Before you ask, no, Embers Adrift is not making trees that spring up and attack you or entering into a collab with a certain popular Werewolf-like, even if those ideas sound cool. What “tree imposter” references is a new rendering trick added in the MMORPG’s latest update that creates some more convincing trees when players view them from a long distance.
Originally distant trees were displayed as a flat billboard that turned with the player’s camera, which eased GPU load but also meant that trees at that distance wouldn’t really dynamically change, especially as the seasons change. Instead, these billboards are now being upgraded with imposters that use multiple images of trees and better blends with the rest of the scenery depending on the camera angle. This feature does require a bit more GPU memory, so players are being given the option to turn them off and on as well as decide at what distance they render, but ultimately these trees are sus by design.
Other major features for this latest patch are focused around chat channel updates, like the introduction of LFG and LFM slash commands that flag players as open to grouping or finding more players for a group, the ability to add and move chat tabs at will, and a new message alert when a chat window is scrolled away. Other additions include an easier way for players to get their rewards from GM events, several other visual updates, a lengthy list of fixes, and a few adjustments for specific abilities and quests.
