Official High Elf Discussion Megathread

[The Silver Covenant]

It’s pretty obvious based on Blizzard’s historical behavior that blue eyes for Blood Elves almost happened if not for community feedback. Claiming that dataminers misinterpreted the files is one of the company’s standard excuses for changing course mid-development. Good to know that maintaining the character of Warcraft’s Quel’dorei has more overwhelming support than Hordelet fanboy screeching for further destruction of the race and game lore.

[Obelisk Kai]

As much as I'd like that to be true (as I'd rather not have fair skinned Void Elves and rather wait til they one day make the High Elves already in game playable), Alleria kinda disproves that whole argument. If there are more Void Elves being made (which would make sense given that there were only a "crack team" of them to begin with and they'd be extinct already if not with how many were sent on suicide missions during BFA), there's no reason they'd end up looking the same as the initial batch, since I doubt they could replicate the exact same circumstances in however they now corrupt more to increase their numbers.

Once again, Alleria is a unique character who came by her powers through a unique method. Now that they've confirmed lore really matters and that the popularity of a request has no bearing on their decision making method, the chances of them turning around and giving Void Elves blood elf like skin tones, de facto contrary to their lore and obliterating the differentiation between them and the Blood Elves, is practically zero.

Whilst the pro High Elf community celebrates blue eyes being kept unique for Void Elves they seem to have difficulty extrapolating the principle expressed to their own aims regarding Void Elves and drawing the obvious conclusions.

[Varodoc]

Once again, Alleria is a unique character who came by her powers through a unique method. Now that they've confirmed lore really matters and that the popularity of a request has no bearing on their decision making method, the chances of them turning around and giving Void Elves blood elf like skin tones, de facto contrary to their lore and obliterating the differentiation between them and the Blood Elves, is practically zero.

Whilst the pro High Elf community celebrates blue eyes being kept unique for Void Elves they seem to have difficulty extrapolating the principle expressed to their own aims regarding Void Elves and drawing the obvious conclusions.

Here's a 1000iq explanation for pink-skinned void elves:

"After a year of research into the void knowledge kept within Telogrus Rift (an established plot point), Magister Umbric and his kin have learned how to revert back to their high elf forms."

I'll have you know it took me a total of 20 seconds to come up with this and I'm one guy.

[Uthan]

Once again, Alleria is a unique character who came by her powers through a unique method. Now that they've confirmed lore really matters and that the popularity of a request has no bearing on their decision making method, the chances of them turning around and giving Void Elves blood elf like skin tones, de facto contrary to their lore and obliterating the differentiation between them and the Blood Elves, is practically zero.

Whilst the pro High Elf community celebrates blue eyes being kept unique for Void Elves they seem to have difficulty extrapolating the principle expressed to their own aims regarding Void Elves and drawing the obvious conclusions.

The point was that just as Alleria's transformation was a unique event, so was the initial Void Elf transformation, and whatever new method they would have had to develop to corrupt more would be a third unique event, with no lore reasons for it to end up producing the exact same result as either of the other events. But yeah, hopefully the void elves stay blueberries as far as I'm concerned.

[elbleuet]

Blue eyes for Blood Elves did make sense according to an incorrect interpretation of the lore[/U]

At this point that's not an incorrect interpretation. You're just building up your own lore pretending all things from it are "obvious" and "logical" and that's the problem when it comes to share our points of view with you.

The goal for a high elf option on Void Elves is reliant on new lore to justify it. Such new lore, or the interpretation put forth in support of blue eyes for Blood Elves, could easily have been supplied. That was not forthcoming. A high elf option on Void Elves is a far, far bigger ask because it contravenes the reasons Void Elves were allowed, namely that they don't infringe on the thematic and aesthetic idenity of a core Horde race.

If they won't do blue eyes for Blood Elves, then you are fooling yourself now to think there is a possibility they will turn around and give the Void Elves high elf like skins.

We'll see

[united]

Here's a 1000iq explanation for pink-skinned void elves:

"After a year of research into the void knowledge kept within Telogrus Rift (an established plot point), Magister Umbric and his kin have learned how to revert back to their high elf forms."

I'll have you know it took me a total of 20 seconds to come up with this and I'm one guy.

