The Unofficial High Elf Discussion Megathread

Community General Discussion
2023
10/17/2018 08:36 AMPosted by Fliktarg
10/17/2018 08:06 AMPosted by Grabmytotem
Well we aren't gonna make an anti-thread when we can contain the elf spam to a single thread


So you are saying you simply don't want high elves because you personally don't want them. I see no reason to debate whether any race is valid to be made playable or not. The threads are for the discussion for their addition and how it can come about as well as ideas people would like to see for customization regarding them. They are not for whether or not you think they should be playable.


Well i haven't been warned to stay away yet so i'm gonna take that as "it's the right place to"
2024
10/17/2018 08:51 AMPosted by Nindraine
10/17/2018 08:22 AMPosted by Grabmytotem
We have given several alts. Sethrak, Vulpera, Ogre, Jinyu, Vrykul, furbolg just for obvious starters.


So, I quickly skimmed through GD to look for these suggestions you just made in terms of community support, thread activity and the like.

In the past 24 hours, only a thread about Vulpera has been actively posted in.

Sethrak? Nope.
Ogres? Nope.
Jinyu? Nope.
Vrykul? Nope.
Furbolg? Nope.

What has been raised? San'layn, Lightforged Undead, and Night Elf Worgen.

Not one of any of those threads has the same level of activity or support as High Elves.

Every alternative on GD is considerably less popular than this idea. If we factor in previous threads then High Elves' popularity vs alternatives grows exponentially.

So going back to my point of 'if you have a better alternative instead of High Elves, show us' then it's pretty easy to categorically say that there isn't an Allied Race idea more popular than High Elves right now.

tl;dr you say that there are better alternatives? Judging by the relative lack of community support, the numbers suggest that the broader community disagrees with you.


Are you forgetting that these forums are only populated by a fraction of the playerbase and you have no idea what the rest would want?
2025
Posted by Lorithyn
The High Elves of the Alliance are quite numerous

Prove this.

Archimonde destroyed the original Dalaran, presumably killing most of the inhabitants.

Arthas killed 90% of all Quel'dorei leaving 10% who almost all changed their name in remembrance of the dead. (Which is not a bad thing or reason to hate that segment of the race.)


Chronicles V3. All of Dalaran was evacuated before Archimonde destroyed it, giving us a good population of High Elves
1 Like
2026
We have given several alts. Sethrak, Vulpera, Ogre

- probably Horde
- most likely Horde
- definitely Horde

How are these alternatives to High Elves, again?

Jinyu, Vrykul, furbolg

- Jinyu? More like <expletive>you
- lies and fabrication, also "3nJ0y ur FAAAAAT hY00muNz AlLiEz!" and grandstanding about how all Vrykul should go Horde just because Ymiron hated humans
- WoW an ugly hunchback version of a race nobody plays
2027
10/17/2018 09:01 AMPosted by Grabmytotem
10/17/2018 08:51 AMPosted by Nindraine
...

So, I quickly skimmed through GD to look for these suggestions you just made in terms of community support, thread activity and the like.

In the past 24 hours, only a thread about Vulpera has been actively posted in.

Sethrak? Nope.
Ogres? Nope.
Jinyu? Nope.
Vrykul? Nope.
Furbolg? Nope.

What has been raised? San'layn, Lightforged Undead, and Night Elf Worgen.

Not one of any of those threads has the same level of activity or support as High Elves.

Every alternative on GD is considerably less popular than this idea. If we factor in previous threads then High Elves' popularity vs alternatives grows exponentially.

So going back to my point of 'if you have a better alternative instead of High Elves, show us' then it's pretty easy to categorically say that there isn't an Allied Race idea more popular than High Elves right now.

tl;dr you say that there are better alternatives? Judging by the relative lack of community support, the numbers suggest that the broader community disagrees with you.


Are you forgetting that these forums are only populated by a fraction of the playerbase and you have no idea what the rest would want?


Nope. In fact I addressed it in a previous post. But that goes both ways. You also dont know what that playerbase wants, so we can only go off of demonstrable numbers.

