Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[FossilFree]

I'm not sure I'd agree entirely with your assessment. Compared to Humans and Night Elves (among other core races), Blood Elves didn't get as comprehensive a customization pass. Eye colors aside, Blood Elves got 4 skin tones, 2 ear sizes, 3 hair styles (not counting bald) for males & females, 3 hair colors, 3 facial hairs for males, and a bunch of jewelry for females.

Now compare that to Night Elves who got: 4 skin tones (i think), 4 hairstyles for males (not counting bald), 5 (or 6 I'm a bit unsure) hairstyles for females, hair vines with 5 color options, side burns, mustache, and beard as individual options for the males, eyebrows as their own option for male & female, 4 ear sizes, 5 scars, 5 tattoos for males, a blindfold option for males, a variety of jewelry for females, and females also had the color of their facial markings separated from their skin color.

Blood Elves aren't the only core race to be short changed compared to Humans and Night Elves, but they are the ones that immediately come to my mind. Blood Elves should have gotten scars and tattoos as options. They should have gotten eyebrow options, The males should have had their mustaches and beards as individual options. The hairstyles with adornments like circlets or tiaras should have had those adornments as separate options from the hairstyle. And a popular ask for Blood Elves was the Dark Ranger/San'layn skin and eyes, yet that request fell on deaf ears.

Don't get me wrong, you can see from my previous posts that there's a lot I want for Void Elves too, but I also play Blood Elves (among other races) and I'm not going to put on blinders when I see some core races getting a less comprehensive customization pass than others.

I mean sure, they could always get more, but not before the AR customization pass. Giving Blood Elves more options before Void Elves and the other ARs got their new options would be favoritism. Same goes for any other core race. Nightborne are also overdue, and in much more dire need of options than Blood Elves.

I guess after the ARs get theirs, maybe Blood Elves can get some Venthyr Kael'thas style options or something. But don't forget, they also got a freebie option with the holy options back in BFA. Only Night Elves were graced with a similar option, but I think Night Elves are also probably pretty good for the moment too. They got some of the most, if not the most, options.

[Varodoc]

Not only should the Void elves get more hair colours, they should also receive Fel eyes.

The Ren'dorei are not just the biological Void elves, they are an organization encompassing any Thalassian who rejects the current government and strives towards mastering the Void, following the teachings of Alleria Windrunner. Therefore, there are many Blood elves with Fel eyes who joined the Ren'dorei and call themselves "Children of the Void".

[Traveler Voltin]

still dont get why the void elves need to be the special children that get 2 rounds of customization when everyone got 1.

[Kyriani]

still dont get why the void elves need to be the special children that get 2 rounds of customization when everyone got 1.

Void Elves did not get a "round of customization" yet. They got eyes like most races and allied races. They got skin tones shared from their parent race just like mechagnomes did. They did not get a customization pass yet, and implying they did is extremely disingenuous.

[Varodoc]

Allied races are, and have always been, special compared to core races.

Why do you think they could only be unlocked after getting Exalted with a specific reputation faction and completing a story questline?

Why do you think their Heritage armor is obtainable only after reaching max level with a new character?

Why do you think their racial abilities are so much more complex and unique than those of core races?

That's LITERALLY the point of allied races. They are a unique type of core races. They are the "subraces" that people have been asking for years, except that they also have unique racial abilities different from their respective core races.

[FossilFree]

Void Elves did not get a "round of customization" yet. They got eyes like most races and allied races. They got skin tones shared from their parent race just like mechagnomes did. They did not get a customization pass yet, and implying they did is extremely disingenuous.

This pretty much. It would be like saying Kul Tiran got a pass because their mustaches were separated from their beards.

[Alanar]

As far as hair colors go, Void Elves don't need much I think. I've shared this before, but it was something that was posted on the official forums that I think would basically answer most hair color requests for Void Elves, without just copying them from Blood Elves.



Yes, there's a shade of blonde there, but it's less Marilyn Monroe and more Everyday Joe. It's a darker beige rather than the sunny yellow platinum blondes of Blood Elves, and has a bit of an Ombré effect as it gets darker at the ends. The brown is dark and fairly plain but, along with the beige, I think they'd mollify the High Elf-stans as far as hair color goes. The Black and White are obvious choices that Void Elves should have had from the get go, and I doubt anyone would complain about an icy blue hair color as a Void Elf option. It answers requests for hair colors but still keeps them unique.

I do think Blood Elves need more options though. They didn't get nearly as comprehensive a pass as Humans and Night Elves did in my opinion. I also think it would be fair for Blood Elves to get some variants of Void Elf hairstyles like the one in my avatar since that's very popular. As a variant it could be smoother, with less curling, and/or mirrored so the drape of hair is over the other eye. There's lots of possibilities.

