Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[Hitei]

Then why are both Farstriders and Silver Covenant pledging themselves to helping during the Hunter Campaign if Silver Covenant are "very little ranger identity" do they do the same for the Mage Campaign?

You are confusing "I use a bow and scout things" for "I make my armor from scratch out of fur and rough leather, and tie feathers to things with bits of cloth, let me listen to the whispers of the trees to find out where we need to do this druidic ritual".

Also, lol "Do they do the same for the Mage campaign?" No. Instead they literally attached themselves and integrated directly with the most mage-y mage faction in the entire game for three expansions.

[Doffen]

Yeah the ironic thing about this is that the most popular Horde race is the same race as the most used race in the Alliance story except humans the last 5-6 years. I can really understand that at some point people will think that High Elves will become an Alliance race since Blizzard is teasing people with it in game, but I also think people need to understand that the Void Elves is what you get. For now at least.

[FlubberPuddy]

You are confusing "I use a bow and scout things" for "I make my armor from scratch out of fur and rough leather, and tie feathers to things with bits of cloth, let me listen to the whispers of the trees to find out where we need to do this druidic ritual".

Also, lol "Do they do the same for the Mage campaign?" No. Instead they literally attached themselves and integrated directly with the most mage-y mage faction in the entire game for three expansions.

It doesn't negate the fact that Silver Covenant have enough Rangers in their midst to be a part of the Hunter campaign. I'm pretty sure Mages AND Rangers/Hunters are probably what make-up the most of the SC.

Plus you forget this is all brainstorming ideas, some ideas may be taking it further than it needs to be but the essence that High Elves can be featured in a more natural/less-magic based is not unfound (Their lodge designs, certain groups forgoing arcane magics, etc).

You're trying to make Silver Covenant seem like it's 90% mages or something, when that's never how the game itself has portrayed them.

- - - Updated - - -

Yeah the ironic thing about this is that the most popular Horde race is the same race as the most used race in the Alliance story except humans the last 5-6 years. I can really understand that at some point people will think that High Elves will become an Alliance race since Blizzard is teasing people with it in game, but I also think people need to understand that the Void Elves is what you get. For now at least.

Thank you for at least admitting that, and about your latter point: Yeah I agree that with Void Elf release it may be a long while before High Elves are a thing (probably after BfA or maybe even another expansion after BfA), most people wanting High Elves understand they wouldn't come so immediately.

The hard push for brainstorming them/letting Blizzard know it's still wanted is only because the people wanting High Elves are trying to show Blizzard: Hey it's not that Void Elves aren't cool in their own right, but we'd still like the High Elves we've continually seen in our Alliance campaigns to be playable at some point.

[GreenJesus]

High elves would have to look like hippy fat millenial vegans. The only reason they left Silvermoon was because they were "above eating meat" basically. Their hair should be greasy and poorly groomed. They should have edgy neckbeards and say "like omg omg dude so fetch". If a male even dares speaking to them they will start /yelling at you about how you are mansplaining them and you are a chauvinistic pig.

If Alliance got High elves like this I would be fine with it because that is what they deserve. Since Alliance got fat humans they might as well get fat elves too.

[Syegfryed]

Then why are both Farstriders and Silver Covenant pledging themselves to helping during the Hunter Campaign if Silver Covenant are "very little ranger identity" do they do the same for the Mage Campaign?
.

yeah they have little identity on the ranger and mage thing, this identity is already occupied with blood elves, this topic is not trying to "make something unique, special or different" in the end is just blood elves but in the other faction

the only decent concept was no magic users at all, but it would make their eyes white and no blue, and with a skin more pallid

they would have no mages, no priests, no paladins, no warlocks, no dks, and monks, cause no magic, and im pretty sure their fans would shit themselves as well, but it is the only way to make they look different culturally and psychically

[Hitei]

It doesn't negate the fact that Silver Covenant have enough Rangers in their midst to be a part of the Hunter campaign. I'm pretty sure Mages AND Rangers/Hunters are probably what make-up the most of the SC.

