Can the 3D engine behind WoW deliver more?
I'm having a great time being back. I've already made some good new in-game friends and such. I even happily killed buzzards for 3 hours straight to make a stash of buzzard bites last night. The only thing negative at all about coming back so far is eating the low end graphics of the game.
I actually know a guy that still players EQ1. He told me recently that expansion packs are still coming out for it every 8 months or so. What was more interesting (aside from EQ1 still being alive and getting regular full expansions) was that apparently they have a team at SOE that re-does the graphics of an original zone for each expansion. You get an expansion and a pretty new original zone.
I was just thinking how cool that would be for WoW. WoW was low end graphically when it was released two and a half years ago. It really looks super low end now. I wonder if they even wanted to redo zones or update graphics if they could?
I can't imagine playing another MMO right now but sometimes it seems like Blizzard just spends all day counting money and laughing. Couldn't they do something like release some higher rez textures?
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-11 20:45:41 · Reply to this
Vathral
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join:2002-08-26
New York, NY
clubs: [Seti@Home] [Folding@Home] [Team Discovery] WoW graphics is unique and great in its own way.
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to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-11 21:08:33 · Reply to this
Mike
Premium,Mod
join:2000-09-17
Pittsburgh, PA
clubs: [Seti@Home] [Folding@Home] [Team RC5] I like to call it Toontown meets super nintendo.
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-11 21:30:32 · Reply to this
PBX Tech
Bonzo's Montreux on XM Led Channel 59
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join:2000-09-20
Norwich, CT lol, my two sons play toontown. its a great MMO by Disney.
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-11 22:14:06 · Reply to this
Dreven
join:2006-11-05
Keller, TX
reply to Vathral
said by Vathral See Profile :
WoW graphics is unique and great in its own way.
That argument is as old as the original release. It doesn't hold water anymore. You could greatly improve the look of the game without changing the nature of the way it looks.
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-11 22:40:59 · Reply to this
justin
Australian
join:1999-05-28
Brooklyn, NY reply to Dreven
maybe if you addicts would stop paying for it (because of the graphics), they'd consider doing something like that to retain you!
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-11 23:12:51 · Reply to this
Omega
On Notice
Premium
join:2002-07-30
Lakewood, OH
clubs: [Seti@Home] reply to Dreven
I still like the graphics of sonic the hedgehog, so WoW graphics don't bother me.
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-11 23:30:26 · Reply to this
Acere
Premium
join:2002-07-28
Miami reply to Dreven
I come from another MMORPG in which graphics were terrible, however, the game rocked in my opinion. When I came to WoW, the graphics blew me away. I guess it depends how much you expect from something.
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 01:50:46 · Reply to this
Vathral
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New York, NY
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reply to Dreven
said by Dreven See Profile :
said by Vathral See Profile :
WoW graphics is unique and great in its own way.
That argument is as old as the original release. It doesn't hold water anymore. You could greatly improve the look of the game without changing the nature of the way it looks.
I've played other games, pretty graphic intensive too (EQ2, Vanguard, LotR) and I still prefer the WoW graphics it is today. I think the graphics is just fine. There are nice details where it matters.
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to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 05:15:34 · Reply to this
Abu
join:2001-05-17
Miami, FL
reply to Dreven
Blizzard games are typically well below the curve for graphics when they are released. Diablo II was released about a year and a half after the original Half-Life and had a max resolution of 640x480 with a pseudo-3D "perspective" in place of true 3D. It's likely the extremely long development times and a concern for accessibility within a large range of hardware are at least partly responsible for the lower quality.
I love great graphics, for sure, but some "cutting-edge" games like Supreme Commander can crush mid-range systems and stress even the most expensive hardware. Cranking down the graphics sliders to boost performance on most of these games produces worse looking results than WoW. From what I've experienced, the less realistic a game aims to look the better it tends to age.
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 06:14:09 · Reply to this
R_Kilroy
Premium,MVM
join:2002-11-21
Sterling Heights, MI
reply to Dreven
I think graphics in general are over rated. Look at Nintendo. All of their gaming systems have poorer graphics than their competition, but the game play is better and the units cost less. I can't tell you how many non-gamers have told me how much they like the Wii.
