SandyWB wrote...
shepard_lives wrote...
You want elves to look similar to humans? I'm not sure I understand.
Short answer, yes, yes I do.
Or rather, I want them to look like they did in Origins.
Long answer: I get that the art team wanted to make their elves unique from an artistic point of view. But what I really liked about the elves in Origins was that they felt and looked human in the sense that they didn't feel 'fantasy', if you catch my drift. They didn't feel like the 'magical wood-elves' that have been bastardised by various fantasy themed works over the decades. Don't get me wrong, there have been good version of elves running around since Tolkien, but I really liked the fresh take Bioware took with their elves. Dirty them up, make them slightly human in appearance without loosing the pointed ears and slim build. That was a great move in my opinion. I just think it was a great way to make the elves accessible and relatable. I never much care for the standard elves, magically in touch with nature, immortal and otherworldly. I enjoyed the 'flawed' and 'human' elves from Origins far more. I'm not saying they will shy away from the culture and such that they established in Origins, because that would really be a step backwards. However, I feel that this redesign to make the elves more fantasy-inspired takes away from the elves I learned to love in Origins.
I guess it all comes down to what you like. Some like WoW type elves (a far extreme example, I know) with alien features, slanting ears, big eyes etc... being a very different race than humans. Others, like me, like their elves with only slightly pointed ears and looking close to what humans look like, perhaps only with a slightly thinner/smaller build.
Just saying, I want my 'knife ears', not some slanting puppy ears. 
But, to each their own.
I agree to each thier own, but, in this case, I feel confused from the opposite end of the spectrum. Now, I will say that, just as you yourself did, I enjoyed Origins because it introduced us to a "Fantasy" Realm more akin to R.R. Martin's Song of Ice and Fire universe then, say, Tolkiens. The world felt "lived in" and flawed, for want of better terms. And it worked beautifully. However, "Real" doesn't mean that *Other Races* need to look more Human then non-Human. In the DA Lore, the Daelish Elves, or rather the Elves of Arlathan, *were* a race more in touch with nature and Magic associated with the Earth, with facets to thier culture and beliefs very similar to the traditional dipictions of Elves in, for example, the Forgotten Realms series.
And, forgive me, but, that is what Elves are supposed to be like. More deeply connected to the natural world, reflecting thier Woodland ancestry in thier appearence. A humanoid species which has evolved almost exclussively among Forests and associated enviornments are not going to have the same appearence as Humans who would have evolved to find multiple habitation areas accomidating for the sake of farming, fishing, etc.
As I said, I love the fact that the Elves of Dragon Age have *some* level of nature based Mystisism to them, with even the City Elves trying to maintain some measure of that in the Alienages with thier Trees, but said Mystisism does not mean thier perfect. They're as flawed as Humans, possibly to a lesser extent, but they should not *look* too human. Instead of Elves it sounds more like you want Vulcans. Sorry, but, with all due respect, you're looking in the wrong Universe.
What BioWare has done is attempt to redefine the Fantasy Genre in gaming, and I think they achieved that. Now, with the graphical advancements and a deeper understanding of the kind of world they want to create they can further build upon that goal by reintroducing the Elven Race and giving them a look all thier own. I think it's a huge plus. Again, if I want Elves to look like Tolkien rip offs, i.e. Vulcans, I will look to the aforementioned media. However, I want my "real" fantasy realm to have at leach a touch of actual "Fantasy" elements to it.
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