Thread: Why You Picked An elf

I always play mage/caster in other games, or paladin/tank type. This was the first game I decided to pick up a bow and go. Hunter for me was naturally an elf thing, plus they get some type of bonus to bows (which doesn't amount to much from what I'm told)

I have always loved Elves, and they look cool, especially the female Elves, and although my first Elf was A Hunter and another a Warden, my latest Elf character I chose a Champion. Obviously, not the best class for a Champion, not like a Dwarf or Human, but I thought It would make the character more of a challenge to master rather than the traditional class for a particular race. For example, my Main is a Dwarf Guardian, then an Elven Hunter, a Human Captain, and Dwarf Rune-Keeper ( No real difference between Elves and Dwarves for that class). So now I went Hard Mode .

Originally Posted by scotty032671

my latest Elf character I chose a Champion. Obviously, not the best class for a Champion, not like a Dwarf or Human, but I thought It would make the character more of a challenge to master rather than the traditional class for a particular race.

Actually I think Elf is best for Champions. At least they hit what they aim at in the early levels and they avoid quite a bit of incoming damage.

I made my first characters elves because I have always loved Tolkien's elves more than any of the other races. I also don't really care to play humans in games - I'm one in real life so why play one? If I have a choice of race, human will usually be my last resort.

I make my characters Elves in almost every fantasy game I play. I've always found their lore and history far more interesting than any of the other races in the story. Plus they're immortal. I like the idea that my character will keep on going long after the dwarves, hobbits, and humans are all gone.

Besides, I play games for an escape. Why would I want to play a human when I'm already one irl?

Originally Posted by Emperor-King

I make my characters Elves in almost every fantasy game I play. [...]

Plus they're immortal.

Not when I play one...

Originally Posted by Darmokk

Not when I play one...

I second that. They aren't immortal when I play them either.

18 Elfs and counting in LOTRO and still haven't made it to Undying (not that I really care, but just saying for the record). As often as my Elves are defeated in LOTRO and take the dirt-nap you'd think I was running them too hard.

Although I confess, at least in my case, the problem may be PEBKAC (Problem exists between keyboard and chair) rather than my Race. I am a lemming at heart and if there isn't a nearby cliff to jump off of, then I'm running into Helegrod solo at lvl12 or other such madness that ultimately doesn't end very well for my Elfs.

They are the ONLY race that doesn't scare the wild life.

Try getting close to any of the wild animals in-game with other races and they will run away from ya.

Perfect for my Lore-master Elf.

Friend of the Wild, indeed!

Fingolfin, Glorfindel, Ecthelion, Fingon, Finrod, Feanor - so many badass glorious elves in the Silmarillion. I started playing this game as I was just about done reading it so there was really 0 other choice for me, hah.

Its a shame NONE of their uberness is reflected in their in-game traits.

I simply always play an elf when starting a game that has elves in it. Of course, I started an elf minstril and played till around level 27, but then stopped playing for a while (over a year) and just started back up last night and have NO clue how to play that character anymore. Torn between relearning her, starting a new one and just learning from scratch, or playing my Hunter I started last night (just did a few small missions).

Hell, wouldn't mind a Dwarf Guardian, but I love elves too much.

I picked one because they wouldn't let a hobbit be an LM

... I'm guessing there was nowhere to put the staff?

... That, or Yoda took the last one?

ever since reading the stories of Drizzt i try to play as dark elves if they are available, if they arn't then i make an elf and make it look as evil as i can :P

I chose an elf because I like the way they look, I wanted to play a hunter and elves have naturally higher agility, elves have always seemed so mysterious and ethereal to me after reading the books, and I'm a fan of Legolas in general.

What bugs me about elves in the game is they are unnecessarily rude and petty (NPCs), and they wallow in self-pity (so not the lore).

Elves were growing weary of Middle Earth and its troubles in many ways, yes, but in the books they didn't snap snobbishly at everyone they met or moan and groan all the time. Legolas was quite serene and cheerful in even the most stressful situations and Galadriel and Elrond were at the very least polite and mature about their difficulties and troubles.

Originally Posted by Celebria

What bugs me about elves in the game is they are unnecessarily rude and petty (NPCs), and they wallow in self-pity (so not the lore).

