Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[FlubberPuddy]

What are the facts though:
- Horde got an AR of the Alliance elf race while Alliance got an AR of the Horde elf race = equivalent trade
- Both elf ARs were changed slightly aesthetically from their parent race = equivalent trade
- Both elf ARs were made playable at the same time = equivalent trade
- One AR undergoing a physical transformation in a short period of time to offer thematic distinction to their parent AR, and the other undergoing a long term physical transformation (over 10000 years) to offer a thematic distinction to their parent AR. Both transformed/evolved from their parent race = equivalent trade

The facts show us it was an equal trade. An elf for an elf, both of which received aesthetical changes to offer some level of differentiation from their parent race and both being "transformed" from their parent race with differing thematics to their parent race. Alliance aligned high elf exiles do not offer aesthetical or thematical distinctions from blood elves.

Facts you like to ignore though:
- void elves have more customization options than nightborne
- void elves are more popular than nightborne
- void elf racials are objectively better than nightborne racials

Hey dude I got some words for you.

That's your opinion.

Oh wait, looks like you already said them yourself ^ .

Have you got an official quote from a WoW dev stating this?

Afrasiabi from his Lost Codex interview when asked about High Elf customization coming to Void Elf. Note Afrasiabi doesn't regurgitate "if you want to play a High Elf go roll a Blood Elf" nor any semblance of Ion's Q&A statement. He doesn't even mention Blood Elves at all regarding High Elf fantasy.

And if it was a statement they were meant to regurgitate it would've been like at the Blizzcon 2019 where when multiple different WoW devs were asked about cross-faction they all stated almost word for word the exact same statements on that not happening.

No point to speaking on these points anymore as you're just continually looking for circular discussion and again dodging my questions. No reason to engage with someone who's not looking to engage properly with yourself.

[Strippling]

Hey dude I got some words for you.


Oh wait, looks like you already said them yourself ^ .

I shared facts. Unless you can somehow explain to me how the facts I shared above are actually just opinions? Or you can resort to your snide replies. Either engage in civil debate or resort to petty attacks, though if you continue with the petty attacks I'll just assume you have nothing valid to input into the discussion at hand.

Afrasiabi from his Lost Codex interview when asked about High Elf customization coming to Void Elf. Note Afrasiabi doesn't regurgitate "if you want to play a High Elf go roll a Blood Elf" nor any semblance of Ion's Q&A statement. He doesn't even mention Blood Elves at all regarding High Elf fantasy.

Where does Alex say that Ion's comment was shoddy? You were claiming that the other WoW devs thought Ion's comment was shoddy, so please provide sources of said claim? All Alex said was anything is possible (which it is), but he spent more time and emphasis telling people to be respectful in their posts (something you seem to be lacking).

No point to speaking on these points anymore as you're just continually looking for circular discussion and again dodging my questions. No reason to engage with someone who's not looking to engage properly with yourself.

I offered two options I'd be ok with, a half-elf AR or SC joining the void elves but retaining the void elf aesthetic (no high elf customizations). You talk about circular discussion yet you ignore "anti" attempts at trying to find middle ground. What are your thoughts on half-elves or the SC joining the void elves but retaining the void elf aesthetic?

[Varodoc]

In other words, make the void elf no longer a void elf.

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I can. It's ugly. Lol.

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Your rude tone is noted.

Back to the debate though, he notes that Alliance have requested it but he doesn't defend their request. Just because its been requested does not make the request reasonable. It never was and still isn't a reasonable request in my opinion, and clearly in the opinion of the WoW devs.

Implying Alleria isn't a void elf.

[Sharby]

At this point idk how anyone can still be an Anti-Helf poster like what is the point? What is the end-game?



Velves don't get High Elf shit -> Helfers still push for it without giving up because they believe the race is unique enough to warrant an allied race or more. Nothing changes.


Velves do get High Elf shit -> Every anti looks like the biggest fool and the amount of schadenfreude would be astronomical.

