New Benchmark (June): Au Ra Feedback

[Taranok]

So, in the interest of better explaining (part) of the issue, I've decided to compare face 4 to face 1 in live and in the benchmark, on the 3/4 profile (roughly.) It won't be exactly 1:1, but is close enough to really showcase the differences. To better showcase this, here's a rough 3/4 profile of live and benchmark with the tip of the horn in face 4 roughly in the same vertical line as the corner of the lip.

Live:


Benchmark:


Of note is, check the contour of the cheek and chin. In live, face 1 has a more pronounced cheek and chin than face 4. Both are flatter for face 4, overall. Moving to benchmark, the chin of face 4 is more pronounced. Not quite face 1 levels, but still pronounced. Likewise, the cheek is more pronounced. Only it's actually more pronounced than face 1 now. As in, we went from having less pronounced cheeks than F1, to more pronounced. Of note, F1's cheeks are less pronounced in the benchmark as well.

This really should help showcase exactly why F4 looks so 'wrong' now. The chin and cheeks are just flat out wrong. Lips are surprisingly not that bad, dimples aside, but the cheeks are extremely bad.

Also showcases problems with face 1, such as the cheeks and chin changing, and I can't tell exactly what's happening with the eyebrows, but they look wrong as well.

I really wish the devs didn't ruin my favorite face though. This is just amateurish.

[Irishfae]

I should really leave it with what I've already posted, but I just seem to keep going back.
So to add to what Taranok has pictures of. I snipped Kal's hair and tried to do some overlays. It isn't completely perfect, but I tried to get it as close as possible. I to get a head on comparison, but I just couldn't get it right, so hopefully these do.
((As a note, this rounding of the face occurred in my Viera alt too, really not sure why this decision was made))

You can see the different outlines around the cheeks and chin. DT is the transparent overlay.

So, in the interest of better explaining (part) of the issue, I've decided to compare face 4 to face 1 in live and in the benchmark, on the 3/4 profile (roughly.) It won't be exactly 1:1, but is close enough to really showcase the differences. To better showcase this, here's a rough 3/4 profile of live and benchmark with the tip of the horn in face 4 roughly in the same vertical line as the corner of the lip


Of note is, check the contour of the cheek and chin. In live, face 1 has a more pronounced cheek and chin than face 4. Both are flatter for face 4, overall. Moving to benchmark, the chin of face 4 is more pronounced. Not quite face 1 levels, but still pronounced. Likewise, the cheek is more pronounced. Only it's actually more pronounced than face 1 now. As in, we went from having less pronounced cheeks than F1, to more pronounced. Of note, F1's cheeks are less pronounced in the benchmark as well.

This really should help showcase exactly why F4 looks so 'wrong' now. The chin and cheeks are just flat out wrong. Lips are surprisingly not that bad, dimples aside, but the cheeks are extremely bad.

Also showcases problems with face 1, such as the cheeks and chin changing, and I can't tell exactly what's happening with the eyebrows, but they look wrong as well.

[Irishfae]

Unrelated to my main character - but there appears to be a texture issue with Xaela face 2
It looks like the texture of the preset scales are a lower resolution than the optional and then there are two points that look like something is missing. (just repeating what I wrote in the pic in case it doesn't show correctly)

[duckslap]

(copying what I posted in the JP thread but in English)

Here is what my WOL looks like currently vs in the latest benchmark



These are the main issues for I would like to highlight:

1. Eyes + forehead scale




The eyes do look 'prettier' overall and I love the new highlights, but the pupils are still more dilated than they are in the current game, which changes the look of my WOL a fair bit. The limbal rings don't extend to the outer edge of the irises, making the larger pupils even more apparent. The top eyelashes also appear to be leaning more downwards, and the lower lashes around the middle look a bit shorter. The upper lid eyeliner isn't as dark either.

The forehead scale has lost its sharp pointed edges and the shape is slightly different.

2. Lips




The lips don't appear as 'flat' now compared to the first benchmark, which I'm happy about. Compared to how they are in 6.58 however, they also appear to be 'frownier', and the centre line isn't the same, so they give off a very different impression in my opinion.

All that being said, I really appreciate the devs doing all they can to listen to feedback, especially so close to Dawntrail's release date. Thank you so much!

[Taranok]

I should really leave it with what I've already posted, but I just seem to keep going back.
So to add to what Taranok has pictures of. I snipped Kal's hair and tried to do some overlays. It isn't completely perfect, but I tried to get it as close as possible. I to get a head on comparison, but I just couldn't get it right, so hopefully these do.
((As a note, this rounding of the face occurred in my Viera alt too, really not sure why this decision was made))

Thanks for the even easier to digest image with red marks pointing it out. The face was such a stark difference when I first saw it in the benchmark that I instantly knew it before zooming in. It really is, simply, a massively different face and profile. Really was stung by bees in the cheek.