[Dawntrail] Benchmark Graphics Update - Hellsguard Roegadyn (Smudgegate 2024)

I know Lalafell have brought this up as well, but I wanted to open a thread to discuss the "nose smudge" / ash / dark spot on Hellsguard noses. I've seen quite a few things on social media from other Roes talking about this, but didn't see any thread on it or any links on the master thread talking about benchmark feedback, so I wanted to start something for our gentle giants.

I'll approach this from the perspective of a femroe; I don't know how this impacts roebros.

The smudge itself is weaker. Compare this daylight screen from a current one. Left is 6.58, right is 7.0
https://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/...6484e27ea4.jpghttps://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/...f29b1dcd3b.jpg

The nose smudge has always been kind of two-tone; there's a distinct line closer to the bottom of the nostrils that makes it look a little strange. However, this has become incredibly emphasized with the graphics update. It's easier to see in bright lighting. Left is 6.58, right is 7.0
https://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/...08c0f23c9e.jpghttps://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/...ce651f2f09.png

Overall, I love a lot of the graphics update. In the proper lighting she looks great!
https://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/...c703cb0d13.jpg

But I know fully 70% of my playtime isn't in optimal lighting. With the current benchmark, the thing that made me fall in love with Hellsguard Roegadyn isn't quite up to snuff. The shadows on character faces in general seem to be a bit weaker; can we get this darkened?

All other Roes, feel free to chime in about us!

Yeah, the ash seems weaker on my character as well, bothers me a fair bit (that and the lighting might be to aggressive? and honestly the warm undertones of the skin colour seem to get lost really easily....)
Old:
https://i.imgur.com/5dPJ41d.png
New
https://imgur.com/CoYiANB.png

I have seen quite a lot of people complaining in more private forums about the new nose and I also agree. If I had to choose a direction to change the nose, I would make it MORE pronounced, not less, and I think the type of people to choose roegadyn generally agree. This seems to be an issue with many of the other races too - people choose a race based on what is unique about them, but a lot of the races' unique features have been lessened in the update (moon cat fangs, bunny noses...). What's the point of different races if they all get same-ified.

Eyebrows are another issue with femroes of both clans in the new version, I think. Femroes have always had short eyebrows but they seem to have gotten even thinner and lighter and it takes away from the expressiveness. This one I could live with but since I have so many other complaints I might as well mention it.

Finally, the face paint I've always used seems to have had a weird white line added above the eyelid? It's so out of place that I literally can't tell if it's just a graphical error. I hope it's a graphical error and this isn't final...

I also like the skin texture of the cheeks less than the old one. I liked the kinda dimpled look and the skin is smoother now. But that might just be me...

https://i.imgur.com/Quf03xV.jpeg

The puppy nose indeed got nerfed hard
I'm not too dissatisfied with the change, but I hope they make it a little bit more pronounced

Old:
https://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/...c829b19cdb.png

New:
https://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/...ac7612864c.png

All things said, I'm loving how my guy turned out in the update :)

it would have been nice if they just made the ash a customization but i think it looks better now and less like a streak of black paint

https://i.imgur.com/8hioXDY.pnghttps://i.imgur.com/ypayoi7.png

Old on left, new on right. Not happy at all. They took the light out of his eyes, made his eyelashes so long that it looks like guyliner, and changed the color of the scleras. He looks like a totally different man. :(

I agree, and it seems most races are having similar issues? what's even the point of having racial features if most of them are being washed out

https://i.imgur.com/GmsHdDp.png

https://i.postimg.cc/rwWxf5qG/oof.png

The loss of the rhinarium definition atop the jewel eyes going (the black pupils really mess up the visual for me) makes my character of 9+ years look very much not like herself.

If I didn't care about those traits I would play a highlander, but I love them, it's the entire appeal and it feels like homogenisation to have them toned down or stripped away.

Dang, one of my fav aspects of Hellsguard Roe is the ash smudge, so it's a shame to see it so washed out depending on your skintone. It would be nice if we could toggle it "light, dark, none" like we can the tattoos/lip color. :(

https://64.media.tumblr.com/3d409c1d...8219d873eb.pnghttps://64.media.tumblr.com/a73a840c...0a646af774.png

A couple of my pics of the deleted smudge, with my original parameters and with some adjustments I made. I'm very unhappy with how they changed the Ash smudge :(

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by grinkdaboy

it would have been nice if they just made the ash a customization but i think it looks better now and less like a streak of black paint

---

But that's what it's supposed to be. It's a smudge of ash that Hellsguard wear. It IS face paint. I'd def be happy with more options for people that don't like it, but for those of us that have had it and enjoyed it for ten years now should not suddenly loose a feature.