High elves as a blood elf sub-race --- how would that work? and would you play one?

[ravenmoon]

Entertaining all possibilities, there is a possibility that this would happen, that we'll see playable high elves but as a blood elf sub-race under the horde banner.

Would this work in the lore? How would blizzard write this? Or rather, how would you write this into happening? And what do you think it would look like to play as a high elf on the horde.

and yes i know the blood elves are the high elves etc etc, but we know that high elves are indeed a separate political group, distinct separate group...the question i want to know is if you would play them if they were .. and what/how would tha tlook like without destroying their high elf identity.

[Bethanie]

Horde can have its High Elves when the Alliance gets Lordaeron Humans or Undead. Actually a sub faction of Forsaken opposed to the Horde/Sylvanas and loyal to Queen Carlia Menethil of Lordaeron could be an interesting plot twist for wow.

Seriously though I can't see the High Elves joining the Horde, they are firmly in the Alliance camp since the Blood Elves basically forced them out of their own home and the largest remaining population of High Elves is in Stormwind.

[Deleted]

They will never join the Horde, based on history and the now well established barriers between the remaining high elves and the blood elves.

I couldn't pull reasons out of my ass for them to show up as a horde sub race or faction. And it's probably better that way, we've already got enough elves.

By the way: I bet Northem appears before page 3 :>

edit: second part of the question, no I would not play one myself, as I don't play elves at all.

[Aquamonkey]

If HElves are treated as a subrace of BElves, then they are following Lor'themar in the Horde? The distinction between the 2 parties is non-existant after the restoration of the Sunwell. The only difference is that they hate each other for what happened following the destruction of the Sunwell and are allied with opposing factions. Any HElf returning to Quel'Thalas to follow Lor'themar would just be a BElf with normal eyes.

[Combatbutler]

Seriously though I can't see the High Elves joining the Horde, they are firmly in the Alliance camp since the Blood Elves basically forced them out of their own home and the largest remaining population of High Elves is in Stormwind.

Not all high elves are in the Alliance, not to mention some could have later decided to call themselves blood elves, so it is possible, but rather pointless. In the end the difference between high and blood elves is simply political.

Dalaran has the biggest high elf population, Stormwind doesn't have that much.

[Arrashi]

I would much rather have felbloods. Or even the vampire ones from ICC. So dhark and edgy. But still better than high elves.

[Lubricious]

Unless I missed something, all the High Elves in WoW are either neutral, or alliance. So it wouldn't make much sense to add them as a horde sub-race.

[Lynneiah]

Unless I missed something, all the High Elves in WoW are either neutral, or alliance. So it wouldn't make much sense to add them as a horde sub-race.

Exactly. They would have to make an incredible lore ass-pull to justify High Elves in the Horde, but not the Alliance. The only known major faction of High Elves remaining that we know of is the Silver Covenant, and they are decidedly anti Blood Elf.

[Friendlyimmolation]

Exactly. They would have to make an incredible lore ass-pull to justify High Elves in the Horde, but not the Alliance. The only known major faction of High Elves remaining that we know of is the Silver Covenant, and they are decidedly anti Blood Elf.

They are also super tiny in number, There are more gnomes then silver covenant.

[Zuben]

Nothing much to it, just some individual high elves relinquishing their ties to Alliance and joining under Silvermoon's banner like any blood elf. Auric already has diplomatic ties to Lor'themar, so he could be the Alliance liaison that instructs interested parties of the proceedings. Just add him to the Eversong starting area for high elves to have a short chat with about how they have chosen to ally themselves with the Horde and what this means. Afterwards they would continue with the leveling like a blood elf.

[Wyrt]

I think at this point most high elves should be going home to Silvermoon except those psychopaths in the Silver Covenant. The main reason for their racial divide has been gone since the end of BC.

[Airlick]

They will never join the Horde, based on history and the now well established barriers between the remaining high elves and the blood elves.

Weren't Belves allowing Helves in Silvermoon and Sunwell for like a few years already? So what are those barriers you speak of? They are as friendly as it gets. I can't see Helves actively fighting the Alliance, but there's no reason for them to head back home.

