Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[Evilfish]

The issue is when people try to say that Void Elves are the compromise for High Elves and that High Elf fans should be happy with Void Elves. That's really absurd honestly. "Hey this isn't what you wanted at all, but you should still be grateful". Why? What issue is there in showing to Blizzard that it's not what fans of High Elves wanted?

People should be happy that they got a less cloned belf version. I'm talking about people on both sides of the argument. You fellas seem to think you were robbed of something you were entitled to, but that's not true.

[FlubberPuddy]

You should meet my housemate, that's exactly him. Love void elves, and still wants high elves. He's a bit greedy, don't you think that's a bit greedy though? Another person i know, void elves killed his desire for high elves, and he doesn't think he'd roll a high elf if they came out, it's actually caused him to appreciate blood elves more, because of the contrast of skin and faction. High elves won't make him change from any of his blood elf toons or void elf toons.

Blizzard will decide what to add and when to add it. Merely talking about or requesting a particular race doesn't mean players have the power of influencing when or what gets added over something else.

That's all on Blizzard. It isn't the player's responsibility to oversee the general allied race discussion and weigh which options and when should get added. Players merely to express interest in their desired additions they'd like to see.

And I think it helps to back up an expressed interest with evidence to support their inclusion.

People should be happy that they got a less cloned belf version. I'm talking about people on both sides of the argument. You fellas seem to think you were robbed of something you were entitled to, but that's not true.

Yeah just like players should be happy with all the changes Blizzard has made to the game right? Players should just be happy with everything and anything Blizzard adds?

And before you come at it with "I'm only talking about this specific issue" then know that makes for a weak argument, because strong ones hold up against many issues.

Keep talking about people feeling robbed, when there's enough posts to show that isn't the case. I'm sure if Horde had a long time ally on its faction that was unplayable (let's say there's a group of Ogres that consistently help the Horde) and then Blizzard introduced some fairy Ogres that have the general silhouette of those unplayable Horde Ogres but only had sickly green skin color options and fairy leaf adornments or what not then those players who wanted the unplayable group of Ogres would be up in arms as well.

[Evilfish]

Yeah just like players should be happy with all the changes Blizzard has made to the game right? Players should just be happy with everything and anything Blizzard adds?

And before you come at it with "I'm only talking about this specific issue" then know that makes for a weak argument, because strong ones hold up against many issues.

Keep talking about people feeling robbed, when there's enough posts to show that isn't the case. I'm sure if Horde had a long time ally on its faction that was unplayable (let's say there's a group of Ogres that consistently help the Horde) and then Blizzard introduced some fairy Ogres that have the general silhouette of those unplayable Horde Ogres but only had sickly green skin color options and fairy leaf adornments or what not then those players who wanted the unplayable group of Ogres would be up in arms as well.

Someone not liking azerithe armor stats isn't necessarily weeping over no Helfs so what argument are you trying to make here?

Sounds to me like you are trying to start a riot against Blizz over your helfs, again. Dick move.

And by the way, ogres are an original race that aren't in the Alliance already, so I don't get the comparison, other than trying to show me how sad and/or vindictive you are for not getting belfs with 5 blue pixels. Blizzard does not need to "void up" or "fairy up" ogres, get it?

Quit ignoring the obvious. Your helfs are gone. You have a perfectly viable choice on both factions.

[Varx]

Play a Blood Elf then. "highelfers"? lol gimme a fucking break.

Woa woa pump your breaks. I am not a mouth breathing highelfer lmao. Im just saying what the feel.

[Strippling]

Ion's comments were considered and discussed, his whole spiel didn't even address any of the suggestions brought up by the High Elf community (like those suggestions in the OP of this thread, or the High Elf Discussion Megathreads).

The thing is his comments were discussed but never considered. Because it shut down the high elf agenda people were like "Ion doesn't know his lore" and other comments of a similar notion. His comments weren't considered, they were disregarded. Yet on the other hand all of a sudden you consider Alex's words as "high elfs all but confirmed" because it suits your agenda. On top of that, the high elven community are disregarding his comment about being respectful cause again.. it's against them. The question asked was a question FOR high elf fans (or in this case high elf customization options), so naturally in turn the answer by Alex was FOR high elf fans.

