Racial matters

Was I high through history class? Who did the native americans slaughter and take their land? Actually they Native Americans came across from Asia and south from what would be Alaska, according to current history. I think at this time they were only a few steps up from cave men.... But its okay I doubt I d get my English history right. King Arthur killing Grendel and all that

Your friend is too sensitive, end of thread.

I believe his friend is angry about how they are 'misrepresenting' the Whirling Dervish, and not because of any possible derogatory connotation to the template name.

Tell your friend that Guild Wars' nomenclature is flavoured by the setting of the campaign, and in no way seeks to precisely embody whatever historical group they are named after.
Seriously, of COURSE the 'Whirling Dervish' isn't going to be exactly like it is in game. Nor is any other part of the Dervish.
Last I looked, they couldn't turn into an avatar of their god, nor could they sustain several hits from weapons that should cut them in half, or a meteor that would shatter their bones.

Your friend needs to chillax, you don't see all us grandchildren of people who served in the war boycotting all the WWII games.
And, as someone mentioned, Cid Mieyer's Civilization games should be banned if the whole world was to share your friend's fanatasism. Honestly, get a grip.

This is just Politcal Correctness Crapola gone wild in the entertainment business. Your friend is just entirely too too sensitive. Haven't any of you noticed that in almost every PC game where the Nazi's are represented, the swastika has been removed to be replaced with an Iron Cross?

And don't get me started on movies, Hollywood is just plain afraid to make a movie with Islamic Terrorists as the bad guys. They even changed the script of a Tom Clancy novel from Islamic Terroirists to some bunch of old Nazi's that were trying to set off a nuke.

We are playing a fantasy game in a fantasy place with pixelated representations of people. Maybe we should all be frog people. But I am sure there is a group out there who watches out for Frog Oppression.

Your friend is obviously a MARDARSE now get offended

mardarse Noun. A weak willed person, a softie. [Northern use]

mardy Noun. Someone who is easily upset, scared, or moans incessantly. {Informal} [North and Midlands use]

Adj. In the manner of someone who is a 'mardy', see noun.

sorry people like this need to get a life
#
my 2 penneth worth

If we really want to become upset, lets talk about how little people are protrayed in fantasy games.

Although I can sympathise with him, my religion is often portrayed negatively in media, I have even stopped reading the works of writers and publishing houses because of it.

But on the other hand, GW is not saying that the in game dervish are representative of the real life Dervish. So I say "lighten up", that attitude is like saying that the Chinese should boycott Star Wars beacuse the Jedi Knights and the Force are derived from the Wu-Dang monks and Ta-Chi

Im still upset that the guy that killed Rurik had a Mexican accent!!
And that the Infusioner is a racial impersonator of Protoss!!

Any feelings on this from the Protoss?

No, but the Zerg are fine with it.

Racial, and ethnic culture is one and the same. People who get upset at names, before doing reasearch into why such a name were chosen, are the same type of people who do bad things to others because others may refer to something one way based on their perception of such events as opposed to the perceptions of others who are upset at the name used.

If all else fails just remember the saying, that "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me." And let it role off your back.

Or maybe this would work better for you, "Cry me a river, build a bridge, and get over it!!"

By the way Anet censors, thanks for erasing my first message, which by my perception was informative, and my opinion of events. Not an attack by a long shot.

dude...dude dude. did noone else notice this part of the OPs post??? WHAT THE HELL is this mumbling shit???????RED ENGINE GORED????? what is that?. is that some foreign obsinity or something? i cant blame him either...if hes on DRUGS! you should prolly take the money youre saving from not buying nightfall and get him some rehab. anyway...
RED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED ENGINE GORED!!!!!!!!!!!

Can we just close this thread, all the flaming asshats are attracted to this thread like how my dog's attracted to humping people's legs.

I don't know if you're being sarcastic or not, but Red Engine Gored is the forum's censor method, each obscinity spawns a Red Engine Go, and if theres multiple ones they hook up to form Gored Engine.

My ancestors were Highlanders, I feel offended by the movie "Highlander"

I think racism would disapear if more people realized what racism is, and just ignored it when it happens.

I assume your friend is from Sufi Muslim descent. In that case, Dervish is used to refer to a Tariqah, or religious way/method, known for their self-imposed poverty the way Christian Friars are. They aren't a warrior society and are noted for their calm nature.

And Balthazar is most typically used in reference to one of the three Wise Men in the Book of Mathew, not a Warmongering God of violence who rewards you for the premeditated killing of others.

Should Christians be upset/offended that one of these key figures in their biblical history has had his name "borrowed" and added to such a wildly differing--perhaps even derogitory--figure? What should we do if we are? Boycott Anet and NCsoft for this religious slap in the face?

Of course not. Even suggesting it sounds silly. They weren't deliberately out to slander your friend and his heritage any more than they were out to insult me and other Christians. They just thought the name sounded cool.

@Curse You: Ne Obliviscaris

Sorry that your friend is insulted, but it takes effort to be insulted because of this. Look, this game was never intended and and makes no direct references to historical figures, at least from what I'm aware of, and if they do use the same name, don't be offended, Mesmer's children and grandchildren are probably not offended over Guild Wars, nor are Monks around the world offended, and so on. This is a case of "I'm making an effort to be offended over something as trivial as this"

I don't get it. How does reminding someone of their past make it offensive?

It just doesn't make sense.

Sorry, but no discussion is happening here except for a few dozen people saying the same thing over and over. Closed.