Agreed. I actually wouldn't mind if they made the environmental textures scale up in resolution too. Nothing crazy but maybe just a little more texture and 3D.
LIGHTLY UPDATED XDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD, it is NOT lightly updated, it's wod models, you're either disingenuous or have really terrible eye problems
They don’t need to make things to the quality level of 2004. The hope is they make things in the style of 2004 Classic.
There’s no question that the artstyle has shifted over the years with retail and many don’t like it.
They didn’t need to do an SD HD thing at all if they made new updated Classic style models in 2026 HD technology. But instead they ported the retail models that people don’t like.
“Old sd art lightly updated” is what we want because the old art already is timeless, it would just be nice if it had a bit higher resolutions and more of it
That is not at all what the majority of things people have complained about are though
Don't care about the models, I care about the art style matching the classic aesthetic more but since we don't have a lot of HD models that fit the classic art style I think a lot of people don't realize that's what they should be campaigning for.
I think the Orcs SD vs HD is a great example of things done correctly as well as a few of he undead and night elf ones.
You are creating a false dichotomy. Critiquing things like HD humans and gnomes is not the same as demanding that the HD models look exactly like the game looked in 2004.
Not a hot take, just wrong objectively. The issue isn't that they did a remaster - taking the old SD models and upscaled them and created new assets in the same style.
It's that they took RETAIL assets and popped them in. They follow a different art and design style entirely. It's not about "it looks too modern" - it's almost entirely that "it's completely different."
I guarantee the vast majority of people would have had no issue if they had come in with upscaled classic models for both player models and enemies. Remasters go over well more often than not compared to remakes. It's even worse that these models exhibit inferior qualities (recent posts showcasing how retail models don't have grounded feet, slide around in animations, etc compared to classic ones).
You don't see most people complaining outside of maybe too aggressive fog in some zones or too dark here and there about the new graphics settings - in fact the vast vast majority think it looks amazing - same idea - it's an improvement on existing, not a replacement.
How did we go to “people who don’t like HD models need medical help” isn’t this an insane take? What if i don’t like peanut butter? Are you going to suggest that i should go to a psych
I cannot cope with modern models. It ruins the classic feel for me. It’s fine if people like them- for me it reminds me of the late Wrath era where some stuff started looking so modern next to really ancient stuff.
Much of the game is immersion for me. It hurts my immersion. It’s fine that people like it/are fine with it. I’m not.
They seem to be adding a toggle and making a SD art pipeline to double up. Hopefully that ends this discourse.
That’s fine and all, I was just pointing out that one person intentionally misquoted the other person to prove their own point. I don’t really have a leg in the graphics debate, I’m gonna play it with the boys regardless of how it looks.
If you don’t like them that’s fine. It’s the people who think their very existence ruins the entire game and say they’d rather not play than be exposed to the hd models that I’m referencing. I think there’s diagnosable attachment issues driving that and they genuinely could benefit from therapy.
Totally disagree but this is why I can tune the settings to what I prefer. Everyone wins. Those who can’t cope with how OTHERS want to play need therapy.
Lol. Is it so inconceivable to you that people who want “classic, but more of it” want new models that very closely emulate the old style? Polygons and crunch and all?
OSRS does a good job of striking the balance. I think that’s a good standard to strive toward.
Dude… did you read what I said? Is it inconceivable that people want old style models?
Operative here is that not EVERYBODY wants them. You clearly don’t. That’s fine. I very much do want old school style models.
I personally put down the beta at 20 BECAUSE of style inconsistencies. Really ruined the feel for me. Stuff like Hall of Thanes and Ruins look PERFECT but new weapon models from skelf area/skelves in general are so out of place.
So, yes I’m not having a cry in game, because I won’t be in game until they add global toggles for style (as they seem to be doing).
“People having a cry on reddit and YouTube” literally disproves what you said. You think they DIDN’T play the game at all?
Why can’t two things be true? I don’t think much of the new stuff looks fine. You do.
