Please just give us a non-graphics update option for DT

[aph]

all we are asking is to bring back the old graphics for our characters, not the entire game.. surely that wouldn't double the size of the game files?

[Loggos]

all we are asking is to bring back the old graphics for our characters, not the entire game.. surely that wouldn't double the size of the game files?

I'm wondering about this too. I understand that for new assets this would double the work but nobody is complaining about extra polygons on random armour number 27.

I'm genuinely asking, how would keeping both the old and the new models - which have already been finalised and shouldn't be part of any major future workflows - double the game files and the workload for future content?

The only thing I can think of is new emotes but those are created quite irregularly. And I'm not aware that they use much/any(?) motion capture for custom player expression in cutscenes?

I may be wrong because I'm looking at it as a layperson but it doesn't seem intuitive to me, at least.

[Enclavex]

all we are asking is to bring back the old graphics for our characters, not the entire game.. surely that wouldn't double the size of the game files?

You're still creating 2 art pipelines. Any equipment you wear and any hairstyles and fashion accessories and facewear needs 2 versions, one low res garbage version and one updated version.

A feature like this will absolutely result in less new content, it's not going to happen and it shouldn't happen.

[Loggos]

You're still creating 2 art pipelines. Any equipment you wear and any hairstyles and fashion accessories and facewear needs 2 versions, one low res garbage version and one updated version.

A feature like this will absolutely result in less new content, it's not going to happen and it shouldn't happen.

Why would you need two pipelines for the equipment? The bodies have stayed the same even after the update as far as I know, so you wouldn't have to model two versions? Many people would primarily like the old faces back. If that could be achieved then I can imagine barely anybody would complain about getting high res armour, fashion or accessories. As for facewear, since face shapes are more or less the same new facewear should still fit onto new models?

[Enclavex]

Why would you need two pipelines for the equipment? The bodies have stayed the same even after the update as far as I know, so you wouldn't have to model two versions? We would just like the old faces back. Nobody would complain about getting high res armour, fashion or accessories. As for facewear, since face shapes are more or less the same new facewear should still fit onto new models?

At the very least you're going to have to have 2 pipelines for stuff that goes on your head even if you're not wanting low res gear in general. Would you be cool with half the number of hairstyles being released? Maybe the answer for you is yes but I'd argue you're in an extreme minority.

[Loggos]

At the very least you're going to have to have 2 pipelines for stuff that goes on your head even if you're not wanting low res gear in general. Would you be cool with half the number of hairstyles being released? Maybe the answer for you is yes but I'd argue you're in an extreme minority.

I can't speak for others but I'd be willing to sacrifice new hairstyles for getting my old char, though that's just me.

But I genuinely wonder, have the skull shapes changed so much that it would take two whole pipelines to adjust a hair model to fit the old skulls? They need to be adjusted for the different races too after all. Would that be such a big extra step?

[Enclavex]

I can't speak for others but I'd be willing to sacrifice new hairstyles for getting my old char, though that's just me.

But I genuinely wonder, have the skull shapes changed so much that it would take two whole pipelines to adjust a hair model to fit the old skulls? They need to be adjusted for the different races too after all. Would that be such a big extra step?

Like I said, you might be willing to cut the hairstyles in half but I'm certain you're in the extreme minority in that.

Also it only takes very minor changes in skull shapes to make things look weird, they'd absolutely need to have 2 pipelines otherwise you'd have people coming in here complaining that some hairstyle that they like looks off on their character when they use the old face. There's a reason that they didn't make the old graphics and the new graphics a toggle, it just adds more work for them and most people would like resources to go to new content.

[Loggos]

Like I said, you might be willing to cut the hairstyles in half but I'm certain you're in the extreme minority in that.

Also it only takes very minor changes in skull shapes to make things look weird, they'd absolutely need to have 2 pipelines otherwise you'd have people coming in here complaining that some hairstyle that they like looks off on their character when they use the old face. There's a reason that they didn't make the old graphics and the new graphics a toggle, it just adds more work for them and most people would like resources to go to new content.

Well but then that could still be the compromise the devs offer: old models but at the cost of new hairstyle updates.
If they want the new stuff then they'll have to toggle to the new model.
Then we'd at least have something. That would be more than we have now in that particular regard because at the moment it's nothing.

You worry about people complaining if they don't get future hair styles. I suppose you fear a "give them an inch and they'll take a mile" type of situation?

But this is an all-or-nothing perspective I personally disagree with. I think a compromise/the middle ground can be a viable option.

Right now even more people are unhappy because they don't have the old character models anymore. I think people, who'd be unhappy about old models not getting new stuff, would always inherently be a subset of that group. It will most likely not be 100%.

So regaining access to old models, even if there's no new stuff for them, would probably already decrease the number of unhappy people.

The other alternative could be a thorough character creator overhaul with more options, esp. since the CC is terribly outdated for a modern day MMO, as well. I think this is an area which ressources need to be allocated to anyway. Imo 8.0 is really (too) late for that endeavor. That would be around 2027 if I'm not mistaken.

[RhaesDaenys]

You're still creating 2 art pipelines. Any equipment you wear and any hairstyles and fashion accessories and facewear needs 2 versions, one low res garbage version and one updated version.

A feature like this will absolutely result in less new content, it's not going to happen and it shouldn't happen.

This x10000000000000000

[sindriiisgaming]

You're still creating 2 art pipelines. Any equipment you wear and any hairstyles and fashion accessories and facewear needs 2 versions, one low res garbage version and one updated version.

A feature like this will absolutely result in less new content, it's not going to happen and it shouldn't happen.

Then that's the price they pay. They're not some small indie company. They have enough money to hire Australian comedians they can pay to reverse these character changes. They should have left well enough alone.