If the character creation allows Norn that are of trimmer proportions, I might play a Norn Thief instead. I like the connection to Nature and the Animal forms, but I don't want a Thief that looks like it could bench press a war horse.
I'm not surprised in the least by the results so far. Charr will probably be one of the big races with Norn not too far away. Sylvari is popular because it's just being showed off this week, Asura would probably go up a bit once they've been showcasedand if they're looking good, but I think they look a bit too unimpressive to appeal to the masses thus far. If Anet manages to let them shine then we might be heading for a very balanced distribution.
Once they show more about those Golem Suits for the Asura I bet they will get a few more votes. Atleast I have not seen any information on those yet.
I wonder if all (Asura) classes can get one though, or if its maybe a Racial Ability, or by something of all the backstory parts pick when you create the character. Just wonder since they remind me alot of the big Mech Suits from RF Online. And if I remember correct, there was only 1 class for that race that could drive them.
Honestly, I think it will be decided by character creation options, but I still can't make up my mind between Human, Charr, and Sylvari. I voted Sylvari for the time being simply because of how unique they are.
Once they show more about those Golem Suits for the Asura I bet they will get a few more votes. Atleast I have not seen any information on those yet.
I wonder if all (Asura) classes can get one though, or if its maybe a Racial Ability, or by something of all the backstory parts pick when you create the character. Just wonder since they remind me alot of the big Mech Suits from RF Online. And if I remember correct, there was only 1 class for that race that could drive them.
With the GamesCom videos with many people playing Asura I'm already beginning to like them more. Their animations are quite funny. I can only imagine how popular they'll be when the game is launched.
Waiting for Guild Wars 2, and maybe SWTOR until that time...
So...you are going to play charr because of slavery and the KKK? The whole line of thought, of not playing humans in a video game because of the real world history of rascism and intolerance is the essence of bizarre (and a little bit unhealthy, if I may say so). There is a divide between fantasy and reality. There is a filter. It might be good to reacquaint yourself with this notion.
i havnt even heard of any mention of the the KKK in guild wars 2, so not playing the humans because of real life (not the FANTASY world of Tyria) history is so stupid and ignorant lol thats like saying i wont play charr because im allergic to cats or sylvari because my kid was eaten by a venus fly trap dodgy players in this world.....dodgy
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity. I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
So...you are going to play charr because of slavery and the KKK? The whole line of thought, of not playing humans in a video game because of the real world history of rascism and intolerance is the essence of bizarre (and a little bit unhealthy, if I may say so). There is a divide between fantasy and reality. There is a filter. It might be good to reacquaint yourself with this notion.
i havnt even heard of any mention of the the KKK in guild wars 2, so not playing the humans because of real life (not the FANTASY world of Tyria) history is so stupid and ignorant lol thats like saying i wont play charr because im allergic to cats or sylvari because my kid was eaten by a venus fly trap dodgy players in this world.....dodgy
That's completely missing the point of what I was saying, though.
The interesting part is that I've been quoted so many times of context it just looks like people don't have the critical capacities necessary to deal with my argument in context, so it's easier to just create a straw man and deal with that argument. If the only way one can deal with an argument is by creating a straw man, then the person arguing isn't very bright, plain and simple.
But the thing is is that a lot of people are talking as though the charr are inferior because they are different and this is a sentiment that I don't like. And invariably these are the people who seem to be planning on playing as perfect caucasian humans in the game. It's the sentiment. It displays a mentality that could be applied to racism if the details were switched around becaus it shows a mind that's capable of racism, it shows that the person in question has a mind which is capable of differentiating people and classifying them into classes of superior and inferior based upon race or other factors.
Now imagine if you were to replace 'charr' with 'black' or 'gay.' See, it's never a good idea to say that something is inferior because it's different, but many people are trying to do that with the charr, and I find it unsettling. That's why I'm going to play a charr, as I said in the part that's quoted (but not in context), because I don't want to be part of that noise. That's bad karma to me and I don't really want anything to do with it. I don't want to be playing alongside a group of people who're displaying factors and habits which could, if the details were swtiched around, be racist or just hateful in the real world.
