Kung Fu Panda Comparisons are Valid and Intended

[Moltentank19]

Pandaren Lore and culture was written way before Kung fu panda

[Gorelaz]

Nope its not valid comparison, and even if it is...why does it matters?

[senshu]

I'm sorry, but reading this, I... it just makes no sense what so ever in a discussion environment.

You're just saying "I'm fine with EVERYTHING (even Pandaria as an island), I just hate walking pandas."

Okay. I guess that's it when it comes to you then?

It makes perfect sense, as people are labeling and generalizing those who hate pandaren. I hate them as a playable race (NPCs would have been fine), and none of the other labels even comes close to working on me.

Yes, I'm fine with everything else but pandaren. It's so laughably absurd that I'm STILL waiting for Blizzard to say this was all a joke.

Partially because your (general "you", not you specifically) way of dealing with it seems to involve being as loud and obnoxious as possible, insulting anyone who does like it and doing everything in your power to try and convince people it's stupid so they shouldn't like it, or they should feel bad if they do like it.

I see the opposite. Those of us who hate them are impatient and ignorant, for example. Or racist, that's a good one. I haven't insulted anyone over this, though I've been sorely tempted by some of the ruder, louder and more obnoxious supporters.

And it *does* matter, because Pandaren have more lore than the Draenei in their current form ever had before getting added, but I don't see people complaining about the Draenei still being around. Even if there was only one visible, they still existed.

It doesn't matter because they can make up something from scratch for all I care, as long as it's not furry pandas. Pandaren are GOING to have a lot of lore, but up until this point in WoW they've had none. Zero. Nada. Draenei existed and we had questlines with the Broken before TBC even hit the drawing board. Yes, they then turned around and retconned a fair bit, but only the lore nerds cared. I don't see this as being relevant at all. I don't care that there was no lore for pandaren, that doesn't bother me. Introducing them as a playable race is what bothers me.

I still don't get how Pandas are any better or worse than Worgen, or Draenei, or Tauren. All I've seen are comparisons to Kung Fu Panda that claim that because they're related, panderan are stupid.... or comments to the effect of "ASIAN THEME = BAD". I suppose if you don't like them, that's your call... but what is it specifically about Pandas in particular that makes them so appalling? It can't be the anthropomorphic angle, because we've had plenty of that in-game already and nobody's seriously objected to it (beyond "twilight" comments regarding Worgen).

And I don't see them in the same league as total fantasy creatures like those you listed, all of which fit in a D&D type of world. I haven't compared it to Kung Fu Panda yet, and as I said, I don't care if it's exactly like it or nothing like it. Either way, it doesn't fit in WoW. It IS the anthropomorphic angle, and that's all it is. Having a real Earth creature as a walking, talking gag is just one step too far. The Asian theme itself looks pretty cool. Just have something for the new race that isn't going to make my 2 year old squeal with delight when he sees it.

[vian]

Ofcourse there are gonna be references. It's entirely unavoidable.

This, this and this. Blizzards are experts when it comes to references, which in turn, are hillarious!

[spitzki]

It makes perfect sense, as people are labeling and generalizing those who hate pandaren. I hate them as a playable race (NPCs would have been fine), and none of the other labels even comes close to working on me.

Pandaren are GOING to have a lot of lore, but up until this point in WoW they've had none. Zero. Nada. Draenei existed and we had questlines with the Broken before TBC even hit the drawing board. Yes, they then turned around and retconned a fair bit, but only the lore nerds cared. I don't see this as being relevant at all. I don't care that there was no lore for pandaren, that doesn't bother me. Introducing them as a playable race is what bothers me.

And I don't see them in the same league as total fantasy creatures like those you listed, all of which fit in a D&D type of world. I haven't compared it to Kung Fu Panda yet, and as I said, I don't care if it's exactly like it or nothing like it. Either way, it doesn't fit in WoW. It IS the anthropomorphic angle, and that's all it is. Having a real Earth creature as a walking, talking gag is just one step too far. The Asian theme itself looks pretty cool. Just have something for the new race that isn't going to make my 2 year old squeal with delight when he sees it.

/agree




10chr

[Deleted]

Which story in this world is not a ripoff of something else?

Exactly, Northrend is a ripoff of our norse mythology but no one whined back then. The old god story line is a ripoff of H.P. Lovecraft combined with egypt mythology but noone whines about that. The whole Lich King story smells Darth Vader. This can go on forever.

[senshu]

Exactly, Northrend is a ripoff of our norse mythology but no one whined back then. The old god story line is a ripoff of H.P. Lovecraft combined with egypt mythology but noone whines about that. The whole Lich King story smells Darth Vader. This can go on forever.

Yeah, nobody cares about those. What's your point?

[Netek]

people are still actually arguing about this?
can you get over it
kung fu panda and pandarians similarities are there becouse THERE PANDAS!
martial arts pandas have been around in games for ages
can you stop Q.Qing blizzard arent listening, theye made the expansion, if your a hater quit or deal with it and keep playing

[Chronnos]

I'm guessing you never saw the quite large gallery of images that the lead of the Blizzard Art Department has done about them, which go back years before that movie was released. The ones in-game do look very similar to the images in the gallery.

