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

[GrizzlyTank]

Funny how they seem to have messed up aura the most when it was both the first extra race and only new race they didn't mess up with dumb decisions like no hats...

[azaleai]

I was super excited for the graphics update, particularly for the better hair textures, but... the Benchmark was... not kind.



I feel like most of my face's unique features have been muddied, if not straight up erased. I liked the Hellsguard smudge and I'm not fond of it being paler. I liked the subtle blend of the lip colour and texture on the lower lip, it looks rather painted on now. The eyes look completely different with the pupils are darker and the irises are brighter - I can't even go darker to get the same contrast back because I'm already on the darkest red available. And of course, the dead-eyed stare from the main catchlight only being visibile with the camera pointed practically up your character's nostrils aren't doing anybody any favours... We all look like those clones Vanhudi wanted to make, lol.

But most importantly, the brows have gone from having nice, cleanly defined creases giving it shape and more personality to a completely smooth surface with just a shadow painted on that looks more like a bad eyebrow tattoo than an actual shadow - you can see in the bottom right picture how the light doesn't behave any differently on the darker patch, the shine just gets plastered over it like nothing's there. I'm a 3D artist myself and I can tell there's no definition on the normal map there, and if it were me I would even be modelling in that crease because normals alone wont do it justice.

All in all it feels very... smoothed, air-brushy and undefined. Like a barbie doll face being smooshed outwards, or like someone got a little too photoshop-happy with a magazine cover. It feels as if the 3D team went a little too hard on the subdivide and smooth modifiers and didn't sculpt high poly meshes to bake normals down either...

But, in the interest of not being all doom and gloom. I do love the new hair definition for both hair and brows. The skin does look lovely (though I think the shine is cranked up just a tad too far) and the scar texture looks fantastic. Gear (+environment!) textures are incredible and breathe new life into the game, and the lighting engine is very pretty. I like that the whites of her eyes are actually white now and the slightly less frowny mouth suits her a lot more. The eyeshadow actually looks like makeup now... which will take some getting used to, but I'm not mad about it.

In the end I think the faces need to be given the definition of their features back, skin shine needs to be turned down somewhat, colours need to be tweaked to match better, and the eye catchlight needs to be adjusted to make characters look less... dead.

Oh and, please keep the Hellsguard nose smudge make it a toggle for people who don't like it, but I think most of us would want to keep it!

[cakesphere]

Where did his sharp features go????? My disappointment? Immeasurable. My day? Ruined.

[TheAxrat]

Viera gal before;



Viera gal after;



Bunny boy before;



Bunny boy after;



No complaints on my end tbh

[Razraptre]

Sea Wolves used to have a pale option on the bottom left of the skin tone tab, but the green tint seems to have increased this time. Even trying to match them as close as possible (with warmer light in the DT bench) it's not possible to completely eliminate the hue.



On the bright side, the catchlights in the eyes help avoid that dead soulless stare, and the nose, lips and ears don't have a blocky look anymore.

Overall, I think it's an improvement. Just hoping we get additional skin tones at some point, because I'm not a fan of the Hellsguards' red tint or nose paint either.

[Meteorolite]

I think I am overall happy with the changes to the male hrothgars, I like the new fur shaders. However, the most prominent patch of fur now looks terrible, especially for the Lost. Compared to the fur below, which now has the fur shader, it looks low quality and unnatural, it is as if it has a 360p texture. I hope SE can touch it up a bit more.

[PercibelTheren]

I can't help thinking that the whole update is very much pushing the characters into stereotypical East Asian beauty standards. Skin seems to have become lighter across the board, eyes have larger pupils and eyebrows are less prominent, sharper facial features have become rounder and softer, more youthful looking. My own Elezen looks like he's 10 years younger and his stern expression is gone, like he has some sort of Benjamin Button situation going on. I would expect my character to look more weary and rugged as time goes on, not less.

[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?

[Astronis]

I'm very pleased. More than pleased. I was scared looking at him in the character creator, but he's fine. There are some eensy teeny differences and I think the benchmark version looks a little older but I am quite all right with that. The new skin textures look really good in the actual environment.