Which Race do you resonate more with, Culture Wise?

[AlenaVolkova.8179]

Norn, since I do love to have friendly competition with my friends in terms of cooking and sports. At times we welcome strangers we encounter to join us as they get to have fun watching and free meals for them afterwards.

[ZeftheWicked.3076]

I voted Asura...but after a thought I'd go with Sylvari.

Charr - catcows are nr 1 on my big NO list. I hate governments and the more oppressive the more I hate them. And it's obvious that as a Charr you have a simple choice - be a soldier or be nobody. This does not sit with me at all and their culture is something I would avoid like the plague. Also with their militarsm it's pretty obvious they'd set out to conquer all around them were it not for internal threats keeping them busy (Ghosts, Branded).

Humans - while not as bad as the Charr, there's a lot of rotten apples in there. Upper echelons are busy pulling cloak & dagger kitten on one another while at lower ranks of society half the population lives in nearby bandit cavern, while other half is trying to make honest living while being raided by said bandits, centaurs or just taxed by the queen (with little Seraph protection to show for it).
Also pretty sure that's once you're born into certain social class, it's pretty hard to move up compared to other races.

Norn - I absolutely love Norn societal structure. Loose tribal bonds, no political hyenas trying to fleece ppl to the bone. Every Norn seeks his own legend, and is rewarded for being their own man, rather then falling into rank and file.
Except many of them come with Grawl level IQ and their idea of being legendary is who can bring the bigger skull and drink more ale before dropping under the table. By far that's the biggest turn-off for me.

Asura - The huge pro of this race is that they take Norn's self-made philosophy and put it to much better use - brain over brawn, scientific achievements over  alcohol tolerance. Once again this race (like the Norn) is one of dreamers and trailblazers. Additionally their philosophy shows it's superiority where it comes to societal roles - there is no  "bottom of the totem pole". A farmer in any of the above races will certainly not be enjoying respect nor status. Charr that raises cows may be helping the wheels turn, but it's obvious he drew short end of the stick.
Asuras however are geniuses by birth and everything is a field for improvement and progress! One who develops new way to grow crops is just as big as someone who found new energy source!

That being said they are bogged down by what Norn are not - goverment. Arcane Council comes with it's own set of shady politics, questionable goals and lack of transparency. Not to mention red tape and disturbing tolerance for inquest presence (then again same could be said about the Norn keeping Sons of Svanir in their capitol).

Sylvari - and this brings us to my final choice. Sylvari are somewhat a mix of all races but the charr, in many ways taking best parts while suffering lesser flaws.

Having Mother Tree as your ruling body is definitely a better deal than what Asura, Humans or Charr got. While flawed in her own ways (hiding the truth, preference for firstborn over latter generations) she for one is not corrupt and actually cares for her children.  You don't see her trying to kill off political opponents to gain more power or consort with shady factions to further her own agenda. As mentioned by Astral Poring she is unforgiving and brutal torwards Nightmare Court - except in my book that is a huge merit. Let's take a look at Krytan politicians using bandits to further their own agenda, countless victims be damned. Or Arcane Council having shady dealing with Inquest. And let's not forget said Inquest living comfy in Rata Sum, while Sons of Svanir having a bowl in Hoelbrak.

That kitten doesn't fly in the Grove. There's only one place Nightmare Court can stay in Sylvari Capital - the prison cells.
Other than her being least corrupt and warmongering of all the governing bodies for the races, there's also the perk of there being no prejudice against one's life path (as long as it's not criminal). All Sylvari share the dream and in there they often see their calling. From fighting Dragons to tending to gardens. As such these roles are respected and Sylvari very often excel at them. No Sylvari is being pointed out by his peers as loser for having a calling to things like agriculture, education, hand crafts etc.
Due to that it  can be argued that Sylvari enjoy the most amount of freedom of all races even despite having a clear ruling body.

Also when was last time you went to the Grove and saw someone get their teeth kicked in a drunken brawl or robbed by common alley bandits? By far the best managed capital.
 

