High Elf storyline

[Keldiskeris]

So let me get this straight, High Elves traveled so far from Quel'Thalas through all the infested plaguelands, arathi highlands, and wetlands, passing two completely fine Lodges on the way only to get stuck .... at Farstrider lodge? You'd have to be really bad at navigation to end up there right next to the dark dwarves outpost.
Going on the road, passing right next to Thelsamar, bud screw that jazz we hate dwarves? We are going out of the way to Farstrider Lodge to get murdered!

Let me illustrate the path they had to take. does it makes sense? Nope!



There's Quel'Lithien Lodge that would be better suited for this or maka customer starter zone. At this stage it makes me think the High Elves' starter zone is just an unfinished afterthought.

[Maesus]

I agree, I think that Quel'Lithien lodge in Eastern Plaguelands would be a better choice. The Farstrider Lodge in Loch Modan already a questing hub so you have levels 15-18 running around mixing with new High Elves and it's so far away from Silvermoon, it also often bothered me.

Quel'Lithien is right next to the portal to Ghostlands-to-be, makes sense it would be a first stop running away from Arthas. It's also very close to Alah'thalas, so if you imagine High Elves in the Quel'Lithien Lodge sending out scouts to seek a good location to establish a safe haven, they'd find Alah'thalas quite fast and easily.

The only drawback is, of course, EPL is a 55+ zone. However, it feels quite appropriate that, as a new HE refugee, you can see Scourge and it being far FAR stronger than you - establishes a sense of dread and despair that's simply non-existent in Loch Modan.

Quel'Lithien is also used for a single (?) Horde quest, but I don't think it would be a huge problem to reroute it, so that questing Hordies don't run into new High Elves.
The EPL lodge is also very easily accessible to Horde, sure, but with a few -highly- powerful ranger guards, any ganking ought to be easily prevented. Or some sort of a magical barrier that prevents entry of Horde characters.

I'm certain that Turtle Devs considered every single Lodge as a starting zone for High Elves and their decision won't change, it's just fun coming up with alternatives...

[Mac]

Quel'Lithien is used for at least two Horde quests, and one of those is a daily quest for the Revantusk Troll faction (the Horde equivalent of the Silvermoon Remnant faction). If you're going to create a new spot for these quests, why wouldn't you just create a new spot for the high elf starting area?

[Bob022]

Between the existing starter area's tiny size and obvious shoe-horned nature, I get an impression that it was intended only to be "good enough" until time and manpower--resources never in sufficient supply--allow the construction of a larger-scale starter zone. If this was the cost of getting high elves now instead of waiting another half-decade, I accept that trade gladly.

[Shroudedsoul]

I don't think staying near the plague lands would be smart. Especially not for civilians which most are. Not to mention that the goal for many was to travel further south and seek refuge at Ironforge or Stormwind.

[Keldiskeris]

Maybe change it a little bit? Make Elves run from the Silvermoon on boats instead of caravans and make starter zone here?



This would allow players to better connect with new elven capital city instead of porting there and appearing all of a sudden after completing quests in Elvynn. Also the current capital seems a bit crowded and hastly assembled.

My reasoning is still that a caravan would have to pass through all the infested and high level zones first to get where the starter zone is now. Like.. How did they get through Andorhall? Or Arathi ruins? Around the Tarren Mill? It doesn't make much sense tbh.

The progression could be leveling 1 to 5 in new starter zone and then taking a boat from Alah'Thalas to SW. Could be just a portal thing when boarding a board will port you to same boat but in SW harbor. This would get the SW harbor another purpose and better utilisation.

Lastly the High Elven ghetto in SW is just redundant at this point. There is embassy of a sort in Park District, and with the new Capitol already establish is a bit odd. Why would any Elf stay there when they don't have to?

I know they are working on new version of Farstrider Lodge so let's see where they take it before passing final judgement on that "zone".

[Paw]

I'm also thinking about this for a while now. I would certainly involve the scourge but its something hard to figure out because their story is power and there is just so much to think about. I don't have enough in me to go through the entire high, blood elven and naga scenario. Since they are all connected. I am stuck on the what happened with the last king's son Kael and if we have Vereesa then where is Rhonin. Your map is just too funny to pass up on this topic. Also they moved across the continent just to port back to where they started. Furthermore they barred themselves from the humans and their alliance ages ago so their pride wouldn't allow them to make a pact very easily. Isle of Quel'Danas however is still intact after the Scourge invasion. Alas I wouldn't invite tbc lore. I'd stick with the Scourge and if alliance then the Silver Crusade. Dunno.

[Avendor]

As far as I'm concerned, staying in Quel'Lithien only makes sense if their caravans absolutely couldn't leave. The very ground there is poisoned, plagued entities- both undead and otherwise -roam everywhere, and as the cherry ontop anyone who dies is at serious risk of reanimating and turning against the living, which is the last place you want a bunch of civilians in, as they are PRESUMABLY subpar fighters even in a pinch. With all those civilians, they had to get out as quickly as they could while the remaining rangers and other military personnel were the ones staying behind, presumably to survey the situation in their homeland and as a stop and sanctuary for those moving to or from Quel'thalas.

