Wowhead just posted an article on what the updated swirlies visuals will look like, and I’m a massive fan. There are finally clear borders!
One thing I think would really help players comprehend bosses without needing to do tons of research would be to make these visuals consistent.
Currently, there are swirlies that you want to stand in, swirlies you conditionally want to stand in, and swirlies you should always avoid. I think it would be great if there was a toggleable option to allow for consistent coloring in the swirlies.
Make it so something is like:
Blue: should be stood in/Upcoming safe zone
Green: Should be soaked
Yellow: should be stood in conditionally as part of a mechanic
Red: should be avoided always
(You could allow for adjustments for colorblind people).
I know people will say that this will remove encounter immersion. If you’re fighting a void lord in a dark room, they wouldn’t be using powers that are bright yellow. That’s why I think it should be toggleable. Give all of these swirlies a color based on the encounter flavor, but if the “Consistent mechanic coloring” is turned on, the interface would override the encounter coloring.
That way, people who like to have their boss fights look more realistic in terms of colors could keep doing the status quo, and those of us who want consistency for higher readability can enable this new option.