Originally Posted by
Mace
that was not how i recall the Tolkein elves, and actually, Tolkein seems to be the only one that has done a dcent job of portraying an immortal , excelling humans race of people. I think most of the copy cats havent really delved into his works, they've watched or read lotr then jumped to conclusions about the elves and portrayed them like that.
there are certain things that go along with having loads of experience living increidbly long, and certian things that don't fit that model, you don't expect the level of ineptitude blizz are showing night elves to be.
Anyway, Tolkein's Elves were not removed from the world at all, the dwarves were a lot closer to that, more content to stick to their mountains and find more treasure than engage or help anyone. You look at Tolkein's further works, adn the ELves were very proactive in middle earth affairs for 2 ages, they carreid the brunt of the work and force needed to keep the jaws of evil from strangling and destroying middle earth. Lord of the Rings set in the 3rd age, sees the Elves or more a remnatn of the Elves, most of them already left middle earth before itw as fully realized that by the guardians that it was Sauron indeed that had returned. And when that happened, we see it was largely Men and Elves. the few that remained didn't just sit by, they go on to assist the men of Rohan, and then later the assault on Mordor. and again we see not all show benevolence and that level of nobility, Cos not all the Elven kingdoms rallied for the 3rd age struggle, Humans had not been invited to the west, , they were stuck in middle earth, they would have to deal with it, itwas their problem now, after having fought and one two potential world ending ages, the elves would have every right to stick to their guns and say, this is no longer our fight, Middle Earth no longer our homes, but many do go help anyway, even though it may mean death. And death for an Elf in tolkein's universe means something different to death for a human, if you read the extended universe, it is far more final for them. But still they came.
and yet some didn't. So, by just watching Lord of the Rings, you may think tolkein's elves were removed form tehworld, but he doesn't write them like that when you read the book and when you delve into the full scale of the middle earth saga and his whole world not at all.
And you can be diminishing in the world as a power without being made to look like a fool. Like Tolkein's Elves, the night elves' great feats are in the past, they interfere little now what's going on, but they are not diminished. he writes them well, and sure i understand that Warcarft is a video game, and because NElves are playable well they can't be ultimate.. butas others have stated, you don't have to give them super stats in order to write them as wise , beautiful, power and long lived. you just have to write them well, or in this instance, i'll settle for better