i dont think blizzard aimed to make the graphics awesome, and you'd be stupid to make such a large game with excellent graphics, because to put it simply...
simple graphics = works on more pc's = more people playing = more profit for blizzard
but also...
simple graphics = room to expand game play = funner game
although i do like a realistic looking game, wow just isnt the type of game to look realistic, its the game play that people enjoy, who cares about good looking graphics when 25 guild members are downing a hard boss!
as for the new talents from the new patch, im still deciding if i like them yet, they are defiantly simpler, and my mage is defiantly hitting harder (was maxing 7k crit at level 76, now im maxing 16k) and i heard pallys are nerfed, the talent trees are cut way down which is nice and neat, i dont like the stat panel that you have to open and scroll down to your spec (spells, melee etc) every time.
they need to fix the BG ques, they always say < 1 min and you always wait longer.
i dont quite understand the honor point system now, you get honor points for everything??? and the badges are different to which i havnt looked at since im not 80 yet.
i never played the classic wow, so what exactly is black dragonflight???