The Asura are too stereotyped

[Erasculio.2914]

In many works of fiction in which there are other races, authors often write humans as the race that can be anything, and the others as if they were limited to a single aspect of what humans can be. It's similar to how often different planets are created as if an entire planet were covered by a single ecosystem (the ice planet, the desert planet, the volcanic planet, etc), while Earth contains multiple ecosystems.

 

In GW2, we have:

 

* **The humans.** The "can be anything" race.

* **The Charr.** Ruthless, efficient, organized, based on industrial age-level technology. They're so disciplined they don't even have families, instead they raise their children in military units. However... The Olmakhan basically turn this stereotype upside down, by showing the Charr under a somewhat more emotive and caring community. Rox's desire to basically have a family also helps to make the Charr more three dimensional.

* **The Sylvari.** Noble, inquisitive, naive, innocent. We don't have to look far to see cases in which this stereotype doesn't apply - Canach and Caithe, the Sylvari we interact with the most, are far from being "naive" or "innocent" (or noble, arguably). Other than humans, the Sylvari are probably the most three dimensional race in Tyria.

* **The Norn.** Loud, drunk, dumb, boisterous, strong, stubborn, caring. The main issue here is that the Norn we meet the most, Braham, is an exact personification of the stereotype. We haven't see content around the Norn in the last Living World seasons (even the episode near Hoelbrak was more about the Kodan than about the Norn), but we have seen a significant number of exceptions, such as Eir and many of the Sons of Jormag.

 

And then we have the Asura. Arrogant to the point of megalomania, intensely based on magic-infused technology, incredibly smart, working poorly with others of their own kind, and that's **all** they are. Whenever we meet the Asura, and we meet them often (other than Taimi and Gorrik, we had the Inquest arc in Season 4, the Inquest Arc in Season 3, the Rata Novus arc on Heart of Thorns, and so on and so on), that's what we see of them. The same stereotype over and over.

 

I hope the next season will either give us a break (no Inquest, give Taimi and Gorrik a break while they try to find a cure for her, or begin the season after a time skip so Taimi is dead and Gorrik is busy mourning her) or show us a different side of the Asura, such as a primitive group still underground that is more than the same "jokes" repeated over and over.

[Ubi.4136]

I only play Asura, and don't really see the races quite the same way.

 

Humans - act like we expect mostly

Norn - just tall humans, they drink and act big, kind of how I'd expect big humans to act

Charr - mechanized, aggressive society of cow-like creatures

Sylvari - bipedal trees that both want and don't want to be human

Asura - arrogant, intelligent (with matching egos) and aggressive carnivore - masking their natural urge to be like pocket raptors by being smart, all those sharp pointy teeth give away the hidden beast inside

 

If they make a story, I want it to be a backstory explaining how we made it from the tiny, aggressive carnivore we clearly were to a technologically advanced society.

 

 

[Ultramex.1506]

* I find Human very generic, they don't act different from one another despite one live in desert and other in green field

* Charr was better though with the introduction of Olmakhan like you said

* Norn? Yea they really are stereotype since they barely have any appearance in the story

* Asura? i wish we can see them do mundane task (gardening, raising cattle) or even act primitive rather than "research this research that", but i'll admit some of their events are funny.

[Westenev.5289]

> @"Ultramex.1506" said:

> * Asura? i wish we can see them do mundane task (gardening, raising cattle) or even act primitive rather than "research this research that", but i'll admit some of their events are funny.

 

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Escort_Moa_Trainer_Kappa_and_her_pygmy_moas_to_Beetletun

https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Trainer_Gill

 

I mean, it's not like it doesn't happen...

[Samnang.1879]

this gave me new ideas for suggestsions for LS5 to submit to the @Anet_Board_of_Writing_Committee

 

S5:

- a stupid asura who aims to graduate the academy but struggles

- a shy timid soft-spoken charr

- a short norn

- a sylvari who doesn't care about his wyld hunt

 

- the commander finally gets a girlfriend

[Eekasqueak.7850]

I'd actually say Asura have the most diversity of NPCs. We see the usual brainy arrogant types, selfless and matronly Asura medics, no nonsense Asura vigil crusaders... That's quite a range imo. Humans are pretty flat and generic overall, and Norn are even worse, the majority get shoehorned into being idiot drunkards who like to fight.

[Dawdler.8521]

*describes how every other race is incredibly stereotyped*

 

*describes the Asura exactly the same*

 

"The others are fine but Asura is too stereotyped!"

 

Wait what.

[Vayne.8563]

I'd have to disagree. I'd have to scour the game to find examples, but there are plenty of asuran not only in this game but even in Guild Wars 1 that I didn't find stereotypical. There's one in the personal story, I think his name is Tonn. There's a few that are more dorky and adorable and less evil scientist blow up the world. I mean Taimi herself is different. We've seen her vulnerable, we've seen her caring.

 

In Guild Wars 1 we had Vekk, who wasn't stereo typical and there was one in the novels who I loved who was very un-asuran . But there are examples throughout the game if you're paying attention.

[Donari.5237]

There's also the Vigil Asura from the personal story, where you need to do a scientific thing to break down a gate, and she's all "whatever you're talking about I don't understand" as she butchers the name of the device involved and invokes the Vigil frontal smashing approach as the way to go.

[Ultramex.1506]

> @"Westenev.5289" said:

> > @"Ultramex.1506" said:

> > * Asura? i wish we can see them do mundane task (gardening, raising cattle) or even act primitive rather than "research this research that", but i'll admit some of their events are funny.

