Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[Obelisk Kai]

It was only "invested" because a lot agitators kept saying "how are they different looks wise" as a counter.

As I've stated before, and Taliesin&Evitel, and Red Shirt Guy, Aucald, and the overall community that understands and are not trying to simply troll/antagonize: People want High Elves playable to experience the story of a specific group of elves on Alliance from a player character perspective.

This is why High Elves will still be asked for. Now that the 'looks argument' can drop, I want to see what people would be against Alliance players making an Alliance group into a playable experience.

Yes, they 'understand' it can be boiled down to politics, the sole differentiating factor which persists, allegiance to the Alliance. Which, as has been said for way too long, isn't enough. Their supposedly unique story isn't enough. You need something more and the exiles can never and will never have it.

Which is why this debate is moving past the possibility of a distinct allied race to the whole void elf skin angle.

[FlubberPuddy]

Yes, they 'understand' it can be boiled down to politics, the sole differentiating factor which persists, allegiance to the Alliance. Which, as has been said for way too long, isn't enough.

But I thought "faction pride is important!!!!" ?

[Obelisk Kai]

Which is your opinion.

Blood Elves are getting the Lor'themar scar eye option to emulate their leader.

This is the same I've seen VE fans asking for about Alleria. "I want to look like Alleria" is a resounding commonality from those players.

False eqivalence. A scar is a scar. Looking like the race they were deliberately differentiated from is another. And scars are probably going to be common to most if not all races. Most races also have hair.

[FlubberPuddy]

False eqivalence. A scar is a scar. Looking like the race they were deliberately differentiated from is another. And scars are probably going to be common to most if not all races. Most races also have hair.

The previous arguments "you cannot look like your faction leader" are dead with that scar option. We'll see when Void Elves get their customization updates few years from now.

[Obelisk Kai]

But I thought "faction pride is important!!!!" ?

Indeed, and ensuring that those who wish to play a traditional high elf have to come to the Horde for that fantasy is what protecting the faction barrier is all about.

[FlubberPuddy]

Indeed, and ensuring that those who wish to play a traditional high elf have to come to the Horde for that fantasy is what protecting the faction barrier is all about.

Blood Elves are not Alliance High Elf fantasy and BE never will be Alliance's faction fantasy. Unsure how much clearer one can be here.

[Obelisk Kai]

We'll see when Void Elves get their customization updates few years from now.

Maybe, but that's void elf customisation. And a Void Elf with high elf skin tones is still a Void Elf.

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Blood Elves are not Alliance High Elf fantasy and BE never will be Alliance's faction fantasy. Unsure how much clearer one can be here.

Given the Alliance high elf fantasy is the Blood Elf fantasy, except on the Alliance side, you keep missing the flaw in your statement. Everyone knows the distinction between the two groups.

The problem is that it's an insignificant distinction.

[FlubberPuddy]

Maybe, but that's void elf customisation. And a Void Elf with high elf skin tones is still a Void Elf.

Just like Wildhammers and Dark Trolls are here, don't believe people will care. Someone coming up to them to say "but you're still a mountain dwarf!/you're still darkspear!" won't matter.

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Everyone knows the distinction between the two groups.

Not sure why you keep strawmanning then. Glad to see I don't need to repeat myself.

[Kyphael]

Maybe, but that's void elf customisation. And a Void Elf with high elf skin tones is still a Void Elf.

I wouldn't care. I'd visually be able to play a High Elf, I don't care if it's called a Rainbow Elf. If the shoe fits. Only the most unreasonable High Elf fan would at this point harp on the title as well.

[FlubberPuddy]

Well, there we go. @Obelisk Kai I know you want this thread to get to 999 pages, but Shadowlands Alpha is appearing like even Blizzard is tired of this trite old argument, and no longer care about your precious faction-distinct restrictions. I'm not here to argue semantics, just point out the obvious new direction. I told you some time ago I'd be here when you finally were made to eat crow, and I'm giving ample warning time that's coming, and the verbal rubbing of nose into the piss puddle will be aplenty and shameless! >:O)

Main thing I wanted to point out with that is that "Blood Elves getting blue eyes cuz they're high elves" (as some will say) isn't why they're getting it.

They're just getting it because Blizzard's intended goal is to increase customization options.

Just like Night Elves getting orange, green, blue etc eyes. NE aren't getting them "because of lore reasons", they just are because increased customizations are all about providing lots more options.

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I wouldn't care. I'd visually be able to play a High Elf, I don't care if it's called a Rainbow Elf. If the shoe fits. Only the most unreasonable High Elf fan would at this point harp on the title as well.

Yup exactly.

[Obelisk Kai]

Just like Wildhammers and Dark Trolls are here, don't believe people will care. Someone coming up to them to say "but you're still a mountain dwarf!/you're still darkspear!" won't matter.

Wildhammer Dwarves aren't playable, Dark Trolls aren't playable etc. None of these options infringe on a playable races. You know what hasn't been datamined?

Zandalari skins. Dark Iron Dwarf skins. And why? Because they already exist as playable options and giving those skins to their parent races undermines the point of them.

This high elf like skintone on Void Elves request fails on the same principle. The fact that the Blood Elves who possess that aesthetic are on the other faction is actually an extra impediment, not an aid, in the consideration of that request.

JNot sure why you keep strawmanning then. Glad to see I don't need to repeat myself.

Not a strawman at all. You just keep arguing as if that distinction actually means something. So some high elves are Alliance. 'So what?' is the sentiment I am trying to convey.

[Pheraz]

Eye colour has no meaning for any other race other than thalassian elves and that is solely because some have attempted to equate eye colour with being a different race.

