Choose the next Alliance race.

[Immitis]

I'd love to see the Jinyu, personally. But from the list I am given, I voted High Elves because they are already in the Alliance, unlike the others being neutral or hostile.

only the naga are hostile, the arrakoa are already members of the alliance and worship the light with the draenei. and arrakoa fought with the alliance against the orcs when they went through the dark portal due to their hatred of the orcs.

[Northem]

I think it would be a healthy exercise that we could distinguish among the dozens of races that are proposed for being playable, those that are designed exclusively to be NPCs. And, unless a social overwhelming majority urge Blizzard to consider other options, is highly unlikely that the races that were designed to be NPCs become playable (there are exceptions, as in the case of the worgen, but it is not usual).

And what are those races designed to be NPCs? It is easy to distinguish them: these are the new races that are included in each expansion to give a feeling of racial diversity throughout the Warcraft universe and which not have a great background and much less are fundamental nor are actively involved in the development of the plot of the expansion, ie they are secondary races, created to give context to the protagonist races of each expansion. Among many others, we have:

• Vanilla: Murlocs, Gnolls, Kobolds, Quilboar, Troggs, Centaur, Children of Cenarius, etc.
  
• Burning Crusade: Arakkoa, Ethereal, Sporeling, Fel orc, Felblood elf, etc.
  
• Wrath of the Lich King: Tuskarr, Gorloc, Nerubian, Vrykul, Wolvar, Kvaldir, etc.
  
• Cataclysm: Tol'vir, Pygmy, Gilgoblin, Ettin, etc.
  
• Mists of Pandaria: Jinyu, Hozen, Mantid, Saurok, Virmen, etc.

For example, in the Burning Crusade expansion, Blizzard created many races, including the beloved Ethereals, yet Blizzard chose not to make them playable, as they did with the Draenei. What I mean by this? Well simply that, over the existence of WoW, Blizzard felt that certain races do not worth to be developed making them playable, and it's hard to think of making a race playable if it was initially conceived to be NPCs (although it is remotely possible if there is a sufficiently loud public clamor).

In short, before any of the previous races become playable there are many others that are more likely, simply because they are races with some active role in the development of the Warcraft universe events and, therefore, have more prominence.

[DeicideUH]

Why the hell do people want High Elves? Why would you want a race that we already have? Because it has blue eyes?

People who like them keep telling why, I don't understand how everyone else hasn't understood the reasons by now. You don't need to agree with our motives, but you should at least understand them.

Hint: it's not because of blue eyes. Nor because they are elves.

[Larynx]

I want high elves because I want blood elves for the Alliance.

There's my reason. I don't really mind that literally the only physical difference between the two is eye color.

[Sills]

I would rather Blizz complete their remodel of the existing races than try to squeeze in another playable race. However, with Kalecgos and Jaina hooking up I think the Alliance can get a nice army of blue dragon characters

Seriously though out of the listed ones I would like to see ethereals. Ive always thought they are one of the most badass races to come out of TBC but I just dont know exactly how that story would play out. In terms of what Blizz would do because of how simple it would be, I think high elves. It would be an interesting story (add in some natural hatred of blood elves), they have their established leader in Vereesa and the starting zone could be wherever the heck Dalaran winds up.

[Totle]

Logically, the easiest race to integrate would be the High Elves, but since there are already Belves and Nelves, it hardly seems feasible to add in another race.

Ethereals are out for their own benefit and would never go for teaming up. They firmly believe that everyone who isn't them is a customer. They have no reason to side with the Alliance and cut out potential business opportunities with the Horde.

Aarakoa is just odd. I fail to see how you could include them in lore, or even what would draw them to one side over the other.

Naga are the wild card. A lore argument could be made for them to join the Alliance, but it would have to look something like this:

Night Elf forces are attacking Azshara's city. The whole city sinks taking Azshara, her forces, AND her enemies with her. She makes a deal with an Old God. Old God doesn't differentiate between Nelves and Highborne, all people trapped in city become Naga. Non-Highborne Naga emerge as former loyalists to Tyrande and the Ancients and join with the Alliance.

[Yarathir]

Logically, the easiest race to integrate would be the High Elves, but since there are already Belves and Nelves, it hardly seems feasible to add in another race.

Ethereals are out for their own benefit and would never go for teaming up. They firmly believe that everyone who isn't them is a customer. They have no reason to side with the Alliance and cut out potential business opportunities with the Horde.

Aarakoa is just odd. I fail to see how you could include them in lore, or even what would draw them to one side over the other.

Naga are the wild card. A lore argument could be made for them to join the Alliance, but it would have to look something like this:

Night Elf forces are attacking Azshara's city. The whole city sinks taking Azshara, her forces, AND her enemies with her. She makes a deal with an Old God. Old God doesn't differentiate between Nelves and Highborne, all people trapped in city become Naga. Non-Highborne Naga emerge as former loyalists to Tyrande and the Ancients and join with the Alliance.

