Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[Varodoc]

In the new character creation interface, there is no longer a distinction between basic, allied or neutral races.
Blizzard also wants players to embody what they want to be by providing more choice in this character creation.

Blizzard now has the choice of adding the High Elves to the alliance, either as a playable race or as customization for VE.

One of the two decisions chosen will satisfy me.

There is a lot of free space in that new character creation screen

[Obelisk Kai]

It'd only be confusing for peoples who stop at the aesthetic of a race, Pennem.

High Elves are NOT in any way, shape or form Blood Elves. Their story has diverged, their themes have diverged, their gfoals have diverged.

Ion telling us to go play Horde to play High Elves shows that he doesn't know hiw own lore and his a condescending jerk to boot.

That's the root of the problem. Ans, frankly, it isn't hard to distinguish Blood Elves and High Elevs. if Blizzard is truly worried about something as trivial as that after Pandarens and Void Elves, just change the skeleton. Change the idle animations, the stance, etc.

High Elves and Blood Elves share a shape and a form, so there is that.

As for 'way' the Blood Elves control the high elf lands of Quel'thalas, they control the high elf capital of Silvermoon, they control the high elf government, they control high elf organisations such as the Magisters and the Farstriders AND they are highly suspicious of and distrustful of Humans, just as good King Anasterian was.

So everything you said there is provably wrong.

Saying their story, theme and goals have diverged implies and equality of different paths, which is not the case. The exiles theme has in fact disintegrated as they assimilate into their host societies. Their story was always as foils to the Blood Elf storyline, used an Alliance counterpart, a role now usurped by the far more appropriate Void Elves.

Ion understands the lore just fine, let me assure you, it is the pro High Elf community that has issues with the lore as is and wishes to retcon or overhaul it to facilitate their goal. After all, for all the gushing and praise Traycor received at the start of this thread with his concept art and attempts to create a unique visual for the High Elves, not one pro High Elfer called him out for the fact that what he was proposing had no basis in lore nor in the known history of the High Elf race. It's implementation in game would have been a colossal rewriting of established lore, yet that implicit issue was never actually engaged with by those who applauded his efforts.

It is hypocritical to suggest the devs don't know the lore when the suggestions supported by the pro High Elf commentators fly completely in the face of established canon and are supported because they are in service of their overall goal. Ion telling you to go Horde was the truth, and the snarkiness of his tone should put paid to this idea that Blizzard won't take a certain course of action (such as blue eyes for Blood Elves) because it offends your sensibilities. If you seek a traditional high elf, that is where you will find one. Just as if I wish to play the closest thing WoW has to a wood elf, I must go Alliance. Faction matters.

Because faction matters, not everyone can be happy as Pennem wisely stated a few weeks ago. Sometimes your ideal race and the faction you prefer don't end up on the same side. Those who seek the duplication of a core race of one faction on the opposite side are fated to be unhappy. And given Void Elves were as close to a Blood Elf as they are whilst still respecting those boundaries, given that the headcanon roleplay Danuser said is perfectly fine would allow you to roleplay a Void Elf who was a former Silver Covenant member, the continuing rejection of Void Elves as the high elves of the Alliance (which is what they are) drains sympathy entirely.

It's really that simple. But it'd require Blizzard caring about the Alliance, instead of catering to the Horde only. I honestly can't wait to see when the AR will have added customization, because I'm pretty sure any demands from the Horde will be met, while none of the Alliance will.

Plenty of the demands for the Alliance will be met. Longer tails on Draenei, multiple ethnicities on Humans, Dwarven tattoos, maybe even Worgen tails. But you are already setting up a betrayal narrative where Blood Elves will get blue eyes (at this point looking to be a done deal considering a tweet Danuser recently liked of someone specifically mentioning how excited they were for blue eyed Blood Elves as part of the customization improvements) and Void Elves don't get the pristine lily white skin tones that will apparently make them acceptable (because it's about the lore, not the aesthetic, right?).

So the Alliance will get plenty of what they in general asked for. They probably won't get what you specifically asked for, but that isn't faction favoritism when what you are asking for is wholly unreasonable.

- - - Updated - - -

Almost 800 pages, just because one or two people don't want countless players to enjoy a fair-skinned elf on the Alliance. This is so sad.

