Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[Argantaelle]

Same here.
I've also stopped coming to this forum, 1) as I tried not to get reminded of the changes and to get used to the character, and 2) as I don't believe they will make drastic changes, especially to a less popular race that has just a few feedbacks.
But I never got used to it, don't have the inclination to snap screenshots during cutscenes anymore and still miss my old impression... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯RIP

I'm so sorry for you. Your character seems to collect all the issues with the universal mesh: smaller and darker eyes, pupils less contrasting, darker irises, different eyebrows (many of them are placed lower now), swollen cheeks, a thinner upper lip combined with the enlarged lower lip. Also, the mouth of many races seems to blend with the skin less naturally; their contours are too defined, and it looks strange (not all people are fond of permanent makeup).

At the end, she looks like an entirely different person with a different personality (I don't know; somehow many changed faces look more arrogant and annoyed.)

UPD: I was checking my post to see if there were any mistakes, and I was surprised to see how the lips on our characters's portraits looked very much alike: the small and insignificant upper lip and the huge triangle lower lip with a highlight on it.

----
Someone posted a link to one of Mr. Yoshida's interviews, and it seems like the lack of time is the culprit (as far as I can see, there are no spoilers).
https://www.famitsu.com/article/202409/16065

Google translate:
"This is the case with every expansion pack, but the actual development period for the expansion pack itself was less than a year and a half, so we had to create it in parallel with the current update, and this time we also had a graphics update, so it was really tough. There were many small mistakes and we caused trouble for the players, but when the early access ended, we gathered all the staff together and expressed our gratitude by saying, "Thank you!"

I don't understand why there was the need to rush in the first place (a new expansion, a new gender/race combination, and the large graphical overhaul mean an immensive amount of work). It caused unnecessary stress on SE workers and many strong and not very positive emotions in players. If SE took their time and listened to the feedback (at least in the graphical update part), everything would have been so much better.

It's not the first time they are rushing things (EW story comes to mind; it feels like it's two stories loosely slapped one on another, and the resulting gaps are filled with boring and long intermissions).

[Gaddes]

Same here.
I've also stopped coming to this forum, 1) as I tried not to get reminded of the changes and to get used to the character, and 2) as I don't believe they will make drastic changes, especially to a less popular race that has just a few feedbacks.
But I never got used to it, don't have the inclination to snap screenshots during cutscenes anymore and still miss my old impression... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯RIP


(Same cutscene, gone back to the same facial settings except skin color)

I feel your pain... I used to make a lot of video edits with my WoL, but I've held off on them to wait and see if anything will look remotely better in 7.1 because right now my character is so different :C


The one wearing the allagan circlet of fending is from EW:

[Loggos]

I'm so sorry, this really is a completely different character. Their faces and the personality conveyed by them are nothing alike to me tbh...

[riani]

snip

Yes, they've 'changed your actor' too.

The thing is I wasn't even mad at the general changes, because I knew and somewhat accepted after a time that I wouldn't get the exact face back, just maybe the 'impression'. I was only really disappointed by the eyes. But the live version hit hard, especially with the animations, and since then I don't like how characters lost their unique or tomboyish or whatever feel too or that I have a new resting bitch face syndrome.

It really makes every character it hit look some flavor of dazed, stoned, bored, or tired compared to the previous vibrant eyes.

This is another great example of why Yoshi P's explanation of "oh we didn't mess up it's just the higher polygons" is total hogwash.

At the end, she looks like an entirely different person with a different personality (I don't know; somehow many changed faces look more arrogant and annoyed.)
I don't understand why there was the need to rush in the first place (a new expansion, a new gender/race combination, and the large graphical overhaul mean an immensive amount of work).

Thank you, guys.

Reflecting on the mesh change -
Since then I looked it up if it would be possible to get closer to the original impression in my case only with texture changes. It can be done to an extent, but not without changing the other eyes with the same face, that are closer to the original feel. So these textures (like the eyeshadow with my eyes) and the tattoos got mapped differently on the new mesh. These last ones were confirmed bugs too - my tattoo was confirmed to sit above the eyes where it shouldn't and there were other bug reports too, like how the eyebrows tattoo sat awkwardly. (I don't know if this one was resolved, but mine has been sitting in the 'planning to address' pile for more than 2 months now.)
So I assume the broken texture- and tattoo maps show too, that there were some messed up changes in the shapes.

And I agree, they shouldn't have rushed through it. They didn't even have the time to look at the tattoos whether they sat right or not.
(And I think the shape changes wouldn't have been this big of an issue if we were expecting them...)


All in all, I doubt they will change many things if they don't rework the mesh (and why would they?)... (Like my eyes, they definitely won't change the texture even, if it breaks 5 other shapes with the same face...)
And this doesn't bode well with the fact that there are more of us who feel the new characters aren't worth screenshotting or videoing because they just feel... less.

(Soooo, will I be browbeaten to use a third-party tool, just to feel better about my character, and that I don't have to look at a resting bitch face all the time? I shouldn't be, it's illegal...)

