I believe their eye graphic is also different. It is more circular when the texture is laid out, suggesting it’s a void thing as only void elves use this texture (I believe they use it at current too, but it’s hard to see).
Still I would have liked to see stuff like grey-blue, black, dark purple. It’s pretty clear blizz have gone for options that can “feasibly be either” be it void glow or arcane.
That’s how I see it if it continues along this trajectory, “technically could be either” which means neither group of non-void using Helf nor velf are committed to fully, resulting in the stuff that makes them unique being completely ignored , so you end up with a pretty bland race that is “something to many but much to few”.
The main problem with HE as AR simply lies in missing story progression paths.
If Blizzard would implement HE’s as AR it directly takes away story progresson from BE’s and VE’s, because they simply don’t have an own narrative.
You could write story for it for sure, but it could’ve been used for either BE’s or VE’s depending on the arc.
It’s more to end the discussion. Even if all helf become void elf and it becomes canon that velf can transform other elves, and they do so, this will not end the debate. People will never let it drop.
Far better to introduce Helf proper and give them a new lore narrative or drive, than dilute the others. I mean it’s not really about helf lore anyway is it? Because that’s the belf lore. Most Helf fans presumebly like the generalities of Helf lore but are more engaged with the “good guy arcane elf” than strictly their lore. So just slap some into them that sends them in a different direction from the other thalassians, I doubt most Helf fans would complain so long as it maintains the plausibility of a good guy elf.
Yeah it’s be a hamfist for the lore, but if it ends the discussion and keeps all current thalassian players with their niches, then it’s worth enduring another “draenei lore moment” tbh.
They won’t implement High elves as a distinct race at this point. They don’t need to. Both Blood Elves and Void Elves are playable and both are high elves.
Imagine if there was a group of people asking for playable Orcs, insisting they have yet to be added because they wanted the Dragonmaw Orcs specifically. Anyone else would merely point out the Azeroth green Orcs and the Mag’har and rightly conclude that the demand for Orcs, when two Orc options are available, was a bit ridiculous.
So why do those still seeking a distinct high elf allied race get a pass? Why isn’t it called out as self indulgent, not only in that there are two high elf races already, not only because there is one on each faction, not only because they are already going out of their way to eliminate the differences between those two groups (wrongly in my opinion) but also because a distinct high elf allied race would then be able to claim they are the true high elves, and both Blood Elves and Void Elves are not.
Whatever happens with high elves will happen on the two high elf races, the Void Elves and the Blood Elves. There will not be a third.
I can tell you right off the bat that the discussions will never end if the Alliance-players don’t get their desired hair colors, tattoos and toggle option.
Would have never happened if they simply honored the original request and not by giving them compromise after compromise.
Then the discussion will never end. No matter how many hairstyles, or tattoos, or whatever you put onto a Void Elf, it will still be a void elf. This pursuit of purity is ruinous only to those for whom perfection is the only option.
Why should they make it impossible for void elf and blood elf players to say they are high elves, which they are, by introducing a ‘perfect’ high elf to suit such a small minority.
And why should they facilitate players in denying they are what they have chosen? A Void Elf remains a Void Elf, still a high elf of course, but still a void elf.
Because it’s their fault to begin with. We wouldn’t ever discuss about this if they simply would have given the Alliance what they have been asked for years.
There is no virtue in the request being long standing. It does not make those seeking it more deserving simply because they can point to years of waiting. There were very good reasons the high elves weren’t added and that was because they were already playable as Blood Elves. And there was that interview Ion did two years ago where he said adding high elves directly would damage the lines between the factions.
So the success in getting blood elf skin tones on void elves is not the success of a well argued case swaying opinion. It as that of a child whose insistence on getting what they want has finally worn down the resistant parent. And like all kids who get their way in such circumstances, the result isn’t good enough and more is demanded. Hairstyles, tattoos, hair colours and, of course, a toggle for the actual racial. Always more is required, no matter what is given, because nothing ever meets the perfect ideal. And frankly, nothing will. Blizzard would be better off drawing a line now and just leave it at skin tones.
I like how you portray everyone disagreeing with you as hypocritical.
I’ve argued since day 1 that Void Elves would need to be able to change other elves or die out.
Either that or normal skinned Void Elves would need to be able to learn the powers.
One or the other.
Edit: Or a third option that Rhonîn mentioned. That they find out how to perform the ritual again, and it affects people differently. Some aren’t changed as much, for example only eyes and hair changing.
While others change a lot.
As for the “why use the ritual” I’d guess it makes them more powerful or something? Even if it’s possible to use Void powers without the physical change.
Though I’d like to see some changes added to Alleria as well, bit strange she’s a Void Elf and looks just like a High Elf.
But so far, not other Elves.
And no explanation on why they need to learn this. It’s not necessary to learn the powers.
Does it make them more powerful? More resistant to the voices? Both?
Then why won’t Alleria be changed? At least a little I mean. Change her “High Elf blonde” into “Void Elf gray” for example.
And? Immediately following that scenario you can create a Void Elf in Telogrus and there’s Hunters, Warriors etc…
And no word on them being able to change other Elves yet.
So either there were more present even if we didn’t see them in-game, guards or whatnot, as what we see in-game doesn’t perfectly reflect lore.
Or some “changed profession” after the change.
They couldn’t add a race with only mage/warlock as the playable classes after all.