Here are a few interesting things for you...
On the Star Trek Online forum there was this one guy who felt that holograms shouldn't have rights because they're not real people, but I'm a very perceptive person, and I noticed that there was something more going on there than that. A little probing and digging got him to make some very interesting comments. It turns out that the guy was a white supremacist and felt that anything other than caucasian humans shouldn't have human rights. The thing is is that the more people argued with him, the more he made his true agenda clear.
I've met people whom are like that in regards to the charr. See, if you have a mind that's capable of painting something as inferior or evil just bcause it's different, then you have a mind that's capable of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes. And the reason I said that I wanted to play charr was because I wanted to prove that I don't stand with that group. The charr are clearly the underclass here whom will no doubt be hated upon and seen as inferior or evil simply for being different. There's no fantasy involved in that. You're either familiar with thinking in those ways or you aren't.
The human players are going to find that they'll have a lot of very questionable people to deal with, really, once the game launches. Here and on the GW2Guru forums i've seen no shortage of people who frothingly need to prove that the charr are stupid/primitive/evil. There was one person here on MMORPG even. I don't remember his name but he was determined to prove that humans were good, pure, and perfect, and that charr were inferior, evil, primitive beasts. He even went so far as to imply that the charr eat children. That is the sort of person that you'll have playing humans.
I don't need that noise. I don't want to stand with people like that. So I'll play charr.
Now if you're going to argue with my post, argue with the whole damn thing in context and stop creating straw men. Just quoting a single line and then inventing arguments to argue against isn't bright, funny, or clever. It just shows a distinct inability to argue with the points put forward. It also shows a massive inclination toward derp. And if you're trolling me then I can't take you seriously.
Here's a nice example. That person sounds like they have issues with needing to classify people in different ways, in very binary ways, such as good/evil, superior/inferior, and civilised/brutal. It seemed to me that that person is like the kind of person to be capable of hate crimes, and they're just looking for a way to spew their hate in a game. That is the sort of player you'll have on the human side. Good luck with that. That's why I'm going to play a charr, because if I play a human then I'll likely end up yelling at most people about how the charr aren't brutal/evil/inferior. But on the charr side I don't expect to even hear about how other races are such.
(Like how you don't hear gay people rant about how god hates straight people, for example.)
---
Edit: And really, having kneejerk reactions to my arguments tells me that you've never been on the receiving end of prejudice and that you've likely the sort of mind that would be responsible for it. I suspect that you're straight and caucasian, or at least of a major ethnicity, and that you've never had to deal with prejudice so you don't learn to see the patterns behind it. Well, I see the patterns behind it, and the charr htae is just a bullshit reason for people to exercise their hatred. (See the thread I linked above.) That is why I'm playing a charr. I don't want to play a race that's going to be staffed with people who're going to be frothing at the mouth about how other races are brutal/inferior/uncivilised/idiotic, whatever. There's a thread almost every day over on GW2Guru where someone says that about the charr and it never ceases to amaze me.
It's just people exercising their right to be dicks. Well what if I don't want any part of that?
---
Edit #2: And I'll try and streamline it if some people are still too damned dim to understand it. Don't you get it? The bullshit hate against the charr reminds me too much of the prejudice I've experienced, personally. It hits a nerve. These words I'm hearing about a fantasy race are teh same sorts of words that were spoken about gays in the '80s. That we were somhow lesser creatures. It's the patterns of prejudice. They're not hard to spot. And usually the sort of people who'd do that would do it anyway. Whether it's a fantasy race or not doesn't matter, it's just any outlet for them to spew their billious amounts of bile into.
If the only way one can deal with an argument is by creating a straw man, then the person arguing isn't very bright, plain and simple
...
See, if you have a mind that's capable of painting something as inferior or evil just bcause it's different, then you have a mind that's capable of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes.
...
