ALLIANCE HIGH ELVES AS A PLAYABLE RACE
NEW April 12th, 2018: TALIESIN AND EVITEL MADE A VIDEO ON HIGH ELVES! SUPPORTING THEIR INCLUSION FOR ALLIANCE!
It's Time For High Elves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Sr-sadSk4
Taliesin made the video with the purpose of disproving High Elves, BUT after researching as he was making it, he realized that they actually do qualify as an Alliance Allied Race. Here are all his criteria that High Elves meet listed as is in the video:
1. Are they a different enough race to existing playable options? - CHECK
2. Are there enough of them? - CHECK
3. Are they relevant? - CHECK
4. Do they look different enough? - CHECK
(4th not an essential criteria: not met by all other allied races)
The last 6 minutes of the video where he discusses why Void Elves were the wrong answer for High Elf fans and how Void Elves do not meet the criteria that all other allied races meet. Taliesin even mentions The Alurna Manifest of High Elves and showcases his argument for High Elves by presenting the fan art concepts done by our High Elf supporters!
https://youtu.be/C2Sr-sadSk4?t=16m24s
I think Blizzard consider this our playable High Elf and there's no doubt that having Void Elves, having these models as Alliance options definitely makes it feel like the 'genuine' High Elves people want are less likely than ever. This [Void Elves] feels like an answer.....except it doesn't though, does it?
And making this video has made me realize why: I wanted to make a very fair and even-handed case for each argument, for and against, Alliance High Elves to help myself decide as much as anything. So I created this list of criteria that I think the Alliance races all share to see if High Elves could fit in with that, and as we've seen they do fit those criteria. But I've come to realize, Void Elves don't.
NEW April 5th, 2018: WE'VE BEEN NOTICED MY HIGH ELVEN BRETHREN AND LADIES! GET TO THEORYCRAFTING BOYS AND GIRLS!
WoW Battle for Azeroth Dev Interview - Islands and Wrathion
https://youtu.be/HyDQF0SisAA?t=4m13s
Time: 4:13-5:10 (End where High Elves are mentioned)!
Perculia: And you've kinda touched on this before, but talking about the Golden Blood Elves a lot of players were really surprised to see that. Especially because Ion at the past Q&A just said it wasn't really a top priority to do customization for older races, so that was really cool to see. Are more little touch-ups like that on the way and was the Golden Blood Elf Eyes something that was a long time coming?.. Or just - it was really funny timing seeing it appear right after it was said it wasn't a priority.
Jeremy Feasel "Muffinus": Yeah so as with anything on the World of Warcraft team, the things that we announce and say at Blizzcon may change significantly over the course of the year. I think what we're finding is that we love the ability to add more player customization options, it's super cool. We found that players have been responding very positive to it. So we'd like to continue doing although we don't have anything to announce quite yet. We would love to hear all of your ideas! Please post them on the forums, let us know what you'd like to see. -Points and looks at camera- It's High Elves :)
Note: PLEASE extend the thread cap! We don't want to spam the forums with multiple versions of these threads, just a singular place to discuss the topic! Thank you!
Reason for this thread:
At Blizzcon, the WoW developers asked the community to provide feedback and suggestions on future Allied Races they'd like to see - this is ours!
Purpose of this thread:
Brainstorming ideas how to EVENTUALLY implement and diversify High Elves, so they don't step on Blood Elves' toes.
We will be discussing model alterations, idle stance, animations, customization options, class selection, as well as their overall culture and story.
We fully understand that if HE do happen, it won't be any time soon. Probably not until every baseline race gets an Allied Race counterpart (i.e. Worgen>Sethrak; Goblin>Vulpera).
Goals of this thread:
Aid Blizzard in the eventual implementation of a High Elf Allied Race, in a way that is most acceptable for the majority of the WoW community by providing ideas and suggestions.
We do not want "Blood Elves on the Alliance" - those are Void Elves.
We do not want to "take away an Allied Race slot" - we are aiming for further down the line, after everyone else has taken their turn.
Please note: These threads have been going on for quite some time, and most of the arguments have already been had quite extensively. The below are some examples of the most common, and while people are free to post what they like, anyone making these arguments will likely not get a response.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAQs/Common Counterarguments:
“Aren’t High Elves Just Blood Elves With Blue Eyes?”
Leaving the lore differences aside, model-wise, currently, yes. Blizzard has a long track record of having less developed models for races that are not currently playable. If made playable, it is very likely that these models would see some kind of revisiting to further differentiate them from Blood Elves, similar to tweaks Nightborne got in comparison to Night Elves. Common suggestions have been: changing the idle stances and animations, which would change the silhouette, a more “human”-like model modified from the current Human or Night Elf models, slimmed down, or customization specific traits like tattoos, war paints, or distinct hairstyle choices, among others.
