Thank you. I think instead of bashing alliance fans for wanting what they clearly want, why not try and find solutions to the situation?
I know that’s the developer’s job, but there can be clever ways of doing this.
High elf appearances are available on Void elves, but while you can roleplay this as a high elf, it is technically a void elf. There isn’t the lore yet to make void elves a versatile group of high elves and void elves, so it’s not really want they want.
Can there be easy ways of just using what the void elves have without necessarily making it an allied race, but allow those with those appearance to be recognised as High elves.
One also must also think… you already have the models, just make it so. as an allied race.
I think the easier solution would be to have your void elf able to be a high elf either by quest choice after selecting it as void elf and the high elf existence would be tied to the void elves - so you won’t necessarily be adding another allied race. But using the void elf slot.
They could even change the void elf icon to show half void face and half high elf face, and change the description when you select them on character creation. Alter starting narration to also include them
there are a bunch of other options like a new tab feature. or new options., have them available as "customisable appearance on character creation and use a system like that to add subtle sub factions like Highborne, Wildhammer Dwarves, Sand Trolls, Eredar - so you both have fans officially being able to identify as these for the lore fans and for the newbies, they understand this is actually a sub-faction within the race of even another faction - but just not distinguishable enough to be it’s on racial group in character creation.
I mean it is very sad to see options to create Wildhammer appearances, Man’ari Eredar, High elves, sand trolls and there is just like zero realisation of what they are.
I get it that a full race all the time is a huge endeavour as that involves a starting zone as well, an allied race is easier because it can tie in to the expansion zone you meet them that is already part of the questing, but it also comes with a lot.
Things like Wildhammer and High elf, Highborne, Man’ari - don’t need as much at all, and would be an extra sub category … at most they would need is a starting narrative and some NPCs alongside the void elves (if High elf), Highborne (if night eves) ,Draenei (if Eredar_) etc etc to give a little bit more explanation and even direct them to where the rest of the faction is in game.
We mostly start in Exile reach and go to Dragonflight now - but for those who choose to start in Ironforge - say for Wildhammer, there would be a Wildhammer NPC explaining that most of the clan is Aerei’s peak and Twilight Highlands - telling them that they will send them htere later, - when the toon hits the appropriate letter, gets a messenger NPC that can breadcrumb the player to the quests - but they don’t really have to do that.
Just having it as an official thing in some capacity will be enough.
(almost noone)