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  1. #1
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    Wow has changed its artistic direction

    Vanilla and TBC still had pretty iconic warcraft "candy-graphics", the colorful world and items were stylished. If you compare almoust any vanilla content, its vastly different beginning from wotlk. Nowdays all items and every area in the game feels bland in terms of colors. Why did blizzard move away from the candy-graphics that made the game look more unique? Wow has become gritty dark. Also the models were better looking in vanilla, they had certain style which is not present anymore in current game. Also starting from MoP, the texturing style has shifted into "painting" style more.

    In short, vanilla had hugely better feel of the game world.

  2. #2
    some times old people like to dye their hair so they look younger.
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  3. #3
    Legendary! Wrathonia's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tastyfish View Post
    some times old people like to dye their hair so they look younger.
    Pretty much. Metzen and Co. are going through their midlife crisis. As if the Azeroth Choppers didn't make that blatantly obvious.

  4. #4
    Immortal Zka's Avatar
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    Opinions I guess.
    I can't stop admiring how detailed some of the new textures and shapes are. The huge stone cliffs of Frostfire Ridge all seem unique and brilliantly textured. Just can't compare this to the old hill/mountain models, it's magnitudes better. Same goes for vegetation. Sure it's less cartoony but sooo much better.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Windcraft View Post
    Vanilla and TBC still had pretty iconic warcraft "candy-graphics", the colorful world and items were stylished. If you compare almoust any vanilla content, its vastly different beginning from wotlk. Nowdays all items and every area in the game feels bland in terms of colors. Why did blizzard move away from the candy-graphics that made the game look more unique? Wow has become gritty dark. Also the models were better looking in vanilla, they had certain style which is not present anymore in current game. Also starting from MoP, the texturing style has shifted into "painting" style more.

    In short, vanilla had hugely better feel of the game world.
    People have claimed this precise thing LITERALLY every single expansion. Literally every one. TBC - OMG too dark! Wrath OMG not cartoon-y enough any more! Cata - TOO DARK GUYZ! MoP - Not colourful enough!

    You're wrong. The artistic style has developed, but it hasn't "changed direction". The WoD art is essentially identical to older WoW art, just more developed (good examples in the "instant 90" class armours). It's especially ridiculous given that Shadowmoon Valley could be straight out of Disney (in a good way).
    Last edited by Eurhetemec; 2014-11-28 at 09:44 AM.

  6. #6
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    DAE think vanilla/BC was better in every way???

    No I dont think so at all. Even MOP, a expansion I despised, was still visually amazing. The only thing where the art direction has arguably become worse is tier sets, they are just really uninspired lately.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gruul View Post
    No I dont think so at all. Even MOP, a expansion I despised, was still visually amazing. The only thing where the art direction has arguably become worse is tier sets, they are just really uninspired lately.
    That is very true. It feels like they've run out of ideas there - they really peaked in TBC and Wrath though (with the odd good one since). I sincerely hope they look at the TBC sets as inspiration for the next WoD tier. Last time they really tried hard it was on CM armour, which is cool but tier sets deserve similar attention.
    Last edited by Eurhetemec; 2014-11-28 at 09:48 AM.

  8. #8
    Elemental Lord Tekkommo's Avatar
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    I think it improves every expansion, they continue to surprise me every time, it's something almost every other MMO lacks.

  9. #9
    Totally agree. I personally disliked MOP but i'll happily admit it was a huge step up graphically and design wise. WoD is superb.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Windcraft View Post
    Vanilla and TBC still had pretty iconic warcraft "candy-graphics", the colorful world and items were stylished. If you compare almoust any vanilla content, its vastly different beginning from wotlk. Nowdays all items and every area in the game feels bland in terms of colors. Why did blizzard move away from the candy-graphics that made the game look more unique? Wow has become gritty dark. Also the models were better looking in vanilla, they had certain style which is not present anymore in current game. Also starting from MoP, the texturing style has shifted into "painting" style more.

    In short, vanilla had hugely better feel of the game world.
    Well if that's better or worse it depends on who you ask. To me it was one of the things that set it apart from other games, just that iconic blizzard look: simple textures with strong colors.

    Now everything is brown and textures are loaded with so much detail that you can't tell what they look like. Sure the new stuff looks okay when you see them on MMO-champion up close, but when you're in-game and zoomed out you just look like you're wearing a bunch of dirty rags because all the detail is lost.

    However, what upsets me the most is how everyone is frowning or showing its teeth in idle poses. Like UGH, LOOK AT ME FROWNY FACE I'M SO EDGY AND ANGRY. It's ridiculous, and they're even doing it to the animals.

    I'm just glad Heroes of the Storm is turning out different.


    Edit: I agree MOP had some amazing architecture, though monsters and armor looked something between bland and terrible.
    Last edited by Sorissa; 2014-11-28 at 10:10 AM.

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maelle28 View Post
    Now everything is brown and textures are loaded with so much detail that you can't tell what they look like. Sure the new stuff looks okay when you see them on MMO-champion up close, but when you're in-game and zoomed out you just look like you're wearing a bunch of dirty rags because all the detail is lost.
    I am totally not seeing this.

