The artificial Eye reflection looks bad.

[GrizzlyTank]

This. I'm actually more than just worried that these people have so much influence on proceedings or rather the regression of it.

There is updating graphics and then there is changing the artsytle.

What they have done in some cases, like the eyes is to change the artstyle.

[Angelivia]

There is updating graphics and then there is changing the artsytle.

What they have done in some cases, like the eyes is to change the artstyle.

I don't think it has anything to do with "artstyle" - The static catchlight simply got painted on due to graphical limitations; natural lightning and reflections weren't possible at that time so they needed a solution to make it less apparent. It might not have been ideal but it did the trick. It's not like it was intentional from the beginning. Now they have the means to update said graphics, so of course they're replacing poor compromises with far better design choices. And it saddens me to see they're going back on it because the vast majority seriously got attached to the makeshift method of flaw-concealment.

Next thing they say is that low poly corners and angles are the "sharp features" they're missing with the high poly even lines.

[GrizzlyTank]

I don't think it has anything to do with "artstyle" - The static catchlight simply got painted on due to graphical limitations; natural lightning and reflections weren't possible at that time so they needed a solution to make it less apparent. It might not have been ideal but it did the trick. It's not like it was intentional from the beginning. Now they have the means to update said graphics, so of course they're replacing poor compromises with far better design choices. And it saddens me to see they're going back on it because the vast majority seriously got attached to the makeshift method of flaw-concealment.

Next thing they say is that low poly corners and angles are the "sharp features" they're missing with the high poly even lines.

As mentioned earlier, the whole eye got changed style wise. From clear looking with sharp pupils to more washed out, with a notable material change in how the light reflects from the eye as seen when you turn the camera to the side to look at the sclera.

I think adding the artificial light -before- we'd even got to see how the lighting in the eyes looked with the updated benchmark is classic FFXIV dev overcorrecting tbh.

Did they change much about the lighting in the benchmark beside adding the catch-light? The lighting issue was mostly about inconsistent lighting between the character creator and game/benchmark as well as the absence of catch-light.