WoW graphics engine and other games

[dejec1989]

I would not mind a graphics overhaul but it's not something I care to much about, if they did it though I would hope the controls smoothness??? stays the way it is.

[Worgoblin]

I still think WoW is the best looking MMO. Most other games strike me as bland at first glance.

[Sierra85]

i'd like a graphics overhaul, more diverse lighting and particle effects would add to the game immensely.

I'm not talking about changing the look visually, but adding more lighting and particles and glows would make for a more interesting game play as there are some amazing things developers can do with those things that really ramp up the immersion in the game.

[N B K]

I said not many. Don't try to make this into something it isn't. And Everquest still looks terrible.

Not trying to make it in to anything my good sir. Didn't mean any offense. Just stating two old ass games did it in less than half the time its taken GC to even give us a confirmation that they have new models "in the works".

And yes original EQ looks bad because its old as hell lol.

[DeltrusDisc]

Rift and GW2 look miles behind? Maybe not as polished up, and yes, Rift's character movement is a little odd looking and can be annoying, but both of those games have far superior graphics, INCLUDING character models, over WoW. If you can max out all 3 games, do so, if you still think WoW is ahead, please get your eyes checked.

[Deleted]

things will be better when we get the new models for players (if we will ever et them )

[Herecius]

The engine has been getting continuous updates for years. If you think WoW's actual engine is the same one it shipped with, you're nuts. What you guys are talking about is 'game models,' which we all know are getting updated. Good work on linking an ancient game model, now go look at the newer ones that they've created, such as the trolls all over Isle of Thunder.

Again, the engine itself is miles ahead of where it was back then.

[Deleted]

My lvl 10 warrior (GW2) inside one of the many explorable buildings:



My lvl 4 elementalist:



WoW's graphics are in the dark ages. They improved it somewhat in some parts of Pandaria but really, it looks so old now.

[Karizee]

GW2 uses a painterly style - such as artists like Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Renoir, Bonnard and Andrew Wyeth used. That's why it's taking home all the awards on art style.

I find the character models to be more illustrative than realistic. Seriously, this isn't realism in any way.



Dynamic shadows and the way light reflects on my character's body depending on where I am in relation to the fire/light source -even my weapon- contributes to how natural and immersive it feels.

[Bridgetjones]

The engine has been getting continuous updates for years. If you think WoW's actual engine is the same one it shipped with, you're nuts. What you guys are talking about is 'game models,' which we all know are getting updated. Good work on linking an ancient game model, now go look at the newer ones that they've created, such as the trolls all over Isle of Thunder.

Again, the engine itself is miles ahead of where it was back then.

There's new vs. old. Now compare to GW2:



Now compare to TERA:





I get that WoW is an old game, but it's batshit nonsense to say that it looks good. It didn't look good then, it doesn't look good now, and it was never supposed to look good; it's supposed to run on hamster-power.

[Valeron]

I think the OP is confusing art style with graphics. While you may prefer the art style of WoW, and indeed many folks do, there is no question that the newer games such as Rift, GW2, Tera, TSW, etc have better graphics.

[Anprionsa]

I don't want WoW to look like Tera or GW2. I love the somewhat cartoony look. However, I do want a better engine overall. Just slightly updated.

[Wildmoon]

I like WoW's art style more. Not only WoW but Blizzard's art style in general. They are bold with how they use colours. I actually think pandaren model look better than GW2's models. Pandaren just look so natural with their movement. I agree though that vanilla's models look so outdated today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1hGj9gHs00

[Bridgetjones]

I don't want WoW to look like Tera or GW2. I love the somewhat cartoony look. However, I do want a better engine overall. Just slightly updated.

WoW's art concepts would be mindblowing with modern graphics.

I swear WoW players have Stockholm Syndrome. "Cartoony," "style," and "ancient graphics" are not synonyms. For example, take a look at the animation in any number of recent animated children's movies. All of them are very highly stylized and imaginitive, but the quality of the animation is very obvious. The textures of plastic, skin, hair, feathers, metal, water, etc. all look extremely tangible.