Elves were growing weary of Middle Earth and its troubles in many ways, yes, but in the books they didn't snap snobbishly at everyone they met or moan and groan all the time. Legolas was quite serene and cheerful in even the most stressful situations and Galadriel and Elrond were at the very least polite and mature about their difficulties and troubles.

Agreed! I think it shows a serious misunderstanding of Elves on Turbine's part. Elves certainly did have their own worries and regrets, but in game they come across as shallow and pathetic. Elves are a very complex people, but you have to wonder when practically every one portrays them badly.

The Warden, Helvannen Redeemer of Men...

Charged by Elrond himself to investigate happenings around Archet, Bree, and dealing with the mysterious "Sharky" (which I may have spelled wrong).

Upon exploring and seeking clues to the bandits throughout Bree-Land, he encountered a Champion named Ameera Tryanel (my wife)-- daughter of an old companion named Terrentius Tryanel (my main). During his departure from Rohan after the corruption that he began to see because of Grima Wormtongue, Ameera and her mother Braiony experienced difficulties in the land. After a great argument, Ameera left her mother to find where her father has gone after all these years.

It was at that point that Helvannen saw the "poor girl" being ambushed by robbers. In his strict duty to defend mankind he jumped forward to attack. Before he got a single javelin thrown, Ameera had pulled out two swords and made easy work of the band of brigands. She thanked him for his attempt and found him curious. Upon exchanging names, Helvannen realized who's daughter she was and vowed to help her find him.

It did not take long until it finally happened -- they met. Getting caught up in stories of the One Ring and with Aragorn and Gandalf charging them with duties, Ameera and Helvannen continued to defend not just Men, but all of Eriador. Yet they are beginning to hear Rhovanian beckon them.


So yes. All that to say, my wife and I love to make up stories for our characters and that's where Helvannen came from. Not my first elf, but definitely my favourite and the deepest story. So important that I'm actually going to incorporate them somewhat into a novel I'm working on (which they'll have nothing to do with LOTR, but the names and character personalities will come into play).

Process of elimination for me.

7 chara slots, 5 of them are Man. 2 Hobbits. But I didn't quite like my Hobbit Warden... so I was only left with Elf.

But so far... quite pleased with being an Elf Warden

Since I first read The Silmarillion back in 1977 I have drawn, roleplayed and essentially geeked-out on the Elves and the rich tapestry Tolkien created to flesh out their history. I try to read the Silmarillion yearly to soak up the lore more thoroughly. This is my first MMO and the only reason I am here is to enjoy Turbine's take on Tolkien's world and roleplay Elves. Although I have a Hobbit and a Dwarf (no race of Man) all my characters are Elves who try to keep with what would be lore-appropriate.

I recommend reading The Silmarillion to anyone who wishes to understand the history of Elves, Dwarves and Men as well as the great evil that has always had some sort of influence on Middle-earth. It's all in there.

I picked an elf because of the awesome race skills they get like eldar's grace.... O wait.... does anyone ever use that





......no...

Originally Posted by SonofInnocence

So important that I'm actually going to incorporate them somewhat into a novel I'm working on (which they'll have nothing to do with LOTR, but the names and character personalities will come into play).

All the best with that ^_^ *is a published writer and knows the highs and lows of it all too well*

As for myself, I looked at the other 'races' and none is very graceful. The facial expressions of the human females scare me >.< and the hobbits just aren't speaking to me either. Female elves to me personally appear the most feminine, and as I am feminine, my main chars have to reflect that or I just can't identify with them. I managed to drive my human burg up to 40, but find it hard to keep going, simply because I don't like the harshness the character radiates somehow :'/ but others might find the human females very graceful, and I'd not wish to argue with that, just personal interpretation of femininity, I guess.

All of my characters are elves (excluding my cappy and burg but i don't really play them) and it is because Elves are just plain AWESOME! And good looking LOL!

~Rae

I wanted a Loremaster and didn't particularly like the look of humans, although they grew on me. Also, Tolkein Elves are superb, masters of war, art, culture etc. Plus I've always liked Elves, and I was denied a decent looking one back in my days of wandering Azeroth. Dragonball Z much?

Because I've always been fascinated by Elves. I think that's the gist of why everyone here chose one as their main.

I went with an elf because the higher agility fits nicely with the hunter class. I also like the way they look and the lore behind them.

I picked an elf for my Rune-Keeper because frankly, I cant stand dwarves, and elves are the more magically attuned race so to me it made a lot of sense. And he's from Rivendell.