>

> https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Escort_Moa_Trainer_Kappa_and_her_pygmy_moas_to_Beetletun

> https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Trainer_Gill

>

> I mean, it's not like it doesn't happen...

 

oohhhhh forgot about that event, still i would like to see different type of Asura like Legion/Olmakhan, maybe the underground Asura lik Rata Novus but lively

[zionophir.6845]

while Mursaats cannot be a playable race, they are complementary to the Asuras. The Mursaats, since they are slow moving is more of a mage than the Asura, which can be a mage/warrior, since they are small. we all know that small things are have less mass and they tend to be agile.

 

so in a battle formation, i think of them as the atom. the Asuras are the electrons and the Mursaats is the nucleus. and if Mursaats is the nucleus, they can even be Categorized into two.

 

maybe the yin/yang | fire | water| ~ earth ~ air ~ Mursaats.

 

So think of the Mursaats as the Regents and the Asuras as their Loyal and Reverent protectors.

 

and by categorizing the Mursaats as the Regents, at the top is/are what binds them (Asuras and Mursaats) together.

[Ashen.2907]

As pointed out by multiple others already, Asura have similar deviations from any conceptual stereotype as any other race in game. Closer attention to NPCs in game is in order for you OP.

[Turkeyspit.3965]

That isn't where I thought this thread was going. I thought the accusation of stereotype was, why is it that industrious/technological races in fantasy settings are always the short people?

 

Dwarves, Gnomes, Asura.....in pretty much every fantasy setting I've seen, the aforementioned are described as craftspeople, inventors, innovators, etc.

 

But, as you were..

[hugo.4705]

Having a contrast with the regular society would be cool for asuras just like the Olmakhan for charrs: ->Some survivors from quora sum and other underground cities rebuildt another one.

Compared to the asuras we know, they....

-use renewable energies like sun, filtrating water from underground, they understood ley line would attract chaks but photovoltaic energy not and created an giant generator using crystals to concentrate light beams.

-care about their progenies, overseeing them and helping them to learn. But at a point they don't trust other races, protecting everything even more with weaponry.

-everybody consider others are equal, but still other races are bookah.

-high use of cyan fluorite more than in rata novus.

-here inquest are charged of the security and managing the data center and knowledges around the city.

[derd.6413]

> @"hugo.4705" said:

>-care about their progenies, overseeing them and helping them to learn.

 

you might want to reread the asura's wiki

 

[hugo.4705]

I'm not describing current asura. Also evolutions of species are different depending on environments.

[DanAlcedo.3281]

> @"Samnang.1879" said:

> this gave me new ideas for suggestsions for LS5 to submit to the @Anet_Board_of_Writing_Committee

>

> S5:

> - a stupid asura who aims to graduate the academy but struggles

> - a shy timid soft-spoken charr

> - a short norn

> - a sylvari who doesn't care about his wyld hunt

>

> - the commander finally gets a girlfriend

 

After what the commander did last episode, i doubt he will be only smashing dragons.

[derd.6413]

> @"hugo.4705" said:

> I'm not describing current asura.

 

i know that but i meant that our current asura do care about their kids.

 

>Asura have a strong sense of family and extended family, they affectionately refer to their children as "progeny" or "offspring". They also venerate their parents, and grandparents.

>*-wiki*

 

and before you reply: i know you're referring to

 

> Relationships that break up tend to feature more fights about who gets the inventions than who gets the kids

 

but this doesn't mean they don't love their kids

[Arkantos.7460]

we need some cool acting Kodan

[hugo.4705]

> @"derd.6413" said:

My bad, but what I meant was, caring even more, since they used to face the destroyers during their flight. And so the underground environment is way far more dangerous than a floating cube. In the sense that here, you would have laser cannons at the entrance of any building. And teaching them some self defenses.

[derd.6413]

> @"hugo.4705" said:

> > @"derd.6413" said:

> My bad, but what I meant was, caring even more, since they used to face the destroyers during their flight. And so the underground environment is way far more dangerous than a floating cube. In the sense that here, you would have laser cannons at the entrance of any building. And teaching them some self defenses.

 

so you want more combat oriented asura?

[hugo.4705]

Exactly, more savage and suspucious, always on the defensive only trusting other asuras. You will need an asura to recommend you to them.

 

Edit: about the fact they like their kids, I'm sceptical , I never found in game a couple of asura with their kids, never. Only progenies alone and they only speak a little about their parents that's also why I suggested that.

[NanoEliteSixSixSix.8935]

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> There's also the Vigil Asura from the personal story, where you need to do a scientific thing to break down a gate, and she's all "whatever you're talking about I don't understand" as she butchers the name of the device involved and invokes the Vigil frontal smashing approach as the way to go.

 

Good ol' Warmaster Efut. Possibly the dumbest asura ever to have lived. "Boo-boo-matic wheeze calculator" indeed...

[Cragga the Eighty Third.60]

There are actually lots of asura in the story that don't fit that stereotype. Your krewemate who didn't want the Snaff Savant title because it would involve expectations and responsibility...the Priory asura who helped with the mine golems in the Sylvari story...Tonn the explosives expert. They all seem to have that same actor's voice, though. :D

[XatraZaytrax.2601]

My Asura Tarzan is a hunter, who goes after his prey with his trusty, animal companion sidekick, using a bow or a axes. He is ferocious and mighty, and does not need technology to best his opponents, be they skritt or dragons or Gods. As a member of the vigil he embraces the concept of might is right. So he really doesn't understand your criticism.