Edited January 16, 2023 by ZeftheWicked.3076

[Rogue.8235]

Charr, because I'm more comfortable with military culture than I am with civilian culture.  While most Charr are stereotypical movie-like soldiers (movies and tv shows do not depict military culture well), the camaraderie, unit competitiveness (like when I call them the Chair Force), loyalty to the small unit (squads/fire teams in real life, warbands with Charr), , the role of the small-unit leader, and directness of social etiquette all resonate with me.    I prefer being with other grunts than any others.

 

My true choice is skritt, but you took that from me!  Why can't I revel in the society which worships the shiny?  I love shinies and shinies are life.  If I could pick any, I would choose the only good society in GW2: the society which adores shining shiny shinies shining brightly!  Essentially, I like stuff.

 

[Antycypator.9874]

Asura, because the only way to understand the world is through science.

[TheNecrosanct.4028]

My choice are the Norn, for their connection to nature and the Spirits of the Wild, and their resemblance to ancient European cultures (the continent I was born and live on). I don't care much for the brawls and I wouldn't be much of a drinker, except on occasion. I'd probably be a lone wolf Norn, most of the time out and about in the Wild. Battle isn't the only place where one can build one's legend, after all.

Sylvari are a close second. I like their philosophy for life that Ventari inspired. The fact that they're pure nature and live in the forests and in trees is something that really resonates with me (yeah, you guessed it, I'm a nature buff).

While I do play with Charr characters and like their design, a militaristic culture where parents give up their children to be raised in a fahrar where they're basically groomed to form warbands would not be my ideal choice of life. 

Humans are just humans and usually the least interesting character option for me in any game that has multiple races/species to choose from. I do have a few but (and only 1 Human female; no Human female meta for me) they'll never be my main choice.

And then there's the Asura, the ones most people seem to love so much. A race/species that considers themselves superior over all others, look down on all others, who strive to master the Eternal Alchemy so they can rule over all of Tyria, would be the very last race/species I'd choose in any game (21 characters as of now, none of them Asura). I find the entire concept revolting, to be honest, but luckily in game it mostly expresses itself in silly ways (because ANet will never blatantly write stories for a race/species that deep down aspires to world domination). And while I've seen a few in this thread laud the "science over religion" aspect of Asura society, they do have a belief in something they can't definitively prove to actually be real. It is a philosophy or cosmology they ascribe to but one they, in spite of all their attempts, can't quantify, and probably never will (it's the age old adage: the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. For all their smarts, they lack the wisdom to see this). And they're ugly. There. I said it. Sue me. To me, they are the sentient molerats of Tyria, except molerats are cuter than Asura. 😜

[Freya.9075]

2 hours ago, TheNecrosanct.4028 said:

And then there's the Asura, the ones most people seem to love so much. A race/species that considers themselves superior over all others, look down on all others, who strive to master the Eternal Alchemy so they can rule over all of Tyria, would be the very last race/species I'd choose in any game (21 characters as of now, none of them Asura). I find the entire concept revolting, to be honest, but luckily in game it mostly expresses itself in silly ways (because ANet will never blatantly write stories for a race/species that deep down aspires to world domination). And while I've seen a few in this thread laud the "science over religion" aspect of Asura society, they do have a belief in something they can't definitively prove to actually be real. It is a philosophy or cosmology they ascribe to but one they, in spite of all their attempts, can't quantify, and probably never will (it's the age old adage: the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. For all their smarts, they lack the wisdom to see this). And they're ugly. There. I said it. Sue me. To me, they are the sentient molerats of Tyria, except molerats are cuter than Asura. 😜

Ah, the irony. I can sense the arrogance in this. It seems you look down at the Asura, try to insult them and don’t understand their genius! This kind of mindset would fit perfect. You should join us! You got great potential 

[TheLadyOfTheRings.9148]

For me it would be Sylvari, Norn, and Charr, each for its own reasons:

Sylvari - curiousity, nobility, honesty, adventure, mystery, deep connection to nature;

Norn - Spirits of the Wild, independence, forging own legend, optimism; 

Charr - discipline, atheism, society-oriented, loyalty.

[Biermeister.4678]

None of the above

Skritt 

[Liewec.2896]

norn!

i have norse blood, i'm tall, and have a big braided beard and mohawk.

and norn are pretty much the vikings of GW2 😄

Edited January 18, 2023 by Liewec.2896

[GreyCatfish.9356]

Charr are the only race I find interesting because of how natural they are.

