I'm just wondering why the visuals on World of Warcraft are the second highest number on their rating. Should there be an annual wipe of a games ratings to reset it's true numbers?  I know a lot of people enjoy the graphics of the game, for some reason, but I mean, come on, 9,000 people voted and it's graphics are at 8.6? The graphics on WOW are less than sub par compared to almost any other AAA MMORPG on the market, it's ranked higher than Star Wars. I know SWTOR is a new game so it should have way better graphics than they allow, but still they are better than WOW's.

Let's just say that those votes are rather old, if they would force you to vote again the number will be somewhat lower.

People usually vote when they just have discovered a game. Wow was 8.6 in early 2005.

Yeah I serioulsy have no doubt on that.  I mean there really needs to be some sort of degrading system.  When you score something higher your other scores go down or something, or a User rating wipe every so often or something, because it's pretty ridiculous that on one of the largest MMO sites WOW has a 8.6 graphics rating.

Depends,

since im guessing there is no separate "aesthetics" vote and everything is consolidated under "graphics" the number is more then justified.

It is one thing to push X polygons, 4k textures and advanced shaders with AAO, and another to create a timeless almost never-aging aesthetic.

WoW might not run cryengine or U3 but it has the best aesthethic available for its technology.

Originally posted by onehunerdper

I'm just wondering why the visuals on World of Warcraft are the second highest number on their rating. Should there be an annual wipe of a games ratings to reset it's true numbers?  I know a lot of people enjoy the graphics of the game, for some reason, but I mean, come on, 9,000 people voted and it's graphics are at 8.6? The graphics on WOW are less than sub par compared to almost any other AAA MMORPG on the market, it's ranked higher than Star Wars. I know SWTOR is a new game so it should have way better graphics than they allow, but still they are better than WOW's.

I know when WoW came out it was the same year EQ2 came out. I remeber I selected EQ2 because the graphics where better.

so there is another point of reference that is somewhat humorous

Originally posted by onehunerdper

Yeah I serioulsy have no doubt on that.  I mean there really needs to be some sort of degrading system.  When you score something higher your other scores go down or something, or a User rating wipe every so often or something, because it's pretty ridiculous that on one of the largest MMO sites WOW has a 8.6 graphics rating.

As another user mentioned, there is also art style to consider. In my opinion, games with a stronger art style tend to hold up better over time as well.

Graphics vs Aesthetics

As has been mentioned, graphics remains a very subjective term because of the art style or aesthetic that a player may prefer.

Eh, well WoW's graphics were seen as a joke when it released back in 2004 too. They were behind the curve, EQ2 had come out with semi-realistic graphics that destroyed WoW in that category, and WoW looked more like its predecessor EQ1 then anything else.

Some people liked it though, and they voted. It's not like it means diddly poo though..it's just some arbitrary rating on an arbitrary website.

Today WoW looks much better then EQ2 imo...

Originally posted by evianwater

Eh, well WoW's graphics were seen as a joke when it released back in 2004 too. They were behind the curve, EQ2 had come out with semi-realistic graphics that destroyed WoW in that category

Which may explain why graphics just aren't a very good bar for comparison.  (EQ2 got smoked, despite having the head start on catching subs.)

Originally posted by evianwater

Eh, well WoW's graphics were seen as a joke when it released back in 2004 too. They were behind the curve, EQ2 had come out with semi-realistic graphics that destroyed WoW in that category, and WoW looked more like its predecessor EQ1 then anything else.

 

Some people liked it though, and they voted. It's not like it means diddly poo though..it's just some arbitrary rating on an arbitrary website.

I disagree.

The game has that rating because a lot of people liked it's aesthetic design. WoW is filled with lush colors, and a cartoon-like palette and particle effects to compliment it's fantasy setting. It has no reason to strive for realistic or serious graphics because the game's not realistic or serious.

Horde character models are pretty good. Alliance models, in my opinion, suck. I am, of course, talking about the graphical style. Two things I've always disliked about WoW graphically are that...

1) Shoulder armor is ridiculously huge and gaudy

and

2) Its impossible to make a male character that isn't either old-looking or ugly. Even Blood Elves, which were supposed to be pretty-boys, are kinda ugly.

