[Graphical Update Feedback] We need More Antialiasing Options

One of my main complaints about XIV's graphics, besides lighting, has always been the awful implementation of FXAA as the sole solution for antialiasing in the game, and after watching the Keynote from EU, I'm a bit concerned.

FXAA is an (ancient) post processing solution that's just not very good at handling jaggies. You know how stairs look all jagged and flickery? That's FXAA unable to properly treat the image:

https://imgur.com/PxEnimK.png
https://imgur.com/Q2QZyeA.png

This image is from the EU Fanfest keynote:
https://imgur.com/0qhOWmC.png

And if you take a look to the right:
https://imgur.com/KsU4qZ0.png

The steps are a jagged mess, and so are the tracks and boards on the platform on the right side of the image. This isn't game breaking, but it's the kind of thing that once you see, you can't unsee. This is also just not enough for what's being sold to us as a major graphics update that's supposed to last for another ten years at the minimum. FXAA is 14 years old at this point time, and it's just good enough for modern games.

What we need:
- More options for native resolutions such as MSAA and TAA
- Implementation of FSR, DLSS and XeSS

Though FSR, DLSS and XeSS are meant as upscalers, their AA treatment is just vastly superior to FXAA, not to mention these upscalers are just good to have to play on higher resolutions while keeping performance.

I'm very excited for the graphical update, but the current state of AA shown in it so far is just very lacking, and I hope something can be done about it in time for release.

Just adding a +1 :)

The more they can do to make things look better, the better!

+1, the flickering stairs especially are an eyesore.

Yeah have to add a +1 too. It's so distracting to the eye...

Ross from Ross's Game Dungeon would be proud.

+1 for proper AA

+1 Flickering plants, stairs and other sharp objects especially during camera panning are not pleasant to look at and the art of the game deserves better treatment. ^^

I'm all for more options, but I don't think that the upscalers are the right solution, at least, not the way things have been moving in the industry. Now, rather than using them for improving performance on lower end machines, devs are using them as the default setting. It's a terrible move, because they cause issues for those who would normally render at higher resolutions who now deal with blurry messes from having to render at 70% of their resolution (or more)





I'd rather have msaa personally. But I heard a lot of the options don't work with the way XIV renders the game (deferred rendering), which is why we have fxaa

I'd take MSAA at a minimum but I'd honestly like to see TAA as that's usually the baseline for adding the various upscalers. Likewise for NVIDIA users, there's DLAA which is a native resolution implementation of the DLSS-algorithm and it looks incredible. Elder Scrolls Online already supports DLAA so there's precedent in at least on other MMO. WoW is still only MSAA but it's also DirectX 12 and has DirectX Raytracing support for shadows. Hopefully there's more to show on this at the final Fan Fest in Japan.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Valkyrie_Lenneth

I'm all for more options, but I don't think that the upscalers are the right solution

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FSR did the trick for Red Dead Redemption. Take a look at the wooden structure's roof as well as the wooden box underneath. It's night and day, and that's using FSR2 just for AA. The right side image has the typical flickery edges that we're so used to in XIV, where as the FSR image is super clean in comparison.

https://imgur.com/sLRWx5a.png

It can be done!

Source Video

This is the real thing I hope they add. The current options just aren't great.

I don't expect them to go so far as to add DLSS/FSR/etc., but something better than FXAA is just necessary at this point imo.

Absolutely. No matter what you do the game looks pixelated as hell

I absolutely want this. The amount of jagged edges and pixelated textures can really be off putting.

A resounding +1 from me too.

DLSS+FSR support would be a great addition, bringing the potential for improved performance and improved picture quality over the old Gameworks FXAA implementation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Arzalis

This is the real thing I hope they add. The current options just aren't great.

I don't expect them to go so far as to add DLSS/FSR/etc., but something better than FXAA is just necessary at this point imo.

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I read somewhere XVI had some hidden form of FSR or something, though don't quote me on that. I just think an engine meant to support a game for the next decade needs to include upscalers. PS5 and XBOX would benefit greatly from them as well.

Agreed, the AA is pretty rough.

This is something that is getting worse rather than better as they add "improved" graphics. Older gear displays fine on the PS4; newer high-detail gear twinkles and in some cases gets moire patterns as the character moves around.

Upscalers ala DLSS or FSR and all TAA-based methods actually lower the image quality because they apply a blur effect on the screen. MSAA + Alphatesting-AA would be nice. But if the FF14 engine is a deferred renderer then MSAA will not work anymore. So we would need SSAA. :)


Cheers