They've added the golden eyes NPCs to Blood Elves the same time it became player options. If what you're saying is correct the same should've happened to High Elves then. And unsure what makes you think that change'll come to High Elves now when it didn't before.
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If half-elves happened they should have the stance from that twitter artist you showed and just beef em up a bit more. Kalec and Arator are bad examples of "Half-elves" as they're either 95% human or 95% elf lol.
You do realize saying "NE Fans are being told to go play NB for aesthetics" is the same as Ion telling High Elf fans to play Blood Elf for that aesthetic.
I already explained what Parent Race means, so I strongly suggest to stop looking too much into it if I were you.
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Because it'll happen in time. High Elves are obviously not a priority for Blizzard atm otherwise you'd be playing them instead of Void Elves.
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That person shouldn't be taken seriously because Kalec is quite frankly an abomination to look at. All those Helf Model mock ups I see here and on the Official Forums would work as Half Elves so might as well go all in on them and leave High Elves as they are.
A person from a mixed race can resemble 95% to the father, 95% to the mother or 50/50.
It's probably the same thing with the half-elves, there must be some who look more like humans and others more like the high-elves.
That's why I keep saying that the half-elves would be much more interesting as a customization option for these two races, it's just a story of ears.
But this is not the main subject of this thread, otherwise, it will further derail the discussion.
I think its because we've been discussing the point so long.
I was stating the new policy is probably for different reasons, as in the past, they clearly did not care much about the blue eye aesthetic.
Very relevant, because perception is key. It being new doesn't mean much. It is how it is presented.
Do you believe anyone thinks a Vulpera is just a goblin with a hair problem?
Or that they are perceived as a new race?
You keep trying to assert this but it does not work and there is nothing to support you.
We have decades worth of game design and more, and I have provided them to you.
If animations were nearly as important as you believed them to be, then why have they been considered irrelevant by everyone including Blizzard itself?
Frankly, its disingenuous of you to suggest animations are so important, but then notice those seemingly negligible differences.
Sure you can. If you see a tall, lanky looking figure next to a fuller one, its clearly a nightborne vs a night elf.
For the females, its largely the ears and proportions. Don't understimate the tiny diferences.
Let alone, you acknowledging the move the same only further demonstrates how irrelevant they are as an identifying tribute. Which was my point. To weaken your position and further mine through alternative points.
I didn't, this is just an assumption on your part to be dramatic.
My point was that half elves have potential, not that they should include half gnomes. Why not ask for clarification rather than make an assumption?
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No, it isn't, you're being rather dishonest.
Wild hammer dwarves are still dwarves.
Half elves are a hybrid.
There is a significantly large difference.
Let alone that half elves would require a different model, even if its a difference in ears, which would not be possible coding wise for WoW.
So both from a design stand point, and coding standpoint, you don't have anything to support that suggestion of yours.
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I dislike being mis-represented.
I pointed out that half elves should get a unique model like Kalec got a unique model.
Not that they should get Kalec's.
Thanks
If that's the case does it mean people should stop making the argument that 'whatever goes to High Elves would go to Blood Elves so stop trying to take customizations away from us?"
Point being Blizzard apparently doesn't care if they put certain customizations on races that the originals might want, since you're trying to equate the two.
Given that they're already showing eye colors being removed from all Thalassians in the Shadowlands alpha (High Elves/Blood Elves/Void Elves(?)) we won't have to wait long to see if High Elves too end up with Golden Eyes.
But I'm going to go out on a limb and say since the original 'Blue Eyes on Blood Elves' was a leap of logic that didn't pan out, this one may not either. Best of luck tho.
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Now THAT is exactly what I wanted Void Elf Void Form to look like! Just like Alleria's! Or closer anyway.
Have Void Elves look like that and I wouldn't care if it's permanent!
I've just always hated pasty blue color.
Btw this is more evidence they're working on Allied Races which are related to Original Races who are getting increased customizations because it's easy to laterally switch between those associated race projects.
