The Unofficial High Elf Discussion Megathread

[Fliktarg-thrall (Fliktarg)]

okay. Doesn’t matter. and that isn’t what this thread is about. Go make your own thread arguing about why high elves shouldn’t be added. That isn’t what this thread is for. Stop hijacking it.

[Shadows-emerald-dream (Shadows)]

But this is why both factions are recruiting new races to begin with. Both sides have suffered heavy loses and are severely weakened.

[Archmage-azralon (Archmage)]

Yeah, somehow every race, except High Elves, found one way to grow their populations, because you know nature principles dont apply to them.

Dalaran was moved to Broken Isles to find the Pillars of creation, the only fight fought by them was in Suramar. Broken Shore was fought by the Legionfall Forces which are every Class Order combined.

Yet, somehow the fight in Suramar seems like have affected more the High Elves than the Nightborne… who fought the invasion of the Legion, all the Elves plus the Kirin Tor, and had to handle a Civil Conflict… all that happening in the only place they all come from… Yeah! This make alot of sense…

[Vexander-moon-guard]

To be fair the Dark Irons weren’t a new recruitment, they’ve been with the Alliance a while now. Much like the High Elves.

[Fyorsing-sargeras]

But this is why both factions are recruiting new races to begin with. Both sides have suffered heavy loses and are severely weakened.

So what you’re stipulating here is that both factions, owing to the fact that they’re embroiled in a violent conflict, are actively looking to recruit as many people as possible?

Wouldn’t that… be an argument in favor of High Elves, at least as it relates to Void Elves? There is absolutely more High Elves than Void Elves.

[Fliktarg-thrall (Fliktarg)]

aye. The dark irons have worked with the alliance since cataclysm but only were officially inducted when they were “recruited”. This was just an oversight. Moira was queen of the dark irons but also the heir of magni so when he went to become the speaker she returned to claim the throne. The other 2 clans did not like this and to stop a civil war from breaking out in ironforge the council was made.

[Shadows-emerald-dream (Shadows)]

From a story perspective, yes. However, we still have to consider gameplay implications. Not every member race of the Alliance and Horde are playable, nor should they be. Blizzard could have easily added High Elves as an Alliance allied race, and it would have made sense from a story perspective. Doing so would create gameplay issues though, which is why they gave us Void Elves instead.

[Vexander-moon-guard]

Doing so would create gameplay issues though

Not really. There would be no gameplay issues. Pandaren are evidence that races that look identical can be on the same faction, and Nightborne/Void Elves are evidence that races can look like one another on each faction but have enough different customization options to be unique.

There’s no gameplay issue. The issue as has been explained is that in a Faction Conflict expansion, the Developers are more interested in seeing the factions being more easily visually distinct. Ergo, come next expansion, High Elves will be a fair addition.

[Shadows-emerald-dream (Shadows)]

Even if the Blood and Night Elves suffered the same number of casualties, having larger overall populations means those loses have less of an impact compared to High Elves.

[Shadows-emerald-dream (Shadows)]

Pandaren are the least played race on either faction, and were introduced as being neutral. Blood Elves are the most popular race of either faction, and were introduced as Horde 12 years ago. This is why High Elves won’t be playable, not even next expansion when the faction war is presumably over.

[Vexander-moon-guard]

I disagree, and I suppose that’s all that needs to be said there. When High Elves are added they will have different customization options, but ones that are in line with their existing appearances. Personally I remain hopeful for some hairstyles inspired by the Lord of the Rings.

[Alamara-goldrinn (Alamara)]

Pandaren are the least played race on either faction, and were introduced as being neutral. Blood Elves are the most popular race of either faction, and were introduced as Horde 12 years ago. This is why High Elves won’t be playable, not even next expansion when the faction war is presumably over.

I don’t see anything there that prevents their addition.

So what? Some players will be upset? Then Blizzard should stop making changes to the game, because everything that is changed or added leaves someone upset.

[Fyorsing-sargeras]

However, we still have to consider gameplay implications. Not every member race of the Alliance and Horde are playable, nor should they be. Blizzard could have easily added High Elves as an Alliance allied race, and it would have made sense from a story perspective. Doing so would create gameplay issues though, which is why they gave us Void Elves instead.

