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

[cakesphere]

Out of curiosity I opened up my old Endwalker benchmark to get a proper side by side there vs the Dawntrail benchmark and like I've said in other posts I'm really unimpressed with the elezen "improvements". Filing off all their fun sharp features is not what I signed up for




Please, my son, he's very sick. Someone took his brow ridge and cheekbones and mussed up his mouth. His skin seems to have a very jaundiced undertone as well - not sure if this is something that can be fixed by fiddling with skintone but just another thing that dismayed me.

[Zaniel]

To be honest a graphical update without a character creator update was an extremely stupid decision by CBU3. With more adaptability to customise facial features without being locked to presets 99% of these issues could be avoided.

[WiccaP]

Wow, some of y'all need to chill. Yes there are some issues with the graphics update, but I'm pretty sure even Endwalker's benchmark didn't show the full range of character creation options that were released with the actual launch. I'm also pretty positive that the graphics on some things in the EW benchmark weren't the same with launch. I would bet money that what we are seeing in the benchmark isn't the 100% finished product that we'll get on release day.

The benchmark is a tool to make sure your system can handle the game and a give another "sneak peak" not give a 100% full look; and you would complain if it did. As graphics get better, harsher angles soften and round out. With heightened lighting systems there's going to be more highs and lows; that change tones, highlights and shadows, etc. That's pretty much how it works. If they only updated the graphics on the environment and world around our characters, we would stick out like a sore thumb and look horrible in contrast.

A lot of us have been playing FF14 for a long time, through good and bad updates. Why? Because ultimately the dev team keeps creating a game worth playing and they usually do right by the player base. So lets have a little faith and trust that DT will follow that tradition. I'm not saying don't voice our concerns, but lets be reasonable in our expectations and criticism. This update is not ruining the game, our characters still look like our characters in 99% of the pictures and vids I've seen and from what I've played around with in the Benchmark. This is just the same phenomenon that happened when TVs went to HD and then 4K.

[LuciaMirain]

Lol, since I have been playing as a viera since their release I will not have faith in them to fix this. I hope I am proven wrong but we still don't have the paid for hairstyles and most hats are not visible and the ones that are look like hats for children put on my forehead. We can't even wear the artifact gear headpieces ffs. And honestly alot of miqotes are looking very butchered as well. I think this is a case of alot of people having faceblindness.

There should not have been any changes to peoples noses or mouths. Why did they do those changes....? Id love for them to tell us the need for making peoples lips more plump.

[Arzalis]

Wow, some of y'all need to chill. Yes there are some issues with the graphics update, but I'm pretty sure even Endwalker's benchmark didn't show the full range of character creation options that were released with the actual launch. I'm also pretty positive that the graphics on some things in the EW benchmark weren't the same with launch. I would bet money that what we are seeing in the benchmark isn't the 100% finished product that we'll get on release day.

The benchmark is a tool to make sure your system can handle the game and a give another "sneak peak" not give a 100% full look; and you would complain if it did. As graphics get better, harsher angles soften and round out. With heightened lighting systems there's going to be more highs and lows; that change tones, highlights and shadows, etc. That's pretty much how it works. If they only updated the graphics on the environment and world around our characters, we would stick out like a sore thumb and look horrible in contrast.

A lot of us have been playing FF14 for a long time, through good and bad updates. Why? Because ultimately the dev team keeps creating a game worth playing and they usually do right by the player base. So lets have a little faith and trust that DT will follow that tradition. I'm not saying don't voice our concerns, but lets be reasonable in our expectations and criticism. This update is not ruining the game, our characters still look like our characters in 99% of the pictures and vids I've seen and from what I've played around with in the Benchmark. This is just the same phenomenon that happened when TVs went to HD and then 4K.

If you've been here a while, you'll know people said that same thing about Hrothgar when we first got them and the benchmark did, indeed, contain the final options.

Realistically, we're so close to launch now that there really won't be many changes unless they delay it. Given the amount of changes, they really should've released the benchmark (or at least the character creation part of it) a lot sooner. Barring some obvious glitches like clipping and whatnot, this is most likely what we're getting.

It rings a little hollow that they claim to want feedback but haven't given anyone the ability to really provide it until we're so close to launch that it's unlikely any of it is implemented.

[LuciaMirain]

It's VERY upsetting to see how your Viera looks in the benchmark. She's far and away one of the more mature and beautiful ones that get posted in the Viera screenshot thread. Face 4 is absolutely suffering from this. They don't look like our WoLs any more.

Thank you! I feel like I am taking crazy pills when people look at the side/side comparison and think it is the same character. Her eyes have lost their glint, her nose looks wider and her cupids bow is gone. Her face looks rounder. It isnt as horrible in the benchmark, but all the small details are gone there as well. She looks smoothed out and like a pixar barbie. I liked her as she was. Someone went overboard with the beautification. Not everyone wants to play a babyface.

[HeyMcFly]

Remember, there are still people who love the updates- but we can be helpful in our feedback.

I love the way my miqo looks in the DT benchmark. I love that she's not forced to wear lipgloss and there is actual texture to her lips. To me she was a 10 and the DT trailer makes her an 11.

Should there be improvements to her anyways? Yes. I'd like her eyebrow color to be restored, as they were originally darker than what the DT benchmark shows. Also, I'd like longer fangs; but I do like the new shape of their teeth just not the shortened fangs.

And the devs have said there will be future improvements on the benchmark website- to quote: "After the release of the benchmark, we will continue to make improvements to the game's visual fidelity in the lead up to the release of FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail."

So be constructive with the feedback and polite.

