Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[EasyE]

Ion's recent answer on why they did Void Elves instead of High Elves was so disappointing. First, his primary arguments against the introduction of High Elves was based entirely on visuals.... which tells me he doesn't even understand WHY players who want High Elves want them, which he proves even more by adding that, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Blood Elves are basically High Elves with green contact lenses, albeit with a different backstory". Well the reason why I and I would imagine most players want High Elves is BECAUSE OF THE LORE attached to them! I am not even an Alliance player, so I have tons of Blood Elves. I want them included because of the LORE and how strong their present is in Alliance and overall Warcraft lore. They are simply missing from the roster! And he goes on to argue that because of their visual proximity to the looks of Blood Elves, adding them would blur the line between the factions, but that argument is completely invalidated by the fact that they introduced the Pandaren for both factions. How is having another Pandaren-type race in a game that will now explode in terms of playable races through the Allied Races concept in any way a valid argument? I call B-S.

Promising to hear that the question about playable High Elves was one of the most asked questions though. It wouldn't be the first time Blizzard caves to player demands and reverses its previously held positions (like with Vanilla realms) if they eventually does on playable High Elves. So keep asking for it!

Please dont think you speak for all on Reasoning for wanting high elves, Personally for me he hit the nail on the head I want a Light skinned elf race but on alliance side.

[Zorish]

"Blood Elves are basically High Elves with green contact lenses, albeit with a different backstory". Well the reason why I and I would imagine most players want High Elves is BECAUSE OF THE LORE attached to them! I am not even an Alliance player, so I have tons of Blood Elves. I want them included because of the LORE and how strong their present is in Alliance and overall Warcraft lore.

yeah yeah and totaly not because they want pretty elves on the good guys side. They totaly don't want to be "right" elves and look on any other elf as "nonexistant"
and agruments what i see there like "i don't want to play with savages" nothing to do with "i want to be good and righteous elf!"
answer for you - from your "vocal minority" who want "High elves" i think only about 50% care about lore. others will agree with any "asspull" reason for them being added

[Syegfryed]

i don't know but i can't stop laughing. Now this is igniting again with arrival of one more "ranger lord"

if there is any major pearl, please share, maybe i die by hypertension

[protip]

Ion's recent answer on why they did Void Elves instead of High Elves was so disappointing. First, his primary arguments against the introduction of High Elves was based entirely on visuals.... which tells me he doesn't even understand WHY players who want High Elves want them, which he proves even more by adding that, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Blood Elves are basically High Elves with green contact lenses, albeit with a different backstory". Well the reason why I and I would imagine most players want High Elves is BECAUSE OF THE LORE attached to them! I am not even an Alliance player, so I have tons of Blood Elves. I want them included because of the LORE and how strong their present is in Alliance and overall Warcraft lore. They are simply missing from the roster! And he goes on to argue that because of their visual proximity to the looks of Blood Elves, adding them would blur the line between the factions, but that argument is completely invalidated by the fact that they introduced the Pandaren for both factions. How is having another Pandaren-type race in a game that will now explode in terms of playable races through the Allied Races concept in any way a valid argument? I call B-S.

Promising to hear that the question about playable High Elves was one of the most asked questions though. It wouldn't be the first time Blizzard caves to player demands and reverses its previously held positions (like with Vanilla realms) if they eventually does on playable High Elves. So keep asking for it!

It's not invalidated because they still believe it's important to the game. Same answer as it has always been when people bring up Pandaren. One exception does not invalidate a rule.

That would be fine and all of there weren't High Elves in the Alliance already. But there are, and they're representing the Alliance way too often to be ignored. Thus people want to play as them on the Alliance, where they see them.

If the Horde had a race that was mostly NPCs representing them in several in game events that had the only playable model on the Alliance, the Horde players would want to play that group, because they can see that group in their faction representing them. They almost did have that for years...they were called Goblins, and they worked for the Steamwheedle Cartel, and the Horde couldn't play them, as they were a neutral faction. But than, one day, Playable Goblins. And not many people play them.

Just having NPCs on a faction doesn't make them a good choice for a playable race. All of that discussion about keeping the factions distinct was relative to player choice. That's what the issue has always been, because it's the most defining feature of either faction.

[Okacz]

And Blizzard did that.
They implemented golden eyes for the Blood Elves in the CC.

Case closed.

Pretty much.

