Character graphical changes are NOT in an acceptable state, please make it optional

[Tethan]

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone responding and contributing since the thread started. With the recent official response I hope we can all look forward to brighter days. Let us wait and see, and remember it is never to late to voice your opinions and concerns. Please, let's try to keep it organized and orderly.

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In the hours since the benchmark was made public, there have been numerous complaints made about changes to the characters. In this thread I want to compile some of these complaints and BEG Square Enix to either address this or make the character update optional, similar to how WOW did it back in the day. This is not only changes being made arbitrarily, not also clear technical shortcomings and downright Quality Assurance oversights. This is not acceptable quality for public release. Obviously the benchmark is a preview and things are still subject to change, but this is exactly why it is important we give our feedback.

We were told they would not change characters drastically, yet they have decided to make multiple changes for no clear reason. There are probably lots more, so feel free to contribute your own.

I'd place the issues into 3 categories:

Design choices

Uncanny skin textures
Faces look waxy and doll like, this is a rather big change and doesn't mix well with the overall graphical style. Of course this can be considered subjective, but there is a reason so many players are having such strong reactions to it. It simply looks uncanny to most people.


Translucency overtuned
Thread

Loss of highlights on hair when in direct light
If you are ever in doubt whether you are looking at live or benchmark, look at the hair. If there is a direct lightsource and you see a distinct highlight on the hair, that is live. If there are no highlights and it's hard to tell where the light is even coming from, it's benchmark.


Lack of eye shine
It seems that the static "eye shine" spot was removed, to be replaced by dynamic lighting. This is an issue as if the lighting is anything less than perfect (so most of the time) it just makes our characters look dead inside.

Lightning is only half fixed
While severe overhead/indoor lighting looks a LOT better, everywhere else on characters seems like a downgrade, causing features to be more washed out, hair in particular looks flat

Removal of bounce light making face more flat and jaws bleed into necks



Arbitrary and unwanted changes

Keeper of the Moon fangs downgrade
Thread

Highlights on hair changed for no reason
Thread


Vieras in general
Thread

Lala smudge stolen, presumably the culprit is M Viera face 3
Thread

Lip shape changed on many race/gender combinations
Post


Femroes also had their nose smudge stolen, when will this spree of crimes end?
Thread

Certain miqote hairstyles missing ear patterns
Post


Changed eye shape but not eye liner
Post



Poor quality

Au Ra scales artifacting/pixelation
Thread


Lips are a downgrade across the board
This one is honestly baffling. How this texture passed quality control is beyond me, and lip glossiness is now a thing of the past.
Thread


Horrifying female Elezen mouth rig


Hair/beard clipping


Forgot to update texture for bald characters
Post

Forgot to update textures on Au Ra horns attached to hairstyles
Post

Scuffed eyelashes on fem Au Ra
Post

Elezen ear translucency is apparently skintone agnostic
Thread

Forgot to update texture on bunny ears
Post

Forgot to update face paint
Thread


Note: I have used some pictures from the community to illustrate.

Now let me add my own:



Slider comparison

[Jeeqbit]

Meh, change happens. I really don't think any of this is gonna change at this juncture. You're almost certainly getting a free fantasia to find a look that you like. A new look for a new ten years.

[ovIm]

Meh, change happens. I really don't think any of this is gonna change at this juncture. You're almost certainly getting a free fantasia to find a look that you like. A new look for a new ten years.

Here is the thing - this is the point where the community can, and should, provide feedback for the devs to hear. There are subjective issues with the new models, as indicated by OP, that need to be tackled before the expansion is released.

[Jeeqbit]

Here is the thing - this is the point where the community can, and should, provide feedback for the devs to hear.

I agree that the feedback should be provided, but I disagree that this is the point where it will be likely to make a difference. People are going to design their characters with the benchmark, so it would be problematic if what they made in the benchmark isn't what they get in Dawntrail.

There are subjective issues with the new models, as indicated by OP, that need to be tackled before the expansion is released.

If the issue is an actual bug, like a clipping issue, it could be put in the bug forum. I saw one get posted there. But many of the posts aren't bug-related and are just saying they don't like the change.

[ovIm]

I agree that the feedback should be provided, but I disagree that this is the point where it will be likely to make a difference. People are going to design their characters with the benchmark, so it would be problematic if what they made in the benchmark isn't what they get in Dawntrail.

