But I would argue that their interpretation is just as valid as your own. So "absolutely should not" seems a little authoritarian and silly, at least to me.
As far as D&D is concerned, that is incorrect: I have already demonstrated that Elves have looked markedly different from Humans since Day 1. Any pieces since that time which ran contrary were either products born of selective laziness or by an artist who wasn't given an adequate description.
"My examples are right! Other examples are wrong!"
lol okay
I refer back to my earlier observation ->
Originally Posted by Ragitsu
there is no description (at least, from what I've scanned thus far) in any of the D&D PHBs which describe Elves as possessing pointy ears. Should artists simply draw normal humans with a tag saying "Hi, I'm an elf." and save themselves the trouble of truly distinguishing those creations?
By your logic, a rendition of a D&D elf that is entirely human is equally valid. Do you see how ridiculous acceptance is when taken to an extreme?
Anyhow, despite my general disinterest in 5e, I'll give Wizards of the Coast credit when it comes to that edition's depiction of elves: it's finally consistent across the board. To be fair, they may have gotten it right with 4e; however, I completely skipped that edition of D&D and have only rarely viewed its art. As for Larian...they're doing their own thing, but not in a good way.
Originally Posted by GM4Him
I mean, honestly, it doesn't matter whether the almond shaped eyes and elongated faces are right.
It does matter. Wait a second: why did you exclude "pointy ears"?
Originally Posted by GM4Him
And then, add more faces that are "elvish", more that are dwarvish, halflingish, etc
However, the default face upon first selecting "Elf" should be unmistakably elfin and so should any randomly generated faces; significant deviations/customizations from that point would involve a deliberate choice on the part of the player. Also, the Elf NPCs should also adhere to that baseline, but I'm not holding my breath; Larian apparently decided to play it safe in addition to chucking system/setting orthodoxy out the window. They've decided to pursue that which is easier/more marketable/more mainstream.