[Alice9]

Yeah I have to agree with the grievances around the eyes. I think it is one of the worst parts of this new update. Not only are the sizes and shapes just different for certain faces, but they look vastly darker and lifeless. That combined with the poor lighting of the Portrait system and now a bunch of character portraits that used to look great before Dawntrail now look terrible. At least mine do. Even when you fiddle around to try to recreate better lighting- eyes don't stick out like they used to, and that's the biggest shame in my opinion. They used to stick out and be bright, and it was charming in my opinion. Now if you go a far enough distance its hard to even see someone's eyes. its a complete style shift that was bound to be controversial.

[Doopliss]

I feel your pain... I used to make a lot of video edits with my WoL, but I've held off on them to wait and see if anything will look remotely better in 7.1 because right now my character is so different :C


The one wearing the allagan circlet of fending is from EW:

This one leaves me particularly speechless...

While I do, admittedly, love how the ♂ Elezen "updated" "Face 1" looks because it reminds me of old Elvaan concept art, this is just outright an entirely new face. It looks younger than ♂ Elezen Face 2 now(!?), and I think actually not a single feature looks the same--or at least gives a similar enough impression--as it once did on this character. I'm sorry. This is honestly another case where it should be a Face 5 option or something, because that is absolutely not Face 1.

And even then returning this face to something closer resembling its original form should 100% be prioritized first. This is just way too extreme of a difference.

[CuteBucket]

I feel your pain... I used to make a lot of video edits with my WoL, but I've held off on them to wait and see if anything will look remotely better in 7.1 because right now my character is so different :C


The one wearing the allagan circlet of fending is from EW:

The dazed and bored eyes strike again. A character with an intense passion behind their eyes? Can't have that, add more shadows, flatten the mouth, make them look like they feel nothing.

I see this face was also hit by the Great Lip Flattening. Had a unique lip shape? Not anymore! Now everyone can have the same generic lips and mouth!

Ugh.

[mallleable]

Not character related, but I do hope they can do a second pass on over world zones, and increase the amount of foliage. I wish Thavnair's jungle were as lush as Yak T'el's

[Sylie]

Same here.
I've also stopped coming to this forum, 1) as I tried not to get reminded of the changes and to get used to the character, and 2) as I don't believe they will make drastic changes, especially to a less popular race that has just a few feedbacks.
But I never got used to it, don't have the inclination to snap screenshots during cutscenes anymore and still miss my old impression... ¯\_(ツ)_/¯RIP


(Same cutscene, gone back to the same facial settings except skin color)

I was fortunate enough to have gotten used to it in a short time(3-4 days). Personally, i saw the change to my character as "for the better". But at the same time, at that time it didn't feel or look like the same character i've had for years, which felt weird. What's wild was when i shared this observation, i was getting comments saying "there's no difference" despite posting comparison pictures, with some even stating that i hated the change despite repeatedly stating that i never hated it, it just felt unfamiliar. While i understand the lack of perceived difference from other people, the complete dismissal of same perception from someone who spent years looking at the same character was, imo, absurd.

Anyway, they definitely did something with the eyes, yours clearly show it. They seem to have made it smaller and/or narrower. Same with the changes to the lips, but i am personally not as bothered with it. I'll provide an example myself with my Black Mage's old portrait

Pre-DT


Post-DT


Different background and frame, but the emote and facial expression used was unchanged. Fortunately, they seem to be addressing this, if my understanding of that response they posted is correct. Hopefully, they don't make more of a mess of things. Like I've said, i got used to it. I actually like the way my character looks now



So i'm kinda scared that they may mess it up further. And not only make it look further from the pre-DT look, but make it worse than how it looks now. But i certainly won't mind a reversal to an HD version of my WoL's old look.

[Sairaag]

Yeah, I'm kind of worried about the new eyes and whatever adjustments are coming, or not. Along with the new mouth shapes for male Miqo'te, the eyes bother me the most when I look at my WoL's face. I'm sorry for whinging about eyelids almost every time I post here, but just look at this...



They're saying now that it's an improvement, smoother visuals that better represent what was intended by the original data. I'm not sure what to think about this, because to me these eyes always appeared open and bright with subtle lines that followed the shape of the eye. I just really loved that I could have that shape without the eyes looking heavy-lidded. Does the statement mean that I was actually supposed to see these carved lines and deep double eyelids for all these years but the technology just wasn't there? That may be so, but if I could never guess this intent from the face I stared at for years, this change is going to look drastic no matter what.

I think it might help if they could add some shading on top of the eyelids or whatever it takes to make them shine less. Currently the lids are so reflective that they stand out even from most shadows, like the light that once was in my catboy's eyes went into the skin above them. Some facepaints help a little, but the eyelids are just too powerful to be fully contained now, and in many cutscenes it disturbs the balance of his eyes and thus the whole face. I'm not sure how bad it is for other characters, but that's the case for my face 1 Keeper at least.

But yeah, I'll wait and see what happens with the next update. And if I have to wait until they're able to expand character creation options, then I truly hope for an option that better represents what I saw in my character's old version.