Again, nobody cares because the high elf request alone crosses several red lines that Blizzard keeps laying out, that the race is already playable, that the race is playable on the other faction, and that making that race available to the Alliance compromises their red lines on faction diversity. There is no point in citing Ogres or Drogbar or any other race because no other race has the same issue, that they are already playable on the other faction.
Which is what, some other forum goers? You are aware of how vanishingly small a percentage of the player base people who participate in the forums actually are, right? The vast majority of players aren't even aware this debate exists, let alone taken a side on it.
But it WAS Void Elves and not a hypothetical alternative. And as such, Void Elves were and are being developed as the High Elves of the Alliance.
High Elf exiles did not become an allied race despite a multi year campaign in support of their inclusion. Mechagnomes did despite having a vastly smaller presence in regards to feedback. The logical conclusion here then is that the feedback of the pro high elf community was disregarded because Blizzard valued it's red lines more.
Except they still cited faction diversity as the reason High Elves were not given to the Alliance. Were Void Elves seen as being a duplicate, the debate would have ended and the pro High Elf side would be crowing it's victory. You cannot on the one hand argue that faction distinctiveness was eliminated by Void Elves and on the other hand argue the Alliance still needs playable High Elves. That is pure doublethink. Void Elves are a variant, not a duplicate of a high elf. As a variant, there is a measure of differentiation between them and the Blood/High Elves which the pro high elf community is well aware of, as they have spent a considerable amount of time arguing why Void Elves are not what they wanted.
So please, pick an approach. If the Void Elves destroyed faction distinctiveness, congratulations, the Alliance has the high elves they wanted and this topic can end.
If Void Elves are not identical to high elves, then the faction barrier was preserved and Blizzard kept to their red lines, something you will have to make peace with eventually.
That list that player has of things Blizzard changed their minds on hasn't been updated to include High Elves now has it? In fact, their position on high elves has remained remarkably stable across fifteen years if we go all the way back to that first Caydiem blue post back in September 2005. In fact, not only has Blizzard NOT reversed them on high elves, they've time and again gone out of their way to double down on their 'No', haven't they? Even at Blizzcon they throttled the talk of the summer, that the factions were weakening, quite viciously. Interview after interview stomped the idea that Alliance and Horde were anything other than a pillar of the franchise. And a component of that pillar is racial diversity of the membership, which is the rationale given for why high elves weren't added and void elves were added in their stead.
I find appealing to 'all the times they seemingly changed their mind on something' ferociously lazy reasoning. It implies all you have to do is wait and they'll change their mind, as if such a shift is inevitable in the fullness of time. It means you never have to actually engage with the case you presented and ask why it hasn't happened? What is stopping it? Just because they changed their mind on a few things doesn't mean they will change their mind on everything. And on this particular topic they've been solid for a decade and a half.
As for it being a popular question, well, you answered that yourself I believe.
The very reasonable interpretation being they will try and meet a reasonable request, but an unreasonable request will be resisted no matter how popular the demand seems to be. A request that violates a pillar of the game, the faction wall, is unreasonable.
I regard the entire answer as flimsy and unworthy of the level of attention you've given to it. He said skins for Void Elves was possible, so as far as we know, it's possible. But they are not guaranteed by any stretch of the imagination and once upon a time, when Ion mentioned High Elves as a potential subrace in an interivew, they became possible too.
We all know how that turned out.
Because Nightborne were part of a quid pro quo to get a High Elf variant in the Alliance with the Void Elves. Those pro High Elfers who argued the case for High Elves prior to yourself always accepted the implicit bargain, that access to a Horde race for the Alliance was paired with the Horde getting access to an Alliance race. They suggested leper gnomes or dark iron dwarves. In the end, it turned out to be Alliance access to a variant of a Horde race in exchange for Horde access to a variant of an Alliance race.
Nightborne are a variant of Night Elves, with a unique aesthetic and theme. The Alliance was compensated in the lost of a monopoly on the Night Elf race with access to Void Elves. And high elves are not the equivalent of Nightborne. Void Elves are. Horde players cannot play Void Elves, just as Night Elf fans cannot play Nightborne. You seem to be inventing a grievance whereas the actual thing was handled fairly equitably.
Again, if Nightborne are identical to Night Elves or Void Elves are identical to High Elves, then the Alliance has High Elves and you won.
If Nightborne are different from Night Elves, or Void Elves are different from High Elves, then they are distinct and the faction wall remains firm.
You cannot argue on the one hand they are identical with each other whilst on other hand complain about them for not being what you wanted. Pick one.
Personally it is clear to me, and in fact to everyone, that they are in fact distinct and that anyone who argues they are the same is doing so with an agenda.
It is 100% true and correct. Blood Elves are High Elves. High Elves are playable. A High Elf variant has been provided to the Alliance that does not undermine the faction distinctiveness of the Horde. All consistent with the design pillar that the faction divide is integral to the game.