Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[Verdugo]

I sincerely hope you get banned for this. Some of you are really going too far.

Like the High Elf fans wishing death on the others because they disagree.

[Zorish]

muhahaha. i can't stop laughing. People on HE discird want to contact Morhaime or even Bobby Kotick with petition about HE and how Ion insulted them. like really
oh yeah and ivestors too!

[Traycor]

I don't think either of those work because they assume High Elves are still suffering magical withdrawls, which has not been the case since the end of TBC.

The Quel'delar questline in Wrath took us to "post TBC" Sunwell, where High Elven pilgrims were granted use and visitation of the Sunwell, hence why more recently eveb Alleria was granted a visitation.

Given the problems her Void magic gave, I'm not sure if visitation rights have changed, but no Blood/High elves are canonically suffering from magical withdrawl with the Sunwell restored.

True, but neither idea requires the withdrawl idea for it to work. The swashbuckler vagabond theme would just make them more rugged. And the Dragon theme makes them more angular and harsh.

I don't think either idea is quite there yet, but I was illustrating the point that we don't need to mutate them into something else to distinguish them from "Majestic".

[corebit]

They are blood elves, they are not an allied race, and they are not alliance high elves!
I love my horde chars and i truly believe the alliance high elves will bring good story possibilities to the game.

They can only bring good story possibilities if Blizzard throws the Void Elves under the bus, and they start cannibalizing on Blood Elf lore to do that.
So you end up pissing off two races and their fans for the price of adding one.

[Verdugo]

muhahaha. i can't stop laughing. People on HE discird want to contact Morhaime or even Bobby Kotick with petition about HE and how Ion insulted them. like really
oh yeah and ivestors too!

At this point its better to ignore them, their mentality is getting really dangerous.

[united]

omg hahah in this pro high elf discord they’re talking about bringing in celebrities like JOHNNY DEPP to help them fight for high elves. lmaooo

[RangerDaz]

They can only bring good story possibilities if Blizzard throws the Void Elves under the bus, and they start cannibalizing on Blood Elf lore to do that.
So you end up pissing off two races and their fans for the price of adding one.

That is very dramatic, mate!
Check how void elf lore has been told till now. We hardly know anything about them, besides what we saw in the scenario we played to add them as a playable allied race.
It is a fantasy game, a fictional world. You need good storytellers to make it work.
You have a very cool triangle with the windrunner sisters and also the connection all quelthalas elves have to the sunwell and silvermoon.
They just need to explore this and give each race an unique flavor. Good writers can do this easily.

[LowestFormOfWit]

True, but neither idea requires the withdrawl idea for it to work. The swashbuckler vagabond theme would just make them more rugged. And the Dragon theme makes them more angular and harsh.

I don't think either idea is quite there yet, but I was illustrating the point that we don't need to mutate them into something else to distinguish them from "Majestic".

I would make the case that an elf HAS to mutate into something else to move away from any other kind of elf, because elves have the most volatile genetic makeup of any of azeroth's races it seems.

Base race - Night Elf
Arcane tapping - Highborne/Eventually High Elf
Fel tapping - Blood Elf
Excessive Arcane - Nightborne
Excessive Fel - Felblood Elf or Felborne
Directly twisted by Fel - Satyr
Void dabbling/infusion - Void Elf
Warped by Maelstrom/N'zoth - Naga

You also have Demon Hunters that, through their ritual and demonic infusions, almost become another race, but fall just short, despite having altered skin, fel orbs for eyes, horns, wings, and the ability to transform into a demon, which, funny enough, is much more than what separates some other races from one another.

Elves on Azeroth are intensly affected by the magics they use, to a degree that over time they can become a separate species.

I would argue that if you move enough away from a High Elf to not consider it the same as a Blood Elf, then you have some kind of elf you can't really call a High Elf.

[Gentlepenguin]

omg hahah in this pro high elf discord they’re talking about bringing in celebrities like JOHNNY DEPP to help them fight for high elves. lmaooo

There's been some real gems over there.

[Zorish]

I would make the case that an elf has to mutate into something else to move away from any other kind of elf, because elves have the most volatile generic makeup of any of azeroth's races it seems.

Base race - Night Elf
Arcane tapping - Highborne/Eventually High Elf
Fel tapping - Blood Elf
Excessive Arcane - Nightborne
Excessive Fel - Felblood Elf or Felborne
Directly twisted by Fel - Satyr
Void dabbling/infusion - Void Elf

Elves on Azeroth are intensly affected by the magics they use, to a degree that over time they can become a separate species.

I would argue that if you move enough away from a High Elf to not consider it the same as a Blood Elf, then you have some kind of elf you can't really call a High Elf.

blood elf is not being FEL TAPPED! it's name for honoring the dead.
And ONLY magisters trully tapped to fel when were rebuilding Silvermoon, most of other citizens just were near.

[Traycor]

so tell me "what actuall culture difference" of "HE" and Blood elf. i don't see any (in alliria keep) or i see that "He" merged with humans (in Dalaran or SW).

Only thing if different is that one part of population go and took what they need from the living, and other - go with pride and suffered. Skill of siphoning magic didn't change their appearance. Only font of fel magic from magisters when they rebuilded silvermoon.

Here in lies the current problem. While there are lots of differences between High Elves and Blood Elves, they are all convoluted and difficult to describe. As stated in the OP, the High Elves need a new, simple theme that can be summed up in one word and does not overlap with the "Majestic" design philosophy of the Blood Elves.

