Visual communication is awesome. period.

The common theme running between Delmau's piece Learn Faster to Play Better and Nuernberger's Visually Directing is how to inform a player what the goal is by hints/clues/ inclinations developed through visuals. This is probably my favorite subject. Players will understand quicker if there is a visual cue such as lighting, hot spots, animations and contextual trails not only because they are looking for these cues, but because they are reminded of them through memory. Delmau mentioned that within a game's working are traits that are found in previous objects/digital media. There is a list he mentions of all the common and expected workings of the mouse and the keyboard. When online games don't use the W,A,S,D or arrow keys or even the space bar, it can be a distraction to the player to learn. While a switch up is good, some things are staples. An interesting statement was shared in Delmau's piece, "the player should know how to play the game before they even begin." Standards for games are to use real life knowledge as well.
In Nuernberger's piece, visual connections are better than just telling the player what to do because it gives them a sense of accomplishment. This feeling ties the player into the ethos and passion of the game play, something that supports their reason to keep playing it.
I believe strongly in visual communication and that it's often taken for granted. People can forget to include it because it may be interpreted as too complicated, risky or just an embellishment. What is really important though, is creating a sense of reality and problem solving within the game, and this can be strongly aided with the graphic communications.