You should be well aware of Blizzard not caring. After all they've had plenty of opportunities to add Playable High Elves and chosen not to add them.
And it wasn't a leap of logic. It was reasonable speculation based on a prior statement by Blizzard that they intended for the customizations that are coming to allow players to create whatever backstory they want. And considering Blood Elves natural eye color used to be Blue, it was perfectly reasonable for one to think that they were going to get Blue Eyes. But now that we know that they don't consider it to make sense that doesn't suddenly negate other customization or exclude High Elves which are the same race as Blood Elves and are affected by the Sunwell the same from getting golden eyes.
But we will know soon enough what Blood Elves are getting and what they aren't.
I know that despite lore flubs here and there, they care about their lore a lot. Even today, Morgan Day citing how they don't want mythic only phases to become standard because it really only happens when it makes easy story sense for it to happen. But that they also design with gameplay at the forefront at times, and all of it is wrapped up in profits (hence why their testing phase of Shadowlands is wholly different from BFA).
So it makes sense that they didn't add in High Elves when they decided already on Void Elves, just like they didn't add in Wildhammer when they already decided to go the Dark Iron route.
I won't argue that you have a better sales pitch advertising a Void Elf over a High Elf or a Dark Iron over a Wildhammer.
That's not to say they don't acknowledge when something is really wanted and eventually give it, especially when it 'makes sense' to do so. Hence increased customizations, allied races, tmog, cross-server groups, keeping artifact weapon skins as prestige (that was a big push the community had to do as blizz originally wanted them all locked after expac was over).
So it never hurts to keep requesting. Especially since, unlike Blue eyes on Blood Elves, 'the door hasn't closed' for High Elves. "No plans in the near term for High Elves as an Allied Race". Not "High Elves as an Allied Race don't make sense."
Gonna go out on a limb and speculate that Blood Elf customization will keep to their thematic colors (red/green/gold/black) and that the ruling of no blue eyes means they're most likely not gonna get blue-ish customization options.
But yeah we'll see. One thing we already know at least is no blue eyes for blood elves.
I am pretty sure that passage you quoted was in the period between the incorrect determination that the blue eyes were destined for Void Elves and the news that Blood Elves weren't getting blue eyes. And that passage actually holds up, as you were claiming the discovery of these options meant that allied race customisations were beginning earlier than anyone else had expected. As we now know, the eyes were intended for the Blood Elf model but restricted to certain NPCs.
You keeping coming back to this point but scepticism of keyboardturner's conclusions were justified at the time and were borne out by the actual results.
If lots were saying that then we were clearly looking at different topics. But 'lots' saying it is irrelevant. What does it matter that 'lots' were saying something regarding a gameplay system? It didn't matter that they were saying it because what I wanted to hear was feedback from Blizzard themselves that they understood the concerns and were working on them. Of course Blizzard saying it was more important. It meant something was going to happen.
This continues to be a deeply, deeply weird point you are making. It would be far odder for someone to change their opinions based on forum commentary and then to ignore what Blizzard says. Besides, whether the gameplay of Covenants work is tangential to the reason I brought it up, the assertion that 'Choice Matters'. Just as your choice of covenant is intended to matter, your choice of faction is far more profound. Choice mattering as a concept neatly segues with their concept of maintaining the faction system and keeping the faction diverse as expressed through several interviews in the past few years. It would be a funny old world where choice matters for an expansion system such as Covenants but watered down for a pillar of the game.
They've maintained this particular status quo going on fifteen years though, from the moment they discounted high elves as a playable race back in classic's development. My argument reflects the status quo, it does not hinge on it. Are Blood Elves high elves? Yes. Are High Elves therefore playable? Yes. Is the faction system a pillar of the game? Yes. Are the factions being as diverse as possible a boon to that pillar of the game? Yes. Do neutral races undermine this pillar of the game? Yes.