Someone make it make sense to me.



Also FYI, toys that change your race now also change your species name within hover profiles. Saw someone titled a Fel Orc Paladin earlier today. Wouldn't be a stretch to swap out velf and helf if it was a setting like black-eyed nelves.

[Obelisk Kai]

If it's as comparable how come Bellular didn't even mention it? Instead he acknowledges what the Alliance players have been asking for.

Because Bellular, comparatively, doesn't care as much. He notes the controversy, but seems to want to avoid getting entangled within it (wisely). His only contribution on this topic I can recall this was in the immediate aftermath of the April 26th 2018 (now two years ago!) Q and A from Ion Hazzikostas where he discussed the answer and then flashed up on a screen a blink and you'll miss it title card saying 'I agree'.

If they were an equal exchange you'd have all the HE antagonists not be here, and you've had all the HE agitating why are Nightborne there on Horde. That Nightborne are 'destroying faction identity, a pillar of the game.'

But they're not. And Blizzard even said both the Horde and the Alliance wanted to get Nightborne as a playable race. Re-read that. The Horde wanted Nightborne. Looks like Horde doesn't care about a 'pillar of the game' when it benefits them.

Void Elves and Nightborne ARE an equal exchange and it is curious for people to argue they aren't. Just as Void Elves were changed to a sufficient degree not to undermine the faction identity of the Horde, so Nightborne were changed not to undermine the faction identity of the Alliance. As Strippling illustrates, Nightborne are changed to same degree from Night Elves as Void Elves were from Blood Elves. It is an equivalent exchange.

And it's incorrect that Blizzard said both Horde and Alliance wanted Nightborne, that implies total agreement. Instead there were sectors, rather than totalities, of both factions who were arguing for their addition. Before we knew of the subrace system, it was something we had seen before with Arrakoa, Sabreon, Hozen and Jinyu, just the lates in the long line of expansion races people took a fancy too and decided to ask to be made playable.
In hindsight they were always fated to go Horde as part of a quid pro quo wherein the Alliance got access to a thalassian elf variant. The difference being, the Horde 'ask' was seemingly a passing fancy whereas the Alliance 'ask' for a thalassian elf variant had been going on for considerably longer...the Alliance didn't get Nightborne because the Alliance was getting Void Elves.

And Blizzard doesn't seem to care either when it goes directly against what they were trying to tout as 'a pillar of the game.' Which is why that statement by Ion has never been regurgitated by any Blizzard employee since that April Q&A. They knew how shoddy it was. Instead we have Afrasiabi going 'yeah it's possible high elf fantasy comes through Void Elf customization'.

This statement is nonsensical. Ion's April 2018 comments were themselves a regurgitation of his comments at Blizzcon 2017. If repetition is the criteria for how much Blizzard believes in something, this has already been repeated once. After six and a half months of thinking about it. With considerably added snark. Saying the statement is 'shoddy' only reveals your own personal prejudices regarding the unimportance of the pillar of the game that is the diversity of the factions.

Here's the thing. It IS a pillar of the game. But with Void Elves, for the sake of those Alliance players who complained and complained and complained and complained about this, they stretched themselves to the maximum in trying to accommodate the desire for a thalassian elf. They went right up to the limits of their red lines, uncomfortably close some argue, but they gave you something extraordinarily close to breaching that red line. But extraordinarily close is not the same actually doing it. Yet despite these efforts it isn't recognised how far they stretched to meet the demand, but that they didn't 'compromise' or 'be fair' by giving you 100% of what you wanted.

Instead we have Afrasiabi going 'yeah it's possible high elf fantasy comes through Void Elf customization'.

Also, Afrasiabi's comments are about Void Elf customisations. A void elf will never be a high elf, as some other pros pointed out in their recent responses. What will satisfy you personally will not satisfy them.

