Gaile Grey Shown Asura Minipet

LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dude you've just proclaimed the new race to be the end of all Guild Wars players. You had me laughing in the middle of the library. Nice

A shaved Mogwai!!!!

Remember kids - no wading in the lakes with him or "oh oh"

I'll reserve judgement until I see one for myself, but regardless I'm getting one coz I'm a subscriber.
In the right setting I don't think they'll seem out of place.
I can see these guys in a dark area (big eyes), say an ominous forest or something....

Suck. It was cute on their site.

Hehe, this is funny I had a picture of one of these as a sin in PvP shadowcasting, you cant see it until it is gnawing on your leg and then it is too late. Reminds me of a little gnome doll.

I was just thinking about that. I've been wanting a Charr Shaman for awhile, but never took the time to shop until after I saw the battle stance... and then I was on a mission to get one. So I bought one this weekend and realized I'd love it if he danced too.

I don't see how it would be too difficult to add existing dance sequences to mini pets w/ arms, legs and torsos... like the Asura and Charr Shaman for example. I've done it to avatars I've created (or copied and modified).

The Asura looks to me like he could do a mean stomp.

I wanted to quote you, as you sum up perfectly the situation.

I noticed that the fans of the Asura thingy are as quick to jump in and call detractors names and such as the people who are name-calling the artists that made this thing. Whoops, this is a forum and it was intended for the online public posting of opinions. Trying to silence differing opinions is morally questionable. Users of this forum have the right to say it is "Ugly", without ad hominem attacking their age or anything else. Those people who say it is ugly should not make any statements about the artists that made it either. The posting of opinions can be done in a nicer fashion.

I notice all the ascerbic vorpal responses are from the defenders, for people to "Grow up", "Go play something else", etc. Now that's the height of maturity there.

See Gaile's posts for an adult, mature response. "Do not judge it yet, not all of the facts are in".

The detractors commonly compare the Asura to wee beasties in Kids shows, and not even the most rabid of defenders argues any of those comparisons.

I will close this by quoting from memory another post in another thread that also sums up this situation with eloquence.

"Take someone who knows nothing about Guild Wars and WoW. Put any three random critters from WoW on one side, and any 3 random critters from Guild Wars on the other. Show them this new Asura, and ask them where it fits?"

I think everyone should have an opinion, and phrase it without the nasty editorials.

And yeah, I think this thing does not fit into the GW universe very well. But at least I am willing to wait and see.

Thx!
TabascoSauce

QFT, not just that entry, but the whole post.

I also qouted that because someone, in defense of Asura, could say "Well the Asura has better graphics than WoW models". It's not about graphics, but the actual style and look of Asura itself; where's it fit?

At least the Grey Giant is prettier than this minipet! *end sarcasm*

reminds me of chuckie

Really, I think this is just like other mini's, some people like it, some don't.

We're not saying who is more stylish. We're not saying it's influenced from WoW. We're saying that the creature looks like it fits more in WoW than Guild Wars. WoW has a colorful and cartoonish feel to it. Guild Wars is more realistic, kind of like a movie. The "does he fit in WoW or GW?" example was asking if he looked more realistic or like a toon.

It's not just if we like it or not. It's about whether or not this guy represents a new direction in terms of look and feel for Guild Wars.

Not realistic is not an argument you can use against a fantasy game.

There are MILLIONS of un-realistic things in Guild Wars.

They've had the silliest looking, most unfitting creature in the game before it was ever even released. If you think this Asura doesn't fit in the game, then where are all the threads about the Seer?

As far as I'm concerned, the Seer and the Asura might as well have come from another planet in a spaceship.

Perhaps realistic isn't the right word, but the point remains the same I think. How about "believable" as opposed to 3-D cartoony? I think the main issue is the preference between a realistic (believable) fantasy world vs. an oversaturated cartoon world, and of course concern (no matter how unwarranted at this point) over whether or not the asura may be a sign of GW's future heading toward the ladder.

Thanks a lot! That's actually the word I was looking for: believable.

I think I want to augment your argument by pointing out that according to Vilaptca, he recognizes that there is a qualitative difference between the "usual" GW art product(s), and Asura.

Things that are different do stand out.

I think that the concern that people are voicing over Asura (Some of whom are less polite than others) is that it is sufficiently different from the normal GW art product to stand out.

The many comparisons were made because his unique thing does not fit into the standard GW art, and it is human nature to categorize things. Since it obviously does not fit into GW, comparisons were made to various children's cartoons and such, because that is the category Asura best fits into.