Plus you forget this is all brainstorming ideas, some ideas may be taking it further than it needs to be but the essence that High Elves can be featured in a more natural/less-magic based is not unfound (Their lodge designs, certain groups forgoing arcane magics, etc).

You're trying to make Silver Covenant seem like it's 90% mages or something, when that's never how the game itself has portrayed them.

No. I'm pointing out to you that the Silver Covenant objectively leans on their mage identity for aesthetics. Yes. They have rangers. No one ever said they didn't. Do you know what those rangers wear? Mage-like armor. Do you know what they are sometimes titled? spellbows.

The essence of High Elves is NOT some bizarre theft of Wildhammer's look based vaguely on the completely out of date look from WC2.

Even the lodge High Elves (by the way, Quel'Danil is pretty much the only one left), have a very traditional elf-armor look, not some tribal wood elf thing. And took on the Alliance look after their battle against the Forsaken.



And had that older Night-elf, generic elf look before that.



Literally the only time in the past 16 years they've had Alleria look is the brief point where they had a placeholder model, and even that was more Night Elf than this weird Wildhammer thing.

[Doffen]

Thank you for at least admitting that, and about your latter point: Yeah I agree that with Void Elf release it may be a long while before High Elves are a thing (probably after BfA or maybe even another expansion after BfA), most people wanting High Elves understand they wouldn't come so immediately.

The hard push for brainstorming them/letting Blizzard know it's still wanted is only because the people wanting High Elves are trying to show Blizzard: Hey it's not that Void Elves aren't cool in their own right, but we'd still like the High Elves we've continually seen in our Alliance campaigns to be playable at some point.

I definitely understand that people want the High Elves as a playable race for the Alliance and I am neither for or against it. When Blizzard is using the Silver Covenant as much as they do, the request for Alliance High Elves will never stop. It do make an interesting story, but we humans are humans. If we see something we like, we want it, and we want more of it.

Void Elves are cool. Personally I think they are great, it feels like playing a Blood Elf, just a blue-eyed one with better hairstyles

[corebit]

Well I dunno what amazing and original idea for a race you think they're going to do instead. Not when they're already wasting one of our slots to prototype Ogres for the Horde. Probably about the only interesting thing they could have done on a budget is to have Alliance Orcs led by Saurfang. Would have been totally memeworthy and melted the battle.net servers, but it would have been interesting!

I have zero complaints about people discussing Vulpera/Sethrak/Kul'tiran as playable races for the Alliance. You know, actual unique models instead of yet another copy paste race resulting in a wasted slot.

Also, you probably shouldn't play the "but I'm Alliance too!" card so much when your own post history outs you as an old guard Horde player. If the Alliance is more appealing to you now then that's a clear sign that things as they stand are fucked up.

I used to main Horde before Legion, I just became disappointed that the Horde lost its savage identity and it's story revolves around nothing but elves led by an undead elf. I main Alliance this expansion. Key point is I have played both factions actively since vanilla and maintained all my alts at max level. I am a big altoholic.

If having Alliance toons exclusively for 13 years is a requirement to play the "I'm Alliance card", then almost nobody on this forum can play that card then.

[FlubberPuddy]

No. I'm pointing out to you that the Silver Covenant objectively leans on their mage identity for aesthetics. Yes. They have rangers. No one ever said they didn't. Do you know what those rangers wear? Mage-like armor. Do you know what they are sometimes titled? spellbows.

The essence of High Elves is NOT some bizarre theft of Wildhammer's look based vaguely on the completely out of date look from WC2.

Even the lodge High Elves (by the way, Quel'Danil is pretty much the only one left), have a very traditional elf-armor look, not some tribal wood elf thing. And took on the Alliance look after their battle against the Forsaken.

Yeah, Mage like armor and fight like Melee Rangers/ or shoot bows like rangers o_O again the game is blending the two archetypes (Mage/Hunter) together. The fact some are named spellbows are even more evidence of this, not against it.

