Yoshida gives update on the benchmark/character creator

[SannaR]

When it comes to facial features, minor changes can make a huge difference in how the overall face looks. Take a look at real plastic surgery. A lot of people get very subtle procedures vs. going for something extreme, and yet even those minor tweaks make a difference. Try pulling your nose down just a tiny bit. Lift your brows at your hairline a smidge. Purse your lips, or maybe suck in your upper lip (RIP LALA)...see how that looks to you. Point being, when it comes to facial features, even small, delicate changes can have an impact.

So going back to the game now, we have characters whose eyeshapes/lash lines have changed, lips have changed shape, jawlines are puffier/softer, eyebrows are taking on new lines all together, etc. A lot of characters are getting hit with several of these changes in one go. Maybe the updated benchmark will "fix" things, maybe not. Will we all survive? Of course. But to be so blatantly dismissive of people pointing out and discussing actual changes...well, that's not a good look.

To the person whose character it is who has looked at them for days on end and sometimes very up close the smallest of changes will be very noticeable. But to most others those changes will not be as pronounced. So when they show people a current game and current benchmark and go I don't know how you can't see the minuscular changes that have been made. My Character looks as bad as that one lady's retouch of that painting of Jesus. If not more hideous than the inside of the mouth of a roundworm larvae. they should try to take a few breathes before reacting on high emotions when someone else replies basically with that one Office meme. Where only in one picture does the character look like they went and had a session at a high end photoshoot. When the person who doesn't see the infinitesimal changes is made to feel as they are failing very bad at a spot the 15 changes to this picture in a child's copy of Highlight Magazine (yes I know I'm showing my age with thar reference.)

It can feel as the person who is making the complaints are being a bit over dramatic if not overly emotional. Which sure it's fine to be emotional about your own character. But sometimes replying while having a "in the heat of the moment." well moment might not be the best thing. And many people's reactions to others who were either just trying to help troubleshoot or give encouraging words were well as bad if not worse than that grandma who was very distraught with worry about the well-being of her grandson who lived in Pelika Stand.

Course now there are two groups and who should the devs listen to? As neither group holds more weight than the other. Even if they think they might. They're both paying customers. Both care about how their characters look. I don't envy the dev team.

[Boblawblah]

How about you ALL just wait for release to see and stop with the typical general forum diatribes. I come here rarely now given just about everything new receives the typical it sucks receptions.

and that isn't a general forum diatribe?

[Fyrebrand]

A Benchmark Reborn!

[LillyWandsworth]

Not sure why they can't specify the races so that each community knows which one has been listen to and which ones need to keep talking about it.

[Rudje]

snip for length

I mean, there is a solution to the two groups thing and it's "add the changes as new options". We're getting a Fantasia, it's not completely unreasonable to ask that (especially not for races that have historically had only four options) the selection of available faces is expanded. Some of the issues are lighting-based, but a lot aren't and those aren't going to go away by adjusting to the new lighting.

[smashBG]

I want to believe that the issues with player characters can be fixed with some new lighting and bugfixes, but I remain immensely skeptical. Many of the changes (particularly those made to au ra face models) seem to be the result of artistic intent rather than technical need, and by definition cannot be "fixed". Maybe it really is as simple as tweaking the scaling of face bones- there are 3rd-party tools capable of that, and gpose enthusiasts are not shy about demonstrating their capabilities. But I wouldn't put money on that possibility. Two months is the blink of an eye in gamedev time, and I have the sinking feeling that a lot of the changes people have expressed their concern about are already baked in.

[Chasingstars]

https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodes...cf949ef43bf580

TLDR:

- Lighting is broken in the CC, they are fixing it and will update the benchmark
- Face sculpts "broken" with the improper lighting
- Specifically calls out lips as being bugged
- "Lifeless" eyes result of lack of shaders in the character creator on the benchmark, will be fixed with the updated benchmark
- Skin textures look bad because of lack of shaders on character creator
- Common issues / complaints such as neck seam being fixed
- Some misc. stuff
- They are actively monitoring feedback and will continue to work on the characters until DT release
- He is sorry for inciting a panic lmao

I encourage you to read the full post for yourself, as I might have misunderstood some things.

Anyway, keep leaving feedback, hopefully they're listening.

Truly benchmark is the comedy of a gift that keeps on giving. I'll look forward to the updated version to see what changes are made there.

Community: Panics
SE: "Oops it broke. I'll fix it."

[Fawkes]

It's going to be interesting to see the differences. "Special data processes" is pretty vague and could be literally anything, I assume it includes stuff being implemented on the wrong race/clan/gender but idk why he wouldn't just say that.

[Swordsman]

I have the sinking feeling that a lot of the changes people have expressed their concern about are already baked in.

This is what I'm worried about the most at this point. Of course I'll hold my judgment till benchmark 2.0 comes out, but a lot of the changes do seem like intentional changes to the art style like you mentioned.

[SannaR]

I mean, there is a solution to the two groups thing and it's "add the changes as new options". We're getting a Fantasia, it's not completely unreasonable to ask that (especially not for races that have historically had only four options) the selection of available faces is expanded. Some of the issues are lighting-based, but a lot aren't and those aren't going to go away by adjusting to the new lighting.

I'm not sure if we are actually getting a fantasia or that's what a lot of people think is what Yoshida said. As I want to say he knows many will want one due to the changes made by the update. And that he can understand where they'd be coming from. That he'd even want one himself but that he'd have to see if that would be in the budget so to speak and everyone just heard free Fantasia and ran with it. Not that I care as I somehow have four wasting away in my inventory. I had bought a three pack and I don't remember how I got the 4th and no it wasn't one of the earlier free ones.

And yes I get that some of the things changed wasn't all due to lighting. Like the defanging of moon cats and beards not being flesh with a person's cheeks. Or hair clipping through a person's neck and the obvious neck seam. Those changes should and (most) are looking to be getting addressed with the changes they'll be implementing with the newer benchmark. But the slightly more slanted eyes or puffier cheek that unless a person goes and circles it or points it out that anyone who isn't intimately familiar with that character or face type might have to come to terms that those changes might just be final. Or hopefully it will be something akin to what they said they would do with the Au Ra limbal ring. I wonder if that was put in as an option as I didn't notice anyone stating on if that was an option or not. Or at least I didn't notice anyone stating they'll quit the game cause they didn't add it there and they said they would. Or in any other similar vein of what some might call an over reaction to a minor change.

I do pray for DRG n AST players cause they might be getting a double whammy. They might have become unsatisfied by these graphical updates to their character to then also get the "SMN treatment" to their favorite job as we all know those two are to be getting a major rework.