water is a mirror
whole terrain overgrown forest with trees covering everything
water is sea azure color
Either there is something in the water that gives it the color or the sky shines through the trees above and lights up the area. It is also possible that it isn't water at all.
a reflective surface of any color would still be part color part reflexes.
it's same color in shadows, not green in shadows and blue in open, like water actually would look. also azure sky would mean different colors for the rest of the piece.
It is also possible that it isn't water at all
doesn't matter, as long as it behaves like one, from that distance, it would reflect. frankly, even not very reflective surface (like a tree) would still have reflexes, and depending on distance change hue due to the rule of aerial perspective.
things become even more reflective when they are wet, btw, which is true for plants and even grass.
thats not how algae looks.
and if there s something that makes water glow, it would also transfer part of that glowth to terrain around depending on strength of light.
the true reason for why it's all like that, is similar to why there are obvious rays of light at the top of the picture. in reality, we do not see rays of light. rays are primarely camera effect - it's how camera registers them. we see light as changes in values of objects it passes over.
could you make water blue? sure, it's just that you'll then have to consider if other parts would fit with it.
autism? sure, but when you wonder why things in games look arbitrary, obvious and not very immersive, there might be reasons for that.
but perhaps I just prefer a real water to fake fantasy water, that is all.
