Kerra vs Vah Shir, a kitty tradition destroyed

[Isoto]

<p>Dunno if this topic has come up before (prolly has), but... I've always had a tradition of playing any available cat-like race in any MMO I play, but EQ2 has broken that tradition for me (not a good thing though). In the 1st EverQuest I played a Vah Shir & I will admit they looked fantastic for what the graphics were at the time, but the Kerra... ewww.</p><p>- Vah Shir had long snouts, which really helped in the distinguishing of the race from a distance, plus overall looked better. I've tried to manipulate the nose of both Kerra male & female & can't do a darn thing with it. It's hiddeous... (Point Vah Shir)</p><p>- Vah Shir had claws. What cat-race should not come with a set of these?! Have you ever looked at the feet of a Kerra? There are like 3 little triangles pasted onto the tip of their feet. Female Kerra also have these long gangly fingers like that of an old witch. (Point Vah Shir)</p><p>- Female Vah Shir appear to be a lot more balanced in their figure & stronger then the women of the Kerra. (Point Vah Shir)</p><p>- Kerran ears are just plain rediculous... Have you ever tried to fully enlarge a Kerran's ears at characater creation? It starts to look something like a kangaroo. (Point Vah Shir)</p><p>- Male Kerra appear to have almost no necks. Dress em' in plate & it's like their ready to go runnin' for a touchdown. (Point Vah Shir)</p><p>- Of coarse with the progress of time, one must admit Kerra do possess more realistic fur. (Point Kerra)</p><p> Of coarse I understand that the story has pretty much been already set about the Vah Shir disappearing in the great disaster or w/e, but does SOE have any plans, or has there been any discussion on making the Vah Shir a playable race again that has a few serviving members like how the frogloks returned? Some people may say that having 2 cat-like races is silly, but why not?! Look at how many different elven races there are. It could even possibly be like a whole new expansion with a partially destroyed planet of Luclin, or a encampment of Vah Shir somewhere in Norrath that weren't on Luclin at the time of the disaster, or hell... just make alternate character models for Kerra that take from some of the good points the Vah Shir had.</p>

[TheKons]

Luclin is a moon, not a planet. And if you read the lore of the Kerra, they are what came out of mixing the Vahshir that were left in Norrath before the spires were shut down with the existing Kerran population.  They are meant to look this way.

[Rabid-Othmir]

Don't count on Luclin or pure blooded Vah Shir returning as a playable race. And yes, the Kerra are ugly compared to the good ol' Vah Shir.

[Winter]

<span style="font-size: small; color: #ff66cc; font-family: comic sans ms,sand">They interbred after ports to Luclin were cut off.</span>

[jmayor]

Kerra =/= Vah Shir Vah Shir and Kerra are offshoots of each other..or more specifically Vah Shir are offshoots of Kerran's....they grew on the moon. moon went boom. Kerrans in EQ2 are just that..Kerrans..NOT Vah Shir

[Josgar]

<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/josgar/kerra.jpg" border="0">

[Winter]

<span style="font-size: small; color: #ff66cc; font-family: comic sans ms,sand">Nice representation, Josgar. <img src="/smilies/3b63d1616c5dfcf29f8a7a031aaa7cad.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> Looking at it that way, you can better see the interbreeding of the two feline races.</span>

[Kamimura]

Personally I wish they'd either gone with Kerra as they looked, or Vah Shir as they looked.. The Kerra now just look funny. <img src="/smilies/1069449046bcd664c21db15b1dfedaee.gif" border="0" alt="SMILEY" /> I think it is.. the way they carry themselves. It isn't cat like. Look at the EQL Kerra and Vah Shir, then look at the EQ2 Kerra to see what I mean.

[Winter]

<span style="font-size: small; color: #ff66cc; font-family: comic sans ms,sand">That is something I can agree with - I do think the Kerra carry themselves a bit much like a traditional human.</span>

[TheKons]

<cite>Josgar wrote:</cite><blockquote><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v334/josgar/kerra.jpg" border="0"> </blockquote>There were Vah Shir on Norrath when luclin portals got off, so they were stranded here, they interbred with the existing Kerra on Norrath and that is what we see today as the Kerra on Norrath 500 years in the future.

[PsiaMeese]

Lorewise, I have been under the impression that whatever bonded relations developed between Kerran tribes and Vah Shir survivors would have transpired more recently.  As <b>The Shattering</b> (of Luclin) only occurred 15 years, roughly, prior to the Age of Destiny as portrayed at the start of EQ2. While <b>The Rending</b> of 500 years past certainly affected most of Norrath, I didn't think that long period had much to do with development of the current Kerra.