No one can actually argue against this because void elves existing as a race in general was completely out of nowhere. There's no reason why they can't get human colored skin tones with the standards Blizzard's own writers are setting.

[Obelisk Kai]

Here's a 1000iq explanation for pink-skinned void elves:

"After a year of research into the void knowledge kept within Telogrus Rift (an established plot point), Magister Umbric and his kin have learned how to revert back to their high elf forms."

I'll have you know it took me a total of 20 seconds to come up with this and I'm one guy.

The sunwell is part arcane, so Blood Elves should have blue eyes.

Made sense to us as well and was less headcanon-y than your own as we had the precedent of golden eyes being caused by that same Sunwell.

In the end Blizzard didn't want to do it, they could have, there was a ready made rationale people could have gotten behind, but they didn't. So while you can headcanon an excuse as to why they can accomplish something, you haven't actually explained why would they?

Void Elves are purple because of their transformation. Just as Blood Elves 'evolved' away from blue eyes, so Void Elves have 'evolved' away from having human range skin tones. Not to mention that leaving lore aside, the entire reason Void Elves were even permitted to be a thing was that they looked different from Blood Elves because of the purple skin.

[Varodoc]

No one can actually argue against this because void elves existing as a race in general was completely out of nowhere. There's no reason why they can't get human colored skin tones with the standards Blizzard's own writers are setting.

Standards they had way before the void elves were created. In fact, I'd say the entirety of Warlords of Draenor was a far greater lorelol than void elves.

The sunwell is part arcane, so Blood Elves should have blue eyes.

Made sense to us as well and was less headcanon-y than your own as we had the precedent of golden eyes being caused by that same Sunwell.

In the end Blizzard didn't want to do it, they could have, there was a ready made rationale people could have gotten behind, but they didn't. So while you can headcanon an excuse as to why they can accomplish something, you haven't actually explained why would they?

Void Elves are purple because of their transformation. Just as Blood Elves 'evolved' away from blue eyes, so Void Elves have 'evolved' away from having human range skin tones. Not to mention that leaving lore aside, the entire reason Void Elves were even permitted to be a thing was that they looked different from Blood Elves because of the purple skin.

But dear Obelisk, where did Blizz ever say that void elves "evolved away from their human forms"? Are you trying to say that Alleria is actually the one who went through the imperfect transformation? Because she certainly didn't evolve beyond her "human form".

[FlubberPuddy]

See its literally like I've been saying.

Now the anti's look so foolish claiming that blue eyes are the only separation which in turn makes them Blood Elves.

Idk how I'd even be able to argue with a straight face after a blow like that to one of my main arguments.

Yes they do and it's fun to see the scrambling of explanations going on right now.

[Obelisk Kai]

At this point that's not an incorrect interpretation. You're just building up your own lore pretending all things from it are "obvious" and "logical" and that's the problem when it comes to share our points of view with you.





We'll see

I think we just have seen. You are seemingly hoping that the fortitude they showed in resisting a small change such as blue eyes won't count when it comes to something as big as the skin tones they used to differentiate Void Elves from the Blood Elves in the first place.

Nor does this invalidate earlier commentary regarding Blood Elves being the High Elf option in Warcraft.

The likeliest result of this information is

1.)Void Elves retain the blue eye colours and they are unique to them

2.) Blood Elves retain the human range skin tones and they are unique to them.

3.) High Elves are never added as a distinct option for the Alliance.

[FlubberPuddy]

No one can actually argue against this because void elves existing as a race in general was completely out of nowhere. There's no reason why they can't get human colored skin tones with the standards Blizzard's own writers are setting.

I called it so much when I said the big win was getting the Thalassian model on the Alliance side. The biggest hump is over. Now it's far easier to get customization options to open up High Elves on the Alliance.

Ion's statements today opened it up so much more than ever before, along with the general callout from fans of how they'd love to look like their factional leader.

Very easy to create any new explanation for why the looks are obtained.

[Obelisk Kai]

Yes they do and it's fun to see the scrambling of explanations going on right now.

A sense of perspective please. The thrill of being proven right on a long running topic can be fun, but this isn't the same level as 'Blood Elves are High Elves' and 'the Horde is waiting for you' and as I have mentioned, this news should have longer term implications for your goals that should worry you.

