The next expansion doesn't just deliver a lot of new quests and such, but also some new graphical effects. We checked them out.
[Source: view picture gallery]
As written in the official WoW forum, it is possible to upgrade the graphics in Wrath of the Lich King via console macros. For example the Level of Detail (LOD) or the concentration of vegetation
can be adjusted. The latter is possible in
Burning Crusade, too. According to
Blizzard the LOD and the density of the vegetation have been increased for wrath of the Lich King. Although some rumors said it would be adjusted, we weren't able to verify an altered visibility range.
WoW: WotLK: quality of the classic WoW and TBC [Source: view picture gallery]
WoW: WotLK: (alleged) quality of WotLK [Source: view picture gallery]
WoW: WotLK: maximal quality (via console) [Source: view picture gallery]
With Wrath of the Lich King
optional and experimental shadows integrated into the game. Up to now every character had a simple Blob shadow and buildings had only rudimentary shadows. Now the shadows can be adjusted in five different levels. The highest level delivers full dynamic, translucent Soft Shadows for all characters, NPCs and the environment - the horizon is the limit. Furthermore those shadows are high-res versions. To activate the shadows the command
/console extShadowQuality # (where # equals a number from 1 to 6) has to be typed into the console. The difference is huge.
Move your courser over the picture to see the difference between high and low details.