Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[Eien713]

Now aside from things others have mentioned, one thing that has been bothering me a lot is how much more triangular and younger the face looks currently. At first I thought that they may have changed the jaw shape entirely, but after giving it some time it looks like the new lighting is doing weird things with the face shape that I'm not entirely sure is intentional.

There's definitely something going on with the lighting. This can't be the way my character is supposed to look in the light D:


This is a comparison in the light and in the shade:






Bonus picture of wonky lighting in Old Gridania:



P.S. I play on PS5.

[CidHeiral]

There's definitely something going on with the lighting. This can't be the way my character is supposed to look in the light D:

Looking at her facial structure the shadow location seems correct given where the light is coming from. The shadows perhaps seem a bit more dark and harsh than they realistically should be, but they were made that way after the community complained they were too soft in the first benchmark so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

[Eien713]

Looking at her facial structure the shadow location seems correct given where the light is coming from. The shadows perhaps seem a bit more dark and harsh than they realistically should be, but they were made that way after the community complained they were too soft in the first benchmark so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

Her face never looked like that before the update in the same area and light I took those pictures. In fact, before the update, she looked beautiful in almost any lighting. The only exceptions were very few weird lighting moments (sometimes in cutscenes) that affected the other races the same way and made them look horrible/deranged, like that certain spot in Old Gridania. Also, I find that the lighting/shading in the picture you picked clashes with the corners of her mouth.

[CidHeiral]

Her face never looked like that before the update in the same area and light I took those pictures.

That is because the game had an old and busted lighting solution falling on old and busted models. You're going to see shadows where there may not have been shadows previously because they are now being simulated properly.

To think about it another way, your character's head shape is similar to one of these makeup sponges. As you can see, shadows are forming opposite to where the lighting is coming from. If the pointed end were facing down and the light coming from a bit above them as in your image, shadows would naturally form in the lower half that slopes inwards and away from the light.



I'm not saying you're wrong for feeling any which way about your new character or the changes, but what you're seeing is just how light works. The debate here is more of an artistic one than any kind of graphical error. Do you have light work as it realistically should or do you have everyone stylistically illuminated at all times? Personally I prefer the first option but that's entirely subjective.

[Eien713]

That is because the game had an old and busted lighting solution falling on old and busted models. You're going to see shadows where there may not have been shadows previously because they are now being simulated properly.

To think about it another way, your character's head shape is similar to one of these makeup sponges. As you can see, shadows are forming opposite to where the lighting is coming from. If the pointed end were facing down and the light coming from a bit above them as in your image, shadows would naturally form in the lower half that slopes inwards and away from the light.



I'm not saying you're wrong for feeling any which way about your new character or the changes, but what you're seeing is just how light works. Light wasn't working normally in the old graphics because they were very limited in what they could do.

I get what you're trying to say, but it still looks off to me. Unnatural. The shadows in the picture make it feel like she's sucking in her cheeks or something. Or maybe trying to do a failed duck-face? I dunno, it's like the shadows shouldn't meet her upper lip at the points where they do. And the corners of her mouth have light on them when they feel like they shouldn't.