The repercussions of making this game more child-friendly are both good and bad. The possibility exists, there goes the entire necromancer class. Lock, stock, and barrel. That is not for the under ten-years-old demographic, which is the category Asura best fits into.

This game currently has what, a teen rating? Then why would the GW art staff choose to put in something that looks like it belongs in products intended for those younger?

And please tell me this is not some twisted joke with that thing suddenly sprouting teeth and fangs, which is alluded to with the pictures of it in some kind of combat-stance or something. That might give those kids who are all about this thing nightmares. That's wrong.

Thx!
TabascoSauce

Edit - I think that the difference people are getting at here between Asura and the Seer, is that the Seer does not belong in the same demographic as Asura. It is different, but not like a cartoony kids show kind of way.

...Ta Da! You hit the nail on the head - is the Asura unreasonably out of place? That seems to be some of the differences of opinion. By the tone of your "lighten up" comment, it seems even you are conceding that he's not really cut of the same cloth.

ANet is giving him away as a tie in, which I think is a first. They are definitely pushing Asura. Go back to:

We came full circle. Where else should I post how I feel about this?

Thx!
TabascoSauce

What is a Asura, a new race for chapter 4? A new character? A new life force that you must protect? I don't know what they are!

the azura is gwen. plain and simple.

No, I don't mind. ^_^

Now you need to get more people in your guild and go win a championship, so I can get my name in lights by doing absolutely nothing. heheh

Now back to our regularly scheduled program...

And you know this because..............
What allows you to assume that the artist have no current work on their plate, As much as I hate to say it you sound just like the people I went to school with. All work by yourself and no time in a real pipeline, trust me when I say you are always kept busy. You don't honestly think the only people that touch a model or environment are Artist or Animators.

Don't get me wrong not all of the process are the same every place you go, with everything you do, but there is more to adding a component to a game or a piece of software then you might realize. The artist didn't just one day up and choose to make a creature and add it to the game. There is a lot more involved in the process you have simplified.

This is directed and no one in particular, heck the whole thing isn't.

Personally on the issue of the creature and heck most of the issues, I really couldn't care one way or the other. If they make something new and add it to the game without charging me extra, good for me. If I like it, I use it, if I don't, oh well maybe I'll save it for a rainy day. As a consumer you have every right to complain until your hearts content, but remember this, if your complaints don't include constructive criticisms your wasting everyones time and only slowing down the process of making what you want better.

You're right. Believable is the right word. Just like this:



I don't think that that little critter is believable.

Now on to a less sarcastic note. It's unbelievable that we have not seen something like this in game yet. Three continents, and we have not yet seen anything remotely similar. The real world is made up of all sorts of critters, cute, ugly, "believable", freakish. It doesn't mean that any of them don't belong in the world. It's the same with GW. Sure, this thing is pretty freaky looking, but does that mean anything at all? No.

I mean, you can hate it because you don't like the look of it. But honestly, it doesn't look cartoony. It doesn't look unbelievable. And nobody has any idea of whether it'll fit into the game or not. Nobody except Anet knows where we're going to find it (although I'd make a guess at somewhere underground, or some other dark place). So yeah, if you don't like it, then that's fine. But hold off lighting the torches and picking up the pitchforks until we know at least something about the little guy.

I sincerely doubt ANY person is working on creating an Auction House

So it looks like a cute, fuzzy-wuzzy mouse? Sounds pretty silly, and silly=funny, funny=cartoony. I AM WINNAR YUS.

This argument causes a loophole:

"Realistic" = Improper term, does not apply, since this is a video game. We used "believable".

Believable=Realism.

Asura=Believable=...Realistic???

The Asura become believable if you think of them as a species that the Charr, for example, considered a prey species which drove the Asuran evolution towards a nocturnal species capable of some degree of self-defense. Probably an insectivorous species originally with a burrowing past.

Imagine... underground cities, caverns, ... dungeons?

This exact situation has been documented before, many times. For a really famous example that everyone here will recognize, try Jar-Jar Binks. He definitely was different than the other characters, was definitely intended to appeal to children, and was widely despised and mocked. Or try Chu-Chu in Xenogears, despised and mocked.

How would Halo have turned out if they made Cortana into a cutesy cuddleable teddy bear that went on and on about pixies floating in the air? He was stopping an invasion force that was going to annihilate humankind.

