New Customization Options for Blood Elves and Void Elves

Community General Discussion
1912

Hey folks, long time campaigner for High Elves, just resubbed so I can chime in on this news (and also fiddle around in BfA for a bit).

First off, I want to thank the devs for this announcement - IMHO it’s an excellent compromise that adds more options to both how Horde players can represent their Blood Elves, as well as how Alliance players can represent their Void Elves, while also allowing players to represent their characters as High Elves if they so desire. More character appearance options is always a great thing, and these options really do go a hell of a long way towards addressing some long-requested options for both sides - many Blood Elf players, for example, wanted blue-glowing eyes. On the other side, a lot of Void Elf players (and I don’t mean just players who wanted High Elves, but bona fide Void Elf fans) have been asking for more skintones.

Speaking of skintones, the diversity options are well overdue, so its really great to be seeing Elves with diverse skintones and representation. That was well overdue and something I’d been asking for for a long time, so that’s also really cool to see.

So…yeah, overall I’m pretty damn happy with this news, and I’m actually motivated to level up my Void Elf now. So you’re bringing at least one player back to the game with this move.

I do agree with some of the expressed sentiments that some less tentacley Void Elf hair options would be nice, or that disabling the visual (or providing a less voidy version) would also be great too, and since Shadowlands is putting so much work into character creation, I’d like to add my voice to the chorus and say that some more options in those areas would be great (also the Void Elf males seem to be suffering from significant hair loss, is there anything we can do about that? >.>), and I do agree that a less visually obtrusive option for Entropic Embrace would be nice too.

However, all in all, I’m nitpicking - the current changes as is go a long way towards satisfying me, both as a Blood Elf player and as someone who would like to play a High Elf - or at the very least, a less voidy Void Elf.

Look, I agree that this would have been awesome. My concern is that storywise the Silver Covenant will just stop featuring or being a thing, and functionally be replaced by Void Elves. But It’s also important to recognize that the requests for a High Elf Allied Race, and particularly requests for unique meshes, racials, mounts, heritage armor etc. were a response to the point that Blizzard considered High Elves too similar to Blood Elves (and later, Void Elves) to consider making them a thing.

Realistically, Void Elves getting de-bluified skin tones was always going to be the most realistic option, because it’s essentially the path of least resistance. Or the path of least work. Either or.

So while part of me is a bit disappointed that none of the awesome fan art and mock-up skins and meshes we’ve seen over the years will make it into the game, we were all probably kidding ourselves a little in thinking that they would ever become reality anyway. So its probably worth recognizing that as well and, keeping that in mind, being happy with what we have gotten instead. Because, as I said, realistically it was the most likely outcome anyway.

13 Likes
1913

Who said that they won’t ever appear? IMO, they can still be added… as void elf customization options! Some things, like the Alleria-like tattoos or maybe dual-color hair, still make sense for void elves. So, there’s that.

Welcome back, BTW!

7 Likes
1914

(Query): How? Are Blood Elves no longer a Horde race? Are they not the only Horde race to have human skin colors and hair colors?

(Commentary): You’re not losing uniqueness. High Elves have existed on the Alliance since this game began. Your customization is unique on the Horde, but on the Alliance? It’s shared by many other races. Blood Elves are as unique as ever.

14 Likes
1915

Amazing changes for velf thanks!

Any word on velf hairstyles? in particular, belf pigtails?

1916

Since the Alliance now have Blood elves what does the Horde get? I want Fel Draenei.

1 Like
1917

but in what capacity? they are individuals. always have been. they were never on par with other actual alliance races. never had a settlement or leader representing them and you still didnt get them. you are getting a void elf with a blood elf skin tone. you will still BLEED purple blood and pop into a complete void state

1918

forsaken with human skin tones would be fine. the horde does have humans working with them and it would allow those people who always wanted to experience that story

1919

(Commentary): The Silver Covenant has had more screen time and relevance to the Alliance’s narrative than half of it’s playable races.