Eh, I believe the lore argument is hardly viable at this point anymore. Blizzard has shown that if they have to, they will tailor lore to make a race fit. Goblins and worgen. Neither fit. Worgen were alien creatures from another dimension that were only enemies, and goblins were neutral and cared only about making money.


With that in mind, all choices can be viable aside from high elves, because they add nothing to the table. Why? Because they are assimilated into the human culture so much that they've become a part of it by now, and because they are nothing but recolored blood elves.


So, unless Blizzard wants to go with a simple 'recolor one race from the alliance and from the horde and give them to the opposite faction' to still give a new option while being able to update the older models, high elves are the least viable.

[Gamevizier]

Eh, I believe the lore argument is hardly viable at this point anymore. Blizzard has shown that if they have to, they will tailor lore to make a race fit. Goblins and worgen. Neither fit. Worgen were alien creatures from another dimension that were only enemies, and goblins were neutral and cared only about making money.


With that in mind, all choices can be viable aside from high elves, because they add nothing to the table. Why? Because they are assimilated into the human culture so much that they've become a part of it by now, and because they are nothing but recolored blood elves.


So, unless Blizzard wants to go with a simple 'recolor one race from the alliance and from the horde and give them to the opposite faction' to still give a new option while being able to update the older models, high elves are the least viable.

how about this : If the next expansion remodels all the races and does not add a new race, then BEs get new models too right? now what if High Elves become playable for the Alliance side? as a BE model with recolored eyes, they dont need to have a new starting zone. just put them in human starting zone and a play a voice that gives a small backstory about them, some racial abilities too. now we all used to argue that BEs and HEs are actually one race, so why introduce them as a new race when we already have BEs? please take this into account that Pandarens broke this taboo. we now see Pandarens aligned with both factions and using the same model. So this new race does not need to have a different model, just a retextured model with blue eyes. It doesn't take Blizzard much effort to do this as they are already remodeling the horde BEs.

[Eliot123]

I absolutely love the arakkoa dance so I'm going with them.

[Yarathir]

how about this : If the next expansion remodels all the races and does not add a new race, then BEs get new models too right? now what if High Elves become playable for the Alliance side? as a BE model with recolored eyes, they dont need to have a new starting zone. just put them in human starting zone and a play a voice that gives a small backstory about them, some racial abilities too. now we all used to argue that BEs and HEs are actually one race, so why introduce them as a new race when we already have BEs? please take this into account that Pandarens broke this taboo. we now see Pandarens aligned with both factions and using the same model. So this new race does not need to have a different model, just a retextured model with blue eyes. It doesn't take Blizzard much effort to do this as they are already remodeling the horde BEs.

It would've been true if alliance got high elves and horde blood elves in TBC, the expansion in which blood elves were added; you can't really compare it to pandaren because it isn't that way.



Also, what do you propose to the horde then? A completely new race?

[Stickybuns]

"A lot of people seem to think that Naga is a strong possibility. There's been numerous threads about it.

Arrakoa could get a race upgrade like Draenei received for Burning Crusade. The original design for Draenei were similar to the Broken. They were "prettied up" for racial inclusion.

Remember the Worgen?"




lol I love the way you put that

[Yarathir]

"A lot of people seem to think that Naga is a strong possibility. There's been numerous threads about it.

Arrakoa could get a race upgrade like Draenei received for Burning Crusade. The original design for Draenei were similar to the Broken. They were "prettied up" for racial inclusion.

Remember the Worgen?"




lol I love the way you put that

Ugh, I really don't want any intentionally prettied-up races anymore.



If they are gonna introduce arakkoa, for one, they need to keep them somewhat "ugly", and not a sexy curvy human body with feathers.

[Felarion]

High Elves of course.

[Nephillim]

Alliance get Jinyu and Horde get Naga, that'd be cute. but fo realz.
the hatred the night elves have for the naga is to huge, blizz couldn't pull it off with out pulling some garrosh shit with the alliance making the night elves really mean and nasty. that and the fact that the naga have way to many design issues. where are the pants and feet gonna go. how will they ride mounts? what classes can they have that will make sense lore wise? mages, warriors, warlocks possibly? hunters, priests? they shouldn't get paladins becasue that simply wont make sense and if they can't have paladins how will they have dk's? its too difficult
Etherials as a neutral faction would be ossum. but the neutral faction fad may be over and done with. It'd be interesting to see how it would work out if it did.
i for one however would be over the moon if all we got was revamped character models.

[Gamevizier]

It would've been true if alliance got high elves and horde blood elves in TBC, the expansion in which blood elves were added; you can't really compare it to pandaren because it isn't that way.



Also, what do you propose to the horde then? A completely new race?