I do kind of get the High Elf fans, it's not like Blizzard hasn't been teasing it for quite some time, lit a light in a tunnel with Allied Races - and then shattered all the expectations with Emo Elves and exclamation that High Elves will never be a thing. Still, World of Warcraft has incredible, evolving world to offer. Throwing in any race people want just for the sake of "it's popular" would mess it up. Lorewise High Elves as a race simply don't make much sense with Blood Elves simply being them.

[GreenJesus]

I hope Sylvanas plague bombs the rest of the high elfs and personally tortures Vereesa until the blood drains from her body and the skin melts off. Then Blizzard can say "High elves don't even exist dude".

[Cosmic Janitor]

How do you think Blood elf fans would feel if the Alliance got high elves? Fuck you for wanting to steal our race.

I'm horde and I wouldn't give a toss. Most of us don't shout "for the horde" when we see one another..

- - - Updated - - -

I hope Sylvanas plague bombs the rest of the high elfs and personally tortures Vereesa until the blood drains from her body and the skin melts off. Then Blizzard can say "High elves don't even exist dude".

Nvm, now I see with what kind of intellect I'm dealing here. Disregard my earlier post please.

[Zorish]

if there is any major pearl, please share, maybe i die by hypertension

i'll be updating the link for now feel free to check it https://imgur.com/a/SfUaAiK

[Aeula]

I hope Sylvanas plague bombs the rest of the high elfs and personally tortures Vereesa until the blood drains from her body and the skin melts off. Then Blizzard can say "High elves don't even exist dude".

Even better if she raises them into Undeath.

We already have enough elf races as it is but it’d be funny to see the Alliance High Elves killed and forced to join the Forsaken.

[Caerule]

Basically, Blood Elves are a kind of High Elves, with slightly different eye color, different backstory in terms of their relationship with magic and the Sunwell. If you want to be a fair-skinned, light blonde-haired, tall, majestic elf; that is a Blood Elf. And giving that race directly to the Alliance, I think would have blurred a lot of the lines between the two factions.

But also there isn't a clear example of who or what High Elves are as a larger group that still remains in Azeroth. There's a couple, we just met Alleria again for the first time, but they're not out there in the same way. And so we're looking to, when we add allied races, there's a desire to have things be a bit more distinct, especially between the two factions, with the faction conflict being so prominent. And so the Void Elf angle tied into the story of Argus: The powers Alleria awakened, and was able to train others to harness, was able to give something that felt a bit like a Blood Elf, but had a unique flavor of its own to the Alliance.

That said, we obviously understand that if you love Alliance, you're an Alliance player, and you just want to be a fair-skinned, light-haired, blue-eyed elf; Sorry. The Horde is there waiting for you. Eye color is not quite the same, but maybe there'll be contact lenses in the future, you never know. Anything is possible in the future, but no plans in the near term to add High Elves as an allied race.

Sorry. I accept all the hate mail I am about to get for this, but that's where we stand.

I figure the full quote of what Ion said may be helpful to those that missed the interview and would like a reference handy.

[Deleted]

I WISH Sylvanas ambush Silver covenant and Bombard them with blight and wipe the entire Wanna be high elf species from the Alliance.

Coward decided not to defend Quel'thalas during its dark times and judging us for joining the horde to survive.

Those traitors need to be put down For joining the alliance side by side with Kal'dorei who exiled us in the first place so glad they decided not to be playable so they will wipe them off or convert them in Void elves

[Koroniss]

Indeed.

While we do have different points of view, what is undoubtedly true is that my point of view has prevailed. I do not say that to be triumphalist, but to ask do you not feel it is time to let the High Elves go? Blizzard has clearly decided their fate in Warcraft, as a part of the Horde.

If you let the High Elves go, the Alliance can focus it's energies on other groups and races that they stand a chance of getting. It's hard for me to see other posters complaining about how the Horde gets everything it asks for , yet those same posters poured their energy into the pursuit of the impossible.

I can only speak for myself in that regard, and it is as follows:

I am not aware how much of my previous posts you read, and TBH I am not sure how much of my sentiments I expressed, as I am far from regular.

That being said, I "let High Elves go" (as you put it)... somewhere back in the 2008-2010 timeframe, after the first initial TBC era push for them ended with well known outcome, simply by watching how Blood Elves – who are the main HE faction despite what some of my fellow HE sympathizers might feel like, slowly integrate into the Horde. It was the same as with the Draenei, both races really didn't belong in their respective factions initially. Yet, over the years, things settled down for them.

High Elves in the Alliance for me now is just that dormant concept of some personally favourite thing you'd like to see, but you know the chances are slim to none. If in time you see something that might give you the idea your longtime favourite concept might come to fruition, you might express your hope to actually see it done. And if they get implemented eventually – great, if not – well, so what, how does it change your current enjoyment of what you are having? You just continue like nothing happened.

