We need to compromise as a player base

[Cheapshot]

I disagree. Most of what I'm seeing to be completely honest doesn't look like upgrades to me. Side grade maybe. I love this game and I love these devs and I support them, but I have to voice my concern that much of the new character graphical update looks quite bad. Things generally look flatter and more lifeless and I get a "The Sims" vibe from the faces when watching the benchmark video play. Everything is very doll like, and a lot of the textures don't have the level of quality I'd expect. I don't think they've hit the mark on this. I see a substantial improvement in the environmental graphic update but I don't think what they've done with characters meets the same standard. If they don't delay pushing the updates to character models and textures, then I hope they at least commit to further improving them to inject life and character back into our warriors. They said their goal was to make sure no one felt like their WoL wasn't the same character anymore and I think they haven't achieved that goal.

[NanaWiloh]

SE hd upgrades have always resulted in a softening effect in faces and details. Add in lighting changes and you have what you happening in the bench makrk. The rounding of faces is more pronounced in this upgrade. Does not bother me but it does without question feel jarring. But I am retro gamer so I am use too the jarring effect.

[Loggos]

I know this is not a perfect example because the video quality is bad and there is no direct comparison with ARR's character creator.

But unless I'm really blind I'm under the impression that this miqo'te face looks pretty much identical to its corresponding ARR+ counterpart (or at least preserves its key personality).
Its quality is just considerably better.

I'd pay such good money to get this back, seriously... ;__;

I had hoped the graphical update would have meant something like this.

Realistically, I am aware they probably can't just straight-up go back to 1.0 character graphics. This may very well not be possible from a technical standpoint.
And in many other aspects the current benchmark is probably much better, esp. when it comes to the portrayal of nature/the environment and the modelling of certain physical properties such as light, translucence, depth etc. etc.

But I think the example shows how to amp up the fidelity without losing character identity and uniqueness.

https://youtu.be/p64H66IurrY?t=72


Edit - Also, a little bonus:
https://youtu.be/ksuoipNWKWs?t=338
https://youtu.be/oD45euKWO1U?t=151
https://youtu.be/oD45euKWO1U?t=182

Again, I know, a direct comparison with 1.0 is not completely fair and I don't actually demand we go back, as much as I praise (some! of) its character graphics. But if this character presentation was possible in 2011, then I would have hoped we could have at least gotten something similar/that comes close in 2024.

I know the original reasoning to make ARR graphics lower quality was to make it more accessible. But time and technology have moved on. We are not in the PS3 era anymore.
PS4 is already an old hat (or as my ingame friend asked me "Why are you playing on an ancient toaster?"), although I understand that not everyon can upgrade to a PS5. That is completely fair.

But when it came out I ran ARR on a then up-to-date laptop without a GPU (2013).

[elezenelezenelezen]

If you need any evidence as to what exactly has changed for some people, look at these before/after sliders on this elezen:

https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODgx
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg3
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg4
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkw
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkx

We're not talking about lighting here, we're talking about pretty big face reworks, including shape changes to eyes, lips, expression and nose on top of face shape. This is a big, big difference when you combine everything. Can you honestly look at these and say they're the same character? This goes way beyond textures and lighting.

[Gokki]

If you need any evidence as to what exactly has changed for some people, look at these before/after sliders on this elezen:

https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODgx
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg3
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg4
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkw
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkx

We're not talking about lighting here, we're talking about pretty big face reworks, including shape changes to eyes, lips, expression and nose on top of face shape. This is a big, big difference when you combine everything. Can you honestly look at these and say they're the same character? This goes way beyond textures and lighting.

This is really interesting because i see no difference, i think your character got an upgrade in graphics but otherwise remains the same. But then i look at MY character and i definitely saw changes in the eyes and lips.

It's really weird how it looks. I feel only we can notice these changes of our own characters, which makes sense of course. But i also feel it's an impossible task for the devs to get EVERYTHING right.

[Turtledeluxe]

This is really interesting because i see no difference, i think your character got an upgrade in graphics but otherwise remains the same. But then i look at MY character and i definitely saw changes in the eyes and lips.

It's really weird how it looks. I feel only we can notice these changes of our own characters, which makes sense of course. But i also feel it's an impossible task for the devs to get EVERYTHING right.

I agree that taking away certain options and technical flaws are an issue in some.specific cases, but indeed posts like this remind me of that friend who is convinced they look ugly when their new haircut really suits them or something like that.

[CidHeiral]

Can you honestly look at these and say they're the same character?

Yes, it looks like a much better HD version of the same character.

[Boblawblah]

If you need any evidence as to what exactly has changed for some people, look at these before/after sliders on this elezen:

https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODgx
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg3
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg4
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkw
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkx

We're not talking about lighting here, we're talking about pretty big face reworks, including shape changes to eyes, lips, expression and nose on top of face shape. This is a big, big difference when you combine everything. Can you honestly look at these and say they're the same character? This goes way beyond textures and lighting.

I'm not sure how people can honestly say that's the exact same character, her ears/eyes/eyebrows/lips/nose all have slightly different shaping to them, which combined with the increase in texture quality and what looks like a generic instagram girl filter, does give her a different vibe overall, and if that's YOUR character, it matters.

Don't let anyone tell you you're wrong to think she looks different.

[Ath192]

If you need any evidence as to what exactly has changed for some people, look at these before/after sliders on this elezen:

https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODgx
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg3
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODg4
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkw
https://imgsli.com/MjU1ODkx

We're not talking about lighting here, we're talking about pretty big face reworks, including shape changes to eyes, lips, expression and nose on top of face shape. This is a big, big difference when you combine everything. Can you honestly look at these and say they're the same character? This goes way beyond textures and lighting.

Yes, I also feel this is the same character with more HD textures and different lighting. There may be differences but not enough for me to say that isn't the same person. =/ I know it's not what you wanted to hear but I would be lying otherwise. I also notice my character has some minor differences but nothing so big it would make me think it's not her anymore.

I already tried sending pictures of other peoples characters to friends who don't play and didn't give them any context and they didn't pick up they were different characters either. I tried to trick them into just believing they were two screenshots of the same character without even mentioning a graphics update taking place and they just bought it.

[Yuella]

I don't think the graphics needed to be updated at all. It still looks good for being over 10 years old. I'd rather they spend their resources on gameplay content.