Also, not trying to bait. I legitimately joined this thread a while ago expressing my concerns about playable high elfs and in no way attacked or baited anyone. Yet majority of the responses I got were along the lines of "you're a troll", "you know nothing and you're wrong" or "you just don't want us to have something nice". All I did was express my concerns, which I had a right to do as your request was asking for something that would directly affect the faction lines. After several disrespectful responses from high elf fans I quickly came to the realization that they're just as toxic (if not more in some cases) as the people they so claim are trolls and toxic (aka anti's).

Again, not trolling... just thankful that Alex and Blizz recognize that the high elf fans can be toxic.

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This is no one else's issues but Blizzard's. It's already known they could've just added High Elves in the first place and avoided all of this.

It's their mess they made and it's theirs to clean up if they wish to. Even if they didn't want to clean it up, even if they don't see it as a mess (I'd find that surprising), Void Elves are still regarded as the most ass-pull race ever to exist among the community at large.
[/B]

Yet void elfs are the most played AR. Funny that people cry about them being "ass pulled" yet they're the community favorite AR. And it's pretty obvious that Blizz specifically gave you void elfs over high elfs for a very specific reason. I can elaborate on this reason if you want but I'm sure you know what it is.

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People should be happy that they got a less cloned belf version. I'm talking about people on both sides of the argument. You fellas seem to think you were robbed of something you were entitled to, but that's not true.

Also, this.

[Strippling]

Thank your ilk for that because they’re the ones who caused a lot of the hate with their blatant bullying.

The fight for Alliance High Elves will continue no matter how much you may hate those people they will fight for what they want.

I don't hate "those people". I just don't agree that playable high elfs should be a thing. Blizzard doesn't agree either.

[Dristereau]

I've been pretty vocal on most of these threads saying I want to see High Elves for the Alliance. It is a race I have wanted to see for a very long time. In regards to the comments from Blizzcon, I'm not really happy about the idea of a High Elf option as part of Void Elves. The only way I can see this working is something like an out of combat transformation, which is not what I want. Void Elves are a rag tag bunch of outcasts who veer far away from what High Elves are and the Alliance overall. The racials are very Void Elf specific, with the rift, Entropic Embrace and their void tentacles. Throwing a High Elf appearance out of combat or minor changes would not satisfy me because there's a lot of customisation differences that High Elves should have and most High Elves would detest the Void.

So with regards to customisation, we'll start with the obvious one, eye colour. Void Elves are addled with the Void, Blood Elves are Light filled or Fel but High Elves are simple, uncorrupted, unchanged and still the natural non glowing eyes. The other biggest one is runic tattoos/warpaint, similar to Alleria. An option of these, in blue, brown, green or red that go on both of single arms or legs as well as faces will give them a varied appearance that represents their connection to the wild, more natural, one with nature.

With regards to Hair Styles and colours, I don't have any issue with some crossovers with the Blood Elves. But add more flowing and elegant ones, as well as limit the hair colours to be relatively light or even light blue like Frostfencer Seraphi (https://wow.gamepedia.com/Frostfencer_Seraphi). The same potential limits to skin colour.

In terms of Racials and background, the Silver Covenant is easily the most obvious choice for things to happen with. Have Vereesa step up and call out the High Elves all over Azeroth, let us go out and bring them back into the Alliance and new players are one of those to return to pledge their allegiance to the Silver Covenant and the Alliance, or simply have us as a new recruit of the Silver Covenant. Racials could reflect the ties to nature and also the magical elements of the Silver Covenant with their ties to Dalaran.

All elves have tie to their ancestors, the Highborne, many who would eventually become the Naga and as such could be found fighting against Azshara in 8.2 which gives them relevance to the current storylines. As for those saying why not play a Blood Elf in that High Elves are the same thing, the High Elves were exiled from Silvermoon because Lor'themar was unable to lead them in combination with the Blood Elves due to the divides. In addition to that from my Point of View, I would like to see some of the unique Alliance sets from Vanilla and more recently the Warfronts on High Elves.

I won't give up complete hope for High Elves but I do think it's a slim thing. The lack of solid confirmation of new Allied Races beyond the hint of Junker Gnomes (meh) which will most likely be the same time as Vulpera makes me thing not too many more are planned at all. It's annoying the High Elves appear in BFA (Boralus Stromgarde Portal, Island Expedition team, 7th Legion Shield-Mages when assault Stromgarde) and I just really want a solid answer, even if it's that a meteor hit Dalaran and wiped out the Silver Covenant and Veeresa and the outpost in Outland is annihilated.

