I'm getting increasingly excited about Guild Wars 2, probably as a result of all the amazing Gamescon footage that has recently hit the internet. You can find a collection of all the best stuff in this thread over here (Big love to Seppli)

I don't know if anyone obsesses over this stuff like I do, but I tend to plan out my race and class way in advance of actually buying a game. I was planning on starting Guild Wars 2 with a Charr character as... well... they are giant badass warrior cats. However having seen this new footage the idea of playing an Asura is growing on me...

How about you guys?

EDIT: I wrote "Nord" Instead of "Norn" - that's what happens if you make polls at 5am. I can't edit it, so use your imaginations!

CHARR MOTHER FUCKER.

Human. Probably gonna play that protection warrior class.

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

The picture added to this doesn't include the updated Sylvari "look", so out of geekness I post this link to their not too recent blog update about "growing the Sylvari".

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

NORD, BITCHES

@LordXavierBritish said:

CHARR MOTHER FUCKER.

Anyone who doesn't pick the bad-ass horned lions doesn't know whats up, amarite?!

Also I pity the fools who go with the Asura. No. Just no.

@TotalEklypse: I believe the werewolves (and werebears and god knows what else) are actually the Nords.

Human of course, in no race traitor.

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

Charr. For reasons obvious to anyone else that's interested in the Charr.

At the moment, my vote is cast as an Asura Guardian. But... who knows. It seems like that changes every month or so with this game.

I may find myself ABOUT to make an Asura but at the last second changing to Human. It just feels right for that to be my first character...

But, yeah, one of those two to be sure. Maybe.

Charr Elementalist -> Asura Thief -> Sylvari Mesmer -> Human Warrior/Guardian -> Norn Ranger for me.
 

@Sweep

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

I don't know what each race's specialties are but based purely on looks I would choose Charr. Although if the game gets overrun with Charr players I would try out Asura.

Definitely Sylvari.

@Sweep said:

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

I like the way human armour looks on humans and I play these games for the armour designs. The whole "awesome game" thing is secondary but very welcome.

@xobballox: The sylvari are definitely not elves, not in any way. Their culture, backstory and personalities are vastly different. If anything, the humans in GW2 are the most similar to the elves, being a part of the oldest races in Tyria and are now facing extinction.

The recent gameplay videos really warmed me up to the asura. They have a lot of charm and look like a lot of fun to play as. I'll probably play through the game as one of them, along with my friend who is playing a norn. That'll be a fun team.

Human Elementalist. I want to experience everything as a regular old relatable human dude before I get into anything else.
 
For now though, it's definitely: Human Ele -> Sylvari Warrior -> ???

i am a gnome lover  
 
 
ASURAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

My main is gonna be a Norn mesmer. That is, if the unannounced profession is actually a mesmer, which they've been hinting strongly at.

Probably an Asura warrior.

If I can convince enough people to all roll with Bear Form Norn Hunters with Bear pets then thats what i'll be doing. 
Otherwise I think i'll go with a Sylvari Necromancer after seeing how crazy they look if you make them look all autumn...autumny? 

I want a normal sized character, which rules out Asura and Nord, so it'll be Charr (size excused due to being... a giant animal-man thing) or Sylvari for me.

I guess the Humans are a standard for the folks that aren't daring for a new design. As for me, I'm going with the Sylvari. 
 
I want to try out all the races, especially the Charr. 

I can be a massive cat with horns? DUHHH

Torn between Charr and Norn and to a lesser extent Asura and Sylvari. Most likely gonna go with a Guardian or Warrior. In that case I'd roll a Charr or Norn. Elementalist and Necromancer and Thief are also pretty high on my list, here I'd opt for a Sylvari or Asura. Loving the engineer too - If I'd roll an engineer first, it'd be a Charr or Asura. What I'm not gonna do is Ranger. I rolled a Hunter as main in WoW for many years and I'm past animal companions. I just don't dig persistently splitting my character's powers between two entities - since all classes have ranged options too, I'll just go with something else.
 
I voted Charr, because it's what I'll most likely play first. Guardian or Warrior or Engineer. Second character likely gonna be an elementalist - either Sylvari or Asura. From what I've seen thus far, I find the elementalist the most awesome class with the most diverse and flashy skills, yet I'm not naturally attracted to playing cloth charaters. Robes are for monks and girls.

