High Elves: Is it really what the player base wants?

[huth]

It is a wank about the naming. The Highborne, literally are the High Elves.

Incorrect. While all High Elves are Highborne, not all Highborne are High Elves. Especially not the Naga.

[Celista]

You seem to be operating under the belief that lore can't be added to the game, and that the lore we have is complete.

Lore goes on but that doesn't mean that the new lore is sensical or should have been put in the game in the first place.

[Amonra]

They aren´t defining two different races by using those terms. Its a definition of two different cultures within the entire night elven society where the High borne are the ruling caste. Just look at how India is divided in a caste system and what each are called - doesn´t mean others won´t call everyone of them Indians.

Horrible comparison when there's 10000 years of evolution that separate them and have made them both biologically and culturally way too different. By your logic, we should still call high elves night elves since they are far more biologically and culturally closer to the original highborne.

---------- Post added 2013-01-14 at 01:36 AM ----------

Which misses the point that you'd be giving the Alliance a rehashed race and the Horde a brand new one.

You give one side a brand new arce, they both get brand new races.
You want to give one side a rehashed race? The other side needs to get a rehashed race.

EJL

This points comes a lot, and its a logical fallacy. If they give the alliance a "rehashed" race, that would make the blood elves less unique as well; so you'd had to add a brand new race to the horde to balance things out.

---------- Post added 2013-01-14 at 01:44 AM ----------

High Elves are boring, they contribute nothing new, have no unique architecture, no interesting culture, etc...

Well, this is a matter of opinion. As such, I believe you are completely wrong.

They would be the only race that has a biological counterpart on an opposite faction summed to an unwavering hate for each other. Pandaren seemed to flirt with this, but we haven't seen it play out. The animosity between high elves and blood elves has been a theme since their separation, and it has been touched upon BC and later expanded further in WotLK with the Sunreavers and the Silver Covenant, and now is incredibly high after the events in Dalaran. They have finally reached open hostility.

That is a plot with a lot of interesting possibilities (the return of Alleria, control of the sunwell, amani invasion) That I would love to be explored.

[Talen]

Only 1/3 of the Dark Iron population sided with Moira iirc. Perfect opportunity to add a slightly renegade version of one of the Alliance races and meld it into the Horde.

Yes...except they also spent much of Vanilla fighting the Orcs and the Horde. Not an insurmountable problem though.

Or Draenei are always a viable option. Have it so both Blood Elves and Draenei go neutral next expansion (but Alliance Elves have a choice to pick blue eyes or green.)

Possible....but theres already been a bit of a backlash about the way factions go neutral. The Orcs tried to wipe them out. The BElfs under KT tried to finish the job.

You could probbaly come up with some story for any Alliance race to be present within the Horde...Gnomish slaves, human spies and so on. Overall...the Highborne seeking out their kin in Silvermoon seems to be the least contrived.

EJL

[vamonos]

They would be the only race that has a biological counterpart on an opposite faction summed to an unwavering hate for each other. Pandaren seemed to flirt with this, but we haven't seen it play out. The animosity between high elves and blood elves has been a theme since their separation, and it has been touched upon BC and later expanded further in WotLK with the Sunreavers and the Silver Covenant, and now is incredibly high after the events in Dalaran. They have finally reached open hostility.

That is a plot with a lot of interesting possibilities (the return of Alleria, control of the sunwell, amani invasion) That I would love to be explored.

ppl seem to forget the conflict between night elves and high elves as an intresting point in if they were made playable race rather than just random hang around npcs.(copy paste from wowwiki) The years of conflict between the night elves and the high elves number so many that they make the Alliance and Horde conflict look like children arguing over a toy. When the high elves lost their immortality, they eventually forgot their brethren as generations lived and died, creating legends of histories. The night elves remembered the damage the highborne brought to the world, and view their descendents as time bombs. When the high elves encountered the night elves, they realized the legends were true and began to resent the fact that the night elves had access to so much power that they refused to use — not to mention the whole matter of exile. Many plot to retake the magically imbued forests for themselves, regardless of the fact that both races belong to the Alliance.

[Talen]

Lore goes on but that doesn't mean that the new lore is sensical or should have been put in the game in the first place.

Well then, perhaps you can explain why the Highborne seeking out their kin in Darnassus makes sense, but having them seek out their kin in Silvermoon does not?

EJL

[Talen]

This points comes a lot, and its a logical fallacy. If they give the alliance a "rehashed" race, that would make the blood elves less unique as well; so you'd had to add a brand new race to the horde to balance things out.

If you give the Alliance High Elves , what would the player raection be? They'd love it.
If, at the same time, you gave the Horde Ogres, what would the player reaction be? They'd love it. And then they'd point out, rather forcefully, that the High Elf uses the same model as the Blood Elf. The same animations. That it had been in the game for years. That it wasn't fair that the Horde got a shiny sparkly brand new model and the Alliance got a hand-me-down.

For something like this, balance is required. What happenes to one, happens to both. Just look at how mnay Alliance players disliked the disparity in class/role combos. Or the way the Horde reacted to the difference in mounts. An the Alliance as well.

You may want to think of this as a logical fallacy. But it would happen. More to the point, it would be justified. And it would require next to no work on Blizzrads part to fix it.

A new character selection screen? Already being done. Charcater models and animations? Already done. Start zone? Drop them in an existing zone. Lore to justify it? Blizzard can make something up.

And yes...it would make the BElfs less "unique" - or rather, less associated with the Horde.

Why would it make sense when they barely exist anymore?

