Benchmark/Graphics Update - Show your WoL's before and after

[Leon-Valeren]

comparison (left old, right benchmark):
https://imgur.com/a/tfA31B5

benchmark trailer (eyes look off):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GLInlpHX...jpg&name=large

current looks (eyes have more sharpness, mascara isn't as visble + less prominent shadows in iris):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fw7dt3-W...jpg&name=large

benchmark (eyebrows and darkened eyes make his glance dull, less grumpy. his mouth looks almost friendly now which changes his appearance):
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GLInTfpX...g&name=900x900

i'm incredibly unhappy with my WOL
he doesn't look as sharp and grumpy anymore. is there a way to play the game in old graphics? my other characters look more or less fine (tho i have ofc things to complain there too...) but especially for my main character this takes all my joy for him. his eyes are too soft now, he almost smiles bcs they put more focus on that lip folds. and yeah the shadows are gone, he looks so flat. and his eye shadow is so prominent it takes the focus of the sharpness of his glance T_T

[EorzeaWanderer]

They just drew a straight line across on those new lips?!?

[Kihna]

First of all, I think it's important to note that the character creator has never been a perfect indicator of what your character will look like in-game. That said, I don't hate it (honestly the new version looks closer to how I like to draw him). My main critiques are: (1) I don't like how flat his lips look when he's not in direct light, (2) I don't like how dark the shadows under his eye and on his nose looks when he's not in direct light, and (3)I don't like how bright the highlight on his nose looks in direct light (the highlight creates this waxy/plastic effect I don't like). Otherwise, I like the shape of his hair, lips, and jaw- they are a definite upgrade. His hair color is more desaturated, but this doesn't bother me that much.

[amis-amai]

I'm personally pleased, though there are some changes I noticed!
LEFT: 6.58
RIGHT: BENCHMARK

- Brows have been shifted upward slightly.
- Nose softened but the "hook" to it is more defined (which is PERFECT for me!)
- Big change is how the highlight in the hair is changed. No more shoddy dye job on the topknot!

Of course, some cutscene gifs as well since the character creator lighting isn't great. My boy looks FANTASTIC in motion and emoting, looks and feels more like himself here. Darker skin as a whole looking a LOT better with the update.



I'd definately say M!Middie face 6 got off real good with this update.

[EliaStormblade]

https://imgur.com/a/c2ezE6G

I think it is an improvement the only thing I miss is the lips having that glossy, plump and more full look.

I am just postulating here, but I don't think the "fullness" of the old lips is necessarily to do with the model or the textures. I do think they could do more to make them look fuller in Dawntrail, of course. But it looks to me more like the fullness in Endwalker/the other screenshot comes from that harsh, black low-quality shadow caused by old lighting and the skin shader's reaction to it. The same shadow effect that caused so many troubles in other environments and in cutscenes. For better or worse, tone contributes a lot to the feeling of depth, and a pure black value (over something lighter) is basically the most drastic effect you can have. Which is also why some characters with the current/old lighting looked gaunt to the point of zombification when their cheeks were in the shadow (and thus created pitch black or nearly pitch black darkness around them). Same problem, different results.

[Rudje]

This is why they didn't change characters much. They said they could have been far more drastic, but they know people are attached to their looks like this, and even these small changes are upsetting some players.

Doubtful. The character you design in the benchmark is meant to be able to be used directly in the character creator upon release (or with the free Fantasia you get). If they changed it, the benchmark would lose part of its purpose and confuse people who are using it for that purpose.

Whether we like it or not, I think we need to accept this is all final.

They've made visual changes from the benchmark based on player feedback before, and a lot of these are outright quality issues so bad I'd be shocked if they didn't get fixed, so i don't see why a graphics update wouldn't have changed based on player feedback.

[WardenMop]

figured i'd post my WoL since maybe others share my experience. loading him to the benchmark for the first time made me feel like... well, i kind of hated it. these just do not look like the same face at all to me. (he is also wearing placeholder hair)

but later I figured out that most of what I don't like about the new face is caused by the lipstick. after changing the lipstick setting from "dark" to "light" and changing the tone slightly i achieved a look that is much more in line with the way i view my WoL. here is a picture of him with the adjusted lips and his correct hair from the benchmark-

-and here is one of how he looks currently (apologies all my screenshots are with re-shade and im too lazy to go take a vanilla screenshot just for showcase)

so now i dont feel as bad about the update as i did earlier today. maybe i can give some of you hope that sometimes slight tweaks work. i do wish the catchlights stayed though, because his eyes do look pretty dead post update.

[yoyonoya]

i don't even know what to say... my girl looks so bad.. the less prominent shadows on her face make it look like someone grabbed the sides of her face and stretched it out, especially around the eyes and mouth.

i really hope they can make some changes to this bc she looks atrocious now.

[Azurhi_Muhn]

And here we see Azurhi both pre-and post-good graphics adventure



...boy, I sure hope I can still fix FFXIV's godawful saturation with reshade after this update

[Zer0Zoler0]

I'm pleased with it.


Before


After