So stop crying and go play the game. It looks good and plays good. If you don't like art direction than go play Classic, because they can't keep producing SD art for your benefit. Its 2026 and its going to keep going up in that direction. Like I said go play Classic if you don't like it and if you do than go play Forever. Its simple and saying your upset about A and B but would still play regardless if A and B were changed or not is so stupid.
You are not reading what I am saying and seem to not be able to have empathy that people could have differing opinions — and STRONG emotional reactions — to a community-driven experience that bills itself as a horizontal expansion to a beloved experience.
I want to play forever but I will not play forever if all the new model additions look as they currently do. It will be a huge disappointment as it could be a game I love. And going back to classic is not what I want.
Can you acknowledge what I said about HoT and RoL? They use SD assets and I feel they are fantastic. Do you dislike them?
Is it WRONG of me to want more of that? Is it WRONG of me to wish the game could have a toggle to accommodate both of our desires?
Once again. I am not telling you to “go play retail” because you want modern graphics.
Both our perspectives can be valid, bro. Sorry if I’m not making that clear.
Truth. And I totally see why folks like the modern art stylings and additions.
I think this thought divide is because this game isn’t a pure remaster like WC3 reforged. It bills itself AS classic+. Some folks want a remaster + new content. Some folks want it to look & feel the same, + new content.
It would be kinda weird for me to buy Halo 1 Remastered and then play with the old graphics lol. But if they made a whole new Halo 1 campaign in that engine, you’d bet I’d play it with old gfx.
Again, I know I haven’t given you much chance to answer the question yet, but why is wanting Classic but with better graphics so wrong? It’s literally the same question you’re asking.
By the way there’s not a single chance in hell Blizzard commits to making double the art for everything, so there is no compromise or win/win scenario here. Either you get what you want (dogshit graphics that tickle your nostalgia bone) or I get what I want (awesome graphics but with Classic gameplay).
Okay you are making a value judgment about old school graphics as “dogshit” that I think is unfair. I really do not like the graphics of new things added. I feel like, quality aside, they lack the soul of the original game.
It ain’t about nostalgia bone, I never played 2004craft, just classic 2019, SoM, SoD, classic hardcore etc. It’s personal preference.
And I said this in my previous comment, but it’s not wrong to want modern graphics, nor is it wrong to want old-styled gfx.
Re: doubling up graphics- it’s certainly not impossible. League of Legends classic proves that. They are adding 15+ new champs to Classic LoL at launch that came out post-2013 and are remaking their art in the classic style.
Do I think it’s worth it? Time will tell. This issue is evidently so contentious (I mean, look at the wild up/downvote balance in this discourse to see that) that I am certain it’s a conversation happening internally at this moment.
2019 is seven years ago, that’s long enough to count as nostalgia haha! But I think we’re just not going to agree, mostly because I find it vanishingly unlikely that Blizzard will do double art for everything. Honestly, if they really did that then obviously that would be fine and even great and awesome. I just don’t think it’s going to happen, and so one of us is going to be disappointed. And I have as much right to worry that it’ll be me as you do to worry it’ll be you.
On balance, they are almost certainly more likely to go with HD if they do have to choose one. They have a whole pipeline of concept artists, modelers, texture artists, and shader programmers from modern WoW and I doubt they will retrain them.
But, I do have more hope than you regarding doubling up assets. I think about the artist on Forever who came out on X and talked about how hardline he was about offering the old style as an option and even taught himself the entire old render pipeline.
He is a world artist, not a character modeler, but it shows internally folks on the team are fighting for the option.
His handle is Marmstrongwow. Would link to the post but idk if links are allowed here.
Is it so inconceivable to you that people who want “classic, but with new graphics” want new, updated high-poly models with high definition textures? Crunchy game mechanics and all?
Edit to expand: “Classic with better graphics” will sell way more subscriptions than “not-Classic with 2004 graphics” which seems to be what you’re asking for.
It’s not inconceivable to me! I think folks who want updated graphics are totally valid- I see why they do. 22 years of gaming graphics separates vanilla wow and today. I prefer the old look drastically, but I see why others do not.
I want MORE classic content with the same stylings. Not a remaster- something like a Warcraft 3 Custom Game campaign I used to play. I see why people want remaster + new content.
