Dawntrail Graphical Update - Au Ra Feedback

[Nebty]

All of those changes together make her look a few years older. Given that time has passed between ARR and DT, it doesn't feel too bad. However, it feels jarring when so many changes are thrown at your face at once.

It's extra jarring for someone who hasn't even finished the story too. I'm actually right before Shadowbringers. I don't even know if I want to keep going at this point while all of the redesign stuff is still up in the air. I kinda feel like I'd just miss her old face more if I did, but if I do wait then it'll feel even stranger when the transition happens halfway through the plot.

[JanineBeckinsale]

I'll preface this by mentionning this isn't my first rodeo, I've played many games in which our main character "suffered" a graphical change (one of them even made me quit the game completely, I'm looking at you Destiny 2), so I knew a 1-to-1 update was not a reasonnable expectation.

After seeing so many people being disappointed with their "new" WoL I was dreading a bit testing my girl with the Benchmark, but to put it mildly I'm extatic with her new look, Dawtrail will be a huge glow-up for her

She looks like a proper adult woman now, which makes complete sense to me given what that poor soul had to get through these past few years, she's no longer smoll bb adventurer. Though it seems she lost a bit of her tan, I might have to play with her skin color a bit.






The dynamic catchlight in the eyes can be pretty deceiving. On static screenshot taken in shadows it looks as if the new eyes are soulless, but as soon as there's just a tiny bit of light in the scene it's IMO a huge improvement.




1/2

[JanineBeckinsale]

2/2

I'm (nearly) a big fan of her new mouth, after all these years it's finally closed! And upper lips have more character to them, they are way less flat than before. Of course everything isn't perfect, the lower lips is fuller around the edges, which is a tiny bit annoying.




Overall I'm very satisfied and can't wait for her next adventures in Dawntrail!

I hope though we had a Beta version of the character creator to play around, because some glaring issues feel out of character from CB3 (neck seam, body scales having artifacts, etc).

And while I'm here sitting in my happy corner with my upgraded character, I have to feel for my fellow WOLs who are disappointed with the new look. I know how awful it is to not recognize one's character anymore, and I hope CB3 will be able to take your feedback into account and mitigate the issues you're facing.

[Doopliss]

Left is DT Benchmark and the right is current:

The top of her cheek scales have become rounded and warped, too, as well as the scale over her nose... I only just noticed this happening to some Au Ra. Things like this keep making me feel nervous about whether or not a human was actually making some of these changes, admittedly.

[SongOfTheWind]

Dear AuRa players, if you are unhappy with enlarged pupils - please return them to Veena Viera, we miss them very much

[Roda]

Dear AuRa players, if you are unhappy with enlarged pupils - please return them to Veena Viera, we miss them very much

BOO! HISS! YOU CAN PRY THESE SMALLER PUPILS FROM MY COLD DEAD HANDS! I LIKE SEEING MY EYE COLOR FOR ONCE! >:[

[AstiSpumante]

Decided to load in my retainer who is made in the image of my favorite 40 year old Oronir culinarian and at a glance, every time, I thought the images from the benchmark were the "older" or more unpolished graphics because the lighting is so flat. It's only once I look at the hair and scale textures I realize no that much nicer shadow effect is from the old engine.

So with him:
1) The softer lighting engine makes his face and hair so flat. To the point it looks like dated graphics. The previous graphics had the feeling of being stylized not dated realism.
2) Again with the lips, they have been simplified to the point they lost their previous expression. He was frowning before now his bottom lip is sticking out and he's pouting.
3) The eyes are just "dead inside" not "I am 40 years old still working food service and that's Not Great but I'm still alive dang it". I think it's the larger pupil and lack of shine which makes the eyes look more relaxed/unfocused.
4) I don't like how "crisp" the pattern is on the body scales, on both raen and xaela it looses the organic feel that the OG body scale patterns have. However I do like the texture update on his face scales a lot esp the nose one (ignoring the horribly pixelated border on said nose scale).
5) His face is no longer pinched/the brow isn't furrowed! That was a charm point!!
6) While the planes of the face are now clearly smoother he is in dire need of an exfoliating wash the face texture is so extreme.




And lastly an actual seeming bug that an Elezen playing friend says Elezen are reporting too: There is this weird color/light issue on the lips but specifically in the Shroud in the benchmark. It isn't there in the live character creator though.

[Roda]

So for those having trouble with face 4's fish-like mouth I recommend trying out mouth 4
It doesn't fix the added dimples, and the lips aren't as full, but the mouth is wider and the lips are less puffy so it still gives that kind of sharp feel the other lips gave.


In the creator it's not sold very well but in motion it works pretty well?

[HeyMcFly]

While I love how my Au Ra turned out in the benchmark for the most part- she looks somewhat translucent. Her skin reminds of a jellyfish or a puddle of milk; which honestly is off putting.

I think the lipstick could be toned down- and it should include sliders. Matte to gloss sliders, none-light-medium-vivid lipstick transparency is how it should be imo.

Also, with this update come DT, will we ever see actual additions to the character creator? The ones people have asked for for years? Like different horns & being able to change horns? New faces?




-------------------------

Also, the nostrils in female face #4, it looks like someone had to poke holes in her face but the nostril closed up. The nostrils on this face resembles the external nostrils on a bird- it's unsettling.
Her nostrils don't need to be shaped all the way around, or better yet, there needs to be some contouring around the alar sidewall of her nose (skin on outer edge of nostril) And it needs to be the same length as the nostril- because currently in the benchmark, her nostrils are longer and narrow, more than the outer sidewalls of her nostrils are, giving a bird like look.


I made a subtle contour edit to her nose and septum area, and added the static eye highlight


Benchmark before my edit


Benchmark after my edit

[Sekhar]

I never posted in the forum. so my apologies if the pictures don't work. Edit: and they don't xD so I restructured the post so my point is at least logical without them.

Even as someone who typically is not on the forums, I still feel that there are weird things here. So I should at least try to make myself heard irregardless of whether it has any effect as just screaming into the void won't change anything.

I agree with many of the issues pointed out here to varying degrees but since I myself play femra face 4 that is what I will comment on.

The mouths are just weird and especially the extreme dimples with the femra face 4 are just... too strange?



I have so far not heard anyone make any argument why those dimples should be so extreme? I have for example seen people argue that the eyes are now more natural which I won't comment on.

Of course it is only the case when light hits the face but that isn't an excuse in any case, after all we won't know what lighting is common in the MSQ, in cutscenes, in the town etc. and I honestly do not understand why this extreme change was made in the first place as I also have yet to hear anyone say that they prefer it with the extreme dimples.