WoW graphics really that bad?

Aeroangel

I see people on here all the time saying how bad WoW's graphics are, and then when they show an example it's usually some choppy looking screen shot that looks like it came from a computer with the lowest settings.

Well I have a decent computer, so I hopped on just to take a couple screens near the "inn" I was at. Just want to see your opinions  (note it's nothing special just some random screen shots) 

Personally I think they are pretty good (albeit "cartoonish"), but maybe I'm missing something

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http://s2.largeimagehost.com/img/untilted/eQthrrt/feral_gear.jpg.html

http://s2.largeimagehost.com/img/untilted/eQthrhQ/healing_gear.jpg.html

http://s2.largeimagehost.com/img/untilted/eQthrsF/close_up.jpg.html

IcoGames

Coming from SWG at the time, I was releaved to see a studio put more effort into gamepaly than graphics.  WoW's stylized graphics have always been fine with me.

grandpagamer

As an x player of  WOW no the graphics arnt bad . Actually they are pretty good for what they are which is as you say cartooney. 

Aeroangel

Originally posted by IcoGames


Coming from SWG at the time, I was releaved to see a studio put more effort into gamepaly than graphics.  WoW's stylized graphics have always been fine with me.

 

Even though this is completely off topic... as long as it is pleasing to my eyes I do not care. If the game play is great and the graphics are atrocious (like a mess so bad I don't want to look at it) I don't know if I could stick with it... but it seems like bad graphics and bad game play usually go together hand in hand.

Either way not sure why you brought up SWG's game play

IcoGames

Originally posted by Aeroangel

Originally posted by IcoGames


Coming from SWG at the time, I was releaved to see a studio put more effort into gamepaly than graphics.  WoW's stylized graphics have always been fine with me.

 

Even though this is completely off topic... as long as it is pleasing to my eyes I do not care. If the game play is great and the graphics are atrocious (like a mess so bad I don't want to look at it) I don't know if I could stick with it... but it seems like bad graphics and bad game play usually go together hand in hand.

Either way not sure why you brought up SWG's game play

 

Imo, SOE spent waaaaay too much time worrying about graphics than fixing the myriad of issues in the game.  For example, when I was in the JTL beta I saw numerous posts by devs touting the new graphis.  Why SOE felt the need to improve graphics, or to continue to expand upon them, while the game itself was completely borked didn't make much sense to me.

Anytime I see a critique of a game's graphics it envokes memories of SWG.  I was really happy to see that Blizzard decided to invest more time working on game mechanics.  Like you, as long as the graphics are pleasing I could care less.  Imo, Blizzard did a good job balancing style with detail.  

Magiclight

Well, the graphics are just average. Not that bad. One of the greatest online game with bad graphics are d2x. In time to go, wow will be remembered as a great game too:)

But for the wow players, it is pretty good as they had immeasred deeply in the game to feel the difference. As a ex-wow player, I found korean MMO to have more awe-inspiring graphics heh. I wish Blizzard commit more money to art and engine, after all they r quite rich.

Rocktober

I have to think that the people that complain about the graphics are those that MUST HAVE the absolute best graphics in a game, or are trying to compare a 4-5 year old game to things like Crysis.  They also don't seem to understand that WoW's style is intentionally cartoonish.  I admit, when it came out, and for a few years afterwards I snubbed the cartoony look; however, after actually sitting down and playing the game, I came to enjoy the difference!

Eventhough the game is several years old, I have to say that it's held up rather well.  For me atleast, when it comes down to it, graphics aren't really everything.  I would like them to be decent, but as long as they get the job done, does it really matter?

Greyhooff

I think the graphics in WoW are quite good, they are cartoony and a bit kiddie, but they are well made and suit the atmosphere of the game

Mahlo

I think people often confuse art style with graphics quality. The style of WoW doesn't appeal to everyone, but they're well done, and the graphics are a success when you consider the specs needed to run WoW. I do find some of the texturing a bit clumsy though.

coffee

I went to grizzle hills last night and love the look I had to take some shots.

Blizzard work just as hard if not harder on their graphic than say AoC, It take far more skills and man hours to produce hand made textures and obscure architechure than realisitc stuff, how hard is it to motion capture a human or to take a photo of a brick wall?

