Benchmark/Graphics Update - Show your WoL's before and after

[Doozer]

I understand getting used to a certain look after a decade, but surely these ps2 models aren't *that* nostalgic are they?

Have you ever seen a PS2 model in your life?

[Warkupo]

Have you ever seen a PS2 model in your life?

A bit of hyperbole for humor, but my point is that there's a lot of jagged square edges around features which are supposed to be round that are notably improved in the 7.0 update; noses and chins in 6.0 generally look like a mess of polygons with clever shading tricks to give the impression of roundness. Art is *subjective of course, but I'm confused how so many people are looking at these graphical short-cuts with such strong nostalgia.

I genuinely have no idea where people are coming away with the "soulless" eye complaint in 7.0, unless they just really are not spinning their characters and focusing on the eyes at all. I am quite happy the painted on reflections are gone as it always looked ridiculous to me that my eyes are reflecting light in dark scenes or complete shadows. What we have in 7.0 is objectively better.

Lips no longer look a glazed doughnut and blend much more naturally into the skin color instead of giving the impression of some glossy acrylic paint.

[hymmeli]

A bit of hyperbole for humor, but my point is that there's a lot of jagged square edges around features which are supposed to be round that are notably improved in the 7.0 update; noses and chins in 6.0 generally look like a mess of polygons with clever shading tricks to give the impression of roundness. Art is *subjective of course, but I'm confused how so many people are looking at these graphical short-cuts with such strong nostalgia.

I genuinely have no idea where people are coming away with the "soulless" eye complaint in 7.0, unless they just really are not spinning their characters and focusing on the eyes at all. I am quite happy the painted on reflections are gone as it always looked ridiculous to me that my eyes are reflecting light in dark scenes or complete shadows. What we have in 7.0 is objectively better.

Lips no longer look a glazed doughnut and blend much more naturally into the skin color instead of giving the impression of some glossy acrylic paint.

Your opinion is made on the assumption that everyone wants more realism. In this thread alone, I've read people saying they liked the blend that pushed for a bit realism mixed with the stylization aka that "clever shading tricks to give the impression of roundness."

Plenty of people spent and spend hours making their character, or even characters, that they've grown attachment to them, I don't think people are adverse to graphical improvements, they just want their characters to look the way the way they wanted them to look when they made them. Many of us have been playing the same characters for years. It doesn't matter how "objectively" better it is when even in interviews Yoshida promised they wouldn't do drastic changes that would make your character unrecognizable to you (general you here for the record).

That said, too, the benchmark says they're still planning to make improvements and changes depending on feedback. And people are giving their feedback which is within their right.

[Warkupo]

Your opinion is made on the assumption that everyone wants more realism. In this thread alone, I've read people saying they liked the blend that pushed for a bit realism mixed with the stylization aka that "clever shading tricks to give the impression of roundness."

I think you're making assumptions about my opinion: My opinion that I've already stated is that I am surprised people have such a nostalgia for what I consider to be inferior polygonal techniques over actually rounded (or at least more convincingly so) character designs. Subjectively I think the weird polygonal soup, the painted on catchlights, and the glossy lip textures look far inferior to the 7.0 models, and I am surprised to see so many people voice such strong opposition to their departure.

I'm not advocating for "realism", but I do prefer the higher polygon count on the new face models.

I think it's perfectly valid that people are upset over alterations to a character they've grown accustomed too for the past decade, but at the same time & for whatever it's worth, the vast majority of screenshots I've seen in this thread look *far* better in 7.0 than they do in 6.0

[ShiroLialeth]

I already posted a lot about my M Miqo on the forum but I wanted to say something about my F Miqo as well:
I really like her updated version, it looks more like how I imagined her and I'm looking forward to seeing her like this in DT
Benchmark / 6.0


I only wish they'd give us more realistic freckles

[Aimed]

I already posted a lot about my M Miqo on the forum but I wanted to say something about my F Miqo as well:
I really like her updated version, it looks more like how I imagined her and I'm looking forward to seeing her like this in DT
Benchmark / 6.0
-snip-

I only wish they'd give us more realistic freckles

All the face paint is super low res still so I'm hoping they just have that as a thing to fix towards the end.

[KhujaRela]

Hello!

First of all: I'm grateful for the effort the developers put into upgrading graphics for the game, the higher resolution, the grass moving, the metallic gold etc look amazing! Thank you!. But I believe bad choices were made for player characters. I will try to give feedback to help hopefully.