The exiles are still pretty certain to never become a distinct allied race in their own right, and Void Elves getting high elf skin tones just became a whole lot less likely. And no, just because you REALLY want Void Elves to have high elf like skin tones doesn't mean they are excluded from the same principle under which Blood Elves didn't get blue eyes.

[BaumanKing]

And although I'm not a fan of any elves, I sincerely congratulate you all. After weeks of toxicity from anti-high elves crowd, you earned the good news.

[FlubberPuddy]

You are seemingly hoping that the fortitude they showed in resisting a small change such as blue eyes

Given the reasoning was "that doesn't make sense for how the race has evolved" it doesn't sound like that would be a 'small change' from the lore aspect.

If you mean 'small change' from the real life work that would have to go into it, sure.

It also shows how much lore importance eye color is for Blood Elves. And that's why I kept saying in the past they would never allow options that would make you 'erase your scars' as a race.

Blood Elf Green/Gold Eyes is their visual aesthetic to show the changes their people have gone through. Taking that away by applying Blue Eyes means you'd be playing Elves that didn't go through that.

It would be like someone asking to uncorrupt Orgrimmar Orcs. Mag'har are a separate option for a reason. Just like High Elves are a separate group (and potential option for Alliance) from the Blood Elves.

[elbleuet]

The likeliest result of this information is

1.)Void Elves retain the blue eye colours and they are unique to them

2.) Blood Elves retain the human range skin tones and they are unique to them.

3.) High Elves are never added as a distinct option for the Alliance.

Oh look, another Obelisk Kai's correct interpretation of one single sentence !

[Uthan]

A sense of perspective please. The thrill of being proven right on a long running topic can be fun, but this isn't the same level as 'Blood Elves are High Elves' and 'the Horde is waiting for you' and as I have mentioned, this news should have longer term implications for your goals that should worry you.

The exiles are still pretty certain to never become a distinct allied race in their own right, and Void Elves getting high elf skin tones just became a whole lot less likely. And no, just because you REALLY want Void Elves to have high elf like skin tones doesn't mean they are excluded from the same principle under which Blood Elves didn't get blue eyes.

You might want to drop that signature now btw, since Ion's latest words makes it no longer true. Nice to have it confirmed directly from the game director that Blood Elves are in fact no longer High Elves but have evolved ^^

[Obelisk Kai]

I called it so much when I said the big win was getting the Thalassian model on the Alliance side. The biggest hump is over. Now it's far easier to get customization options to open up High Elves on the Alliance.

Ion's statements today opened it up so much more than ever before, along with the general callout from fans of how they'd love to look like their factional leader.

Very easy to create any new explanation for why the looks are obtained.

This is the entirely opposite conclusion that what you should have drawn.

He confirmed lore matters. He confirmed popularity has no impact on whether a request go through or not, only that the lore makes sense.

Yet here you are citing a.) the 'popularity' of your request and b.) it can be actioned by creating new lore.

I'm sorry did you think he said that this only applies to the blue eyes for blood elves request and that for everyone else it's open season, lore be damned? Because if he did I missed that part.

[FlubberPuddy]

And although I'm not a fan of any elves, I sincerely congratulate you all. After weeks of toxicity from anti-high elves crowd, you earned the good news.

Thank you very much!

[elbleuet]

And although I'm not a fan of any elves, I sincerely congratulate you all. After weeks of toxicity from anti-high elves crowd, you earned the good news.

Thanks /10char

[Obelisk Kai]

You might want to drop that signature now btw, since Ion's latest words makes it no longer true. Nice to have it confirmed directly from the game director that Blood Elves are in fact no longer High Elves but have evolved ^^

No, he said Blood Elves have evolved away from blue eyes, not that they have evolved away from high elves. As Blood Elves are the High Elf option, that means what a High Elf is has been updated.

The exiles who claim the moniker do not have the right to define their race due to their vanishingly low numbers.
Besides, the exiles are hooked up to the same Sunwell turning Blood Elf eyes golden. In time, they too will lose the blue eyes (if any of them remain).

Blue eyes it seems belong to the Void Elves.