TERA is one of the most stylized MMOs on the scene right now, and the fidelity of the graphics and textures doesn't detract from the style at all. I mean, it's Korean to the bone complete with surreal bright colors, fucked up gore, cutesie pixies, so-cute-it-hurts critters, giant weapons, and T&A for daaaaays. The graphical quality is a totally separate thing. For instance, when you zoom in on a solid-colored piece of cloth armor, you notice that it's embroidered with an elaborate pattern. Lace and sheer fabrics exist. Leather looks like actual hide. Scales and beadwork actually reflect light. Skin has a reflective sheen to it when you're in the sun like you're starting to sweat a little. Armor has actual shape and characters have actual weight to them.

WoW has none of that, and it's certainly not to preserve its "style."

[Deleted]

Interesting topic, I don't know much about how games are developed but there's some things I wonder, if anyone knows.

What does 'engine' really mean? Does a game have a graphic and a game engine or is it the same thing? What effects how characters move and interact with the game for example if there is a rag-doll effect present? I'm wondering if 2 games can have the same graphics engine but still behave completely different (follow different laws of physics basically).

I'm also curious if for example WoW decided to turn into GW2 graphically, would that be feasible? Would they be able to change it or use a different graphics engine over an expansion or would that simply mean they have to re-make the game completely from start?

[Deleted]

Its all about the artistic direction that makes it stand up so well,

Why does Wind Waker still look great today even though it was a Gamecube game? Because it sacrificed realism and put appealling cartoony graphics, meaning that all the pleasing visuals were from bright creative colours and character designs and world exploration, exactly like WoW. If you focus on technicalities, of course WoW could be improved through a newer graphics engine, however in terms of aesthetics and invoking an ambiance in places WoW is really the pinnacle of what can be accomplished.

Example scenario: As a new player to WoW, I reached the character selection screen with no idea what there was, there was so many races and classes etc. Each one giving off a unique and cool vibe "Oh wow those Tauren look fierce" "Is that a troll? It looks damn scary and skinny" "Those gnomes look hilarious"
My opinions playing Aion or Rift or SWTOR? "Its a human." "Its an elf." "Its an anime elf" "Its a reskinned human" etc.

[Deadite]

I think the OP is confusing art style with graphics. While you may prefer the art style of WoW, and indeed many folks do, there is no question that the newer games such as Rift, GW2, Tera, TSW, etc have better graphics.

Yeah on any technical level wows graphics are total garbage compared to newer games but they have a style people seem to like.

[Maniac2]

Rift and GW2 look miles behind? Maybe not as polished up, and yes, Rift's character movement is a little odd looking and can be annoying, but both of those games have far superior graphics, INCLUDING character models, over WoW. If you can max out all 3 games, do so, if you still think WoW is ahead, please get your eyes checked.

Thanks for asking, got my eyes checked month ago, they said they are just fine.
I agree char models and details are much better in gw2, but it does not hurt wow's looks overall.
As someone posted his lvl 10 gw2 warrior picture, I would never want for wow char to look like that along with that Rembrant style of surroundings.
I tried gw2 up to lvl 20 and Rift up to lvl 15 and left them both just for this dull brownish style of the whole world.

Ok, maybe I identified wrong what I like about wow looks. Guess real reasons would be their great way of using colors and great animations. Also, everyone is so focused on char models forgetting about the world and its landscape. Thats where true beauty of wow lies. Char models and number of polygons used is not so important, since we usually look at them from the behind and from distance.

[Deleted]

The only MMO to really understand that the true appealing thing is a cool cartoony look recently is Wildstar, but thats TOO cartoony, to the point it looks like some goofy Lilo and Stitch parody

[Holtzmann]

World of Warcraft's graphics need only two things to compete with other modern MMOs:

1- Overhauled player character models. Possibly monster models as well. The first is confirmed, the second would be nice.

2- Armor polygons instead of just textures. The artists deserve it. Every single time I tried drawing a piece of World of Warcraft armor (specially chestpieces), I had all sorts of issues trying to figure out the geometry so I can barely imagine the sort of hoops those guys have to jump through when translating concept art into game models. Yes, it's going to open a whole new Pandora's Box of clipping issues as well as add another chunk of time for things to be developed, but it will be well-worth it. That way you could have robes that don't all share the same base mesh (which doesn't replace a character's legs!), good bulky chestpieces with actual spikes on them, and thighpads that don't all look the same. They've been slowly expanding that from the original helmet and shoulderpads, what with belts now having their own topology separate from the base mesh, but it still needs more work.