Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[Ardenaso]

Still not getting it, is it about the skin colour? You talking about skin colour right? Or is it the blue eyes?

If skin colour. Personally I think that's fine... its fantasy after all. And there was a dark skinned elf in lore, so this just makes it more official. I do think it can also be an attempt as inclusivity, but its done in a way that makes sense. Blood Elves, most notably the Sin'Dori have been seen to have darker skin tones.

On a side note I doubt people are going to be having an open minded discussion about this... :P

Hmm... maybe the dark skinned elves could be redeemed Fel Elves. As long as it's not purple or blue skin I'm fine now

[Orby]

Hmm... maybe the dark skinned elves could be redeemed Fel Elves. As long as it's not purple or blue skin I'm fine now

Yup, which is why I am okay with this. I have seen some angry comments and those people gotta step back and think for a bit, I don;t think people are seeing this with an open mind.

[420 NoScope]

Still not getting it, is it about the skin colour? You talking about skin colour right? Or is it the blue eyes?

If skin colour. Personally I think that's fine... its fantasy after all. And there was a dark skinned elf in lore, so this just makes it more official. I do think it can also be an attempt as inclusivity, but its done in a way that makes sense. Blood Elves, most notably the Sin'Dori have been seen to have darker skin tones.

On a side note I doubt people are going to be having an open minded discussion about this... :P

My only complaint about this is with the humans getting proper facial representation regarding diversity, they have now moved their blackface black on white bodies tone to the blood elves. make real Asian elves make real black elves, don;t give us black on white bodies like the classic black humans were. I love what they have done with representation with the humans but I want to see the same done with the elves. :P

I'll have an open minded discussion.

The high elves are a fictional race that already have lore behind them, and how their eyes work. They have often been described as fair skinned, which tends to be quite pale, so what can change the colour of their skin is something new, or something that needs to be retconned. We have seen that skin can change because of being exposed to the void, and we have seen that exposure to fel can cause the skin to darken, this is seen with Demon Hunters.

So are the darker colours from heavy exposure to fel? Perhaps they are part human, which resulted in genetic changes?

As for your complaint, you can't have Asian elves, or other forms, because that's comparing a race that isn't real, to human standards. The elves don't develop the same way humans do. That said, you don't even have Asia in the WoW world, so having Asian humans doesn't make much sense either, humans come from the titans, but we can relate more to humans because we are human.

[DeicideUH]

wowhead have posted in a hurry, they're not sure it's all blood elf eyes options for gamers.

I don't think Blizzard wants them to get the Void Elf Eye option.




We must wait for the update of the character creation in the alpha.

I've noticed that as well. The supposed new bluish eyes for blood elves look like void elf options, with white irises and darker schlera. On the WoWhead preview, you can clearly compare with the blood elf green, gold and grey eyes and notice that those are the opposite: brighter collorful irises and light-colored schlera. Also, the iris' texture is more defined in blood elf green, gold and grey eyes, while the bluish colors are like void elf eyes, with less clearly defined irises.

I also think the blood elf eyes should have options for purple and red tones. It will be a huge missed opportunity if such colors aren't added.

As for playable high elves, even if these blue eyes are indeed intended for playable blood elves, this changes nothing. High elves have more human-like eyes. Also, there's still no sign of tatoos like the ones we associate with high elves.

[elbleuet]

Indeed blue eyes look like Alleria's eyes.


We can still have hope my friends !

[Orby]

I'll have an open minded discussion.

The high elves are a fictional race that already have lore behind them, and how their eyes work. They have often been described as fair skinned, which tends to be quite pale, so what can change the colour of their skin is something new, or something that needs to be retconned. We have seen that skin can change because of being exposed to the void, and we have seen that exposure to fel can cause the skin to darken, this is seen with Demon Hunters.

So are the darker colours from heavy exposure to fel? Perhaps they are part human, which resulted in genetic changes?

As for your complaint, you can't have Asian elves, or other forms, because that's comparing a race that isn't real, to human standards. The elves don't develop the same way humans do. That said, you don't even have Asia in the WoW world, so having Asian humans doesn't make much sense either, humans come from the titans, but we can relate more to humans because we are human.