Raven

I like WoW gfx as much as I like realistic gfx (AKA AoC), im a big game lore fan myself not just from WoW but warhammer, conan etc... and usually the gfx provide the immersion to the different lores and I couldnt think about playing WoW and feeling part of the world in any other way it would just break the immersion for me. The same way I wouldnt play a Conan cartoonish game.

Azrile

One of the biggest parts of graphics to me is the animations.

I hate a game where the animations feel blocky, or the animations don't match up with what is happening in game.  Games like AOC have amazing looking 'screenshots', but the animations are terrible.  You don't look like you are walking on the ground, and even the walking animation is just stiff looking.  Great screenshots, poor videos.

This is one of the two biggest reasons I never made it in warhammer past the first two weeks (the other being the scenario grind).  The animations were very very clunky and what your character was 'doing' was like a second behind what was actually happening.  Its like watching a japanesse movie where the mouth moves a second after your hear the words.

Daffid011

I've always liked the graphics in WoW.  Even though they are simple models with low poly counts, they deliver a surprising amount of immersion in the world.  It is just done so well.  Some things changed for the better in lich king that make me happy.  Most shoulders are not crazy huge anime armor pieces the size of a volkswagon.  Weapons are a lot more realisitc looking.  Both things I was not fond of in the game prior to lich king.  I am continually surprised at how beatiful the world is drawn and layed out.  There have been so many WOW moments in the expansion that it really made me realize just how well done it is.

Other games I have played that aim for more realistic graphics just seem to miss the mark, because honestly current technology isn't good enough for realism in an MMO.  While some things can be made to look very realistic many things just cannot.  When that happens anything that does not look realistic breaks the goal of the game and looks just out of place.  Colors tend to be washed out, animations don't look right, playdoh hair styles, etc.  LOTRO has come the closest to blending realism, performance and lively world.  Just about every other realism based game misses the mark IMHO.

 

 

Briansho

Come on now, why all the hate for WoW?

I mean its sold xxxxxxxx copies and has xxxxxxx subscribers and <website rating> at <rating website> so it has to be a good game no matter what right?

Deathstrike2

Originally posted by Briansho


Come on now, why all the hate for WoW?
I mean its sold xxxxxxxx copies and has xxxxxxx subscribers and <website rating> at <rating website> so it has to be a good game no matter what right?

 

What hate?  Most of these replies were positive.  Did you read them or are you just being snarky?

Briansho

Originally posted by Deathstrike2

Originally posted by Briansho


Come on now, why all the hate for WoW?
I mean its sold xxxxxxxx copies and has xxxxxxx subscribers and <website rating> at <rating website> so it has to be a good game no matter what right?

 

What hate?  Most of these replies were positive.  Did you read them or are you just being snarky?

 

Snarky

Locklain

Originally posted by coffee


I went to grizzle hills last night and love the look I had to take some shots.
Blizzard work just as hard if not harder on their graphic than say AoC, It take far more skills and man hours to produce hand made textures and obscure architechure than realisitc stuff, how hard is it to motion capture a human or to take a photo of a brick wall?

Sorry Coffee, but if all developers had to do was motion capture people and take photos of real objects wouldn't you think you would see more of it?

Point is every game out there has "hand made textures".  Developers can't just take snapshots of people and put them over a skeleton.

Terranah

I'm playing at 1600 x 1200 with every setting maxed, including the new shadows.  The graphics look good, sometimes great depending on the scene. 

 

You just have to get past the expectation of realistic graphics, which some people can not do. But the stylized graphics let the player amp up the settings to see the game the way the developers intended, and I like that I can see their work without the hardware compromises I make in other games.

 

 

Evelknievel

I critizied the graphics since 2004, the game has a kiddish aura too it. It could never stack up agaist Everquest 2 fantasy mmo that came out around the same time.

And me coming from Star Wars Galaxies back in 2004, I said this game felt like a Pokemon Cartoon compared to Star Wars Galaxies realism graphics back then. The PvP in WoW in 2004 was very addicting, even to a SWG junkie like me back then.

As years go by..

