Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[noumen0nn]

I wouldn't be surprised if they outsourced stuff, look at the disaster of a trailer that was EW's, they butchered Zenos' face (amongst others), hell his ShB trailer that showed only his eyes felt more like him. I think we might be seeing more of the outsourced stuff ingame now...

Agreed. Not just on the graphics front, SO much of Dawntrail feels like it suffered from a lack of QA/oversight/direction. The painfully mediocre writing, the atrocious voice acting, the questionable sound mixing, and just a staggering amount of bugs, visual and otherwise. The resentful part of me can't help but wonder if CBU3 is operating on the assumption that they can get away with subpar work on the assumption that the community will like anything they're given. And even the most forgiving part of me, at best, can come up with "They took on way too large of an undertaking, realized their error too late, and couldn't walk back on what they promised so they had to release SOMETHING, even if it was a rush job."

[GrizzlyTank]

I wouldn't be surprised if they outsourced stuff, look at the disaster of a trailer that was EW's, they butchered Zenos' face (amongst others), hell his ShB trailer that showed only his eyes felt more like him. I think we might be seeing more of the outsourced stuff ingame now...

Was also the issue where the cinematic team seemed to have differently designed models than those used in game. Like with Graha looking a lot more angular and less cute. Least that one got fixed for DT.

[Rueby]

Snip

A friend told me that they wanted to release before WoW's new expansion, which I just looked up, releases on the 26th of August...Which makes no sense considering how many people seem to be affected by this botched graphical 'update'. In EW I noticed some really 'immersion' breaking things, like excessively repeating textures that are too obvious in Labyrinthos, an entire cave that the MSQ takes you through...that is just empty and ugly. Flickering islands in ultima thule's background. Lack of care given to the visual clarity of fights...

I don't believe they were confident that this expansion was going to carry itself and needed something cool and shiny and 'new' to hype it up. That's just my opinion, I think they may have thought people are going to love it. In my eyes I think SE has been making very bad decisions leading up to DT that honestly soured the taste of this expansion for many. Payment processor change into the can of worms that is the 'unfinished' benchmark and the countless other issues that the release of DT introduced.

I can't say anything about the story but I've had friends tell me they didn't enjoy it. I set very low expectations for it too, but somehow this expansion managed to disappoint me. I get strange FPs drops doing alliance raids despite meeting the recommended settings, I can't stand any of the ARR alliance raids, the saturation and luminosity and contrast in these raids is busted and it hurts to look at. Ever since I got a headache from gathering for custom deliveries I became scared. I had to look away from my screen during Castrum Meridianum's explosions before Boss#2...

I always felt like this wasn't ready for release, if they 'forgot' to update the benchmark- the introduction of the graphical update to the players...it shows how much they really cared about it. I'd rather them take time and deliver a good product than 'we'll release it and fix it later'. I preordered this and renewed my sub, and honestly? It leaves a bad taste in my mouth, at times I can't even play the game I used to play for hours. I shouldn't be scared of what might pop in the roulette because someone decided to make something radioactive for my eyes.

They ruined my favorite mount Regalia by adding mount tilt, everything feels so wobbly, I feel like the mount tilt maybe belongs to motorcycles. Nothing else, it's done cheaply and it sucks and I wish to turn it off because it makes me sick.

Sigh...sorry I babbled again. I'm just really tired of this. I've been playing Wuthering Waves, but I miss this game...all I can do is do roulettes to 'level'...at this point I'll be lv100 on everyone before even touching the expansion.

[Rueby]

Was also the issue where the cinematic team seemed to have differently designed models than those used in game. Like with Graha looking a lot more angular and less cute. Least that one got fixed for DT.

I believe they were using models from previous trailers or something. I doubt anyone bothered to double check on Zenos and G'raha and they both looked like parodies of how they look. Zenos got a nosejob and lost alot of his unique features. I'm confused because idk they have Dissidia Zenos, so they could've worked that one up.....

[Moonfallen]

Oh gosh, ty!

Sorry for the delay, I've been an exhausted little namazu.

Elpis -


Mare Lamentorum -

[Tahli]

Something I noticed and reported as a bug in-game is some glitchy face textures on Zenos. I did get the reply that the bug report would be elevated for further review, but here's some examples if other people wanted to check if it's the same on their end.

Hidden for spoilers, and long row of screenshots:

- Stormblood lv. 60 quest "Where Men Go as One" cutscene #2, shows a red ear


- Shadowbringers lv. 78 quest "A Breath of Respite" cutscene #2, shows a red ear


- Post-Shadowbringers lv. 80 quest "Reflections in Crystal" cutscene #5, shows a red ear and pixellated shading on skin


- Endwalker lv 83 quest "In from the Cold" cutscene #2, shows a red ear and grid-like pixellation of face shading


- Endwalker lv 83 quest "The Martyr" cutscene #6, shows pixellated shading on skin


- Endwalker lv 88 quest "As the Heavens Burn" cutscene #4, shows a red ear at some angles, and pixellated shading on skin


- Endwalker lv 90 quest "Endwalker" cutscene #4, shows a red ear

[smitten_miquitten]

Sorry for the delay, I've been an exhausted little namazu.

Elpis -


Mare Lamentorum -

Omg, ty so much! This definitely makes the issue stand out more.

[Cheapshot]

I'd rather them take time and deliver a good product than 'we'll release it and fix it later'. I preordered this and renewed my sub, and honestly? It leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

I sadly agree. I have to be careful with money and yet I kept subbing to this game. It’s is the only game series left in which I still trusted the developers enough to preorder. It hurts to have that trust feel betrayed. I’ve been a real fangirl for this series and all that enthusiasm is gone. I wanted this to keep being my favourite active game. It feels bad to be asked what games I’m enjoying now and not have FFXIV be an answer I can honestly give.

My frustrations with this expansion really echo what the devs themselves felt were some of the core failures of 1.0 that they needed to correct course on.

[Moonfallen]

I sadly agree. I have to be careful with money and yet I kept subbing to this game. It’s is the only game series left in which I still trusted the developers enough to preorder. It hurts to have that trust feel betrayed. I’ve been a real fangirl for this series and all that enthusiasm is gone. I wanted this to keep being my favourite active game. It feels bad to be asked what games I’m enjoying now and not have FFXIV be an answer I can honestly give.

My frustrations with this expansion really echo what the devs themselves felt were some of the core failures of 1.0 that they needed to correct course on.

And yet history is repeating itself because they fucked up the graphics quality by making changes (there are A LOT of issues...), and saying they will make changes as needed in future updates but no one knows if let alone when that will actually happen. They could have just left it alone and worked on it over time before implementing it but chose not to do that. Shot themselves in the foot.

[Lorika]

Unironically, the new eyeballs are too detailed. Preferred the old high contrast less gooey ones.

More like eyes textures reeks of being generated by an AI.