We need to compromise as a player base

[Hejligan]

As I see it, there are three tiers of changes, which we can criticise with different force. There is a difference between systematic changes due to complex interaction of factors in graphics on the one hand, and specific changes to assets on the other.

In the first case, some of these things are very easy to identify, like the skin now looking "off" in many lighting conditions, or the fact that female Miqo'te lips just feel far too smudged and different now (which I am pretty sure is not an intentional change), which we should criticise rather openly.

But in some cases these changes will be very complex, due to so many factors interacting with each other that makes things look different, and those we should criticise less harshly, because they are not necessarily direct, intended changes that one can simple flip a switch at, but might be fundamentally tied to upgrades in the graphics themselves (all though still provide feedback).

But then there is a different category, the more specific and intentional changes to assets, like actually changing the models of eyelashes. The specific differences go against their stated philosophy about these changes, which was to essentially not change the basic look of characters. These things we can criticise rather more forcefully.

tl;dr

While it is true that not everything can be identical in such a massive graphical update, having (for example) different and massively thickened eyelashes isn't a necessary consequence of improved graphics, and we should criticise it. Having a consequence of graphical changes be that our characters look to be on the verge of passing out, due to how it makes our skin and eyes look, should be criticised too, because there are still limits to how different things are supposed to look.