97 replies to this topic

[Assimus Poundus]

Ardaion is calling a-net unoriginal because they designed Norn as larger Humans with tattoos, which aesthetically is very true and I agree with you about how they look (I'm agreeing with a troll!). However the aestheic similarities could be said about:

• Elves: Humans with pointy ears (BORING *yawn*)
  
• Dwarfs: Fat little people with beards

With me being someone who got stuck in pre-searing ascalon for a long while thinking that was all there was to GW in 2005, I am glad a-net did not go with the Elves/Dwarves in GW2 and came up with something different well before GW2 took off. A-net did what Tolkein did with Hobbits in LotR, they introduced a new humanesque race that was made unique due to their background. Sure the aesthetical differences are a bit lackluster but their background and how it is implemented in their gameplay more than makes up for that, far more than an elf/dwarf race.

What I am saying is that be happy a-net didn't go with elves or dwarves and came up with something different. Their look may not be as unique as Asura or Charr, but damn Norn are still awesome.

[Sir Bertrand]

Ardaion, on 22 July 2012 - 02:19 PM, said:

So they should make 5 size variations of the same human model and give them 5 different stories.

Much faster & cheaper.

Why even bother with the race concept?

Not sure if trolling.

Seriously, where did I say that looks don't matter at all? Looks matter. We need enough different looks to choose from. But just because one race looks similar to another race, doesn't mean that race isn't unique or that ANet just didn't want to waste resources.

[Diverscale]

Ardaion, on 22 July 2012 - 12:12 PM, said:

I don't really care about the story behind them, because in reality they are just larger humans.
People will go for them because they look much better in armor [due to their size]. There is plenty of more original races in the Guild Wars universe - Jotun, Frogmen, Tengu to name a few, but Arena Net decided to do yet another humans. I can only suspect that this decision was made due to the issues with limited resources and I really hope that they will avoid another place fillers in the future expansions - because it's cheap.

I do not like playing "non human looking" races, so thanks Anet for doing this in my case. Your opinion does not equal absolute fact that everyone agrees.

[blakdoxa]

WasiKaBooM, on 22 July 2012 - 12:38 PM, said:

I agree, Humans are pointless, they are just small Norn.

Here is the real issue of this thread.

[WhisperingWolf]

Its Anet's story let them do with it as they will. If the Norn do not have enough of a “race concept” for you then I suggest that you right your own story. For that matter why don’t you start your own studio as well and make your own game. Then we will pick it apart telling you we don’t like it for the most stupid reasons. Congrats troll you made a thread about as pointless as the whitewash thread.

[Tenicord]

Yeah I think the Norn are pretty pointless, but that’s my opinion. Some people like it, and it doesn’t affect me in the slightest so why should I even care. This reminds me of the gay marriage debate.

[TimOFF]

I'm playing a Norn, they are awesome! The thing with Norns I believe is that they have a grudge agaisnt the Ice dragon (I don't know if others have too but yeah W/E) and they are strive forward to slay Jormag... Pretty much sums up the race.. Like any other race they have a story and a purpose.

[Datenshi92]

As for other non-human races like Tengu and Centaur, I would suggest that you wait for the expansion packs, there's a chance that they might appear then.

If you don't like the Norn then simply don't play as one, now don't come here and tell Anet that they need to remove an ENTIRE race and everything related to them(skills, hearts/DEs, etc) just because you don't like them.

Edited by Datenshi92, 22 July 2012 - 09:35 PM.

[Lun]

I love the Norn race: I love barbarians, I love snowy areas, I love animal shapeshifters.

However, I can't quite consider Norn a "race" anymore than Asian or Caucasian. I mean, Norn look indeed like very tall humans, so to me they're more like human beings who lived in such an attunement with spirits that they got nature powers, which is why they're called Norn instead of Human.

[Larynx]

Ardaion, on 22 July 2012 - 12:12 PM, said:

I don't really care about the story behind them, because in reality they are just larger humans.
People will go for them because they look much better in armor [due to their size]. There is plenty of more original races in the Guild Wars universe - Jotun, Frogmen, Tengu to name a few, but Arena Net decided to do yet another humans. I can only suspect that this decision was made due to the issues with limited resources and I really hope that they will avoid another place fillers in the future expansions - because it's cheap.

I take it you're incredibly ignorant of the Guild Wars franchise.

[Simon1812]

Ardaion, on 22 July 2012 - 02:19 PM, said:

So they should make 5 size variations of the same human model and give them 5 different stories.

Much faster & cheaper.

Why even bother with the race concept?

already been done, ever played any elder scrolls game, ever quest maybe?

PS

-I do agree they could have chosen other maybe more exotic looking races, but it isnt really the point, the Devs at arenanet liked the idea of the norn and they went for it, it is that simple.

I do believe in a not so distant future more races will be added , I would love to be able to create a centaur character, a krait or even a hylek.

Edited by Simon1812, 22 July 2012 - 10:38 PM.

[The_Gray_Fox]

This is like saying there is no difference between the Nords and Bretons of Elder Scrolls.

[smartazjb0y]

Wait, let me get this straight. You're saying ANet added an entire new race, created storylines, VO's, models, etc, ALL for the Norn, yet it's somehow them being cheap.