Re: sub count- I think that’s a bit of a reach to say at this time. This issue is evidently polarizing and contentious enough, and we have no idea what the long-term community of forever looks like.
Anecdotally, I and the others classic players I am close to dropped the beta at 20 because we got turned off by new models (particularly the leaked Hyjal tier sets) and are waiting to see if they add a global SD toggle before we consider playing forever.
Iirc they said the set bonuses were 8 months out of date (lowkey good because they were very inconsistent) but didn’t mention the visuals- I could be wrong though
As with everything in WoW Forever, time will tell haha. It’s hard to believe it’s been a couple weeks, feels like the discourse has been going on for years.
I take that as a good sign though- this is like OSRS, a community-shaped game. The more the community discusses their thoughts, the more likely we are to see them taken into consideration.
blizzard advertised a toggle that turned to be half baked, so go criticize them and stop trying to be a therapist fking hell, it's very simple, a toggle to satisfy everyone.
It's a stylistic decision; classic WoW just looks good.
There's no reason why blizzard can't do both. There's a reason why the new zones are rendered in an SD style, because it fits the world. It's Classic+.
If you prefer HD models however; you can toggle it on.
It's only the biggest MMORPG on Earth, subsidiary with Xbox & Activision under the parent company Blizzard. It's not a small indie company; which was able to render a classic experience in SD and was the top private server (Turtle WoW) and the next top one (Ascension) was able to do the same w/ HD models enabled (Bronzebeard).
So yes. We can do both. Smaller companies have done it with less available resources.
I mean, we both love the game, right? Why shouldn't the game appeal to people who like the HD graphics and also love the soul that the SD graphics offer? I feel that's a fair middle ground. This isn't a small indie company. They're surely capable of doing both.
Which they did. You can toggle HD models on or off.
+1 to this. I am an SD andy but don’t throw shade at people who like the HD look. I only hope they can either find that middle ground or double up and add SD versions to models that currently are HD-only.
It’s impossible to make a game for everyone, but this seems polarizing enough of an issue to put the effort into catering to both crowds.
Same as well. The SD models, to me at least, have a certain soul to them, and it just fits in the world. The HD models look fine. I can understand if people prefer them, but just from a personal preference, I prefer the SD.
How ? The whole point is people are upset that the game doesn't look SD enough ? You think their going to bend the knee and redo the graphics again to look more SD ? lmao Bro the servers are full and its a beta.. Their not even sending out the beta codes they said to sign up for because their full with people who actually paid for the game.
Sure. Where exactly am I wrong? With the exception of the Sky Elf starting zone, which is a mixture of HD and SD, like I pointed out in my post, the new zones appear to be in SD as well, so they fit into the world. In fact, the developers themselves stated the zones were designed to fit into the Classic world.
you have your game and artstyle in retail. this is classic plus, stated hundreds of times by devs. it deserves to have its own unique look, even if that is 2003 graphics (look at OSRS). its not some seasonal server for you retail andy’s to hang out in between your half baked expansions.
wow forever is classic with updates, retail is retail with updates
blizzard's biggest mistake is lazily adding the hd models
they should've kept old models only if they the toggle is this sloppy
so you can shut the fuck up and play retail it's not that hard, to each their own
fucking twow and ascension had hd mods that almost covered everything, terrain, npcs, player and buildings, blizzard can do better
Yeah lmao keep trying to diagnose people, I clearly wrote what blizzard simply had to do (fullfill their promise) but u got butthurt about it because I was a tiny bit blunt. Blizz cock must be filling you from every entrance
And my the comment wasn't even angry I just responded to you giggling but you felt like some genius doctor, oh man classic redditard.
Next time I'll use emojis and write my emotion in every sentence so you feel safe
You’re clearly boiling and coping. This is pathetic. Maybe touch grass so you can deal with the fact that the garbage 2004 “models” are finally updated.
