One Shots: Striking

What WoW lacks in graphical power is made up for in artistic style. The engine was never anything special but it is really showing its age these days. I believe that Cat is upping the polys?

Number of pixels do not matter in a MMO game for me. Its the immersion and the CONSISTENCY of the features the game has to offer. If you offer 100000 Pixel quality - why have crappy animations ? Or mediocer sound ? Or dead action bars that dont give you depth while clicking a button in it ? Now.... Yes.. I played LOTRO yesterday so sorry if Im picking all the crap that game is offering in some departments.

WoW, and most MMO's, for that matter, looks great with the camera zoomed back but its settings did little to actually pull me in and make me think I'm in some arctic wasteland. Or really any other setting the game picks for itself at the time: Outland was about as alien as a trip to a fun park, for example.

I don't know. I guess I was spoiled by stuff like the 3D Mario's where the setting felt like more than just a backdrop for the same generic monsters with a few different attack animations than usual.

LotRO really outdated stuff? Really? We playing the same game? Last time I checked, LotRO is using DX10 graphics and will be updating soon to DX11. Not to mention, the models for every other character (human especially) don't look like awkward cartoony charicatures with beak-like noses and over-sized hands and feet. I played WoW for years and more recently got into LotRO. The vistas in LotRO are amazing and add tremendously to the immersion of the game. I'm not completely into graphics, either. I enjoy a good storyline more than I enjoy great graphics, but if all these other games can implement better graphical options, why can't WoW keep up with the times? If it did, then I can truly see it hanging around forever. As it stands, with the storyline lacking any depth, same overly cartoonish graphics, and the same gear grind timesinks... I don't see any reason to head back.

Sorry for the pseudo-rant. These are all just my personal opinions. I played WoW for a long time. Great game, but it does have its major flaws, like every other game, and I was just tired of encountering its flaws over and over again.

I think both WoW and LotRO look very good, even though the art styles are obviously very different.

I just started questing in Icecrown last night. It's a very neat zone. I have to give WoW high marks for creative zones. I am looking forward to seeing what Cataclysm does for the "Old World".

Well, obviously you have to trade something to get butter smooth framerates. I remember back in EQ2 when the game first came out; the game required a ton of horsepower, in a game like WoW sure you have blocky characters but I was able to do 40-man raids, and 40v40 pvp without shutting off spell effects, player names, etc., that never happened in any other MMO. I remember back in the original EQ1 when we used to raid; I had to turn off player names, spell effects and cast facing the wall to achieve acceptable framerates.

The thing about World of Warcraft is that the graphics are based on the RTS game, Warcraft III. Also, Cataclysm is supposed to introduce Direct X 11 effects to the engine, from what I understand. All in all, Blizzard still puts out extremely polished games. That is part of why they remain on top . . .

I still have fond memories of running around the Shimmering Flats sub-zone of Thousand Needles during a sandstorm and a "full moon" in WoW. It was during Vanilla so the graphics were so-so, but, damn, the reflection of the moonlight on the salted ground as I farmed the turtles by the pirate ship was nothing less than stunning.

Icecrown wasn't particularly stunning, but I really did in enjoy Zul'drak and Grizzly Hills for the look & feel of things. BC I would have only one thing to say: Netherstorm. My jaw dropped when I first entered that zone, and the constant hum of the mana-forges still gives me the creeps.

True, Cristiano. The Shire is the most beautiful area, both in quest design and looks, in any game I've ever played. The first time I came upon Weathertop is a gaming moment I won't forget anytime soon.

Although you're much higher in level than I am, I hope to run into you in game sometime. :)

WoW does have some amazing views. There are lots of places where I just love to stop and watch the world around me.