Like the ones that show such strong support for High Elves that I just covered.
1 Like
2028
10/17/2018 09:01 AMPosted by Grabmytotem
10/17/2018 08:51 AMPosted by Nindraine
...

So, I quickly skimmed through GD to look for these suggestions you just made in terms of community support, thread activity and the like.

In the past 24 hours, only a thread about Vulpera has been actively posted in.

Sethrak? Nope.
Ogres? Nope.
Jinyu? Nope.
Vrykul? Nope.
Furbolg? Nope.

What has been raised? San'layn, Lightforged Undead, and Night Elf Worgen.

Not one of any of those threads has the same level of activity or support as High Elves.

Every alternative on GD is considerably less popular than this idea. If we factor in previous threads then High Elves' popularity vs alternatives grows exponentially.

So going back to my point of 'if you have a better alternative instead of High Elves, show us' then it's pretty easy to categorically say that there isn't an Allied Race idea more popular than High Elves right now.

tl;dr you say that there are better alternatives? Judging by the relative lack of community support, the numbers suggest that the broader community disagrees with you.


Are you forgetting that these forums are only populated by a fraction of the playerbase and you have no idea what the rest would want?


Well there is this discipline of math called statistics. By taking a smaller sample from a larger population you can extrapolate a rough idea of how many of the total population is whatever you are testing for. It isn’t exact, but even with the forums vs in game populations you can get s reasonable representation.

If high elves become playable, I plan to level one just to spite the anti-helves.
1 Like
2029
10/17/2018 08:59 AMPosted by Grabmytotem
Well i haven't been warned to stay away yet so i'm gonna take that as "it's the right place to"


You're right to post here about your concern/distaste for High Elves if you'd like to. Not only do I agree that it's good for the GD to keep this topic contained, but I always welcome reasonable discussion and debate. People on both sides are passionate about this topic, and should be able to discuss it freely

I'd like to remind everyone here, both for and against High Elves, to be respectful. I've seen hostile behavior from both sides these past couple of pages, let's be civil now, shall we?
2030
Here to show my support for Alliance playable High Elfs.
2 Likes
2031
10/17/2018 06:20 AMPosted by Alurna
10/17/2018 06:19 AMPosted by Mithrandys
Black people and white people are literally humans

Blood elves and high elves are literally the same race

It’s that easy, just because they may call themselves something different does not make them a different race


And yet in both cases, there are different potential customization options! Let's add those through the addition of High Elves.

[Edit]: Personally I hope High Elves have some darker skin options too. Someone posted pictures in the Discord of their High Elf concept.

https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/433270544218062849/501912955319877642/raph__cloak_.png?width=1214&height=683
https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/433270544218062849/501913151353257994/raphah_edit.jpg?width=1213&height=683

Look at that. Absolutely beautiful.


https://wow.gamepedia.com/Legerdemain_Lounge

This will be a bit of an aside for HE and it's most about elves in general.
x I love WoW elves, but if there's one thing I want from them beyond High Elves, it would really be some larger diversity: Elves were the race that conquered all of ancient Kalimdor, and IMO, we could have had a lot of more ethnic differentiation going on, but as fantasy is bound to it seems, like we really got saddled with white elves first and foremost. But like, everything we have discovered of Elves since War2 could very well support a lot more of variety.

Besides my model edits with humans stance where I already added more skin tones, I do other VE->HE conversions as seen above, based on artwork I have done of them.

Warrior (Drawing): https://66.media.tumblr.com/ac9c4f4452280aaff1f0910866d229e2/tumblr_pcvc5g6oRH1smv67eo1_1280.png

Warrior (Paintover): https://66.media.tumblr.com/e0a1c2d60529838194173bbb590c0b81/tumblr_pgr494TnQ01smv67eo1_1280.png

Hunter (Drawing): https://66.media.tumblr.com/dfdc4c292e156caa98e7ee10b98648e2/tumblr_pflruaorNJ1smv67eo1_1280.png

Hunter (Paintover): https://66.media.tumblr.com/c2b95046ebb070881dc135dd06d9165c/tumblr_inline_pgr3r8AzRP1r9sebx_1280.png

Her family had a Suramar background, so I'm exploring the idea that Suramaritan Elves had their own group differentiation on the days of the empire (darker skin, almond shaped eyes) so the idea is that those phenotypes already existed before the Nightborne came to be.