I think you're the one making a hyperbole of this "tribal elf" thing, again some of the ideas might be too far, but a level ground can be found. Except you keep trying to take it to EXTREMES ROLLING AROUND MUD/DIRT Elves when most are focusing on a more natural/ranger-esque vibe that the game itself has presented. Dalaran elves are one sect of Alliance-aligned High Elves, not the only sect.

- - - Updated - - -

I definitely understand that people want the High Elves as a playable race for the Alliance and I am neither for or against it. When Blizzard is using the Silver Covenant as much as they do, the request for Alliance High Elves will never stop. It do make an interesting story, but we humans are humans. If we see something we like, we want it, and we want more of it.

Void Elves are cool. Personally I think they are great, it feels like playing a Blood Elf, just a blue-eyed one with better hairstyles

Exactly, thank you for at least understanding why there are High Elves that continually ask for them, it's because Blizzard has always kept showcasing them, far more than the majority of the other races on Alliance.

And yeah that's cool that people find Void Elves cool, I wouldn't take away Void Elves from others. I just still want to play an Alliance Elf Paladin and Void Elves can't be that by their nature, so I put my vote towards Alliance High Elves getting added (or Night Elves getting Pallies).

[Hitei]

Yeah, Mage like armor and fight like Melee Rangers/ or shoot bows like rangers o_O again the game is blending the two archetypes (Mage/Hunter) together. The fact some are named spellbows are even more evidence of this, not against it.

And BOTH archetypes have the same look. A mage-based, Silver Covenant look. How is this so hard to get? Both the Mages, and the Rangers use the Silver Covenant look, and the Silver Covenant look is mage-based and has nothing to do with a non-existant "more nature/ranger-esque vibe" that does not exist anywhere in game.

I think you're the one making a hyperbole of this "tribal elf" thing, again some of the ideas might be too far, but a level ground can be found. Except you keep trying to take it to EXTREMES ROLLING AROUND MUD/DIRT Elves when most are focusing on a more natural/ranger-esque vibe that the game itself has presented. Dalaran elves are one sect of Alliance-aligned High Elves, not the only sect.

Nowhere in the entire game is this presented.

There are three. 3. Groups of living High Elves in the game.

1) Blood Elves.
2) The Silver Covenant/Kirin Tor
3) The Highvale of Quel'danil.

The Blood Elves are Blood Elves. The Highvale use a look identical to the Blood Elven farstriders, but in blue instead of red, and the Silver Covenant and Kirin Tor both use mage-based looks. None of these are tribal. None of them use a "more natural" look. None of them are druidic, or have druidic aesthetics. It's made up for the sake of pretending that there is this non-existent ""High Elf Ranger"" look that somehow justifies a second Blood Elf based Allied Race.

Which you shouldn't even want, because they sure as hell wouldn't be paladins, which are one, a Blood Elf thing; and two have absolutely nothing to do with rangers or a made up more natural (read: less connected to Silvermoon and the Sunwell) group of High Elves who'd have no relation to the light.

[corebit]

Yeah, Mage like armor and fight like Melee Rangers/ or shoot bows like rangers o_O again the game is blending the two archetypes (Mage/Hunter) together. The fact some are named spellbows are even more evidence of this, not against it.

I think you're the one making a hyperbole of this "tribal elf" thing, again some of the ideas might be too far, but a level ground can be found. Except you keep trying to take it to EXTREMES ROLLING AROUND MUD/DIRT Elves when most are focusing on a more natural/ranger-esque vibe that the game itself has presented. Dalaran elves are one sect of Alliance-aligned High Elves, not the only sect.

