
Originally Posted by
Larirawiel
So the polygon count will not increase after the change.

Originally Posted by
LianaThorne
Model on the Elezen is the same, the textures are very different and that's why it looks like model changes.
The polycount increase is pretty obvious if you look at the ears. They’ve also explained in the Technical Art panel in detail how they’ve remade each of the models to be able to morph between each face to improve their workflow.

Originally Posted by
LianaThorne
It's just makeup 101 here basically.
I agree with that though, a lot of the changes stem from how they’ve applied eyeliner and eye shadow around the eye (it’s most noticeable on the Lalafells from the Las Vegas Keynote).
But still the problem remains: some faces look different from how they used to because of that, and it conveys a noticeably different image of the character. After the Las Vegas Keynote my biggest complaint was the eyelashes (they seemed less long and full than what we currently have), but with the screenshots they showed today I am less worried about those.
I do agree that low polycounts and texture resolutions have not been generous with M Elezens (and M Au ra face 2 lol), so I definitely welcome improvements in that area, but it bothers me that they lose some of their stylized features that made them unique to make them look more realistic... and with less personality, in my opinion.
For people who play Au ras with more natural looking limbal rings this is also not a downgrade, obviously, I'm sure Yugiri for instance will look great with that change.
But the current way this feature is implemented allowed us for more flexibility in how we wanted our character to look, and, most important of all, it really goes against that promise of "your character will still be the same", or "preserving the existing style", as they put it in the Technical Art panel today.

Originally Posted by
Yencat
I don't think the limbal rings ever actually glowed though, they're just incredibly bright in contrast.
Yeah, I've seen people say that but I've never really known if it was true or not. But what's interesting is that it FEELS like it for some people, it gives some range in what you can achieve, and with the new visuals we lose some of that stark contrast between the two colors, so if it's an integral part of your character lore or something it's a bit of a bummer...
MSQ 6.0 spoilers
Personally I like how it mimics the eyes of the Ancients, as if they had inherited it from them. It's not some headcanon I'm super attached to, but it was a nice thing to think about.