Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[Moxxi]

Checking the video (without audio because bleh english sounds weird after years of japanese.) characters look like there is someone behind the "camera" with some wide light to brighten them up. Having gone through heavensward myself after the update.. there are some scenes that things can look good.. and in the video i do like that characters actually casts their own shadows. But it seems to depend so much on the surroundings and natural lighting if things look odd or not, as a hobby photographer on here and other games.. i would so have toned down that character light thing going on.. or at least make it work better with the cut-scenes if their intent is to not have them look too dark when not fully illuminated by surrounding lights. Because you can see how some cases a lot of shading goes poof gone!

[Iskra]

Just want to share my pain

Wtf. They robbed her of her top lip! (Just like mine) I've noticed the trend of most characters lips being drastically changed for some reason. It's awful.

[ConantSivrha]

So I did a gif using Endwalker and Dawntrail benchmarks.
To everyone who said they didn't change faces.... you are fucking blind.

I want my old face... what they did to my WoL... they just ruined him. Look at his eyes... and the mouth.... the eyebrows are thinner... the chin is rounder than before... I just want to cry...

Male miqo'te face 4 eyes 3 mouth 1, nose 1

I can see it. The jaw does look more angular in Endwalker, and more like a smooth curve in Dawntrail. The new lips + the new shading and shape of the eye create a really different resting expression. It even seems like the eye might be positioned lower in relation to the eyebrow than it was before. The eyebrows, in addition to being thinner, are also a bit grayer/darker, so they no longer match the color of the hair and contrast differently with the skin than they did originally. This specific change has happened to other faces, too, to varying degrees. I’ve pointed out a similar change on one of my characters (female miqo’te face 4), who has been given very unnatural-looking gray eyebrows.

One of the most notable issues is probably the fact that the catchlights in your character’s eyes are hidden under his now-droopier eyelids. This could contribute a lot to the appearance of dull eyes, especially when other characters in the game have a visible shine to their eyes. It’s even a visual trope in anime/manga to draw eyes without catchlights to make a character look zoned-out, hopeless, or just “off”, so this seems like a particularly strange choice.

You have good reason to complain. Male miqo’te face 4 seems to be one of the most altered faces after the update.

[Aurumis]

I can see it. The jaw does look more angular in Endwalker, and more like a smooth curve in Dawntrail. The new lips + the new shading and shape of the eye create a really different resting expression. It even seems like the eye might be positioned lower in relation to the eyebrow than it was before. The eyebrows, in addition to being thinner, are also a bit grayer/darker, so they no longer match the color of the hair and contrast differently with the skin than they did originally. This specific change has happened to other faces, too, to varying degrees. I’ve pointed out a similar change on one of my characters (female miqo’te face 4), who has been given very unnatural-looking gray eyebrows.

One of the most notable issues is probably the fact that the catchlights in your character’s eyes are hidden under his now-droopier eyelids. This could contribute a lot to the appearance of dull eyes, especially when other characters in the game have a visible shine to their eyes. It’s even a visual trope in anime/manga to draw eyes without catchlights to make a character look zoned-out, hopeless, or just “off”, so this seems like a particularly strange choice.

You have good reason to complain. Male miqo’te face 4 seems to be one of the most altered faces after the update.

Yes the face 4 of male and female miqo'te have big real problems

yeah, that's why people saying we shouldn't complain or that the graphics now are an upgrade makes me angry, like, I have reasons to be sad for this? It is very obvious they changed models too much. NPCs looking exactly the same but WoL models all changed why? Imagine now if Alphinaud and Alisaie changed, their eyes looking dead, bigger lips, bigger noses. Will that make them the same characters? Will people be happy that their fav characters changed and they don't look the same? Imagine Y'shtola a fan favorite of the fandom, having now an square jaw and very thick eyebrows, and the eyes very tiny, Would people be happy??? Will they say that is an upgrade??? (btw Ascians eyes are fucked up too. They no longer shine)

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[SongOfTheWind]

Yes the face 4 of male and female miqo'te have big real problems

yeah, that's why people saying we shouldn't complain or that the graphics now are an upgrade makes me angry, like, I have reasons to be sad for this? It is very obvious they changed models too much. NPCs looking exactly the same but WoL models all changed why? Imagine now if Alphinaud and Alisaie changed, their eyes looking dead, bigger lips, bigger noses. Will that make them the same characters? Will people be happy that their fav characters changed and they don't look the same? Imagine Y'shtola a fan favorite of the fandom, having now an square jaw and very thick eyebrows, and the eyes very tiny, Would people be happy??? Will they say that is an upgrade??? (btw Ascians eyes are fucked up too. They no longer shine)

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NPCs updates were promised to be made in the upcoming patches, please look forward to it.

[SongOfTheWind]

I made this gif to add it to that post and you can clearly see the difference in the eyes and in lips and eyebrows too.

I really don't understand what they were thinking making so many unnecessary changes... And I'm pretty annoyed they've addressed the issue with the housing lighting but not a word about our characters' faces.

Edit: I was referring to this post in the bug report forum https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...82#post6533282

Apparently housing is what truly keeps the players subbed (or why would they take people hostage over demolition?), not the characters.

[Einnecy]

Imagine now if Alphinaud and Alisaie changed, their eyes looking dead, bigger lips, bigger noses. Will that make them the same characters? Will people be happy that their fav characters changed and they don't look the same? Imagine Y'shtola a fan favorite of the fandom, having now an square jaw and very thick eyebrows, and the eyes very tiny, Would people be happy???

[Aurumis]

NPCs updates were promised to be made in the upcoming patches, please look forward to it.

then I really hope they change the character models of the people too

I really didn't want to say it but the only thing that is worse is Thancred's skin texture that looks like acné and it's not noticeable here. (I reported it as a bug, so that probably will be fixed, it's the only skin texture looking different). The rest are the same and perfect so I don't see your issues. It's called mostly ilumination you know?

[Einnecy]

I really didn't want to say it but the only thing that is worse is Thancred's skin texture that looks like acné and it's not noticeable here. (I reported it as a bug, so that probably will be fixed, it's the only skin texture looking different). The rest are the same and perfect so I don't see your issues. It's called mostly ilumination you know?

Fair point, though if it truly is only the lighting they still look different and are thus affected. At least that's what I think.
To add another example, an NPC which actually has an entirely unique face unlike Urianger and Thancred, Ryne looks very much like herself.

[juicybug]

i made a thread that was quickly buried, but I hope it fits within this!

https://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/...87#post6531487

But basically TLDR: The character customization after the update really drives home how far behind the creator & options available are atm.
Before anyone jumps saying that it's fine as is, just take a quick read if it's not too much trouble!

One thing I've noticed is the characters (the males) really have no complexion & are very pallid. No flush, no lip color, no real detail to their skin what-so-ever. Like, look at the ff12 models & compare them to the characters now.
The 12 models still look a bit better than they do in XIV bc of they were given shadows & highlights on their skin without the use of ingame light, even though they were graphically limited. I don't see why they can't have the same sort of skin coloring/style. It would help in game models a lot.