[Zorish]

Here in lies the current problem. While there are lots of differences between High Elves and Blood Elves, they are all convoluted and difficult to describe. As stated in the OP, the High Elves need a new, simple theme that can be summed up in one word and does not overlap with the "Majestic" design philosophy of the Blood Elves.

there are TWO main difference between "High elves" and Blood elves. TWO. And one of this difference already blurred with some blue eyed elves being part of the horde.
So single difference is the ones who named themself Blood elves honored their dead (with rename), and were teached how to siphon magic from living creatures
and others who still name themself "High elves" thinked about this teaching as immoral and gone with suffering, while still siphoned magic from ARTIFACTS (and in veressa case by making love from humans too). You see? ONE difference left. Wich itself stayed only as "Blood elves can drain magic from living creatures, but after sunwell reignition they don't need to do it, but still CAN"

Honestly Traycor. Your concepts can be good. But as i said (third or fourth time?) they are concepts of the PAST. PAST of race wich were named "High elves" in past and who NOW Blood elves. Every tattoo, every "ranger" theme belongs to BOTH of them. Because it's their PAST. They not magicaly wiped tattoos from their bodies when renamed themsel, they not magicaly forgotten ranger skills. This is their PAST AND PRESENT. Same with "High elves".

To got something like them you must change them DRASTICALY wich will be end for them being "High elves". And change NOT THE PAST (big retcones are shit), but in future.

[RangerDaz]

There's been some real gems over there.

Don't take me wrong, man.
But there are gems that come from both sides.

These forums can get extremely toxic.
It is important if we all make a colective effort to keep it civil... all who want to have a civil conversation that is.

Some just want to bash and flame who opposes their ideas, unfortunately.

[united]

There's been some real gems over there.

Isn’t it great? I love seeing how hypocritical alliance players can be.

The moment that Ion confirmed no high elves the amount of profanity in there was unreal

[DeicideUH]

Here in lies the current problem. While there are lots of differences between High Elves and Blood Elves, they are all convoluted and difficult to describe. As stated in the OP, the High Elves need a new, simple theme that can be summed up in one word and does not overlap with the "Majestic" design philosophy of the Blood Elves.

High and blood elf differences were way more stark before Blizzard decided to whitewash the blood elves and give them the Sunwell back.
In essence, it was the blood elves that became more like high elves after that.

Still, the themes are different. Just the exile and the choice to not rely on magic so much is already a big thematic difference. If they got focus, High elves could easily be given the search of a new home and new beginning as themes. They would be humbled by their trials rather than proud. They'd sherish companionship of other races rather than be isolationist snobs that only make alliances out of convenience. They'd avoid relying too much in magic rather than use it in their everyday lives.

If a distinct visual thematic or a magic-based transformation was indeed needed, then my old idea of them using the Storm Staff of Antonidas (which they helped Jaina acquire and was never used for anything) to become lightning-themed would be a thousand times better than void elves.

[Deleted]

I gotta say, while I'm firmly in the "don't recycle blue-eyed blood elves again please" camp, kudos to Traycor for actually understanding Blizzard's design philosophy and at least trying to give them a new, marketable, concise identity (based on the WC2 ranger). I like your designs here, even if I feel they're a bit too designed around one class.

It's rather telling that 95% of the fan art and fan works out of the Discord just reinforces Blizzard's position. "High elves are so unique and special and different and I'll show you why with this art of a generic blood elf (with blue eyes), and this picture of Silvermoon (recolored blue), and this blood elf building (with blue tint instead of red), and this MS Paint copypaste of the blood elf racial crest (but blue)..."

Come on guys, it's embarrassing. You're like Merryweather from Sleeping Beauty.

[corebit]

That is very dramatic, mate!
Check how void elf lore has been told till now. We hardly know anything about them, besides what we saw in the scenario we played to add them as a playable allied race.
It is a fantasy game, a fictional world. You need good storytellers to make it work.
You have a very cool triangle with the windrunner sisters and also the connection all quelthalas elves have to the sunwell and silvermoon.
They just need to explore this and give each race an unique flavor. Good writers can do this easily.

Blizzard can't even handle giving many core races their deserved spotlight for 14 years, yet you think their writers can suddenly and magically make both Void Elves and High Elves work without stepping on each others' toes. I mean you can only be willfully blind at this point .

It also seems you're not paying attention to BFA development, because Void Elves are taking a much more active role participating in scenarios and quest hubs, and they can only do that without High Elves getting in the way.

I gotta say, while I'm firmly in the "don't recycle blue-eyed blood elves again please" camp, kudos to Traycor for actually understanding Blizzard's design philosophy and at least trying to give them a new, marketable, concise identity (based on the WC2 ranger). I like your designs here, even if I feel they're a bit too designed around one class.

His efforts are commendable. That much I'll agree.

[EbaumsTipster]

I'm pretty sure the reason Void Elves were made Blood Elves was to give them a huge reason to hate Silvermoon. The SC has kicked the Sunreavers ass over and over again, this gives the Alliance an "underdog" elf race for once and makes them bloodthirsty.

[Zorish]

some more gems https://imgur.com/a/SMRzC8Z

[EbaumsTipster]

Blizzard can't even handle giving many core races their deserved spotlight for 14 years, yet you think their writers can suddenly and magically make both Void Elves and High Elves work without stepping on each others' toes. I mean you can only be willfully blind at this point .

It also seems you're not paying attention to BFA development, because Void Elves are taking a much more active role participating in scenarios and quest hubs, and they can only do that without High Elves getting in the way.



His efforts are commendable. That much I'll agree.

Are Void Elves actually in any of the BFA zones?