We are taking out Lich lords and the god of pain and torment. Cutesy cuddleable pets, even if they turn into ravening Gremlin-like wacky tack-chompers, would best be suited for the GW2 equivalent of pre-searing.

If I can save ANet from making their own universally despised child-appealing critter, then I'm gonna try my best. Hysteria and Pitchforks? No. Sound advice? I think so.

Thx!
TabascoSauce

Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. I wonder if there will be other minipets showcasing the other supposed playable races. Maybe then, this uproar about the Asura will die off.

I haven't been able to find this anywhere else, but I noticed that on the official GW site where it cites which countries the magazines with the Asura minipet are available, Canada is not mentioned. I checked current versions of PC Gamer in Canada (April i believe) and there was no mention of the pet or even Guild Wars. Is the mini not going to be available to Canadians (though it would seem to most other countries)? Is there a specific reason why the PC Gamer Canada edition decide not to include it?...Or am i looking for the wrong magazine?

EDIT: Maybe I'll wait for the May issue as specified, but I still find it odd that Canada is not included on the list.

There are a bunch of examples as to how the Asura thingy does not fit into GW general art products (we have extensively covered that), and also comparisons to how he or she can become a much-mocked character (also well documented). This is the third time I am asking you, give me a documented positive example of how this Asura thingy's young appeal can improve the universally adult themes and art in GW?

In other words, has it ever happened before that they inserted say, a Pokemon character into a dramatic show like 24 or the X files, and it worked?

Thx!
TabascoSauce

They turned Angel into a puppet in season five, and that was one of the best episodes ever. Angel was a very dramatic show. It didn't have the same humour as Buffy, because Angel was a lot darker.

And Jar-Jar Binks character failed, not because of the way he looks, but because of the way he acted, and his incredibly crappy dialogue. Just because this Asura thing looks a bit inclined towards the childish side doesn't mean it will be as crap as Jar-Jar Binks.

You can hate the look of the thing, but looks can't end the world. We know nothing about the guy. We don't know what sort of environment they come from, we don't know anything about their personality, or about how they speak. I think it's a bit too soon to be comparing him to the failed creations of George Lucas.

All I got to say is that this thing looks 10x better than it did before.

My thoughts exactly. That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen.

I did not want to post this but after reading so many negative posts, ive decided to post it anyways.(This post is not specifically targeted at anyone, so no flaming)

First of all you people say that the Asura doesn’t fit into GW and that it belongs in WOW or Starwars. Now let me ask you this. Doesn’t the Charr look like a Wookie hybrid? I can see the Charr and Heket fit into Starwars as well especially since there are so many weird creatures in the world of Starwars. Does that mean that they don’t belong in GW too? If you say that GW has one of the more realistic fantasy worlds, then im afraid that the Charr and Grawl do not belong in GW too. Only creatures like the Centaur and Tengu are “real” because they already exist in fantasy or mythology. The creatures in the Starwars world are all made up(eg. Ewoks and Gungans) and because of that, the Charr and Heket fit perfectly into world of StarWars as well. Even the name Charr sounds Starwars like. Just take a look at the names of the races in the world of Starwars
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...aces_%28A-E%29
you can easily fit the Charr into the C category.

As for it belonging in WOW. (If you think it belongs in WOW just because of the friggin Gnome or because its cute, Read on) Just look at the Tauren. The Tauren is like the Charr and Heket. The Tauren is half Bovine half human. Now, lets look at the Charr and Heket. Charr is half wolf and half human. Heket is half frog and half human. As you can see theyre all similar. Doesn’t that make the Charr and Heket belong in WOW too? The Tauren is also a beastial humanoid species so what doesn’t make the Charr and Heket(and Grawl for that matter) belong in WOW? It makes perfect sense doesn’t it. What doesn’t make the Charr and Heket look like they don’t belong in WOW? Infact, I can see the Tauren playing a prefect role in GW too! The Tauren is so similar to the centaurs in GW. Even the Warden look like they belong in WOW. My point is that, the Asura may look like it belongs in WOW to some people but it doesn’t mean that they wont fit into GW. We’ve only seen ONE model of the Asura without any lore attached to it or at least a brief description and history of what the Asura is.
(After doing some more research, ill have to say that if you think that the Asura belongs in WOW, think again. The Tengu are the ones that fit better in WOW. Just take a look at this http://www.wowwiki.com/Arakkoa )
(To further prove my point about the Charr, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gnoll_wow.jpg
Doesn’t the Charr look like a hybrid of the Gnoll from WOW too? And if you compare the concept art of http://www.wowwiki.com/Arakkoa and http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Image:CharrConceptArt.jpg , don’t they look like they come from the same game)
(More comparisons: Skale(GW)  Murloc(WOW), Naga(GW)  Naga(WOW))
After all this research, does this mean that ALL the creatures in GW belong in WOW too??