Playing a game based on Tolkien? Why would you play anything OTHER than an elf or a hobbit?

I agree that the elvish NPCs in the game are usually badly presented, tho. Where's the singing? Where's the dancing and making merry under the stars? What's with all the whining and attitude?

-The Gneech

Because elves are fair, beautiful, and graceful.

I picked an elf because Tolkien's elves are incredibly thought out to me. They are the perfect mix of vulnerability (sadness due to evil) and power (Legolas, Gil-Galad, Fingolfin).

My little brother asked me that same question, like "why did you choose an elf, they're thin, refined and agile and you're fat and brute? Have you seen an elf with a belly?" "Then I'm breaking new ground!"

But seriously, I haven't finished reading the Fellowship of the Ring, didn't make it past the Barrows chapters, I've only read The Hobbit once. But The Silmarillion is another beast, is beyond awesome and grabs me back again and again, with all the "beauty of sad things" flowing through the pages, and all the great stories piling one after another. So it was a no-brainer.

Some people like elves for the pointy ears, because they look badass, have all that agility bonus and stuff, the racial return to Rivendell, etc.

I liked the idea of playing a char that looked too young yet was too old, that knew paradise yet decided to leave, that loves music and crafting and knowledge yet values simple things, that experienced hubris, treachery and yet wants to redeem himself, not for the past he can't change but for the future he wants to leave behind and the lands he wants to defend, even if it costs him his immortality.

So yeah, elves pwn.

I chose an elf because elves have always been my favorite fantasy race, they're just plain cool!

I picked an Elf because whenever I play any RPG I always pick an Archer Class (Ranger, Hunter etc) and Elves are typically the best Archers.

I also picked an Elf as I tend to play solo and wander off into the wilderness which again seems to be typical behaviour for an elf.

Originally Posted by Melureus

I liked the idea of playing a char that looked too young yet was too old, that knew paradise yet decided to leave, that loves music and crafting and knowledge yet values simple things, that experienced hubris, treachery and yet wants to redeem himself, not for the past he can't change but for the future he wants to leave behind and the lands he wants to defend, even if it costs him his immortality.

^ Beautifully put, and I totally agree with this--it's part of why I chose an elf as well. That, and I think an elf fits a lore-master better than a human. Although I'd certainly like a hobbit lore-master. =P

Originally Posted by Sirandilas

I also picked an Elf as I tend to play solo and wander off into the wilderness which again seems to be typical behaviour for an elf.

LOTRO is my second mmorpg, and when I first started playing them, one of the things I was looking forward to was--quite literally--"getting lost" in a forest or a castle or... Simply just wandering around, exploring. My first mmo didn't really offer much, but LOTRO is like a dream come true.

I have to admit this, I think Elves are way cool ... but I can't play one .... I think it's the way they look in game, I've started a few but ended up deleting them. I am planning to start a LM and I'm determined this time to not leave the creation area till I get it right... They are to my mind the hardest character to create. And guy Elves have better hairstyles ...

I picked an Elf for many reasons.
To name a few:
1. Traditionally playing table top games, I chose elves.
2. I like the graceful beauty and connection to nature. though the graceful doesn't really show in how they move in game.
3. Elves excel at bowmanship which is something I have always liked. I prefer ranged DPS.
4. My favorite characters in the Tolkein books are all Elves.
5. Physically in stature in RL I am tall and thin. I probably feel an affinity towards them because of that.
6. The Elven architecture and attitude are more to my liking.
7. I have somewhat of a bias against men and Dwarves mostly due to canon. Men are weak willed and easily corruptible and Dwarves are greedy spoilers of nature ... over-mining and they are ill-mannered. But these are story based bias not how I really feel, in truth I could care less. I am sure it lends itself to my choice when choosing Elves to play in game though.

Predestination, maybe? (My mother read The Hobbit to me and my sister at bedtime, a chapter at a time, when we were little -- back in the First Age.) I've played female Elf rangers/hunters since I started playing tabletop D&D at age 10. The race just seems to fit right, like an especially comfortable pair of hiking boots (and speaking of those, all the forest wandering that was also part of my childhood probably plays a role too). Seeing Lothlórien for the first time in game felt oddly like coming home.