Yes, this is a very good approach imo, I even will say you are one of the few who cares for the actual theme of the void elves and not just want blood elves on the alliance.

The hair colors are slighty different and even that blonde color doesnt clash with the other elf race and fit them great.

I agree that blood elves need more, the 40 new options they gave us are realy just false adversiting and the count face 1 with beard 2 and face with1 with beard 2 already as 2 options.. well great Ofc we can all count like that, but in the end actual new options.. maybe 10.

The new options we got in general arent all that much to begin with.

[Traveler Voltin]

Void Elves did not get a "round of customization" yet. They got eyes like most races and allied races. They got skin tones shared from their parent race just like mechagnomes did. They did not get a customization pass yet, and implying they did is extremely disingenuous.

they got skin tones and eyes. yes that is more customization than they had when they got released. so yes it counts.
they shouldnt even gotten theirs early but fans would have whined.

[Kyriani]

they got skin tones and eyes. yes that is more customization than they had when they got released. so yes it counts.
they shouldnt even gotten theirs early but fans would have whined.

So by your logic Mechagnomes got their pass already too then? They got eyes and skin tones as well you know. What about Kul Tirans? They got eyes and their mustaches and beards separated into individual options.

I'm sorry, but no. The notion that Void Elves will see nothing added when allied races get their pass is absurd.

Nearly every core and allied race got eye options with SL launch. The skin inherited from Blood Elves does count as an advance preview of some of what's to come for Void Elves but can't possibly be considered the whole of the Void Elf customization pass, and it's laughable that you would even suggest such.

Void Elves are virtually guaranteed to get ear size options, more hair colors (maybe not the colors the High Elf-stans want), and more hairstyles when the allied race pass happens. If you think otherwise, I'd say that's highly unrealistic and you're probably going to be very disappointed when the allied race pass happens.

And if all it took was the fear of fans whining to get the skins early, what makes you think that same fear of whining wouldn't guarantee Blizzard gives Void Elves something when the actual allied race pass happens? Especially if it's stuff that takes the devs very little time or resources to add.

Some Blood Elf players are currently raging over their customization pass and how poorly it compares to other core races. They'd be going nuclear if all they got was eyes and skin colors. Void Elves are no different.

[Vaedan]

So by your logic Mechagnomes got their pass already too then? They got eyes and skin tones as well you know. What about Kul Tirans? They got eyes and their mustaches and beards separated into individual options.

I'm sorry, but no. The notion that Void Elves will see nothing added when allied races get their pass is absurd.

Nearly every core and allied race got eye options with SL launch. The skin inherited from Blood Elves does count as an advance preview of some of what's to come for Void Elves but can't possibly be considered the whole of the Void Elf customization pass, and it's laughable that you would even suggest such.

Void Elves are virtually guaranteed to get ear size options, more hair colors (maybe not the colors the High Elf-stans want), and more hairstyles when the allied race pass happens. If you think otherwise, I'd say that's highly unrealistic and you're probably going to be very disappointed when the allied race pass happens.

And if all it took was the fear of fans whining to get the skins early, what makes you think that same fear of whining wouldn't guarantee Blizzard gives Void Elves something when the actual allied race pass happens? Especially if it's stuff that takes the devs very little time or resources to add.

Some Blood Elf players are currently raging over their customization pass and how poorly it compares to other core races. They'd be going nuclear if all they got was eyes and skin colors. Void Elves are no different.

Some people are clearly living in denial. At first, it was denial of Alliance high elves, which transformed into denial of high elf customizations for void elves and now we have new meta, no customizations for void elves at all. There is no single reason why void elves or any other race should be denied more customizations at this point. Devs already said character customizations are ongoing feature they will keep adding in the future, so it is possible we'll see even more customizations on races like humans and night elves.

As for void elves, I agree with options you listed above. I'd welcome more astral-themed features, like hair textures which resembles their heritage armor wings/hawkstrider. If we ever get something like that, I'd gladly forget blonde hair color even exist.

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

Yes, this is a very good approach imo, I even will say you are one of the few who cares for the actual theme of the void elves and not just want blood elves on the alliance.

The hair colors are slighty different and even that blonde color doesnt clash with the other elf race and fit them great.

I agree that blood elves need more, the 40 new options they gave us are realy just false adversiting and the count face 1 with beard 2 and face with1 with beard 2 already as 2 options.. well great Ofc we can all count like that, but in the end actual new options.. maybe 10.

The new options we got in general arent all that much to begin with.

I think that black hair is truly a must for VE's since NPC's already have it; and white-ish like Alleria's Void Form should be highly possible. In terms of other options, I agree we should get ones that focus on fitting the VE aesthetic over than a HE one, but if they are a twoofer, all the better.

In very easily observable terms, Core Races got a minimum of 3 options per category in terms of geometry; some got a few more (up to 5 in some cases) and more categories than others. And BE's are indeed on the bottom in terms of new options overall, so I think everyone should be happy if BE's get some new options. But yeah, they are in the bottom.