Night Elves getting a range of extra eye colour options is good for them, same as it is for Humans and every other race getting eye colours. But that's what I am saying.

Eye colours are just eye colours. The emotional investment by many in the pro high elf community into the blue eye colour as a major distinguishing factor was never going to stand up as a real difference.

They are also getting blonde hair. Sooooooo highborne nightelves. Anyways better than high elves

[FlubberPuddy]

'So what?' is the sentiment I am trying to convey.

And what I'm conveying is the greater community doesn't need to care what your personal sentiment is. As in the greater community there is an understanding of what's being asked.

[Obelisk Kai]

Main thing I wanted to point out with that is that "Blood Elves getting blue eyes cuz they're high elves" (as some will say) isn't why they're getting it.

They're just getting it because Blizzard's intended goal is to increase customization options.

Just like Night Elves getting orange, green, blue etc eyes. NE aren't getting them "because of lore reasons", they just are because increased customizations are all about providing lots more options..

Of course that is why they would be getting blue eyes, simply to expand customisation options. The sole physical differentiation cited by pro High Elfers for years will be demonstrated to have been an irrelevance. I don't believe there is any further consideration necessary for blue eyes beyond that.

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And what I'm conveying is the greater community doesn't need to care what your personal sentiment is. As in the greater community there is an understanding of what's being asked.

Not my sentiment at all, just one I share in. Their Alliance identity was cited by Ion during the 2018 rejection as being part of what isn't enough to justify them as an allied race of their own. That you keep arguing it is important despite it being cited as not enough is the problem.

[Kyphael]

Main thing I wanted to point out with that is that "Blood Elves getting blue eyes cuz they're high elves" (as some will say) isn't why they're getting it.

They're just getting it because Blizzard's intended goal is to increase customization options.

Just like Night Elves getting orange, green, blue etc eyes. NE aren't getting them "because of lore reasons", they just are because increased customizations are all about providing lots more options.

Yep, for all races, and eventually, undoubtedly allied races who are sorely lacking (looking at you Nightborne with THREE options for hairstyles) and will definitely not be excluded over Shadowlands' life cycle when subsequent patches will need new features to keep players interested.

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Not my sentiment at all, just one I share in. Their Alliance identity was cited by Ion during the 2018 rejection as being part of what isn't enough to justify them as an allied race of their own. That you keep arguing it is important despite it being cited as not enough is the problem.

That quote is two years old. Let it go, things are obviously changing and Shadowlands is indicative of new creative directions. If you want to keep spewing the same nonsense even as every new bit and detail of information from Alpha is released, that's your prerogative but it's becoming an exercise in obsession and futility. You're starting to fight the waves here and when Allied Race get their turn at customize options, you'll be drowning in Ion's words from 2018.

[Obelisk Kai]

That quote is two years old. Let it go, things are obviously changing and Shadowlands is indicative of new creative directions. If you want to keep spewing the same nonsense even as every new bit and detail of information from Alpha is released, that's your prerogative but it's becoming an exercise in obsession and futility. You're starting to fight the waves here and when Allied Race get their turn at customize options, you'll be drowning in Ion's words from 2018.

Given not two hours ago you were heralding purple skinned blood elves as the harbingers of the homogenization of all elves, I question your ability to divine developer intent from the few scraps of information we have. Until such time as they repudiate what they said on Blood Elves being high elves, the fact that comment is two years old is irrelevant. It counts. As does every comment on this topic for the past decade and a half.

[Rhlor]

blonde night elves are a good think

[Kyphael]

Given not two hours ago you were heralding purple skinned blood elves as the harbingers of the homogenization of all elves, I question your ability to divine developer intent from the few scraps of information we have. Until such time as they repudiate what they said on Blood Elves being high elves, the fact that comment is two years old is irrelevant. It counts. As does every comment on this topic for the past decade and a half.

I'll take blonde, blue eyed night elves and brown skinned, and black haired blood elves as a clear indication of homogenization of elf kind, and shift in creative direction from previous restrictive decisions, but I have no problem waiting and seeing.

[Thalassian Bob]

I think it should be assumed the eye colours on that specific model are probably a unique consequence of that character's current status, rather than confirmation that eye colour is coming to Blood Elves. We could get them, but we might not.

Yeah, you might be right in it being unique to Kael, but it looks like that same person who found the skin textures has also dug up blue eyes (as well as other cool colours like purple and red) that are likely going to be for the blood elves (The one gold and grey one looks cool! Might be for Lor'themar-esque face scars!).


I'm really hoping we see some striking prime colour Farstrider-style tattoos as well! Something I've wanted for ages (along with Wildhammer ink!)! Combine the tattoos and blue eyes and I might retroactively start thinking of my hunter as one of the Allerian expeditions elves who decided to join the blood elven fold as opposed to maintaining ties with the Alliance back on Azeroth.

The larger skin tone spectrum is not something I for one am particularly supportive of. I'm all for a realistic range of Azerothian human skin tones because, like in our world, humans in Azeroth live in a wide variety of climates, but the high elves have lived in a single contained northerly kingdom for millennia - likely with very few generations between Dath'remar and contemporary Quel'Thalas. I suppose you could explain it as different shades of Kaldorei Highborne families developing differently once the Quel'dorei phenotype was properly established though.

It doesn't bother me enough to complain about it much either. Especially if it's going to make people happy.

[Starla]

Wow, giving blue eyes to belves is really a slap in the face from Blizzard. And I don't even care about helves.

How would it be a 'slap in the face'?