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The
Warhammer Online development team certainly didn't place the quality of graphics higher than the quality of the games features, fun, and playability. MMORPG's that have done so in the recent past havn't fared nearly as well in the long run (Age of Conan comes to mind).
World of Warcraft proved that you do not need to have cutting edge graphics to be the most popular game around.
Warhammer improved on that model, creating graphics that go far beyond the "cartoonish" style
Warcraft is often ridiculed for. Warhammer's graphics are decidedly realistic without getting too detail intense. Several settigns for quality and performance are available to customize each players experience. The "bloom" graphic effect that is popular in Age of Conan and Guild Wars was also not touched on much. The graphics definitely take on a gritty effect that lends itself to the theme of the game. Zones are carefully designed to match the storyline and be unique in themselves, emmersing the player in a variety of realistic environments.
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The graphics rating for
Warhammer loses points with me, however, because for graphics less than "the best" players are still paying the price in performance. It seems as if graphics were so far down on the developers list that they failed to optimize the system before launch. Dozens of graphics and graphics card compatibility errors have been reported and the rate that they're being fixed seems much slower than the rest of the development process. My hope is that by the six-month mark the graphics system will be optimized making it possible for more people to enjoy smooth and seemless play.
