Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[katerine66]

I admit, I actually really like the painted elf look from WC2. Runes, rangers, runestones, and sleek ships. Elves were quick and deadly, and not all about arcane mastery, but knowledge and skill borne from long lifespans and countless hours of practice. Bring that feel, and I'll support High Elves.

Totally agree with you.

[Alanar]

okay

so i will continue using this thread to talk about high elves of the horde

High elves are horde and alliance, so you are in the right thread.

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

Art Director Ely Cannon
This is another place where there was a race, High Elves, in the game which hadn't really been represented on player characters. Blood Elves were the closest, but had felt green eyes. It was an opportunity where we had a number of elven races, and we could tie it back to their roots, letting players choose where they want to align and what fantasy to play out. We did have a lot of discussion about it, ultimately we might do more in the future, but for now we're providing the option to have a few High Elf customizations available.

but if you think it's wrong that I use this thread then I'll make another one that says high elves horde

And yet this thread clearly still is about High Elves as part of the alliance, not the overall race. Wouldn't be having this issue if a thread was about Alliance Pandaren?

The fact that after years, now somehow people are having trouble understanding this is an alliance high elf thread, is just kinda weird.

And I'm being genuine about that, we could have a thread about Thalassians in general, I'd be into it, but this thread specifically was never about that as it focused since its inception heavily about high elven playability on the alliance.

High elves are horde and alliance, so you are in the right thread.

*sigh*

[Alanar]

And yet this thread clearly still is about High Elves as part of the alliance, not the overall race. Wouldn't be having this issue if a thread was about Alliance Pandaren?

The fact that after years, now somehow people are having trouble understanding this is an alliance high elf thread, is just kinda weird.

And I'm being genuine about that, we could have a thread about Thalassians in general, I'd be into it, but this thread specifically was never about that as it focused since its inception heavily about high elven playability on the alliance.



*sigh*

Meh you are stuck in the past bro. Move on and accept its both sides for some time, so obviously people are free to talk about it here. No need to create another thread, I hope ypu are not indirectly suggesting this with your sigh.
"Shrug"

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

Meh you are stuck in the past bro. Move on and accept its both sides for some time, so obviously people are free to talk about it here. No need to create another thread, I hope ypu are not indirectly suggesting this with your sigh.
"Shrug"

I'm not the keeper of this thread so where it ends up doesn't fall on me, and truth be told I really have no deep skin on it.

But it is weird that what once a thread about alliance alligned thalassian elves has become this.

Like yeah, I'd rather have a thread for all thalassian things, as I do love Blood Elves, and I did liked the specific purview of this one. But again, if this thread becomes that, it is what it is.

[Rhlor]

And yet this thread clearly still is about High Elves as part of the alliance, not the overall race. Wouldn't be having this issue if a thread was about Alliance Pandaren?

The fact that after years, now somehow people are having trouble understanding this is an alliance high elf thread, is just kinda weird.

And I'm being genuine about that, we could have a thread about Thalassians in general, I'd be into it, but this thread specifically was never about that as it focused since its inception heavily about high elven playability on the alliance.



*sigh*

How about no, don't forget this

Mod note: This is now the officially designated High Elf discussion thread. Please keep all discussion regarding this race in here.

The mod already said this thread now is about high elves in general

[Combatbutler]

But it is weird that what once a thread about alliance alligned thalassian elves has become this.

It hasn't been an Alliance specific thread for about two years , because a handful of high elf posters literally spammed threads everywhere, until the whole thing had to be contained into a single thread.

So in essence high elf posters couldn't behave themselves and had to be put into a corner, so now everything relating to high elves gets to be posted here and I can assure I personally will make sure we don't return to the damn dark ages of active high elf threads everywhere made by the same 7 people.

[Ardenaso]

does anyone know who are supposed to be these people?

[Jennis344]

40000000000000000

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

The mod already said this thread now is about high elves in general

You know what I mean. TBH this really feel like "Blood Elves are High Elves" rehashed at this point lmao.

It hasn't been an Alliance specific thread for about two years , because a handful of high elf posters literally spammed threads everywhere, until the whole thing had to be contained into a single thread.

So in essence high elf posters couldn't behave themselves and had to be put into a corner, so now everything relating to high elves gets to be posted here and I can assure I personally will make sure we don't return to the damn dark ages of active high elf threads everywhere made by the same 7 people.

I mean there's already a Blood Elf thread. Like you can talk about "Horde High Elves" there I guess.

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Also, lol.




So a void elf using a BE hairstyle. Current theory is that it's just the BE model with VE textures. Portent of more options for VE, or a dev just having fun?

IMO they should just merge the models and lock customization options depending on whether you choose VE or BE lmao.