When Blizzard elects to change a status quo they trail it well in advance. Pro High Elf fans like talking about the classic example and how Blizzard changed course on it, but you could see that change taking place well in advance of the actual announcement when they invited Nostalrius to the Blizzard campus. In contrast, with your personal request, they just keep doubling down against it again and again and again.
The reason I am consistent on the status quo is that it has remained unchanged for a decade and a half on the core question. There isn't much need for variance.
It wasn't illogical, nor was it illogical to assume that it needed to be half and half to provide equal opportunities. That it turned out not to be true does not mean the hypothesis itself was flawed.
Some blue eyes are oversights. Others, such as Lanesh, were confirmed canonical.
Yet the high elf request is pretty much defunct as a result as well. They won't be added as a standalone race for numerous reasons that can be summed up as follows: When there is an opportunity to add a new race to the Alliance, there will ALWAYS be something more interesting to add than a Blood Elf clone. And while you may protest that they are 'popular' and 'wanted', that is the result of participating in echo chamber debates which have likely led to a skewed perspective. Besides, as the rejection of blue eyes has shown, popularity doesn't mean a thing if it crosses their red lines.
Of course, that leaves plan B, using the Void Elves as a vector BUT...
It seems unusual to critique those who sought blue eyes for Blood Elves, blue eyes of course being a customisation on individuals who are biologically identical to Blood Elves, and yet to insist human range skin tones are possible on Void Elves merely because you think they are a popular ask. Blue eyes were a fairly popular ask as well and they didn't happen.
The logic of why Blood Elves didn't get blue eyes applies a great deal more to the idea of Void Elves having human range skin tones after all and you put it fine yourself, human range skin tones would not be a part of the visual language of that group.
So the end result is that nobody will have the combination of a human skin tone range elf with blue eyes.
Blue eyes will instead become a part of the visual language of the Void Elves, a distinguishing factor between them and the Blood Elves.
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Actually Ion's interview changed nothing regarding that. He merely stated Blood Elves have moved past blue eyes. But in his 2018 interview where he ruled out the exiles as an allied race he stated
'Basically blood elves kind of are High Elves with slightly different eye colour...that is a Blood Elf'.
Now if you are keen to accept Ion's lore reasoning as to why Blood Elves didn't get blue eyes, that they have moved past it, then you are kind of obligated to accept his related commentary that eye colour isn't a fundamental difference between the two. He cited the differing eye colours as one of the minute differences between the exiles and the Blood Elves that didn't matter to the fundamental point, that Blood Elves are High Elves.
So he reaffirmed the status quo.
They have not actually. April 2018 is the last time any Blizzard official comes up with how come no playable High Elves yet and ends with "No plans in the near term for High Elves as an Allied Race".
Ever since that, everytime High Elves were asked about, either in the form of options for void elves, blue eyes on blood elves, or even just as an allied race - all the answers have not been "doubling down against it again and again"
1) Afrasiabi during Blizzcon 2018 (AFTER April 2018 Q&A) asked if Void Elves could get High Elf options for that "High Elf fantasy" he states it's possible then EMPHASIZES "Don't give up hope" (and go watch this again he does not afterward go into a longer explanation on forum etiquette, that comes BEFORE he answers the High Elf related question).
2) Ion during Blizzcon 2018 also asked about High Elves on the show floor, responds saying "the door hasn't closed" "just because they won't be in BFA doesn't mean they won't be in wow ever"
That we know Dark skin Blood Elves were asked on the showfloor is proof that developers don't simply 'lie/sugarcoat' etc w/e you want to call it to ensure a fan is having a good time at a convention. Did that developer who told the fan not want to ruin his time at Blizzcon sugarcoat that Dark skin Blood Elves were coming? No, he was given an honest answer.
Thus it seems strange to think Ion's not giving an honest answer on the showfloor as well.
3) Ion 2 years later, on blood elves getting blue eyes CONFIRMS they are not getting it as that customization option wouldn't make sense for them. If Blizzard were continually "doubling down against it again and again" you would think BE would've gotten blue eyes as that's the sense some people got from Ion's April 2018 Q&A statement on going with Void Elves over High Elves. BUT NOPE!