I can only assume that being Asian or being black in Azeroth is no different than being born with blonde, black, brown or ginger hair. Reality on Azeroth works a lot differently than our world because well, it's fantasy, and it can. :P

[Ardenaso]

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unrelated: why are you only 7 year member when you joined in 2010

[Orby]

unrelated: why are you only 7 year member when you joined in 2010

I have no idea lol. we'll see what happens when July comes around maybe it'll update :P

[FlubberPuddy]

From the recent interview with Taliesin&Evital, Steve Danuser's answer about looking like a Wildhammer but explicitly starting Bronzebeard:

Question by Taliesin: In the Dwarf starting area, you are very much a Bronzebeard dwarf. That's quite explicit in the story that's being told when you start a dwarf character. With the introduction of something like the Wildhammer tattoos, which obviously make you look like a Wildhammer, are you a Wildhammer if you use those tattoos?

"It's a little complex because we asked ourselves the questions, 'Ok, we have these really cool ideas for customizations like Wildhammer tattoos. Does that mean we need to make a Wildhammer starting experience? If we give trolls different skin options that look like other troll tribes besides Darkspear, does that mean we have to make new starting experiences for them as well?'

And the onus of that would've meant that we couldn't do these things because that would be so much time. It would consume so many resources to be able to do that, that it just wouldn't have been practical for us to do. So then the question is, 'Do we limit the options that we give players, because they're really cool things, because of some storyline concerns or resource concerns or anything like that?' and we said 'No, we're not going to do that.'

So while we're not going to give you a dedicated Wildhammer starting experience, if you pick those tattoos and things, the freedom should be there in your mind to roleplay your character how you want to roleplay them, whatever tattoos whatever customizations whatever skin color options you pick. Come up with a story that fits your character and that's your place in the world.

Regardless of what quest text is or how it refers to your character or whatever, remember that it is your choice and your character and you get to express yourself that way. That's at the bottom line of what we want Azeroth to be. We want it to be this welcoming place that lets all those options be out there, let people experience them, and again, choose the path your character wants to be. And don't let anyone else tell you what your character can or can't be. You decide that."

- - - Updated - - -

So exactly as I've been saying. They're more focused on giving players options in order to have those experiences with their characters and they're not concerned about 'lore' stuff because these options are meant to give players more ways to express themselves and their character how they want to.

Choosing the path for their characters, regardless of what quest text says, or regardless of what others say.

Imo, this opens it up even more to High Elves being added down the line as customization opens for Void Elves. As Danuser is pointing out creating a new starting experience isn't a requirement for someone to feel like they're a Wildhammer Dwarf or Sand Troll/Non-Darkspear.

The player uses those options to create that story of their character's path themselves. Regardless of how the game or others view them.

Also note he says they "want Azeroth to be this welcoming place that let's all those options be out there". So there's eventual hope High Elves become playable on Alliance down the road.

[Sett]

The update of the high-elf female NPC model is underway in the alpha.

https://twitter.com/TheRedShirtGuy/s...93956238323719

As I figured. I expect a lot more wonky character stuff to happen to all races from this customization update.

[Varodoc]

I haven't read the last few pages so I dont know if this has been posted already, but here is an intersting bit from Danuser interview:

Adding customization options like Wildhammer tattoos is there to be able to differentiate your character’s place in the world. You don’t necessarily need to have a unique starting zone for each different clan, and no matter what the quest text says, if you want to roleplay your character as a specific subrace, then that’s what it is!

Alleria skin tone for void elves seems more and more likely. Blizzard wants the player to roleplay however they want, so even if the world around you will still treat you as a void elf, you are freely entitled to RP as a high elf and pick a pink skin tone for void elves.

[matrix123mko]

You anti-Helf really are dense, it's impressive.

OF COUSE IT'S ALL POLITICAL !

Is it clear enough here ?

Yes, the blood elves are physiologically the same, but they are disgusting, pathetic, little pieces of shit ! My single best time in WoW is the Purge of Dalaran, were I could slaughter them again and again in the streets, because those damn rats have joined with the Horde and proved that they have an utter lack of moral and values.

I want to play the High Elves. Those who said "Fuck you" to their Kingdom when they finally realized how corrupt it was; those who were exiled because hey refused to survive at the cost of their morality. I want the High Elves. Those of the Lodges, Stormwind and the Silver Covenant. I hate the Blood Elven zone. I hate interacting with Blood Elves NPCs, who are all either corrupt or hypocritical.

