Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[Loggos]

At some point SE would need to realize the only way to satisfy both side is to expand their character creator system to include both old and newer options, something that they could've probably done by now if only they reinvest proper amount of profits they've amassed over the years back to the game rather than diverting them for their plethora of flipflopping games. Call it a blind guessing if you will; to me it's hard to not think of that when QC has been missing not only here but many other parts of the game as well.

I have no more race to this matter since weeks before they launched 7.0 as I've taken the matters into my own hand. I am bitter over that, but if they won't do it, then somebody has to. I sincerely hope there are more happies than saddies in the upcoming change in less than 24hr from now. Keep fighting.

This.
The only way to make everyone happy (or as happy as possible) is overhauling the character creator and adding more options instead of flipflopping between options. Because yes, by now players who like the GU will probably have grown attached to their characters' new looks and if those looks change they are understandably gonna be upset as well. People will just end up fighting even more.
I do think it's a really bad decision that they keep putting off the inevitable modernisation of their CC and as many have said before I wish they had prioritised this over this (half-cooked) GU.

[noumen0nn]

Hey, for anyone spending their day taking a ton of screenshots in order to make comparisons to the update tomorrow: If you have ReShade, there is a shader called Display Depth, that essentially allows you to look directly at the polygons of a model, and see what things look like past all the textures and normal maps. I HIGHLY recommend making use of it.

And before anyone freaks out: ReShade and GShade are not against ToS, because they do not interact with game files in the slightest and are only graphics post-processors.

[poooman]

i have low hopes for everything, but crossing my fingers for the lot of yall. i hope they fix whatevers up with hrothgar beards looking like theyve been dipped in oil

[Cheapshot]

I’m most worried that they wont fix the horrible texture of F miqo face 4 lips, with plasticy textures and wonkey drawn on shadows that make it look like she’s drooling out the sides of her mouth. I couldn’t get them to accept anything to do with mouthes as bugs. I have no hopes for this update. I would love to be pleasantly surprised and fanta back to my original look to enjoy the game again, but I suspect I’ll end up not seeing what I need to see from them and remaining unsubbed. I know this is pessimistic talk, but that’s just where I’m at.

[Embran]

Not as plugged in to this stuff as a lot of the people here but I did quick checks on some of the biggest things I've seen like lip shapes for the Cirina au ra face and the female miqo'te face that had the parted lips/gap to see the teeth and those seem to be reverted back to the way they were.

[Tahli]

I checked my character fresh after the update and I see no differences other than that they fixed the semi-transparent ear hair bug, which is nice, but... Please, Square Enix, even just giving Face 2 F Miqo back the eyebrows from Benchmark 1 would be so much better... these eyebrows aint it.

[Hatsuoki]

TBH I don't see a difference on the face 2 female au ra and face 6 male midlander. The philtrum *might* be lightened a little? But I can't be sure because everything looks a little brighter atm compared to my screenshots from before.

Edit: I use the same face and mouth type as Cirina..

Edit 2: My au ra's under eye bags are less actually.

[lunartears]

It looks like the only major thing that was changed on Face 1 Female Au Ra was the eye shape and eyelash direction.



I appreciate the eyelash change and the sharper eyes, but as a result the upper lid seems to be more closed now? I guess this is a compromise.

Things I have also noticed:
- Lips (and mouth) have been widened
- Philtrum has been flattened
- Forehead modified? Angrier resting face now?

Nothing else seems to be much different, still huge duck-like lips, no changes to the pupil size, scales still look awful... I knew to temper expectations but I'm still disappointed.

Also, all of the facial expressions have been changed. Some look closer to the original version, but still have the dazed look.
I won't flood my post with expression changes, so I suggest having a look in-game on your own character. Looks meh on my character, my favourite expressions are less scary but they still look still off.
I imagine others will have gotten it better.

Overall, I'm still sad. The eye change is welcome but with the huge pupils it feels rather pointless.

I don't want to sound ungrateful, but I honestly feel quite numb.

[Argantaelle]

It seems like Au Ra males were deemed to be too insignificant to be included in the patch corrections. All issues I've written about are still present, starting from loss of true black colour and ending with mouth shape. Even transparent eyebrows and dirty chest scales haven't changed even a little bit.

Good job, SE! I guess they distributed fantasia potions just out of the kindness of their hearts, because it's not needed at all.

P.S. 4.5 months of waiting ended with nothing.

[Liamont]

Looks like they have tweaked the male elezen eyebrows! While I am happy that they look more similar to the old ones, but at the same time I am a little bit disappointed that they still do not have the same "feel". It's most apparent in eyebrows 4, where the eyebrows are still rounded and angled down still instead of almost an almost straight line across the top.

For eyebrows 2 (which I use, so I am obviously biased about this), the angle of the eyebrows is still "angrier", which I have to admit I'm still a bit disappointed about. The end of the eyebrows are still not tapered.

For eyebrows 6 it's very apparent that there is still no downward stroke at the ends.

I kind of wonder why the more "sharp" angles of the eyebrows seem to all been smoothed out still, I feel like this is part of a problem with the head mesh? I ran into this problem when I took matters into my own hands and attempted to recreate the old eyebrows myself.

But, I'm glad that there is progress and they actually finally tweaked the eyebrows! I hope though that they will continue to tweak it by taking a closer look at how the old eyebrows were shaped, along with the angle of the brows.