I've heard/read many times sentences like "I would try this game, if it has better graphics". So, in terms of promotion, better textures would be beneficial. That could be another way to hook up more players, those who give up early because they weren't pleased with graphics and quit before they advance further in game. Let alone better textures would improve athmosphere and immersion.
As for running Ryzom with updated graphics on crappy PC's i see no issue here. Quality of textures is optional, you can choose it depending on what your machine is capable of. Just add more options to it, like 256 and 512 MB textures, so players could opt for better graphics if their computers can handle it.
All in all, IMO it's not a top thing on developer's To Do list, but definitely would get my thumbs up if implemented.
As for running Ryzom with updated graphics on crappy PC's i see no issue here. Quality of textures is optional, you can choose it depending on what your machine is capable of. Just add more options to it, like 256 and 512 MB textures, so players could opt for better graphics if their computers can handle it.
All in all, IMO it's not a top thing on developer's To Do list, but definitely would get my thumbs up if implemented.