I have decided I am going to play this game yet. But if I do it will be the humans because I don't much care for any of the other stuff there.

To begin with I'll create a human ranger(decendant of my GW1 character, same name and HoM items etc.) because I'm a traditionalist. I think my second will be Nord, though. I think the Charr might be the best enemy race I've seen in a game, but I wouldn't really want to play as one.

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

Female Human Elementalist.

@Sweep said:

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

Have you seen the female models for humans? I could roll with that all day long. Plenty dudes like a nice apple bum dangling in-front of them when playing MMORPGs.

Asura. 'Cuz they is cute and tiny. :D

i'm going to remake my guildwars 1 character.  therefore, i'd imagine that human is a nobrainer for the majority of people who loved their guildwars 1 char :/
 
besides that fact, humans allow more for the imagination because they are diverse race by nature...
 
i really like the look of all races - but i don't really care for the non-human races cliched and weird/religious cultures.  no doubt their starter areas are littered with quests and lore to try to get you attached to their backstory - but frankly i don't give a damn, i want to be my own character with my own feelings and beliefs.  all of the non-human races might as well be night elf from world of warcraft.
 
according to the poll, and hearing from friends, charr is going to be way overcrowded... doesn't that make charr the dull option?

i'm going to remake my guildwars 1 character.  therefore, i'd imagine that human is a nobrainer for the majority of people who loved their guildwars 1 char :/ besides that fact, humans allow more for the imagination because they are diverse race by nature...  i really like the look of all races - but i don't really care for the non-human races cliched and weird/religious cultures.  no doubt their starter areas are littered with quests and lore to try to get you attached to their backstory - but frankly i don't give a damn, i want to be my own character with my own feelings and beliefs.  all of the non-human races might as well be night elf from world of warcraft. according to the poll, and hearing from friends, charr is going to be way overcrowded... doesn't that make charr the dull option?

It sucks that Norn aren't more popular. They can turn into bears people! BEARS!

It sucks that Norn aren't more popular. They can turn into bears people! BEARS!

Human rangers are the way to go.

@Seppli said:

@Sweep said:

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

Have you seen the female models for humans? I could roll with that all day long. Plenty dudes like a nice apple bum dangling in-front of them when playing MMORPGs.

So what you're saying about your human character is... she's got them apple-bottom jeans (jeans), boots with the fur (with the fur)?

Human or Char, I would prefer to get into the whole Human lore as I haven't played the first one, seems like a good race to be indoctrinated in. Thinking warrior or ranger type class. Will fuck shit up.

@tarquinbb said:

i'm going to remake my guildwars 1 character.  therefore, i'd imagine that human is a nobrainer for the majority of people who loved their guildwars 1 char :/ besides that fact, humans allow more for the imagination because they are diverse race by nature...  i really like the look of all races - but i don't really care for the non-human races cliched and weird/religious cultures.  no doubt their starter areas are littered with quests and lore to try to get you attached to their backstory - but frankly i don't give a damn, i want to be my own character with my own feelings and beliefs.  all of the non-human races might as well be night elf from world of warcraft. according to the poll, and hearing from friends, charr is going to be way overcrowded... doesn't that make charr the dull option?

Why the hell does being another race prevent prevent you from infusing your own choices into the character? That's what the personal story is for. Every player character is supposed to be something of an anomaly - that's why you'll never see any charr guardian or norn thief NPC's. It's also why you're the one saving the goddamn world. And a larger population instantly makes a race uninteresting? Now you just sound like an annoying hipster. Every race has their own lore limitations, including the humans, your option as a human player with (theoretically) free will is to decide whether you want to ignore your race lore.  By the way, the humans have the most blatant "wierd/religious culture" in the game. The charr are the only race with no form of transcendent belief structure.

I don't understand why people play Human characters in MMO's. To me that always seems so lacking in imagination. I would much rather play something gnarly. I loved my Troll in wow, they were easily the most original and interesting race.

I'll probably roll an attractive human noble first.  You know, typical fantasy fare. 
 
I might go ferocious Charr and inquisitive Sylvari though. 
 
The other two races hold absolutely no interest for me.  The Norn aren't big enough in-game to really be interesting as giants, and the Asura are...blegh.

Glad to see more people getting excited for GW2. I'll be rolling a human first, but I'll be making one of every race down the line.