[Xath]

I was of course referring to your terrible junker gnome opinion.

I acknowledge the realm pop part.

Do you think that somehow people are going to start liking the joke race because they can have mechanical parts? Look at cyborgs in swtor they have a terrible playrate too.

[FlubberPuddy]

Someone not liking azerithe armor stats isn't necessarily weeping over no Helfs so what argument are you trying to make here?

Sounds to me like you are trying to start a riot against Blizz over your helfs, again. Dick move.

The point is saying something along the lines of, "you should be happy with what you got" is really useless because you can apply that statement elsewhere and see how fast it fails.

Point is I could say the same for any of your dislikes about the game: Shut up and accept it. That's not really conducive to a discussion, but it doesn't seem like you're here to have one of those anyway.

Most of your posts are just inflammatory and exaggerated for no reason.

And by the way, ogres are an original race that aren't in the Alliance already, so I don't get the comparison, other than trying to show me how sad and/or vindictive you are for not getting belfs with 5 blue pixels. Blizzard does not need to "void up" or "fairy up" ogres, get it?

Quit ignoring the obvious. Your helfs are gone. You have a perfectly viable choice on both factions.

I rest my case, you truly can't understand the concept that is being used as an example. Take any unplayable race represented on the Horde that a lot of players want, and monkey-paw them. You'll have Horde players bitching about it just the same. That's the takeaway but maybe it's too complex for you to understand that.

Also High Elves are represented among the Alliance therefore bringing in "ogres aren't in the Alliance" to make a reference to Blood Elves existing on the Horde is disingenuous since as said, High Elves are represented among the Alliance.

The request for High Elves was there even in Vanilla, before Blood Elves were on Horde. So the request has never had anything to do with whatever race is on Horde side.

Blood Elf fanbois are just trying to make it about themselves (like usual) because Alliance fans have access to things they don't. Like the High Elf aesthetic aka Alleria. And they want it for themselves (hence the idiotic Blue Eye Blood Elf threads on the US Forums).

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SNIP

Truly doesn't matter.

Main thing is the conversation has developed on Blizzard's end from, "Play Horde, stfu" to "It can happen, keep talking about it"

If you want to still believe nothing will happen even after this, by all means you're free to do so.

[Evilfish]

The point is saying something along the lines of, "you should be happy with what you got" is really useless because you can apply that statement elsewhere and see how fast it fails.

Point is I could say the same for any of your dislikes about the game: Shut up and accept it. That's not really conducive to a discussion, but it doesn't seem like you're here to have one of those anyway.

Most of your posts are just inflammatory and exaggerated for no reason.



I rest my case, you truly can't understand the concept that is being used as an example. Take any unplayable race represented on the Horde that a lot of players want, and monkey-paw them. You'll have Horde players bitching about it just the same. That's the takeaway but maybe it's too complex for you to understand that.

Also High Elves are represented among the Alliance therefore bringing in "ogres aren't in the Alliance" to make a reference to Blood Elves existing on the Horde is disingenuous since as said, High Elves are represented among the Alliance.

The request for High Elves was there even in Vanilla, before Blood Elves were on Horde. So the request has never had anything to do with whatever race is on Horde side.

Blood Elf fanbois are just trying to make it about themselves (like usual) because Alliance fans have access to things they don't. Like the High Elf aesthetic aka Alleria. And they want it for themselves (hence the idiotic Blue Eye Blood Elf threads on the US Forums).

So what? Now telling a Helf enthusiast to deal with it and move on, as they were told by the devs is now like, what? Telling a broken class to be ok with their broken class? Sorry, but it's just not the same. You fellas really need to get over yourselves. You are not upset over an underperforming class, you are not arguing over a broken mechanic. You are just a vocal minority that wants a total copy of the belf from the Horde DESPITE the compromise that were Velfs. You don't get to place yourselves in the same pot with the rest when your only issue seems to be that Velfs are not pale enough.

As much as you'd love to get me banned by implying I'm flaming, that is the truth. Get over yourself.

And I'm afraid you don't understand your own example. Unless the respective race, ogres of whatever it is, is already present on the other faction, there's no discussion. It would be if people were asking that ogres look identical to Alliance humans or draenei, but they don't. They have their unique look, so implying that people might be upset over having them altered for absolutely no reason, including them being an original race and not a copy from the other faction, is a dishonest argument.

