Guild Wars Tamable Pet Index, 2nd Ed.

[Erres]

I'm sorry this has to be my first post on this forum, and it will be totally off-topic, I'm afraid.

But... What? Come again?

Portaid rights on an animal? What is that about?

Again, my apologies for the off-topicness.... But I was too amazed.

[JasonLa]

I'm sorry this has to be my first post on this forum, and it will be totally off-topic, I'm afraid.

But... What? Come again?

Portaid rights on an animal? What is that about?

Again, my apologies for the off-topicness.... But I was too amazed.

In China and possibly other asian nations and/or cutures the Panda is a highly religious symbol. And apparantly them coming into harm even in a virtual world is offensive to those people. Even if they are perhaps a minority in the world since GW is a global game they wished to respect those people and left the panda out as being a pet. Originally this was supposed to be a feature as far as I understand so it must have become an issue closer release when sale of the game was proposed.

I honestly think those people are making a big deal over it since they don't have to play the game and be the ones putting them into harms way or they could simply leave the panda out for that region or have something like if you don't want to see panda come to harm even in a virtual game click here so that the panda then appears as a bear to them so the majority who doesn't hold the same belief but apparantly this extra coding project to have something appear different to someone who finds is offensive will not happen any time soon.

Its funny we can bring harm to endangered animals in a virtual world though (offensive to PETAand its supporters). And accomadations were made for regions where its against the law to PvP if your a minor. PvP wasn't removed from the game for everyone only for those it is wrong for them to do it. Personally even at this point I really want to have a panda pet and am still disapointed with how anet handled it compared to other similar situations of the game. As These two examples are just the most obvious.

[Ranger Nietzsche]

mmm I still think people blew the whole panda thing out of proportion.

Its just a different skin on a bear.

TONS and TONS of people complained that the canthan pets like the tiger and crabs that have two versions are just reskinned, like tiger = white tiger = lynx=stalker etc. etc.

But yet many of those same people (not necessarily the above poster though) were OUTRAGED that ANet didn't reskin the bear.

It wasn't just that it was offensive to the average Chinese person, its downright AGAINST the LAW. And changing it would be a decent amount of code

Blocking PVP for minors is different than having to load a different skin for an animal based on region and having to check that parameter every single time you load a map.

Finally, have a little empathy. Just because someone not from the region doesn't understand why a particular symbol is sacred to them doesn't mean they are wrong to be offended by it.

Imagine the outrage in the US if I got to have a tamable Jesus to run around, do my bidding and sacrifice in the name of IWAY. (ironic as many people think that IWAY is a GW sin, I love it when metaphors come together like that).

[JasonLa]

Origionally I felt like what I could have or do in a game was being dictated by a people group or goverenment. I was just majorly disapointed. And I objected to it because there was alternatives. The client has to check that the person trying to pvp is not a minor in those regions each time they are in an PvP capable area. Doesn't seem much different than a client in a region not allowed to harm pandas checking each time they enter a zone that has a panda. Maybe the check would happen more frequently. And a bit of coding added to change the skin. I just felt that anet kind of took the duck in the corner rather than being creative to allow those it was not wrong for to have it. I think it came down to lets not do extra work to satisfy a moderate minority of players in game who will be disapointed that this is not there. After all they will continue to play anyways. And probably are. I know I am still playing but I'm still disapointed.

Ok so its against the law for chinese to harm pandas. Its againts the law to harm or kill endangered animals yet that is in the game. The law thing may have been part of the reasoning to anet from the people against it being in the game but the primary reason given to us was because of the religious symbology.

Oh I definately respect their beliefs. And I wouldn't want them to be offended by something anet did. Thats why I offered the alternative idea way back at release when it was discovered we didn't get the panda we thought we were getting. I figured it was a way to not offend them and also make it available to the players who wanted to get that panda once they had the game.

I would definately say I would be offended if I saw Jesus as a pet and getting killed. However if it was happening and the pet looked like something else to me and I was none the wise that you see it as Jesus I wouldn't have anything to be offended by.

But anyways I can't wait to see the pets in nightfall. I hope we get some unique body types and cool animals. Like Rhinos, Elephants, etc for pets.

[Quintus Antonius]

Tensions have run high about the panda issue for several months now, and I do not want this topic being discussed again in here. It's all be said before, and it still won't change anything in-game. I respect everyone's opinion on the panda issue, but at the same time, I do not want a debate on it breaking out again. Leave that for the CDF.

[JasonLa]

I was just thinking. This info could be mirrored on GWO wiki and point back to the thread for discussion. What do ya think? We could even include more pics and stuff along with it.

[Quintus Antonius]

My original intention was such, but right when it was finished we converted from the normal format to the new wiki format and it just never got put up.

[JasonLa]

I can make the article for it if you want.

[O M E G A]

Maybe Im out of line here, but I would like to point out that The Red Frog quest has a Panda in it and if memory serves, it can get hurt.

[JasonLa]

Maybe Im out of line here, but I would like to point out that The Red Frog quest has a Panda in it and if memory serves, it can get hurt.

I remember the quest the panda goes over to an area and waits for everyone but never attacks or gets into aggro with anything. The work put into it is beautiful though. I thought it would have been neat to see pandas in the game like the bulls that are nuetral out in the fields.

Out of the pets they put in factions I like the two tigers the best. The phoenix is kind of neat too. Kind of a pain if you have to tame it multiple times to get a dire evolution. Thats why I went for the already dire tiger to tame.