Blood elves, high elves and what could have been

[Obelisk Kai]

I think what people like you are missing is that nobody in the High Elf fanbase asked for an entire race of fucking literal emos.

Really? Did I then imagine all the times people seeking playable High Elves assured me that Blizzard could implement them for the Alliance but just a bit different so nobody could mix them up?

Seems to me Blizzard did exactly what a lot of people in the High Elf fanbase wanted. Void Elves fit the bill exactly.

Which to my complete lack of surprise turned out to be not what they wanted at all. They wanted a clone of a core Horde race.

[TyrannicalPuppy]

Really? Did I then imagine all the times people seeking playable High Elves assured me that Blizzard could implement them for the Alliance but just a bit different so nobody could mix them up?

Seems to me Blizzard did exactly what a lot of people in the High Elf fanbase wanted. Void Elves fit the bill exactly.

Which to my complete lack of surprise turned out to be not what they wanted at all. They wanted a clone of a core Horde race.

Right. Because that's the dichotomy here. Either copy/paste blood elves or make a race of emos. There are NO other possible options to satiate one side. Not at all. They most certainly couldn't have made playable high elves with tattoos and other physical differences like Alleria has. No siree, not in the absolute slighest.

[Jastall]

Right. Because that's the dichotomy here. Either copy/paste blood elves or make a race of emos. There are NO other possible options to satiate one side. Not at all. They most certainly couldn't have made playable high elves with tattoos and other physical differences like Alleria has. No siree, not in the absolute slighest.

If tattoos are enough for a race to be considered different cross-faction, then I demand Alterac humans with tattoos in the Horde. Hey, the tattoos make it totally different, guys, and Alterac humans don't like other humans so they're obviously a different race. Angry Wildhammer dwarves would also work, they come pre-built with tattoos even.

Honestly if the devs don't consider High Elves a different enough race for them to be playable, I'm not sure what there is to add to this matter. Now that Alliance gets their Blood Elf-esque model, I consider it supremely unlikely that HEs get added anytime soon.

[ello]

Right. Because that's the dichotomy here. Either copy/paste blood elves or make a race of emos. There are NO other possible options to satiate one side. Not at all. They most certainly couldn't have made playable high elves with tattoos and other physical differences like Alleria has. No siree, not in the absolute slighest.

...How exactly do optional tattoos remedy the distinctiveness issue?

In fact, it makes it worse because now High Elves are Blood Elves with expanded customization.

all of my what.

[Melsiren]

...How exactly do optional tattoos remedy the distinctiveness issue?

In fact, it makes it worse because now High Elves are Blood Elves with expanded customization.

all of my what.

The proper solution should have been a united Quel'thalas, welcome the "High elves" back into the fold and added High elf customization. They could have added the sought after Golden glowing eyes while they were at it.

It would have ended this High Elf bullshit at the very least.

[Andromedes]

all i read in antihe posts:

"HA NO HE", "HE = BE, ALREADY INGAME. PLAY HORDE LUL", "THEY ARE GOING TO ADD THEM, YOU CAN STFU NOW", "NOPE, FCK ALLYBOIS AMIRITE?"

some oneliners, some walls. what are you trying to accomplish with this endless trollin ? the massive paid/grinded racechange will happen anyway

This is why i left this carousel long ago.. it is same all the time. They understand very well, that we want high elves just not for their models, but mainly for their lore.. those **** are still repeating that we got what we asked, just to annoy us.

[Obelisk Kai]

Right. Because that's the dichotomy here. Either copy/paste blood elves or make a race of emos. There are NO other possible options to satiate one side. Not at all. They most certainly couldn't have made playable high elves with tattoos and other physical differences like Alleria has. No siree, not in the absolute slighest.

No, there really wasn't any other choice.

Because the choice was either a clone with a few cosmetic changes that would give you a fig leaf justification to claim they weren't exactly like Blood Elves, when in fact they obviously were...or a radical departure that ensured if you wanted to play a traditional High Elf, you still had to play Horde.

Blizzard are clearly NEVER going to give you a race that is identical to High Elves with just a fig leaf of a change so you can pretend they aren't identical to Blood Elves.

If you want to play a core Horde race, you have to play Horde.

If you want to play a distinct variant on that race, then Void Elves have you sorted.

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This is why i left this carousel long ago.. it is same all the time. They understand very well, that we want high elves just not for their models, but mainly for their lore.. those **** are still repeating that we got what we asked, just to annoy us.

They have no lore. The Silver Covenant are not a race. They are exiles.

High Elf lore is Blood Elf lore now. If you want to follow their story, play a Blood Elf.

You are not going to get to pretend that the Silver Covenant are the real High Elves. You are not going to get pretend that they are a major part of the Alliance again. You are not going to get to pretend that the story finally follows YOUR desire rather than the path it has been following for the past decade and a half.

The High Elves have LEFT the Alliance and the remnant who remain aren't worth bothering about in the slightest.

[Doffen]

LMAO at Void Elves being so distinctive different. Look at the actual model, its a purple Blood Elf= purple High Elf.

