Breaking down some of the screenshots

[Lamentor]

You all are forgetting something huge!!! SE promised that 2.0 will be DX11 compatible down the line!! If the game doesn't look better than the current version of XIV at launch, then it surely will look as good as or better than the current version some time after the game's release. Not only that, but I believe a long while back when SE was showing off the pictures of AF gear, a dev responded that they do not show show their promo pictures at full graphics and the highest resolution. Many times have they actually taken higher resolution shots because it was asked for.

And for anyone that's thinking these E3 shots are the maximum settings, are absolutely out of their minds. Want proof? Wait 2 days tops for an interview, and I guarantee the question about the graphics will be asked and answered. Seriously, you all are worrying for nothing. And if there is a downgrade if any sort, is that a surprise? The game as is uses way too much for even a high end PC. And besides, I see downgrade on the absolute least important things, while I notice a huge upgrade on the more important details- shadows being one of those. Also, I see no downgrade on the detail of characters.

Even all that said, I still think it's premature to say anything is a downgrade. Changing the graphics settings will greatly change the way the game looks. And after all of this complaining about the pictures, it's pretty much guaranteed that SE is going to release a higher res, higher graphics settings screenshot(s) soon. Probably almost immediately after E3 ends, if not during.