I mainly created Mereithor (my first Elven character) because I wanted to explore the Elven half of the storyline of Ered Luin after going through it with Hringoril, my Dwarven Champion. I created him as a Hunter because I had yet to try out a ranged character after the three melee characters I created (Baralur and Denenthera on the Man side on Imladris, and Hringoril on the Dwarf side in Meneldor) and because Elves and Archers are a natural fit in general.

I have created three more Elven characters (one of them being a lovely female Champion named Eldradhis), but I'm particularly fond of Fandethar on Firefoot. He's a Guardian, and is particularly tall and built for an Elf while at the same time being one of my prettiest characters, and much like my other Guardians in this game, he can take a beating like nobody's business.

Originally Posted by callquinta

Did u pick ur elf because he is tall, or looks good, just because elves are awesome. I picked mine cuz i know a fair amount of lotr lore and i know just how awesome elfs are. My elf is from Lindon, because Lindon is one of the first elven cities. So why did you pick ur character as an elf what class is he, and what do you think of him now?

This post suggests you are blind, and didn't really read your lore that accurately.


Also,
Dwarves > Elves

Sincerely,
me.


EDIT: Been reading some posts here. I think i'm gonna go jump off a ledge now...

There are jokes made about the height of dwarves and hobbits, and both sorts have been directed at me, because I'm fairly short >.<
As others have stated, I'm human why would I want to pretend to be human.
And although the look of elves isn't to my liking, their personalities are. Besides, they fit well with the two character classes that appealed to me, Hunters and Runekeepers (the latter of which I'm going to wait to try as they are a paid feature, and I'm not sure I want to do that just yet).

So, elf it is, and will pretty much always be unless someone comes up with some other race that has a similar outlook, isn't shorter than I am, and isn't human. :P

As a runekeeper I had to choose between an elf and a dwarf. I chose the elf because I thought he looked better in light armor than the dwarf and seemed to fit the class better.

I have always been interested in Tolkien elves, because, to me, they represent figures out of Celtic mythology that I grew up with.

It is clear to me that Tolkien based his elves on many of these myths. The tales of the Tuatha de danan - a race of beautiful, artistic, skilled crafters, warriors and artisans who settled in Ireland after arriving from the west in ships made of clouds - who then burned their ships to prevent anyone from returning, are clearly reflected in his works.

In related or derivative myths, the aes sídhe (people of the mounds) were often seen as descendents of the Tuatha de danan, those who did not retreat to the West or the "Otherworld" after their defeat by the Milesians (mortal men from the Iberian peninsula (Spain)), and are most closely associated with the fairies or elves. They are said to be stunningly beautiful but can also be hideous and dangerous (ex. the bean sidhe...anglicized Banshee, or "woman of the sidhe"). They are often said in ancient myth and literature (such as the Book of Invasions) to exist "beyond the Western seas" and/or in a parallel universe that has connections with our own where the fey folk walk among us unseen (most of the time).

This "Otherworld" is reflected in the myths of Tiranog, Avalon, the Irish mounds, etc., and is also reflected in Tolkien's works, especially in realms such as Aman, Imladris, Lothlorien, and possibly the more sinister otherworld in which the Ringwraiths and ring-bearers at least partially inhabit. I say this realm may be related to the elven realms because Gandalf describes Frodo's vision of Glorfindel when he wears the ring as how he exists on the other side - indicating the possibility that elves exist in both realms simultaneously (though Glorfindel could likely be a special case).

In short, I have always been a student of ancient Irish mythology - since I heard the simplified stories as a young child, and Given that Tolkien's Middle-Earth is his version of ancient Northern European mythology, I have always been particularly interested in the detailed and beautifully rendered history and description of his elves as giving additional flourish to the stories and "fairy"-tales of my youth.

Another similarity I liked, the Gaelic Otherworld is seen as closer to ours at the times of dusk and dawn, which also seems to be times of special significance to most elves.

Also, when early Christianity came to Celtic lands, the Tuatha de danan and/or the Sidh were often said to have been fallen angels - depending on your point of view, angels that either did or did not side with Lucifer but were, for some reason, cast out of heaven. There are some similarities with this view and that of elves in Tolkien's universe in that many elves in Middle Earth are "exiles" from the Undying Lands, and the fact that in Tolkien's mythology, elves are tied to the land itself and are apparently (with some controversy) not to be part of the "Second Music of the Ainur" signifying the end of time.