They didn't HAVE to have a 5th race. They didn't HAVE to put the Norn in. So why, if they're trying to be cheap, would they spend ALL that money creating ALL that content for the Norn when they could have simply just had 4 races?

[SerDrak]

Vorch, on 22 July 2012 - 01:37 PM, said:

They are just large humans that:

1. Can transform into bears, leopards, ravens, and wolves

2. Live in an icy tundra with a spiritualistic culture (rather than the theistic culture of humans)

3. Drink exorbitant amounts of alcohol due to livers that have livers

4. Are very hairy; even the women

5. Have large breasts; even the men

6. Would crush your skull for even comparing them to the weakling cowards that are humans; Norn have no need of cities or armies, Norn are Norn.

/thread

Norn are my favorite race in the entire Guild Wars universe for all of the reasons listed above.

[Omedon]

It's at the end of their sword.  Where their foe dangles helplessly.

[Herr Roy Raven]

There is no real lore besides them being larger humans?  Hmmm... Bethesda would like to have a word with you.  A game that has about 10 races of human each with unique lore...

I guess by this logic there is no real lore behind Charr besides them being humaniod cats.  Meow!

Edited by Herr Roy Raven, 23 July 2012 - 05:37 AM.

[Sleepyx732]

smartazjb0y, on 23 July 2012 - 12:34 AM, said:

Wait, let me get this straight. You're saying ANet added an entire new race, created storylines, VO's, models, etc, ALL for the Norn, yet it's somehow them being cheap.

They didn't HAVE to have a 5th race. They didn't HAVE to put the Norn in. So why, if they're trying to be cheap, would they spend ALL that money creating ALL that content for the Norn when they could have simply just had 4 races?

because... just because

[joykafka]

The story behind a race is important, but their appearance does matter a lot as well.

Human beings do have tatoo in reality and Norns with tatoo is just not so inspiring, although I had to admit Norns look sexier than human beings.

The tatoo of Norns can be replaced by bulging veins, soul-bound bruise that grows with sufferings, something that has flesh or blood or bones in it, but not paint.  This or another physical feature, but again, not just paint, can differentiate Norns from Human beings.

[Arioch]

They're thematically different and (more importantly) they're important to the storyline. Considering the role they played in EotN it would feel wrong storywise to leave them out, and Arenanet does do a nice story.

They also appeal to a subsect of the players, those who want big things that can bash.... in my experience Orc lovers tend to like them.

[Yukseven]

Reeeeeally hoping to be able to be a frog dude in an expansion somewhere down the line.

[ImTasty]

Norn are far from humans. They are made of flesh and blood yes but the religion the norn believe in is far different from humans. It would seem their spirit animals actually show themselves a lot in the norn lives while the human gods pretty much leave the humans alone.

It would seem that the norns are more willing to fight to the death against this threat seeing as how when the dragons awoke the spirits the believe in lead them to saftey while the human gods basically said you guys are on your own. The norns can even channel the spirits of these animals and take on their forms which is something only the dervish from GW1 can do and it would seem now they are gone.

The only problem with this is that this can be consider the story behind the norn and seeing a how you said you don't care about the story behind them, you don't care about what makes them different.

[AngryTom]

Why don't Apple Jacks taste like apple?

Is there a story behind that? (not that I've done any independent research)

[Crook]

Ardaion, on 22 July 2012 - 12:12 PM, said:

II can only suspect that this decision was made due to the issues with limited resources...

I LOL'd hard. Are you really that oblivious?

[Dmon]

Ohnoes, They look like humans, bipedal and standing erect, we better cut out all the other races that do that. Hm, that really only leaves us with Charr. Time to make a new race! I got it! How about a floating ball of gas that can wield equipment and cast magic. The story behind it can be that the Mighty Developmentor Gods were angry with ignorant fools thinking that something that looks like a variation of humans automatically means it's generic, stale, and unoriginal human copy/paste/resize.

Have you read any of the lore? It's actually speculated that the norn came from the Kodan. Their social system is so completely different than humans too. AND the beings they worship, more like follow are animals.

Edited by Dmon, 23 July 2012 - 07:58 AM.

[Sleepyx732]

Okay.. obviously the Norn was created just to piss you off.

/thread

[SesimieStreetFighter]

Norn women are a pleasure to look at.....no need to squint they fill up the screen really well....

[Zhahz]

Bigger babes with bigger boobs.  Who wouldn't want that?

The norn are significantly different culturally and I think they're fine.  Lots of games feature multiple "human" style races and at least in GW2 there's a more noticeable distinction both in siize, and immediately via culture.

I like the spread of races in the game right now, and if GW2 has xpacs at the same rate as GW1, I'm sure we'll see more races added in due time.

[RAD]

This thread is entertaining me quite a bit:) just too funny.

But seriously enough to points have been made numerous times to prove that norn aren't just big humans. Only the ignorant will continue to think that. You've been warned.

Go Norn!

[Alch]

i know two reasons

[Red J]

I don't like the concept of Norn much as well, though they were already in GW:EotN. There were so many awesome ways for ArenaNet to go with, yet they choose overgrown Viking-Indians. However, it's too late to change anything about them design-wise.

I'm already starting to hate all these 9 feet  wide and tall male-gorillas blocking my view.

Edited by Red J, 23 July 2012 - 08:15 AM.