(Observation): There’s a High Elf representative at the Sunwell, and we’ve had Vereesa Windrunner as well.

(Commentary): A compromise is a compromise, and if players can get everything they need to immerse themselves as High Elves short of adding a new race, why should that matter? Let players have fun.

16 Likes
1920

Okay so first off, we have no idea at this point what the extent of the new customization options are going to be. The only thing we know for sure is the following:

A) Blood Elves and Void Elves are getting blue eye color options.
B) Blood Elves are getting new skin tone options, and Void Elves are getting their options backfilled with options Blood Elves have also had (the way it’s worded and the preview shots do not make it clear if that means that all of the new skin tones for Belves are also going to be available to Velves - there is a strong possibility there will still be some exclusives on either end).
C) Blood Elves are getting new hairstyles, and there are datamined but not confirmed additional options specifically tied to the Blood Elf (read: not the Void Elf) models.

We do not know right now whether Void Elves are also getting new hairstyles or colors. We don’t know whether the Blood Elves are going to also get some of the Void Elf customizations on top of the new styles they’re already getting. I’d say both are likely, but strictly speaking, there’s no real evidence to back either assumption up right now.

You’re making an assumption that the eventual outcome is going to be that Void Elves wind up with all of Blood Elves’ customizations en masse and Blood Elves will get nothing. That’s not only unfounded, but it’s also probably the least likely of the possible outcomes.

You didn’t answer my question. Did your character become less fun to play when humans could use their hairstyles? Did they become less fun to play when Void Elves entered the picture in the first place and already were 90% of the way to looking identical anyways? We’re still largely separated across factions, so unless you’re actively seeking out interaction with the other faction (which, sure, for PvP maybe, but at that point you’re just killing them and moving on), why does it matter so much what another player you’re barely going to see looks like for your personal enjoyment of the game?

I mean, I’m one of the people who thought Alterac Humans on the Horde would be a really neat idea, so, shoot, go for it. If people wanted to play that, and Blizzard decided “hey yeah okay let’s do it”, then sure, that’s fine.

I’m genuinely curious - any Pandaren players out there, does it bother you or impact your enjoyment at all knowing that the other faction is able to make a character that looks just like you? I’m genuinely asking, I see this specter of “you’ll make us just like the Pandaren!” all the time but never from actual Pandaren players, so I’d be curious to hear their opinions.

4 Likes
1921

you really want to do this here? again?

1922

(Query): Do you?

(Commentary): You’re the one who brought it up. I’m just letting you know you’re wrong.

10 Likes
1923

the SC is based in an explicitly neutral city, this is why the never appear without the context of working under a kirin tor leader and representatives of them. this is why they were absent during the fourth war(along with the kirin tor which they serve) because if they appeared openly attacking the horde and returning to dalaran they would be compromising the neutrality of dalaran

how many times do i have to point it out to you. no kingdom is going to allow a tiny militia within their borders to openly attack another they are neutral with. theyre not apart of the alliance no matter how much you fancition and wish they were

you say they have more screen time but never acknowledge their role is merely to stand in the background of a more important character(jaina in mop, and khadgar in legion). even the gnomes had operation gnomeregan and in this expansion the rustbolt rebellion. weve never had an alliance high elf centric story of their own and never will

they NEVER had more screentime then any other alliance race as those races appear EVERYWHERE fighting for the alliance in EVERY questing zone

2 Likes
1924

Once Blizzard has announced something officially, it won’t back down. So, I advise:

  • For the pro-high elf crowd: suggest void elf customization without further pulling things from blood elves. We spent years suggesting how the races could look different, so just keep doing that. Tattoos, hairdos, colors, whatever. Just avoid things like “We need the belf hair styles and colors”.

  • For the antis, focus on asking for belf customization that you’d like and you feel it’s possible to happen, instead of trying to fight what has already been defined. It’s also pointless to argue about lore now.