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Whatever the director said or didn't say is irrelevant to the discussion on this thread. The game makes a clear distinction between "high elves" and "blood elves" in the form of separate groups in separate factions with separate names. The lore also already has a name that encompasses both high elves and blood elves: "thalassian elves".

When we say "high elves" in this thread, we are talking about the group of thalassian elven exiles from Silvermoon, aligned with the Alliance, and not the thalassian elves currently aligned with the Horde.

When we say "high elves" in this thread, we are talking about the group of thalassian elves that the game and lore themselves make a clear distinction from their Horde cousins.

When we say "high elves" in this thread, we are talking about the group of thalassian elves currently aligned with the Alliance who are not currently playable.

The context of such is beyond clear to everyone who lays eyes on this thread, because I honestly doubt anyone here lacks the intellectual capacity to understand that. Which is why I am accusing you of being dishonest and trying to "muddle the conversation" with word-play. Because I know you're smart enough to understand the context, and yet you willingly continue to engage in the word-play game to derail the conversation away from whatever new information was brought up.

No, this isn't true. Attempting to discount the clarifications provided by the developers and creators of the game simply because they render your own opinion unsustainable is not going to happen. It is not the fault of the 'anti high elfers' that we have such clarifications. Imagine in any other franchise attempting to disregard creator commentary. I wonder if on the Harry Potter boards, if there is a contentious topic, do some people attempt to discount the relevant statements of JK Rowling because they are inconvenient. I wonder if it looks as odd as the similar tactic does here.

While you may talk about a small group of exiles in Dalaran, that is besides the point. When we say Blood Elves are High Elves, we mean there is a High Elf option currently in game. Just as there is an Orc option in game. And a Tauren option. And a Human. And a Troll. And so on. Blood Elves are high elves. The small group of exiles are an irrelevance to the fact that the option is there to be enjoyed by anyone. The problem is not with Blood Elves being the high elf option of the game, it is with them being Horde.

Which is simply unfortunate for you, but which is no reason to go upending an important part of the game like faction diversity just because the race you like is on the opposite faction. Plenty of people have to cope with that.

[Alixie]

blood players are asking for blue eyes for years! some people are only concerned with the alliance and never talk about blood elf players calling for blue eyes since sunwell was restored.

They got those changes with the addition of gold eyes to reflect the Sunwell's new holy energies. Blood Elves already got a lot of special attention, lots of lore and exclusive classes. Time to give some other races, or potential new allied races, nice things too.

[Obelisk Kai]

They got those changes with the addition of gold eyes to reflect the Sunwell's new holy energies. Blood Elves already got a lot of special attention, lots of lore and exclusive classes. Time to give some other races, or potential new allied races, nice things too.

Such as, hypothetically, all the core races getting new customisation options in an upcoming expansion? No reason Blood Elves wouldn't be covered in such an expansive addition to the game, particularly given it is as small a request as a particular eye colour.

[RangerDaz]

Untainted hair and skin on a void elf would literally be a blood elf. How is that fair to the Horde? You would literally be giving an exact replica of a core horde race to the Alliance.

If the void taint is removed and become infused with arcane (aka the blue eyes), they get the original high elf skin before Arthas invasion of Quelthalas. Blood Elves don't have the blue eyes yet (it is considered that they might go to void elves instead)

[Obelisk Kai]

If the void taint is removed and become infused with arcane (aka the blue eyes), they get the original high elf skin before Arthas invasion of Quelthalas. Blood Elves don't have the blue eyes yet (it is considered that they might go to void elves instead)

That seems unlikely. The transformation from Blood/high elf to Void Elf involves an immense amount of energies changing the very essence of the being. Even were it possible (and as it has never been demonstrated in lore it must be regarded as purely hypothetical) the end result would NOT be a Void Elf (nor would it necessarily be a Blood/high elf, nobody knows what could happen). As it would not be a Void Elf, it would make no sense for such an avatar to have Void Elf racials, void elf emotes or be described as being a Void Elf.