[Obelisk Kai]

LMAO at Void Elves being so distinctive different. Look at the actual model, its a purple Blood Elf= purple High Elf.

Didn't say I was happy they got the model. But it's definitely not a High/Blood Elf. It has tentacles.

That's why Void Elves are a compromise.

And I won't lie, Nightborne on the Horde make it easier to handle. Didn't ask for them, but have them now.

So I am ok with the compromise. Alliance players should accept the compromise too, accept they won't get an exact duplicate of a Horde core race (any more than the Horde can expect playable Night Elves) and move on.

[Andromedes]

i forgot to mention, those anti-helfs are horde players, who dont know anything about alliance side questing, hence they say, high elves have no lore.

[Doffen]

Didn't say I was happy they got the model. But it's definitely not a High/Blood Elf. It has tentacles.

That's why Void Elves are a compromise.

And I won't lie, Nightborne on the Horde make it easier to handle. Didn't ask for them, but have them now.

So I am ok with the compromise. Alliance players should accept the compromise too, accept they won't get an exact duplicate of a Horde core race (any more than the Horde can expect playable Night Elves) and move on.

Tentacles is just another customization. You can choose not to have them(in the hair) when not in combat. Its the same model, they even share same history. The High Elves the alliance wanted! :P

Getting Nightborne as playable is awesome! Got two belves ready to change

Will be hard to change my Blood Elf hunter though, fits the whole Farstrider thing. She even use same transmog Alleria do in some fan-art. So maybe just one will change. Gotta level some for the awesome heritage armor too so will be enough Nightbornes in the end :P

[Obelisk Kai]

Tentacles is just another customization. Its the same model, they even share same history. The High Elves the alliance wanted! :P

Getting Nightborne as playable is awesome! Got two belves ready to change

Will be hard to change my Blood Elf hunter though, fits the whole Farstrider thing. She even use same transmog Alleria do in some fan-art. So maybe just one will change. Gotta level some for the awesome heritage armor too so will be enough Nightbornes in the end :P

I fail to see where we disagree then...close enough for you but distant enough for me.

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i forgot to mention, those anti-helfs are horde players, who dont know anything about alliance side questing, hence they say, high elves have no lore.

I've leveled multiple Alliance characters.

I can easily say High Elves have no distinctive lore on the Alliance side.

[Doffen]

I fail to see where we disagree then...close enough for you but distant enough for me.

You are wrong about me though, I don't care about the High Elves being playable. I didn't even know people wanted it before I entered this thread. I just don't agree every reason you have to be against it, but mostly because it seems you try to go away from the fact that Void Elves looks like Blood Elves and really are Blood Elves, just now infused with void. Or do I read you wrong?

I will probably race change my nelf hunter to Void Elf, or just level one to get the transmog. But thats just to get more flavour(pun not intended) to the characters

[Arrashi]

i forgot to mention, those anti-helfs are horde players, who dont know anything about alliance side questing, hence they say, high elves have no lore.

Yup, since its obvious that once you roll horde character you are locked out of any alliance concent right ?

[Andromedes]

it seems so, based on the comments

[Verdugo]

it seems so, based on the comments

I dont think you did any alliance side questing either.

[Obelisk Kai]

You are wrong about me though, I don't care about the High Elves being playable. I didn't even know people wanted it before I entered this thread. I just don't agree every reason you have to be against it, but mostly because it seems you try to go away from the fact that Void Elves looks like Blood Elves and really are Blood Elves, just now infused with void. Or do I read you wrong?

I will probably race change my nelf hunter to Void Elf, or just level one to get the transmog. But thats just to get more flavour(pun not intended) to the characters

For me, Void Elves are clearly a different group. They have become imbued with the void and transformed themselves. They have moved away from what a High/Blood Elf actually is.

There are the physical differences of course. The inability for a Void Elf to have the same skin tones or hair colours as a normal High/Blood Elf is an important distinction. Their propensity to pop into a void form in combat is also a big move away. And the tentacles, although they are optional.

Void Elves are VERY close to Blood Elves. I am not entirely happy about that. But I am also satisfied on a personal level they are not High Elves.

High Elves are just Blood Elves. There is nothing separating them but a political opinion. The people who want to play High Elves make a great show of talking about the lore or how important the High Elves are to the story, but that is what angers me. They want to pretend an Alliance High Elf is as valid and impactful choice as a Horde Blood Elf. And to do that, they portray High Elves as pure, noble and loyal to the cause of the Alliance...paragons of perfection.

They want a more perfect elf. One that they will then, inevitably, try and portray as the authentic High Elf. One which they will then argue is superior to a Blood Elf who, in the real story, made a terrible and pragmatic choice. And one which feeds into the great lie at the heart of this request. They deny that the High Elves left the Alliance.