Which is of course the pro High Elf method of dealing with detractors. Portray it as killjoys out to ruin the fun of a small group who just want to play their favourite race on their favourite faction.

At least you acknowledge the demand is for the aesthetic of a fair skinned elf rather than retreating to the fig leaf of 'it's the lore, honest!' which hardly anyone believes of the majority of those seeking high elves.

Faction diversity matters. Faction integrity matters. Faction identity matters. Faction matters. Duplicating a core race of one faction to the other undermines that faction. Especially when said race happens, not coincidentally, to be the most popular race in that faction and the most popular race in the game.

Whilst it is seemingly easier to argue for more options rather than defend abstract concepts such as the importance of factions, the argument must still be made. If you don't like the limitations factions impose upon, argue for the removal of those factions or at least cross faction grouping so you can play a blue eyed Blood Elf with Alliance friends. It's an approach that doesn't single out the Horde's most popular race for cross-faction duplication and allows everyone to play with everyone.

[Luck4]

In the new character creation interface, there is no longer a distinction between basic, allied or neutral races.
Blizzard also wants players to embody what they want to be by providing more choice in this character creation.

Blizzard now has the choice of adding the High Elves to the alliance, either as a playable race or as customization for VE.

One of the two decisions chosen will satisfy me.

While I think High Elves are completely unlikely at this point, I'm still hoping you guys will have your desires of a fair-skinned elf somewhat fulfilled.

Blizzard double standards are clearly shown when you see an elf with purple skin in both factions and meanwhile when peoples ask for a fair-skinned Alliance counterpart they act like its something game-breaking.

It literally makes no sense at all.

[Frenchvince]

There is a lot of free space in that new character creation screen

Yes that's it, now there will be no limit.

[Aeula]

I hope the character creation screen is updated with the new customisation soon. Once the blue eyes for Blood Elves are confirmed to be playable I hope it'll help put much of this long-winded conversation to rest and we can all move on.

[Manariel]

@Obelisk Kai

Whatever.

If you're happy to display such ignorance in such lenghty posts, more power to you, I guess.

I won't bother responding to you anymore. You and the whole damn anti-helfers crew are the most toxic persons I ever had the displeasure to met on a forum anyway, so you won't be missed much.

I hope the character creation screen is updated with the new customisation soon. Once the blue eyes for Blood Elves are confirmed to be playable I hope it'll help put much of this long-winded conversation to rest and we can all move on.

I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed if you truly believe that it will amount to anything. blue eyes on Blood Elves just make them a mockery of the High Elves requested by Alliance players.

[Frenchvince]

I have the impression that there are more and more detractors or parrots here since the revelation of the personalization of the blood elves, it remains in the theme Sin'Dorei, it is perhaps that which makes them embittered.

[Uthan]

I hope the character creation screen is updated with the new customisation soon. Once the blue eyes for Blood Elves are confirmed to be playable I hope it'll help put much of this long-winded conversation to rest and we can all move on.

Would be kinda sad to move on from the game after having played for years of playtime even, but yeah, hopefully it comes up soon so one can know whether to buy Shadowlands or not. Sure hope it's just silly datamining confusion as usual and they don't give it to blood elves, cause Shadowlands is looking pretty good so far.

[Obelisk Kai]

@Obelisk Kai

Whatever.

If you're happy to display such ignorance in such lenghty posts, more power to you, I guess.

I won't bother responding to you anymore. You and the whole damn anti-helfers crew are the most toxic persons I ever had the displeasure to met on a forum anyway, so you won't be missed much.

Considering each post you make is best described as a hate filled screed at how awful the Blood Elves are when compared to the paragons of purity that are the exiles, I would question your definition of toxicity. It appears to be best described as 'those who don't agree with my personal headcanon'.

Like it or not, your interpretation of the lore is not a subjective take, it is actually flat out wrong and it is easy to demonstrate as such.

I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed if you truly believe that it will amount to anything. blue eyes on Blood Elves just make them a mockery of the High Elves requested by Alliance players.

I hope the people asking for Void Elves to have high elf like skins are paying attention, as that actually is a mockery of a result should it come to pass.

Blood Elves getting blue eyes however is not a mockery, given there is no difference between Blood Elves and the exiles on any level beyond political opinion.