I do not believe it is too far fetched to say that whatever customizations Void Elves do end up getting, that they will still be Void Elves.

[Ielenia]

No, this isn't true. Attempting to discount the clarifications provided by the developers and creators of the game simply because they render your own opinion unsustainable is not going to happen.

Blizzard also said that Kul'Tirans are human. But you don't go to every thread talking about Kul'tirans and go "ACKSHUALLY! Kul'tirans are humans!", do you? Their opinion isn't law, and is it precisely their word that is being disputed here. The "creators" have shown, with all their replies regarding high elves, that they do not understand what is being asked, if "pale, blonde elf" is all they take from our requests.

It is not the fault of the 'anti high elfers' that we have such clarifications.

But it is the fault of the "anti high elvers" that the conversation is constantly muddled and derailed from every new piece of information brought to this thread when you come here and say "blood elves are high elves" and "high elves are already playable on the Horde".

Imagine in any other franchise attempting to disregard creator commentary.

Like how Red Shirt Guy "attempted to disregard" creator commentary? If you were there, would you go "ACKSHUALLY! The developers said so!"?

When we say Blood Elves are High Elves...

You show that you either forget or ignore that not all high elves are blood elves.

we mean there is a High Elf option currently in game.

There is a thalassian elf option in the Horde, but the high elf option remains unavailable, for reasons explained time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time again.

Just as there is an Orc option in game.

Didn't stop the Mag'har.

And a Tauren option.

Didn't stop the Highmountain.

And a Human.

Didn't stop the Kul'tirans.

And a Troll.

Didn't stop the Zandalari.

And so on.

Yeah. Like the night elves. But that didn't stop the nightborne now, did they?

Blood Elves are high elves.

But not all high elves are blood elves.

Which is simply unfortunate for you, but which is no reason to go upending an important part of the game like faction diversity just because the race you like is on the opposite faction. Plenty of people have to cope with that.

Which was shaken already by the existence of the pandaren, and then finally toppled by the addition of void elves and nightborne. "Faction diversity" became a dead excuse with the allied races.

[bloodykiller86]

Sand Trolls don't originate from Darkspear Isle. What shit arguments being thrown around. Increased customizations means the 'starting city' is not a factor anymore.

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Oooh oh interesting. So when similar tweaks are suggested for high elves it's "no you can't do that" but here we see it being used as enough to differentiate Nightelf from Nightborne.

Yup, keep showing the hypocrisy.

idc about the starting city or whatever your babbling about im just talking about lore wise. ALL CURRENT HIGH ELVES are originally from Quel'Thelas. The windrunner sisters are all from there. High Elves=Blood Elves=Void Elves Just because theyve been corrupted by fel or the void, it doesn't change that they're still High Elves lol Silver Covenant High Elves are the only ones that are now mostly separated from Quel'Thelas but they also serve a neutral party being Dalaran

[FlubberPuddy]

And it's incorrect that Blizzard said both Horde and Alliance wanted Nightborne, that implies total agreement. Instead there were sectors, rather than totalities, of both factions who were arguing for their addition. Before we knew of the subrace system, it was something we had seen before with Arrakoa, Sabreon, Hozen and Jinyu, just the lates in the long line of expansion races people took a fancy too and decided to ask to be made playable. In hindsight they were always fated to go Horde as part of a quid pro quo wherein the Alliance got access to a thalassian elf variant. The difference being, the Horde 'ask' was seemingly a passing fancy whereas the Alliance 'ask' for a thalassian elf variant had been going on for considerably longer...the Alliance didn't get Nightborne because the Alliance was getting Void Elves.