Here is where I have to disagree - Square Enix can also just release an updated version of the benchmark with any fixes.
And, additionally, it is not wrong for paying customers to expect the product provided to match a certain quality. You say people can use a fantasia, I say that its unrealistic to expect people that have played a character for sometimes close to 10 years (ARR release) to change drastically because of something outside of their power to influence. Also, I checked the creator multiple times, not all of the issues are alleviated by fine tuning the models through Fantasia, since the character editor simply does not have as many features as other, more recent games.

If the issue is an actual bug, like a clipping issue, it could be put in the bug forum. I saw one get posted there. But many of the posts aren't bug-related and are just saying they don't like the change.

Could you link that thread perhaps? I was unable to find a feedback thread like that, and would like to contribute :)

[SpiritMuse]

You say people can use a fantasia, I say that its unrealistic to expect people that have played a character for sometimes close to 10 years (ARR release) to change drastically because of something outside of their power to influence.

I'm one of those people. I have played as this character for about 10 years. I have Fantasia'd a lot in between patches, but every time for MSQ I would go back to this character, because it was his story. I have written a backstory for this character. I have drawn this character in a fanmade artbook that was sent to the developers.

With these new updates, the added darkness to the eyes in particular gives the character a very different vibe and personality now. And no amount of Fantasia can fix this, because all the eye options are like this. I cannot fully recreate my character in this character creator.

[GreenLeafy]

Here is where I have to disagree - Square Enix can also just release an updated version of the benchmark with any fixes.
And, additionally, it is not wrong for paying customers to expect the product provided to match a certain quality. You say people can use a fantasia, I say that its unrealistic to expect people that have played a character for sometimes close to 10 years (ARR release) to change drastically because of something outside of their power to influence. Also, I checked the creator multiple times, not all of the issues are alleviated by fine tuning the models through Fantasia, since the character editor simply does not have as many features as other, more recent games.



Could you link that thread perhaps? I was unable to find a feedback thread like that, and would like to contribute

I don't really comment on forums often but I have to in this case -thank you so much for voicing the fact that for some people the excuse of just using a fantasia doesn't really cut it when you've been playing the game for literal years with the same look. I've been playing for 8 years with the same face and loading it up into the benchmark my heart absolutely sank how different my miqo'te looks. Regardless of how much tinkering you can do (albeit still not much due to the FFXIV chara creator being somewhat limited compared to most games) its impossible to bring back the same face or at the very least feel that he had to begin with. Looks so much more dull and lifeless now.
Its just heartbreaking seeing that the character you've grown attached to and sentimental about , tied with memories and screenshots with you and so many other people, is about to irrevocably change and be lost forever and you literally have no control over it. Sucks.

[caffe_macchiato]

Here is the thing - this is the point where the community can, and should, provide feedback for the devs to hear. There are subjective issues with the new models, as indicated by OP, that need to be tackled before the expansion is released.

You act as though this game needs constructive criticism. This is Final Fantasy XIV, not WoW. The resounding consensus is that FFXIV is fine no matter what form it takes, and the devs all deserve a raise and a tip for everything they've done. This isn't like WoW, GW2, or any other MMO that operates on community feedback. Don't forget, we're the English-speaking community, not Japan. It's like saying that vegans should have input in the menu for a steak restaurant. You are required to play the game as-is, you may NOT quit, you will like the MSQ, and you will quit to go play other games once we tell you to.

[Tethan]

You act as though this game needs constructive criticism. This is Final Fantasy XIV, not WoW. The resounding consensus is that FFXIV is fine no matter what form it takes, and the devs all deserve a raise and a tip for everything they've done. This isn't like WoW, GW2, or any other MMO that operates on community feedback. Don't forget, we're the English-speaking community, not Japan. It's like saying that vegans should have input in the menu for a steak restaurant. You are required to play the game as-is, you may NOT quit, you will like the MSQ, and you will quit to go play other games once we tell you to.

Sounds rough, buddy.

If it makes you feel better, JP is upset for the exact same reasons, voicing the same criticisms over in their part of the forums.

[lunartears]

Meh, change happens. I really don't think any of this is gonna change at this juncture. You're almost certainly getting a free fantasia to find a look that you like. A new look for a new ten years.

A fantasia will only change the character more for some people.