Around Azeroth: Winter wasteland
by Elizabeth Wachowski 
Aug 19th 2008 at 10:00AM
Do you have any unusual World of Warcraft images that are just collecting dust in your screenshots folder? We'd love to see it on Around Azeroth! Sharing your screenshot is as simple as e-mailing aroundazeroth@wow.com with a copy of your shot and a brief explanation of the scene. You could be featured here next!
Remember to include your player name, server and/or guild if you want it mentioned. We strongly prefer full screen shots without the UI showing -- use alt-Z to remove it. And sorry, I never watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid. Do I have to return my geek card now?
Filed under: Screenshots, Around Azeroth, Galleries, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
native Aug 19th 2008 10:51AM
wisconsin ftw
Jamus Aug 19th 2008 11:00AM
Regarding the graphics, I am wondering how much of a resources hit we will take for the new Wrath graphics. I have not read anywhere whether Blizz has a new trick up their sleeve to get better graphics and models without a an extra hit due to new efficient methods, or if we will notice slower framerates if we keep our graphics quality set like they are currently.
Has anyone seen any info from Blizzard about what we can expect with this?
Joshua Aug 19th 2008 12:10PM
It seems frame rates are a bit slower in the new areas, in the beta.
This can be due to 2 things:
1) Better graphics, more polygons, higher resolution textures, etc...
2) Unoptimized code, debug code running, Unoptimized graphics
I would say the change in system requirements from BC to Wrath will be the same as vanilla WoW to BC
Bloodletter Aug 19th 2008 12:34PM
Yeah, i would really really like to have new info on how the graphics in WoTLK work...
Are they using more efficient methods to boost visual quality, or will I experience a framerate drop due to higher res and higher polygon models and textures? I play on a laptop with a geforce 8400, so in places like hellfire I generally get 40 FpS sometimes even as low as 35.... so I would some info on this.
Kiukiu Aug 19th 2008 11:15AM
Canadian WoW ftw!
Blackhorn Aug 19th 2008 12:40PM
Too warm. Needs more blue, and less 'distance fog' to truly look cold. Cold days are super clear.
Typically, you don't want red-orange in a shot that's meant to look cold. You see it all the time in movies. Cold outside = Blue. Warm inside = Orange.
But I can understand why they didn't make everything kinda bluish (thusly cementing WotLK as the 'blue' expansion). Still though, it doesn't mean this picture suddenly looks colder than it does.
Either way, this looks closer to Silithus than it does a sub-zero winters' day.
RogueJedi86 Aug 19th 2008 7:01PM
It definitely doesn't look as cold as Dun Morogh or Winterspring. When I'm in Winterspring, the cold ambiance is definitely felt. Hopefully that's just a placeholder skybox, since it is just Beta.
nailPuppy Aug 20th 2008 6:18AM
A lot of the places don't look nearly that warm. I've been in Northrend for only a bit over a week but have noticed that there are areas that shift from a warmer tone to cooler tones depending on where you are standing really. The air of the place you are dictates how the air looks, even if what you are looking at would normally be much colder looking.
I've posted a bit over 450 screenshots so far at http://wotlk.lolwords.com that really show this in action. Feel free to check them out (that goes for you wowinsider guys too)
merced Aug 19th 2008 1:20PM
the rest of the zone actually looks wintery, but this general area looks like it's warm. all in all the beta has a very cool vibe too it and looks amazing.
Vendrill Aug 19th 2008 1:29PM
NO. JIMMY. BUFFETT.
/shudder
thanks for reading.