Racist. (I jest btw)
EDIT: read the rest. I think it is naive to believe because your reasons for playing the Charr involve a deep analysis into the human psyche and associating it with ficticious rasce of beings means all the players will. You will more than likely have the same types of people playing humans as you will Charr.
I've played WoW on both horde and human. Paladins are pure characters, but let me tell you they are some nasty people playing them. Orcs eat babys and humans and will kill for pleasure. I've met some pretty seemingly nice people play them. I can see your reasoning behind playing charr in the context you put it, but I find it a stretch to think most people will see things that way.
Maybe that says a lot or very little of us, who knows.
If the only way one can deal with an argument is by creating a straw man, then the person arguing isn't very bright, plain and simple
...
See, if you have a mind that's capable of painting something as inferior or evil just bcause it's different, then you have a mind that's capable of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes.
...
Racist. (I jest btw)
Even if you weren't joking, how does that even make sense? Calling a person who's responsible for hate crimes hateful is 'racist'? Well, you must have a different definition of it than I do.
I swear, you Internet kids make me despair. It seems like all many of 'em can do is hate or knock out kneejerk reactions to justify it. And that's precisely what I don't want to be a part of. :P I'm just sick of seeing people do that. You have no idea.
If the only way one can deal with an argument is by creating a straw man, then the person arguing isn't very bright, plain and simple
...
See, if you have a mind that's capable of painting something as inferior or evil just bcause it's different, then you have a mind that's capable of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes.
...
Racist. (I jest btw)
Even if you weren't joking, how does that even make sense? Calling a person who's responsible for hate crimes hateful is 'racist'? Well, you must have a different definition of it than I do.
I swear, you Internet kids make me despair. It seems like all many of 'em can do is hate or knock out kneejerk reactions to justify it. And that's precisely what I don't want to be a part of. :P I'm just sick of seeing people do that. You have no idea.
You called someone inferior mentally and then go on to say people who have the capability of painting something inferior have the capability of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes. Also, calling me an internet kid can fall into more of the same thing you are against.
So...you are going to play charr because of slavery and the KKK? The whole line of thought, of not playing humans in a video game because of the real world history of rascism and intolerance is the essence of bizarre (and a little bit unhealthy, if I may say so). There is a divide between fantasy and reality. There is a filter. It might be good to reacquaint yourself with this notion.
i havnt even heard of any mention of the the KKK in guild wars 2, so not playing the humans because of real life (not the FANTASY world of Tyria) history is so stupid and ignorant lol thats like saying i wont play charr because im allergic to cats or sylvari because my kid was eaten by a venus fly trap dodgy players in this world.....dodgy
That's completely missing the point of what I was saying, though.
The interesting part is that I've been quoted so many times of context it just looks like people don't have the critical capacities necessary to deal with my argument in context, so it's easier to just create a straw man and deal with that argument. If the only way one can deal with an argument is by creating a straw man, then the person arguing isn't very bright, plain and simple.
But the thing is is that a lot of people are talking as though the charr are inferior because they are different and this is a sentiment that I don't like. And invariably these are the people who seem to be planning on playing as perfect caucasian humans in the game. It's the sentiment. It displays a mentality that could be applied to racism if the details were switched around becaus it shows a mind that's capable of racism, it shows that the person in question has a mind which is capable of differentiating people and classifying them into classes of superior and inferior based upon race or other factors.
Now imagine if you were to replace 'charr' with 'black' or 'gay.' See, it's never a good idea to say that something is inferior because it's different, but many people are trying to do that with the charr, and I find it unsettling. That's why I'm going to play a charr, as I said in the part that's quoted (but not in context), because I don't want to be part of that noise. That's bad karma to me and I don't really want anything to do with it. I don't want to be playing alongside a group of people who're displaying factors and habits which could, if the details were swtiched around, be racist or just hateful in the real world.
Here are a few interesting things for you...
