[Dawntrail Benchmark] Updated benchmark feedback: forced eyeshadow/eyeliner?

[crystallineAbyss]

I just want to start off by saying that the new benchmark is such an improvement given the cleaned up scale texture artifacts and the fact that my character's skin isn't tinted green anymore. It looks a lot better, and I'm glad that I can actually now use lipcolor to make her lips look properly discolored for her skintone.

That being said, I'm not...super thrilled about this discovery when I turn the "other feature" eyeshadow option off - so there is no eye makeup on at all with this screen.


Originally femra didn't seem to have eyeshadow there, with one of the other feature options being what looked like dark eyeliner. However, this is now a forced winged...I'd say eyeliner, but it's too faded and looks more like eyeshadow, while the racial feature is a really intense eyeshadow.

Compare that to what the game currently has with the other feature off:


And with it on, which just makes the eyes more intense looking:


It would be great if we were given this as an option to be with or without makeup, instead of being forced into it. That's what the face paint options are for, so I don't understand the decision to automatically have it when not everyone wants that for their character. It'd be great if this detail were removed to be back to more what the original face texture looked like, maybe leaving any eye makeup to the optional features section instead of having a mandatory one and then an extra one on top of it.

I'd take a subtle eyeliner over this winged one, honestly. My character is more masculine presenting and it goes against her (and frankly others in the same camp as me). Again: just asking for an opt-in or opt-out, not forced into a makeup presentation I don't vibe with.

[Rudje]

The forced makeup on most female face options is a huge issue I have with the game as-is and I'm not pleased to see it spreading. I hope this gets fixed. :/

[crystallineAbyss]

The forced makeup on most female face options is a huge issue I have with the game as-is and I'm not pleased to see it spreading. I hope this gets fixed. :/

Yeah, it's something that's bugging me a lot, tbh. Like the added glossiness to the lips in general (especially with femra and fem highlanders), but the way that they doubled down on forced makeup for highlanders, femra, and even some aspects of felezen? God forbid you have a masc or butch character x.x
at least my more masc felezen looks decent, but pour one out for masc/butch femra and thighlanders.

[Iscah]

The forced makeup on most female face options is a huge issue I have with the game as-is and I'm not pleased to see it spreading. I hope this gets fixed. :/

It seems to be forced darker makeup on all characters with certain eye structures, regardless of gender.

Viera are immune on this particular change as they had dark makeup in that position to begin with.

[Rudje]

It seems to be forced darker makeup on all characters with certain eye structures, regardless of gender.

Viera are immune on this particular change as they had dark makeup in that position to begin with.

I haven't seen any pictures of male characters with this kind of change (the Duskwight eyebags are the new texture reflecting the wildwood version of the face, as much as I dislike it), so unless I see examples of that it looks more like forced makeup on women.

[Iscah]

I haven't seen any pictures of male characters with this kind of change (the Duskwight eyebags are the new texture reflecting the wildwood version of the face, as much as I dislike it), so unless I see examples of that it looks more like forced makeup on women.

Miqo'te have certainly had makeup addded, and I think at least some of the Midlander faces as well.

As for Duskwight eyebags, I don't think that's "reflecting the Wildwood version" so much as part of a much larger issue affecting a range of faces. Either the face have been altered or it's a matter of the "natural" lighting behaving in ways that are detrimental to the character's appearance.

[Glyphs]

This is interesting! You have a Face 4 Au Ra, correct?

On my Face 1 Au Ra, one of my biggest issues (in the original benchmark, but it's actually worse in the new one) is that the "eyeliner" and upper eyelid is far lighter than before. The "eyeliner" option in Other Features is now a lot fainter, so having it switched on doesn't affect much.

I can see in your images that it's the same, where the Other Features eyeliner is now a little fainter than before, but now your default is a lot harsher, not giving you much in the way of choice... it's really interesting that they've changed the default defintion so much between face types, in a way where Face 4 is now too dark, and Face 1 is now too light. I'd prefer if it the default was lighter, but the Other Features option was darker, so people could choose how heavy they want that top eyelid.

[SpiritMuse]

Miqo'te have certainly had makeup addded, and I think at least some of the Midlander faces as well.

As for Duskwight eyebags, I don't think that's "reflecting the Wildwood version" so much as part of a much larger issue affecting a range of faces. Either the face have been altered or it's a matter of the "natural" lighting behaving in ways that are detrimental to the character's appearance.

No, the Duskwight eyebags are definitely the result of the Wildwood skin textures being used instead of the Duskwight. Here is a before and after, Wildwood on the left, Duskwight on the right.

Live game:


New Benchmark:



There is definitely a texture issue here. If it was a lighting issue it would have been the same in the current graphics.

[crystallineAbyss]

It seems to be forced darker makeup on all characters with certain eye structures, regardless of gender.

Viera are immune on this particular change as they had dark makeup in that position to begin with.

That doesn't make it appreciated. Especially when it wasn't there to begin with and it's forcing a type of presentation on players. Male players - from all I've clicked through - don't seem to have any forced or noticeable makeup, but female ones get the worst of it. And there's just something insidious about them forcing makeup onto female characters who didn't really use it beforehand.
The point is that the forced makeup with no option to remove it is not appreciated, especially in the case of more masculine female characters like many of the ones that I play. It needs to be an option, not forced into it.

[crystallineAbyss]

This is interesting! You have a Face 4 Au Ra, correct?

On my Face 1 Au Ra, one of my biggest issues (in the original benchmark, but it's actually worse in the new one) is that the "eyeliner" and upper eyelid is far lighter than before. The "eyeliner" option in Other Features is now a lot fainter, so having it switched on doesn't affect much.

I can see in your images that it's the same, where the Other Features eyeliner is now a little fainter than before, but now your default is a lot harsher, not giving you much in the way of choice... it's really interesting that they've changed the default defintion so much between face types, in a way where Face 4 is now too dark, and Face 1 is now too light. I'd prefer if it the default was lighter, but the Other Features option was darker, so people could choose how heavy they want that top eyelid.

Yup, she's face 4. There wasn't really any makeup there to begin with which is why I went with this option when I made her initially. Now that there is makeup, it's extremely frustrating. It should be all opt in, not some opt in.
That's fascinating about face 1 though, I just don't understand their thought process with these...