(10-08-2013, 04:08 PM)K Wrote:(10-08-2013, 03:16 PM)Theodric Ironheart Wrote:I love the Blood Elves too. And debasing them as a bunch of flaming, girly, gits more obsessed if their armor matches their scrunchie than bloodletting is obnoxious to me. They are the most screwed over race on Azeroth, hands down. They've been genocided almost out of existence twice, and a third if Jaina had her way. Then the player base makes it all the worse by applying this caustic stereotype to them. Blizzard certainly hadn't helped with it either, until 5.2 when the Blood Elves finally demanded some goddamn attention.(10-08-2013, 01:15 PM)SessionZero Wrote:Considering that their ongoing story is full of grit, tragedy and they've been forced into doing whatever it takes in order to survive? Yeah, they're gritty. Arguably more so than the majority of other races present in the setting.(10-08-2013, 01:06 PM)Theodric Ironheart Wrote: Â ...even the most grittiest blood elf as a tweenager instead of a zealous, driven individual...
Woah woah woah woah woah woah woah... woah... ... woah. There are "gritty" Belfs?
They're also often portrayed as being both masculine and rather physically strong and imposting, so if anyone truly believes that the following elves are 'feminine' then I'd happily consider them to be an idiot:
http://wowpedia.org/File:HanthalLightward.jpg
http://wowpedia.org/File:Silvermoon_City_Guardians.jpg
http://wowpedia.org/File:Katsin_Bloodoath.jpg
Here's my character:
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/ar...ius/simple
http://eu.battle.net/wow/en/character/ar...arn/simple
I designed them with the grittier concept art in mind. I've been a fan of the blood elves ever since they first came to be. It's just a shame they attract so many stupid role-players. I feel the same way about the Miqo'te and Elezen in FFXIV - they're not feminine, yet a very large portion of role-players insist on presenting them as being that way. In turn, many other role-players begin incorporating that into their role-play to the point where it is seen as the norm rather than the exception.
...and that, along with numerous other reasons is why I loathe most role-players!
I was really disappointed they spent all of MoP building up Lor'Themar as a brilliant tactician, a cunning general, and a passionate leader, only to pass off Warchief to someone else who wasn't even around for most of the expac.
Elves in general, no matter where you go, suffer from the 'dainty and girly' stereotype though. I think it's just the 'jock' culture bleeding into the Fantasy genre as it's become more mainstreamed and normalized. 'Beautiful in a way not comprehensible to mortals' is translated as 'girly' to the uninitiated of the genre. And I bet you every dollar I have that when ESO goes live there will be a rush of effeminate Bosmer with nothing to their character besides the fact they are fabulous. No one will take into context their long history as a brutal, savage cannibalistic people, closer to beastfolk than real mer.
It's a pitty, and it's one I try not to abide. I think allowing this sort of behavior to be the standard is a cancer. But ultimately there's nothing you can do about it besides try not to associate yourself with it.
There were other reasons behind my decision to leave WoW, but Vol'jin becoming Warchief was one of them. It made no sense - he wasn't even the driving force behind the rebellion and he was stupid enough to threaten to kill Garrosh even before he went off the deep end. The Horde needs a diplomatic leader who is capable of understanding how both the Horde and the Alliance works - which is something Vol'jin is not capable of.
As for TESO, I'm really looking forward to it - though I do have some concerns regarding the elves being portrayed poorly, especially by role-players. I think more developers need to be aware that their 'joke' NPC's are often taken at face value and used as an excuse to twist the entire race into being something it isn't portrayed as being in the more serious aspects of the lore.
Regardless, we should RP at some point! We seem to have similar views, after all and this thread inspired me to devote to my elezen to help combat the more questionable stereotypes surrounding the race.