They have stopped "doubling down against it again and again" ever since 2 years ago. Not once have they ever referred back to that interview when asked about High Elves, in any form, and Ion has never repeated those statements he made back 2 years ago nor has any other Blizzard employee.
My guess is the absolute storm of hypocrisy that was pointed out across many different media personalities and on the forums made them realize how much of a misunderstood response they gave and thus have not decided to engage on it again.
It's different from with how the answer to cross-faction at Blizzcon 2019 was always a rote 'no' response giving the exact same reasons from various different employees as if all had rehearsed the exact same lines to tell people. Which then flipped flopped fast not a couple months later where Patrick Dawson admits they've been internally testing it and it does seem a cool idea but nothing to announce atm.
"doesn't make sense" is another way to say it's illogical. Don't know how else to explain it. Ion didn't just say "we're not giving blue eyes because we don't want to do it, even if it is logical/makes sense".
Let me point out the Question and Danuser's response to which I'm assuming is what you consider Lanesh's blue eyes to be canonical.
https://twitter.com/SteveDanuser/sta...87595542433792
Question:"I know you probably wont see this question, or know the answer (Because its still a mystery) but do you happen to know who "exactly" Lanesh the Steelweaver is, and why he has blue eyes?
Steve Danuser's response: "I did see this, and I do know who he is. Would rather not delve into character backgrounds here, as someday there might be an opportunity to tell the tale in game. That's always more satisfying than an off-the-cuff tweet. "
Nowhere is he confirming that blue eyes is canonical/does make sense for Lanesh. He's simply saying he knows the character.
The "would not delve into character backgrounds as someday there might be an opportunity to tell the tale in game" is another way of saying "we have no plans to do anything with this guy atm, but in case we ever do I'd rather not confirm or deny anything right now."
Nothing here is saying his blue eyes are canonical. This is just like when Anti-helf folks thought Ion's statement in April 2018 meant Blue Eyes were coming to Blood Elves and that Blood Elves would get all colors of the rainbow for their eye color options.
Your own assumptions are not canonical. The girl asked two questions in one sentence, Steve replied to the first bit.
If you wish to continue believing this you may, that doesn't mean the rest of us have to. I always figured it'd be a long road till we got to High Elves, because most of the customizations are big and in your face for the race options.
But as I told another poster here, that we're getting body jewelry/neck jewelry means Blizzard are now opening customization options to include minute details, and it's in those minute details that High Elves can more easily be differentiated. Just how iconic Wildhammers are simply from having blue tattoos. They don't need much else, 99% of players will go "that's a wildhammer dwarf!" by something so subtle.
Just like people for years prior to parroting Ion's 2018 comment knew that blue eyes = High Elf and green eyes = Blood Elf. The subtle differentiation was all it took, but from a playable race standpoint didn't exist -> until increased customizations.
And increased customizations doesn't pre-clude more allied races or standard races from ever being added.
Actually it did, which is why now you have the folks who kept memeing that blood elves would have blue eyes now want the High Elves to get Golden Eyes. No one was saying that before when Golden Eyes were released for Blood Elves. No one.
It's a reaction to Ion's statement, because that statement affirms blue eyes are for High Elves (and/or Void Elves) - main point blue eyes aren't for blood elves.
Bolded an extra bit you gloss over "kind of are" does not mean "they are exactly the same". When Ion says "kind of" it means difference and he explains it as such when he continues.
No one is obligated to do that lol, it's a 'gotcha' attempt you're doing because of being snubbed by Ion's comment. The only people who says those kinds of things are those that are disappointed by the comment Ion made and are now trying to retaliate in their own way towards High Elf fans who got vindication there.
Ion can make incorrect statements and correct statements. Believing he is incorrect one time and correct another is frankly okay, no one has to believe every single thing that comes out of a person's mouth, nor has to think everything they say is a lie either.
People do it all it the time with their own circle of friends/family, that's what the word 'misunderstood' is for.