It’s a fantasy game and any creature can exist in a fantasy world. There are no rules. Its fantasy.

Then there are some people who say that its of a different style that doesn’t belong in GW. Now let me tell you. There’s only one concept artist now in Anet and that is the Art director Daniel Dociu. IF you’ve watched the making of NightFall, you should know what im talking about. All the ideas/concept come from the big man himself. How can it be of a different “style then”? There used to be another, he was the art director of NCsoft and he helped out in some of the concepts in Prophecies but as hes a freelancer, hes no longer there. A concept artist does several concepts but he doesn’t get to choose what goes into the game. Daniel probably came up with 5-8 ideas for the Asura and if Anet find that the particular look is the one that is going to fit into the story then by all means. Daniel probably discussed with the script writers before coming up with the concept for the Asura. (In fact he has to go around meeting everybody) So just trust Anet on this.

Then people say how it does not looking fierce enough. This is the only Asurian we’ve seen so far. For all you know it could be an Asurian NPC. Just look at the clothes its wearing. Does it look like its ready for battle. There are a lot of human NPCs in GW that don’t look fierce either. INFACT, there are several looks in the character creation screen that don’t even look fierce at all. Thus, there could be other facial expressions for the Asura as well if it is even a playable race in GW2 if GW2 exists. We’ve not even seen its weapons and armour designs and you guys are judging even though it’s the only one we’ve seen so far. People also say that its too cute but like what ive said we do not know what that one Asura is. Also does this look fierce to you? http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Image:M...gray_front.jpg

And as what has been mentioned above, we do not even know what kind of environment and habitat the Asura lives in. And what role it plays in Chapter 4. Im sure that it has a big role to play and it would definitely fit into GW. A perfect example would be this concept of the Charr(http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Image:CharrConceptArt.jpg ). It just looks like any other creature in the world of Starwars if put into a Galaxy kinda environment. Put it alongside the Tauren and I don’t see why the two don’t belong in the same game to some guy who knows nuts about WOW and GW. Put it beside a wookie and you’ll find that the Charr could possibly be an ally or foe to them. Thus, its shows that people are jumping to conclusions when they’ve only seen one Asura. Even the Charr have different looks, so what makes people think that all Asurians are gonna look like that. Just imagine, that humans don’t exist and we’re Charrs playing Charr characters in GW. Then there’s news of a new race, the Humans. We are then shown a mini pet, a human mini-pet and it looks like this http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Image:Gwen.JPG
A lot of us will then whine and complain like what is happening now saying that it’s hideous and ugly and saying that GW is doomed. BUT! Hold on a sec, when Chapter 4 is released we get to see the other humans in game and we get something like that
http://gw.gamewikis.org/wiki/Image:M...gray_front.jpg
Everything then goes back to normal and everybody continues playing.
We do not know what that Asurian is. An NPC, a mage or a warrior and im sure we all know that we can customize the heights of our characters(if the Asura becomes a playable race)

People are also exaggerating on how GW will be doomed. Almost every time something new comes up that people don’t like, they say that. But is GW doomed????? Don’t think so. I think the only way GW can be doomed is if they stop making the game altogether. One new race(or change for that matter) isn’t gonna destroy GW. People will still play and adapt to changes as seen in the skill balances and nerfs. Even when Anet changed the AI to scatter upon being hit by AOE skills. People were whining like pigs back then but still many of them are playing.

Since when do game companies do research on creatures that are going to be implemented in their games.(They do however do research to get ideas for creature design) You mean to tell me that a question was asked by Anet on whether the community wants the Charr, Heket or whatever creature in the game?? If they are going to rely on the community then majority of the community should be working in Anet. Theres a limit to how much a part the community can play in helping to improve the game but this isn’t one of it. Because if it was, there would already be a creature concept design competition. They allow us to design weapons and name bosses because they dont really affect the story or PVE aspect of the game but creatures and races. Definitely not. Its like BungieNet’s implementation of the Arbiter in Halo2. It wasn’t well received but what the heck they still put it in anyway and its still one of the hottest games in the whole dam world. If its their idea and they feel like putting it in or feel that it will enhance the game then by all means. Doubt that there’ll be a poll by Gaile Grey that says “The Asura : In or Out” or “Remove the Asura?” Yes, they’ve been polls by Gaile regarding the game but those are minor stuff like Birthday Ideas or Titles. They don’t affect the storyline at all. That is why we are allowed to vote on those occasions. And doesn’t mean you don’t like something or hate it, doesn’t give you the right to be rude to Gaile or anybody for that matter. The world doesn’t owe you a living nor does Anet. ITS not you who’s putting in all the hard work and sweat creating that one game so that us gamers can just play our asses off. Its not as easy as you think it is.