“There aren’t enough High Elves left, I thought?”
The Silver Covenant, the militarized organization of Dalaran High Elves (which have recently been clarified as being more numerous than once thought), have been present for many of the Alliance’s military operations in the past several expansions and have consistently fielded numbers that would suggest there are plenty of them left. Similarly, Quel’Danil lodge in the Hinterlands and the Allerian Stronghold in Outland both show other independently organized High Elf forces that are not suffering in numbers. In addition, Stormwind has its own High Elf population. There is more than enough evidence to suggest High Elves have enough numbers to be appropriate for an Allied Race, especially compared to what has been shown as appropriate for other examples such as the Lightforged or the Void Elves.
Source: In-game representation, out of game official canon text such as Chronicle Vol 3
“I don’t want to see any more elves in this game!”
This is a subjective opinion, and a valid one, but not a reasonable argument against other people’s ability to ask for what they would also subjectively like to see.
"What about Void Elves?”
Void Elves were specifically and deliberately set up as being recent exiles from Silvermoon among the Blood Elf population. Their presence does not continue the separate High Elf story in any way and thus is not a reason for them not to be added.
“High Elves = Blood Elves = Void Elves”
Both the in-game lore and the out of game official canon texts have very clearly set up the Thalassian elves as a split people, and the themes of mutual High Elf and Blood Elf resentment for each other is what led to the creation of the Silver Covenant in the first place. Furthermore, Chronicle has drawn further attention to the fact on some level this split was in the process of happening before Kael’Thas even renamed those who followed him to Blood Elves: tensions existed between the High Elves who chose to live in Dalaran and those who lived in Silvermoon, the latter considering the former to prefer the company of humans over the love of their own homeland.
Sources: In-game representation and lore as presented through Alliance questing, as well as out-of-game official canon text such as Chronicle Vol 3.
“High Elves will cause population bleed on Horde side.”
Considering Allied Races have so far required extra steps, such as having a max level character on the appropriate faction and gating behind reputations, along with the fact that Allied Races also have restricted class options (Death Knight and Demon Hunter are both very popular classes and would likely not be available), this outcome is unlikely. Adding to that, the fact that Horde edges out Alliance population-wise slightly at max level, and the fact that Void Elves, which brought the Blood Elf model to the Alliance to begin with, did not impact overall faction balance, and this is very likely not a very serious concern.
Above ^ summary made by the lovely Tabasa-Earthen Ring~
NEW April 12th, 2018: TALIESIN AND EVITEL MADE A VIDEO ON HIGH ELVES! SUPPORTING THEIR INCLUSION FOR ALLIANCE!
It's Time For High Elves
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2Sr-sadSk4
Taliesin made the video with the purpose of disproving High Elves, BUT after researching as he was making it, he realized that they actually do qualify as an Alliance Allied Race. Here are all his criteria that High Elves meet listed as is in the video:
1. Are they a different enough race to existing playable options? - CHECK
2. Are there enough of them? - CHECK
3. Are they relevant? - CHECK
4. Do they look different enough? - CHECK
(4th not an essential criteria: not met by all other allied races)
The last 6 minutes of the video where he discusses why Void Elves were the wrong answer for High Elf fans and how Void Elves do not meet the criteria that all other allied races meet. Taliesin even mentions The Alurna Manifest of High Elves and showcases his argument for High Elves by presenting the fan art concepts done by our High Elf supporters!
https://youtu.be/C2Sr-sadSk4?t=16m24s
I think Blizzard consider this our playable High Elf and there's no doubt that having Void Elves, having these models as Alliance options definitely makes it feel like the 'genuine' High Elves people want are less likely than ever. This [Void Elves] feels like an answer.....except it doesn't though, does it?
And making this video has made me realize why: I wanted to make a very fair and even-handed case for each argument, for and against, Alliance High Elves to help myself decide as much as anything. So I created this list of criteria that I think the Alliance races all share to see if High Elves could fit in with that, and as we've seen they do fit those criteria. But I've come to realize, Void Elves don't.
NEW April 5th, 2018: WE'VE BEEN NOTICED MY HIGH ELVEN BRETHREN AND LADIES! GET TO THEORYCRAFTING BOYS AND GIRLS!
WoW Battle for Azeroth Dev Interview - Islands and Wrathion
https://youtu.be/HyDQF0SisAA?t=4m13s
Time: 4:13-5:10 (End where High Elves are mentioned)!
Perculia: And you've kinda touched on this before, but talking about the Golden Blood Elves a lot of players were really surprised to see that. Especially because Ion at the past Q&A just said it wasn't really a top priority to do customization for older races, so that was really cool to see. Are more little touch-ups like that on the way and was the Golden Blood Elf Eyes something that was a long time coming?.. Or just - it was really funny timing seeing it appear right after it was said it wasn't a priority.
