New 7.1 hairstyle looks nothing like the winning hairstyle from the 2023 contest

[Pyshiro]

Please do better, and sooner than in two years. Stumbling time is over.

I have an unfortunate feeling that won't happen since they've slowed down to 1 hair a patch and we're lucky to get 3 patches in a year... maybe next expansion

[Erin1491]

Hello.

Thank you for all your feedback on the hairstyle that will be implemented in Patch 7.1. We would like to apologize for the major confusion we have caused.

For this patch, we started work to implement "Natural Curls" from the winning entries of the Hairstyle Design Contest, based on the idea of adding not only straight hair but also a variety of other hairstyles.

However, as the development work progressed, the light, delicate, and voluminous curls required for Natural Curls could not be implemented perfectly, despite implementation of the recent graphical update in FFXIV, due to limitations such as the polygon count.

Therefore, the finished result is a hairstyle that has not been implemented as Natural Curls, but as a wavy bob hairstyle, which is called "Doing the Wave" in-game.

However, since we did use the winning entry as a reference in the development process, we included a statement to that effect in the patch notes. We are deeply sorry that this has resulted in a great deal of confusion and concern.

Although we were not able to make it happen this time, the development team will continue to strive to implement many more hairstyles in the future. As for Natural Curls, which was not implemented in Patch 7.1, we will persevere in our efforts to look for other ways to implement this hairstyle.

We appreciate your feedback and hope you continue to enjoy FFXIV!

Honestly what a cop out PR response. Saying "it's too hard guys, we will try harder later" feels so redundant. How are you supposed to try harder when you already admitted it just isn't possible? Why are we prioritizing the textures in western thanalan, a zone that's ten years old. But our characters still are a mess from the 7.0 graphical update. What is the point of the graphical update if none of the systems under the hood were updated to allow for more options?? Why can viera and hrothgar STILL not wear headgear? At what point are things going to improve? At what point are you guys going to stop telling us to please be patient? Why does every seemingly minor complaint take months to years to correct? I just find it so ridiculous at this point.

[Pyshiro]

Hello.

Thank you for all your feedback on the hairstyle that will be implemented in Patch 7.1. We would like to apologize for the major confusion we have caused.

For this patch, we started work to implement "Natural Curls" from the winning entries of the Hairstyle Design Contest, based on the idea of adding not only straight hair but also a variety of other hairstyles.

However, as the development work progressed, the light, delicate, and voluminous curls required for Natural Curls could not be implemented perfectly, despite implementation of the recent graphical update in FFXIV, due to limitations such as the polygon count.

Therefore, the finished result is a hairstyle that has not been implemented as Natural Curls, but as a wavy bob hairstyle, which is called "Doing the Wave" in-game.

However, since we did use the winning entry as a reference in the development process, we included a statement to that effect in the patch notes. We are deeply sorry that this has resulted in a great deal of confusion and concern.

Although we were not able to make it happen this time, the development team will continue to strive to implement many more hairstyles in the future. As for Natural Curls, which was not implemented in Patch 7.1, we will persevere in our efforts to look for other ways to implement this hairstyle.

We appreciate your feedback and hope you continue to enjoy FFXIV!

Thank you for the swift response! It's still a little disappointing that it has to be this way but I have hope the xiv team can get it done someday!

[Caro178]

I’m not under a legal obligation to return the shopping cart, but one still does so as a matter of interhuman respect.

This argument is irrelevant to the subject at hand and engaging with it would be a waste of anybody's time.

Instead of being outraged that they didn't do a thing that would have put them legal jeopardy over a cosmetic the artist signed away ownership of when they entered the contest you should encourage them to try again to implement "Natural Curls" in the future. Make a sincere request. Hope this reaches the correct internal channels (which it already did if they were able to get the detailed story of how the sketch became this model) and they give it another go. There are also other black hairstyles among the winning selection and this controversy will encourage them to treat the implementation of those styles with more respect for accuracy.

[Jeeqbit]

Honestly what a cop out PR response. Saying "it's too hard guys, we will try harder later" feels so redundant.

Because, after the 1.0 issues, they set a universal polygon limit, so that different objects don't have inconsistent polygons, while making sure everything renders alright in the worst circumstances on the recommended specs (ie. 100 players near you with this hairstyle). Those recommended specs were increased, but the type of hair most likely involves a lot of polygons, even considering the upgraded specs.