Let's cut the bullshit here with proof.

https://www.polygon.com/2019/1/21/18...user-interview

"The Nightborne were one of the most anticipated — and most controversial — Allied Races. Both the Horde and Alliance engage in an end-game campaign over the course of story patches and a raid to liberate the Nightfallen from Elisande, and to restore order to the city of Suramar. The Nightborne, and their leader Thalyrssa, had encounters with both the Horde and Alliance during the course of this story. While the Night Elf leader Tyrande was curt and distrusting of the Nightborne, the Blood Elves welcomed them with open arms. This split was further foreshadowed during the Argus campaign, with the Blood Elves and Nightborne chatting about their values.

“We weren’t surprised that [Alliance players] felt betrayed,” Burke says. “We had the same reaction happen internally here. We had to make a choice, and both sides had very interesting arguments to make. We knew whoever didn’t get the Nightborne would feel a tinge of loss.”

“On the inside, we knew what was coming,” says Danuser. “We knew what the next expansion’s theme was, and that these Allied Races would be recruited to take place in this big war, the likes of which Azeroth hasn’t seen for many, many years. We wanted to show that tensions were so high, and stakes were so high, that the Alliance and Horde wasn’t enough. We also knew the Nightborne would have been one of the biggest ‘gets’ for either faction.”

Frank admission by Blizzard that:

1) Nightborne were most anticipated and controversial

2) Weren't surprised Alliance players felt betrayed

3) Same reaction internally, "BOTH SIDES MADE INTERESTING ARGUMENTS"

4) They knew whoever didn't get would feel 'a tinge' (lol) of loss (watch how next statement contradicts 'a tinge')

5) They also knew Nightborne would be one of the biggest 'gets' for either faction.

So like I've said, they knew that both Horde and Alliance wanted it, even internally there were arguments made for and against. Where was 'we don't want to muddle faction identity' said there? Not at all.

Because they didn't have to defend any point there, they just frankly admitted 'yeah we knew whoever got it, it would be the biggest 'get' for that faction' and no mention of a "PiLlAR oF tHe GaMe" coming into their decision at all.

Also on the Void Elf bit about "they already knew Alliance was getting High Elves" please prove that. Here is the bit on how Void Elves came to be from same interview.

"Void Elves, the newest Alliance Allied Race, have been one of the most controversial additions yet. The most common critique is that they came out of nowhere, unlike the established races we met during Legion. According to Danuser, this was intentional.

“The Void Elves were a case where we didn’t want the Allied Races to be something you were always familiar with before. We wanted to introduce new ideas, and new opportunities,” Danuser says. With Alleria Windrunner’s story being an internal success on Argus, the team saw it as the opportunity for a new twist on elves.

So please show us where they had said "yeah Nightborne are going Horde because it was already decided Alliance would get a Thalassian variant"

Otherwise like most things you say, you've convinced yourself of your own headcanon into reality when that's not the case at all.

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idc about the starting city or whatever your babbling about im just talking about lore wise. ALL CURRENT HIGH ELVES are originally from Quel'Thelas. The windrunner sisters are all from there. High Elves=Blood Elves=Void Elves Just because theyve been corrupted by fel or the void, it doesn't change that they're still High Elves lol Silver Covenant High Elves are the only ones that are now mostly separated from Quel'Thelas but they also serve a neutral party being Dalaran

Your argument is weak when you cannot apply it to multiple situations of varying degrees.

You brought up Quel'thalas as 'all [sub-faction] of specific race are from there originally'. That's your argument. "current High Elves originally from Quel'thalas". As if that means something, what's it supposed to mean? Sand trolls/Dark Trolls/Frost Trolls are then originally from Darkspear Isle?

Idk what you're babbling about mate.

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Because Bellular, comparatively, doesn't care as much. He notes the controversy, but seems to want to avoid getting entangled within it (wisely).

Yeah he comes off as someone that likes to keep their opinion to themselves when the majority are against that opinion. I'm sure it's relatable to some people.

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At this point idk how anyone can still be an Anti-Helf poster like what is the point? What is the end-game?