Tbh i've seen a lot of concept art for Pandaren and the truth is there are some old galeries that resemble today's pandaren, but there are also a few that are totally different (and better imo for a combat oriented RPG). So yea, they had the "new" fluffy pandaren and they had the badass pandaren. Looks like they chose the fluff bomb.
Tell you what: let's say Blizz was about to make an expansion about horses. Would you like the horses to look like centaurs or like unicorns? Cause for me there's no contest.
They had the means and the concept art available to make pandaren a very cool race that feels a part of the original WoW universe. They didn't, so that's why i don't like pandaren, it could have been an awesome race, instead they're just a Kung Fu Panda rip off.

[senshu]

people are still actually arguing about this?
can you get over it
kung fu panda and pandarians similarities are there becouse THERE PANDAS!
martial arts pandas have been around in games for ages
can you stop Q.Qing blizzard arent listening, theye made the expansion, if your a hater quit or deal with it and keep playing

In that same vein, since you have a problem with others expressing their opinions, I suggest you "quit or deal with it and keep playing".
As a proud pandaren hater, I'm going to defend myself against smears such as "oh you're just racist" and other such gems.

[Chronnos]

kung fu panda and pandarians similarities are there becouse THERE PANDAS!

I'm sorry, you're wrong! Can you honestly say these 2 are the same or similar?

[Netek]

In that same vein, since you have a problem with others expressing their opinions, I suggest you "quit or deal with it and keep playing".
As a proud pandaren hater, I'm going to defend myself against smears such as "oh you're just racist" and other such gems.

i have no reason to quit or deal with the changes im happy about them, sure pandas arnet the best choice but comparisons to kung fu panda are just as childish as people are making pandarian out to be
remember when people said worgen were put it to appeal to the twilight crowd? right now most of the haters arguments are on the same level as that

[Deleted]

if anything.. kung fu panda stole everything from wc3 .. so that's that

[Netek]

I'm sorry, you're wrong! Can you honestly say these 2 are the same or similar?

you do know the second image is pretty much what they looked like in WC3? 7 years before kung fu panda i belive

[Joshmaul]

It isn't. You've just got this very vocal minority of insecure people who think if something resembles anything childlike or unpopular that it's a blow to their super mature adult pride or some nonsense.

I have to wonder about the "minority" part, but the "vocal" is dead on - since it seems everyone and their fucking mother is going on. And on. And ON. I outright called my guildmates hypocrites for hating on it when we have plenty of other things that - in my opinion, at least - seem far more silly than pandas. Like alcoholic dwarves, mafioso goblins, effeminate elves, Rastafarian trolls, gnomes of all kinds, holy cows, Russian space goats, sparkling horses, most of the companion pets in this game...the list goes on.

If you were around at all during Cata's beta you might remember a similar group moaning and whining that worgen were only being put in to cash in on the Twilight and Furry fans (The latter being the major reason both models were changed and the female worgen now looks like a demented chihuahua).

Exactly. This is the same worn-out bullshit argument that was used for Cataclysm, and yet most of these morons are still here; hell, there were plenty who went "blood elves for the Horde? WTF?" (or "blood elves? WTF?", depending), and there weren't people going "aww, fuck this, gay elves, I'm quitting". Only it seems to be a hell of a lot more vitriolic.

As for the whole "stereotype" thing - maybe there is a point there, but maybe one that will not detract from it in the end. I have a friend of Chinese ancestry, I went to high school with him. He was at BlizzCon when the announcement was made. I asked him his opinion, and he told me he found the whole thing hilariously gimmicky and stereotypical, but also mildly offensive. He did believe, however, that Blizzard was at least trying to have their off-shoot be as faithful to the language and culture as possible. On that note, I pointed out the fact (as I have been to all the ignorant ranters for the last week - including people in my own guilds), and he concurred with me, that both of the Kung Fu Panda movies - say what you will about Jack Black, people did like these movies, myself included...well, at least the first one, I have yet to see KFP2 - were extremely popular in China because the filmmakers tried to provide something that was both entertaining and culturally respectful. The fact they succeeded should be an indicator, I think.

Now granted, Blizzard is the master of the gimmick and the pop culture reference. The fact the pandaren exist at all is an indicator of that. And yes, it may seem a little odd to be basing an entire expansion on what originally started off as an April Fools joke for Warcraft III. But ultimately, nothing we say or do will change Blizzard's minds. We are getting pandaren to play, and we're getting Pandaria to kill things in. That's pretty much the end of that. (That's also all we really know, considering 90% of this shit is subject to change. All the shit they announce at BlizzCon may not get into the game at all - like the Dance Studio, Path of the Titans, etc. YMMV.)

[Deleted]

I'm sorry, you're wrong! Can you honestly say these 2 are the same or similar?

Decked out in sweet gear, my Pandaren will look very much similar to this.

And it will be awesome.

[Chronnos]

you do know the second image is pretty much what they looked like in WC3? 7 years before kung fu panda i belive

Actually this is EXACTLY how they looked in WC3, but my point was about how different 2 things can be even if on the surface they're the same.

[senshu]

i have no reason to quit or deal with the changes im happy about them, sure pandas arnet the best choice but comparisons to kung fu panda are just as childish as people are making pandarian out to be
remember when people said worgen were put it to appeal to the twilight crowd? right now most of the haters arguments are on the same level as that

Quit or deal with the people voicing their opinions, not the game, ffs.
Comparisons to Kung Fu Panda will be made because they look too similar. Nothing anyone can do to stop that.
Could care less about worgen, they don't bother me. Furry ass pandas bother me.

[Makatafinger]

i always thought kung fu panda was ripped off of pandaren.

[Deleted]

its a rip off from kfp because of familiar kung fu poses? so you actually stated that kfp invented the kung fu poses? smart... smart..