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

[Warkupo]

I'm impressed by the number of people who are mistaking weird geometric deformities in their faces for "sharp features" and then refusing to turn their characters towards light so their eyes actually catch any natural lightning while complaining about "dead soulless eyes".

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

[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

[Doozer]

My opinion that I've already stated is that I am surprised people have such a nostalgia

It's not nostalgia if it's literally right now.

[Warkupo]

It's not nostalgia if it's literally right now.

Would you prefer I call it a preference? I don't think it disrupts my point overmuch to change the word for you.

My purpose with using the word nostalgia was to compliment my original point; which is that the vocal group in this topic have been looking at these old models for such a long period of time that they have grown a preference for them despite being objectively outdated compared to the newer models which feature a higher polygon count and a more convincing presentation of intended geometry.

[Anzaman]

There are some improvements with the new characters, I'm not denying that.

"Players have been playing for 10 years, so they want to prioritize and take care to avoid situations where people don’t feel their character looks theirs."

But when they supposedly aimed to try to keep things as close to being our characters, they didn't really flawlessly succeed there, and thus the feedback players are giving on the forums and other platforms now.

Take Au Ra scales for example - sure they aren't as blurry anymore in the benchmark, but at the same time they became extremely jagged and changed overall shape, size and position.