So, a lot of forum members have pointed out that the http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/b_harrison/skyrim/skyrim_gameplay_whitewater.jpg seen in the gameplay trailer feature water effects which could, and should be much better, if only so that they match the surrounding environment better.

I agree with them, but I was watching the trailer again and realised I'd overlooked something about the environment, in the scene where the PC fires a light orb from a wand with his off-hand. The cave is pretty, the lighting is pretty, the equipped items are pretty, the spell effect is pretty...

What did I overlook? The realistically-flowing, near-photorealistic stream bubbling away happily through the cave! It could just be a flattering shot, and it could just be my eyes, but please tell me the water in this scene looks as good as it seems to me:

- http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/b_harrison/misc/skyrim_cavern_water_01.png
- http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/b_harrison/misc/skyrim_cavern_water_02.png
- http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/b_harrison/misc/skyrim_cavern_water_03.png

Does that water look vastly better, or am I just crazy? It's been suggested that the big waterfall's water might just be a placeholder (or at least due improvement), and looking at this cavern stream I'm inclined to believe it. Thoughts?

I think the big waterfall was merely white-water, which could have easily borked people's judgment.

Why would you film a placeholder for the announcement trailer?

I think we owe Bethesda an apology

I'm comparing it to Oblivion, but all the water in the trailer looks great to me!

I noticed that as well. I also noticed that the water stream split as it hit the ground. Part of the water went to the dark portion of the cave and another branch came towards the player. What I couldn't figure out though was it was doing that on it's own, or if they guided it that way.

I thought the trailer shot showed how fast flowing the river was, your pics prove water looks great.
Suppose haters are going cry about something new now

I think it looks great...another good place to see different water in the trailer is where the guy gets stabbed in the gut,near the river,where the nirnroot is.
It actually shows both normal and throthing water.

This. And bork it did.

To be honest I'm in two minds about this

One way: I think your right, and that water is better elsewhere, especially when still

the other: they both look like moving 2d textures, in the cave it looks like its 'tenting' slightly (and no, thats not a euphemism) but they seem to bend on the waterfall, so it may just be the top layer of a 3d chunk of "water".

either way - Am i the only one who thinks that, alright, it could be better, but it actually looks alright! (seriously, you should see some other attempts)
And kudos to the designers for trying, flowing water is one of the hardest things to code and implement.

that water in the cave looks much better for white water that looks alright its probably going to be tweaked a bit by release

It looks very good, pretty amazing. Think the difference it that this is a small stream, the other was a wide river who is far more work to handle.

However then I saw the rapid in the movie I thought cool running water.
Then I see the screenshot it look worse.
How to fix it, add more noise, add some transparency, ideally we should have multiple semi transparent layers who moved, think hair. Also been an idea to add a turbulent water object behind the small rock in the foreground.

However a conveyor belt sound effect is simpler Can live with it if I get this red emergency stop buttons to and they work

The water looks good. Not amazing, but decent for today's standards.
The http://i801.photobucket.com/albums/yy297/b_harrison/skyrim/skyrim_gameplay_whitewater.jpg looks flat, static and plastic.

I noticed an equally impressive waterfall in the dungeon scene when the player attacks an entire group of Draugr with a fire spell. But wow, I never paid much attention to the actual water. Interesting. Can we lay these water complaints to rest now?

I agree, the water looks awesome in Skyrim, it was my fav part of the trailer, the raging river to me looks awesome.

This. And I'll apologize right now

I'm sorry bethesda, the water looks a lot better than I thought.

This is what i think too.

I personally felt it looked and acted a lot more like water than Oblivion's water (that stuff was just way too still and blue).

However, I anticipate once it's released between the higher resolution textures (between launch and for the PC) plus reflections, AA, etc... I think it's going to look rather amazing.

Besides, as they've stated this water will actually flow. To see wind direction and other things affect the flow will be interesting.

What I still do not understand is why all these complainers were nitpicking the way a fast moving stream of water looked.... in a still picture.

:goodjob:

I know it's difficult to create (or assume it is in an engine this sophisticated; I tried to reproduce flowing water in a relatively very primitive game engine a while back, and it was never even close to a satisfactory effect), but I still think those falls/rapids don't look right at all. I've spent quite a lot of time looking at (and being in) whitewater, and Skyrim's looks too uniform and dirty in the video.

http://www.waterbynature.com/whitewater/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/whitewater-rafting-2008-flying-1-450x299.jpg

If what we've seen is as good an effect as they can achieve, I won't complain - just having true rapids in the game is fantastic. But comparing it to the small stream in the cave, it seems like it could look much better.

You cant forget http://i56.tinypic.com/102jr78.jpg

They saw it in the trailer too.

I cant believe why people are so bothered about the water effects. I mean, im pretty sure bethesda know what theyr'e doin' by now.

it is absolutely much better in those caves

Finally, someone posted the screens of the water I told them to look at in the trailer. When I said that the rapids that everyone says looks so crappy wasn't indicative of the actual water in the game and go check out the cave shot, they ignored me and said I was just biased and trying to defend the game and that the game has terrible water. Now that someone actually posted screens, good. It's even better looking when in motion. Also, if you could get the screen of the guy getting stabbed by the river, that shows more flowing water in skyrim, same with the hooded man walking into the village and there is a little waterfall in the back of the cave scene where the person uses the fiery explosion spell.