I’m not a big fan of the aesthetic choices they’ve made for reforged. The models look too realistic and have a color fidelity that’s too similar to the Diablo series. I’ve always seen Warcraft as a more cartoonish and colorful game, and this game does not do it justice for me. I really liked the models they’ve made for the heroes of the storm AV map. I honestly would prefer the heroes engine, but that’s just my two cents. How do you guys feel about the graphics?
37 Likes
Yep, odd decision to use WC3 engine instead of utilizing the SC2 engine (same used for heroes of the storm)
9 Likes
Unit models look amazing, some buildings look cartoony and out of proportion. The color is also way too saturated. Cinematic infernal is more stone, less burns, which I dislike.
14 Likes
I love the decision to use the WC3 engine. If they had used the SC2 engine, then why not just use the HoTs models? It would’ve come off as cheap and lazy, and just weird to have it too similar to HoTs. Plus the throwback and nostalgia factor.
Also, the SC2 editor while more power is complicated to use. The WC3 editor is quite friendly, plus it’s getting updated, so anyone with an interest will be able to jump into its user friendly interface. I checked out SC2’s editor for 10 minutes then just ducked out. No thanks.
As someone who as cynical as they come and thinks WoW is a clown fiesta now, I love the design of the models. Nothing over-the-top cartoony and takes a new step into being something original than just copy/pasting HoTs models into it.
34 Likes
I like it. Looks awesome and I think the style fits Warcraft. I too thought they’d use SC2 engine, but I think this can work too. They obviously have done a great revamp on it, so I think it’ll do just fine. Also that’s good point that this way it might be a bit more compatible with Classic WC3. Like, could we possibly open our old WC3 maps with the Reforged Mad Editor? That would be cool.
8 Likes
I’m glad they aren’t using the sc2 engine, I don’t want my units moving around in a massive blob. I do hope they consider increasing selection limit to 24 or so, its not that I can’t control two unit groups, but if I’m only going to have 1 or 2 units in the second group I tend to just leave them on follow until a unit dies.
26 Likes
Well you’re empirically wrong, Butcher and Kilmaat - the game visually LACKED traditional blizzard polish.
There are many issues with the animation, the enviroments look like they are from 2006 and using the SC2 engine would allow for updated physics, shaders and lighting.
3 Likes
Well it’s still a work in progress. It’s not even on beta-phase yet, so I’d give it some more time. They could still improve any part of the engine, it’s not like it’s carved in stone.
12 Likes
I wonder if they would even consider switching engines.
1 Like
Personally for me, the most important part of the graphics is to have an out-of-game text based version of the format like MDL. This is also a super non-obvious idea to any developer who works at the company, where the proper plugins to produce their models are kept running and usable. Even if they change the MDL specifications and declare FormatVersion 800 to now be replaced with FormatVersion 900 or something, and add the new types of nodes and emitters from Starcraft 2, I think that would be okay as long as they publish an MDL equivalent – a way to convert the model files into a text-based format that users can modify for their custom maps.
When I look at the models, and think that there is even a chance they would exist in a moddable system like Warcraft III rather than a static one, to me that gives a feeling of utmost and resounding hype. Perhaps it is the elemental spirit of hype. Perhaps I will make a MDL file for the Reforged game representing the elemental spirit of Hype, and post it online some day.
4 Likes
The units models look great. I enjoyed that they adjusted the unit’s proportions (eg, paladins and footmen with the same height). I also liked that the units are less cartoonish, just hoped that blizzard would do the same with the environment and buildings. I’m talking about a visual a little bit more realistic, one that would feel warcraft-ish and modern at the same time.
Using the SC2 engine would make more sense, physics and lightining would be better. Hope they update the WC3 engine so the game feels modern enough.
I expect the visuals to improve a lot before the release. The trailers didn’t look that great, mainly because of the lack of effects and awful colors.
For the quality-of-life changes I expected, at least:
1- Unlimited number of units in the same selection;
2- A more zoomed out camera, ideally configurable;
3- Modern units movement system (no more footman going around a huge army to walk to some place. make it like SC2 where the army would move so the footman can make the more logical path.)
Anyway, already bought my copy,
12 Likes
I like the new models, however the colors and effects are off.
It’s very easy to see which team a unit is on in WC3, because colors are vibrant and pop on the units. During the reforged panel, they showed off comparisons between the units and ghoul especially stood out to me as an example of them choosing “art” over gameplay. The new ghoul looks very different, but also is missing a lot of the color elements that denoted which team it was on. When we saw these ghouls in motion during the trailer, it honestly looked like a mush of grey running across the battlefield, very different from the very distinct ghoul we have now.
For effects, the only one we’ve really seen in the panels is the Bladestorm used during the trailer. It’s essentially just the blademaster model spinning, which is a huge downgrade from the current storm effect that is giant, colorful, and very obvious.
Really hoping they improve these for release, otherwise I’m unfortunately going to switch back to the old graphics (which I’m glad is an option)
6 Likes
Absolutely love the graphics. No issue with them at all. Game looks great. I would have hated them switching to that trash SC2 engine. Custom map making is more user friendly and welcoming in this engine, and allows them to possibly allow use of maps already made for WC3 classic in the newer release as well.
Plus SC2’s setup was trash for custom maps to to rise up and add to the community. Terrible system for searching maps.
Graphics don’t mean anything to me personally. It is nice to have updated models though, anything else is just extra.
7 Likes
I personally hope that they make it look more cartoony, the bump maps or whatever the units have, have too much detail, it doesn’t look like Warcraft, it looks like a modded Starcraft 2. I’m absurdly hyped for this game and I’m gonna buy it and play it no matter what, and if the game releases with these realistic graphics I’ll try to change the textures of the units to make it more hand painted, but I hope that Blizzard does this themselves T_T
I’ve been imagining this remake for more than 5 years, and I always saw the game in my head with a World of Warcraft aesthetic, maybe a little more detailed, something like Heroes of the Storms.
I don’t know, I understand that a lot of work has been done already, there is no way they will remake the models, but at least I think they should touch the bump maps/normals, and reduce the detail of the textures, not the resolution, the detail.
2 Likes
I think it’s alright, but it’s not the finished product. The cutscene at the beginning of the Culling of Stratholme is wonky on several fronts:
- The shadows are still a bit glitchy and all
- Faces don’t move too much, Arthas’ hair is permed
- The angles chosen in terms of cinematography don’t seem to be the best, but that might just be my eye still getting used to having close-up cutscenes in WC3 as opposed to the hovering camera we’re all used to
I’m sure it’ll look better when everything is finished and passed through more visual filters.
5 Likes
I cannot explain how hyped I am for this. I legitimately teared up when I saw the cinematic. War3 got me into the field I’m in today. Any word on a general timeframe?
4 Likes
Slated for 2019 ™
I honestly thought they looked too much like they’re from Overwatch or something
1 Like
To me, It looks 
Improvements are coming, we haven’t seen Grom, Night Elves, Ashenvale, Draenor.
6 Likes
I see what you’re saying, and I feel like they need to provide maybe a 1v1 replay video before I can make up my mind. The models are absolutely amazing, but I’m wondering if it’s looking a little too realistic. All I’d want is to change color contrast a bit I think.
I also agree with the graphics used in the sc2 engine, as they have a good mixture between realism and cartoony - the only difference is I think Warcraft is a bit brighter. They chose to not replace the engine though, and as they said, they are ‘overlaying’ the new graphics on top of the original war3 engine.
1 Like