The Graphics update was unnecessary

[Malthir]

I actually like the majority of the graphical changes, however I think all the anger that can be seen on the forum proves a point I had with friends about the graphics update. It wasn't needed.

FF14 was not an ugly game, it just needed some HD texture updates, and while I like the lighting changes I just wonder how much of the dev time was wasted on something that doesn't really improve the game when all that time developing a new lighting engine could have been spent on better mechanics for play or more importantly imo fixing the garbage movement in the game so you character actually collides with terrain instead of sliding along the ground plane, that's probably the biggest barrier to entry for alot of new players.

[Rueby]

I'm inclined to agree, I never was one for 'eye candy' graphics and honestly I was content with how the game looked- for its age, it didn't look too horrible to me. I found it jarring transitioning from GW2 to FFXIV but I found this game rather charming.

I too expected but now I'm less worried about my character and worried about my favorite characters that I grew attached to and love alot. I feel like I'm more concerned with the 'tweaks' they do along the way to 'improve' facial structure by eliminating all angularity/flaws and softening everything.

While me and you can agree, it'll only invite more people pushing that the graphical update was absolutely needed. It's a subjective matter honestly.

The release of DT will for me be either hopeful for improvement. Or nail in the coffin. All I cared for in the MSQ has essentially been eliminated, I remain unironically heartbroken and the only reason I'm subbed is because of sentimentality/memories. It might seem strange to some but a certain character helped me through really dark times in my life where everything was meaningless and while he's not here in the MSQ. I can visit him in the dungeon, trials, rewatch the MSQ, reminisce in my house at times. His memory stays with me and it's the little joy I've held onto for so long.

Feel free to laugh or mock if you must, but it doesn't change these feelings. I never thought I'd grow so emotionally invested in a fictional character to the point I felt saved by him, felt genuine joy because of him. I think it's beautiful that a game provides such attachments, I know I'm probably not alone in this- though I think I might just be in the minority who loves that bastard with a juicy backside.

[Banriikku]

I dont know if this is true or the conclusion here. I think the changes are interesting and many of them are even good. The problme is, that the character editor is not updated and the dev's force a redesign an us, NO PLAYER asked for. This not an update on many of the character model changes, it is a REDESIGN and that is a stupid and bad decision. As if you drink Latte with a lot sugar and srpinkles and somebody said, f that, you drink now Black Tea. Thats f-ed up and a very bad decision. If we wanted a redesign we would have told them but we said better textures, less pixel-mush instead got "lets change the design". Funny enough we saw screenshots in older LL and there was better textures but NOT A REDESIGN. So where is that stuff? Gone, lost, at the gasstation?

[Kranel_San]

It was unnecessary from the moment I had to zoom in and focus on particular features such as the chin to see the changes.

[Anarnee]

It's been a highly requested thing for a while, so I understand them wanting to do it to get the attention of people that care about that sort of stuff, but I have loved how XIV looked for 10 years, and I'd have been happy if it stayed the same for another 10.

I was happy for all the folks that requested it, when it was announced, and I want to still be happy for them, but I was under the impression that it would just be a smaller update... Now I'm lamenting it a lot for sure.

That said. The people that developed the new lighting and stuff are most definitely not the same folks that would be designing the battle content mechanics, I feel like that's comparing apples and oranges.

[Kaurhz]

I would beg to differ.

In fact I would wager a lot more players feel it necessary than those that don't -- I would also go on to say that most of those expressing anger aren't doing so because of the graphics update itself, but rather what it has resulted in with respect to changing some pretty defining features for player characters across the board.

[Mecia]

Graphics updates can breathe new life into a game just as new content does. Cosmetics are content.

[Adeacia]

I can easily take or leave the graphics update. It changes nothing for me. I'm not the kind of person who focuses on how a game looks.

For me it's about the grass and having more objects in an area that I'm looking forward to.

[Malthir]

I'm inclined to agree, I never was one for 'eye candy' graphics and honestly I was content with how the game looked- for its age, it didn't look too horrible to me. I found it jarring transitioning from GW2 to FFXIV but I found this game rather charming.

I too expected but now I'm less worried about my character and worried about my favorite characters that I grew attached to and love alot. I feel like I'm more concerned with the 'tweaks' they do along the way to 'improve' facial structure by eliminating all angularity/flaws and softening everything.

While me and you can agree, it'll only invite more people pushing that the graphical update was absolutely needed. It's a subjective matter honestly.

The release of DT will for me be either hopeful for improvement. Or nail in the coffin. All I cared for in the MSQ has essentially been eliminated, I remain unironically heartbroken and the only reason I'm subbed is because of sentimentality/memories. It might seem strange to some but a certain character helped me through really dark times in my life where everything was meaningless and while he's not here in the MSQ. I can visit him in the dungeon, trials, rewatch the MSQ, reminisce in my house at times. His memory stays with me and it's the little joy I've held onto for so long.

Feel free to laugh or mock if you must, but it doesn't change these feelings. I never thought I'd grow so emotionally invested in a fictional character to the point I felt saved by him, felt genuine joy because of him. I think it's beautiful that a game provides such attachments, I know I'm probably not alone in this- though I think I might just be in the minority who loves that bastard with a juicy backside.

This is where i hit you with the controversial opinion that they need to kill off some of the scions. Honestly they've become too much of the focal point in the story overshadowing the player character and they keep using plot armour duex machina to save them from death.

What I mean is in shadowbringers, there was a genuine fear that Thancred had died after his battle with definitely not a dbz character Ran'jit. However after that we had 2 more moment, O no all the scions will die, moments in that expac that they resolved with just kidding lol nevermind plot armour. By the end of endwalker the whole scion scarificing themselves for you to find a way was just a meh moment cause I knew they would all come back. The writing team keeps trying to tug at the same thread. It would be better at this point to kill on one or two of them, like they did with Papalymo and Minfilia back in the day. It was their deaths that actually made the story interesting as a whole in my opinion, you knew there was a chance that you could lose one of the scions that you cared about so you were far more engrossed in the story.

[Jeeqbit]

it just needed some HD texture updates

Which is what we got.

time developing a new lighting engine could have been spent on better mechanics for play

I wouldn't call it a new lighting engine. They are mostly just changing the shaders to make greater use of the graphics card. There is a difference between changing the engine and changing shaders. Although they are adding more lights overall to the areas.

fixing the garbage movement in the game so you character actually collides with terrain instead of sliding along the ground plane

This sort of movement has always been standard in an MMORPG for some reason. Nevertheless, we will be able to affect grass physics by running through it now and we already do that in water.

that's probably the biggest barrier to entry for alot of new players.

Not having the most realistic movement isn't a "barrier to entry". Obviously the MSQ's length is more of a barrier than anything.

Maybe you mean the invisible walls? Those are extremely annoying, but this stops being much of a problem at level 50 when you unlock flying and the expansion areas are bigger and more square-ish with invisible walls in logical places like mountains. Invisible walls have always been normal in almost every game ever except ones that generate or overlap it or stay in a closed environment.