im asking how you would describe the downgrade/sidegrade/upgrade in that comparison benzy posted of the large view while on horse.
Well you can point out things and then compare while pointing them out.
1. The pre-downgrade has 2d non-moving skybox (think rage),
2. a stronger depth of field in the distance that activates closer to the camera origin,
3. foliage LODs that do not turn into billboards so quickly (and have dramatically more negative space- Heck there may not even be any foliage LODs there). Folliage draw distance though is lower than on TW3 retail ultra.
4. Smaller thinner foliage sprites, instead of larger vegetation objects
5. Obvious heavy sharpening filter
6. Smoke sprites coming out of distant chimneys which are properly shaded (darkened on one side, lightened on the side facing the sun)
7. Tons of birds probably individually placed at that moment for the shot. It definitely makes it seem action-packed.
8. Completely different horse animation set for the fast gallop.
9. Less secondary motion physics on geralts armour and hair than retail.
8. Same draw distance, but TW3 retail hides any LOD in the distance with a very heavy fog. Presubamly distant textures are not as high detail as the ones in pre-downgrade.
9. colour wise it is a compelety different tone in art direction in the way assets are authored and the way colour grading is applied. One looks like a grainy fields in late summer (primary two tonal and desaturated blue and orange), the other has more plant variety and types and a more saturated / non-uniform colour scheme.
10. Given the amount of static texture detail, it looks like more of the textures are diffuse driven in the top screen while the bottom newer witcher has a more PBR authored texture set, where the material is driving the detail and appearance and less so the painted in colours and shadow micro detail of the previous group. (you can see this same thing occur in star citizen right now as they reauthor older art to fit the newest cryengine).
11. Global relighting is too hard to judge in either.
12. The top one is obviously surpersampled.
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I definitely prefer the top screen colourwise, for the smoke details, and for the IQ, draw distance not being muddled by fog, and non-billboard LODs (and thinner sprites in general). But I prefer the material definitions in the bottom and physicalization.