It's the only one that is relevant to their story and identity. The other places with high elves either do nothing (Que'danil) or are destroyed (Quel'lithien) or stuck in the past timeline (Allerian Stronghold). The Silver Covenant's entire purpose for existing is to act as a foil for the Sunreavers, and the only notable character that does anything outside of Dalaran is Vereesa

And yeah that's cool that people find Void Elves cool, I wouldn't take away Void Elves from others. I just still want to play an Alliance Elf Paladin and Void Elves can't be that by their nature, so I put my vote towards Alliance High Elves getting added (or Night Elves getting Pallies).

This is what most of the complaints boil down to, isn't it? Void Elves didn't scratch your itch because you can't play the pretty paladin.
And you still don't get it. High elves add nothing but redundancy to the Alliance. If they were to get added, they not only cannibalize the Void Elves' potential story development, they also step on the Blood Elves' story.

[brt2pp]

world of elfcraft

[FlubberPuddy]

Snip

You're being very pedantic, so what if the SC armor is more mage-y, they hail from Dalaran, why wouldn't it be? Doesn't take away the fact the bulk of their forces are mages and hunters. The current "reason" for not having High Elves is because they're too dispersed, if you unite Highvale and Quel'danil then you get that mage/hunter aesthetic and a more woodsy vibe. You're the only one continually bringing up "tribal", not me.

'Made up for sake of pretending' how do you think new ideas get formed? Wtf, the point of this thread is brainstorming with what information is available in-game. If people are just coming into here to say, "High Elves won't be playable" ok great. Say your spiel, the rest of the people in the thread will continue discussing ideas.

High Elves definitely would be able to be Paladins, they've had such a long history with the Humans and believe in the Holy Light as well, that's pretty nonsensical to say they wouldn't be able to be Paladins.

- - - Updated - - -

It's the only one that is relevant to their story and identity. The other places with high elves either do nothing (Que'danil) or are destroyed (Quel'lithien) or stuck in the past timeline (Allerian Stronghold). The Silver Covenant's entire purpose for existing is to act as a foil for the Sunreavers, and the only notable character that does anything outside of Dalaran is Vereesa

That apparently isn't stopping Mag'har from getting recruited from a past timeline. No reason, Alliance can't also use Bronze Dragonflight's help if Blizzard is opening up that can of worms.

This is what most of the complaints boil down to, isn't it? Void Elves didn't scratch your itch because you can't play the pretty paladin.
And you still don't get it. High elves add nothing but redundancy to the Alliance. If they were to get added, they not only cannibalize the Void Elves' potential story development, they also step on the Blood Elves' story.

No? I am speaking just for me, why are you acting like I'm a spokesperson for High elf group? As for your pally comment, um duh? Same as any person who can't play a race/class they combo. They either play other race/class combos they do like and/or request for the one they want.

High Elves have had more story development alongside Alliance than most of the Alliance playable races. It's way too late to say they'd "cannibalize" either of those two stories or call them redundant when Blizzard continually makes them relevant.

[corebit]

That apparently isn't stopping Mag'har from getting recruited from a past timeline. No reason, Alliance can't also use Bronze Dragonflight's help if Blizzard is opening up that can of worms.

Sure, then wait until Blizzard releases the expansion "High Elves of Alternate Silvermoon" to get your high elves. Also, the Bronze Dragonflight is not going to repeat Kairoz's mistakes and empower yet another Vision of Time.

High Elves have had more story development alongside Alliance than most of the Alliance playable races. It's way too late to say they'd "cannibalize" either of those two stories or call them redundant when Blizzard continually makes them relevant.

Plenty of non-playable races have gotten more story development than the more unpopular playable ones, so that's not an argument. Vrykul, Ogres, even freakin Arakkoa have more story development than Gnomes or Dwarves. Doesn't mean jack squat.

Also, you and I seem to have different ideas of what relevant means, as you'd be hard-pressed to find any high elf presence in BFA other than a token character here and there (e.g. that naked high elf in Jaina's angels). Blizzard is not making them relevant at all, in fact they are phasing them out.

