Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[Cheapshot]

This took me a few days to put together. I want to be super super super clear, this isn't some big long post saying that I demand all this stuff be restored. That would be absurd. I don't expect that. I probably don't even want that. I'll make an effort at the end to detail a small wish list of suggestions that I think would help restore the original feel of the face.

This is just me doing my best to document everything that changed with my characters face in a useful and organized manner. My hope is it can be used as a general reference for people who don't fully know what changed about their Miqo'te Face 4 characters. With any luck maybe by the developers as well. I was a professional illustrator for years and I also have a 30 gig FFXIV screenshot folder of my character so obviously my eye is going to notice changes that others wont. Please understand that I KNOW this is a lot. Just try not to jump down my throat about it without reading my intentions.








Hopefully these images scale.

So with all that documented and out of the way, I'll make a shortlist of suggestions down below. I feel much less attachment to the game now that my character of years looks so uncanny to me. I don't like how doll-like and unfocused she looks now, or how my tomboy look was made more delicate.



A few things I think seem like problems that need to be fixed rather than intentional design:
- Solve the current "cloudy" greyness issue of the eyes, and make sure eye shine isn't dulled by shadows
- Remove the gloss from the lips when "none" is selected under lip colour as it was before and remove or reduce the incorrectly shaped drawn on lip shadow
- Tone down the shadows cast by the upper eyelids

And here is the list of what I would love to be changed specific to my characters features that might bring back her original feel better:
-Raise the corners of the eyes back up and switch back to the old lashes
-Restore all curves the nose used to have
-Rework the mouth shape and texture to be more similar to the original. Remove mouth corner indents.
-Reduce the shine on the nose to just the nose tip instead of the whole bridge

I would also love if things like eyelashes could be made a selection because I much prefer the look of the older lashes, but I know many like the new ones better. I don't like all the changes that made my character look more feminine, since when I chose this face it was my intention to have a character that was more of a tom-boy. The character creator could use substantial improvements in general.

Anyways, thanks for your time. Sorry this is so much. I just wanted to take my negative feelings about the update and be constructive with them instead.

[noumen0nn]

Hopefully these images scale.

So with all that documented and out of the way, I'll make a shortlist of suggestions down below. I feel much less attachment to the game now that my character of years looks so uncanny to me. I don't like how doll-like and unfocused she looks now. I very much dislike the new face and I've not had the desire to play anymore so I'm hoping I can influence some change.



A few things I think seem like problems that need to be fixed rather than intentional design:
- Solving the current "cloudy" greyness issue of the eyes, and making sure eye shine isn't dulled by shadows
- Removing the gloss from the lips when "none" is selected under lip colour as it was before and removing or reducing the drawn on lip shadow
- Toning down the shadows cast by the upper eyelids

And here is the list of what I would love to be changed specific to my characters features that might bring back her original feel better:
-Raise the corners of the eyes back up and switch back to the original lashes
-Restore the rounded shape of the nose tip
-Remove the recessed and down-turned mouth corners
-Reduce the shine on the nose to just the nose tip instead of the whole bridge

I would also love if things like eyelashes could be made a selection because I much prefer the look of the older lashes, but I know many like the new ones better. I don't like all the changes that made my character look more feminine, since when I chose this face it was my intention to have a character that was more of a tom-boy. The character creator could use substantial improvements in general.

Anyways, thanks for your time. Sorry this is so much. I just wanted to take my negative feelings about the update and be constructive with them instead.

Fantastic, well-constructed feedback. I'm planning on collecting my observations about Midlander face 1 into one big list like this, and I'll absolutely be using your post as a model.

[Cheapshot]

Fantastic, well-constructed feedback. I'm planning on collecting my observations about Midlander face 1 into one big list like this, and I'll absolutely be using your post as a model.

Thank you. Be warned though, doing all that was both mentally and physically draining and I'm probably going to be mocked for all the effort. I don't think anyone is any worse off because I put this together, but you know how people can be. You'd have my support though. While Miqo'tes changed a ton they don't look bad except for the mouthes, at least for new players or people who weren't attached to their look. I think Midlanders were hit super hard and deserve another go at it from the devs because the result doesn't look good in my opinion.

[noumen0nn]

Thank you. Be warned though, doing all that was both mentally and physically draining and I'm probably going to be mocked for all the effort. I don't think anyone is any worse off because I put this together, but you know how people can be.