On the Star Trek Online forum there was this one guy who felt that holograms shouldn't have rights because they're not real people, but I'm a very perceptive person, and I noticed that there was something more going on there than that. A little probing and digging got him to make some very interesting comments. It turns out that the guy was a white supremacist and felt that anything other than caucasian humans shouldn't have human rights. The thing is is that the more people argued with him, the more he made his true agenda clear.
I've met people whom are like that in regards to the charr. See, if you have a mind that's capable of painting something as inferior or evil just bcause it's different, then you have a mind that's capable of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes. And the reason I said that I wanted to play charr was because I wanted to prove that I don't stand with that group. The charr are clearly the underclass here whom will no doubt be hated upon and seen as inferior or evil simply for being different. There's no fantasy involved in that. You're either familiar with thinking in those ways or you aren't.
The human players are going to find that they'll have a lot of very questionable people to deal with, really, once the game launches. Here and on the GW2Guru forums i've seen no shortage of people who frothingly need to prove that the charr are stupid/primitive/evil. There was one person here on MMORPG even. I don't remember his name but he was determined to prove that humans were good, pure, and perfect, and that charr were inferior, evil, primitive beasts. He even went so far as to imply that the charr eat children. That is the sort of person that you'll have playing humans.
I don't need that noise. I don't want to stand with people like that. So I'll play charr.
Now if you're going to argue with my post, argue with the whole damn thing in context and stop creating straw men. Just quoting a single line and then inventing arguments to argue against isn't bright, funny, or clever. It just shows a distinct inability to argue with the points put forward. It also shows a massive inclination toward derp. And if you're trolling me then I can't take you seriously.
Here's a nice example. That person sounds like they have issues with needing to classify people in different ways, in very binary ways, such as good/evil, superior/inferior, and civilised/brutal. It seemed to me that that person is like the kind of person to be capable of hate crimes, and they're just looking for a way to spew their hate in a game. That is the sort of player you'll have on the human side. Good luck with that. That's why I'm going to play a charr, because if I play a human then I'll likely end up yelling at most people about how the charr aren't brutal/evil/inferior. But on the charr side I don't expect to even hear about how other races are such.
(Like how you don't hear gay people rant about how god hates straight people, for example.)
---
Edit: And really, having kneejerk reactions to my arguments tells me that you've never been on the receiving end of prejudice and that you've likely the sort of mind that would be responsible for it. I suspect that you're straight and caucasian, or at least of a major ethnicity, and that you've never had to deal with prejudice so you don't learn to see the patterns behind it. Well, I see the patterns behind it, and the charr htae is just a bullshit reason for people to exercise their hatred. (See the thread I linked above.) That is why I'm playing a charr. I don't want to play a race that's going to be staffed with people who're going to be frothing at the mouth about how other races are brutal/inferior/uncivilised/idiotic, whatever. There's a thread almost every day over on GW2Guru where someone says that about the charr and it never ceases to amaze me.
It's just people exercising their right to be dicks. Well what if I don't want any part of that?
It wasn't a straw man. You made it very plain that at least one of the reasons you won't play humans is due to how the species is negatively predisposed in the real world. It may not be your only reason, but the fact that it is part of your reasoning is bizarre. Your very last paragraph even makes the direct correlation between real world prejudice and the reason you are playing charr. It cannot be a strawman if the words are yours.
For a true example of strawman, here are your own words: "I don't want to play a race that's going to be staffed with people who're going to be frothing at the mouth about how other races are brutal/inferior/uncivilised/idiotic, whatever."
So you know beforehand that everyone who is going to play human will regress into a racisct cromagnon, and that, should you play human, you'd be the sole voice of humanity in a sea of miscreants? Really? This is the pillar of your reasoning? How old are you?
I've been reading alot of your posts lately. You favor long-winded exhortations about how brilliant you are, how impeccably precise your social perceptions are, how criminally ignorant those who disagree with you are, so tragically avant garde and misunderstood. It isn't that people lack critical capacities to deal with your arguments, it's that your arguments don't require such. You talk much, say nothing of any real importance, and then lament the intelligensia of people who call out the utter nonsense.