[Rhlor]

You know what I mean. TBH this really feel like "Blood Elves are High Elves" rehashed at this point lmao.



I mean there's already a Blood Elf thread. Like you can talk about "Horde High Elves" there I guess.

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Also, lol.




So a void elf using a BE hairstyle. Current theory is that it's just the BE model with VE textures. Portent of more options for VE, or a dev just having fun?

IMO they should just merge the models and lock customization options depending on whether you choose VE or BE lmao.

the mod says to use this thread for high elves of the horde.

can be a new hairstyle for void elves

[MyWholeLifeIsThunder]

the mod says to use this thread for high elves of the horde.

But what's the difference between a blood elf and a horde high elf? For real this is not a big deal, I just legitimately find it weird people want to talk about horde High Elves in here. In a "I don't get it" kinda way.

can be a new hairstyle for void elves

AFAIK it really is just them using the BE model with VE textures, yet it's still very interesting they are using the different models to represent the other race. There's also an apparently San'layn NPC that is using the VE model right now.

I do hope that this does lead to the BE and VE model sharing more hairstyles, even if I can't quite see it as a legit hint and moreso just a curiosity for now.

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Just some named high elf mobs defending Quel'thalas during Arthas' invasion. No other backstory.

Kinda wish they added NPC's from lore instead of randos

[Tanaria]

Can we just stop being deliberately obtuse regarding this topic.

We all know this is primarily aimed at High Elves being a playable Alliance race. This is even more emphasised by the fact that we as Blood Elf fans, have a perfectly usable thread where we can talk all things, Blood Elf (Quel'Thalas, Silvermoon, the future of the Sin'dorei, the core branch of Magisters, Farstriders and the Blood Elf only-unit of Blood Knights.)

I reckon we need a mod here, just to highlight the point that this is about the High Elves, the Quel'dorei - not Blood Elves, the Sin'dorei.

[RenTheCat]

The problem is there is no discernible difference between the two. They are the exact same people.

It would be as if the USA decided to change the country's name to Freedomland. There would be no difference between Americans and Freedomlandiands.

They are physically the same people and inhabit the same places.

It would be more like Americans deciding they are not a British colony anymore and declaring independence, and as we can see in real life today, Americans and the British are pretty different.

If in Lore High Elves and Blood Elves consider themselves different groups, tell you that they prefer to be addressed as X group, have cultural divergences and their allegiances lie with different factions, then they are different. You don't see Humans from other kingdoms refusing to be called humans. You don't see Orcs from X clan refusing to be called Orcs. Yet you have NPCs refusing to be called Blood Elves, or Blood Elves refusing to be called High Elves.

[melzas]

Personally, until they give void elf an option to turn off the "purple proc" and some more natural hairstyles, I will consider blood elves with blue eyes as a more close to original "warcraft 2 high elves".

[Varodoc]

It would be more like Americans deciding they are not a British colony anymore and declaring independence, and as we can see in real life today, Americans and the British are pretty different.

If in Lore High Elves and Blood Elves consider themselves different groups, tell you that they prefer to be addressed as X group, have cultural divergences and their allegiances lie with different factions, then they are different. You don't see Humans from other kingdoms refusing to be called humans. You don't see Orcs from X clan refusing to be called Orcs. Yet you have NPCs refusing to be called Blood Elves, or Blood Elves refusing to be called High Elves.

Is it just me, or the High elf NPCs, like this Taela Everstride, are way paler than Blood elves?

It seems like High elf NPCs from, like, the Silver Covenant have exclusive pale skin colour options. Is it just my impression? It's something I've always noticed.

[Rhlor]

But what's the difference between a blood elf and a horde high elf? For real this is not a big deal, I just legitimately find it weird people want to talk about horde High Elves in here. In a "I don't get it" kinda way.





AFAIK it really is just them using the BE model with VE textures, yet it's still very interesting they are using the different models to represent the other race. There's also an apparently San'layn NPC that is using the VE model right now.

I do hope that this does lead to the BE and VE model sharing more hairstyles, even if I can't quite see it as a legit hint and moreso just a curiosity for now.

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Kinda wish they added NPC's from lore instead of randos

ely cannon art director of world of warcraft said that the high elves are a race and that they are playable as customization for the horde and the alliance. therefore if we see elves with blue eyes they are part of the high elves race.
I proposed to create a different thread and a mod told me to use this thread

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Can we just stop being deliberately obtuse regarding this topic.

We all know this is primarily aimed at High Elves being a playable Alliance race. This is even more emphasised by the fact that we as Blood Elf fans, have a perfectly usable thread where we can talk all things, Blood Elf (Quel'Thalas, Silvermoon, the future of the Sin'dorei, the core branch of Magisters, Farstriders and the Blood Elf only-unit of Blood Knights.)