[Elfezen]

These are really amazing, High Elves will always be a theme to discuss and if Blizzard doesn't put them the discussions will keep ongoing

[corebit]

These are really amazing, High Elves will always be a theme to discuss and if Blizzard doesn't put them the discussions will keep ongoing

Or Blizzard can just ignore them and the discussion will naturally die out. I already see people losing hope and "unsubbing" in that echo chamber thread in the official forums.

[Mehrunes]

Well all I know is I got infracted and a ban for calling someone a Horde fanboi in a post, where someone in the same thread called me a Alliance fanboi and didn't get infracted.

The thing is, "all you know" is consistently disjointed from the real world because you managed to convince yourself that HORDE BIAS Illuminati want to kill all Alliance players. I searched your posts. No one called you a fanboi back in the thread this happened. In fact, the only other person using the term (or fanboy, or any other variant I could think of) in said thread was directing it at the same people as you did. So reign in your victim mentality and stop lying out of your ass to support your shit-flinging in the direction of Horde and Horde players. Neither the mods nor Blizzard are out to get you and you're not an Alliance martyr.

I play Alliance and I'm heavily against the idea of High Elves. Did I blow your mind?

You're just an example of Alliance In Name Only. Or maybe a blood traitor. I don't know how this works for sure.

High Elves as a playable race DO NOT favor the Alliance at all. You are just too blind to see the implications. Their very concept revolves around re-using the Blood Elf player model (which the Alliance already has BTW), and adding small details like blue eyes and and maybe some tattoos. It can't be anything major because the major difference between HElves and BElves is ideological, not physical.

As has been said, tattoos was Farstrider thing and most of those remained loyal to Quel'Thalas. So if High Elves get tattoos, so should Blood Elves. At which point the difference boggles down to eye color (and even then, there are Blood Elven NPCs with blue eyes). Which isn't really a difference. And it's not something that would get universal applause from Alliance players. I've seen plenty Alliance players complaining about Lightforged and those have tattoos that are actually unique to them and different skin tones on top of the eye color (and even the eyes are more noticeable because 1. Draenei have larger eyes and 2. Lightforged have glowing eyes).

Let's say you whiners got your wish, and then Blizzard gave the Horde a completely new model for an Allied race. I would bet real dollars you people would completely forget about High Elves and immediately start whining "Horde bias" again.

Let's be real, they'd whine about HORDE BIAS even if the Horde got no more allied races.

Also all these HElf ideas are starting to go into shitty fanfic territory. Celtic Braveheart elves? Blue dragonflight druid forms? Like WTF, at least respect the current lore before throwing out outrageous shit that Blizzard will never ever consider.

Even Blue Dragonflight Druids are still a step up from "QUEEN CALIA will return and give birth to a billion High Elves" of old tbh.

It's only "Silver Covenant" instead of "High Elves" because of "hurr durr Blood Elves are High Elves" spam from previous threads. But the aesthetic is drawn from WC2 concept art, which obviously the in game faction is not going to reflect when they're just reusing old Mage tier assets. Surely you don't think Aldor Raiment, a set which is supposed to represent Draenei Priests (yet somehow is Mage-exclusive armor) is how High Elven rangers really look?

And what exactly stopped Blizzard from giving them old Hunter tier assets if they wanted Silver Covenant to have more Woad theme if Blizzard actually envisioned them that way?

Most of the people asking for High Elves aren't trying to have, "Horde's most played race." Are the Silver Covenant a part of the Horde? Are the Highvale part of the Horde? Are the Allerian Stronghold Elves, or the ones in Stormwind or Dalaran part of the Horde?

They're still the same race.

What's ironic is that we did in-fact get "Horde's most played race" just doused with purple-goo, yet most of you seem to be okay with that. Let me ask you this, if they were change the model appearance of "Blue eyed Blood Elves" (as you all seem to put it) would you still have an issue with a race calling themselves, "High Elves" being added as an Alliance playable race? I'm talking model change, like how Zandalari use Night Elf skeleton but are completely different - that level of change.