Put plainly: your reason for playing charr, based on your reasoning above, are incredibly idiotic. Charr are a fantastic and amazing addition. I love them and will be rolling one myself. But my main will be human, and anyone who chooses to label me based on a digital race in a video game doesn't have the critical capacities to engage with me.
That's rather split really. The Sylvari are looking like they'll end up being a little more popular though.
I've been keen on being an Asura for some time now. Then I saw the Sylvari lore and it's mind-blowing. So mind-blowing that I have found myself somewhat in two minds about what to be my first character (should I play - nothing's for granted).
I chose Asura as my option in the end because I just love look and background to the little guys. The whole 'we're better than everyone else...and we'll tell you so' attitude is just great, and I want to fall in to that role so much.
After looking at the results I decided I made a worthy decision. The Sylvari look like they'll be a popular (and crowded) choice at release, so I'll possibly be better off somewhere else.
I wonder if the result is swayed by the very recent occaison of Sylvari week though, i.e. it's fresh in people's minds?
Comments
Human Thief.
If the character creation allows Norn that are of trimmer proportions, I might play a Norn Thief instead. I like the connection to Nature and the Animal forms, but I don't want a Thief that looks like it could bench press a war horse.
Want to know more about GW2 and why there is so much buzz? Start here: Guild Wars 2 Mass Info for the Uninitiated
First Norn and then try everything else.
Once they show more about those Golem Suits for the Asura I bet they will get a few more votes. Atleast I have not seen any information on those yet.
I wonder if all (Asura) classes can get one though, or if its maybe a Racial Ability, or by something of all the backstory parts pick when you create the character. Just wonder since they remind me alot of the big Mech Suits from RF Online. And if I remember correct, there was only 1 class for that race that could drive them.
EVE Online 21Days Trial
Honestly, I think it will be decided by character creation options, but I still can't make up my mind between Human, Charr, and Sylvari. I voted Sylvari for the time being simply because of how unique they are.
same for me -- I will start with human but will be playing all races
EQ2 fan sites
With the GamesCom videos with many people playing Asura I'm already beginning to like them more. Their animations are quite funny. I can only imagine how popular they'll be when the game is launched.
Waiting for Guild Wars 2, and maybe SWTOR until that time...
Norn as a main, but will try others as well.
"The person who experiences greatness must have a feeling for the myth he is in."
Human!
i havnt even heard of any mention of the the KKK in guild wars 2, so not playing the humans because of real life (not the FANTASY world of Tyria) history is so stupid and ignorant lol thats like saying i wont play charr because im allergic to cats or sylvari because my kid was eaten by a venus fly trap
dodgy players in this world.....dodgy
Impossible to decide.
But my first choice will be Norn.
Shapeshifting giant barbarians. Whats not to like
sylvari air elementalist
got it all figured out in my head :P
https://ashesofcreation.com/r/Y4U3PQCASUPJ5SED
Asura Guardian or Ranger. Only because so few people will be playing them.
Alt will be a Norn or Charr Warrior.
Asura Guardian
/rushes off to create another race poll
LFD tools are great for cramming people into content, but quality > quantity.
I am, usually on the sandbox .. more "hardcore" side of things, but I also do just want to have fun. So lighten up already
Definitely Asura, I will be the one biting your knees off. I will have to wait to see the last class to decide what my main will be.
Maybe a Sylvari alt because they look so cool.
Human - Mesmer if they are going to be ingame.
it would be good, just waiting til that final class is revealed
That's completely missing the point of what I was saying, though.
The interesting part is that I've been quoted so many times of context it just looks like people don't have the critical capacities necessary to deal with my argument in context, so it's easier to just create a straw man and deal with that argument. If the only way one can deal with an argument is by creating a straw man, then the person arguing isn't very bright, plain and simple.
