7.0 Graphic Update - Elezen feedback

[McGrump]

I just can't deal with the eyes...
She looks like she's seen too much in the benchmark XD

[yvesupaux]

I’d like to add some feedback for elezen features in the 7.0 graphic update we see in the benchmark. While the overall graphic updates to the game are looking great, I do have some concerns regarding some of the changes made to elezen features that I will touch on below:

- Earclasps: While the texture quality of the earclasps has been upgraded, they are now significantly smaller and less prominent than the current in-game version. Considering these ear clasps are a race-specific feature a player can add to customize elezen ears, I’m a little disappointed that they’ve been sized down so much.


-Facial Features: Facial features for player characters across the board have been softened thanks to the higher poly count and softer lighting, which I think makes a nice improvement for many races, however I do think these updates have been applied a bit too broadly and as a result we are losing some of the key sharp/angular features that elezen are typically known for, ie pointy noses, sharp jawline, etc.


There are also a couple other concerns that I think may apply as more general graphical update feedback:

-Lips: I’ve noticed that overall the shape of the lips now have a slight upwards curve at the corners, giving the face less of a neutral expression in the default state and more of a soft smile. While it’s a lovely facial expression to perhaps see in a cutscene (which have some great facial/character animation in the benchmark by the way), its probably not the best idea to have this as the default in the character creator.

-Skin: Maybe this is just a bug, as I’m only really noticing it in the character creator when a cloud is passing overhead, but the skin will sometimes look too shiny and dewy, giving the appearance that the character is wet. Overall I think the new skin textures are nice, but this shinyness gives the feeling that the skin is waxy and its a little uncanny valley to me, personally.


I know there’s probably a lot of things being commented on as players are testing out their characters in the new benchmark, and much to work on before the Dawntrail release. I appreciate all of the hard work going into making our Warriors of Light and Eorzea looking as awesome as possible!! As you continue to work on the graphical update, I hope we can keep those special flavors that make each race unique in place

[KaiDennDalk]

The lifeless eyes and the lips are my main issues. These change the character vibe so much.
I as hoping with the upgrade they would add new features. But there's no settings I can use to correct those.

If the devs don't change anything, I'll have a feeling to play with a husk of my 10 year old character.
At first I was disappointed, now I'm a bit sad I might lose her.

[Tsumdere]

I do hope they keep the long eyelashes or even better give us the option to toggle them like male Viera! They are very lovely and I always wanted the option since men often have really nice lashes, but it is jarring if you never had them and didn't want them.

[Iscah]

Eyelashes already looked pretty good on male Elezen. It's noticable on Urianger. I hope his pretty looks survive the update. :/

Honestly ultimately I just do hope that they become aware of some of these issues that people have pointed out across all forums that has taken the wind out of their sails for this new expansion because what they get isn't their WoL anymore. Its definitely something to be investigated after reading so many forum posts , both here and on JP , of people pleading to have an option to keep their current face instead of being forced into the new one.

It has definitely taken the wind out of my sails. My main Midlander is looking alright, but most of my other characters are varying degrees of feeling like they're all about to be snatched away from me, never to be reclaimed if these changes aren't reversed. My Elezen and Au Ra have it worst, but I'm worried for all of them.

[Deezmo]

I'm not too happy with the old man face brows #5 being plucked of its thickness and also blending in with the skin colour too much?
Close up you can see them, but from afar it looks like he has no eyebrows. I don't really want to have to change his skin colour or his hair colour, but I will make him go darker if I have to.



I also miss the more obvious white highlights in their eyes. It looks a little dull now without them


Other than that, I think more definition of wrinkles is needed as it feels like they smoothed them out a little? It could be just lighting and I don't wanna sound too picky, I just love my ol retired bard a lot. ^^;
I do love his ears, they are my fave. Heh.

[Turtledeluxe]

They most definitely did not both have them. Duskwights noticeably did not have dark circles on the old design and that's also why I used Duskwight for one of my characters.

Well I don't think "play this race for dark circles" makes any sense. I'm sorry you guys are mad but I think a better solution is letting people decide if they want their variation to have them or not. Maybe they should make some faces have them and some not, or diminish the shadow with a slider. Or both. I don't think "just keep it the same" is productive. It sounds like whining. And I hate to be that guy but a lot of the feedback seems like this. It's just unilateral "noop"

[Tsumdere]

Well I don't think "play this race for dark circles" makes any sense. I'm sorry you guys are mad but I think a better solution is letting people decide if they want their variation to have them or not. Maybe they should make some faces have them and some not, or diminish the shadow with a slider. Or both. I don't think "just keep it the same" is productive. It sounds like whining. And I hate to be that guy but a lot of the feedback seems like this. It's just unilateral "noop"

The option would be nice, but we're not getting new options. At least not for a while. When we get to 8.0 and they announce the character creator overhaul, then they can add the dark circle slider. For now, remove them.

It's better to please the current players of the race than maybe appealing to other people who don't play it.

[Gokki]

Need to tweak colors due to lighting changes but otherwise no complaints

Less drastic lighting difference

I like these changes, see, in your case it looks better. Happy for you.

[elezenelezenelezen]

Some of the most egregious changes seem to be to the actual facial features, not the lighting. After looking at these before/after sliders, it becomes way more apparent. Biggest changes include shape of the nose and how it now looks perfectly straight and thicker on the top, lips are now upturned, eyes have been reshaped and more lidded, brow has been lifted and reshaped, and overall face shape has changed. It's easy to see if you run the slider back and forth to look at what's different. Combined, this is a LOT of changes to introduce for seemingly no reason. Texture and lighting, great, but why were the faces re-touched this much? Before and after sliders found here:

imgsli.com/MjU1ODgx
imgsli.com/MjU1ODg3
imgsli.com/MjU1ODg4
imgsli.com/MjU1ODkw
imgsli.com/MjU1ODkx

That doesn't even look like the same character, in any lighting. I think less re-touching on the actual face shapes and features would have been better. I get needing to update the textures, but this goes way beyond that.