If Blizzard actually agreed with what you’re suggesting, that playable High Elves weren’t ever going to happen and that Void Elves were/are to be their stand-in, then why haven’t they simply removed the High Elves from all areas wherein they ought not be anymore?

Wouldn’t it have been as easy as a company-wide email?

Warcraft Team,

As of this moment, we will no longer utilize High Elves as NPC’s on the Alliance. If players want fair-skinned, light-haired, blue-eyed elf… sorry, the Horde is there waiting for them.

XOXO,
Ion Hozz

Pandaren are the least played race on either faction, and were introduced as being neutral. Blood Elves are the most popular race of either faction, and were introduced as Horde 12 years ago. This is why High Elves won’t be playable, not even next expansion when the faction war is presumably over.

I’m curious what their rate of use, by the playerbase, has to do with anything? It sounds a lot like when people say, “you can’t say that, it’s 2019!”. It’s not actually an argument of anything, just an arbitrary observation.

[Vaelian-silver-hand (Vaelian)]

The Draenei did suffer heavy losses against the Legion, both on Argus and the attack on the Exodar. There probably aren’t a lot of Draenei left, which is why they haven’t had much of a presence for BfA.

We need to go get Yrel and her people from their dying world =D

[Shadows-emerald-dream (Shadows)]

I wish they WOULD do this, and made a thread on the subject a while back. There is no reason to keep adding High Elf NPCs now that Void Elves are playable.

[Vaelian-silver-hand (Vaelian)]

I really don’t see how it is. What defines a faction isn’t what the races on it physically look like. What defines it is the ideals and motivations they have.

Exactly, I mean, otherwise, it must really suck to play the other games where all of the characters are human or a variety of colored humanoids with the same silhouette. There must be no faction identity at all!

Lol…in reality the faction identity works great because of the differing ideals. Sure, there could be some different skin colors to designate different races, but once you slap armor on, everyone looks pretty much the same.
It’s even gotten this way with WoW, I go by whether they’re red or blue outlined, not their silhouette.

If the faction identity comes down to what races they have, then it’s already a poor identity.

The fact they came on one ship that was shot down and proceeded to fight a month or so long war in the heart of enemy territory before ending it by making a frontal assault on the enemy’s primary base.

I wanna go back for the Broken and while we’re there, can we fix the Xenedar and bring it back as well? =D

[Vexander-moon-guard]

I wish they WOULD do this, and made a thread on the subject a while back. There is no reason to keep adding High Elf NPCs now that Void Elves are playable.

Kind of makes you wonder why they DO keep adding them.

[Vaelian-silver-hand (Vaelian)]

it is the same thing with kul tirans. They are humans but blizzard chose a different model to represent them from normal humans.

Playable ones are also descended from giants. Has to be a pretty dominant gene set there too for it to not have dwindled out over the generations

[Disglain-wyrmrest-accord]

If Blizzard actually agreed with what you’re suggesting, that playable High Elves weren’t ever going to happen and that Void Elves were/are to be their stand-in, then why haven’t they simply removed the High Elves from all areas wherein they ought not be anymore?

Naaaah. They exist, they have a presence. Just because they do doesn’t mean they’ll be playable and if they never are playable, that doesn’t mean they should be removed from anything.

[Vexander-moon-guard]

Naaaah. They exist, they have a presence. Just because they do doesn’t mean they’ll be playable and if they never are playable, that doesn’t mean they should be removed from anything.

The argument can be made, logically so, that if Void Elves were here to be the Alliance’s High Elves, then the continued presence of the High Elves detracts from the story of the Void Elves. This is all the more egregious as the Void Elves were added with incredibly little lore and story, and no development at all. They need every tiny bit of presence and development in the world that they can get at this point. Therefor, the continued presence of the High Elves is a detriment to a race that cannot afford it.

Unless the Void Elves were never meant to be the Alliance’s High Elves. If this is the case, there is logic in the thought that High Elves will come down the line later. After all, a popular Horde request for some time has been Undead Elves, such as the San’layn, and what better race to pair them with for the Alliance, than the High Elves?