The thing with them is far beyond any sort of model thing, too. Aside from the fact that they’re ugly, and I don’t like ugly vampires (which people are endorsing because ‘NO MORE ELVES’), San’layn were here in Lich King era, and the stories I’ve created around my characters are for San’layn and vampyr that they already established in wrath.
As opposed to actually expanding upon that, they just shove it aside for this new nonsense with the same exact theme. Venthyr could be the most beautiful things in the world and I’d still hate them, because the lore and stories I enjoy were for San’layn and the vampyr curse.
So unless it’s connected in some way, I’m going to continue to hate them and being pushed aside for nothing. The void elf and high elf debacle might feel the same, but the thing is, void elves and high elves have different themes.
High elves are already a part of the Alliance, and they don’t have a connection to the void–void elves took the model, but not theme. (Though their frustration was understandable too, even if I like the style of void elves better). From what I’ve seen from the community, more natural hair colors and a smidgeon of lore would be really satisfying.
We’re going into a death expansion with 1/4 of it being a vampire theme with no sign of San’layn lore whatsoever or hope of even customization for Blood Elves. And it’s not a matter of model sharing like the Kelfin/Vulpera, because in that case, they weren’t lorewise replacing anything. Kelfin got their lore and need their customization, they’re already in the horde. Plus using the same model really isn’t a big deal, as we’ve seen, should Kelfin still be on the table for an allied race.
The problem with San’layn is they never got lore saying they joined the Horde or expanded story at all, so even if they added customization, it’d be not enough because there’s 0 story behind it at all.
Therefore, I’m frustrated after working on this for 3 years sharing ideas and stories only to have no word or response whatsoever and have this entirely new race come out of the blue, be loved because “it’s not an elf”, and all that.
It’s just so tiresome, and now people come into my thread saying this replacement ugly race with out-of-the-blue lore should be added as opposed to San’layn. I keep telling people to go make their own thread and community, but it keeps happening in this thread.
All of my art, all of the stories, and vampire themes are for San’layn, and for many people too, only to have this vampire theme snatched away and likely replaced by these things. Even void elves didn’t do that, they didn’t replace high elves, they had a different theme. Venthyr? Same theme, but far uglier and ‘not an elf’.
If San’layn are destined to be customization (with fangs and claws, no slacking on that) that’s fine, but I just have a feeling that if there’s no sign of them and this out-of-the-blue race of which is a complete theme replacement is added, even asking for that will get people to FLOOD this thread and say: “YOU HAVE PLAYABLE VAMPIRES ALREADY SHUT UP”.
It’d be far worse than the “no more elves” mantra.
Edit: Oh wow this was a long one, well… I guess my feelings on this are very clear.
Edit 2: And after years of trying to push this and being insulted to the ground for liking vampires, now suddenly there’s a gigantic boom of support for the theme, but because they’re “not elves” even though they look quite a bit like elves, but are ugly. So not only does the above happen, but to see the same community that relentlessly was the way it was turn around and say “Yeah they’re awesome” after being so bitter here just makes me very frustrated.