But the thing is is that a lot of people are talking as though the charr are inferior because they are different and this is a sentiment that I don't like. And invariably these are the people who seem to be planning on playing as perfect caucasian humans in the game. It's the sentiment. It displays a mentality that could be applied to racism if the details were switched around becaus it shows a mind that's capable of racism, it shows that the person in question has a mind which is capable of differentiating people and classifying them into classes of superior and inferior based upon race or other factors.
Now imagine if you were to replace 'charr' with 'black' or 'gay.' See, it's never a good idea to say that something is inferior because it's different, but many people are trying to do that with the charr, and I find it unsettling. That's why I'm going to play a charr, as I said in the part that's quoted (but not in context), because I don't want to be part of that noise. That's bad karma to me and I don't really want anything to do with it. I don't want to be playing alongside a group of people who're displaying factors and habits which could, if the details were swtiched around, be racist or just hateful in the real world.
Here are a few interesting things for you...
On the Star Trek Online forum there was this one guy who felt that holograms shouldn't have rights because they're not real people, but I'm a very perceptive person, and I noticed that there was something more going on there than that. A little probing and digging got him to make some very interesting comments. It turns out that the guy was a white supremacist and felt that anything other than caucasian humans shouldn't have human rights. The thing is is that the more people argued with him, the more he made his true agenda clear.
I've met people whom are like that in regards to the charr. See, if you have a mind that's capable of painting something as inferior or evil just bcause it's different, then you have a mind that's capable of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes. And the reason I said that I wanted to play charr was because I wanted to prove that I don't stand with that group. The charr are clearly the underclass here whom will no doubt be hated upon and seen as inferior or evil simply for being different. There's no fantasy involved in that. You're either familiar with thinking in those ways or you aren't.
The human players are going to find that they'll have a lot of very questionable people to deal with, really, once the game launches. Here and on the GW2Guru forums i've seen no shortage of people who frothingly need to prove that the charr are stupid/primitive/evil. There was one person here on MMORPG even. I don't remember his name but he was determined to prove that humans were good, pure, and perfect, and that charr were inferior, evil, primitive beasts. He even went so far as to imply that the charr eat children. That is the sort of person that you'll have playing humans.
I don't need that noise. I don't want to stand with people like that. So I'll play charr.
Now if you're going to argue with my post, argue with the whole damn thing in context and stop creating straw men. Just quoting a single line and then inventing arguments to argue against isn't bright, funny, or clever. It just shows a distinct inability to argue with the points put forward. It also shows a massive inclination toward derp. And if you're trolling me then I can't take you seriously.
Here's a nice example. That person sounds like they have issues with needing to classify people in different ways, in very binary ways, such as good/evil, superior/inferior, and civilised/brutal. It seemed to me that that person is like the kind of person to be capable of hate crimes, and they're just looking for a way to spew their hate in a game. That is the sort of player you'll have on the human side. Good luck with that. That's why I'm going to play a charr, because if I play a human then I'll likely end up yelling at most people about how the charr aren't brutal/evil/inferior. But on the charr side I don't expect to even hear about how other races are such.
(Like how you don't hear gay people rant about how god hates straight people, for example.)
---
Edit: And really, having kneejerk reactions to my arguments tells me that you've never been on the receiving end of prejudice and that you've likely the sort of mind that would be responsible for it. I suspect that you're straight and caucasian, or at least of a major ethnicity, and that you've never had to deal with prejudice so you don't learn to see the patterns behind it. Well, I see the patterns behind it, and the charr htae is just a bullshit reason for people to exercise their hatred. (See the thread I linked above.) That is why I'm playing a charr. I don't want to play a race that's going to be staffed with people who're going to be frothing at the mouth about how other races are brutal/inferior/uncivilised/idiotic, whatever. There's a thread almost every day over on GW2Guru where someone says that about the charr and it never ceases to amaze me.
It's just people exercising their right to be dicks. Well what if I don't want any part of that?