 

I absolutely love the connection of pure, ruthless nature with steampunk-like technology.
By default, they're all dangerous predators with a very animalistic nature. Nature is cruel and unforgiving - so they are. Natural born conquerors.
It's basically the survival of the fittest and most adapted while there's no mercy for the foolhardy or the weak.
At the same time, they display an amazing level of intelligence by inventing all kinds of technological marvels and weapons without using any magic to do so.
Their social structure is very strict and every single one of them has a specialized role in it. Every single charr is a soldier who's always ready to act. If you're useless or cause problems then you're quickly dealt with.
No male/female discrimination - no excuses.
No place for religion.
There's also a very high level of competitiveness amongst High Legions - this alone drives them onwards and pushes their technology even further.
Very tight, family-like connection inside charr warbands - just like in the army - there's no "I" in the team. Your failure will cost the lives of your family members.
Under the Flame Legion's rules, they were basically morons with clubs fueled by lies of the shaman caste and under constant fear of the false gods - it's just amazing how quickly they have transformed into a well organized, highly militaristic society and industrial giant.

They're pretty heavy metal too 😄

 

I also like the asura a lot. They possess unmatched intellect and are capable of inventing things that escape logic but at the same time they can be so incredibly stupid :3
The extreme level of competitiveness, narcissism, and self-pride basically prevents them from conquering all "lesser races". 
There's also the infamous Inquest and those guys don't kitten around 😄

[TheNecrosanct.4028]

8 hours ago, Freya.9075 said:

Ah, the irony. I can sense the arrogance in this. It seems you look down at the Asura, try to insult them and don’t understand their genius! This kind of mindset would fit perfect. You should join us! You got great potential 

If steering clear from supremacists is arrogant, than I'm proud to be arrogant. There's nothing genius in a desire for world domination. And genius without wisdom, that's the recipe for disaster. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should". Their love for science is laudable but other than that the Asura perspective is nothing to aspire to.

So I have to politely decline your ironic invitation. I welcome you to openmindedly consider other perspectives, though, and maybe consider the notion that Asura are not as smart as they like to think they are. And I ask you to consider the cautionary tale that is Omadd.

[Freya.9075]

31 minutes ago, TheNecrosanct.4028 said:

If steering clear from supremacists is arrogant, than I'm proud to be arrogant. There's nothing genius in a desire for world domination. And genius without wisdom, that's the recipe for disaster. "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether they could, they didn't stop to think if they should". Their love for science is laudable but other than that the Asura perspective is nothing to aspire to.

So I have to politely decline your ironic invitation. I welcome you to openmindedly consider other perspectives, though, and maybe consider the notion that Asura are not as smart as they like to think they are. And I ask you to consider the cautionary tale that is Omadd.

Aww you fail to see the fun in it. It is a game. Loosen up. No need to take it all so serious. Try the race and play their story. You will see there is more to them then you think. Supremacy exists in all races of Tyria. I actually have played all races. I find the other race stories boring compared to Asuran. Which is why I prefer to play a little rat. And you can make them really cute if you want to. If you can't see them for what they are and can't enjoy some banter, I guess you could stick to the boring ones you are familiar with. It's all good! Everyone got their own taste

[TheNecrosanct.4028]

49 minutes ago, Freya.9075 said:

Aww you fail to see the fun in it. It is a game. Loosen up. No need to take it all so serious. Try the race and play their story. You will see there is more to them then you think. Supremacy exists in all races of Tyria. I actually have played all races. I find the other race stories boring compared to Asuran. Which is why I prefer to play a little rat. And you can make them really cute if you want to. If you can't see them for what they are and can't enjoy some banter, I guess you could stick to the boring ones you are familiar with. It's all good! Everyone got their own taste

I guess my humor was too subtle then, because I did see the fun in it. I just remained "in character".

I have played an Asura. I used it to get the AP for doing personal story for all races, then I deleted it again. That was about a decade ago and never felt the urge to create a new one. Out of character (as in, my "real" opinion): I feel no affinity for Asura. I don't usually go for the tech race. Aesthetically they are not pleasing to me. I'm more a nature kind of guy, so Norn and Sylvari are more obvious choices for me. You also don't need to play an Asura to be familiar with Asura. I play the story so see plenty of them around. I like Taimi and Zojja (a bit biased towards the latter because I love the voice actor, Felicia Day) and Gorrik is charming as well. Outside of them I've never met another Asura character in game that I found particularly interesting. I can basically sum up my opinion about Asura in one word (which is actually a name): Phlunt.