That doesn't meant VE's shouldn't get any new options because "they got theirs already"

they got skin tones and eyes. yes that is more customization than they had when they got released. so yes it counts.
they shouldnt even gotten theirs early but fans would have whined.

As this one fails to realize; cause, again, and it has been said multiple times, VE's not only got only got reused BE assets, but only textures, NOT geometry. They got 2 unique eye colors, and guess what? several other AR got new eye colors/eye colors separate from face.

So we have people like Zanjin, wholeass pretending to be rational, asking for VE's to not get any new customization because "they already got theirs", which would literally have them with LESS category options than every other race -if we follow the pattern of at least 3 new options per new category that Core Races get.

Like how can you get so biased to not even see math?

[Ardenaso]

Whether Blood Elves should get more customization is immaterial to the concept that if all AR get updated customization options like the Core Races, so would Void Elves.

Like sure, you don't want Void Elves to resemble BE's any further, that's up to you, but why start to throw logic out of the window?

I didn't mean no more stuff for Void Elves; I just want the BE's to keep whatever the things left that make them unique now that the Alliance finally gets their High Elf fantasy now. I don't know what you mean by logic? Please pardon my reading comprehension today

- - - Updated - - -

Even in that time, Alliance was dealing with enough problems on their own. Alliance completely lost Lordaeron, which was in hands of either Scourge, Forsaken or Scarlet Crusade. Gilneas was isolated since Second War. Stromgarde become overrun by Syndicate and destabilized. Alterac was run over ogres and Syndicate. Dalaran was in ruins, rebuilding itself while facing attacks from Scourge and the Horde (Forsaken). Kul Tiras was isolated. Dwarves of Aerie Peak and Ironforge faced their own internal problems with Dark Irons or frost trolls. Stormwind was on the opposite part of continent and was dealing with serious internal problems with its corrupted nobles and rising Defias brotherhood. As a faction, Alliance was pretty much destabilized in that period and definitely without resources to reach Quel'thalas and aid them. I also get that some humans were just bitter or straight up hostile towards elves because they left the Alliance first, declined help during Plaguing of Lordaeron (with the exception of small squad of priests present there).

I was thinking that in Vanilla we helped the Argent Crusade there and help thin out the Scourge in Eastern Plaguelands then the adventurers would also get some tasks from Bolvar to also help thin out the Scourge in Ghostlands. Or perhaps Elsharin and Vyrin and that rogue in the Cathedral would have asked for help too. If not a formal army then why not some more adventurers? Jorad Mace did it, and I'd think he did it on his own accord and not on the behalf of the Alliance.

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

I didn't mean no more stuff for Void Elves; I just want the BE's to keep whatever the things left that make them unique now that the Alliance finally gets their High Elf fantasy now. I don't know what you mean by logic? Please pardon my reading comprehension today

Oh don't worry, I was just pointing out the weird logic chain from what you replied

by that logic blood elves would have to get something too.

I'm just saying not because VE's get new stuff, so SHOULD Blood Elves, like they could get something derivative of it -kust like VE's got to share skin tones and some eye colors- But you seem to be of the opinion you want to keep the difference between VE and BE, thus I would assume you don't want to share any more assets between the two, right?

Like I don't think you can have it both ways; at most we could get new VE customization that doesn't overlap with anything BE's already have -more tentacles, more weird hair colors/styles, void stuff in general, etc) but BE's wouldn't get anything NEW exclusive to them.

Or you would be okay with a possible new customization for VE's -let's say tattoos- gets shared to BE's as well, kinda like skin tones did from BE ->VE?

[FossilFree]

I'd welcome more astral-themed features, like hair textures which resembles their heritage armor wings/hawkstrider.

Now that sounds like an awesome hair color!

[Vaedan]

Now that sounds like an awesome hair color!

Well, there is one thing I agree with horde blood elf purists. There need to be some distinction between blood elves and void elves and truth be told, void elves have more potential for that. I guess these people would complain that void elves have their own unique options while blood elves remain "vanilla tolkien elves" anyway.

[FossilFree]

Well, there is one thing I agree with horde blood elf purists. There need to be some distinction between blood elves and void elves and truth be told, void elves have more potential for that. I guess these people would complain that void elves have their own unique options while blood elves remain "vanilla tolkien elves" anyway.

Someone posted an idea for even more voidy customization options some time back, I thought those looked really cool! Almost like an Entropic Embrace all the time look.

[FlubberPuddy]

Some people are clearly living in denial. At first, it was denial of Alliance high elves, which transformed into denial of high elf customizations for void elves and now we have new meta, no customizations for void elves at all. There is no single reason why void elves or any other race should be denied more customizations at this point. Devs already said character customizations are ongoing feature they will keep adding in the future, so it is possible we'll see even more customizations on races like humans and night elves.