I don't concern myself that much with what outcome playable High Elves might impose on the current game. By that I don't mean I don't care and don't take those factors into consideration whilst playing with the thought. It is simpl that I leave the matter to someone who has all the data and qualification to make that informed decision, i.e. Blizzard. If they decide to implement HEs, that means they've considered all the cons that action might bring to the game with much greater capacity than my resources would ever allow, and dismissed them. Then I will happily play one, if the general game is to my taste. And if they don't implement them – like I said, it is due to Blizzard factoring all the pros/cons and making a decision, and I am fine with that. It does not change my current position with the game in any way whatsoever. If I enjoy whatever I play at the moment, I will continue to do so for as long as I do. As if I was not even aware of the current campaign and only learned about it post factum after a decade or two as a curious side fact.

Hence, I wonder why many folks feel offended by Ion's statement. As far as I am concerned, he didn't ridicule the notion of High Elves on the Alliance in any way. He just expressed his company stance of denying that concept, and proceeded to give an explicit, although basic due to the Q&A format, justification for that decision.

And to address your last point, I doubt you'll see me (oh, look at my post count and general presence ) spearheading a movement for anything added to the Alliance (and to the Horde, actually, there is no need to engage me only on Alliance basis). It is just that I am currently not supporting anything I can come up with to the extent of going and actively advocating for it. I mean, there are some implementations I'd like to see, but nothing more than a single "I support the notion" post every now and then. Which was the same I treated High Elves now.

It might be that I am eventually drifting away from WoW and video gaming in general, though I am actively participating in the board games local warfront in my town. I guess one could say I am just too old.

Cheers.

[Deleted]

The high elf is dead announcement basically negates anything bad he said.

No it doesn't. Just look at how shit classes in alpha currently are, at how we will have AP farm 2.0 or at that whole GCD debacle. But of course "muh elfies" must always come on top. This is why I hate blood elf fanbase.

- - - Updated - - -

Even better if she raises them into Undeath.

We already have enough elf races as it is but it’d be funny to see the Alliance High Elves killed and forced to join the Forsaken.

A reply worthy of a paladin roleplayer

[Zorish]

No it doesn't. Just look at how shit classes in alpha currently are, at how we will have AP farm 2.0 or at that whole GCD debacle. But of course "muh elfies" must always come on top. This is why I hate blood elf fanbase.

offtopic: you have best avatar for what you said

[Sett]

I hope Sylvanas plague bombs the rest of the high elfs and personally tortures Vereesa until the blood drains from her body and the skin melts off. Then Blizzard can say "High elves don't even exist dude".

Seek help dude.

[Ithekro]

Just having NPCs on a faction doesn't make them a good choice for a playable race. All of that discussion about keeping the factions distinct was relative to player choice. That's what the issue has always been, because it's the most defining feature of either faction.

With the amount of representation the High Elves have in game, they are getting to the levels of "this should be playable because we are spending an awful amount of screen time looking at a non-playable race representing our faction across multiple expansions". And that is entirely Blizzard's fault for putting them in that position. They have made this mess and they keep it there for all to see, and than give a "oh given the Alliance that model would total ruin the faction wall" answer. And that is baseline bullshit right there. Especially if they keep using the High Elves to represent the Alliance in game. It makes the argument of a faction reasoning hold less water than a strainer.

[Ceck1993]

Well there you go, no high elves all of you please return to the "I can't believe I can't fly threads" and all will be right in the world.

[RangerDaz]

Anything is possible in the future, but no plans in the near term to add High Elves as an allied race

This is what ion told about the future.
Thanks caerule for the quote.
This is what i have been saying in the last 5 pages.

[Teri]

GG Ion, he's right, Void Elves exist, as a compromise, accept it or be Horde Blood Elf (now with non-green eye options)

No discussion.

[Cosmic Janitor]

I WISH Sylvanas ambush Silver covenant and Bombard them with blight and wipe the entire Wanna be high elf species from the Alliance.

Coward decided not to defend Quel'thalas during its dark times and judging us for joining the horde to survive.

Those traitors need to be put down For joining the alliance side by side with Kal'dorei who exiled us in the first place so glad they decided not to be playable so they will wipe them off or convert them in Void elves

They would need to gas all of Dalaran as well while they are at it, since a considerable amount of them is also in the Kirin tor. To be honest, they would have to literally take over everything and install concentation camps and kill them down the last one for this to become some kind of valid argument, as long as void elves down't even number 50..