Updated Graphical Changes (markdown)

Graphical-Changes.md

@@ -1,4 +1,13 @@
-This article is an overview for Mapbase's changes that alter the game's graphics and have a visible effect in-game. There aren't many of these changes, and they're usually just bug fixes or general quality-of-life improvements. *(although the shader changes are something to keep in mind)*
+This article is an overview for changes in Mapbase which alter the game's graphics or visuals and have a visible effect in-game.
+
+For the most part, Mapbase is supposed to be "invisible" to players so it could maintain a vanilla feel as serve a blank slate to work from without having to obligate to a new visual style brought on by "improvements". For graphics and visuals, Mapbase makes strictly objective or optional improvements which are intended to serve at least one of these purposes:
+
+* Fixing issues which annoy mappers trying to use existing features.
+* Providing more options for mappers to make their maps look prettier without interfering with existing visuals.
+* Making it easier for mappers to opt into a different art style.
+* Providing controllable effects for utility purposes.
+
+Despite the strict criteria for including these kinds of changes, Mapbase has grown to contain a lot of them. It also makes shader changes which have special obligations for custom materials.
 
 ### Projected textures
 ---
@@ -9,7 +18,7 @@ This article is an overview for Mapbase's changes that alter the game's graphics
 
 **Main article:** *[Projected textures](Projected-textures)*
 
-Projected textures have been drastically improved with changes from Alien Swarm and several open-source projects. See the main article for more information.
+Mapbase overhauls projected textures to function similarly to other games. To fix most of the issues with projected textures, Mapbase uses shader code originating from the Alien Swarm SDK and certain open-source repositories. See the main article for more information.
 
 <strong style="margin-left:1em; color:#D31B1B; white-space:nowrap;"><img src="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/images/c/cb/Warning.png"/> Warning:&nbsp;</strong> Some of the changes require materials to use custom shaders. See [Shader changes](Shader-changes) for more information.
 
@@ -20,7 +29,7 @@ Projected textures have been drastically improved with changes from Alien Swarm
 <img src="https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/564491020344098827/603075488231063563/background020016.jpg" width="384"/>
 </p>
 
-Mapbase uses Half-Life 2: Downfall's implementation of Alien Swarm's radial fog. This means fog is calculated radially and doesn't change as you rotate the camera, unlike planar fog.
+Mapbase uses radial fog, a fog calculation method which draws fog radially and doesn't change as you rotate the camera, unlike planar fog. It was introduced in Left 4 Dead and has been used in all Valve games ever since. Mapbase used Half-Life 2: Downfall's repo as a guide for porting the involved shader code from the Alien Swarm SDK.
 
 <strong style="margin-left:1em; color:#D31B1B; white-space:nowrap;"><img src="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/images/c/cb/Warning.png"/> Warning:&nbsp;</strong> Radial fog requires materials to use custom shaders. See [Shader changes](Shader-changes) for more information.
 
@@ -40,9 +49,7 @@ Fun fact: This was originally implemented by accident.
 <img src="https://i.imgur.com/z57RxZl.jpg" width="256"/>
 </p>
 
-Todo: up-to-date image, maybe unique article for both "Shader changes" and this to link to (or even merge this and shader changes)
-
-"Brush phong" is phong reflections on brush shaders, like `SDK_LightmappedGeneric`. It reflects the flashlight beautifully and supports exponent masking.
+"Brush phong" is phong reflections on brush shaders, like `SDK_LightmappedGeneric`. It highlights regions of a face when lit by a projected texture. This effect originated from City 17: Episode One.
 
 <strong style="margin-left:1em; color:#D31B1B; white-space:nowrap;"><img src="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/images/c/cb/Warning.png"/> Warning:&nbsp;</strong> Brush phong requires materials to use custom shaders. See [Shader changes](Shader-changes) for more information.
 
@@ -58,6 +65,6 @@ Mapbase adds parallax corrected cubemaps, a technique implemented by Brian Charl
 
 ### Tree sway
 ---
-Mapbase adds support for `$treeSway`, based on HL2: Downfall's implementation from the Alien Swarm SDK. It allows trees to "sway" with the wind. Some existing tree models have been given additional skins which use `$treeSway`.
+Mapbase adds support for `$treeSway`, a special feature introduced in Left 4 Dead and used in all Valve games ever since. It allows trees to "sway" with the wind. Some existing tree models have been given additional skins which use `$treeSway`. Mapbase used Half-Life 2: Downfall's repo as a guide for porting the involved shader code from the Alien Swarm SDK.
 
 <strong style="margin-left:1em; color:#D31B1B; white-space:nowrap;"><img src="https://developer.valvesoftware.com/w/images/c/cb/Warning.png"/> Warning:&nbsp;</strong> Tree sway requires materials to use custom shaders. See [Shader changes](Shader-changes) for more information.