Wow graphics are terrible

[Heramaar-argent-dawn]

@Malikypewpew-twisting-nether

We’d still do the same things ect.

Sure, but we would look better doing it.

[Heramaar-argent-dawn]

Just a JoshStrifeHayes Clip I found that makes a pretty good point regarding game comparisons:

Elden Ring ruined games for me

To bring this “I played the better Game and the less good game now feels worse”-point into context with the topic.

Here you have a screenshot of World of Warcraft Shadowlands Mage Tier 3 Armor with its Art Style:

https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/1040284.jpg

Here you have a screenshot from a default high level Mage Armor from Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning (a game released 2012 | so before Legion)

https://oyster.ignimgs.com/mediawiki/apis.ign.com/kingdoms-of-amalur-reckoning/2/2c/Noordav_hexweave.jpg

Here you have a screenshot of Boralus:

https://wow.zamimg.com/uploads/screenshots/normal/940277-boralus.jpg

Here you have a screenshot of a Zoen of the new Fatesword DLC, released in the Kingdoms of Amalur - Re-Reckoning version:

https://s3.gaming-cdn.com/images/products/10151/screenshot/kingdoms-of-amalur-re-reckoning-fatesworn-dlc-edition-pc-game-steam-wallpaper-1.jpg

---

The Point I am trying to make is:

• Even with a higher Resolution and better Textures/Models it is possible to keep the charming look of World of Warcraft.

Another Example is this video from 2012 when the game was released.
Someone made a Side-by-Side comparison of similar looking Zones from both Games:

World of Amalurcraft - Kingdoms of Amalur vs World of Warcraft (HD 1080p)

[Razien-quelthalas (Razien)]

@Thedarksteel-ravencrest

wow is not abouth graphics,its about gameplay,

So we’re just [Edited by Blizzard: Masked bad word is still bad word] then

[Orisanct-silvermoon]

@Heramaar-argent-dawn

Do you really? Guess you also like the Alpha graphics of WoW then, huh?

I’d play WoW even if it still had the alpha graphics. There’s no other mmorpg on the market that’s managed to do what WoW does in regards to how good the movement feels and how good combat feels. The only one that’s gotten somewhat close out of all the mmorpgs I’ve played was Rift but it still falls short of what WoW has achieved. Then on the other end you have some other mmorpgs where you are animation-locked and can’t even move when abilities are being used, those games are awful to play.

[Baconinsight-draenor]

Current WoW strong points are it’s Art style, Soundtrack, Combat, Quests, Nice zones, Raids, Dungeons, Animations, Story, Lore and etc.
The bad however are it’s game physics, lag in the zone when players are doing world boss and fps drops in some areas.

[Orisanct-silvermoon]

@Baconinsight-draenor

fps drops in some areas.

Not getting any fps drops in spires but oh my lord, that place spins my graphic card fans up to the point it’s almost unbearable, I hear them through my noise-cancelling headset. GPU utilization jumps to 100% in quite a few places in there and then once you’ve passed them, the card is back down to temps of like 50ish.

[Wrazz-tarren-mill]

Thank god lol, love that game but every time I see the ‘grass’ I die a little inside

[Heramaar-argent-dawn]

@Orisanct-silvermoon

Then on the other end you have some other mmorpgs where you are animation-locked and can’t even move when abilities are being used, those games are awful to play.

cough Final Fantasy 14 for some classes cough

But also applies to some Casters in WoW. That’s the reason why I hate my Mage on Horde and prefer only Melee classes

@Orisanct-silvermoon

Not getting any fps drops in spires but oh my lord, that place spins my graphic card fans up to the point it’s almost unbearable, I hear them through my noise-cancelling headset. GPU utilization jumps to 100% in quite a few places in there and then once you’ve passed them, the card is back down to temps of like 50ish.

Is it as bad as this?

My PC is too damn loud!!

[Piemaster-eonar]

Am I missing something? This has to be a bait.

[Sakbtw-gehennas]

@Ghmli-shazzrah

nd all the textures are a blurry mess

Im not sure what exactly you are referring to, but I am a big fan of wow textures and graphics, especially the cartoonish style. Especially modern zones look very good. What I’m not a fan of is modern animations and the big clutter of flashes on crowded fights. Look at 40 man molten core from vanilla. 40 people yet you perfectly know whats happening and everything is clear. In a 20 man raid now u can barely see the ground from all the ridiculously large and imposing aoe effects.

[Atriohm-aggramar (Atriohm)]

@Souldefiler-blades-edge

“I have this really shiny and beautiful looking pile of dog mess”

Umm OK but it’s a pile of dog poop

“BUT LOOK HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS!”

Its a pile of dog poop. Granted a very nice looking pile of dog poop, but it’s still a pile of dog poop.