We don't need to convince the gaslighters, we need to create dialogue with the developers, and you've made an opportunity to do just that. Be proud of your work

[Rosie_Roses]

"Lip gloss is now applied when "None" is selected for lip color"
I thought I was going crazy, thank you for finding the issue with the lips. I kept thinking I was picking a lip color and not noticing.

Edit: Formatting Broke

[Mr_Gucky]

I've been playing with my WoL for 4 years without Fantasia. Now disaster has struck. I would like to document the changes I have noticed. These mainly affect the mouth:

Au Ra face 4 mouth 3:



The corners of the mouth are higher, the character is now smiling:


The shape of the lips has changed, the upper lip is now more pointed and the centre is narrower:


Mouth and chin are more prominent:


I also have the impression that the lip textures are glossy, even though she's not wearing lipstick.

The changes may seem small, but they have a big impact on the character's appearance. To cut a long story short: she looks like she's had plastic surgery. This destroys her original look, which is supposed to be cool and tomboyish. Now she looks like a doll:


I don't think it makes sense to demand that the new face models be taken back. However, it could be a good compromise to add the original shapes of the mouth and other facial features as an option in the character creation, or to imitate the old face shape. In addition, the lips should be matt when no lipstick is applied.

[Mr_Gucky]

This took me a few days to put together. I want to be super super super clear, this isn't some big long post saying that I demand all this stuff be restored. That would be absurd. I don't expect that. I probably don't even want that. I'll make an effort at the end to detail a small wish list of suggestions that I think would help restore the original feel of the face.

This is just me doing my best to document everything that changed with my characters face in a useful and organized manner. My hope is it can be used as a general reference for people who don't fully know what changed about their Miqo'te Face 4 characters. With any luck maybe by the developers as well. I was a professional illustrator for years and I also have a 30 gig FFXIV screenshot folder of my character so obviously my eye is going to notice changes that others wont. Please understand that I KNOW this is a lot. Just try not to jump down my throat about it without reading my intentions.








Hopefully these images scale.

So with all that documented and out of the way, I'll make a shortlist of suggestions down below. I feel much less attachment to the game now that my character of years looks so uncanny to me. I don't like how doll-like and unfocused she looks now. I very much dislike the new face and I've not had the desire to play anymore so I'm hoping I can influence some change.



A few things I think seem like problems that need to be fixed rather than intentional design:
- Solving the current "cloudy" greyness issue of the eyes, and making sure eye shine isn't dulled by shadows
- Removing the gloss from the lips when "none" is selected under lip colour as it was before and removing or reducing the drawn on lip shadow
- Toning down the shadows cast by the upper eyelids

And here is the list of what I would love to be changed specific to my characters features that might bring back her original feel better:
-Raise the corners of the eyes back up and switch back to the original lashes
-Restore the rounded shape of the nose tip
-Remove the recessed and down-turned mouth corners
-Reduce the shine on the nose to just the nose tip instead of the whole bridge

Great feedback! It seems that the problem of the glossy lips is not only present with Au Ra.

[Cheapshot]

The changes may seem small, but they have a big impact on the character's appearance. To cut a long story short: she looks like she's had plastic surgery. This destroys her original look, which is supposed to be cool and tomboyish. Now she looks like a doll.

Exactly where I’m at with my cat. Why wont they let us stay tom-boys? Not every face needs to be super feminine and delicate! Hurts my heart.

[Xeltoris]

I think Midlanders were hit super hard and deserve another go at it from the devs because the result doesn't look good in my opinion.

I will say, I do like some of the new combinations for Midlanders (this character being an example), but my original Midlander look from when I started (and before I started changing races) looked kinda awful after the update.

[noumen0nn]

I will say, I do like some of the new combinations for Midlanders (this character being an example), but my original Midlander look from when I started (and before I started changing races) looked kinda awful after the update.

I think it comes down to like, pre-update, fem Midlander faces could be tweaked to have a very wide array of expressions and impressions, so many different combinations of options looked good and any given Midlander had her own "vibe". Post-update, I feel like there's only one kind of vibe/impression no matter what you do: small-but-wide eyes, puffy nose, pouty lips; kind of dopey/cutesy. So if that's what you were going for with your looks, you came out ok, but if not you came out looking NOTHING like your old self.