Why does it make sense when the Gnomes/Tauren/Trolls/Goblins barely exist anymore? Many players factions are technically made up of just a few members if you go by existing lore.

EJL

[Celista]

Well then, perhaps you can explain why the Highborne seeking out their kin in Darnassus makes sense, but having them seek out their kin in Silvermoon does not?

EJL

Tbh I don't think either makes sense.

If the race becomes playable, however, there will hopefully be some sort of logical conclusion as to why high elves are joining x race and why the race has become playable considering how few high elves are left in Azeroth.

Gameplay wise...I'm just hoping that there will be a unique race model and not simply nelfs/belfs with blue eyes...also, while I wouldn't mind a high elf race, there are a few other races I'd rather see implemented in game before high elves (Ogres, Dryads, Naga, Murloc, etc).

[Amonra]

If you give the Alliance High Elves , what would the player raection be? They'd love it.
If, at the same time, you gave the Horde Ogres, what would the player reaction be? They'd love it. And then they'd point out, rather forcefully, that the High Elf uses the same model as the Blood Elf. The same animations. That it had been in the game for years. That it wasn't fair that the Horde got a shiny sparkly brand new model and the Alliance got a hand-me-down.

For something like this, balance is required. What happenes to one, happens to both. Just look at how mnay Alliance players disliked the disparity in class/role combos. Or the way the Horde reacted to the difference in mounts. An the Alliance as well.

You may want to think of this as a logical fallacy. But it would happen. More to the point, it would be justified. And it would require next to no work on Blizzrads part to fix it.

A new character selection screen? Already being done. Charcater models and animations? Already done. Start zone? Drop them in an existing zone. Lore to justify it? Blizzard can make something up.

And yes...it would make the BElfs less "unique" - or rather, less associated with the Horde.

EJL

What I mean with "less unique" blood elves is that, in the same way that alliance would be using the same animations and model than a horde race, the horde would be using the same model and animations than and alliance race. Therefore, the horde would need another unique race, since one of their is "shared"

That is balance, regardless of QQ from any would be whiners.

---------- Post added 2013-01-14 at 02:48 AM ----------

Tbh I don't think either makes sense.

If the race becomes playable, however, there will hopefully be some sort of logical conclusion as to why high elves are joining x race and why the race has become playable considering how few high elves are left in Azeroth.

Gameplay wise...I'm just hoping that there will be a unique race model and not simply nelfs/belfs with blue eyes...also, while I wouldn't mind a high elf race, there are a few other races I'd rather see implemented in game before high elves (Ogres, Dryads, Naga, Murloc, etc).

Completely agree with your first point.

Do not agree with the second. High elves should share models with blood elves a la pandaren, The biological differences are just too negligible. I find it more believable.

But if high elves happen to be added and with a brand new model and anims and all, I will not pout, not a bit. I just think it would be far more practical and sensible to use the blood elven model for them as well.

[Lemonpartyfan]

I just can't understand this point of view. Nothing is being taken from the Horde at all. High Elves aren't in the Horde. Why would the Horde deserve to crap all over logic and lore in the current game to take an Alliance race? I don't get it.

Shen'dralar has allied with Darnassus. Dark Iron Dwarves, being ruled now by Moira have joined with their Dwarven brethren.

I heard the same whining about Horde getting Blood Elves in BC. "Horde get a rehashed... blah blah blah" but that all worked out fine didn't it?

[Voyager]

High Elves should NOT get a different models or animations than Blood Elves, and Dryads (and any other 4-legged races) are a big NO-NO, end of discussion.

[Nekrus]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didnt metzen or someone else from blizz state that most high elves became blood elves after the atrocities happened to their race and that their are not enough high elves to constitute a new race for players?

[Voyager]

Correct me if I'm wrong but didnt metzen or someone else from blizz state that most high elves became blood elves after the atrocities happened to their race and that their are not enough high elves to constitute a new race for players?

They also said that flying mounts would never be allowed in Azeroth's main continents.

[Vajarra]

Yes, because I like the model but dislike Horde.

[Abysal]

No. This isn't world of Elfcraft. This game needs more diversity. I want new races to be as unique as possible, with little in common with other races including their appearance.

[The Fiend]

Because a fractured race that is a tiny amount of the ACTUAL population of their species is totally cause for them to be a playable race.

We already have enough elves, High Elves are basically boring versions of Blood Elves anyway and serve next to no purpose as a race.

[stumpy]

the player base

Has absolutely no idea what it wants.

[Veiled Shadow]

High elves would be great.

High Elves should NOT get a different models or animations than Blood Elves, and Dryads (and any other 4-legged races) are a big NO-NO, end of discussion.

Why can't we have a 4-legged race?

[Voyager]

High elves would be great.



Why can't we have a 4-legged race?

Doesn't fit into a civilized faction. Way too much resources needed to make gear fit them etc. We won't ever see Nerubians, Mantid etc for those reasons.
Those are the reason why Worgen and Tauren were made 2-legged instead of 4.

[Celista]

Doesn't fit into a civilized faction. Way too much resources needed to make gear fit them etc. We won't ever see Nerubians, Mantid etc for those reasons.
Those are the reason why Worgen and Tauren were made 2-legged instead of 4.

Not necessarily, the armor showing would probably be chest/shoulders/helm/hands for a dryad...Blizz could taper the chestpiece in a way that it would look decent.

Leggings/footgear would look weird, though, and so I'd imagine that those wouldn't be exposed (much like footwear on a female troll doesn't show up when worn).