WoW has improved in their graphics, but still keeps that Cartoon element style of graphics. The graphics are'nt bad for being WoW, but in comparison to other mmorpgs out there, WoW doesnt have the best graphics, but apparently its gameplay keeps millions of subs.

Aeroangel

Originally posted by HiGHPLaiNS


I critizied the graphics since 2004, the game has a kiddish aura too it. It could never stack up agaist Everquest 2 fantasy mmo that came out around the same time.
And me coming from Star Wars Galaxies back in 2004, I said this game felt like a Pokemon Cartoon compared to Star Wars Galaxies realism graphics back then. The PvP in WoW in 2004 was very addicting, even to a SWG junkie like me back then.
As years go by..
WoW has improved in their graphics, but still keeps that Cartoon element style of graphics. The graphics are'nt bad for being WoW, but in comparison to other mmorpgs out there, WoW doesnt have the best graphics, but apparently its gameplay keeps millions of subs.

 

I think this is another classic case of saying "graphics" instead of "art style".

Vistaakah

Originally posted by HiGHPLaiNS

WoW has improved in their graphics, but still keeps that Cartoon element style of graphics. The graphics are'nt bad for being WoW, but in comparison to other mmorpgs out there, WoW doesnt have the best graphics, but apparently its gameplay keeps millions of subs.

 

The MMO market is relatively new to late comers of the PC/Internet Era which is just about everybody playing WOW. Nothing too mind challenging yet a  good easy game for new MMO players. Something people fail to mention is that the primary subscriber base or largest is not here in the U.S. The majority of WOW subscribers are Asian players. Something like around 65%. Still with a couple million U.S. subs its one of the largest in the states. WoW graphics are average. I personally go for life like but for large scale PVP battles those more human that human graphics models will make any modern day machine cry. I thought WOW graphics were just SO SO.

cukimunga

Id say the graphics are average, They aren't the best but they aren't the worst either.  When I used to play i always played pretty zoomed in and there where times when I was standing next to a tree and I sometimes wondered what I was looking at,  It just looked like a big brown blob. I even played with max settings and x4 AA and x16 AF

Some of the textures are just really at a low res. But this game was basicly made for the masses  and just about every computer from the past 8 years can play it.

 

 

Alcuin

Originally posted by Daffid011


I've always liked the graphics in WoW.  Even though they are simple models with low poly counts, they deliver a surprising amount of immersion in the world.  It is just done so well.  Some things changed for the better in lich king that make me happy.  Most shoulders are not crazy huge anime armor pieces the size of a volkswagon.  Weapons are a lot more realisitc looking.  Both things I was not fond of in the game prior to lich king.  I am continually surprised at how beatiful the world is drawn and layed out.  There have been so many WOW moments in the expansion that it really made me realize just how well done it is.
Other games I have played that aim for more realistic graphics just seem to miss the mark, because honestly current technology isn't good enough for realism in an MMO.  While some things can be made to look very realistic many things just cannot.  When that happens anything that does not look realistic breaks the goal of the game and looks just out of place.  Colors tend to be washed out, animations don't look right, playdoh hair styles, etc.  LOTRO has come the closest to blending realism, performance and lively world.  Just about every other realism based game misses the mark IMHO.
 
 

 

This is why I appreciate WoW's graphic style.  I feel like I am "there"- for lack of a better term.

It doesn't look realistic, but it is artistic and obviously, subject to opinion. 

xbellx777

i dont mind the graphics, they are not a deal breaker to me and it can run on almost any machine so that is pretty nice. would i like nicer graphics? sure but blizzard did do a good job on them and you gotta remember the game just had its 4th year anniversary, its not gonna look like aoc

Swiftblade13

wow's graphics are very low tech, but outstanding art and textures more then makes up for it.... to the point where it is one of the absolute best MMO game environments out there...

 

I would almost say THE best...because of the variety... but when it comes to graphical quality some parts of LOTRO, and much of Vanguard have it beat.  WAR I think fell short on this much to my surprise... the art department failed... not terribly.. but failed.

 

 

pencilrick

WOW graphics are excellent.  However, lots of people do find the cartoonish art style disagreeble, much like some people dislike Anime in other games.