- - - Updated - - -

I hope the character creation screen is updated with the new customisation soon. Once the blue eyes for Blood Elves are confirmed to be playable I hope it'll help put much of this long-winded conversation to rest and we can all move on.

To be fair if any addition to the game was going to do that it was going to be the Void Elves, the blatantly obvious compromise. As it hasn't happened I expect that if blue eyes are confirmed for Blood Elves as looks increasingly likely it will just trigger another forum spasm before it is decided true high elves don't have blue eyes, they have normal eyes with visible white sclera.

After that this discussion will flare up around potential void elf customisation and then there will be another spasm over what customisations Void Elves get in their pass and whether or not they meet the acceptable criteria for the pro high elf community. If they don't, then the debate will rumble on but will be utterly irrelevant as Blizzard will have looked at Void Elves and decided not to meet the pro High Elfers goals.
If they do meet their requirements the debate ends for the most part with the pro high elfers getting something but which proves those of us who have argued this has been about the aesthetic rather than the lore correct.

[Alanar]

@Obelisk Kai

Whatever.

If you're happy to display such ignorance in such lenghty posts, more power to you, I guess.

I won't bother responding to you anymore. You and the whole damn anti-helfers crew are the most toxic persons I ever had the displeasure to met on a forum anyway, so you won't be missed much.



I'm afraid you'll be sorely disappointed if you truly believe that it will amount to anything. blue eyes on Blood Elves just make them a mockery of the High Elves requested by Alliance players.

It will set things right imo. Sure call it mockery, but this should not come as a huge suprise realy. It should have been done at the end of bc realy, blizz had all these high elf fans drag along all these years is a little harsh.

But the fanatic ways of this thread makes it all good it will end soon hopefully. Most people see the high elf thread as wows toxic community at its best..

I also hope it happens, letting this whole tryhard topic to rest.

[delus]

There is a lot of free space in that new character creation screen

Considering that the allied race screen got removed, I wonder.

- - - Updated - - -

Almost 800 pages, just because one or two people don't want countless players to enjoy a fair-skinned elf on the Alliance. This is so sad.

That pretty much sums it up.

[LilSaihah]

Oh cool I can play a high elf now. And by now I mean in Shadowlands.

[Gentlepenguin]

Damn, this thing has nearly reached 800 pages. So what is the latest batch of madness in this thread? Besides personal attacks, how do people feel about the new customizations and all that is coming with Shadowlands?

Feel pretty great, all my Horde high elves are going to have blue eyes. It's just the best. I'm glad Ion is putting the nail in the high elf coffin and acknowledging they're playable for Horde only.

[Frenchvince]

We are invaded by embittered parrots lol

[Narwhalosh Whalescream]

It'll never happen anyways, void elves were a big fuck you from blizzard.

[Gentlepenguin]

We are invaded by embittered parrots lol

We can't all be excited someone found a Silver Covenant High Elf pube in the Shadowlands, and a hint of Vereesa's fart.

[conceptKitty]

I hope the character creation screen is updated with the new customisation soon. Once the blue eyes for Blood Elves are confirmed to be playable I hope it'll help put much of this long-winded conversation to rest and we can all move on.

Their entire eyes are blue, not that different from void Elves, so I doubt it.

[LilSaihah]

Their entire eyes are blue, not that different from void Elves, so I doubt it.

Looked like it was just their irises to me?

[Frenchvince]

We can't all be excited someone found a Silver Covenant High Elf pube in the Shadowlands, and a hint of Vereesa's fart.

It's a high-elf Pro thread here, are you aware?

The bitter parrots repeat the same thing all the time without having confirmation of anything concerning blue eyes for the blood elves, while everyone does not care.


And if not, yes, I'm very happy that there will still be high elf NPCs in shadowlands.

[Obelisk Kai]

Their entire eyes are blue, not that different from void Elves, so I doubt it.

Eye colour only really matters for Blood Elves and High Elves as lore has established their eyes respond to the dominant magic they are exposed to. Other races have different explanations for their eye colours which are unrelated to this situation.

Void Elves, while a different flavour of high elf, have taken the void into their very being and so their eye colours won't be able to vary to the same degree and will likely remain within a range that echoes their void theme. As their skin tones probably will.