Notice how none of the prominent anti-helfers answered you? Because the real reasoning would be uber petty. They can't even settle down when it's possible blue eyes are coming to Blood Elves.

I could understand the point when say certain customizations might be taken from Blood Elves. But as we see the amount coming in increased customizations there's no reason to 'fret losing customizations' for Blood Elves anymore.

Nope, it's always been, and has become more about ensuring a limitation is placed on Alliance's thalassian elves. Basically instead of arguing for more character customization options for everyone, they're focused on limiting options. How petty is that shit. Especially after having access to Nightborne.

[Manariel]

idc about the starting city or whatever your babbling about im just talking about lore wise. ALL CURRENT HIGH ELVES are originally from Quel'Thelas. The windrunner sisters are all from there. High Elves=Blood Elves=Void Elves Just because theyve been corrupted by fel or the void, it doesn't change that they're still High Elves lol Silver Covenant High Elves are the only ones that are now mostly separated from Quel'Thelas but they also serve a neutral party being Dalaran

Blood Elves rejected the name High Elves. They lost their right to use it. Blood Elves and High Elves today are the same race (thalassian elves) but not the same ethnicity anymore. Because when 15 or so years have passed and its clear that their won't ever be a reconciliation, no matter what BE fans clamors left and right (Auric will return to serve Lor'themar and other bullshit of the genre) they are NOT the same anymore.

Not politically. Not in terms of vibe and behaviors when questing alongside them. Not in whom they associate with and what they deem more important.

Ion's dumb line of "Blood Elves are High Elves" is only partially true and despite the best attempt from Blizzard and the anti-helfers toxic crew it doesn't prevent people from knowing whom High Elves refers to, without any need for clarification. When peoples request playable high Elves, everyone understand which NPCs are concerned. Which rep, which ingame characters are affiliated to this race.

There has never been, there will never be, a need to say that what the Alliance players requests "Alliance High Elves" because High Elves are all de facto Alliance already.

Only Ion's little parrot squad comes here and repeat ad nauseam "But Blood Elves are High Elves duh!" while they all know it. Not. True.

Don't be a member of the parrot squad man/woman.

[FlubberPuddy]

Don't be a member of the parrot squad man/woman.

Or on the flip side, let them be part of the parrot squad and let people who understand that choose not to engage with such parroting.

No one here needs convincing. Most already have 'a side' picked.

Blizzard already knows of the topic, hell their April Fools this year shows they're very much aware still of the topic.

[bloodykiller86]

Blood Elves rejected the name High Elves. They lost their right to use it. Blood Elves and High Elves today are the same race (thalassian elves) but not the same ethnicity anymore. Because when 15 or so years have passed and its clear that their won't ever be a reconciliation, no matter what BE fans clamors left and right (Auric will return to serve Lor'themar and other bullshit of the genre) they are NOT the same anymore.

Not politically. Not in terms of vibe and behaviors when questing alongside them. Not in whom they associate with and what they deem more important.

Ion's dumb line of "Blood Elves are High Elves" is only partially true and despite the best attempt from Blizzard and the anti-helfers toxic crew it doesn't prevent people from knowing whom High Elves refers to, without any need for clarification. When peoples request playable high Elves, everyone understand which NPCs are concerned. Which rep, which ingame characters are affiliated to this race.

There has never been, there will never be, a need to say that what the Alliance players requests "Alliance High Elves" because High Elves are all de facto Alliance already.

Only Ion's little parrot squad comes here and repeat ad nauseam "But Blood Elves are High Elves duh!" while they all know it. Not. True.

Don't be a member of the parrot squad man/woman.