I really liked the idea of the Warcraft movie of casting an asian actor for a High Elf, although I can see how he personally wasn't what we would call attractive on that way we think of elves -which is by itself, debatable as a premise tbh- But like, imagine they would have cast someone like Dichen Lachman to play a High Elf.

https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/thehundred/images/8/82/Dichen-Lachman.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20140601234608

Stunning!

I really love that the HotS Alexstraza model has an east asian sensibility to her as well
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/G7Ut_cpNQg8/maxresdefault.jpg

So I really feel there is a lot more WoW could be doing with their elves beyond the White Tolkien Elf base it all came from.
2032
I'm sorry but at the point you literally end up on different factions because of political and ideological and cultural differences, claiming this is just untenable.


All Elves were Allied with Human Kingdoms prior to the the Burning Crusade.

Blood (High) Elf ideology didn't change. They chose to join Thrall's Horde (not the Fel raging Orcish Horde of Warcraft) for mutual defense in light of continued betrayals by Humans.

Despite Blizzard's continuing hamfisted attempts at propagating a stupid and terribly written faction conflict, the majority of races in game could peacefully coexist.

The remaining High Elves of the Alliance are intolerant bigots. Blood Elves didn't become evil warmongering killers a decade or so ago, they rather chose an honorable and more moderate ally of mixed races without the rampant racial bias of the Alliance's main component race that nearly exterminated their own.

High Elf Fanatic players are also extremely racist in requiring the "purest of the pure" pretty elves to satisfy their lust for androgynous slender humans. And you guys probably should get therapy or at least get out more getting this worked up over pixels.

The fact that Dalaran itself is a cosmopolitan city of Humans, Gnomes and Elves is already evidence that the city itself is a multicultural state. That their whole architecture is unique to that melting pot is evident. That the people that live there have a distinct cultural sensibility than their places of origins is pretty clear.


Doesn't make them a different race, or create a basis for a unique ability, or create a basis for physiological differences.

You're talking a kingdom of mixed races versus an actual distinct race.

The Defias Brotherhood is pretty evil. So let's add humans to the Horde.

The bulk of Eredar are pretty evil. So let's add red draenei to the Horde.

Most Tauren are naturally good and level headed. So let's add them to the Alliance.

Forsaken are literally remnants of Lordaeron, and some would like to hang out with their surviving family members. So, let's add rotting Humans to the Alliance.

Night Elf Worgen couldn't contain the rage. Sounds like a good Horde race there.

Blood Elves have literally already tried to rejoin the Alliance, per the Lore, but you guys wouldn't be happy if they did because they "aren't our Elves" despite being your elves for most of their existence until quite recently.

Nearly 40% of all players in WoW already play an Elf. We really don't need more Elves at this point. The next closest is Human. Let's not make the game World of Elves and Humans.
2033
10/17/2018 10:06 AMPosted by Ruddypiper
I'm sorry but at the point you literally end up on different factions because of political and ideological and cultural differences, claiming this is just untenable.


All Elves were Allied with Human Kingdoms prior to the the Burning Crusade.

Blood (High) Elf ideology didn't change. They chose to join Thrall's Horde (not the Fel raging Orcish Horde of Warcraft) for mutual defense in light of continued betrayals by Humans.



You are literally claiming that Blood Elf ideology "didn't change" post Third War. Are you legitimally trying to make this a serious point? The WHOLE POINT of Blood Elves is that they had to change to survive, to break taboo's to continue to exist. I am sorry but if you are this blatantly dismissive of Blood Elven history what is the point? To pretend that BE didn't change at all is just wrong.

Despite Blizzard's continuing hamfisted attempts at propagating a stupid and terribly written faction conflict, the majority of races in game could peacefully coexist.


Irrelevant opinion given that the World is literally on a faction vs faction war. Again, you can't just dismiss things because you don't like them.