Jeremy Feasel "Muffinus": Yeah so as with anything on the World of Warcraft team, the things that we announce and say at Blizzcon may change significantly over the course of the year. I think what we're finding is that we love the ability to add more player customization options, it's super cool. We found that players have been responding very positive to it. So we'd like to continue doing although we don't have anything to announce quite yet. We would love to hear all of your ideas! Please post them on the forums, let us know what you'd like to see. -Points and looks at camera- It's High Elves :)
Note: PLEASE extend the thread cap! We don't want to spam the forums with multiple versions of these threads, just a singular place to discuss the topic! Thank you!
Reason for this thread:
At Blizzcon, the WoW developers asked the community to provide feedback and suggestions on future Allied Races they'd like to see - this is ours!
Purpose of this thread:
Brainstorming ideas how to EVENTUALLY implement and diversify High Elves, so they don't step on Blood Elves' toes.
We will be discussing model alterations, idle stance, animations, customization options, class selection, as well as their overall culture and story.
We fully understand that if HE do happen, it won't be any time soon. Probably not until every baseline race gets an Allied Race counterpart (i.e. Worgen>Sethrak; Goblin>Vulpera).
Goals of this thread:
Aid Blizzard in the eventual implementation of a High Elf Allied Race, in a way that is most acceptable for the majority of the WoW community by providing ideas and suggestions.
We do not want "Blood Elves on the Alliance" - those are Void Elves.
We do not want to "take away an Allied Race slot" - we are aiming for further down the line, after everyone else has taken their turn.
Please note: These threads have been going on for quite some time, and most of the arguments have already been had quite extensively. The below are some examples of the most common, and while people are free to post what they like, anyone making these arguments will likely not get a response.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAQs/Common Counterarguments:
“Aren’t High Elves Just Blood Elves With Blue Eyes?”
Leaving the lore differences aside, model-wise, currently, yes. Blizzard has a long track record of having less developed models for races that are not currently playable. If made playable, it is very likely that these models would see some kind of revisiting to further differentiate them from Blood Elves, similar to tweaks Nightborne got in comparison to Night Elves. Common suggestions have been: changing the idle stances and animations, which would change the silhouette, a more “human”-like model modified from the current Human or Night Elf models, slimmed down, or customization specific traits like tattoos, war paints, or distinct hairstyle choices, among others.
“There aren’t enough High Elves left, I thought?”
The Silver Covenant, the militarized organization of Dalaran High Elves (which have recently been clarified as being more numerous than once thought), have been present for many of the Alliance’s military operations in the past several expansions and have consistently fielded numbers that would suggest there are plenty of them left. Similarly, Quel’Danil lodge in the Hinterlands and the Allerian Stronghold in Outland both show other independently organized High Elf forces that are not suffering in numbers. In addition, Stormwind has its own High Elf population. There is more than enough evidence to suggest High Elves have enough numbers to be appropriate for an Allied Race, especially compared to what has been shown as appropriate for other examples such as the Lightforged or the Void Elves.
Source: In-game representation, out of game official canon text such as Chronicle Vol 3
“I don’t want to see any more elves in this game!”
This is a subjective opinion, and a valid one, but not a reasonable argument against other people’s ability to ask for what they would also subjectively like to see.
"What about Void Elves?”
Void Elves were specifically and deliberately set up as being recent exiles from Silvermoon among the Blood Elf population. Their presence does not continue the separate High Elf story in any way and thus is not a reason for them not to be added.
“High Elves = Blood Elves = Void Elves”
Both the in-game lore and the out of game official canon texts have very clearly set up the Thalassian elves as a split people, and the themes of mutual High Elf and Blood Elf resentment for each other is what led to the creation of the Silver Covenant in the first place. Furthermore, Chronicle has drawn further attention to the fact on some level this split was in the process of happening before Kael’Thas even renamed those who followed him to Blood Elves: tensions existed between the High Elves who chose to live in Dalaran and those who lived in Silvermoon, the latter considering the former to prefer the company of humans over the love of their own homeland.
Sources: In-game representation and lore as presented through Alliance questing, as well as out-of-game official canon text such as Chronicle Vol 3.
“High Elves will cause population bleed on Horde side.”
Considering Allied Races have so far required extra steps, such as having a max level character on the appropriate faction and gating behind reputations, along with the fact that Allied Races also have restricted class options (Death Knight and Demon Hunter are both very popular classes and would likely not be available), this outcome is unlikely. Adding to that, the fact that Horde edges out Alliance population-wise slightly at max level, and the fact that Void Elves, which brought the Blood Elf model to the Alliance to begin with, did not impact overall faction balance, and this is very likely not a very serious concern.
Above ^ summary made by the lovely Tabasa-Earthen Ring~