Did High Elves collectively jump into a blender? Or what else would be the reason behind any change, let alone that level of change?

[Obelisk Kai]

snip

I know you believe there is a distinction between the silver covenant and the Blood Elves that means they can become a playable race in their own right.

The problem is you are wrong. This is not a matter of opinion, that is word of god from the devs themselves.

When a dev comes out and says there is enough of a difference between a Blood Elf and a Silver Covenant elf for the SC elf to be a playable Allied race, then you can talk about the distinction all you like.

Until that time, you ARE asking for a core Horde race to be playable on the Alliance.

As for the changing the model...yes I would still have an issue. It's all about the theme really.
It's still a High/Blood Elf and that is a can of worms you don't want to open anyway. Some Blood Elf players would immediately prefer the High Elf model, because that is human nature, and very legitimately ask why they can't use it. And then they would begin demanding it.

I am not keen on Void Elves using the same model on the Alliance side. But virtually everything thematic about a High Elf has been drained from them. The model becomes a shell, with enough physical alterations that I find Void Elves tolerable.

[Zorish]

And few thing about your "Silver Covenant". HUZZAH! they not refused to use magic! They refused to suck is from living beings... on words... While their leader Alleria Windrunner literaly... well - "took help" from her husband Rhonin. And this "silver covenant" live in dalaran. Place with heavy magical influence FROM ELVES! Dalaran in the end IS CREATION OF ELVES. When they teached humans how to use magic! See? only one difference (wich is actually non existant at all)! And i won't stop repeating

*sigh*
people... with all your concepts... tell me what is the meaning of "High" elf in the warcraft universe. Is it really being treehugger? ranger? abadoning magic?
answer - NO! "High" elf mean that YOU! ARE! MAGIC! RELATED! Abbadon it? and you will be night elf/wood elf/paper elf/etc. So all your concepts want to separate yourself from your magic using brothers - Blood elves? ok - but YOU ARE NOT HIGH ELF ANYMORE THEN! You are tree elf. Want another offshot from elven race?

And okay - let's settle this.
You say that you took concept from WC2... okay. You know what it mean? EVERY! PART! OF! THIS! CONCEPT! CAN! BE! ADDED! TO! BLOOD ELVES. Because every elf from WC2 if he survived LIVE in silvermoon. Blood elves NOT CHILDREN OF THIS ELVES! It's ~25 years passed! For long lived race! Race wich described in every universe as race wich multiply rate VERY LOW! Do you understand? Survivors of this war who represent your "concepts" LIVE IN SILVERMOON (partly at least). Wich mean that eveyrthing how you want to separate them from Blood Elves ACTUALLY just another option for BE. Or you think that every elf who used tatoo - cleared them after this? Didn't this sound stupid?


In the end your "High elf" will be castrated version of Blood elves, cause of everything they used in the past apply to Blood elves because so little time passed. like i will try to create list for this:

Blood elves.
eye colors: golden (restored sunwell), green (fel users), blue (arcane users)
Skin color: from pale to liiiiiitle bit of red (because we see how fel acting on skin color with orcs, so it's not canon, but i admit it could be possible)
tatoos: everything used by elves in the WC series
hair color: Every color used for elves in WC series
outfit: Every outfit used for elves in WC series

"High elves"
Eye color: blue only
Skin color: from pale to normal pink
tatoos: everything used by elves in the WC series
hair color: Every color used for elves in WC series
outfit: Every outfit used for elves in WC series. Maybe with more feather from wildhammer clan

see? because only ~25 years passed you trying to create difference where it's actually exist IN FAVOR of Blood elves. It's "High elves" who have lesser options than Blood elves.
Okay and now to the end. After events in Sunwell i still don't undestand why separation still exist. BE don't drain living creatures now, and even allow "High elves" visit sunwell. So answer me - WHAT THE REASON for them to kill each other for different factions?

[Kithelle]

(more unique and diverse models, hello?),

You obviously have no idea of the point of Allied races, so your argument is rather invalid.