[TheQuickFox.3826]

Human touched by Dwayna's blessings.

Humans because I'm human IRL and that makes it easy to identify with my character. Dwayna because I like her kind and protective spirit in a world that is hostile and chaotic.

Edited January 27, 2023 by TheQuickFox.3826

[Ausar.9542]

iam a reptilian in real life, and I resonate with the Charr race in the game because we have a similar denomination at all cost cultural mindset. 

[Arnox.5128]

I think I'm gonna go with the boring "All of them." answer, though perhaps leaning slightly more towards charr.

[Gehenna.3625]

Human without the six gods. 

Spoiler

They're dead now or left Tyria as it is.

 

[Freya.9075]

4 hours ago, TheNecrosanct.4028 said:

I guess my humor was too subtle then, because I did see the fun in it. I just remained "in character".

I have played an Asura. I used it to get the AP for doing personal story for all races, then I deleted it again. That was about a decade ago and never felt the urge to create a new one. Out of character (as in, my "real" opinion): I feel no affinity for Asura. I don't usually go for the tech race. Aesthetically they are not pleasing to me. I'm more a nature kind of guy, so Norn and Sylvari are more obvious choices for me. You also don't need to play an Asura to be familiar with Asura. I play the story so see plenty of them around. I like Taimi and Zojja (a bit biased towards the latter because I love the voice actor, Felicia Day) and Gorrik is charming as well. Outside of them I've never met another Asura character in game that I found particularly interesting. I can basically sum up my opinion about Asura in one word (which is actually a name): Phlunt.

Ah, yes Phlunt. We do agree with that one. Rest assured though, most asura is not like that!

I’ve wanted to make a character resembling him. Make him a minion master and throw him out there in open world with a full squad of 15 minions, confusing players as they walk by. If other players cannot see who Phlunt is amongst all the minions,(which I don’t think they will)  I’ll take it as mission accomplished! He does fit among the abominations that the minions are! Or perhaps that would be insulting for the poor little minions. If they had a brain that is.

[Lanfear De Noir.9127]

Asura because...

They are cute

They are smart

They rule the world of Tyria.

[Zephyr.5382]

I guess Norn because I'm massive IRL. But with none of their personality (which I'd say is closest to Human?), and some Asuran intellect and Sylvari adventuresome spirit thrown in. Yes, I'm a walking paradox.

[Player.2475]

All races in Guild Wars 2 are extremely one-dimensional to me, but if I had to pick the more interesting one, it'd be Charr.

I hate the steampunk aesthetic which is super dysfunctional and uncomfortable to use, on top of looking ugly just because some fiver artist thought it would look more steampunk that way. 

[Scalacious.4139]

Sylvari & Human, for they both have those chivalry / paladin types that just click with me. Charr come in close behind for the military / roman empire vibe they bring with.
I can't really connect with the norn and asura, the former always feeling like hippies on streroids and the later are way to snobby and annoying.

[Doggie.3184]

Humans and the One True God; Abaddon.

[Greyfel.2580]

Culturally/religion I'm a 1 God, religion>science kind of guy, and that doesn't fit any of the game races very well.  But, I loved being in the military and loved it's structure. Also I tend to be a very direct and straight forward guy.  Charr is an easy choice.

[Valkan.6514]

Centaur, because female humans outrun me irl.

Serious answer, i resonates more with the human not because they 'humans'. But the amount of struggle they have just makes me wanna root for them. Fall of Orr, Elona suffering from Abbadon, Joko and then Balthazar, Ascalon and Foefire, Centaurs, Then their pillar, the gods, leave them. All of this i'm surprised they still stands on tyria as major race. Sure other races have their struggle too but not as much as humans if i remember correctly. Asura and Primordus, Norn and Jormag, Sylvari and Mordremoth. For Charr, i can only think about internal problems like flame legions, and all race have their own, but i cannot think about external problems with Charr besides the war against humans.