I wanted to take a moment to discuss a topic that I believe hasn’t received enough attention: outdated spell visuals in World of Warcraft. Specifically, I’d like to shed some light on the Mage Portals and the Frost Mage ability “Frost Barrier.”
Firstly, let’s talk about Mage Portals. While we’ve seen some visual updates with BfA’s portal to Nazjatar and subsequent additions to the Portal Rooms in Stormwind and Orgrimmar, it’s disheartening to see that these updated visuals are not available to players. It would be wonderful to see these updated visuals accessible to all players, enhancing our immersion and experience in the game.
Additionally, let’s turn our attention to Frost Barrier. It’s been observed that NPCs in the Ruby Life Pools have received a graphical update for Frost Barrier, yet this update hasn’t been extended to player characters. This dissonance between NPC and player character visuals can be jarring and takes away from the overall cohesiveness of the game world.
Are there any spell visuals you’d like to see updated to reflect 2024 graphics instead of 2004?
Oh hey, exactly the spells that came straight to mind when i read the title. Although I’d also include mages’ other two barriers as well, and priests’ pw:s.
Shadow Word Barrier for sure. Arcane and Fire barriers are pretty solid. What about them bothers you?
What if it was a choice? I think I remember blizzard saying they’d be looking into glyphs or an option of sorts to switch the covenant abilities back to their OG visuals.
You forgot the frozen orb. It’s super outdated.
I wonder why they never updated it, since there are 3 other frozen orbs being used by npcs and bosses, that has modern effects.
Oh yeah, good call. I’ve commented multiple times in recent weeks how much i dislike most frost dk spell animations. They feel so weak. Chill Streak especially. Hate that spell. I think their spells should involve more large ice shards and fewer snowballs. Less winter wonderland, more icy death.
Fellow mage, I too, like you, believe our spell visuals need to be amped up and modernized. Firestrike should be an absolute consuming fire tempest that encircles the enemy several times completely burning everything in its path.
Dragons breath should spawn a fire dragon flapping its fiery wings while spewing a firey tempest on its enemies.
Pyroblast should create a fire suctioning effect off the ground as if melting the ground around us with an intensifying effect as the fire begins to circle and twist into a tightening ball in front of us…when cast ends and the blast is released, it leaves behind a fire streak on the ground before hitting the enemy and engulfing them in flames.