The remaining High Elves of the Alliance are intolerant bigots. Blood Elves didn't become evil warmongering killers a decade or so ago, they rather chose an honorable and more moderate ally of mixed races without the rampant racial bias of the Alliance's main component race that nearly exterminated their own.


Yeah this is just blatant biased BS. You are calling the group more accepting of marrying into other races "intolerant bigots" like from the start that is just a dumb qualifier to High Elves of all the darn races. Also it's pure BS to call the alliance "bigoted" when they also have aliens and elves and furries on their ranks. Like this point is legit stupid, so please stop.

All while you keep spouting the nonsense of "but humans genocied the elves" when i was Arthas undead, the same undead that would be now under Sylvanas, while completely disregarding the Second War and the destruction the same orcs rained on Quel'thalas. Don't be this obtuse.

High Elf Fanatic players are also extremely racist in requiring the "purest of the pure" pretty elves to satisfy their lust for androgynous slender humans. And you guys probably should get therapy or at least get out more getting this worked up over pixels.


Honestly just more BS from your part.

The fact that Dalaran itself is a cosmopolitan city of Humans, Gnomes and Elves is already evidence that the city itself is a multicultural state. That their whole architecture is unique to that melting pot is evident. That the people that live there have a distinct cultural sensibility than their places of origins is pretty clear.


Doesn't make them a different race, or create a basis for a unique ability, or create a basis for physiological differences.

You're talking a kingdom of mixed races versus an actual distinct race.


Again, the point being made is that physiological differences should not be as relevant as ideology, culture and politics. Anything that could separate HE from BE gameplay and aesthetic wise Does Not Have To Be Realted To Any Biology.

The Defias Brotherhood is pretty evil. So let's add humans to the Horde.

The bulk of Eredar are pretty evil. So let's add red draenei to the Horde.

Most Tauren are naturally good and level headed. So let's add them to the Alliance.

Forsaken are literally remnants of Lordaeron, and some would like to hang out with their surviving family members. So, let's add rotting Humans to the Alliance.

Night Elf Worgen couldn't contain the rage. Sounds like a good Horde race there.


More utter nonsense. What has this arbitrary moral qualification have ANYTHING to do with High Elves? NONE of these groups exists as a group on the opposing faction, Like Silver Covenant High Elves. Stop. Being. Obtuse.

Who is saying the horde is evil in here? What are you talking about.

Blood Elves have literally already tried to rejoin the Alliance, per the Lore, but you guys wouldn't be happy if they did because they "aren't our Elves" despite being your elves for most of their existence until quite recently.


*eyeroll* Well, don't you think that if Blood Elves had rejoined the Alliance, perhaps there would have been some talks of unification with the elves already on the alliance? What is even the point here???

Nearly 40% of all players in WoW already play an Elf. We really don't need more Elves at this point. The next closest is Human. Let's not make the game World of Elves and Humans.


*Sigh* tell me, where is the evidence that says that more people would be HE, rather than the people that already have elves... race change them. Like dude, if you want to be an elf in this game, you have plenty of options, so stop it with this fallacy that some people are just waiting in the wings to play a High Elf.
1 Like
2034
10/17/2018 10:26 AMPosted by Talendrion
Like Silver Covenant High Elves. Stop. Being. Obtuse.


One small militant group. Not a city, not a town, not an army. The literal definition of bigots because they are intolerant of anything Horde related, and their sole purpose is to stamp out any Horde "uprising" within the Alliance.

That does not a unique racial faction make.

You are literally asking to be the in game equivalent of a N A Z I rather than play a purple elf or switch factions. A character creation screen that shows the same options for Blood Elf and "High Elf" sans eye color with a whole heap of newly created Lore stating how "High Elves" aren't a dying race and there are tons of them servicing the Alliance who totally aren't Blood Elves because they lived somewhere else.

as an slightly related topic:

I played a Goblin Hunter during Legion. Veressa Windrunner was part of my Class Hall and pledged her support to me!
2035
Just because there's a cult of high elf fans on the forums doesn't mean it's the most popular or would be the most liked allied race. Using the forums as a gauge is just not factual.
2036
10/17/2018 10:26 AMPosted by Talendrion
Like Silver Covenant High Elves. Stop. Being. Obtuse.