Ion was legit shown a picture of Vereesa with her Silver Covenant faction rep and title of Ranger-General when the blue eyes question was brought up. He legit was being shown a High Elf of a prominent faction (prominent as in they're an attainable rep for Alliance players) with blue eyes when answering that question.
Zoltan and Cinderys didn't put up Lanesh up there, and Ion had to answer that question knowing he was looking at a High Elf - that's the funniest thing about it.
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Also since I know this can keep going round and round with you I'm going to leave it at this
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Rest of my posts will focus on any new developments for High Elves/showcasing different customization options and discussing those customization options.
Thread doesn't need to be filled with an endlessbackandforthuntiltheyaddHighElvesorconfirmneverhappeningcirculardiscussion.
Last edited by FlubberPuddy; 2020-05-13 at 02:59 PM.
NE are sister race to NB and a parent race HE. Highbourne is the parent of the NE and NB.
There were HB, then Azhara happened, HB split into NE and NB, then NE said fuck off for the arcane using NE and they became HE. Obviously this is simplified and happened over thousands of years.
What aesthetics should night elves have that nightborne have access to exclusively?
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Highborne are night elves it was just a social class, though it is fair to say the high elves and nightborne continued that social class.
Well, it looks like the devs have given up this idea of no new customization options for Allied Races until later on. Apparently, even the first pass will be getting them. Another anti argument bites the dust!
None
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
Petite
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
Sparrow
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
Beaded
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
Classic
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
Pointed
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
Full
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
Anchor
Void Elf Male - Facial Hair
None
Void Elf Female - Earrings
Bare
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Fine
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Chops
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Twin Tendrils
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Full
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Beaded
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Paired Tendrils
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Splayed Tendrils
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
Broad Tendrils
Lightforged Draenei Male - Facial Hair
https://www.wowhead.com/news=316035/...ization-oribos
I think this is simply naming the current beard options that are there.
Because the new character customization is giving names to hair style options/facial hair options.
This does kind of give more rise to that likely those varying blue eyes options datamined may go to the Void Elves. We'll have to wait and see though.
Definitely some AR stuff is being worked on. Makes sense as it's easier for Blizzard to switch between the two.
Also Stiven found that Gnomes are getting some of the Mechagnome facial hair options.
This means we're likely to see Blood Elves get the beard options Void Elves have.
Indicates a sharing of customizations between the same races.
AKA Kul'Tirans are humans which is why Humans are getting KT facial hair options.
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Wanted to highlight this here btw. The easier it becomes for Blizzard to add-in character customization options, the more justifiable High Elves get.
Before, a 'new race' required an entire boat-load of work because it wasn't simply adding in another option in the character selector along with a variety of choices. It also required a bunch of story-writing, a dedicated zone, bunch of quests that may/may not have required new technology (look to how phasing was utilized in Worgen/Goblin/Pandaren zones)/extensive testing to fix bugs with those associated zones.
Ton of work, and then there's Allied Races. It took away a lot of the 'backend' to getting a 'new race' (the extensive zones with story/quests/technology usage) and focused on the races themselves with a variety of options, and a little story/quest/tech for their recruitment questline.
Now with increased customizations, there's even less than Allied Races to make 'a new race' ('race' here defined as to how Dark Irons/Mag'har/Wildhammer are considered different 'races' despite all being the same race) as it is literally adding options onto an existing selection.
That they've also basically 'unified' character models in such a way that we can see them working on improvements for Void Elves alongside the same time they're making improvements to Blood Elves is the kind of advancement of ease shown that Blizzard has attained.
Thus whereas long ago in WoW's development it probably wouldn't have been justifiable to add what some call "SimpLY bLuE eYeD BLood eLVeS", they now could because it's much more efficient and less resource intensive for them to do so.
This is why Danuser saying that they wouldn't let having to spend so much resources on appropriating story to give customizations get in the way of adding Wildhammer, because it would then end up not being feasible to add those options in the first place.