[Neonbrightface]

It looks like people noticed the flat appearance and lack of deep shadows and highlights. That was bothering me a lot in the trailer. The textures are beautiful, but there's no depth. So everything just looks strange.

I also noticed the waxy look of the faces when they announced it the second time around with all the races. And the lips oh no.

[Rein_eon_Osborne]

The overhaul definitely upsets me in plenty ways. OP have raised many of my current issues so I'm just going to add my comparison pics plus few comments on my own.

First, the pics themselves.

Today (taken in Aesthetician, and changed hairstyle because unlockable hairstyle aren't available):


And this is from Benchmark (copied 1 to 1 from saved appearance feature in login screen):


I... am speechless. He's a totally different character.
[-] Waxy/"Ken doll" skin texture. Quite possibly due to the skin translucense issue.
[-] His cheeks. The addition of nasobial folds immediately destroys his 'youthful look' and now he's like 15-20 years old to the future lol. Additionally, these same folds seem to also look more prominent on darker skin tone so my man is more affected vs those who has lighter skin tone.
[-] His lips, particularly the philtrum (upper lips) are thinned beyond recognition. Today we have "Average, Fuller, Puckered, and Thinner". In the benchmark it becomes "Thin, Fuller, Puckered, and Thinner".
[-] His eyes shape. Today's he's got a rounder shape. In the benchmark the shape is more oval/flat, completely butchering his 'Mr.Goodie two shoes/Innocent'-looks.
[-] Eyes are also missing today's catchlight texture would left him looking 'soulless' in places without proper lighting.
[-] His nose bridge. Benchmark's version shrunk it. I don't remember wanting a plastic surgery lol. I'm not sure about other nose options but those wouldn't alleviate how his face contour has been forcefully changed.
[-] Inconsistent shade of color on skin, lips, & hair. It looked like the only way for me to get what I wanted is to make them darker by 1 square but this might also impose an issue to my already established glamour aesthetic on him over the years. As a gpose & glamour enthusiast, this is a HUGE impact.
[+] Upside? His stubble now follows his hair color proper instead of staying black all the time. Might still want to make them look more defined though 'cause at the moment they look like some dried crusty something plastered on his chin.

A gem of a finding though... let's have a closer look to his stubble.

Today:


Benchmark:

"Oh my-- what the-- omg honey what happened to you???"

Yeah... so what's with that oddly cut stubble underneath his chin?

Oh yeah! Did I mentioned of having to change his hairstyle? Yes I did! This is what he looks like proper:


Please also, add the option to use the unlockable hairstyles in the benchmark. Look at how much of a missing hairstyle has ripped him off his character(s).

I should also add that I DO NOT enjoy playing any other character/race/gender than this character I have. Outside the inconsistent color shading, Fantasia will NOT alleviate my issues.

====

Overall? I'm very disappointed with how this turned out. It feels like they've taken 3 steps forward but then do a 15 steps backward after.

EDIT: I know lighting are also a prominent issue. But look it this way: if I keep my man's youthful appearance, then even under a bad lighting I will still see him looking youthful. In /gpose, I can tweak that lighting around to produce a fantastic shot. However if they insist on 'aging him 15 years to the future', then my man will not look youthful even under a good lighting. He's already a different character. I want them to fix BOTH the model and lighting. Telling me "Oh it's just lighting." will not fix the fact he's going to look 15 years older -everywhere-. Not even good lighting will preserve his youthful appearance.

[Supersnow845]

The overhaul definitely upsets me in plenty ways. OP have raised many of my current issues so I'm just going to add my comparison pics plus few comments on my own.

First, the pics themselves.

Today (taken in Aesthetician, and changed hairstyle because unlockable hairstyle aren't available):


And this is from Benchmark (copied 1 to 1 from saved appearance feature in login screen):


I... am speechless. He's like a totally different character.
[-] Eyes missing today's catchlight texture would left him looking 'soulless' in places without proper lighting.
[-] Waxy/"Ken doll" skin texture. I can see his cheeks proper now but they looked out of place & he looked like he just aged 15 years to the future lmao.
[-] His lips, particularly the philtrum (upper lips) are thinned beyond recognition. Now I don't have the 'average lips thickness' option.
[-] Inconsistent shade of color on skin, lips, & hair. It looked like the only way for me to get what I wanted is to make them darker by 1 square but this might also impose an issue to my already established glamour aesthetic on him over the years.
[+] Upside? His stubble now follows his hair color proper instead of staying black all the time.

A gem of a finding though... let's have a closer look to his stubble.

Today:


Benchmark:

"Oh my-- what the-- omg honey what happened to you???"

Yeah... so what's with that oddly cut stubble underneath his chin? Also I do want to add that the stubble is now probably too soft or less defined. But this is a rather minor gripe than what I've mentioned so far.

Oh yeah! Did I mentioned of having to change his hairstyle? Yes I did! This is what he looks like proper:


Please also, add the option to use the unlockable hairstyles. Look at how much of a missing hairstyle has ripped him off his character(s).

====

Overall? I'm very disappointed with how this turned out. It feels like they've taken 3 steps forward but then do a 15 steps backward after.

This is the kind of feedback I feel we should be aiming for, you can clearly see how different his character is, he has identified with photos what he doesn’t like and why he feels like it changes his character and he doesn’t give any vague “my character is ruined”without explaining why

All feedback is valid but this i think is the right way forward, especially since some JP players are translating our best feedback and putting it on the JP forums

Of course I’m not saying don’t give feedback, I’m lucky because my character is entirely unaffected, I’m just saying this is more likely to be productive so to speak