World of Warcraft: Shadowlands with Ray Tracing in a new video from AMD

Sylwester Zarębski

2020-11-13 10:36

This video is sort of a game of "find 100 different details"? Differences are so subtle to spot on static screens and in movement there is little chance to see them. WoW would get major step up with better textures and new models, maybe then RT would be noticeable.

#5854136

Ryu5uzaku

2020-11-13 10:45

Sylwester Zarębski:

This video is sort of a game of "find 100 different details"? Differences are so subtle to spot on static screens and in movement there is little chance to see them. WoW would get major step up with better textures and new models, maybe then RT would be noticeable.

I thought the RT Showcase was decently noticeable makes the scene more alive. While the AO showcase was just softer shadows feeling. Anyway it's only shadows being RT

#5854179

Picolete

2020-11-13 13:01

I cant see shadows or lights produced by characters skills on that video

#5854181

Exodite

2020-11-13 13:04

WoW has never been particularly hard on the hardware, and generally more so on the CPU than the GPU when it is - a fairly common theme for RPGs and MMORPGs in particular. That said.. while I'm not running RT anytime soon, and would never do so if the performance penalty is noticeable, the increased performance with AO and VRS is encouraging!

#5854190

Morax

2020-11-13 13:39

labidas:

This game looks like crap with or without RT.

This!

#5854196

Goiur

2020-11-13 14:01

Picolete:

I cant see shadows or lights produced by characters skills on that video

That would make the GPU explode lol

labidas:

This game looks like crap with or without RT.

Morax:

This!

Its an MMO, what do you expect? You don't need top visuals for a game to be "good". Since launch the engine has seen many upgrades and this next exp its not different.

#5854228

AlmondMan

2020-11-13 15:19

Nice 🙂 more interesting implementations of new tech. Great to see.

#5854235

Morax

2020-11-13 15:29

Goiur:

Its an MMO, what do you expect? You don't need top visuals for a game to be "good". Since launch the engine has seen many upgrades and this next exp its not different.

Just because it's an MMO, and also the most successful one, so far, doesn't mean the graphics NEED to be of a technically (since that cartoony look is only a matter of artistic integrity) lower quality, especially since the graphics were "decent enough" when the game launched sixteen years ago. Despite having several modernization advancements "under the hood", like DX12 support and now raytraced shadows, it visually lags way behind other MMOs like, well, everything except Ultima Online perhaps? I fully expected graphics from Warcraft 3's pre-rendered cutscenes by now 😉 I know visuals are only part of the fun 😎

#5854246

Netherwind

2020-11-13 15:58

Morax:

Just because it's an MMO, and also the most successful one, so far, doesn't mean the graphics NEED to be of a technically (since that cartoony look is only a matter of artistic integrity) lower quality, especially since the graphics were "decent enough" when the game launched sixteen years ago. Despite having several modernization advancements "under the hood", like DX12 support and now raytraced shadows, it visually lags way behind other MMOs like, well, everything except Ultima Online perhaps? I fully expected graphics from Warcraft 3's pre-rendered cutscenes by now 😉 I know visuals are only part of the fun 😎

You can't deny that they increase the visual complexity with the new areas in each expansion. Sure, Durotar or similar look very uninteresting but both Broken Isles and Zuldazar look much better. I think it's interesting how they're pushing the limits of their engine.

#5854256

Venix

2020-11-13 16:13

Well we have to consider that wow is a 2003 game ... I used to run this on a p3 1ghz and an ati radeon 9200 ! Tanking in twin emperor's as warlock and then dying over and over on naxx 40 ! I quit in 2008 wrath of the leach king because it was apparent that wow was sick with casualitis 😛. Other than the engine being old making it hard to add new things they can not go nuts on visual updates because that would make it heavier ...so say anyone playing with a 960 class card on med high setting's right now or lower that might be over 30% of their monthly paying subscribers base .... You do not kick off your service that many people with pretty much the ultimatum update or uninstall.

#5854260

Noisiv

2020-11-13 16:26

Pretty sure that WoW already had implemented DXR ray-traced shadows, like few months ago.

#5854269

metagamer

2020-11-13 16:49

Noisiv:

Pretty sure that WoW already had implemented DXR ray-traced shadows, like few months ago.

Correct, nothing new to see here.

#5854276

Goiur

2020-11-13 17:00

Morax:

Just because it's an MMO, and also the most successful one, so far, doesn't mean the graphics NEED to be of a technically (since that cartoony look is only a matter of artistic integrity) lower quality, especially since the graphics were "decent enough" when the game launched sixteen years ago. Despite having several modernization advancements "under the hood", like DX12 support and now raytraced shadows, it visually lags way behind other MMOs like, well, everything except Ultima Online perhaps?

If you want to make the game available for the majority of the fan base, you cant push graphics to the limit, same happens in every other competitive game. WoW has improved engine, data base, animations, models, effects... they keep trying to make the game widely compatible and the overall quality of the game (graphic wise) is much higher than when it as launched.

Morax:

I fully expected graphics from Warcraft 3's pre-rendered cutscenes by now 😉

Yeah... that wont happen any time soon lol

Noisiv:

Pretty sure that WoW already had implemented DXR ray-traced shadows, like few months ago.

Was implemented during the Shadowlands alpha but the game its not out yet. Due to release Nov 24.

#5854283

metagamer

2020-11-13 17:15

tty8k:

It was available only on beta, for live release was out a few weeks ago only with prepatch 9.0

Incorrect, it was available on PTR too.

#5854284

waltc3

2020-11-13 17:17

labidas:

This game looks like crap with or without RT.

Never have cared for the art-style of WoW...;)

#5854294

Denial

2020-11-13 17:39

ViperAnaf:

AMD's attempt to do RT is pathetic....

Based on what? No performance, no quality, nothing is even shown here. How do you make a comment like this?

#5854301

Goiur

2020-11-13 17:51

Denial:

Based on what? No performance, no quality, nothing is even shown here. How do you make a comment like this?

coZ aMd SuCks! bAd DrIvErS!! hOt AnD PoWeR hUnGrY!! nViDia RuLeZ! PS: And anyway... why should be AMD to blame for the way blizzard implements DXR on WoW?

#5854303

metagamer

2020-11-13 17:54

tty8k:

My point was, it was only available on 9.0 version not on live. Not too many go for PTR or got an invite for beta.

My point was it's been out for around a couple of months or so.

#5854311

barbacot

2020-11-13 18:08

This demonstration is like the Sport+ button that I had in one car: it is there, it is highly advertised about what can do but when I pushed it I didn't feel a notable difference between this and sport mode...but hey it's there, it's round, red and shiny, the dashboard comes to life in bright red, they charge you more for the option and that's it... If this is a demo for AMD ray tracing then it's a bummer for me. Why not choosing something else??? - a tech demo for Tomb raider or Hitman (they could work something with the producers of the games for a 5 minute show) - both are AMD titles if I remember correctly...

#5854326

Denial

2020-11-13 18:29

You want hardcore? Play Eve. https://i.imgur.com/jj16ThL.jpg