The eye candy just takes up too many valuable resources that can be used in much more useful ways. The more eye candy you have the more the game will lag when the action picks up.
Then you have the issue of hardware cost. Gaming video cards cost more than the average user pays for their system. You don't want to limit your audience due to system requirements.
Yes, it is nice to see a beautiful landscape like Far Cry, but when you have tons of action going on you damage the game play.
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to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 06:28:58 · Reply to this
Kearnstd
Elf Wizard
join:2002-01-22
Danbury, CT
reply to Dreven
i honestly think that people should not care about graphics, low end graphics are one of the reasons wow is popular. people who played EQ for example can migrate to WoW and need zero system upgrades. or someone wanting to get into gaming can get a start with a $500 dell and still load wow NP. WoW runs fine on newer laptops as well. many of the new MMOs are such resource hogs that you need dual 8800GTSs in SLI and a quad core with 2gb of ram and dual raptors just to run remotely smooth.
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to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 09:05:32 · Reply to this
justin
Australian
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Brooklyn, NY
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reply to R_Kilroy
said by R_Kilroy See Profile :
I can't tell you how many non-gamers have told me how much they like the Wii.
That is true, because it is very accessible. But the accessibility doesn't come with much depth. I think most Wiis are gathering dust in homes. You can only have so many Wii Sports parties. It isn't clear that the controller adds another dimension to ALL games genres outside sports. And the machine isn't very powerful so it becomes a niche product. Just my opinion though, if you're a Wii fan don't get mad.
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 10:45:47 · Reply to this
Dreven
join:2006-11-05
Keller, TX
edit:
August 12th, @12:48PM
said by justin See Profile :
said by R_Kilroy See Profile :
I can't tell you how many non-gamers have told me how much they like the Wii.
That is true, because it is very accessible. But the accessibility doesn't come with much depth. I think most Wiis are gathering dust in homes. You can only have so many Wii Sports parties. It isn't clear that the controller adds another dimension to ALL games genres outside sports. And the machine isn't very powerful so it becomes a niche product. Just my opinion though, if you're a Wii fan don't get mad.
OT but the E3 video of Metroid Prime 3 looked pretty amazing. Like where they were showing a wrist flick to fire the grapple and then another wrist flick to let yourself down.
But, OT WoW could be run a max settings and a high resolution with a 6000 series video card (two + video generations ago). Some things on wow look really fugly. Some very old games (like Freespace2) look freaking amazing with high rez texture packs.
And, at least as per Blizzard, the only reason Starcaft and Diablo 2 were set at 640x480 was to keep the multiplayer playing field equal for everyone. Although when the expansion was released for D2 that didn't really go over well anymore. When original D2 came out most everyone was already playing games above 1024x768. Even the very first 3D cards (rendition V1000 chips - I had a Sierra Screaming 3D I bought in 1996 I think it was) supported 1280x1024 @ 85hz for crying out loud!
Wait (lol) that actually means no 3D card has every been made that supports less than 1280x1024. 640x480 my booty. hehe
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 12:45:46 · Reply to this
nevertheless
Premium,VIP
join:2002-03-08
Dundas, ON
reply to Dreven
Well, the thing is, graphics just get in the way of gameplay.
After the first few weeks of playing this game I turned down all the pretty tuneables, 'cause I really don't care what it looks like, it's the game itself that is fun and interesting, not the eye candy.
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Some people think I'm an idiot. I disagree, but idiocy is subjective--so they may well be right. With this in mind, take everything I post with a grain of salt, eh?
to forum · permalink · [Encourage,Ignore,Watch] · 2007-08-12 15:05:26 · Reply to this
Shatter
join:2006-07-24
Waterford, MI
·Comcast
reply to Dreven
To call WOW graphics poor or terrible or anything else is pointless, it's subjective. I enjoy the graphics and I like the fact that because they are more "cartoonish" I can play the game with full graphics and effects and maintain 30+ FPS even on raids and in heavy PvP. When I played EQ2 I used to get 10fps when I had 10 people on my screen, and that was with medium effects. One reason alot of people play WOW is because almost any system will work with it. When SWG actually had players and we would get 40-50 people PvPing, systems would crawl and at the time mine was top of the line. Ill take WOW graphics combined with better performance over better graphics and weak performance any day.