No let me tell you what you are doing. You are trying to give the impression that you are just another sad, sad player because of broken stuff, when you really are just another helf enthusiast who can't deal with the fact that Velfs don't have light skin.

And Belf fans have all the rights to make it about themselves because it's their race you are trying to copy down to eye color and keep lying about it. Everything they might give you now will always come down to the fact that you are not playing Helfs EXACTLY how you want them. That's why Belfs and Velfs are not good enough for you and yeah, I think the best course of action right now is to ignore you because you are dragging on the same crap all over the forums and at the same time you would love to silence anyone who does not fully agree with your demand.

[Evilfish]

So your response is pretty much I don’t agree with you at all and because you won’t listen to me I’m putting you on ignore, a few hundred pages back I was accused of doing that and told I was being an idiotic child and I had a victim complex by the anti’s instead of just putting him on ignore why don’t you just ignore the entire thread aswell because none of us are going to agree with you as you come across constantly as antagonistic like a few others in here.

Whether you listen to me or not is none of my business. It's your time and you spend it how you see fit, but that does not mean I have to agree with you or pretend you are right just cause you act all sad and upset over not being given blue eyed belfs.

And the only reason I might seem antagonistic to you is because you take Helfs too personal and any refusal to fully agree with your demands, even more personal. Like I said, get over yourselves.

[Evilfish]

Just because you don’t want something doesn’t mean others should have to listen to you so welcome to ignore.

As much as they would have to listen to you when you want something. Goes both ways.

[Fyersing]

As much as they would have to listen to you when you want something. Goes both ways.

I suspect this isn't accurate.

I highly doubt that when considering the viability of a playable race for Faction A, a general disinterest in that playable race by the population of Faction B factors in almost at all.

There is obviously an additional layer of complexity in the notion of playable High Elves, namely that people are concerned with the HE's infringing upon the Blood Elves aesthetics, but ultimately when the playerbase from one faction believes something is awesome the feelings of the opposing factions playerbase are entirely irrelevant.

(As I made note of, the notion of playable HE's is uniquely distinct from this understanding. Yet, as a general rule no playable race that we know of has ever been removed from the table solely because the opposing faction didn't like the race.

If we presumed that the issue of aesthetics was sufficiently addressed, which would likely be achieved by highlighting the existing practical distinctions, then quite honestly how the Horde playerbase feels about them is entirely, 100%, irrelevant.)

[Deleted]

Everytime this thread pops up on the front page I always hope someone has made another high elf edit, I'm always disappointed.

They're not going to happen, maybe an option turn down the volume on the voidiness as a Void Elf but a single unique High Elf allied race? Doubtful.

[RangerDaz]

Truly doesn't matter.

Main thing is the conversation has developed on Blizzard's end from, "Play Horde, stfu" to "It can happen, keep talking about it"

If you want to still believe nothing will happen even after this, by all means you're free to do so.

Quoting this because it sums up the current situation

Although my belief is that "Play Horde, stfu" is one Blizzard's employee's vision (and probably he still thinks like this today), and "It can happen, keep talking about it" are the remaining and more moderate ones.

I am not a fan of Ion, not only because of this issue, but the way he always talks to his playerbase on every Q&A or event. He really should improve his speech skills while talking to the public and to his playerbase. Example: the way he lectured us how Blizzard knows how to write the story and that if we are confused / angry / frustrated with the direction the story is going, it is all part of the(ir) plan (so we should't make a big fuss about it...) Big long sigh!

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Everytime this thread pops up on the front page I always hope someone has made another high elf edit, I'm always disappointed.

They're not going to happen, maybe an option turn down the volume on the voidiness as a Void Elf but a single unique High Elf allied race? Doubtful.

Making High Elf skins from Void Elves is nonsense lorewise. Silver Covenant and Void Elves are two different Quel'thalas elven groups that have evolved in a totally different way.

[Aldo Hawk]

Do you honestly believe that the whole asking for HE is just for visuals?

Of course visuals are an important thing, but if it weren't for the lore the desire would have died out a long time ago.

Lore maintains the HE desire, aesthetics just reinforces it, no blame could be made about that, it's just idiotic.

Is not that simple like copying BE into the alliance, there's different combination of classes, new quests and heritage armor, new voices, different kind of customisations (obviously Blizzard doesn't add a new playable option without different customisations, the exception are Pandaren because they are one of a kind of playable character), different and/or new hubs for the race, racials that adds to the character's fantasy, maybe new and different touches throught interactions with the world just by being a HE.

