Suramar's detail a prelude to Nightborne being a playble race?

[Raetary]

They literally say, and I mean literally said, that we would kill every, single, one of them.

and then changed their mind i guess.
some of them are helping us in suramar.

[Bathory]

I hope they become playable, even if they are just a subrace. I haven't wanted a new race in quite some time, but these models are just beautiful

[Deleted]

I dont believe we will see any more elf like playable races before sub races come into play if ever.

[George Costanza]

They are already available as a race called blood elves.

[facelesssoul]

Ok so Blizzard is putting all that art and attention to something that will not be reused? It's not like them at all, unless they either they have a lot of free resources in the Art department (due to an influx of ex-Titan employees) or they just decided that this kind of attention to detail is the way to go for a single zone and I'm not buying it!

[Deleted]

Ok so Blizzard is putting all that art and attention to something that will not be reused? It's not like them at all, unless they either they have a lot of free resources in the Art department (due to an influx of ex-Titan employees) or they just decided that this kind of attention to detail is the way to go for a single zone and I'm not buying it!

There is a difference between not being used and being a new playable race

[facelesssoul]

There is a difference between not being used and being a new playable race

True but the detail in that city is better than some current capital cities ...cough...Exodar...cough.. and I don't mean graphics-wise I mean doodads, sights etc.

[Deleted]

True but the detail in that city is better than some current capital cities ...cough...Exodar...cough.. and I don't mean graphics-wise I mean doodads, sights etc.

I'm honestly willing to give blizzard the benefit of doubt on this.

I genuinly think they are doing their best to make this a good expansion

[Imnick]

They made the Exodar in the first ever expansion, of course this city looks better.

[Every Pwny]

I could see them as a subrace for night elves, they probably aren't different enough to warrant their own race though.

[KyrtF]

I'm thinking more like Nightborne would be a special race that starts at 99+ and accessible to horde and allly unless high-mountain tauren have their own thing going on.

I don't think Blizzard will make the mistake of doing a neutral race again.

[Thimagryn]

More people called for Hozen to be a playable race than Pandaren. Just food for thought.

[Imnick]

More people called for Hozen to be a playable race than Pandaren. Just food for thought.

Why would people be calling for Pandaren to be playable after they were already playable?

[Katie45]

They'll probably be a sub race for Night elves, and I am thinking blizzard is going to reunite the High elves with the blood elves giving blood elves there sub race

[Mace]

Here is my theory:
Time and time again Blizzard showed that they don't invest so much manpower into the art assets in particular unless they have plans to reuse such content in the future. After watching the videos for Suramar and the amount of detail and development hours being poured into completely new architecture and doodads I can only come to the conclusion that this heavy investment into the Nighborne and their Capital city probably means that they have plans for them in the future very likely as a playable race.

Now since I'm part of sad no alpha team (QQ Blizzard) I can't determine if there is a 'Hordeish' equivalent in terms of detail for the High-mountain Tauren cities and architecture which drives me to the conclusion that Nightborne elves might get the same treatment as Pandaren as being a cross faction race.

Thoughts?

I think it is a prelude to a new Elven nation, consisting of all Elves. This would be an NPC neutral nation. All the elven groups are working together to fight the legion, night elf, blood elf, high elf, highborne, nightborne - even wardens are teaming up with demon hunters, so much bro-mancing between the NElf and BElf DHs.

It might be the big opportunity for blizzard to do something interesting with the Elves at last, turn them from squabbling with each other to ending the feud..afterall it was the legion's actions that started it, and they all thought everything from the golden age was lost, now it isn't.

The nightborne are definitely a night elven theme, but pre-sundering night elves = night elves + highborne + blood elves + high elves... pre-sundering elves were all one nation, and I think the reminder of that and what working together does as well as being united against a common foe that really hurt them is what will go down. Night Elves are the original Elves encompassing both kinds, and nighborne are an example of what the night elves would be like if they all didn't split up via squabbling after their world's destruction.

The architectural theme is Night Elven with a Blood Elven overlay, not surprising, but you should be looking at current night elf and blood elf as being derived from this.

It is definitely not hordeish at all - Blood elf is not hordeish either although they're in the horde, they do keep sticking out like a sore thumb. Night elves don't really fit much in the alliance either, they really seem a bit too old and a bit beyond that stage for them too.

How blizzard would work out the player factions in the light of a united elven nation is up to them, but it's easily doable. Example.
New Elven nation: New mandate - continue protecting the world and prepare for war for legion. Rebuild the power base and lands of the Elves, starting with Broken Isles enhance and beauty (it's what ELves do), Ensure that Azeroth is ready for the bigger tasks.

To that end, they simply keep their connections to the alliance and the horde rather than break them, not only that they start building up ties with other groups and factions. They use the night elves via Darnassus to keep an eye on the Alliance and help them out, and the Blood elves to watch out in the horde and help them out too from Silvermoon. So sort of like the U.N you would have night elves still working from Darnassus and Blood ELves Silvermoon, with a larger contingency of all Elves abuzz with the work they're doing in Suramar.

It's a bit much to think that Suramar where Tyrande, Malfurion, Illidan, Jarod and Maiev are all from, and probably still have relatives there, not to mention the Highborne night elves who are very much highborne and very arcane focused and newer night elves embracing their arcane legacy, would have more in common with the blood elves. Blood elves definitely have things in common with nighborne, they are highborne descendants afterall, but I wouldn't say they have more, the theme is more identifiable with night elf if you were to separate the two, but it's clearly a mixture of the two, and is the original from which both are derived. Sort of Darnassus meets Silvermoon x 10

[Futhark]

Wildhammers are a popular request for example....but they look near identical to Bronzebeards save for their tattoos. Where the main difference lies is with their Shamanistic culture.

And to do that justice....the Wildhammers would need:

New skins
Different class selections
Different racial abilities
A different starter zone with a story that sees them eventually link into the main Dwarf storyline.

Just the skins will be fine, thank you. Class selection is already broken. Letting Bronzebeards be Shaman, by my beard...

[Leodok]

Consider this: Which playable race has been foreshadowed by quests in the previous expansion?
The answer: Literally none of them.

Worgens?
Goblins?

[Alanar]

night elves sub race

If at all, I think this is the best call for the Nightborne I agree they are very cool.
Adding a third Elf race would be kind of silly as a new race../highelf discussion.

- - - Updated - - -

Worgens?
Goblins?

You would almost forget about them!
They have been in multiple series of threads about becoming a new race pre cata, remember those masks being datamined and how hyped everyone was.

[KyrtF]

Just the skins will be fine, thank you. Class selection is already broken. Letting Bronzebeards be Shaman, by my beard...

Ahhh...that's the problem. There is no real physical difference between a Wildhammer and a Bronzebeard. Yet people are still asking to play Wildhammers as a subrace.

And the there are subraces such as the Broken...which are Draenei but use a totally different skeleton.

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

The subrace thing is interesting, but no they wont be a playable race otherwise.
The models are awesome though!