15 Likes
1925

i love that you love void elves now. after bashing them nonstop for the last 3 years. but i agree theres no point in you guys intentionally misinterpreting the lore still. void elves can now look like a blood elf(minus natural hair colors) and antis want something that void elves dont have, simple as that. farstrider tattoos would be a start

3 Likes
1926

Arguing on here is likely how we have blue eyes for Blood Elves and alliance Void elves.
Blizz knows that there are many of us who are upset about giving alliance void elf more of our blood elf look, if we say nothing about alliance wanting MORE of the blood elf appearances it will seem like we don’t care.

3 Likes
1927

And you simplify years of requests and suggestions regarding void elves as just “bashing”. We always said that they were a poor compromise, now they are a better compromise. Doesn’t mean they are perfect, nor that their lore suddenly got improved.

Then ask for them and let Blizzard decide, thought from a design standpoint I find them more likely going for void elves, if not for both, but with color distinctions.

13 Likes
1928

(Commentary): Dalaran is an Alliance city as of Mists of Pandaria. In Legion, the Council of Six did not vote to leave the Alliance. At the end of that expansion, Khadgar said he would not participate in the upcoming war. Nothing of this indicates that Dalaran is no longer a part of the Alliance.

(Query): Zul’Aman in Cataclysm? The Hunter Lodge? Vereesa’s presence when PC’s get their PvP Artifact Skin? The Second Siege of Orgrimmar we just had, in BFA?

(Commentary): I can understand that last one might confuse you since we only saw Vereesa rather than actual Silver Covenant forces, but the presence of the Covenant’s siege weapons was fairly indicative of their involvement.

(Commentary): Not sure what to tell you. The Silver Covenant’s page clearly states they’re Alliance forces. Vereesa stands with other leaders of the Alliance in Legion when getting the PvP Artifact Skin. The Silver Covenant, as well as Dalaran, are Alliance.

(Commentary): So what you’re saying is, because they aren’t the sole race in their campaigns, they don’t count? I guess that means the Night Elves and Blood Elves didn’t help Suramar attain freedom either. The Sunreavers never did anything, the Isle of Thunder didn’t happen, the Gnomes didn’t actually have a story with Mechagon because the Goblins are also a factor there, etc…

(Observation): Your criteria for what constitutes activity is absurd and you should feel absurd. By your logic, no race has ever had a central storyline or presence in this game because they’ve been forced to share it with other races.

(Observation): Aside from Operation Gnomeregan, the Gnomes have done nothing in WoW’s lifetime, and by your logic, even Mechagon doesn’t count because Goblins were helping out there too. What main story have the Dwarves had in a patch or expansion? Blood in the Snow, anything else? Even the Night Elves haven’t had a lot of chances to be a focus and lead in for storylines, up until the War of Thorns and Battle for Darkshore, but I guess that doesn’t count because they had to share both of those experiences with the Worgen, right?

12 Likes
1929

I’m not saying don’t give the feedback.

I’ve made it know that I’m not really a fan of the idea of more non void elf/non blood elf customization options at this point. At least until they put in some more customization that actually enhances the themes of the races.

The dude I was responding to was, frankly, getting bullied by like 4 helf fan posters and a mvp and was coming off as upset. Nothing on this forum should push your mental health like that. SO I was more just stepping away at that point.

I was also kind of sleep deprived so I know it kind of was totally not how I put it out there. :sweat_smile:

4 Likes
1930

Oh…ok, sorry if I came off pushy. lol
I get your point and I agree with you.
It does kind of feel like anyone here who is disagreeing with giving void elves more blood elf appearances or against watering down void elves is getting treated with a lot of hostility, though.

4 Likes
1931

Yea, they are. My opinion of helf fans has exceedingly diminished in the last couple of days. I went from being basically rooting for them to hoping this is the last of the customization that they get.

Their fandom is one of the worst I’ve dealt with in this game. SO, like I said, voice your feedback, but don’t get dragged down into the mud with them.

4 Likes