Which is why I like the idea of them being the continuation of the High Elf narrative rather than their “own” thing. Indeed, establishing them as a new thing would require years of set up, hence why I think HE’s passing the baton to them creates a continuous line in the narrative.
All it takes is the Silver Covenant recruiting all the Half elves they can find to carry their legacy.
It’s not about the Half Elves becoming their own group, but the Half Elves being gathered by the Silver Covenant to form a group.
Thing is for it to be a continuation it would have to be a continuation. Not a joint thing.
Because there are still High Elves doing stuff. It would not a great deal of set up to work.
And all it would basically amount to is “Not High Elves but Still kinda like High Elves” like Void Elves. Except with more established connections.
Basically I see it being quite possible in the future in a timeline where the High Elves have “mingled” with humans to the point that the High Elves are Half Elves are the same race.
Otherwise I don’t see people finding it an acceptable replacement.
Which is why I said they would be like the Gilnean/Worgen thing. The Silver Covenant would still be a High Elf and Half Elf group, but only one side is playable, but both would be relevant and present to the story.
That’s the point I’m making, you can’t “replace” High Elves with Half Elves as distinct, that’s what I think would not make too many people happy, but making Half Elves the next step of High Elven lore, with them coexisting as the same entity until eventually the intermingling makes them a homogeneous group in the future.
Mind you, I’m talking about this in the context of the Silver Covenant where I think there’s already a set up with Vereesa’s children and Elisande’s callout, this indeed would not encompass every High Elf, but the point for me has always been about the most relevant HE story-through line, which is indeed them.
There would still be High Elves out there, it’s just about following the story of one specific group what I am referring to.
There weren’t any Void Elves, Void Elf factions (heck their still aren’t any factions with rep), or groups before Blizzard added them. So what makes Half Elves any more difficult to justify?
In game and in media we keep being told the Quel’Dorei are diluting themselves by intermingling with humans. We have Arathor as the Half Elf poster boy, and Kalecgos supposedly in Half Elf form. Arathor could be the “Alleria” of the Half Elves.
All Blizzard has to do is say “Oh they were always there but just not represented in game” and then “Arathor recruited a bunch of Half Elves to help the Alliance” Wooohoo! We’ve got a story thats still less of an asspull than Void Elves.
That’s a Great Idea. Half Elves continuing the Quel’dorei Legacy and even taking their Elven Heritage like Rangers from Warcraft 2. Plus this would also develop Vereesa more as a True Leader rather than being a Military leader.
This is High Elf thread, not Half Elf, I think pushing for Half Elves to develop a story isn’t right, the Silver Covenant can develop their own, especially joining now in the Battle For Azeroth.
Silver Covenant story has only just begun! Quel’dorei story is still forming, theirs so much deeper we can go!
I think most people looking for High Elves would prefer them over Half Elves. The suggestion for Half Elves is made mainly because High Elves themselves seem to be such a sticking point because they look nearly identical to Blood Elves.
Half Elves is an “easy out” to bypass that roadblock without throwing consistency out the window while also allaying any concerns over “Blood Elves with blue eyes”. Half Elves can also be realistically looked upon as the inheritors of the Quel’Dorei legacy due to the intermingling of High Elves with humans and the offspring they produce.
Would I prefer High Elves? Sure. But if Blizzard is dead set against High Elves as an Alliance allied race, then Half Elves are a way to get the High Elf fantasy and lore, while also not having another recolored Thalassian model which seems to be a big deal to some people. I see Half Elves (if done right) as an acceptable alternative if High Elves just aren’t on the table. They’d certainly fit the High Elf fantasy far better than Void Elves currently do and discussing them here lets Blizzard know that.
I just don’t get why Blizzard would give the Horde an Alliance race to begin with, and then with flaunting them around over on the Alliance side throughout the years and when people ask for them they are like OMG play HORDE!
Blizzard may not like it but the High Elves are a core part of the Alliance identity.
Trying to give the Alliance something else in its stead feels cheap and awful.
This wouldn’t solve the problem honestly. Imagine being recruited by High Elves, High Elf NPCs gives you quests, High Elves take part on the Alliance campaigns and wars, but you still cannot play them, they are all around you but you are only allowed to be a Half Elf. It would be the same as the current state, High Elves being represented as a Alliance race but you are blocked from playing them, and blizzard gaves you a elf variant that you didn’t asked for.
My assumption has always been that High Elves did not maintain a presence in the Alliance so much to flaunt something the Alliance isn’t allowed to have, so much as their continued presence and relevance was once of two things.
Firstly, a nod to the history the race has with the Alliance. A respectful gesture for fans of the games where High Elves were part of the Alliance, demonstrating that the race, on some level, is still loyal to the Alliance.
The second option would seem to me to be, that High Elves’ continued presence in the Alliance was more or less insurance for the future. Blood Elves were added to the Horde to give them a race to draw more Alliance players to the Horde, but I imagine people like Metzen felt that they didn’t fit in and in future games, the Blood Elves needed a way to get back into the Alliance. High Elves who continue to have a strong presence in the Alliance would be that bridge.
The only problem with High Elves is that they are too similar to Blood Elves right? So what? Is up to blizzard to solve it, picking up their designers that are friendly with the idea and taking up the fans suggestions. I think that you can set them apart without even changing the models, different hair styles, hair colors, faces, jewelry, tattoos, markings etc and a slight different default stance. Different pvp armor sets (red horde x blue alliance) can work in favor of this aswell.
Exactly, just by changing the idle stance and using marks as definers of skin color, is enough to give High Elves-Blood Elves HUGE aesthetics differences.
About the markings and skin color, my suggestion would be all High Elves having the snow-white skin color, and what is customizable is the design and color of the war paints.
My idea for them is to quite simply incorporate half elves into high elves. They have lived with humans for thousands of years. They can show that by having options for mixed heritage. If you want to be a pure elf go for it. If you want to have some human ancestry go for it.
This is an awesome idea, just put an option to crossbreed skin colors, and ear customization that does not make it so big and pointed; like the LoTR elf-ears.