[PsiaMeese]

I should add, having never played EQ1, that I was never clear on the lore related to the Portals to and from Luclin.  I have read that the portals were quiet for a long time, I never understood for just how long this was so?  I know that I read somewhere that these same portals were made available again. Were these portals available following <b>The Rending</b> over the 500 years leading up to<b> The Shattering</b>? EDIT: I'm going to attempt to clarify this myself elsewhere.

[Seraki]

<p>I would prefered it if they had gone with a more cat like kerra legs than the scaled down tiny human like feet on long legs.  Also the female kerrans of EQ2 look very uncat like.   </p><p> I can however see the how the combining of the races works in the current model.   I just wished they looked more like cats.</p>

[Winter]

<cite>Seraki wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I would prefered it if they had gone with a more cat like kerra legs than the scaled down tiny human like feet on long legs.  Also the female kerrans of EQ2 look very uncat like.   </p><p> I can however see the how the combining of the races works in the current model.   I just wished they looked more like cats.</p></blockquote> <span style="font-size: small; color: #ff66cc; font-family: comic sans ms,sand">I wonder if Vhalen could explain why the Kerra are more human-like now.</span>

[Velsha]

<cite>Winter wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Seraki wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I would prefered it if they had gone with a more cat like kerra legs than the scaled down tiny human like feet on long legs.  Also the female kerrans of EQ2 look very uncat like.   </p><p> I can however see the how the combining of the races works in the current model.   I just wished they looked more like cats.</p></blockquote> <span style="font-size: small; font-family: comic sans ms,sand"><span style="color: #ff66cc">I wonder if Vhalen could explain why the Kerra are more human-like now.</span></span></blockquote> Because it made designing the armor easier for the development team?

[Deadrus]

I read some where in Lore that the Vah Shir were just a differnt clan of the Keran. I mean you had the break down pic that showed both keran and vashir and say vah shir + old Keran = new Keran. That is fine but if you remember there were 2 difernt froglock modles in EQ1. It's possible they just didnt update the look of the Kera when the Vah Shir went live with Shaddows of Lulin. So the old Kera in eq1 coulda looked more Vah Shier like they just didnt up date the modles like many of the old froglock modles in parts of eq1. So bioloicly they are the same race they just were a differnt clan that was blasted to Luclin.

[Kallus]

Really wish they would come out with alternate models for the Kerrans. The Vah Shir looked nice. The Kerrans look hideous. I always play a cat race and am very embarrased to play a Kerra.

[Wyrmypops]

<p>There is more than a gentle touch of the Star Trek alien about them ain't there. That is, humans with lil lumps bunged on somewhere. </p><p>These Kerra Cats are so more human than feline. They really could do with a more ready-to-land-on-their-feet pose. More powerful shoulders. Hell, even dropping to all fours for running could be possible after the skele-revamp. </p><p>It's similar to the disappointing Iksar. A dodgy tail stapled to the bum, and comedy mask. Chunkier thighs accomodating the tail would be nice. I deleted mine, but heard they at least have an appropriate swim animation. </p><p>The larger and smaller than normal models look groovy. </p>

[LordPazuzu]

The Vah Shir were the Kerran nobility.  I too wish that the current Kerrans more closely resembled the Vah Shir.  The Vah Shir were definitely much cooler looking.  maybe with the new skeletal system we'll get better looking Kerrans.

[Iseabeil]

<cite>Susprinna@Lucan DLere wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Winter wrote:</cite><blockquote><cite>Seraki wrote:</cite><blockquote><p>I would prefered it if they had gone with a more cat like kerra legs than the scaled down tiny human like feet on long legs.  Also the female kerrans of EQ2 look very uncat like.   </p><p> I can however see the how the combining of the races works in the current model.   I just wished they looked more like cats.</p></blockquote><span style="font-size: small;font-family: comic sans ms,sand;"><span style="color: #ff66cc;">I wonder if Vhalen could explain why the Kerra are more human-like now.</span></span></blockquote>Because it made designing the armor easier for the development team?</blockquote>I kind of doubt that is the reason. If they made kerra into humans with cat hads and tail to make it easie, why would they give ratongas, a totally new race with no 'art history', a totally unique look among the races? Ratongas really look like rat-people, kerra does not look like cat-people. Id say kerra would look more natural on a sized up ratonga body with some paw adjustments then their current look.

[Amphibia]

I think the Kerra race look really nice for a cat race, but then I never played EQ1 so I have no nostalgia for Vah Shir. As for claws and such, don't most RL felines have their claws pulled in all the time unless they're actually using them?

