Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[HowdyitsMal]

I made a thread as well, but my Xaela Au Ra geniuenly don't look like how she used to - particularly how the lips look "puckered"(?) in and how lifeless the eyes look bother me - they almost look blurred out and the contrast that made the eyes "pop" is gone.

Endwalker vs. Dawntrail ver 1.1 benchmark


When they said "Overall appearance of player characters will be altered as little as possible" I expected a few, small, unnoticeable-at-first-glance changes, but this feels too different??

[Heavenchild]

In my opinion the update looks better than before. But there are some issues. For example the eyecolors are often darker/less vibrant. Let's wait and see how it goes on.

[Miemi]

Apologies for the low quality, it's the only screenshot I could find besides the one I already posted:



I have a theory: remember how lightning/shadows looked in the old Benchmark, before they updated it? I have a feeling the Portraits are still using those pre-update settings. It looks dull and lifeless :s
I cannot achieve the same results as the picture on the left with the Ambient/Directional Lighting settings in Edit Portrait no matter what I try (my character's hair color looks darker and gray no matter what, it's supposed to look light blue and it does look accurate outside of Portraits!)

edit: my forum picture on the left gave me a jumpscare holy moly...

[Mr_Gucky]

There are some here who have been playing with their WoL for several years with the same look. For them, Fantasia is an unfamiliar word.
Because they are more than satisfied with their WoL. 100 out of 100 points. Some have even had pictures of their character drawn.

And now you has to realize that overnight your WoL is no longer the same. That's how it was for me. The fact that the character you have grown to love is no longer the same is the hardest blow I have had to endure in my MMO career. I am really sad and I don't know how to continue in FFXIV.

First, I have to overcome the shock, and then I will have to see how to proceed.

I can understand anyone who feels the same way."

[Kartoshka]

I'll post it here just in case but I have little hope that it will be addressed. After graphical update almost everything in the world looks better: aetherytes look amazing, alpacas are cute and grass is moving. But whenever there is a close-up on my character face I just get sad. It's like he's done a plastic surgery. His facial expressions are a lot more severe now.
My biggest complain is changes done to the nose. I've written about it before but the only thing that was addressed is limbal rings/pupils and that's because a lot of other players were upset.
I've posted in japanese forums and english too but these languages aren't my native so sorry for mistakes. I don't post on forums usually but I want to know that I've done all I can because I really love the game.

My character nose ridge looks a lot more narrow now. It wasn't so noticable in previous bencmark. There are gaps between scales and face itself and i think it's causing these weird shadows to appear.


There are also a couple of minor complaints. Eyebrows are more upturned and eyelashes are not so bright as before. Limbal rings overpower eye color.
Face shape overall has become oval. Before it was more angular. Mouth corners are different and becаuse of that mouth looks more narrow.



I highlighted all changes that I think are noticeable



Face - 1, Jaw - 2, Eye shape - 2, Eyebrows - 5, Nose - 4, Mouth - 2

[Gredunza]

I tried and I played the first quest in the MSQ but I just felt hollow the entire time, I never felt this way when I played MSQ content prior. Despite everything during the Benchmark, I really wanted to enjoy Dawntrail as like everyone I love the story in this game but I just don't feel the joy and excitement for the new content the way I had back in 6.x at all. I even found myself disliking the way that Alphinaud and Alisaie looked, they looked really lifeless to me indoors. I'm envious of those who are able to enjoy it and are making their way through the story, I wish that the graphics update had more time than this. I don't know if it's even worth playing through the MSQ feeling like this, it's just going to feel empty, painful and bitter.

This is my first post, I just signed up to say I feel the same way. I've been playing continuously since 2021; but my character, which was a Female Midlander until a couple days ago, has existed, nearly unchanged since 2014. I tried changing to Miqo and I've explored other options, but I'm honestly not feeling it. I feel like I lost my sense of identity in the game, the lens through which I've experienced this incredible story and world for the last three years and that one single month in ARR.

Before and after:


Makes me want to cry.

[noumen0nn]

This is my first post, I just signed up to say I feel the same way. I've been playing continuously since 2021; but my character, which was a Female Midlander until a couple days ago, has existed, nearly unchanged since 2014. I tried changing to Miqo and I've explored other options, but I'm honestly not feeling it. I feel like I lost my sense of identity in the game, the lens through which I've experienced this incredible story and world for the last three years and that one single month in ARR.

Before and after:


Makes me want to cry.

I'm biased of course, but I think F midlanders got it the worst. Whoever was in charge of our new sculpt just fundamentally missed the impression of our old faces. I'm right there with you, I'm feeling depressed and barely have the motivation to keep playing.

[aili_]

There are some here who have been playing with their WoL for several years with the same look. For them, Fantasia is an unfamiliar word.
Because they are more than satisfied with their WoL. 100 out of 100 points. Some have even had pictures of their character drawn.

And now you has to realize that overnight your WoL is no longer the same. That's how it was for me. The fact that the character you have grown to love is no longer the same is the hardest blow I have had to endure in my MMO career. I am really sad and I don't know how to continue in FFXIV.

First, I have to overcome the shock, and then I will have to see how to proceed.

I can understand anyone who feels the same way."

I got similar feelings as you.
The new look is like someone who's done plastic surgery to make herself looks like my original WoL. Yeah, they look familiar, but still they're totally two different characters to me.
It doesn't matter which one is "better", I just want the character I created and have loved and played for years to get back to me, instead of a stranger "looks like" her.
If I force myself to get used to this new character, maybe I'll get used to the new one in the future. But I don't want to betray myself. Those times I spent with my WoL, how I love her, being inspired by her...still picking me up now.
That's why, I can't continue playing FFXIV now. Though I've already subscribed for 6 months in early June, every time I tried to log in, the stranger in my character page just makes me want to click exit.

[Elissar]

I am so happy with my character rn







However, i noticed that some characters looks like dolls. Also, this upgrade ruined some atmosphere that dark environments created (like the end of ARR, tower of babil and zot..). In short: works flawless in open areas, questionable in dark areas and suddenly everyone looks like Ken from Barbie.

[Verschlafen]

What i found out is, if i reduce the character lighting to 0 under Displaysettings, it helps do reduce the wrong shadows from the nose and a little bit the shiny look for me, not perfect as before, but a little bit.