It was not though. It was not confirmed in any sources of lore that the Void Elves definitely knew how to turn other elves into Void Elves.
You mean this quote?
“They start out as a small group,” Danuser continues. “But it’s natural as other elves have found out about them — elves who are interested in new sources of magic, power, or opportunities — would see if they could undergo a similar process. They’re not … recruiting , necessarily, but they’re open to those who show a similar interest.”
Doesn’t state they know how to turn others, just it hints at that being their goal.
Doesn’t state why though.
Everyone who disagrees with you are “disingeneous hypocrites” it seems.
And you are incorrect, both are rationalizations and neither have much support in current lore.
Both have just tidbits here and there.
Like Alleria being proof that you can have void powers like portals without being blue.
Your opinion, and you’re entitled to it.
I personally don’t think the Void Elf fantasy is “heavily compromised” as they will be Void Elves whether they are blue or not…
They don’t need tentacles growing out their backsides and eyeballs instead of ears to be more “Void themed”.
Overdramatic.
99.9% likelihood of just being added as skin tones you pick on character creation or at the barber shop.
“Their opinion is different than mine, therefore they are the blandest and most boring individual.”
It’s not up to you to decide what other people like or not though.
Indeed…
I like the normal skinned Void Elves, as the way I see it is like a “2nd generation” of Void Elf where they aren’t turned blue.
Or it could be as you say that the Void Elves find out how to perform the ritual again but it affects people differently.
Some are barely affected, with only the eyes and hair changing, and others are affected even more.
Still remains to be seen why they wanna change new recruits though, as it’s obviously not necessary in order to learn the powers.
But maybe they’ll expand upon it in the lore.
That’s my point. Alleria is proof that one does not need to be altered in order to learn the powers.
They could add something in the lore about the ritual being something that makes them more resistant to the “voices”. Or something that makes them more powerful.
And preferably change Alleria as well, it seems strange that she’s the “racial leader” and looks nothing like them.
Indeed, which is why I’d like them to expand upon this.
Some want the racial removed or “altered” as well, but I personally think it’s rather cool.
It will most likely be new Void Elves out of HE/BE recruits.
But I’d still like to see them specifically state in the lore why they’d need or want to put others through the ritual.
As I said earlier, either because it makes them more powerful or resistant for example.
Well, nothing’s stopping Blizz from writing into lore that the Void Elves have researched the subject and now know how to create more Void Elves through a copy of the ritual.
They just need to add the why and they’re done.
As Rhonîn suggested it could be that this modified ritual affects people differently.
Some are less affected, with only the eyes and hair changing for example. While others are heavily affected, and they can add more Void like customizations.
If they added High Elves they would need to be a carbon copy of Blood Elves.
Because they are the exact same race only two groups split by political affiliation.
There’s no reason in-lore as to why they would look different.
That’s like saying Humans from Stromgarde and Humans from Stormwind look very different.
They don’t as they are both Humans.
Would be strange if Void Elves got the same shade of blue as the High Elves.
The eyes of the elves reflect what source of magic they are “dependent on”.
Alleria is altered as hell, I mean sucking on a darkened naaru is never a good idea.^^
She is unable to touch Turalyon without pain it doesn’t matter if she’s visually untransformed. She is also not more resistant to voices as we found out in the windrunner sisters comic. No transformation no entropic embrace pretty easy.
It’s simply stupid to alter it regarding magic type, maybe reduce and increase it’s visualisation via glyphs into something that affects just parts of their body etc.
I find it strange that she’s visually unaltered if she’s supposed to be the leader of the Void Elves.
At least altering her hair to put her on par with the “normal skinned” Void Elves would be a good thing imo.
I personally don’t see the need to alter it at all, but I can understand people want that if they plan on using a Void Elf to RP a High Elf.
But in that case the hair would be a bigger problem than a racial that procs sometimes in combat.
Wait what datamined “secondary skin” for void elves? Is it true they are finally getting a way to control their void form? Because my dream for this race will finally be complete (along with the helf options)
You have to look up Mr.GM’s twitter feed for the image, but a new option was added to Void Elf customisation called ‘Secondary Skins’ and ‘Secondary Hair’ color.
Nobody knows what it is. In fact, he himself said ‘feel free to speculate’. Speculation is that it’s either a toggle for entropic embrace, an error that shouldn’t be there or blood elf skins maybe implemented as part of an out of combat mode and this is where you select your OOC skin and hair colours. Nobody knows for sure yet but we’ll probably know the answer soon enough so it’s not worth getting into a debate over it.
Kk please let us control the racial! Or just add a cosmetic spell with no buff. Just for fun that would be! Can’t you talk to blizzard and tell them to do that!! I’m so desperate!! Lol
Could point to several things or nothing as you say.
I personally doubt they’ll make them like the Worgen with an “in and out of combat” skin.
Simply because I expect they know the forums will explode then, and they will be accused of “lying”… “You showed us the skins then took them away blablabla” and so on.
If that was their plan I suspect they would have mentioned it from the start.
It could be that, but I personally doubt it.
It could be that you can customize your “entropic embrace” look.
Where when it toggles you don’t simply get a blob spreading over your skin and become “even more blue” like now, but change hair and skin completely.
Don’t know how I feel about that though, I personally think Entropic Embrace looks kind of cool now.
But I guess I’ll wait and see what this turns out to be.