Evolving a Timeless World
At BlizzCon there were several panels about World of Warcraft: Forever. In "Evolving a Timeless World", Lead Environment Artist Matt Heyman and Lead Software Engineer Jason Scott talked about the rendering technology and guiding principles behind the new look of the classic world.
Guiding principle
Their motto: "Everything must be authentic." The world should look more modern, yet feel genuine.
Three technical focus areas
- Fog: examples were Dustwallow Marsh and the Wetlands.
- Lighting: the example was the Badlands.
- Water: the example was Ashenvale.
The panel also showed before-and-after comparisons for Duskwood, Theramore, Ashenvale, The Barrens, Darkshore, Felwood, Durotar, Dustwallow Marsh, Wetlands and the Badlands. The new Zephras Isle starting zone for the Skyborne was shown as well.
Duskwood, old and new
Duskwood was one of the zones where Blizzard put the old and new presentation side by side. The image shows the new version.
Fog in the Wetlands
In the Wetlands the fog no longer hides the mountains near Ironforge. Instead they are visible in the distance.
Shadows in the Badlands
In Classic WoW the shadows below buildings stayed the same regardless of the time of day. In WoW: Forever they follow the day/night cycle and the sun's position.
Flowing water in Ashenvale
Water was stagnant in Classic WoW. In WoW: Forever it has been enhanced and flows downstream.
Original report: Wowhead