    Quote Originally Posted by Maelle28 View Post
    However, what upsets me the most is how everyone is frowning or showing its teeth in idle poses. Like UGH, LOOK AT ME FROWNY FACE I'M SO EDGY AND ANGRY. It's ridiculous, and they're even doing it to the animals.
    This, however, yeah, is a problem. I don't buy that it's a direction change, but I think the facial animation makes it really obvious and a bad decision.

  12. #12
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    Nowadays WoW just feels cluttered. When you'd walk into a orc hut in vanilla there would be like...a rug, an axe leaning against the wall, and then the quest item you needed to grab. I walk an orc hut on Draenor and I'm confused what I'm supposed to grab because there's so much shit laying around. It's like walking into an episode of horde hoarders. Without the sparkles I'd probably be in there for 10 minutes mousing over shit. My garrison is the same way. So much unnecessary shit laying around it's insane. I mean who is my garrison's interior decorator? My grandma? I miss the old days when there wasn't so many damn doodads and clutter in the world.

  13. #13
    What the Op means to say i think is that the vanilla graphics were more glowy and less detailed (which i preferred ), while since MoP the graphics have become more sharper and less glowy ,

    Pretty much this :
    that iconic blizzard look: simple textures with strong colors.

    Now everything is brown and textures are loaded with so much detail that you can't tell what they look like. Sure the new stuff looks okay when you see them on MMO-champion up close, but when you're in-game and zoomed out you just look like you're wearing a bunch of dirty rags because all the detail is lost.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by RAFFLES View Post
    What the Op means to say i think is that the vanilla graphics were more glowy and less detailed (which i preferred ), while since MoP the graphics have become more sharper and less glowy ,

    Pretty much this :
    I don't really agree in detail, I think it's more that every zone you walked into had a different feeling to it. They are more detailed but less immersive for some reason, I can't even specify what it is I miss...well I can in MoP as every zone looked the exact same, though I haven't played WoD.

  15. #15
    Bloodsail Admiral Trigg's Avatar
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    personally, i love the slightly paler colours. Having bright stark contrasts everywhere became a bit of an eyesore (not that contrasts and bright colours are a bad thing, just needs using in moderate amounts). WoW's art style is changing as should everything in the world, you can't stick with the same old stuff for decades, people get tired of it.

    Also, as for the "painted" style, i believe it was always the style they wanted, but it's only recently that they could afford to use the high-res textures to bring out that detail in them.

    Everything in wow, from the very beginning used and is using hand painted textures. it has always been the style, the increased resolution and gradual change in art direction (maybe due to changing devs?) is what's caused this slight shift, but it's always been that way, and i'm really liking it tbh.





  16. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Windcraft View Post
    Vanilla and TBC still had pretty iconic warcraft "candy-graphics", the colorful world and items were stylished. If you compare almoust any vanilla content, its vastly different beginning from wotlk. Nowdays all items and every area in the game feels bland in terms of colors. Why did blizzard move away from the candy-graphics that made the game look more unique? Wow has become gritty dark. Also the models were better looking in vanilla, they had certain style which is not present anymore in current game. Also starting from MoP, the texturing style has shifted into "painting" style more.

    In short, vanilla had hugely better feel of the game world.
    Um, have you never been to EPL or Naxx? Vanilla had very gritty dark spots... just like WoD has bright lush landscapes like Nagrand. I think the visual concept is still pretty much the same. If you look at Everbloom, that's full of bright colours. Not sure what you mean by candy graphics...
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  17. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Slant View Post
    Um, have you never been to EPL or Naxx? Vanilla had very gritty dark spots... just like WoD has bright lush landscapes like Nagrand. I think the visual concept is still pretty much the same. If you look at Everbloom, that's full of bright colours. Not sure what you mean by candy graphics...
    You forgot Desolace, the most Depressing zone Ever.

    But, ontopic. I think you and most other people, "Liked the Old sutff better" because of the lack of detail, so you could see in those bland models/textures what you wanted to see.

    Now where the details and textures look what they are meant to look. You dont like it anymore because you saw something entirely different in those bland objects.

    I experienced that several times, on several other games. First you play on a low resolution, and then you play on a higher resolution, and suddenly everything looks different.


    The Art style is still the same. And I personally welcome the enhanced detail, it just looks beautiful and painted. Thats what I loved about WoW since vanilla.

  18. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by LanToaster View Post
    You forgot Desolace, the most Depressing zone Ever.
    Quested there only twice or so... so few quests, so much running around. If it hadn't been for Maraudon, I'd have skipped it entirely.
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  19. #19
    Pit Lord Anium's Avatar
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    In like your " In short"... kappa

  20. #20
    op never made it into felwood, or winterspring, or desolace, or plaguelands, or swamps, or silithus, or original dark duskwood, or aszshara. The game was WAY darker / grimmer on classic wow, at some point they patched in more brightness. And a darker and grimmer and duskier zone than the originial felwood , and a more weirder and lost space than aszhara never existed.

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