Now admittedly Elves have only been in two games, one published in 2003, and the other was set about 10,000 years before D:OS 2, so in a sense they're both "very far away". It's not a big deal, just a thing which makes some whiny dumb morons (me) scratch their heads and go "err... that's quite a bit different than the portrayal from before."
Overly rigid adherence to continuity is a drag. Was what came before really so interesting in itself, or was it just as likely a concession to available resources...i.e, cheaper to use the same mesh as humans?
Sometimes people get a chance to revisit something with different resources and a fresh vision. Think 1960s Klingons in Star Trek vs. the more developed and distinctly alien Klingons of the 80s. Would you really want to go back to the original just because it has a stricter adherence to continuity?
But like I said, I have no vested interest in this particular lore. If someone suggested retconning Captain Kirk into a thoughtful, tea-sipping diplomat instead of a manic, outer space sex cowboy, I would claw their eyes out. Thank god that hasn't happened. So I'm not unsympathetic to your position.