I don't ask to be changed ASAP or Dawntrail should be delayed, I just hope it can be adressed in a most agreeable way for all us who are unhappy.

Miqo'te

1-Eyebrows are bigger and dark. I liked them small and blue.
2-Beauty mark like a small dot. It looks less realistic which doesn't make sense with the new skin texture. I liked her big egg-shaped blended beauty mark.
3-she had shiny lips and a cute smile. Now the mouth is neutral looking and matte.
4-the new skin shine looks like a silicone doll. It feels odd, but I could get used to it.
5-Nose is wider. I liked the small nose.



Midlander

1. Hair looks stiff and fake, it also changed color. Personally, I liked the softness of the previous hair, even if it's a lower resolution.
2. Eyes look dead.
3. Lips are changed in shape and color, I liked the gradation of my character lips and I don't want PINK lips for her
4. Jaw and chin are rounder. I chose Face 2 because it was more masculine shaped.
5. Scar looks orange! unnatural.



Lalafell

I'm very very upset with this one...

1. Hair looks fake and also highlights are changed in color and shape. I don't like it.
2. Eyes look dead. this looks the same running the Benchmark trailer and moving camera. They look flat. Like if my character that had bright yellow gems, now has paper stickers on her face.
3. Eyebrows now thinner and neutral, facial expression changed.
4. Mouth changed too much. She used to smile and have upper lips and shine.

She got the worse, it makes me sad, upset and dissapointed.



Elezen

I love her as is!

On a more positive note... my elezen didn't have much of a facial expression from the start, so I'm happy...(lol). I love the ears being translucent.
Only... what's with this mouth shape when screaming??



Final notes

-I feel there is a try to be more realistic, despite they said they wouldn't go realistic and characters would remain as similar as before. I feel betrayed on this.

-Eyes look dead, I understand they have a real-time reflection now, but it failed. If can't be fixed, I think they should be back to the fake eye lights.
Or be optional.

-A lot of faces have changed in shape, nose, eyes, chin, lips... this should be optional. Some faces didn't change that much so I don't think this is about polygons, looks like an artistic choice.

-Female faces have been forcibly added extra make up

Thank you for reading until the end!

[bosozoku]

Oh boy

I want to start that I love the upgrade to the environment and gear; they look absolute beautiful. The characters, on the other hand, are a much more complicated can of worms. Some look fine, great even! Others, however, have suffered because features have been changed. There's characters here who have completely different mouth and nose shapes, the eyebrows have had their shape changed in some way or the cheeks had been made more full, and changing facial features will frustrate people. It changes the 'feel' of the character and that, while nebulous for some to describe, is important to people.

Admittedly, I feel uncertain about how my boy looks. They've changed the eye shape and aged the stubble face quite a lot, and while I can only guess that's because they've aged meteor in the cinematics and want his in-game model to reflect that, I can't blame a group of players who use that face for not digging it when all they wanted was the stubble. Same with how some male faces have been aged in general.

They've also added a strange grey eyeliner to the eyes. I don't understand why, but it's there. (I've also heard they've added makeup to the faces of some female characters which, frankly, is rude. While it can work for some and I don't fault anyone who likes it, I can see how it could be incredibly annoying for those who can't opt out of it and never wanted it in the first place.)

[Tyonto]

In general I'm quite pleased. The eyes actually look noticably yellow to me now. I adjusted the skin colour a shade as the current one I use looks too light. While idle/in the character I thought the facial expression looked off, but while emoting in the benchmark it's pretty close to what I'm used to or an improvement imo.

My only real complaint is that while I think the hairstyle overall looks better, the hair on the forehead does not look organic or like it belongs from some angles, though I only find egregious when looking straight on. With the current textures things seem blurry/fuzzy enough that I don't really notice the position of the forehead hair unless really zoomed in while looking profile because then you can see it hovering.

[CStrife912]

There are some here I genuinely think need touching up and improving which it may still happen after the fact the link the benchmark is in says otherwise and this feedback is crucial in that regard. But in some fringe cases here there is a case of people being so used to unrealistic aspects of their characters actually being fixed and throwing a hissy lol. I change character normally expansion to expansion or wear headgear or helmets and I get people’s attachment but jeez some people have some unhealthy attachment. But I do genuinely hope for some that your problems get addressed