feel bland and probably won't hold attention for long.

Now, to the OP, ANet and GW2. This game has somehow managed to find a unique style when it comes to fantasyy tropes and races. Humans are the magical, old race with the special connection to the divine(elf trope), Charr are crafty technicians(gnome trope), Asura are (originally) subterranian and go the magitech route(dwarf trope), Sylvari are new to this world, curious and naive(human trope)... It is part of what makes GW2 the game it is and I like this game because it is the game it is.

The OP gets these reactions, at least from my side, because it's a request to turn a game I like into a game I'd probably still like but that would feel just that one race more generic and boring. And there a lot of these requests, on every forum to every game. I get where they come from, I also like different games but can only play one at the time. So I wish all the games I like would just somehow magically meld together to form that one perfect game to fit me and my personal preferences but that's just not how culture works unless you create your own private culture for yourself only, i.e. make your own game.

 

I react the way I do to these threads, because they usualy are not worth the effort I went through with this post, you know, all the fancy words and stuff. Typing "Nope. No elves plox." is far more time efficient than writing a short exposition about representation of genre tropes in fantasy MMOs. The OP didn't bother to write more than two lines, why should we bother with more than a "Nope"? The reasoning behind the "Nope" is there, ppl do think about these things, it's just far to complicated to elaborate every time in every thread of every game.

 

Have a nice day :)

[Yamazuki.6073]

> @"Last Crysis.1934" said:

> > @"Magnus Godrik.5841" said:

> > I say bring high elves in. Bring midgets, gremlins, orcs, goblins, ghouls, zoras and fat people as well. The 6 can travel worlds, why can't these races. I dont see why anyone would be angry for bringing in new content. Who cares what it is.

>

> This is not that garbage game WoW. Our community likes the unique races GW's has given us.

 

They're only unique if GW2 is the only game/form of media you've looked at, there's nothing new at all about them. Even their personalities/cultures are rather generic for each given race.

[Rauderi.8706]

> @"Yamazuki.6073" said:

> They're only unique if GW2 is the only game/form of media you've looked at, there's nothing new at all about them. Even their personalities/cultures are rather generic for each given race.

 

Everything is a trope. What matters is presentation.

 

Sure, GW2 has Humans. They're pretty boring and generic. But they're not exactly a *successful* or dominantly prolific race. They're struggling against centaurs they can barely outrun. And that's a neat quirk.

 

Charr fill the "martial race" and "beast race" trope, much like the Kzinti or some furry Klingons. But, they reprise this by their reasonably unique look (lack of dramatic sexual dimorphism), steam-industrial aesthetic, and their obvious nod to Roman military.

 

Sylvari are also an amalgam of tropes as an elf-like, fey-inspired mentality, and it's not like wood-people are new (I am Groot.), but there are elements in them being a "new" race and their underlying sinister creation that adds something to their otherwise doe-eyed curiosity.

 

If anything cleaves too much toward the trope-norm, Asura and Norn fall right into it.

 

Asura are gnome-goblins with technical/magical prowess and a reckless disregard for life, limb, or sanity. They're gremlins with doctoral degrees. They're the modern twist and out-of-theme jolt in the Guild Wars mythos. It's hard to separate them from the typical WoW-Gnome or other "tinkerer" race.

 

Norn. That word should mean so much more. Instead: drunk, hunters, large. Sure, their (game-unsupported) shapeshifting and totemic spirituality are unique to them in the setting, but there isn't much they've done besides be Double Dwarves / Big Humans and constantly mispronounce Jormag.

[Fengzhou.9853]

I'd be all for Tengu over the curse/blight of other games.. (elves). Tengu please :)