---
Edit #2: And I'll try and streamline it if some people are still too damned dim to understand it. Don't you get it? The bullshit hate against the charr reminds me too much of the prejudice I've experienced, personally. It hits a nerve. These words I'm hearing about a fantasy race are teh same sorts of words that were spoken about gays in the '80s. That we were somhow lesser creatures. It's the patterns of prejudice. They're not hard to spot. And usually the sort of people who'd do that would do it anyway. Whether it's a fantasy race or not doesn't matter, it's just any outlet for them to spew their billious amounts of bile into.
Racist. (I jest btw)
EDIT: read the rest. I think it is naive to believe because your reasons for playing the Charr involve a deep analysis into the human psyche and associating it with ficticious rasce of beings means all the players will. You will more than likely have the same types of people playing humans as you will Charr.
I've played WoW on both horde and human. Paladins are pure characters, but let me tell you they are some nasty people playing them. Orcs eat babys and humans and will kill for pleasure. I've met some pretty seemingly nice people play them. I can see your reasoning behind playing charr in the context you put it, but I find it a stretch to think most people will see things that way.
Maybe that says a lot or very little of us, who knows.
Even if you weren't joking, how does that even make sense? Calling a person who's responsible for hate crimes hateful is 'racist'? Well, you must have a different definition of it than I do.
I swear, you Internet kids make me despair. It seems like all many of 'em can do is hate or knock out kneejerk reactions to justify it. And that's precisely what I don't want to be a part of. :P I'm just sick of seeing people do that. You have no idea.
Yeah, I'm DYING to see mesmers X_X
You called someone inferior mentally and then go on to say people who have the capability of painting something inferior have the capability of homophobia, racism, and other hate crimes. Also, calling me an internet kid can fall into more of the same thing you are against.
It wasn't a straw man. You made it very plain that at least one of the reasons you won't play humans is due to how the species is negatively predisposed in the real world. It may not be your only reason, but the fact that it is part of your reasoning is bizarre. Your very last paragraph even makes the direct correlation between real world prejudice and the reason you are playing charr. It cannot be a strawman if the words are yours.
For a true example of strawman, here are your own words: "I don't want to play a race that's going to be staffed with people who're going to be frothing at the mouth about how other races are brutal/inferior/uncivilised/idiotic, whatever."
So you know beforehand that everyone who is going to play human will regress into a racisct cromagnon, and that, should you play human, you'd be the sole voice of humanity in a sea of miscreants? Really? This is the pillar of your reasoning? How old are you?
I've been reading alot of your posts lately. You favor long-winded exhortations about how brilliant you are, how impeccably precise your social perceptions are, how criminally ignorant those who disagree with you are, so tragically avant garde and misunderstood. It isn't that people lack critical capacities to deal with your arguments, it's that your arguments don't require such. You talk much, say nothing of any real importance, and then lament the intelligensia of people who call out the utter nonsense.
Put plainly: your reason for playing charr, based on your reasoning above, are incredibly idiotic. Charr are a fantastic and amazing addition. I love them and will be rolling one myself. But my main will be human, and anyone who chooses to label me based on a digital race in a video game doesn't have the critical capacities to engage with me.
That's rather split really. The Sylvari are looking like they'll end up being a little more popular though.
I've been keen on being an Asura for some time now. Then I saw the Sylvari lore and it's mind-blowing. So mind-blowing that I have found myself somewhat in two minds about what to be my first character (should I play - nothing's for granted).
I chose Asura as my option in the end because I just love look and background to the little guys. The whole 'we're better than everyone else...and we'll tell you so' attitude is just great, and I want to fall in to that role so much.
After looking at the results I decided I made a worthy decision. The Sylvari look like they'll be a popular (and crowded) choice at release, so I'll possibly be better off somewhere else.
I wonder if the result is swayed by the very recent occaison of Sylvari week though, i.e. it's fresh in people's minds?
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Seems that after gamescom the Asura are slowly picking up in the poll....
There was much Asura awesomness visuall...
Best MMO experiences : EQ(PvE), DAoC(PvP), WoW(total package) LOTRO (worldfeel) GW2 (Artstyle and animations and worlddesign) SWTOR (Story immersion) TSW (story) ESO (character advancement)