What type of idiocracy is this lol THALASSIAN ELVES ARE HIGH ELVES! Blood Elves didn't reject the name, they changed it due to the deaths that occured in WC3 duh. Most of the High Elves that aren't affiliated with the Horde are A. Alleria(was gone since the second war), B. Vareesa & the Silver Covenant(which are not technically part of the alliance due to Dalaran being neutral.) C.Unaffiliated but helps specific people in the Alliance (like valeera sanguinar)

and toxic crew? Jesus this discussion has devolved into disgusting garbage really? Shit is what it is because lore reasons. Void Elves are High Elves, they may not be the color you want but they are High Elves

[Obelisk Kai]

Blizzard also said that Kul'Tirans are human. But you don't go to every thread talking about Kul'tirans and go "ACKSHUALLY! Kul'tirans are humans!", do you? Their opinion isn't law, and is it precisely their word that is being disputed here. The "creators" have shown, with all their replies regarding high elves, that they do not understand what is being asked, if "pale, blonde elf" is all they take from our requests.

Their opinion is law and to define it as merely opinion is to remove agency from it. Of all the arguments against what they say, this is one of the most profoundly ridiculous. How do you imagine game development happens? People with opinions make decisions based on those opinions.

And they do understand what is being asked for. Everyone understands what is being asked for. It is a conceit of your argument that you seemingly believe the negative answer you have received is a result of everyone else's apparent stupidity in failing to grasp the nuances of your request.

The truth is, they know what you want and still said no. The request is unreasonable. They provided a compromise option in an attempt to mitigate the disappointment, but that seemingly isn't enough.

But it is the fault of the "anti high elvers" that the conversation is constantly muddled and derailed from every new piece of information brought to this thread when you come here and say "blood elves are high elves" and "high elves are already playable on the Horde".

Blood Elves are high elves, and high elves are playable on the Horde. Your request impacts other parts of the game other people feel are important. Your request deserved to be challenged. And yes, it did deserve to be turned down. I have little sympathy that you don't wish to hear the objections to your request.

Like how Red Shirt Guy "attempted to disregard" creator commentary? If you were there, would you go "ACKSHUALLY! The developers said so!"?

Red Shirt Guy caught them out on a minor point of lore regarding two obscure Dwarven characters. If that's your gotcha moment, I'm not really impressed. Blood Elves being the High Elf option has been a consistent refrain for the past fifteen years from several developers, including Chris Metzen himself. That is a far more major point of lore.

The real takeaway from the red shirt guy moment was that when confronted with the evidence they were wrong, they changed it. You will note that the result of the high elf request was a flat 'no' followed by annual mockery in the April Fool's events.

You show that you either forget or ignore that not all high elves are blood elves.

An irrelevant factor. Not even all Blood Elves serve the Horde, as the Silvermoon Scholars in Telogrus show. It doesn't matter that there are High Elves who aren't Blood Elves. So long as they have nothing to differentiate them but an opinion, then they aren't worthy of consideration. Which is of course catch-22, because one sufficient differentiation is applied to them to allow them to be added, they would no longer be high elves.

There is a thalassian elf option in the Horde, but the high elf option remains unavailable, for reasons explained time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time and time again.

The Blood Elf option IS the High Elf option. There is a variant High Elf option on the Alliance.

Didn't stop the Mag'har.

Who are differentiated by being truly uncorrupted Orcs with a unique aesthetic and a far more pronounced clan culture.

Didn't stop the Highmountain.

Who are differentiated by having received the blessing of Cenarius, manifesting in moose antlers rather than cow horns.

Didn't stop the Kul'tirans.

Who have been differentiated via environmental factors to be bigger, bulkier and more rugged amongst certain bloodlines.

Didn't stop the Zandalari.

Who are a tribe of physically superior Trolls who lord over all others.

Yeah. Like the night elves. But that didn't stop the nightborne now, did they?

Who were differentiated by being exposed to a source of arcane energy for ten thousand years that physically altered them, and whose culture is a time capsule of ancient Highborne culture.

Each example failing to grapple with the fundamental problem. The exiles are identical to an already playable option and the only thing you can say about the exiles is to emphasise how Alliance they are, or that they are loyal to the Alliance, or they are aligned to the Alliance. Did I forget to mention their alliance alignment? Because that is it. They are aligned to the Alliance. That is the sum total of their differences, an opinion.