[Gmagee89]

<p>Hey, if you want to talk nostalgia among race graphic changes, how about them Eruds?!</p><p>I mean I agree, in EQ1 my main as an Iksar and my alt was a Vah Shir, and I have to say the new models seem horrible to me, in their own respects.  But I would say they took a completely different art form perspective on these models, so as I do not like them, and possibly due to familiarity and nostalgia, I will not question it, just agree that its not for me, for whatever reasons.</p><p>Now, with that said.  The Erudites have ALWAYS been BLACK!  </p><p>I am quite suprised there isn't some black pride riot going on right now, I mean come on.  I've heard all the stories about how in EQ1 they couldnt input black into the human model as an option and so hence forth there were the Eruds, but really, if thats the case, thats neither here nor there at this point.  Several books of lore, in and out of game content, etc etc etc have all been based around the Eruds being black.  Its like if I wanted to pull up an EQ1 book and read them explaining how all the races looked, iksar eq2 would pass, vah shir/kerra would pass, but an EQ1 novel would talk about the Eruds, and their skin color, and suddenly someone with eq2 knowledge only would be like, [Removed for Content].. the story does not follow, this does not seem realistic to me anymore, blah blah blah...</p><p>As I understand 500 years have passed, and we do not have to worry so much about lore continuity... come on now... some things just are sacred.</p><p>And btw the Sarnaks look amazing in EQ2.. Wonderfully similar to EQ1 while adding its own "better" graphic touch.</p>

[Kamimura]

<p><cite>Gmagee89 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Hey, if you want to talk nostalgia among race graphic changes, how about them Eruds?!</p><p>As I understand 500 years have passed, and we do not have to worry so much about lore continuity... come on now... some things just are sacred.</p></blockquote><p>There is plenty of lore in the game that explains what happened to the Erudites, they weren't just changed without reason. (You can actually still see classic Erudite NPCs in some areas of the game - although the vast majority of Erudites are the changed version.)</p>

[Cusashorn]

<p><cite>Gmagee89 wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>Hey, if you want to talk nostalgia among race graphic changes, how about them Eruds?!</p><p>I mean I agree, in EQ1 my main as an Iksar and my alt was a Vah Shir, and I have to say the new models seem horrible to me, in their own respects.  But I would say they took a completely different art form perspective on these models, so as I do not like them, and possibly due to familiarity and nostalgia, I will not question it, just agree that its not for me, for whatever reasons.</p><p>Now, with that said.  The Erudites have ALWAYS been BLACK!  </p><p>I am quite suprised there isn't some black pride riot going on right now, I mean come on.  I've heard all the stories about how in EQ1 they couldnt input black into the human model as an option and so hence forth there were the Eruds, but really, if thats the case, thats neither here nor there at this point.  Several books of lore, in and out of game content, etc etc etc have all been based around the Eruds being black.  Its like if I wanted to pull up an EQ1 book and read them explaining how all the races looked, iksar eq2 would pass, vah shir/kerra would pass, but an EQ1 novel would talk about the Eruds, and their skin color, and suddenly someone with eq2 knowledge only would be like, [Removed for Content].. the story does not follow, this does not seem realistic to me anymore, blah blah blah...</p><p>As I understand 500 years have passed, and we do not have to worry so much about lore continuity... come on now... some things just are sacred.</p><p>And btw the Sarnaks look amazing in EQ2.. Wonderfully similar to EQ1 while adding its own "better" graphic touch.</p></blockquote><p>The Erudites are explained in the game lore in good detail. The Erudites and Paineelians put aside their religious differences and united together as one race. They conducted a great experiment that was designed to help the race all around, but was secretly sabotaged by an Erudite who had been taken over by a Shadowman. The ritual ended up sucking all of Odus into the Ulteran dimension and affected all the creatures that lived on it. The Erudites were turned into the rune-scribed grey beings they are now (while the classic black erudites on Odus were already influenced by the void and thus didn't change), the pandas in Stonebrundt had gained sentience, and the Kerra managed to ward off the magic by placing ancient totems all around their island.</p><p>The change affected all Erudites on a universal level.</p>

[Lethe5683]

<p><cite>Seraki wrote:</cite></p><blockquote><p>I would prefered it if they had gone with a more cat like kerra legs than the scaled down tiny human like feet on long legs.  Also the female kerrans of EQ2 look very uncat like.  </p><p> I can however see the how the combining of the races works in the current model.   I just wished they looked more like cats.</p></blockquote><p>I agree.  Besides it's not like they couldn't do it for whatever reason, look at ratonga they have legs and feet much different from any of the humanoid models.  The main reason that I don't like Kerra is because they look about as much like gorillas as they do like cats. (especially the males)</p>

[Shareana]

<p>Wow. how do you keep finding these old threads Gmagee89? </p>