Please give us the option to adjust the game for photosensitivity and related issues

5.0 is an amazing expac (healer issues aside)... yet sadly it has brought me close to unsubbing because of health reasons making good chunks of the new instances near unplayable.

My eyes are very sensitive to bright lights, and whenever there are a lot of flickering or strobing or sudden very bright lights I get raging headaches and blurry vision in no time.

There were already instances in the game before which caused this problem (I am looking especially at you, Alpha 4 and Orbonne), but they were all optional content so I sighed and resigned that this content was not for me anymore.

But now it is also happening in story mode dungeons, to the degree that after the last two (not naming them due to spoiler issues) I had to lie down afterward, utterly exhausted and in pain. Additionally in a certain VERY bright dungeon my eyes were so hurting that I could barely see the AoE markers -- didn't we have the same problem already in Pagos during heatwaves, until it was tuned down due to too many people complaining? Why again? There were also a few other spots in the game I had to grit my teeth through due to sheer BRIGHTNESS, but since they didn't involve any battle I could simply reduce brightness of my screen to power through them (then again, this is a game meant to be enjoyed, not "powered through to get it done").

I'm also really concerned that those who can suffer from epilepsy might get seizures sooner or later in this game as there is a clear trend by now visible (pun not intended) to make more and more instances "flashy". This health risk is a well known issue in the gaming industry, and while FFXIV never had much of that kind of visuals in the past they are now coming up more and more, and might sooner or later catch someone by surprise who was fine before.

I know story-wise we are fighting against too much light in this expac, but this is a game and as such not supposed to leave people in physical pain or even worse, potentially damage their health. You can tell a story about too much light without doing that to some of your players.

With these problems stated... I am aware I might be asking for a lot from a technical PoV, but I would like to politely request an option which allows us to tune down the sheer BRIGHTNESS of certain visual effects, without having to simply reduce the brightness of our screen -- I tried that, and as a result then couldn't see other important indicators of the game that well anymore, so trading one issue with playability for the other.

The same way please give us an option to tune down or turn off the "flashiness" of SFX from enemies and other SFX which can give people with photosensitivity issues hell. We have such an option to switch off party effects, and it is a blessing for my eyes (and I was sad to see that we can't switch them off for party NPC members, which I would like to have as an option as well).

Don't get me wrong, I am not saying "do away with all of this", I do not want to rob anyone of the experience of "whoa bright light" in 5.0, or who enjoys "flashy" flights. But I would like for people like me (sensitive vision / different neurological makeup) to still enjoy, or even just PLAY this game without risking pain or even physical harm.

Sadly right now all these issues have left for me in the game with nothing but doing some old content and hunts as battle content, plus some early 5.0 instances not suffering from the problems stated -- everything else I am locked out due to health concerns. At this rate I could as well think about unsubbing, with a very heavy heart given how much I love this game, and have played it for many years.

So please SE, don't risk the health and well-being of some of your players for a bit more "flashiness". Give us the option to tune this aspect of the game down.

It has really ruined 5.0 for me, when it could have been the best expac so far in my books :(

I was also bothered by the excessive brightness and use of white colors in particular the lv 79 dungeon was very bothersome.

The level 79 dungeon is pretty bad. I hate how much I mess up on the last boss because the AoEs are nearly the same color as the floor.

To put it shortly, and I'm sorry for the dev team who worked hard on it but, yes, some specials effects sometimes are way too bright and flashy that it's not visually good to watch.

Other problem I had, despite having a really good sight is the lvl 79 dungeons. I sometime had hard time seeing aoe on the white bright floor.

I also had a lot of issues with the 79 dungeon. It’s a gorgeous dungeon—one of my favorites—but I also have really sensitive eyes. So some options to change the color of AOE indicators and maybe adjust the brightness of some effects would be nice. I know that you can do Gamma adjustments already, and adjust settings for your monitor, but I hate to do that for only a few specific instances where things get particularly harsh on my eyes. I’m usually able to make do with most things, but the 79 dungeon was very difficult for me with regards to discerning the AOE from the floor tiles.

Ah, so it's not just me! All the brightness and constant flashing in combat is causing eye strain despite adjusting the games gamma. I've also tuned down some effects but perhaps I should remove them all. It wasn't this bad in Stormblood.

Please yes, a option is needed, a friend of mine has epilepsy, she already striggle with alpha 3.0 due the background despite having battle effects low since that exists and helped her alot, but the newer instances and battles ignore those options mostly, best example is the last trial, after it she needed a heavy break and so could not enjoy the story much after it.

Effects go way overboard by now, more effects are nice and shiny sure but, i myself get honestly and for real headache of astrologian shiedls or sanctus spams. It is way to much by now, please tune such down Square/Yoshi's Team, it can hurt peopel literally, i remind you of the banned pokemon episode or simliar stuff.

I haven't gotten to the 5.0 stuff yet but this is an important issue and a few new options in the settings menu would make it a rather easy fix. So here's to hoping someone sees it and can pass along this request.

I too have issues with photosensitivity. Still working my way through HW stuff, so I'm not at the point in the game you are, but there are still times where I just need to call it a night and rest my peepers.

So glad to see that I’m not the only one with this issues, my eyes strains every time I cast holy.

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Originally Posted by Sekundess

So glad to see that I’m not the only one with this issues, my eyes strains every time I cast holy.

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You know you can turn battle effects off or to low at least?
I know it sucks to not see all the flashy and cool animations, but at least for me they werent worth the headaches... so all battle effects are on low for me, except my own and I simply dont play WHM...

I would love to see an option though that only turns out the extremly flashy effects that are probably most common to trigger photosensitivity related issues - I know that it wouldnt cover everything for everyone but there seems to be a common theme about what effects are causing trouble...
The benefit of this would that people who have to turn off those effects to protect themself can still see all the "harmless" ones AND more importantly it could include effects of mobs since we have no way to tune those down currently... and there are holy-casting WHMs in Amdapor that make me close my eyes each time it comes to that part of the dungeon and run it literally blind until a friend gives me the "okay" to open my eyes again because the freaking WHMs are dead.

I have to wear sunglasses when fighting Cruise Chaser (A11), Omega (O11), or the 79 dungeon, or it gives me a pounding migraine. Il Mheg was also a bit of a struggle.

The godkefka arena was a nightmare, the whole floor is glowing yellow, had to dim my monitor as well, I have a new monitor now with blue light filter and it helps a lot, I also use yellow filter glasses if something gets too much.

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Originally Posted by Squigley

Ah, so it's not just me! All the brightness and constant flashing in combat is causing eye strain despite adjusting the games gamma. I've also tuned down some effects but perhaps I should remove them all. It wasn't this bad in Stormblood.

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Even if you remove effects (I Do) thinks like Limit Breaks (RDM especially) and other stuff still gets through.