Fun topic, and a bit curious. As a lore and fantasy fan, detail and depth are important, there are many reasons I like my favourite races.
Would be interesting to hear what yours are.
My fave would be the Night elves, and here is why:
Beware: Long post. There are many good things about the Night elves I really appreciate, and I want to have the freedom to be able to really express myself. I apologise if this is too long for you, and appreciate those who actually take the time to read it and
For me it is the unique package combination of the 4 major aspects of the night elves - just one would have been too boring.
- Firstly, the druid side. I love the druid side of the night elves a lot because I love nature and forests have beauty that is profound. I believe in caring for nature and animals as very important, and view humans as would be guardians, stewards that should protect and enhance natural things. The druid side of the Night elves show this.
Comment:
However Night elves as just druids /treehuggers is so boring and totally un-necessary. Itās niche, and appeals to minority of peple, which is fine to have, because of its uniqueness and I love the lore, but itās UN-NECESSARY to be the only thing and the only major thing to the night elves. So Iām glad they arenāt. And thatās also a thing I like.
- I find the female hunter/warrior as the majority for this line of work very unique and intriguing, this is another feature that makes night elves stand out. Usually its females that are more caster types in fantasy, and males melee. BUt for the Night elves, the females are the major melee and hunter types, and the males casters, yet seeing Males as warriors/hunters or females as casters somehow feels quite natural too in the night elves. This is actually quite progressive and good, traditional roles a swap but itās not no forcing females as males nor males as femalesā¦ this is poster child for how it should be done. Well done blizzard
Comment:
Night elves with sentinels + druids - is your forest elf trope. Nothing wrong with forest elves, but again itās over=used cliched, and if you were making forest elves, why call them night elves and state they were a fusion? There is nothing unique about the bog standard forest elf.
People who think this is all night elves should beā¦thatās your opinion, but to me, they need more than this. Itās great to have this, but as part of the race, not the whole thing. This is supposed to be a full fledged race, near faction and is touted as the origin of the elvesā¦ in Warcraft lore blizzard expanded their vision. So Iām glad blizzard didnāt stop it there, nor planned it to be there only.
- Night elves with dark elf high arcane users and civilization as a MAJOR part on equal footing with druids and sentinels - now this is unique. This duality and opposing contrasting themes juxtaposed. We see them totally separated, yet living together - but so distinctive. This is unique, you want more of this vein. Other fantasies donāt care to do this. The majestic civilization side is at complete contrast to the rich nature and humble druid - either of these without the other makes the group feel much smaller and far more stereotypical. Only both together is unique
Comment:
I love this part because magic and fantasy has always been a favourite, and in the night elves you get a night/dark version but has a brightness to it like how the moon and stars shine at night, so itās different, not evil dark. I also love great civilization, beautiful buildings, they are like art from humans and it is astonishing, Seeing night elven cities ls like Suramar and ZināAzshari be quite unique from others like Silvermoon, Stormwind or Shattrath etc, is an amazing feat, and it was also quite beautiful but in a night time way. High fantasy magic is very important and I like how for the Night elves this side is different from humans and high/blood elves because of the Star and moon focus.
Iām really glad this is there, this is the most mysterious and magical part of the Night elves, and talking trees was pretty magical. I really want to see more of this side.
- Night elves with a heavens-bound celestial star and moon major part to their culture - that is linked through the arcane, to mage orders, priesthood and nature all - now this is interesting, itās also unique, fitting, and gives an element of wonder and mystique, they feel almost otherworldly and highly advanced even though itās not tech but magic - you think to yourself their magic was even reaching the levels of calling the stars and moonā¦ wow.
Comment:
Iām glad they did something like this, a new culture and race is going to have certain very unique things about them. Doing everything but in a night version already makes them stand out, but immortality, the stars and the moon - now that is a whole different sort of beauty to the regular type seen in their High elf counterparts.
- The Fel wielding Illidari employing fel and demons is also quite the contrast, but the way its done is not like evil warlocks at all, though they wield fel even better being far more familiar with demons they also use like locks, even being able to turn into them, but the purpose is to destroy the Legion and stop said demons from ever being a threat or destroying /harming their world or their people. Can a person using evil magic be good and noble even? The way this is done is both unique in and of itself and adding this to a group like the night elves with their noble and lawfully good benevolent druids, priests, arcane users - is a different dimension.
Comment:
Just so you know Night elves can be powerful, aggressive, and arenāt always going to put their morals over everything. I really like how they did this, the Illidari bunch donāt actually seem evil though theyāre not always doing things that seem good or right, itās like Night elves who have to get their hands dirty to fix an issue, -given how fel is such a risk, this is actually quite nobleā¦ but gives them an Edgy side, that really is very cool. itās not the bossy lady , or the humble nature lover, or the mysterious wizard - this is the gritty, head screwed on, aggression, angry - there is a side of me like that but I like most how they did it here. Because it fits the Night elves as it is edgy without being evil.
As you can see, Priestess, Highborne, Illidari add dimensions literally to the night elf that make the whole race very interesting. This is why I love them. IT really is a unique package, and I would say blizzards Warcraft Night elves are the best Elven adaption I have experience din any fantasy - and that is saying something
This is why I applaud blizzard showing more parts of them.
More Development to Show The Night Elves off in Game:
But iām still upset that they keep touching on them too briefly and trivially. And recently despite being such a rich race, and arguably their most unique adaptation of popular fictional races everā¦ that they use them so badly and frivolously often ignoring them for far more boring and regular groups, such a waste. They should be shining their light, because theyāre one of the best things blizzard did for Warcraft.
But iām glad they are there, and theyāve seen a pick up in action. Now I hope they get a n awesome new home and city like their Megacapital Zināazsahri that was ruined all shiny and new again, with a gorgeous forest that isnāt in ruins and a great temple like the Cathedral of Eternal Night. Also I hope they get their immortality back too and start using their Well of Eternity and World tree again ā¦ now that would be some good news for a change
Now if youāve read all that, thanks for reading. It was pleasure writing. Now Iād like to hear your comments and what are your favourite races and why. I wonāt be put off by a long post, so donāt be shy if that is what you want to
) I like how theyāre portrayed in the books and other lore, bit less so in current WoW - again like the Night Elves far too tame.