If the next expansion introduces sub-races (Wildhammer/Dark Iron/Bronzebeard Dwarves for example) then I'd say the cosmetic choices will be quite vast. I don't know honestly what the Horde CAN get in-exchange of HE becoming playable by Alliance. but I for one am very interested in playing one.

I brought the Pandaren to refer to times when people bashed the neutral races idea. stating that blizz will -never- do that because the same model will cause confusion among players of the opposite side, and that basically it's not a good suggestion.

[Yarathir]

If the next expansion introduces sub-races (Wildhammer/Dark Iron/Bronzebeard Dwarves for example) then I'd say the cosmetic choices will be quite vast. I don't know honestly what the Horde CAN get in-exchange of HE becoming playable by Alliance. but I for one am very interested in playing one.

I brought the Pandaren to refer to times when people bashed the neutral races idea. stating that blizz will -never- do that because the same model will cause confusion among players of the opposite side, and that basically it's not a good suggestion.

Blizzard has said that sub-races are an idea for 'down the pipeline', but not right now or soon (like next expansion or the one after) - just another one of those idea they'd like to do something.


I'd like subraces, if it was more than just a texture-update.


I'd like the sub-race set to be somewhat like:


Gnomes: Mechagnomes, leper gnomes (would kill for mechagnomes)
Dwarves: Wildhammer, Dark Iron, etc.
Orcs: Dragonmaw, Mag'har.
Draenei: Broken
Undead: Undead high elf
Troll: Amani Troll/Jungle Troll, Zandalari Troll, Farakki Troll
Worgen: Something with the old alpha model being included and a lore justification? (Arugal worgen and gilneas worgen)
Tauren: Eventual Grimtotem.. if that's resolved.
Human: I'd say high elves as alternate model, but I guess that's not a good idea.

[vindicatorx]

I would prefer Blizzard concentrate on gameplay and other useful things rather than a new race or class. That being said there is no none of the above which is what I vote for.

[Gamevizier]

Blizzard has said that sub-races are an idea for 'down the pipeline', but not right now or soon (like next expansion or the one after) - just another one of those idea they'd like to do something.


I'd like subraces, if it was more than just a texture-update.


I'd like the sub-race set to be somewhat like:


Gnomes: Mechagnomes, leper gnomes (would kill for mechagnomes)
Dwarves: Wildhammer, Dark Iron, etc.
Orcs: Dragonmaw, Mag'har.
Draenei: Broken
Undead: Undead high elf
Troll: Amani Troll/Jungle Troll, Zandalari Troll, Farakki Troll
Worgen: Something with the old alpha model being included and a lore justification? (Arugal worgen and gilneas worgen)
Tauren: Eventual Grimtotem.. if that's resolved.
Human: I'd say high elves as alternate model, but I guess that's not a good idea.

Don't know about the Mechagnomes but Leper Gnomes are lore-wise insane (i think)

Broken sound nice, but I don't know what the females are supposed to look like.

Undead High Elves are already in the game as Dark Rangers, and one of my favorites.

Don't know if those Troll tribes support Horde.

[Yarathir]

Don't know about the Mechagnomes but Leper Gnomes are lore-wise insane (i think)

Broken sound nice, but I don't know what the females are supposed to look like.

Undead High Elves are already in the game as Dark Rangers, and one of my favorites.

Don't know if those Troll tribes support Horde.

Most of those are an 'if', really. If they come up with some excuse that "after losing, some moved over to the horde".



That said, there is a Leper gnome ( Haggle, I think ) that acts somewhat normal, and Mechagnomes are supposedly fine now that Yogg-saron is defeated. Or at least, it seemed to work for Mimiron. Mimiron leads the Mechagnomes.



With undead high elves, I mean the high elves that were raised along with the humans and are supposedly a part of the forsaken, not the dark rangers. Those are different.

[Roulette Kneebasha]

Blizzard has said that sub-races are an idea for 'down the pipeline', but not right now or soon (like next expansion or the one after) - just another one of those idea they'd like to do something.


I'd like subraces, if it was more than just a texture-update.


I'd like the sub-race set to be somewhat like:


Gnomes: Mechagnomes, leper gnomes (would kill for mechagnomes)
Dwarves: Wildhammer, Dark Iron, etc.
Orcs: Dragonmaw, Mag'har.
Draenei: Broken
Undead: Undead high elf
Troll: Amani Troll/Jungle Troll, Zandalari Troll, Farakki Troll
Worgen: Something with the old alpha model being included and a lore justification? (Arugal worgen and gilneas worgen)
Tauren: Eventual Grimtotem.. if that's resolved.
Human: I'd say high elves as alternate model, but I guess that's not a good idea.

I would love that so much. Dark Iron for the win.

Psst, Blizz... Gilblins... just sayin. Course I'm probably on my own there.