Dawntrail Graphical Update - Au Ra Feedback

[Fuyume]

I have been informed that my former comparison pic was too different in lighting to see the differences properly, so here's with recreating my benchmark CC image in the live game as closely as possible (same angle, background, position, etc). She just looks so...tuned down. So much softer, less angular, and why did they add dimples to the corners of the mouth (and the dimples are there whatever mouth I choose)?

[Asamigami]

Now, to be honest, not AS bad as I expected after seeing some other examples. At least from this angle, from the front the face is way more round. The first time I looked at her, I did not recognize her as my own character in the new benchmark(the char is almost 6 years old, with barely any changes since creation). The lighting did not fix the things I outlined below:
The most critical thing is the unnecessary cheek puffing and general face geometry changes, which makes it look like she's constantly keeping air in her cheeks and it really rounds the face shape. It changed the angled look it had which was the sole reason for picking this face.
In my specific case limbal rings look fine, but some other examples do have them blend too much. The eyes also look way more like dead fish eyes than before, but again, at least in my case the contrast of colors helps, but it's not the case for everyone.
The mouth looks way different now, which is fixable a bit(with fantasia, and not fully because the lower lip shape and overall width was changed, and the other options change the upper lip shape or don't match the width so I can't get it right with those either), but it still looks way less defined than before. The latter is an issue across the board for every race.
The eye shape was also changed, and there is no option that looks like the old one, either the shape does not match or width. It is a slight change but it does make the character look and feel very different. Now instead of sharp eyed look I have a indifferent soft one.
It's very disheartening that, even with a free Fantasia, I won't get my character back because the options for it are just gone. I can salvage it, sure, but in the end it will be just salvage.

[Gember]

snip.

I was wondering when someone will talk about the racial hair where we have extra horns showing in some of them. I don't have pictures, but both male and female Au Ra race hair that show horns are not graphically updated... yet.

[execlinca]

Just another comment on the horns not attaching to the scales issue:



It's definitely an issue, specifically a face 1 issue. Face 2 seems not to have ever had scales beneath the horns (a shame in my opinion, but not a benchmark change) and face 3 and 4 are fine. This one feels like another quality control one to me.

The neck texture is also true:



Looks like it's happening on the neck seam and makes it more visible. I feel like they must have just forgotten to swap the texture out though...

I've mostly made peace, but these are quality control issues. Especially hope the scales near the horn get fixed.

[Alice9]

Just adding my feedback to the mix:

I didn't think it would be that bad, and then I looked- it is very bad. The new facial structure of face 4 is almost completely unrecognizable to the original version. All the sharp and angular features that defined the look have been lost.

- The facial structure overall is softer, cheeks are insanely puffy, and the chin is oddly fat. It looks as though I've had an allergic reaction to something.
- The eye shape is notably different and softer, the signature "sharp" stare is no longer present. The pupils are too big, look dead and out of focus, and the limbal rings are still not nearly as bright as they should be (you have to go for specific, high contrast colors if you want them to stand out now). The eyes look out of place in the skull.
- The lips are *completely* different. They are fatter, and overly puckered up, it looks like I am always pouting. This is probably the change I dislike the most as it looks nothing like the original. The mouth protrudes strangely from the face, giving the jaw an odd and noticeably different look and angle.
- The scales on the face are duller looking, they look oddly lopsided and lumpy. Personally at least, I'd still prefer them to be sharp.
- Overall the skin and face look more like porcelain. It appears unnatural from most angles and borderline uncanny valley in others, even outside of the character creator and within the benchmark itself.
- Colors are off, while to be expected with a graphical update like this, it has made pale skin tones look notably worse and unnatural, especially when combined with contrasting dark or bright makeup, which blended perfectly originally. Now it seems very out of place.

I appreciate all the work that goes into such an ordeal as this graphical update, but while it of course it is likely easier said than done- I simply wished for an upscale of *my* existing character with the same features that I have come to know and love. Currently, this is an unwanted and surprisingly drastic transformation into a completely different looking character that is no longer my own. It feels almost insulting to have a character for this long and have it be changed this dramatically into something I can hardly recognize. Please make some adjustments to make these changes more in-tune with what we already know.

[yoyonoya]

I came back to this after trying a lot of suggestions I've seen posted around (comparing using the exact same lighting/angle, waiting until the sunlight was hitting strongest, making sure the gamma levels matched my live game) to see if I was more happy with the model, but doing so only made me more sure that the changes to my character are an absolute downgrade.



Using the the exact same facial angle, I did a before/after gif comparison (gif link). You can actively see her aging in real time.

I tried to analyze what feels so off about the changes. Here's the conclusion I came to:



These things might seem minor on their own, but it changes her overall impression immensely.

And even though she looks better in the benchmark than the character creator, she doesn't look good, especially compared to other races. I think the lack of deep shadows on the faces makes Au Ra in particular look incredibly flat. Just look at this comparison with my male Miqo'te and you can tell that other races aren't having the same issues. My girl looks like a plastic barbie doll in comparison because there's hardly any dark shadows on her nostrils/lips. Her features are getting completely lost on her face.



I feel like something in between the current model and the benchmark model while adding back in some deeper shadows + the base eyeshine would be a massive improvement.



Anyways sorry for the tl;dr but I've seen folks doing these comparisons for the other faces but no one had done one for face 3 yet that encapsulated my woes. The dev team has done really great work with the other races (and I'm super happy with the upgrades for my Lalafell & Miqo'te!) Even if it's not exactly what I want I hope the dev team is able to make at least some changes to preserve the essence of our Au Ra characters.

[LastAges]

Adding my voice to those unhappy with what the new changes did to my character. A lot has already been said, but just want to emphasize how weird the lips are (mouth 2, face 4). They're flatter, duller, and differently shaped and colored. My character now looks like she's constantly pursing her lips, or holding a candy or something in her mouth.

I also loved how sharp and defined the old limbal rings were (despite the pixelation), but I'd find those more acceptable than the mouths.

EW (left) | DT benchmark (right)

[Idril]

Hi !

Aora face 2 was unplayable for me before, big lips + the horn = just a big fish. And I was sad because she got a lot of potential !

Now she got a beautiful face, love it so much ! the corners of the lips are much better in the benchmarck. Don't let dimples come back please T.T Sweet smile, sweet lips, sweet eyes, georgous ! She is so perfect ! I'm verry happy about that Now I want to play her, its become my dream face for aora ! ♥

edit : the face 4 is become strange for me (in 7.0) because this face inherited the old problems of face 2

[Nebty]

While I can probably get used to most of the changes - and ngl I love the new eyes - I just cannot handle the change to Face 2's mouth.





SE stole her dimples and put them on Face 4, and it makes her smile look so unnatural now. It used to be wide and genuine but now her mouth protrudes oddly and it looks like she's sucking on a candy or something.

I'd be fine with the new mouth as an option but I'd really like the old one back please.

[Mr_Gucky]

After 4 years of of being happy with my Au Ra, now she stands upon the edge of a knife.

As some have criticized, the mouth is the biggest problem. The shape is now completely different (smiling more), much more pouty, and the lip textures are glossy, even with lipstick off. The lower lip in particular stands out more.

Due to the changes in the benchmark, she loses what I find so great about face 4 :

A serious and cool character running around as a Reaper, Gunbreaker and Machinist.




Her apperiance is much softer now. She has lost her soul. I am speechless and shocked.






I don't blame anyone who is happy with the appearance of their character at the benchmark. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen for everyone.

The best solution would be to make the old style as an optioal option in the character editor. Alternatively, if this is not possible due to the technical limitations, it should at least be possible to have the old lip shape and a matte lip color to choose from.