Yeah that’s the thread that immediately popped into my head as well. Tbh this approach works far better for adding new “races” that are superficially very similar to others. Just add some more options on char creation including racial abilities and boom, done.
This leaves future new additions as properly new races and you could always make new templates unlockables in the game when you win over a subset of that race. I’m sure people wouldn’t mind that because they’re not flagged as “new races” rather more customisations for existing races that you can unlock.
This would be for future additions mind not those promised in SL. For example say we mooch around with the frostborn dwarves again, it’d be a cool way to offer a “well if you want to unlock this appearence go for it.”
Something like:
Base “subrace” templates
Wildhammer Dwarf
High Elf
Mechagnome
Lightforged Draenei
Dark Iron Dwarf
Mag’har Orc
Highmountain Tauren
Sand Troll
Forest Troll
Dark Troll
Unlockables
Frostborn Dwarf
Leper Gnome
Highborne Night Elf
Worgen Night Elf
Taunka
Felborne
Gilgoblin
Lightforged Undead
Etc.