Asura - WTF?

[Lucky_]

Hey Ash, I found a new humanoid race for you. It's bipedal and has opposable digits, so it's humanoid, right?

Do you even understand what BIpedal means, and how it differs from quadrupedal?

[Ashnazg]

Drake's in your head, inventing new meanings for words yet again!



Source: wikipedia.

I think he is far too gone to be amenable to reason.

And to prove his point he links a humanoid Kuotoa and a humanoid protoss. I am baffled.

[DrakeWurrum]

But hey, how about this guy?

He's definitely bipedal.

[Skelington]

So do Charr. Doesn't seem to matter to him.

Charr naturally walk upright. Pikachu's are quadrupedal and have no opposable thumbs, like bears.

But hey, how about this guy?

He's definitely bipedal.

You have excessively poor understanding on what you're trying to argue.

[DrakeWurrum]

Drake's in your head, inventing new meanings for words yet again!



Source: wikipedia.

Irony: I linked it earlier. Quoted the exact same paragraph. Emphasis mine:

The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it is now considered rare. More generally, the term can refer to anything with uniquely human characteristics and/or adaptations, such as possessing opposable appendage (thumbs) or the ability to walk in an upright position.

If you're going to use the term "humanoid" so generally and loosely, it doesn't actually mean anything. You might as well be telling me that it's synonymous with "walks upright."

[Deleted]

The discussion in this thread makes me wonder why there's only 200 k posts in this subforum.

[DrakeWurrum]

You have excessively poor understanding on what you're trying to argue.

Not really. What he's telling me is: Charr are bipedal and have opposable thumbs, therefore, they are humanoid.

Charmander meets his criteria.

[papajohn4]

The discussion in this thread makes me wonder why there's only 200 k posts in this subforum.

imagine what is happening on the other side...10000000x worse

[Skelington]

Not really. What he's telling me is: Charr are bipedal and have opposable thumbs, therefore, they are humanoid.

Charmander meets his criteria.

Because it's true. Charmander do not.

[DrakeWurrum]

Because it's true. Charmander do not.

Charmander are bipedal. They are always shown walking upright, and always described as walking upright.

They have opposable digits. Pay attention to their art, their descriptions, and any of the numerous cartoons they appear in - they can carry things in their foreclaws, which are apparently opposable.

[Lucky_]

Most quadrupedal beings, like lizards and mice have ability to balance on two hind legs. With significant training, they, like bipeds, can even be taught how to balance on front appendages.

This does not make quadrupeds bipedal. Biped requires distinct skeletal structure and musculature oriented at balancing on rear (hind) legs while moving EFFICIENTLY. Quadrupeds can walk on two legs, but it's extremely inefficient form of movement for them. Their skeletal structure and musculature are optimized for quadrupedal movement.

Same applies to bipedal beings and quadrupedal movement.


Notably, charr can be considered a hybrid, who can move efficiently on two legs and sprint on four. There are a few (but not many) similar beings in nature. Their biggest problem is that they are at a competitive disadvantage in most environments due to having to maintain both biped and quadruped musculature and bone structure, which requires significant energy investments. As a result, such beings usually specialize in such movement for some particular niche reason.



The sheer idiocy of your argument is hidden in the fact that you choose examples where fictional creatures are made in a way that is in direct conflict from source. Lizards are distinctly quadrupeds. Their body structure doesn't allow for effective bipedal movement at all. So by your argument, if I were to draw a humanoid who would only move on all fours, I could argue that humans are in fact "quadrupeds".

[Mistral]

Stop arguing if Charr are humanoids or not. It's a matter of interpretation really.
Nobody can win here.

I can understand if for some people Charr aren't savage enough.
They want to play brute face-eating monsters.
That's why Zerg are so popular in StarCraft.
But this wouldn't work that well in an MMO, as those kind of creatures kinda suck in socializing and team play. (if not forced by power or mind control)

[Agoonga]

Asura remind me of Dobby and Tsimfuckis

[Deleted]

But this wouldn't work that well in an MMO, as those kind of creatures kinda suck in socializing and team play. (if not forced by power or mind control)

We did kinda get to play as those in the final event of BWE2!

[DrakeWurrum]

Stop arguing if Charr are humanoids or not. It's a matter of interpretation really.
Nobody can win here.

I can understand if for some people Charr aren't savage enough.
They want to play brute face-eating monsters.
That's why Zerg are so popular in StarCraft.
But this wouldn't work that well in an MMO, as those kind of creatures kinda suck in socializing and team play. (if not forced by power or mind control)

I brought it up earlier when I mentioned a text-based RPG that focused around the idea of playing the monsters (zombies, minotaurs, gryphons, hydra) instead of the heroes (humans, elves, dwarves... colloquially referred to as "uglies" or "pink-skins" by the monsters) earlier, but he kept wanting to argue semantics. I merely obliged.

I just find it extremely disturbing that people have decided that "humanoid" can simply now be synonymous with "bipedal with opposable thumbs" because, well... humans are much more than just those two features.

Said it before, will say it again: I can understand complaining that Norn are just giant humans. I can even kinda understand the complaint that Sylvari are just, literally, plant people (although they're MUCH more unique than, say, Mithra or Twi'lek or Draenei).
But Charr? Asura? It makes me do a "WTF?" face.

[Vahaal]

Checked this thread at the beginning, it was a healthy punt-a-asura thread.

Now i just came here and its a physiological discussion about charrs

I love you all!

[Lucky_]

I just find it extremely disturbing that people have decided that "humanoid" can simply now be synonymous with "bipedal with opposable thumbs" because, well... humans are much more than just those two features.

You must go completely apeshit (pun intended) over process of evolution and human morphology of you cannot understand the difference between "human" and "humanoid" and why term "humanoid" has been invented in the first place to find concept of humanoid "disturbing".

[DrakeWurrum]

You must go completely apeshit over process of evolution and human morphology of you cannot understand the difference between "human" and "humanoid" and why term "humanoid" has been invented in the first place.

The term "humanoid" implies a similarity between the subject being discussed, and humans.

I do not see a large degree of similarities between humans and Charr (physically speaking), pure and simple. They walk upright, and they have opposable digits, that's it. I see similarities with large cats. I see nothing human in them.

[Skelington]

I just find it extremely disturbing that people have decided that "humanoid" can simply now be synonymous with "bipedal with opposable thumbs" because, well... humans are much more than just those two features.

What part of it meaning that is so hard to understand? You're arguing semantics because the humanoid creature doesn't look the exact same as a human.
And honestly, now you're saying Draenei and Asura aren't humanoid? Because they have hooves and clawed elephant feet?

[Jovanaar]

Either you love it or hate it, but if it's a gamebreaker for you... then good luck finding