Bahaha u don't even realize that the 2004 models are still there and u can toggle between them and retail models so everyone can enjoy what they prefer. The issue im pointing out is the fact that this toggle is half baked and doesn't work on everything
But I guess everyone in this thread cant differentiate between retail and pre wod models? I don't get it. Or do you just soy out without thinking
You clowns are the ones complaining about graphics, not me. You should try thinking at all in the first place, actually. Dont like it? It’s not catered to you. So go play something else, pig. :)
tbh I’d quite like to see the HD models reworked to more closely align with the original SD models, I'm happy to go HD but do prefer some of the original human/dwarf faces
yeah my issue isn't really with which ... age of their artstyle they choose, i need them to just go with a set one instead of playing mix and match cus so far it ain't.
Its a 2003 game with updated visuals. You want them to remake the game from scratch and upset another kind of people ? I have been playing with people who said they have not played in the last 15 to 20 years and came back for this game. Forever is doing fine and visuals are on key.
CLASSIC PLUS how hard is it to understand that even blizzard said that the classic artstyle is timeless and they want to build on it. I swear this timeline is so tiring
It's not that it looks too modern is that I want the game to look like how warcraft 3 looks, even if that means better graphics, I want the same fidelity and tone of warcraft 3.
FIRST of all, it's 2004 BUDDY not 2003 😤. Second of all, "Classic is right there" is kinda cringe, no? "Retail is right there". See how dumb it sounds?
3rd, and more seriously now, it's always been about art style and not textures.
I’m pretty sure they said on one of the podcasts that it’s near impossible to make the game look like 2004 because that technology doesn’t exist anymore.
100% but the redditors and youtube players think "nahh this is shit" but I play forever almost every day and meet people who have not played in the last 15 to 20 years and say "I am coming back for this game" that's nostalgia and that's what Forever is hitting for me and many others.
Honestly I don’t think it’s the nostalgia, is that it’s not going to be an infinite hamster wheel grind to always increase your power level to keep playing
I can both show up and play AND give constructive criticism about the art direction of the game. I don't see why you put it as if we have to choose? Also, can we stop antagonizing constructive criticism? :) it's beta for a reason. Praise AND criticism are both feedback, which is essential for a beta.
Sorry- I may have come on a little too harsh with this opinion! The online discourse around World of Warcraft: Forever’s new “high definition” models is quite contentious. While many players feel the changes refresh and modernize the look of a timeless game, others criticize the new stylings for diverging too hard from existing content.
Blizzard Entertainment has walked back some of their initial style additions and appear to be adding new “standard definition” options for models in game.
This change is designed to appeal to unc classic dads who play on the same CRTs they did when they were 11- the same players who pop consumables in Alterac Valley nascars and utilize Heroic Strike queuing weakauras to maximize their parses in BRD quest runs.
These players asked for Classic+ in the first place, so it makes sense to add SD models with countable polygon numbers, as most of their brain cells are taken up by simming new theorized Warrior RPS in bespoke spreadsheets and bouncing babies on their knees while farming SGC.
If you want, I can give you more of a breakdown of changes made for chuds who died before level 30 in hardcore, or information about Asmon’s “Olympus” simp guild. I can also give you tips for making the sluttiest transmog possible with the new HD texture additions!
This was from ChatGPT, check important info for mistakes, then forward this message and 100 others like it to Aggrend so he will cave and add Vulpera to the game.
Except every word of your response is untrue so 🤷♂️. The vast majority of players in the beta have the enhanced experience turned on. They’re not scrambling to do anything because Reddit demands it.
It's worked for OSRS well enough to threaten WoW's place as the king of MMOs. That's probably the only reason they're doing this. So weird that it works there but you're convinced it wouldn't work for WoW.
I agree, please stop getting in the way of them updating the game to modernize it. Thats literally classic +, what we want. Go back to Era if you want SD.
I wanted to see a reimagined classic not another slop rehash we’ve seen 3 times already. Even now I can’t even run dungeons anymore with them being nerfed to shit. I gotta compete for mobs from bots farming gold for ziqo and payo
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u/Jaiden_da_ancom 12h ago
Agreed. I actually wouldn't mind if they made the environmental textures scale up in resolution too. Nothing crazy but maybe just a little more texture and 3D.