One small militant group. Not a city, not a town, not an army. The literal definition of bigots because they are intolerant of anything Horde related, and their sole purpose is to stamp out any Horde "uprising" within the Alliance.

That does not a unique racial faction make.

You are literally asking to be the in game equivalent of a N A Z I rather than play a purple elf or switch factions. A character creation screen that shows the same options for Blood Elf and "High Elf" sans eye color with a whole heap of newly created Lore stating how "High Elves" aren't a dying race and there are tons of them servicing the Alliance who totally aren't Blood Elves because they lived somewhere else.

as an slightly related topic:

I played a Goblin Hunter during Legion. Veressa Windrunner was part of my Class Hall and pledged her support to me!


Yeah, you went there. I'm sorry but your opinion is now entirely worthless for me. Sure, compare the group lead by the elf with two half elf children to that, what a great point you have made. What a bigot High Elves are because they don't like the horde after their leader's whole family was slaughtered by orcs during the Second War.

Sorry but you are crossed the line where you say anything meaningful.

And Order Halls were neutral dear lord
1 Like
2037
10/17/2018 10:50 AMPosted by Reyla
Just because there's a cult of high elf fans on the forums doesn't mean it's the most popular or would be the most liked allied race. Using the forums as a gauge is just not factual.


High Elves are at the same time something that like 10 people would like, and something that would completely destroy faction balance and create elf overdose.

In the words of the iconic Oprah, "Which one is it?"
1 Like
2038
10/17/2018 11:41 AMPosted by Talendrion
10/17/2018 10:50 AMPosted by Reyla
Just because there's a cult of high elf fans on the forums doesn't mean it's the most popular or would be the most liked allied race. Using the forums as a gauge is just not factual.


High Elves are at the same time something that like 10 people would like, and something that would completely destroy faction balance and create elf overdose.

In the words of the iconic Oprah, "Which one is it?"

No you don't get it. You see, if high elves are added then all of the blood elf players will be forced to race change. You see, they don't have a choice to not play the race. That's just unrealistic.
1 Like
2039
10/17/2018 10:06 AMPosted by Ruddypiper
Nearly 40% of all players in WoW already play an Elf. We really don't need more Elves at this point. The next closest is Human. Let's not make the game World of Elves and Humans.


Let's be honest though, any new allied race that isn't an elf/human isn't going to stop people from playing elves or humans. If junker gnomes are the next Alliance allied race, you'll still see primarily humans running around
2040
10/17/2018 02:45 PMPosted by Lorithyn
10/17/2018 10:06 AMPosted by Ruddypiper
Nearly 40% of all players in WoW already play an Elf. We really don't need more Elves at this point. The next closest is Human. Let's not make the game World of Elves and Humans.


Let's be honest though, any new allied race that isn't an elf/human isn't going to stop people from playing elves or humans. If junker gnomes are the next Alliance allied race, you'll still see primarily humans running around


I can't say I see a new Elf allied race drawing players from other races either. Not unless they have some fantastic OP racials. Granted fantastic, OP racials are more or less what the Alliance needs at this point, but Allied Races being behind a rep grind isn't likely to help the population balance out.
1 Like
2041
10/17/2018 02:51 PMPosted by Alurna
10/17/2018 02:45 PMPosted by Lorithyn
...

Let's be honest though, any new allied race that isn't an elf/human isn't going to stop people from playing elves or humans. If junker gnomes are the next Alliance allied race, you'll still see primarily humans running around


I can't say I see a new Elf allied race drawing players from other races either. Not unless they have some fantastic OP racials. Granted fantastic, OP racials are more or less what the Alliance needs at this point, but Allied Races being behind a rep grind isn't likely to help the population balance out.

So would the best solution would be to give us an allied race that we want (high elves) with op racials and no rep grind?
1 Like
2042
Seeing the blood elf heritage armor, it just reminds me that high elves would never be caught in such garb. Their heritage armor would probably be something more alike to Alleria's gear.

High elves and blood elves are not the same thing.

(Also, I still think void elf bare chest armor with high collar and a helmet makes no damn sense.)