Been video gaming a long time and have seen too many games concentrate more on the visuals and less on the actual gameplay.

WoW has bigger problems that graphics, which to be brutally honest are fine as they are.

Yeah, you can’t polish a turd. Some of the best games that I’ve played don’t rely on graphics as a selling point. I stopped playing the FF games when they became more and more about the graphics over the gameplay. After FFX I think.

I’m quite happy to sit and blast an ASCII dungeon crawler

[Zathina-stormscale]

I wouldn’t expect WoW to get noticable better graphics even if Blizzard did go through the effort of swaping engine. WoW forgoes a lot of modern features (or even very old ones like normal maps) and this isn’t just so they can get WoW to run on a toaster, but also to reduce workload.
Unless Blizzard drastically increased their workforce they would have to outsource a lot of work if they wanted WoW to look like a more modern game (like say Overwatch). Otherwise we would see expansions lasting way longer and/or having less content.

[Heramaar-argent-dawn]

@Zathina-stormscale

Otherwise we would see expansions lasting way longer and/or having less content.

To be fair, longer waiting times for expansions can be a good thing for future content.

Witch Queen for Destiny 2 was delayed by ca. 6 months and the DLC turned out to be the new Record in the Franchise as best Expansion. Even gets from some websites a very high rating for “Best PC Game of 2022” so far.

https://www.ign.com/articles/destiny-2-the-witch-queen-review

[Tholkrad-mirage-raceway]

Funny how the OP just posts bait and every one else just rolls with it for 73 replies over 11 days.

Did the actual OP even ever reply to any ones counter arguments?

[Heramaar-argent-dawn]

@Tholkrad-mirage-raceway

Did the actual OP even every reply to any ones counter arguments?

No, but some others have still thoughts on the topic itself of WoW having to a certain degree graphic problems.

And while speaking of that, I am browsing Art Station right now. Found this one which shows pretty good use of Normal/Bump Maps with also stylized textures/model.

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/0XPl94

[Sisoki-draenor]

I think the graphics are Bad so low income people can enjoy the game too or something was it?

[Hoisho-argent-dawn (Hoisho)]

The way the Graphics card industry/market is at the moment, I’m not sure making a game with top end graphics is viable at this time, not many gamers will be able to put down £1,000-2,000 for a card. Sure, the prices are going down slightly now. But really, games like WoW and all have no doubt survived in not having the most up to date graphics because of this.

Plus the whole energy situation with makes RTX4000 series and RX7000 series cards seem a bit of … It leaves more questions than anything really if energy usage has to go up with these cards. Plus we may end up back to square one with the current generation with them being all snapped up once again to sit in large mining farms.

So on that, the next expansion has to be very careful not to up the specs too much graphically because of this. The longer that goes on, the more chance PC games will stall on that and maybe even reverse a bit on the graphical scale.

The other thing, it’s a old game now, what did you expect? There’s only so much you can do, even with the enhancements already made. But the whole PC gaming sector is facing more issues with hardware supply and when cards are made, it doesn’t help them being priced way over RRP and most giving cards to said miners, scalpers as a first dips on said stock.

So in that sense, WoW has pretty much evaded such issues here by not asking too much for updated graphic card hardware at this time. But does open up for next expansion and what the hardware requirements are, as I said before.

[Heramaar-argent-dawn]

@Hoisho-argent-dawn

But really, games like WoW and all have no doubt survived in not having the most up to date graphics because of this.

The problem with WoW and graphics cards is from my perspective not that WoW needs better graphics.

What I would want to push for is more detailed armor and map models.

I can play Games like Destiny 2 with much more complex models, character physics and higher resolution on 60 FPS, when playing on medium settings. And I have only a GTX 1650 in my laptop which came out 3-4 years ago as a GPU model series. Back then my Laptop did cost 1000€. Today it would be surely 300-400 less. So I am definitely not the top tier with my GPU

However, as I said above, WoW should push for more model details and better texture resolution. At least optionally for the top end of the Player board. Adding some vertices on a model to make them not look flat (coughs Painted-on Body Armor cough) is not hard or processing consuming. Even a better job with normal map textures like done in ESO could make the game look a lot better.

Another good example for this is one from Maxence Burgel (look at the Model Previewer, Edit: Senior Concept Artist at Blizzard):

Sidecomment: lol, he liked my own Artstation Works back. <3

https://www.artstation.com/artwork/vGOx3

Edit: This model linked above has a 19k polygon count. The average WoW model ingame has around 15k Polygons. Elder Scrolls Online (full armor sets) have around 29k Polygons.

[Omicrón-sanguino]

Who cares about graphics, this game looks dated since it’s release.

[Daestra-turalyon]

The idea for WoW it was meant to be played on a toaster and for everyone to be able to afford to play it without having to have a top range pc i like wow graphics and its charms.