Viera Changes

[Valenaux]

I am very, probably too much, in love with how my character looks currently. To me, he is perfect in every way. Most of the time I spend in game, outside of battle, I am simply enjoying and appreciating his beauty. It hit me very hard to see how different he looked. My favorite things about his dramatic eyes and lips are muted or ironed away.

All feedback here applies to Male Viera, Veena, Face 4

Main issues:

• Eye size/shape: eyes appear smaller in 7.0 benchmark vs 6.0. The key feature of a larger eye is now lost, because the prominent eyelid is gone, makeup is softened, and shape appears to have been changed slightly in the inner corner to a closer, more downward slanting shape.
• Lip shape: lips appear flatter and more rounded in 7.0 vs 6.0 which removes their unique character and distinct look. The shape of the lip color is also very different and much more opaque, the matte texture contributes to the flat appearance.
• Lower eyelash Facial Feature: lower eyelash feature is black in 6.0 and matches hair in 7.0, which changes the look of the eye very drastically on light-haired characters from what we are used to and contributes to the smaller look of the eye. Black lashes are what we are used to with this face.
• Eyeliner Tattoo: not as large nor as prominent in 7.0 vs 6.0. Eyeliner has become smaller and less noticeable. Contributes to the overall smaller and weaker appearance of the eyes.

As someone who likes extremes and dramatic visuals, who chose Face 4 for these Michael-angelo-esque details in the first place, I hope that these issues can be considered. I currently use all these features at max value, so there is no upward adjustment I can make to increase their intensity.

These features together as they are in Endwalker lend a classical beauty to male viera Face 4 that I hope can be preserved with some changes. Whoever designed this face did so lovingly and with amazing talent, and I hope that their artistic vision and hard work can be preserved.

Thank you to the Devs for your time and consideration.

Male Viera Face 4 user here as well. I joined the forums to say this but you've beaten me to it, and you've stated my own thoughts far more eloquently than I could have. Face 4 is absolutely gorgeous, and I'm genuinely concerned about the features being changed so drastically. My character looks like an off brand version of himself now.

[Tethan]

I hope this is not inappropriate to post, but I have compared the textures of old and new male viera face 3. I think it very clear where the changes are and I hope they can be addressed. I do not like the prominent chin and jowls look that the face never had this before, mouth and nose are shaded very differently.

I am a 3D artist, and I can see that face has been probably retopologized and certainly re-unwrapped, so I fully understand that features are not 100% analogous between the two textures, but it is still clear to see how changes were made.

Old <<<>>> New

[Aelin_Ashryver]

I hope this is not inappropriate to post, but I have compared the textures of old and new male viera face 3. I think it very clear where the changes are and I hope they can be addressed. I do not like the prominent chin and jowls look that the face never had this before, mouth and nose are shaded very differently.

I am a 3D artist, and I can see that face has been probably retopologized and certainly re-unwrapped, so I fully understand that features are not 100% analogous between the two textures, but it is still clear to see how changes were made.

Old <<<>>> New

Great comparison but I do find this mildly disturbing and it reminds me of that woman in Dr Who who was just a flap of skin stretched out! Moisturise me!!

[Cheenchilla]

I don't want to be dramatic, but I'm actually heartbroken by the changes to bunnies.
I cannot understand how with a graphical upgrade characters have ended up looking downgraded

1. the eyes are horrible. they have no depth.
2. i haven't seen anyone mention it, but the sides of face 3 just look dirty! like he's been rolling in the mud.
3. the nose is a disaster. face 3 nose was so cute, and now the dark marking has changed the shape of the nose and it just looks bad
4. the chin of face 3 is awful. why such a bobbly chin?
5. the lips. the lips were so perfectly shaped before and now they've lost the shape and they are so flat
6. depth of makeup has gone.
7. everything just looks so dull and absolutely bland and ugly. All the depth that was there before has gone.

They've implemented weird plastic skin on characters as well, nuking out any actual definition that previously existed on the models, that's in no way an upgrade.

I feel like we've stepped back in time, not moved forward in regards of detail and definition.
Why mess with something that was so perfect to begin with *sobbing*
I asked my partner (who does not play the game) which characters looked higher quality between everyone screenshots, and 95% of the time he thought the current ones did.

Please bring in all the changes to environments and armour, looks amazing, but leave the characters faces alone. I am actually begging you SE, on my knees begging.

[Tethan]

Great comparison but I do find this mildly disturbing and it reminds me of that woman in Dr Who who was just a flap of skin stretched out! Moisturise me!!

Yes, face textures are always pretty creepy looking, these are not even so bad. But it is the best way to truly compare. No one can say it is just the light, these are just flat .png's and as neutral as can be. Not even accounting for mouth and nose, the feel and direction of male face 3 has completely changed, from smooth jaw and full cheeks, to jowls and sallow cheeks.

[GodModule]

Vieras got hit the worst, but the male face 3 downgrade is especially grim

[SongOfTheWind]

Vieras got hit the worst, but the male face 3 downgrade is especially grim

Isn’t it also the one Erenville is using? I wonder how he looks now

[Kyu-Kyu]

I hope this is not inappropriate to post, but I have compared the textures of old and new male viera face 3. I think it very clear where the changes are and I hope they can be addressed. I do not like the prominent chin and jowls look that the face never had this before, mouth and nose are shaded very differently.

I am a 3D artist, and I can see that face has been probably retopologized and certainly re-unwrapped, so I fully understand that features are not 100% analogous between the two textures, but it is still clear to see how changes were made.

Old <<<>>> New

No wonder my character looked so different, that's a whole different person. Such drastic changes should not occur if your goal is for people to recognize their character...

[SongOfTheWind]

Isn’t it also the one Erenville is using? I wonder how he looks now

My pet conspiracy theory is that Viera changes were mostly tested/tweaked on him and for him. Given his promotion as a character. It seems to go inline with how Veena clan specific features got overlooked (beauty mark bugged on them only, eyes are not theirs anymore, all lipstick is bugged on light tones, etc). The darkening of nose also makes sense for him, as it prevents its over shining and is not prominent at all, afaict. I am not sure what the face structural changes are for though

[Doopliss]

I hope this is not inappropriate to post, but I have compared the textures of old and new male viera face 3. I think it very clear where the changes are and I hope they can be addressed. I do not like the prominent chin and jowls look that the face never had this before, mouth and nose are shaded very differently.

I am a 3D artist, and I can see that face has been probably retopologized and certainly re-unwrapped, so I fully understand that features are not 100% analogous between the two textures, but it is still clear to see how changes were made.

Old <<<>>> New

Hey, I'm really sorry to bother you, but this is exactly the kind of stuff I've been wanting to see so I'm really curious. I'm familiar with retopologizing, but only through hearsay. I've no real 3D knowledge. But what does "re-unwrapped" mean? And, very sorry for the stupider question, do these textures mean they actually have more of a hand in how three-dimensional shapes are perceived than not?