How are you supposed to try harder when you already admitted it just isn't possible?

Well there might be other methods to make it look that way without polygons maybe. Or other technologies they might invest in maybe?

Why are we prioritizing the textures in western thanalan, a zone that's ten years old.

Because it's the first thing new players see, and the most low detail graphics in the game. Obviously. I support making the new player experience better sooner rather than later.

Why can viera and hrothgar STILL not wear headgear?

Doubt that's related to graphics so much as their process of doing it and the time it takes to adjust gear for their ears and head structure. Although personally I think this could probably be solved by making transparent areas of the texture so it "looks" like there is an ear hole.

[Minarisweet]

Im so sad they decided to do nothing...

[Caro178]

Im so sad they decided to do nothing...

What did you want them to do? They said it right there. This is no longer "Natural Curls" and they will persevere to look for other ways to implement "Natural Curls". They weren't going to pull the inspired-by hairstyle out of the game last second and fix it in a day. This reassurance that they will try again is the best answer you could have possibly hoped for. Corporate speak or not the fact that a response was issued is in and of itself a very positive sign.

[IvoryHawk]

Hello.

Thank you for all your feedback on the hairstyle that will be implemented in Patch 7.1. We would like to apologize for the major confusion we have caused.

For this patch, we started work to implement "Natural Curls" from the winning entries of the Hairstyle Design Contest, based on the idea of adding not only straight hair but also a variety of other hairstyles.

However, as the development work progressed, the light, delicate, and voluminous curls required for Natural Curls could not be implemented perfectly, despite implementation of the recent graphical update in FFXIV, due to limitations such as the polygon count.

Therefore, the finished result is a hairstyle that has not been implemented as Natural Curls, but as a wavy bob hairstyle, which is called "Doing the Wave" in-game.

However, since we did use the winning entry as a reference in the development process, we included a statement to that effect in the patch notes. We are deeply sorry that this has resulted in a great deal of confusion and concern.

Although we were not able to make it happen this time, the development team will continue to strive to implement many more hairstyles in the future. As for Natural Curls, which was not implemented in Patch 7.1, we will persevere in our efforts to look for other ways to implement this hairstyle.

We appreciate your feedback and hope you continue to enjoy FFXIV!

How are modders able to do this better than the official team? we already have full blown afros, jheri curls, dreads....

[IcarusAvery]

Hello.

Thank you for all your feedback on the hairstyle that will be implemented in Patch 7.1. We would like to apologize for the major confusion we have caused.

For this patch, we started work to implement "Natural Curls" from the winning entries of the Hairstyle Design Contest, based on the idea of adding not only straight hair but also a variety of other hairstyles.

However, as the development work progressed, the light, delicate, and voluminous curls required for Natural Curls could not be implemented perfectly, despite implementation of the recent graphical update in FFXIV, due to limitations such as the polygon count.

Therefore, the finished result is a hairstyle that has not been implemented as Natural Curls, but as a wavy bob hairstyle, which is called "Doing the Wave" in-game.

However, since we did use the winning entry as a reference in the development process, we included a statement to that effect in the patch notes. We are deeply sorry that this has resulted in a great deal of confusion and concern.

Although we were not able to make it happen this time, the development team will continue to strive to implement many more hairstyles in the future. As for Natural Curls, which was not implemented in Patch 7.1, we will persevere in our efforts to look for other ways to implement this hairstyle.

We appreciate your feedback and hope you continue to enjoy FFXIV!

No shade to the community rep - please don't shoot the messenger, y'all, they aren't the ones making these decisions (I hope?) - but this is such a hilariously bad cop-out answer, I'm genuinely in awe of how bad it is. I never thought I'd praise anything WoW did, but World of Warcraft - a game with a engine that's literally twenty years old - has been able to create Black hairstyles for years, but CS3 can't?


Small indie company, please understand. What a joke.

[starfarer]

What an embarrassment. I'm certain that, had CBU3 consulted black 3D artists, they would've had some advice on how to implement this within the engine. Not to mention the fact that fluffy fur gets translated fine - like the alpaca, and Torgal - but curly hair is too difficult?

I respect they wanted to use inspiration from the entry instead of the entry itself, but that feels like something to consult the original artist about, too. This is using their work without permission, effectively, because it's not being utilised as originally intended.

We're angry because we deserve better, but we also know CBU3 can do better. I hope they realise that.