But I love being around HE NPCs because of their moral compass, their values, their determination to endure, no matter what, by staying true to themselves and the morals their profess.

That's why Blood Elves aren't High Elves. Not anymore. The former are despicable when the latter are admirable.

That's really as simple as that.

I would say the opposite. Blood elves are superior as they are rational and pragmatic. They put survival over false morals that look absolute only when you don't think about them. High elves are primitives blinded by ideals of human culture, pathetic dogs that would slaughter their kind just to see appreciation of their masters.

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As I figured. I expect a lot more wonky character stuff to happen to all races from this customization update.

San'layn gone Alliance?

- - - Updated - - -

I haven't read the last few pages so I dont know if this has been posted already, but here is an intersting bit from Danuser interview:



Alleria skin tone for void elves seems more and more likely. Blizzard wants the player to roleplay however they want, so even if the world around you will still treat you as a void elf, you are freely entitled to RP as a high elf and pick a pink skin tone for void elves.

Not yet. They said they want to ignore allied races in Shadowlands. They will add that in next expansion.

[FlubberPuddy]

I haven't read the last few pages so I dont know if this has been posted already, but here is an intersting bit from Danuser interview:

Just posted about it on the last page but it's last post before new page lol

[Ardenaso]

I haven't read the last few pages so I dont know if this has been posted already, but here is an intersting bit from Danuser interview:



Alleria skin tone for void elves seems more and more likely. Blizzard wants the player to roleplay however they want, so even if the world around you will still treat you as a void elf, you are freely entitled to RP as a high elf and pick a pink skin tone for void elves.

that's cool. hope they add Void Elf Paladins and Druids on top of that

[Koryn123]

There was no way for WoW humans' races to develop the way ours did in real life, so the way I rationalize different real-world races among humans in WoW is going the Mogu route and saying that when the Curse of Flesh happened and changed the iron Vrykul into normal fleshy Vrykul, the outward appearance must have just been randomized to different real-world races, the same way there are blue, green, red, and other colored Mogu when they were changed from stone things to flesh things.

I don't use the dwarves as an example because the Dark Irons could be due to generations of them living in volcanic regions, or perhaps it was done to them when Thaurissan's ancestor summoned Ragnaros.

Then those randomized-race Vrykul had their weak human kids and sent them away, and that's where you got humans of many different races.

A way to rationalize dark/olive-skinned blood elves when previously they've been described as a race to have been fair-skinned is to say it's not their natural color, but perhaps an aftereffect of varying degrees of fel exposure the way Demon Hunters and Felblood elves' skin darkens in some cases.

[Manariel]

that's cool. hope they add Void Elf Paladins and Druids on top of that

I think a discussion about something like that would be better suited there : https://www.mmo-champion.com/threads...cussion-thread

[Varodoc]

We should close this thread and move everyone to the Void Elf megathread once void elf get pink skin tones.

[Manariel]

We should close this thread and move everyone to the Void Elf megathread once void elf get pink skin tones.

Not necessarily. Even then, I'd still hope for Quel'dorei to become playables, alongside ren'dorei for the Alliance and against the sin'dorei of the Horde.

[Mardux]

You are trolling, right ?

I hate Blood Elves and love High Elves, because the two aren't the same at all politically, morally and in terms of values. I'll never manage to pusha Blood Elf toon beyond level 15. I know because I tried more than half a dozen of times. But I hate the question of their starting zones, or any other zones where the Blood Elves are present on the Horde.

I only like Trolls (Darkspears and Zandalari) Horde side. And that's it.

Out of curiosity, how did you gain the ability to decide facts about lore based solely on your likes and dislikes?

[Manariel]

Out of curiosity, how did you gain the ability to decide facts about lore based solely on your likes and dislikes?

Out of curiosity, have you ever played Vanilla, WotLK, Cata and MOP Alliance content ?

Because if you had, you'd know that High Elves are pretty adamant that they aren't Blood Elves and had distinct zones, questings and vibes than their Blood Elven cousins. And my liking and disliking things has nothing to do with it.

That the last elves to call themselves High Elves are part of the Alliance is a fact.
That they despise and even loath the Blood Elves is a fact.
That such hatred stems from a political and ideological divide is also a fact.