subtle graphic effects [appreciation for devs]

[Crystal Paladin.3871]

noticed when u walk on mud outside the wizard tower then run inside the tower's white marble, we can notice mud effects until we step on some blue golden pattern tile... the blue gold pattern tile removes the mud effects.. first i thought the mud effects came with the baggy cargo pants but then it works on all boots and pants...

 

have any of u guys noticed any other similar or different subtle interesting graphical effects? in new soto maps or old core tyrian maps, instances in racial cities? ...

[Randulf.7614]

As bizarre as it sounds, I always admire how well animated my character’s knees are when jumping and the way they genuinely seem to absorb the landing 

I mean my knees are knackered and deformed so I’m apt to admire a good knee flex

[Surelia.2651]

there are lots of things like this to admire in the game if you are paying attention.  It was by far one of the reasons I fell in love with the game back in beta and knew I wanted to keep playing in the world the devs created.  For a game this old, it still has amazing appeal and looks lovely 😊

[Batel.9206]

Some tiny effect that will never get old, is how grass and shrubs move when you run through them. It's just delightful to see the game world reacting to your character's motions instead of being static.

Or an amusing example - when you get a mail message underwater, and you're still using the pigeon mail carrier (not sure about the others)...the pigeon leaves a trail of bubbles when it swims through the water, instead of the feathers it normally leaves behind as it flies. It's hilarious and adorable. ❤️ 

edit: Oh, forgot another one! Hair and cloth physics! I came to this game from SWTOR, where hair is stiff as a board and cloth physics are nonexistent. Skirts cling to characters' legs like saran wrap, and trench-coats and capes (and twi'leks lekku, for some reason) are utterly weightless. They'll get tangled up inside the character model, or even in itself in a giant knot of pixels. So when I loaded up character creation for this game... I actually spent a while just twirling my character around, marveling at how his hair actually swishes around in response to movement. Wearing flowy skirts or coats with beautiful cloth physics is awesome, and swishy capes were a dream when they were first made available. I know it's a relatively simple thing, but it made this game all the more wonderful to me.

Edited March 15 by Batel.9206

[Sweetbread.3678]

Even today GW2 is one of the only games I've seen that properly animates how someone would stand on an incline or mixed elevation. It's honestly kind of crazy that they were doing stuff like that all the way back in 2012 and for an mmo of all things.

[Ashen.2907]

8 minutes ago, Sweetbread.3678 said:

Even today GW2 is one of the only games I've seen that properly animates how someone would stand on an incline or mixed elevation.

This one impressed me from day one. I excitedly called my wife over to my computer to show off the effect.

[Donari.5237]

Way back when in the vanilla or even beta days, they had an interview with the sound designers in which it was pointed out that when you fire pistols, you get different sounds of the falling casings depending on what you are standing on.  If you're on corrugated metal as in skritt roofs, you get metal clanging instead of the duller thump from dirt.

The sound design is sometimes hard to notice, because it's so very well done that it all just blends in to immerse you, but it comes from extraordinarily talented people with deep attention to detail.

[Batel.9206]

On 3/15/2024 at 12:03 AM, Donari.5237 said:

Way back when in the vanilla or even beta days, they had an interview with the sound designers in which it was pointed out that when you fire pistols, you get different sounds of the falling casings depending on what you are standing on.  If you're on corrugated metal as in skritt roofs, you get metal clanging instead of the duller thump from dirt.

The sound design is sometimes hard to notice, because it's so very well done that it all just blends in to immerse you, but it comes from extraordinarily talented people with deep attention to detail.

What, really?? Oh wow...going to have to test that out next time I'm in-game. That's genius! I love the sound design in this game.

Edit: Finally got a chance to check last night...and indeed, I can hear the difference. It's so subtle, but the attention to detail is truly incredible.

Edited March 18 by Batel.9206

[kharmin.7683]

The water droplets on the screen when your character emerges from underwater.

[Demeth.5816]

I love the fact that when you stand on a slight ledge, your character's legs adapt accordingly. 

[SinisterSlay.6973]

The movement animations on the mounts is just sublime.

But I also want to call out to the amazing server infrastructure they apparently have.  It's virtually never down, never a wait time, and it can run several versions of the world at the same time and still consolidate the data.  The way they run their beta is even more brilliant.  Great job whoever built that entire thing.

[kharmin.7683]

Also, as a ranger I often F1 and send my pet after a target while I deal with something else (different target, gathering, etc).  I've recently noticed that after I've sent my pet off, and my toon starts heading in whatever direction, she turns her head to watch her pet as if she's checking on it while she's moving.  Hadn't seen that before.

[Crystal Paladin.3871]

8 hours ago, kharmin.7683 said:

she turns her head to watch her pet as if she's checking on it while she's moving.  Hadn't seen that before.

With pet selected or unselected? Coz characters will keep looking in the direction of the target we selected(ally or enemy or NPC) until we deselect them... If what u described happens without selecting the pet, it sounds so cool.. I'll check that out

[Ashen.2907]

On 3/15/2024 at 4:47 AM, kharmin.7683 said:

The water droplets on the screen when your character emerges from underwater.

In general the use of effects on screen or around the border to represent a variety of statuses, etc, is really very cool.

Edited March 17 by Ashen.2907

[kharmin.7683]

7 hours ago, Crystal Paladin.3871 said:

With pet selected or unselected? Coz characters will keep looking in the direction of the target we selected(ally or enemy or NPC) until we deselect them... If what u described happens without selecting the pet, it sounds so cool.. I'll check that out

Pet not selected because I have already clicked on something else (different target or gathering node) or even just moving in a different direction with nothing else selected.