I reckon we need a mod here, just to highlight the point that this is about the High Elves, the Quel'dorei - not Blood Elves, the Sin'dorei.

I use this thread for high elves who were said to be a playable race for horde and alliance as customization

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It would be more like Americans deciding they are not a British colony anymore and declaring independence, and as we can see in real life today, Americans and the British are pretty different.

If in Lore High Elves and Blood Elves consider themselves different groups, tell you that they prefer to be addressed as X group, have cultural divergences and their allegiances lie with different factions, then they are different. You don't see Humans from other kingdoms refusing to be called humans. You don't see Orcs from X clan refusing to be called Orcs. Yet you have NPCs refusing to be called Blood Elves, or Blood Elves refusing to be called High Elves.

ely cannon art director clearly stated that high elves are a race and that they are playable as customizations for horde and alliance.

there is nothing to discuss unless someone here is a developer

[Loreth88]

It would be more like Americans deciding they are not a British colony anymore and declaring independence, and as we can see in real life today, Americans and the British are pretty different.

If in Lore High Elves and Blood Elves consider themselves different groups, tell you that they prefer to be addressed as X group, have cultural divergences and their allegiances lie with different factions, then they are different. You don't see Humans from other kingdoms refusing to be called humans. You don't see Orcs from X clan refusing to be called Orcs. Yet you have NPCs refusing to be called Blood Elves, or Blood Elves refusing to be called High Elves.

This is not entirely correct. You can't call a SW human a Kul Tiran, any more than you can’t call an orc from Durotar a Maghar orc. There are minor differences in appearance, culture and language.

[RenTheCat]

This is not entirely correct. You can't call a SW human a Kul Tiran, any more than you can’t call an orc from Durotar a Maghar orc. There are minor differences in appearance, culture and language.

There are no minor differences in appearance and language between Stormwind Humans and Kul Tirans, what is the difference between Jaina and Anduin? And their culture is extremely similar to Gilneans due to Kul Tiras being a Gilnean colony. All of those groups are still different despite next to no differences, they just established their nationality, were pretty loud about how they wished to be addressed and that was the end of the story.

High Elves and Blood Elves are pretty loud about how they wish to be addressed to. There are NPCs, there are quests, there are novels, etc.

If them telling you how they prefer to be addressed is not enough and the requirement for being a different group is "different appearance, language and culture", well, remember High Elves had blue eyes, Green elves had green eyes (and plenty of them still do), High Elves still speak Thalassian while due to Horde influence Blood Elves had to learn other languages, it would be impossible for them to interact with the Horde otherwise. And i'm pretty sure being part of the savage Horde vs civilized Alliance leads to big cultural differences, Blood Elves have been obsessed with the color red since Frozen Throne, had a history of interactions with fel + killing of magical creatures to survive, tortured and drained a Naaru to be able to become Paladins, participated in events like the Bombing of Theramore, tried to betray their faction during Mist of Pandaria, stood by the Horde as their warchief tried to enslave the Valkyr, stood by the Horde while their warchief genocided the Night Elves, etc. while High Elves stayed in the alliance or were in other parts of the world like in Outland, refused to use fel, participated in the Purge of Dalaran, etc.

There are differences in appearance, culture and language, and funny enough after all those events, their differences are bigger than Night Elves and Nightborne, specially when you can make Night Elves that look more Nightborne than their actual current model allows them to.

ely cannon art director clearly stated that high elves are a race and that they are playable as customizations for horde and alliance.

there is nothing to discuss unless someone here is a developer

What Blizzard employees have to say on their twitter accounts is not part of the lore. Specially considering their history of saying stupid stuff like "If you want pale blonde elves the Horde is waiting for you" and then since they kept losing players they just gave Void Elves options to look identical to the High Elves Ion was so adamant against letting people play in the Alliance.

There is a discussion to be had, the discussion just doesn't have to include any fallacy of appealing to someone's authority. Instead our discussion should include scenarios in game in which a High Elf and Blood Elf outright tell the player "yup we're the same there's no difference between us" which is not a thing that ever happened in the game and even members of other races, like Varian, Jaina, Rhonin, etc referred to them as different groups.

Legion even had this entire cutscene in which Elisande considers High Elves and Blood Elves different groups.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fn4M1q-a38E

[Ardenaso]

It would be more like Americans deciding they are not a British colony anymore and declaring independence, and as we can see in real life today, Americans and the British are pretty different.

or people in Taiwan veering towards Taiwan independence and not wanting to have anything to do with the Republic of China nor People's Republic of China, nor even the Chinese label; just Taiwanese