They should probably raise the "sky layer" in Vanilla maps.

[Aodlop.1907]

I don't exactly know how it's called, but I'm sure you know what I mean. It's thing only GW2 does for some reason: adding some flat layer of "smoke" below the actual skybox, to create some form of visual effect I suppose. 

I always felt that it made the maps feel smaller, as if my character was just 3 leaps away from touching the clouds, and I never really liked it.

Now it's even worse because with mounts, you can actually jump above that layer and see how 2D and flat it actually is. It looks pretty bad.

 

Honestly I think this game looks pretty good overall, especially since HOT, but that sky/smoke layer thingy is really lame looking and they should, in my opinion, ditch it altogether.

[Eloc Freidon.5692]

What are you doing to intentionally get up that high in maps? If anything, reaching the "2D flat cloud later" does the opposite for me, make the maps feel even larger, and that I've gotten really high. It obscures everything under me just right.

[Aodlop.1907]

Well I mention Vanilla maps precisely because it's not hard to reach it, since mounts weren't intended back then. Try it out in Queesdale. 

18 minutes ago, Eloc Freidon.5692 said:

If anything, reaching the "2D flat cloud later" does the opposite for me, make the maps feel even larger

It's not really reaching it that makes the map feel small. It's just knowing that it's so close to the ground, when I'm on the ground. The map would feel bigger if I felt like the sky was unreachable. 

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

When I'm flying, in real life, and the plane is above the cloud layer, I don't get the feeling that the earth is small.

 

But, of course, that's just me.  🤷‍♂️

[Quench.7091]

There are worse breaks in the optical illusions of the game, like the tiny buildings in Divinity's Reach, but those nearby clouds seem like a little easier of a fix in some cases. The issue I think that they may come cross is that some maps have the clouds right next to iconic landmarks. Things such as the entrance to the Citadel of Flame feel massive with those smoke clouds moving past it.

[The Greyhawk.9107]

Maybe raise it a little bit, if doing so can be done relatively easily without taking too much time away from more important things.

[Randin.5701]

Honestly, I'd be inclined to remove them altogether from most maps. Don't know why the entire world needs to be moderately overcast in the first place.

[Tzarakiel.7490]

19 hours ago, Randin.5701 said:

Honestly, I'd be inclined to remove them altogether from most maps. Don't know why the entire world needs to be moderately overcast in the first place.

Maybe not remove them but add more varity and weather patterns. Like bright sun, rain, snow, etc.

[Aodlop.1907]

23 hours ago, Inculpatus cedo.9234 said:

When I'm flying, in real life, and the plane is above the cloud layer, I don't get the feeling that the earth is small.

 

Did you read the post right before yours? The one where I say:

23 hours ago, Aodlop.1907 said:

It's not really reaching it that makes the map feel small. It's just knowing that it's so close to the ground, when I'm on the ground.

 

[Algreg.3629]

1 hour ago, Aodlop.1907 said:

Did you read the post right before yours? The one where I say:

 

and now that the illusion is dramatically shattered, how would the proposed visual effect ever heal that for you?