How have Shogun graphics changed with the recent patch?

**Captain Grimes** · April 23, 2012, 04:22 PM

From reading the forums people are saying the latest patch has ruined the graphics of the game - can someone show me a before and after screenshot so I can see please? I dont own the game as I refuse to buy any TW game since the disaster that was ETW until I know from these forums that the game is as good as MTW2/RTW

**Felixlynch777** · April 23, 2012, 04:23 PM

There's a huge thread about this a few places below this...

**Captain Grimes** · April 23, 2012, 04:28 PM

But I was looking for before and after screenshots...

I was tempted to buy the game as I thought by now it should be good and I had read positive reviews but after this im turned off

**♔The Black Knight♔** · April 23, 2012, 04:34 PM

http://www.twcenter.net/forums/showthread.php?t=532709

Exactly what you are looking for.

**AngryTitusPullo** · April 23, 2012, 10:51 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Grimes

From reading the forums people are saying the latest patch has ruined the graphics of the game - can someone show me a before and after screenshot so I can see please? I dont own the game as I refuse to buy any TW game since the disaster that was ETW until I know from these forums that the game is as good as MTW2/RTW

It ruined the graphic for the original game, not FOTS if I read correctly. Not having FOTS yet I can't comment if it's good. Anyway the graphic for Shogun and ROTS is okay for me. Not bad and certainly not as shiny as before.

The game certainly is miles and miles better than M2TW & Rome. Those are very old games created during Pentium 4 age.

**Kurisu Paifuaa** · April 24, 2012, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by Matsudaira Takechiyo

It ruined the graphic for the original game, not FOTS if I read correctly. Not having FOTS yet I can't comment if it's good. Anyway the graphic for Shogun and ROTS is okay for me. Not bad and certainly not as shiny as before.

The game certainly is miles and miles better than M2TW & Rome. Those are very old games created during Pentium 4 age.

On first inspection, FotS looks a bit better because it has less reflective surfaces due to the prevalence of cloth uniforms. That, along with skin, is mainly what needed to be dialed back a bit so it didn't appear that people were covered in a uniform layer of plastic. Their solution was to neutralize the effect globally. Whether in FotS or original S2, specular lighting effects on all surfaces are barely noticeable. Stone, wood, metal etc should have some sort of diffused shine to it (at different levels) especially in the rain or in strong lighting. Right now, we've got zip in S2 (or close enough to it).

I'll agree that some models look acceptable in FotS (e.g. ships are ok, metals looking better than wood) and cloth is certainly better with less shine. Wet skin should look wet though (it doesn't), but not so much as more reflective things like metal or finished wood. Stone should certainly glisten a bit in the rain (it doesn't). Armour is debatable as not everyone agrees on how much lacquer was applied historically. However, you need some exaggeration or surfaces have no color contrast to give them the illusion of volume. It's particularly jarring because up until a month ago, they were at least on the right track, needing only to tweak a few materials.

Basically, they threw out the baby with the bath water. Perhaps intentionally, perhaps not. Whether that was for strictly aesthetic preference or part of an effort to optimize performance remains in question.