I completely understand the idea that artistic qualities are combined with the rating, but I question the use of the term "Graphics" to describe the category in that case.  I think for the majority of the gaming world the term graphics refers to graphic quality, not the artistic design or leanings.  For the current technology the graphical textures and everything else having to do with the quality of the designs are horrible.  I might as well be wearing paper mache than steel.  I remember when they put out their "graphics/texture improvements" in what like '08? I downloaded it and was all excited, and was completely let down.  It still looked like a game from the 90's in my opinion, and that was supposed to be some sort of amazing upgrade.  Even with all my setting turned to 11 I was just completely amazed how everyone was praising the improvment.  BILLIONS of dollars and that's what we have.  The most successful MMO EVER, and the graphics still look like I'm playing a game from the turn of the century. 

On top of this, are people really going to sit here and defend the art?  Everyone running around in the same thing? Same colors? I think maybe one outfit and one weapon tops was ever even close to something that made me say "Eh, that looks cool" Most of it had shoulder pads that, if I actually wore them, would send sharp spike into my brain had my head been moved to the left or right a half an inch, and some even disappeared into my head when I put them on.

If the artistic is being counted in a category labelled as "Graphics" the number still shouldn't be 8.6.  the Artistic is only half of the rating so at most, if some people thought the art was something special it should be rated somewhere above a low 5, because the other part of it is the actually graphics quality which is pretty terribly low. 

I know the rating system is all based on individual judgment, but I think it's time for this 8 year old game to be re-rated or something.  It's pretty ridiculous.

lol ,most that voted this probably went in their wtf file and cranked everything as high as they could!but graphic are looking good in lot of place ,(forget green stuff)maybe in mist of pandria they ll up the tree quality

but it is a cartoon style it is hard to notice the changes unless you zoom in .character are all rendered very nicelly

Originally posted by Serelisk

Graphics vs Aesthetics

 

As has been mentioned, graphics remains a very subjective term because of the art style or aesthetic that a player may prefer.

wow!this expplain exactly the rift between gamer and dev!i got to say i am the first that would have said we need better graphic ,but after having had this lesson from your link.yes you are correct i wish dev would correct their aestetic more then their graphic.the meat sandwitch pretty much resume the idea lol!one looks yummy the other more like ok  ill wait next week

Originally posted by onehunerdper

I'm just wondering why the visuals on World of Warcraft are the second highest number on their rating. Should there be an annual wipe of a games ratings to reset it's true numbers?  I know a lot of people enjoy the graphics of the game, for some reason, but I mean, come on, 9,000 people voted and it's graphics are at 8.6? The graphics on WOW are less than sub par compared to almost any other AAA MMORPG on the market, it's ranked higher than Star Wars. I know SWTOR is a new game so it should have way better graphics than they allow, but still they are better than WOW's.

hell even at low rez they are better then WoW's LOL the one thing that WoW has them beat on is the movement of characters. SWTOR's are stiff and not fluid. That's the only thing tho. 

Another wow hate thread.  Why would someone dig up and complain about the rating of a games individual scores?

EQ2 looks like shit and runs like complete shit.  Even all these years later.  On a brand new overclocked top end processor and video card.  EQ2's engine cannot handle it's own graphics settings.  I think others have stated that the developers of that engine expected us to have 10 ghz processors by now, rather than 12 core 4.0 ghz.  So they got screwed and haven't bothered to fix it (if it's even possible)

SWTOR graphics are no better.  Very colorful and cartoony.  The textures and models are also no better.

Top it off with, WoW runs very well in 20v20+ battles with tons of spell effects going off everywhere.  Try jacking EQ2 settings or SWTOR settings to max (I think SWTOR is limited currently anyway) in a 20v20+ battle and see how well it runs.  Who cares if you can stare at a wall or look out over a cliff and see pretty graphics if the game runs like ass when actually trying to play it...

I don't think the graphics are bad in Warcraft. By modern standards it looks like something you would play on your iphone but that doesn't equal bad.   I think they fared pretty well over the years.  I would probably still rate the style they went with pretty high to this day.

Originally posted by Serelisk

Graphics vs Aesthetics

 

As has been mentioned, graphics remains a very subjective term because of the art style or aesthetic that a player may prefer.

Thank you for posting that video.  He explains everything so perfectly!