Updated benchmark

[Print_Screen]

Figured I'd add my comparison here in case the devs read this. I'm not completely happy with the eyes, eyebrows and overall shape of my character's face in the benchmark.

Female Highlander
Face 1
Jaw 1
Eye shape 3
Eyebrows 1
Facial features 1, 2, 3
6.58 vs updated benchmark

Side:


Front:


The view from the front is mostly the same, but from the side I notice a few differences. I don't like that the outer corners of the eyes are rounded down, and that the eyebrows are now smaller. The shape of the jaw and cheeks also seems different, but that might be an illusion caused by the lighting.

[CipherNine]

I actually thought more people would be talking about it, but I guess not many people play as Femroes.

If you look at roeydagyns concept art, any promotional art, or even meet roes in the current version of the game, you can easily see on their bulkiness and very rough faces with square chins, narrowed jaws and noses, very deep wrinkles in the root and nasion areas of the nose bridge, etc. The problem is... just gone in the latest benchmark. The overall shapes of the faces are the same, but the details that created the shapes and complexity of the faces are not.


Even a quick comparison of the images shows that the face on the left is more flat and the face on the right is more rounded. I understand that because of the change in materials and rendering, the images will look a little different, but it's more than that.


The left face looks more organic, and when you look at it, your eyes are probably focused on the character's eyes/nose. You can't focus on the same parts of the right face. Your eyes start wandering around the face to many different places without really stopping on anything. It's not because the new face has more detail.


On the left face, the eyebrows flow into the bridge of the nose. Eyes have additional wrinkles to separate them from the nose, creating complexity and catching the viewer's attention. The rest of the face is flat and has less detail, creating a strong focus on the eyes. These details are missing from the right image. That's why you can't really focus on anything on the right face and jump from element to element.


Details of the nose bridge and eye sockets have simply disappeared.


Details like these add complexity to the shapes of the face, create focal points, guide lines and attract the viewer's attention, without them... there is nothing.


I don't even have to draw red lines on it. It's just so obvious. But wait, there is more.


Even if you try to focus on more soft and rounded faces complete ditching rough features of the face (features which made roegadyn roegadyn) the right face still looks off.


It's not just couple small things, which looks a little bit different with graphical update. It complete different composition of the face created by different shapes and features which were definite for roegadyns are just gone.


Do you remember roegadyns with their unique faces? This is them now. More Huyrs than Huyrs themselves.

[faiarrow]

I actually thought more people would be talking about it, but I guess not many people play as Femroes.

I have written three extensive pleas on the JP side of things regarding roegadyn, especially fem!roe skewed because yeah, they've butchered the faces. (Other JP players have also been doing the same - all noting 'we're the smallest played race but we're just as important' as well.)

Face 2 is missing an entire normal map (the crease for the eyebrow/nose bridge you pointed out) so the baked in flat diffuse shadow at the end of the eyebrow is now just awkward unblended contour, the nose mark/ash is nonexistent on hellsguards, the jewel eyes etc all nerfed.

The coloured pupils exist still on roe.... on male face 2 only. It was a standard for all f!roe faces and added a lot to their visual.

Trust me you're not alone, especially the 'we might as well be hyur' mood with the severe shaving of racial features.

[azaleai]

The coloured pupils exist still on roe.... on male face 2 only. It was a standard for all f!roe faces and added a lot to their visual.

Gosh, I didn't even realise that... Now I'm even more frustrated. The fact they couldn't even get the eyes uniform across all faces just... feels like they don't care, since it's a less popular race.

I'm really hoping they address this in the upcoming live letter, if not... well, I'm starting to regret my pre-order, to be honest.

This isn't something that can be fixed with a free fantasia short of changing to a completely different race, but. I've spent years with my character as she is and I don't want to play something else.

[Arcian]

Figured I'd add my comparison here in case the devs read this. I'm not completely happy with the eyes, eyebrows and overall shape of my character's face in the benchmark.

Female Highlander
Face 1
Jaw 1
Eye shape 3
Eyebrows 1
Facial features 1, 2, 3
6.58 vs updated benchmark

Side:


Front:


The view from the front is mostly the same, but from the side I notice a few differences. I don't like that the outer corners of the eyes are rounded down, and that the eyebrows are now smaller. The shape of the jaw and cheeks also seems different, but that might be an illusion caused by the lighting.

It's not just you; I also have a face 1 Highlander and I've noticed the same things. The shape of the cheeks and jawline is noticeably softer and less angular, and the eyebrows have been considerably reduced. Also the forehead (at least on my character) was higher (like, fivehead higher), and I sure didn't go into the character creator planning on that.

Mine also ended up with an entirely different eye shape in the latest version of the benchmark (started with eyes 4, and oddly eyes 6 now appear to be closer to what is currently live in EW).

It's like they filed every edge off, and if they won't change that, can I at least have eyebrows that exist?