I apologize in advance, but this is going to be a wall of text with a pretty academic discussion. I just need to get this off my chest.
Does anyone remember dungeons during beta? Anyone remember Kholer before they nerfed AC? Those were good times… I recall Anet talking about their intentions for combat pre-launch, saying they wanted gameplay to be very visual. They didn’t want people staring at UI bars. They wanted you reacting to things in the world and watching boss animations for cues.
But then Particle effects quickly became a problem that never got truly fixed. Anet has had to make compromises in game design. They have had to sacrifice their ideals in order to make gameplay practical.
Kholer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DWeC2LtL7I
At 0:25 you can see Kholer pull his sword back slowly with a white/black charge-up effect, just before sending out his grappling hooks. You are meant to see this visual cue and dodge appropriately, because the damage after being pulled in is usually fatal.
Dark Souls – Asylum Demon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHbUnaieRPc
At 0:22, and pretty much throughout the fight, you can see the boss pull his hammer back slowly before slamming it down. It is a clear visual indication that the boss is about to do something, and you should take appropriate measures to avoid damage.
These are examples of anticipation. One of the 12 principles of animation, it is an important element that lets the audience know that something is about to happen. In GW2 anticipation has become nonviable as a means to warn players.
*See my attached screenshot below when I reference “what GW2 has become.” *
Rather than continue to emphasize anticipation in animation as a means to telegraph attacks, Anet has implemented these neon-orange, super bright geometric shapes which are almost a complete rip off of Wildstar’s telegraphing system. Sure, Carbine didn’t invent colored geometric shapes, but that’s not the point of this thread. The point is to bring up discussion about the future visual quality of video games in general. It is my hope that Anet thinks twice about continuing the current trend.