Turning down the HE as something simplistic is just dull and dumb.

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Making High Elf skins from Void Elves is nonsense lorewise. Silver Covenant and Void Elves are two different Quel'thalas elven groups that have evolved in a totally different way.

Totally.
/10char.

[Obelisk Kai]

I suspect this isn't accurate.

I highly doubt that when considering the viability of a playable race for Faction A, a general disinterest in that playable race by the population of Faction B factors in almost at all.

There is obviously an additional layer of complexity in the notion of playable High Elves, namely that people are concerned with the HE's infringing upon the Blood Elves aesthetics, but ultimately when the playerbase from one faction believes something is awesome the feelings of the opposing factions playerbase are entirely irrelevant.

(As I made note of, the notion of playable HE's is uniquely distinct from this understanding. Yet, as a general rule no playable race that we know of has ever been removed from the table solely because the opposing faction didn't like the race.

If we presumed that the issue of aesthetics was sufficiently addressed, which would likely be achieved by highlighting the existing practical distinctions, then quite honestly how the Horde playerbase feels about them is entirely, 100%, irrelevant.)

We were told flat out why High Elves were not being added, that they infringed on the look and feel of a core Horde race and blurred the distinctions between the factions too much. And you can see in the areas where Void Elves diverged, where Blizzard deliberately diverged them, how Blizzard sought to allay concerns about giving a thalassian elf to the Alliance by depriving them of the theme and aesthetics of the Blood/High Elves and creating a unique theme and aesthetic for them instead.

I believe the gameplay and lore needs of maintaining the faction wall outweigh the desire for Alliance High Elves by a subset of the playerbase, and that belief has been stated by Blizzard itself twice since BFA was announced. But it has done the anti high elf cause no harm to buttress that wall through our own feedback, letting Blizzard know that we consider Blood Elves to be High Elves, and that High Elves are not only playable but are an important, integral part of the Horde faction.

No race has ever been removed from the table solely because the opposing faction didn't like the race. But that does not apply here and it is disingenuous to suggest that is the nature of the anti High Elf feedback provided...the Horde clearly could not have stopped Dark Iron Dwarves had we hated them and the Alliance players wanted them. The Horde does not 'not like' the High Elves. The High Elves, as the pro High Elf community wants them, are a part of the Horde as we speak. The High Elves are off the table because in a faction based game where each faction is comprised of unique races, the Horde shouldn't be expected to share one of it's core races. Just as the Alliance shouldn't be expected to share any of it's core races. Particularly since the Void Elf compromise, rejecting Alliance High Elves is a principled stand in line with the game as it currently exists.

[Zulkhan]

Do you honestly believe that the whole asking for HE is just for visuals?

Of course visuals are an important thing, but if it weren't for the lore the desire would have died out a long time ago.

Except High Elves have barely any lore. Only Vereesa has a little bit of lore, even though she's the blatantly less relevant sister of the Windrunner trio.

What kept the High Elf desire alive is exposure, not a lore that doesn't exist; the constant reminder that High Elves are a thing. The fans like High Elves for the fantasy they represent and that the fans perceive to be lost in modern WoW (namely your most stereotypical Tolkien elf siding with humans and dwarves) it's merely a projection of that desire over WoW High Elves, which within the lore of WoW have never got any relevance and development, nor they ever showed anything making them look different and unique compared to Blood Elves.

[Aldo Hawk]

Except High Elves have barely any lore. Only Vereesa has a little bit of lore, even though she's the blatantly less relevant sister of the Windrunner trio.

What kept the High Elf desire alive is exposure, not a lore that doesn't exist; the constant reminder that High Elves are a thing. The fans like High Elves for the fantasy they represent and that the fans perceive to be lost in modern WoW (namely your most stereotypical Tolkien elf siding with humans and dwarves) it's merely a projection of that desire over WoW High Elves, which within the lore of WoW have never got any relevance and development, nor they ever showed anything making them look different and unique compared to Blood Elves.

Yes, of course, nonexistant lore.

Keep talking...

[Katchii]

Except High Elves have barely any lore. Only Vereesa has a little bit of lore, even though she's the blatantly less relevant sister of the Windrunner trio.

High Elves have no lore? Could you provide more context? Because just saying High Elves have no lore is just patently wrong.