As for Andorhal, the refugees presumably didn't go through it, but rather through Plaguewind Ravine leading into the Hinterlands. The better question is why they didn't stay in Quel'Danil Lodge or Aerie Peak, which I can only assume is because they wanted even greater distance from The Scourge, which aren't that far away from The Hinterlands all things considered.

How they got past Dun Modr is also a good question, and my speculation there is that the place wasn't annexed by the Dark Iron Dwarves yet; but at this point I'm making wild guesses. Plomping them down in The Farstrider Lodge works in my view, but with the raised eyebrow at Hawk's Rest and Menethil Harbor which seems more fortified, closer in distance and more equipped to handle a refugee influx compared to some distant and understaffed lodge.

The only reason I see to go for the lodge is that it's manned by High Elves already, giving them more autonomy of themselves and maybe more time to handle the diplomatic situation with the Alliance after what happened with Kael'thas and Garithos. Again, I'm making wild guesses here.

[Dracarusggotham]

I think they can make a zone for the High Elves in Arathi Highlands, maybe restore Stromgarde for this purpose and make it a High Elf base.

[Galendor]

I think they can make a zone for the High Elves in Arathi Highlands, maybe restore Stromgarde for this purpose and make it a High Elf base.

Mighty Strom was a cradle of mankind once. League of Arathor is trying to reclaim it for Stromic people, not for elves.

[Dracarusggotham]

I think they can make a zone for the High Elves in Arathi Highlands, maybe restore Stromgarde for this purpose and make it a High Elf base.

Mighty Strom was a cradle of mankind once. League of Arathor is trying to reclaim it for Stromic people, not for elves.

Or maybe put them in the Tirisfall Glades with their own starter zone, but mix the High Elves from the Alliance and the Undead from the Horde will be...problematic.
Other thing can be placing them in the Ruins of Alterac, but considering the Ogres invasion...
It's curious, cause the Blood Elves in retail have the same problem, cause literally the zone outside of Ghostlands is Eastern Plaguelands, a lvl60 zone and they need to place a translocation orb to teleport them to undercity.

[Tamamo-no-Bae]

Here is why: The other locations didn't have room for them, other places were full of refugees already or turned them away. The Ironforge dwarves had this mostly empty Elven lodge and offered it for them as a gesture of goodwill. They were escorted by Caravan guards to the lodge. If you do the High elf starting area and read into the Onyxia plotline you can figure out who the Caravan guards are.

You gotta remember the playable Elven refugees are not the only Elven refugees, or refugees in general. A lot of people fled south from Lordaeron, heck Hawk's Vigil is composed entirely of Lordaeronian refugees including High elves.

Other refugees continued all the way down to Stormwind once the Lodge was at full capacity, which is why it also has a refugee community.

[Samsara]

I remember reading somewhere that this area was picked mainly because it didn't have much content and was isolated and roomy enough to be a starter area. I too would like to see a more thought out, custom built location. The simple fact they teleport you once you're done kinda breaks immersion for me, I know teleporting is a thing in the lore, but clearly in that starter it is done because there is no smooth transition to a proper leveling zone connected to it like for every other starter out there.

There are two whole coastal regions that are unutilized outside of the Loch and Wetlands (could be starter to lvl 7~8) and between Badlands and Redridge (lvl 7~8 to 15) that could have been reached by boat and then there could be a whole leveling path there with custom new region that could connect to Redridge Mountains for a smooth transition at lvl 15, or you could retrace steps and enter the Loch if you prefer...

[Apelsenchick]

It's interesting to read your thoughts on the high elves. I don't know English well. So for now I'm just reading)

[Dracarusggotham]

Maybe change it a little bit? Make Elves run from the Silvermoon on boats instead of caravans and make starter zone here?



This would allow players to better connect with new elven capital city instead of porting there and appearing all of a sudden after completing quests in Elvynn. Also the current capital seems a bit crowded and hastly assembled.

My reasoning is still that a caravan would have to pass through all the infested and high level zones first to get where the starter zone is now. Like.. How did they get through Andorhall? Or Arathi ruins? Around the Tarren Mill? It doesn't make much sense tbh.

The progression could be leveling 1 to 5 in new starter zone and then taking a boat from Alah'Thalas to SW. Could be just a portal thing when boarding a board will port you to same boat but in SW harbor. This would get the SW harbor another purpose and better utilisation.

Lastly the High Elven ghetto in SW is just redundant at this point. There is embassy of a sort in Park District, and with the new Capitol already establish is a bit odd. Why would any Elf stay there when they don't have to?

I know they are working on new version of Farstrider Lodge so let's see where they take it before passing final judgement on that "zone".

You can be proud knowing that probably your idea was considered by the devs and they finally decided to do it.
hahaha, they will make Alah'thalas bigger and now that will be the starting zone for the High Elves.