This exactly. We’re told to keep our mouths shut and like it in a certain other thread that’s flooded on a constant basis (hence why I don’t even bother and just share here). Point blank and period, the ‘bracelets’ are literally bracers. We have bracelets through BRACER MOGS. The bracelets don’t even look that interesting, we have mogs that look nearly identical.
The hairstyles are just the same old same old. The only thing even remotely interesting is the ear length change and the skin tones, which is wonderful. But in terms of hair styles and expression via jewelry? Huge lackluster yikes especially in comparison to what night elves got. It’s so bloody disappointing, especially since void elves get special treatment and two themes whereas blood elves get the same old ‘whee we’re all sunny with very little nuance anymore which reflects our style, our roots and struggles were basically shoved away and people have even more ammo now to say Blood Elves don’t fit the Horde, especially with our attitude’.
THEY EVEN BLOODY CHANGED THEMES SINCE BC. Like, the needing to absorb fel energy to survive? Mana vampires? Did we all just suddenly forget that for prissy/perfect elves? And what about Demon Hunters, do they suddenly deviate from the theme, and Death Knights? Or do they get a pass because they said so?!
And people constantly shoot down Dark Ranger/San’layn themes because they ‘don’t fit blood elves’? Nonsense, utter and total nonsense. High Elves don’t fit void elves, and yet they were added in as a customization option, so hopefully Blizzard doesn’t listen to that nonsense.
For the gods’ sake, they’re adding in a bunch of different troll tribe customization that is extremely diverse. Suddenly we care about ‘BUT OUR THEME!!!’ No. Big, fat, no.
Literally this, some people have pulled “Light Themes for BEs” out of a hat as a “second” theme for BEs… as if we don’t already have light themes so it’s the same theme twice? Like?
There is a fan base for San’layn, there are fans of Dark Ranger themes. I think if it comes through customization it fits perfectly as an actual secondnew theme that does fit for Blood Elves that adds choice and falls into the player agency that Blizzard promised.
I honestly hope the BE fans that want Dark Ranger, San’layn, or Felblood (I admit I don’t know too much about these I’m indifferent), close ranks soon to really get it out that there is support for these themes to be added. And not only does it fall into the player agency promised, but it also falls into long requested things that customization is sort of adding for people / the various fan bases.
It’s this kind of energy that fuels my mind going into Shadowlands hoping the Sin’dorei find a Wild God in the Thros/Drust parts of Ardenweld that will teach our people the forgotten ways of our ancestors. Not just druidic magic, druidic death magic.
It is odd to me because Blood Elves already have Light themes so it’s not a new theme and doesn’t play into player agency at all. It’s the most random thing I’ve ever seen and customizations are I thought dealing with long requested things not concepts created in the last week.
Every time I see that argument in my thread or another, I point out that they exist and people want to play them. That until recently, Sylvanas, an undead elf was Warchief of the Horde. For example, Dark Rangers have existed since Warcraft 3 and are undead Thalassian elves.
Then they’ll say, but most Dark Rangers went with Sylvanas. Then I’ll tell them how wrong they are but showing them Dark Ranger Velonara’s quote after the forming of the Horde Council. It’s the opposite. Most Dark Ranger stayed loyal to the Horde after Sylvanas’ betrayal.
Hopefully Blizzard is listening to people with actual ideas, then, and those who have expressed a desire to play these undead races for years.
Especially going into a Death expansion.
It beyond baffles me that one of the selling points is ‘Death Knights for all’! When they didn’t even add a new interesting starting zone, allied race undead, or undead elf customization. I mean we have an entire vampire zone coming up and Blizz said when asked no plans for the Shadowlands races to be added because it makes little sense but “they’ll think about it based on community feedback”.
Wouldn’t you know it but many in a thread regarding Venthyr v. San’layn favor San’layn too. I saw half as many say they want Venthyr over San’layn vs. The opposite so that brings me some hope that perhaps some in the community are with us there.
All in all I’d have to accept San’layn as customization(if done right and with some lore) even if obviously I really want them as an Allied Race. 0 interest in Venthyr and it’d kinda be highly frustrating to have those things win out after we’ve been asking for years but meh. (No, it wouldn’t be like Void Elves. At least void elves don’t look ugly as sin.)
I know getting San’layn playable would be to die for, but seeing as we’re almost doing that literally, you’d think they would make an appearance and help us. They have enough problems with survival in general, and I doubt they’d want all the undead mooks that have suddenly appeared across the lands tearing up the world and making their day-to-day activities that much harder.
Perhaps, maybe, just maybe, we’ll see some of their story in the prepatch and get a surprise. I am not holding out hope for it, but it would be nice (hint hint Blizz <3 ) to see. We have no information on the prepatch, nor anything else when it comes to Shadowlands at this point. Just silence aside from that one aspect of customization being confirmed.
Horde San’layn in Shadowlands would have quite a number of potential cool moments, also. This scene just popped into my head:
Bwonsamdi: Mind ya manners, Blood Prince, or ya be findin’ yaself in a special place next to me in da afterlife.
San’layn leader: Ooooo, a special place JUST for me? Excellent! I’ll be sure to keep you company. After all, we’ll have all eternity to spend together! You can give me the grand tour of your afterlife!
Bwonsamdi: …on second thought, ya be better not dying in da near future. Ya more useful ta me in da livin’ world.
San’layn Leader: And here I thought you were the fun loa. Oh well, if any of those Alliance mongrels get lucky, I fully expect you to accommodate me so you can hear my thoughts on the manner. I can even give you some decoration advice! I’m not going to reside in just ANY afterlife, you know!
Bwonsamdi: …oh brudda…I thought I was da one in charge of da dead…
I love the characters you make and your stories Inspires me to try and stop being lazy to come up with stuff too. Lately unfortunately due to an incident in real life, I’ve not been writing at all when it comes to my own novel stuff. It’s unfortunate. Still roleplaying though so can likely contribute to this thread with some ideas.
hold up, so someone suggests taking the idea and making them white, glowy, and light themed that is cringy…but here you are being happy about copy pasting the blood elf look but that isnt?
Void elves got flesh colored skin tones so clearly this justifies absurd, and cringeworthy ideas like Void elf paladins, and changing their names to High elves, and that they’re not really void elves anymore just void wielders.
How can you come up with all this far-fetched contradictions to the lore and then try to call out a theme in light with their narrative? Like whaaaat
Man I just want my bloody vampire elves that we saw in Wrath, people can have their light themes even if in my personal opinion those suggestions are very silly. But people shouldn’t go around spouting, “BUT UNDEAD ELVES DESTROY THE THEME OF BLOOD ELVES” when the theme of blood elves has not only changed now since the purification of the Sunwell, but void elves will have two themes.
I hope not…unless it involves justice or unity/consolidation.
I do hope for San’layn/Darkfallen though.
He’s stretching the truth and derailing the thread.
…but I don’t want to do this here.
I think they fit perfectly and I hope that folder we saw during the data mine turns out to be what we hope it is. It’s a perfect fit for Blood Elves and for Shadowlands. We saw a fair amount of both Dark Rangers and San’layn during BFA, they’re a shoe-in.
Inspires me to try and stop being lazy to come up with stuff too. Lately unfortunately due to an incident in real life, I’ve not been writing at all when it comes to my own novel stuff. It’s unfortunate. Still roleplaying though so can likely contribute to this thread with some ideas.