As for void elves, I agree with options you listed above. I'd welcome more astral-themed features, like hair textures which resembles their heritage armor wings/hawkstrider. If we ever get something like that, I'd gladly forget blonde hair color even exist.

Yeah I fully agree, with all of this.

Also the new approach of 'no customizations for void elves at all' is even more laughable.

Character customizations being an on-going feature guarantee that Void Elves will get broader hair color options aka not just grunge blues/purples/greens. Simply look at the Night Elves for this to be true.

Night Elves received receive a 'Blonde' hair color option from their new set. Yeah it's more autumn orange maybe, but it's basically the 'blonde' for NEs. They weren't beholden to blues/purples/greens like their original hair colors.

And sometimes just one option is enough

[Yavi Dawnsong]

If they add any, they should probably just add multiple hair colours for Void Elves since, and I say this with admittedly no actual game creation knowledge, it can't be that hard to add more if they can add at least one. I'll never understand why people are so against races getting more customisation, I assume it's just down to petty dislike or a WoW race or community. It would be nice to just have some new void options for people who like them as Void Elves and new blonde/brown/black options for people who like them as High Elves.

I understand people who like Void Elves campaigning against the addition of new High Elf options because they think that it will take the 'slots' for their void customisations, but the reality is that alot of people play Void Elves as they are the closest thing to High Elves we currently have available on the Alliance and it would be unfair to not cater to them as well.

At the end of the day, we all know that Void Elves were a roundabout way of adding High Elves, a long requested race, to the Alliance. But it's great that we can potentially get two race of options out of a single race's addition, and to snub players who enjoy them as an actual Void Elf or a stand in for a High Elf is petty at best.

Alot of the hostility about High Elf options seems to just boil down to a combination of; genuine concern over void options being overlooked, Blood Elves players feeling as if their race is being copy-pasted, and trolls (not the race) who are just out to stir up arguments because they don't like elves in general.

To the players concerned over a lack of new Void Elf options, it would be good to remember that Blizzard never said there was a limit of how much a race could be customised, surely having two different racial appearances is a good thing, since potentially it just means twice as much room for new options in the future. Void Elves really could walk away with the most customisation options of any race total.

In regards to Blood Elf players who are genuinly bothered by what they see as their race being copy-pasted, there probably isn't much that would persuade you otherwise except for the removal of the Blood Elven base model which obviously won't happen. However, it would be fair to remember that there were genuinely alot of High Elf fans who felt the same as you when they saw 'their race' being given to the Horde back in TBC.

As for trolls (not the race), everyone should just spend more time calling them out for their obvious anti-elf bias and stop arguing with each other, at the end of the day it's exactly what they want to see Void, High and Blood Elf fans at each other's throats constantly.

[FossilFree]

However, it would be fair to remember that there were genuinely alot of High Elf fans who felt the same as you when they saw 'their race' being given to the Horde back in TBC.

I actually felt this way during Legion with the Nightborne.

I remember thinking to myself, way before Allied Races were even announced (when I was doing the Suramar questline), "Ahh, finally they will give Alliance some regal-looking Night Elves! I can play an urban elf, not a wood elf, without being on Horde! I can't wait for these, obviously going to Alliance, elves to be made playable! Especially since they also added another zone with Highmountain Tauren, clearly that will be the one that is going to Horde!"

Then I was furious when I found out Horde was getting our Highborne Night Elves with new lore and a cool city. Even though we already had claim to them in Cataclysm with the Shen'dralar. But no, Horde must have all the stuff. Alliance will get something we came up with within a single patch, with no existing lore and barely any new lore. Horde gets two whole zones and the new elves, plus all the lore attached to them and HMT. The worst part of it all, the Horde didn't even want or like the Nightborne and still don't to this day, with hardly anyone playing them.

[Alanar]

Well, there is one thing I agree with horde blood elf purists. There need to be some distinction between blood elves and void elves and truth be told, void elves have more potential for that. I guess these people would complain that void elves have their own unique options while blood elves remain "vanilla tolkien elves" anyway.

And thats fine, but only a handfull here cares for the void elf theme. I am on board and leaving the blood elves to the tolkien theme and expand on what is there. Qual' Thalas updated, expsnd their story and leave the void elves out of that.
While we are at it, let the void elves have their own story.

Seperate them more is my opinion. I rather have boring tolkien elves then them trying to push the void elves in blood elf lands for example.

It would serve nothing and would only enhance the blood elf story if they kept their story so close. Alleria made her point and doesnt realy need to come back, there is no one in silvermoon who would care or even missed her to begin with, stating otherwise is headcanon. Anyway, I am gonna say they both deserve their own narratives, blood elves more then void elves tho, but thats an opinion.