Lastly. Why the heck are people whining and saying that its ugly, fugly or whateva.(you want to know what is ugly?A Grawl and a Dredge!) is ugly Its not as if its gonna help or anything. Why cant people give constructive comments instead of just saying it ugly. Just look at how many “uglys” there are in the past few days. Ugly doesn’t help solve anything. You think Anet are going to remove them(esp since they’ve worked so hard on it) as a playable race if it was intended or worse still from the game completely. NO. In the end it is THEIR game and you play by their rules, not the other way round. Yes, Anet do listen to the community of gamers but do they change everything. In the end their the game designers and they have the right to add whateva they want to into their game. Your not the game designer around here. In the end, game designers become game designers not becos of the money(money is secondary) but becos they want to create a game that they want. Its passion my friends. Most pro designers become designers because they have goals or dreams and its passion that drives em. At the end of the day, its their game that they want to create. When C4 comes out, then you guys can make the real judgment on whether the Asurian fits in GW or not and ill bet that those of you who are whining right now will still be playing then.
Yes you don’t like it, but that doesn’t mean every one doesn’t. You have your rights to give comments but common will saying that its ugly or hideous solve anything.

(PS: if uve read some of the stuff ive said in another thread about a week ago, I take back some parts of what said )

Bleaurgh... It's gross... Mwehehe, I have to get one for EBILNESS!!!

You wrote from the heart, and I think that it deserves a response.

I trimmed out a lot for brevity, while hopefully keeping the spirit of your post.

A lot of the same arguments you are making, have also been used before. Do you believe that George Lucas thought that Jar-Jar would be what he has become? Do you believe that Lucas has bad intentions, or did anything less that stellar work? I can very safely state that in interviews, he sounded a lot like you do right now, in his hopes and beliefs. Was he stupid or silly? Of course not - and neither is ANet. He, and you, believe that your respective pet projects will be accepted, and the possibility exists that yours will. But given past history, as I have been asking people, has this ever worked before? Good intentions does not equal success. When was the last time that a childlike character made it in an adult drama? I see above that someone specifically references a single Angel episode. That does not qualify as "working" or "making it". Buffy would not have been the same show if every show was of the singing musical variety, but it worked fine as a singular episode. The same goes with the Angel and puppet thing.

I am concerned because ANet is really pushing this thing, the Asura. When before have they ever given away a minipet with as much fanfare and a Magazine tie-in on a scoop for the next installation of GW? If they are betting heavily on the success of GW2 by using the Asura minipet as the star of the show, I think that their plans are going to repeat history. The Asura will be the subject of scorn and ridicule. And specifically players who choose to play as Asura (If the Asura is a playable race) will be subtly or unsubtly ostracized.

Maybe you do not see ostracization happening? Try being a mesmer and getting into a PUG.

TabascoSauce <------- has played a mesmer and knows

Am I malicious in my criticism? Anything can be interpreted as malicious. I do not feel malicious. So we go back to the quote from Zinger314:

This is a forum. Where else should I talk about what I think? If I like the game and care about what goes on in it, then should I hold my tongue?

Thx!
TabascoSauce

Wonder what it looks like in Warrior armor, or Monk perhaps?

That is very cute looking.
cannot wait to get mine

Forget Star Wars, WOW and all that crap. It's not a matter of thematics. Of course it isn't, GW is a fantasy game. It's a matter of stylistics. An Asura in the existing GW looks like a single Dali in a gallery of Rembrandts.

Anyone actually gotten this minipet yet or do you have to wait for the chapter 4 beta event to get it?

All i have to say is there would be no greater joy than running around as this little fuzzy creature owning me some warriors 10x my size.

Besides, i personally think this thing is pretty cool. Do you like the way everyone looks and dresses in real life? Of course not, but the variety creates depth and atmosphere which Guild Wars needs. And that is very realistic IMO.

it's an evil little cutie