I’ve recently started to mess around with WoW which lead me to the realization that seemingly outdated graphics can have their advantages.
Aside from obvious things like a silky smooth, constant framerate no matter what, older graphics are also miles away from the uncanny valley and if done well invoke an almost comic-like atmosphere.
In Star Trek Online for example you almost expect voiceovers and cut-scenes but in WoW your imagination is already much more engaged by filling in the gaps of low polygon models and low resolution textures. So if you just read that a Gnome looks at an Orcish letter, folds it in half, takes a smell at it and proclaims that it could be toilet-paper it is not breaking the immersion. Continue Reading…