If WoW Graphics Were Upgraded

[Deleted]

honestly i prefer the way wow looks now, to me, games with too realistic graphics are uglier than the ones with more simplistic, cartoony design like blizzard's games who focus more on unique aesthetics instead of high graphics
as a picture it does look nice, but as a game, it wouldn't be that great

[Lulleh]

Yeah Thori, it would be nice. Could prob release a major patch with a lot of content to keep us busy followed by a graphic revamp. But in the end of the day, they probably would if it was possible. I mean, remaking the whole game would take a really long time even with all of their employees on the project.

But in the end of the day, (imo) WoW don't look bad as it is but looking at those pictures (esp the Undead couple one I linked) I just wish it was true

[dejec1989]

I know the the picture is not real but why would it be such a bad thing? Blizzard could do what they have always done with graphics, make it optional. ?

[Chrno]

Here's another one worth linking, http://i.imgur.com/WkRv7pj.jpg. And no, neither Skyrim or Fallout got this kind of graphics. (diff engine). Would surely look amazing but no PC today would be able to run WoW with this sadly. =(
<snip>

Holy crap!
that's amazing i'd play that

Can't wait for games to reach that kind of graphics in a few years

[Lulleh]

Yeah, obviously it would be like "Low-Fair-Good-High-Ultra-This(Call it w/e you want)" but then they would perhaps feel it's being similar to releasing superhard content that only the top of the top guilds will experience much like Vanilla Naxx and therefor not feel it's worth it to invest all hours and money to improve it. But I am pretty sure this will become the standard in x years. It's all about "when" and not "if" that "V-Ray render" technology will take milliseconds instead of hours to render 1 picture.

@Chrno, not sure if it's just a few years for that tbh. I mean, for mmorpgs as big as WoW. We already got single player games with that, Ratchet & Clank for example but rendering Azeroth with this will prob take longer. We will sure live to see it though!

[Airwaves]

Fuck the people who can't run it. I want them graphics. Btw my skyrim looks almost like that with the addons I use.

[Lulleh]

Fuck the people who can't run it. I want them graphics. Btw my skyrim looks almost like that with the addons I use.

Fuck everyone? =) (Also, skyrim and WoW is two different things (tech wise)

[Deleted]

Here's another one worth linking, http://i.imgur.com/WkRv7pj.jpg. And no, neither Skyrim or Fallout got this kind of graphics. (diff engine). Would surely look amazing but no PC today would be able to run WoW with this sadly. =(

am i the only one who thinks this actually looks ugly? at first look it's great, but looking closely at the post on the left, at the floor behind them and at the rooftops the textures look too harsh and messy, i prefer the more polished and smooth look wow has now, but that's just my opinion

[SodiumChloride]

I don't think any engine change is going to happen anytime soon and if there was one it won't be any better.

The problem is when they design the zones and everything, "visibility blocking" wasn't a consideration - they just fogged out the distance terrain. So there is nothing they can do to increase image quality without killing everyone's computers. Giving players the freedom to fly everywhere isn't helping.

[Blackmist]

WoW would look so much better without the fogging. It's just because the game engine is fairly primitive, in comparison to modern games.

These days, you'd have all the Eastern Kingdoms in a single low detail/small texture terrain, and load/display the high detail bit just for the part where it currently fogs. That way you'd be able to see Tanaris from Hyjal. I think it would add a fair bit to the look of the game, and not impossible to do. However, the code base is 10 years old at this point. To add it would probably take enough time that they'd want to spend those man hours somewhere else. Like Titan.

[MOEEEE]

No thank you!

[Slaughty8]

Here's another one worth linking, http://i.imgur.com/WkRv7pj.jpg. And no, neither Skyrim or Fallout got this kind of graphics. (diff engine). Would surely look amazing but no PC today would be able to run WoW with this sadly. =(

Doable, just more polygons, change engine and mostly it's all about light. But Blizz can't do that, as this would:
- cost too much
- decrease number of subs
This move would generate more financial harm to them than just doing what they are doing now. They must thread carefully.
So, huge "no no no noooo" from them because of investors. If Blizz was free, then doable

[Mad_Murdock]

I think a happy medium would be the Frostbite 2 engine that is used in games like Battlefield 3\Crysis2/3. BF3 plays well on medicore systems even on 64 player maps. Though I'm not sure what it would be like in a 40 man raid or a World PvP environment. Spells and such would probably need to be calmed down. I'd prefer a beter environment with bushes and tress that move than all the flashy spells we have today.

[Frozenbeef]

I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday :S

I hope MMOs will be like that in 20 years :P

they are beautiful pictures but they would take years to create that level of artwork throughout a game >.<

[kingriku]

Holy crap!
that's amazing i'd play that

Can't wait for games to reach that kind of graphics in a few years

They have, you should see the graphic patchs for some games. Check out this lots of better examples but here is a quick pic of a graphics patch for gta iv. ( a quick google can find you better gta iv patch examples aswell)

[Celista]

Fuck the people who can't run it. I want them graphics. Btw my skyrim looks almost like that with the addons I use.

I use 100+ graphics mods on my version of Skyrim and...yeah. Mine looks as good or better than these screenshots, there are some really amazing mods for that game.

I like wow's graphics, but we need a new graphics engine. The forsaken screenshot looks good.

[enchanted]

Just a small question. Wouldn't require Blizzard to make a brand new engine to obtain such good graphics? I don't know all that much about it, but there must be a limit to how much you can change it before it bugs itself out of existence. And how much wouldn't it cost in money and time, to make a new engine and basically make every single thing in the WoW universe?

I think so, because wow is still running on the wc3 I believe but please correct me if im wrong but heavily modified.

OT; My machine would crash on the loading screen with such graphics and even if not I'd be rendering the game in 0.1 fps :P but as the other's said, I'd actually prefer the game's cartoony look but with a little more engine tweaks to keep it look like the "Old WoW" abit however I wouldn't doubt a whole engine upgrade if this game lasted another 10 years.

[MrHappy]

meh doesn't appeal to me in anyway. I am all for more polygon count but that looks like too much like gw2 and i would put me off. I love the cartoony art style in wow and if it looked like that...ehh. I mean for wow movie sure looks awesome but i rather have what we have today just a tad more HD.

[Doujinshi]

I agree. It has been this way for a very long time. I remember when they changed the water detail and that blew my mind. I cant image would this would do to people lol

I think people are too used to WoW's graphics that a relatively big change in graphics as suggested by the OP will only result in negativity from the WoW community.

[Tomana]

I was thinking the exact same thing yesterday :S

I hope MMOs will be like that in 20 years :P

It will probably happen in less than that, unless it hits a major wall of some kind.