[Deleted]

and yes i know the blood elves are the high elves etc etc, but we know that high elves are indeed a separate political group, distinct separate group...the question i want to know is if you would play them if they were .. and what/how would tha tlook like without destroying their high elf identity.

You answered yourself, if the difference is political, why they would be a Horde sub-race?

[Alanar]

Unless I missed something, all the High Elves in WoW are either neutral, or alliance. So it wouldn't make much sense to add them as a horde sub-race.

Neither is having High elves for the alliannce as playable to race, third elf race which is the same race is just not happening( incoming Northem saying they could have different models, just no northem just no.)

Lets just rest this subject it has been beaten to death.

- - - Updated - - -

You answered yourself, if the difference is political, why they would be a Horde sub-race?

Because same race, same model etc ect subrace option.

The problem is... how exciting is a color switch on eyes now realy?.. they could just do that in 1 simple hotfix.

[Lumineus]

It wouldn't work, regardless of whatever lore backflipping breakdance moves you wanted to have to allow it, because you wouldn't waste an entire "sub-racial" option on adding a few eye colors (yes, not all High Elves have blue eyes) and maybe a couple of skin tones. You would just put them into the base character creator. Which if they were going to do that, they would have already done so.

[Ehache]

I think giving Half Elf as the sub-race option for Humans would be a better solution. Could have a more distinct model and Stormwind and Dalaran have the largest concentration of Half Elves and High Elves in lore already.

That being said I have no interest in playing a High Elf, not to mention what it would do for Faction balance. I feel like the Horde would hemorrhage players, even if a Belf-less Orgrimmar sounds wonderful.

[Aqua]

Eh I could see a sub choice ala pandaren being worked in to the Sin'dorei starting area. Allowing you a choice to flee Eversong forest to meet up with a small defected faction of High elves to join the alliance. Possibly in the Eastern plaguelands (now being slowly healed by the Argent Crusade)

But I don't see it as a viable sub-race for the horde. Sorry. Neat as it would be visually. Lorewise it doesn't work.

[Talen]

Entertaining all possibilities, there is a possibility that this would happen, that we'll see playable high elves but as a blood elf sub-race under the horde banner.

Would this work in the lore? How would blizzard write this? Or rather, how would you write this into happening? And what do you think it would look like to play as a high elf on the horde.

and yes i know the blood elves are the high elves etc etc, but we know that high elves are indeed a separate political group, distinct separate group...the question i want to know is if you would play them if they were .. and what/how would tha tlook like without destroying their high elf identity.

The truth is - it wouldn't.

First - you'd still have HElfs on the Alliance. Giving them to the BElfs as a sub race does nothing. And giving them blue eyes simply creates a blue eyed BElf. Not a Helf.
Second - there is ten years and more of HElf lore and history showing the HElfs as an Alliance race. That isn't something Blizzard can easily ignore.

As for how you could right it into lore....HElfs were expelled because they wouldn't go along with the whole mana vampire thing. So, you'd need a HElf willing to overlook that, willing to overlook the BElfs history in that regard, have a reason NOT to learn it despite all this, prefer the Horde over the Alliance and prefer not to seek out the HElfs who by and large share the same views...except wrt the Alliance/Horde.

You could, I suppose, go with the who "it fades over time" excuse, but that won't work for L1-70. And you'd still end up with a blue eyed BElf and not a true HElf.

And then there is the whole "why use subraces just for eye color? Why not take the Pandaren route and add it to an eye color selector "?

Lorewise then...it can't be done. Best to just ignore the issue and just do it. Don't provide an explanation when the explanation won't work.

If HElfs were to be added as a subrace, then the most viable option appears to be with the Night Elfs.

EJL

[Talen]

People say this having shit clue about the lore.

HElfs are the great-great-grand children of NElfs. They are only 2 or 3 generatiosn removed. The racial link to support a subrace option IS there.

The difference between Night Elves and High Elves is night and day, no pun intended.

Would High Elfs be simply a cosmetic option for Night Elfs? No. They'd have their own lore, their own presence, their own identity, their own story. They'd be as much a cosmetic option for Night Elves as Dark Irons or Wildhammers or Irons or Earthen would be for the Bronzebeard Dwarves.

EJL

[olddriver]

They are not sub-race. They're like Chinese and taiwanese.