An opinion is not enough.

Which was shaken already by the existence of the pandaren, and then finally toppled by the addition of void elves and nightborne. "Faction diversity" became a dead excuse with the allied races.

The number of times they affirmed the importance of having two separate factions at Blizzcon means they really believe it to be a pillar of the game. Again and again, they have said having two factions is important, and they have confirmed those two factions having clear dividing lines is also important. To say 'Faction diversity' is a dead excuse is to deliberately misunderstand what was done, in that variants that are thematically distant from their parent races are allowable across the faction line whereas identical is not.

And the citing of the Pandaren yet again simply invites yet another recitation of the old mantra. Pandaren were not a mistake, but their neutrality was. Neutral races were a cool idea they wished to try, and upon trying it they regretted it and have gone out of their way to avoid doing it since. Citing Pandaren neutrality as a precedent for high elves is akin to citing the garrison feature of WOD for another go at the garrison system with no changes.

You learn from mistakes. You don't repeat them. Particularly on a far grander scale.

[Ardenaso]

(Auric will return to serve Lor'themar and other bullshit of the genre)

Auric's Angels implies that he's still serving the Alliance

[Varodoc]

After 800 pages, some people still don't understand that High Elf (species) =/= High Elf (affiliation). It's amazing,

[Manariel]

What type of idiocracy is this lol THALASSIAN ELVES ARE HIGH ELVES! Blood Elves didn't reject the name, they changed it due to the deaths that occured in WC3 duh. Most of the High Elves that aren't affiliated with the Horde are A. Alleria(was gone since the second war), B. Vareesa & the Silver Covenant(which are not technically part of the alliance due to Dalaran being neutral.) C.Unaffiliated but helps specific people in the Alliance (like valeera sanguinar)

and toxic crew? Jesus this discussion has devolved into disgusting garbage really? Shit is what it is because lore reasons. Void Elves are High Elves, they may not be the color you want but they are High Elves

And yet, not once ingame or outside do Blood Elves call themselves High Elves. Not anymore. They have relinquished their claim on this name, which now is used only by the Alliance affiliated thalassian elves who don't dabble into dangerous and volatile magic. The Alliance thalassian elves who do dable in the most corruptive form of magic however, are all former Blood Elves and are now called Void Elves.

But by lore, questing and player's experience, I can assure you that High Elves =/= Blood Elves, but that Blood Elves =~= Void Elves

[Ielenia]

Their opinion is law and to define it as merely opinion is to remove agency from it. Of all the arguments against what they say, this is one of the most profoundly ridiculous. How do you imagine game development happens? People with opinions make decisions based on those opinions.

Said "opinions" also loved to say "morally grey" this, "morally grey" that... and yet we never had a single "morally grey" moment now, did we?

Blood Elves are high elves

But not all high elves are blood elves. Do try to have an honest conversation and not try to constantly muddle it, please.

Red Shirt Guy caught them out on a minor point of lore regarding two obscure Dwarven characters.

It's still Blizzard being called out.

An irrelevant factor.

It's not irrelevant, as explained countless times already.

The Blood Elf option IS the High Elf option.

No, the blood elf option is the blood elf option. The high elf option is currently unavailable in the game.

Who are differentiated by being truly uncorrupted Orcs with a unique aesthetic and a far more pronounced clan culture.

Who are differentiated by having received the blessing of Cenarius, manifesting in moose antlers rather than cow horns.

Who have been differentiated via environmental factors to be bigger, bulkier and more rugged amongst certain bloodlines.

Who are a tribe of physically superior Trolls who lord over all others.

So give the high elves some minor physical differences. There. Presto. Done.

You learn from mistakes. You don't repeat them. Particularly on a far grander scale.

"Mistakes" they didn't learn from because the allied races of void elves and nightborne exist.