They will see it as the Alliance High Elves being restored to their rightful place within the Alliance, whereas they will dismiss the Blood Elves as the usurpers and interlopers and traitors. This is why playable High Elves is damaging to the integrity of the Blood Elf story. It allows people to pretend that the High Elves are important, when they are not. It allows them to dismiss Blood Elves as NOT being the real High Elves, when they are. It allows them to lie that Blood Elves in the Horde are the traitors, and not the tiny group who turned against their own homeland.

You can't have playable High Elves because the people agitating for them will try and exalt them as perfect elves and Blood Elves have to be less than perfect as a result.

Void Elves on the other hand are genuinely distinct. They are focused on the void. That is a genuine philosophical and spiritual contrast with the Blood Elves who are increasingly focused on the light. Void Elves do not implicitly make the statement that they are better elves than the Blood Elves. Their difference is obvious, a result of a terrible mistake.

Yet they will walk their own path and tell their own stories, rather than being a duplicate who can walk an already trodden path again but not stumble due to their ethical and moral perfection over their lesser brethren.

[Deleted]

Didn't say I was happy they got the model. But it's definitely not a High/Blood Elf. It has tentacles.

That's why Void Elves are a compromise.

And I won't lie, Nightborne on the Horde make it easier to handle. Didn't ask for them, but have them now.

So I am ok with the compromise. Alliance players should accept the compromise too, accept they won't get an exact duplicate of a Horde core race (any more than the Horde can expect playable Night Elves) and move on.

compromise really? the nightborne compromise is (as of right now) 1 animation and tattoos conditioned by armor, everything else CARBONCOPY. good enough for you. Well then high elves with tattoos and a diferent idle animation should be enough for you to be ok with the "compromise".

[Obelisk Kai]

compromise really? the nightborne compromise is (as of right now) 1 animation and tattoos conditioned by armor, everything else CARBONCOPY. good enough for you. Well then high elves with tattoos and a diferent idle animation should be enough for you to be ok with the "compromise".

Actually Void Elves are the counterpart to Nightborne and I am not happy with that, but I am OK with that.

[Doffen]

For me, Void Elves are clearly a different group. They have become imbued with the void and transformed themselves. They have moved away from what a High/Blood Elf actually is.

There are the physical differences of course. The inability for a Void Elf to have the same skin tones or hair colours as a normal High/Blood Elf is an important distinction. Their propensity to pop into a void form in combat is also a big move away. And the tentacles, although they are optional.

Void Elves are VERY close to Blood Elves. I am not entirely happy about that. But I am also satisfied on a personal level they are not High Elves.

High Elves are just Blood Elves. There is nothing separating them but a political opinion. The people who want to play High Elves make a great show of talking about the lore or how important the High Elves are to the story, but that is what angers me. They want to pretend an Alliance High Elf is as valid and impactful choice as a Horde Blood Elf. And to do that, they portray High Elves as pure, noble and loyal to the cause of the Alliance...paragons of perfection.

They want a more perfect elf. One that they will then, inevitably, try and portray as the authentic High Elf. One which they will then argue is superior to a Blood Elf who, in the real story, made a terrible and pragmatic choice. And one which feeds into the great lie at the heart of this request. They deny that the High Elves left the Alliance.

They will see it as the Alliance High Elves being restored to their rightful place within the Alliance, whereas they will dismiss the Blood Elves as the usurpers and interlopers and traitors. This is why playable High Elves is damaging to the integrity of the Blood Elf story. It allows people to pretend that the High Elves are important, when they are not. It allows them to dismiss Blood Elves as NOT being the real High Elves, when they are. It allows them to lie that Blood Elves in the Horde are the traitors, and not the tiny group who turned against their own homeland.

You can't have playable High Elves because the people agitating for them will try and exalt them as perfect elves and Blood Elves have to be less than perfect as a result.

Void Elves on the other hand are genuinely distinct. They are focused on the void. That is a genuine philosophical and spiritual contrast with the Blood Elves who are increasingly focused on the light. Void Elves do not implicitly make the statement that they are better elves than the Blood Elves. Their difference is obvious, a result of a terrible mistake.

Yet they will walk their own path and tell their own stories, rather than being a duplicate who can walk an already trodden path again but not stumble due to their ethical and moral perfection over their lesser brethren.

Well said. Best post you've made so far on this subject. And I don't say that to mock you or undermine what you have discussed before, but I like this post because it seems to be very genuine about your opinion and how you feel. I agree with the lore-reasons too, I don't see why High Elves should be alliance now, after 13 years of being Horde and how the story has been progressing.

I guess I see the Void Elves being a bit more like Blood Elves than you, but that's how I see it. And then I speak about looks and their common lore(wich is obvious). I personally think blizzard did a good move with making Void Elves, though I didn't really expect them to make them at all to begin with, it was more like "they can't be serious".

I don't have any feelings towards Void Elves now, but I think they look like a fun race. On the other hand I like Blood Elves because of gameplay, how they look and how the female animations looks like. They look lovely. Nightborne too, and Void Elves. All female elves. Now I want Undead High Elf. Your next post can be you making fun of me wanting Undead High Elves and say it will never happen