Dawntrail character graphics update - opinions, requests and discussion megathread

[lunartears]

Not sure if this is appropriate to post in here but the newly announced FFXIV Mobile trailer seems to be using old graphical assets to a degree. There's not a lot of player face focus but the Dunesfolk eyes look a lot like the old version. I also noticed some of the eyes had the old catchlights.
I can't say for certain that they are fully using the old assets or to what degree the graphics resemble EW until it actually comes out, but it might be interesting to keep an eye on if you've also developed a fascination with the graphics update.



If playing a mobile version of FF14 is what it takes to see old characters faces then so be it.

[BeoCat]

Not sure if this is appropriate to post in here but the newly announced FFXIV Mobile trailer seems to be using old graphical assets to a degree. There's not a lot of player face focus but the Dunesfolk eyes look a lot like the old version. I also noticed some of the eyes had the old catchlights.
I can't say for certain that they are fully using the old assets or to what degree the graphics resemble EW until it actually comes out, but it might be interesting to keep an eye on if you've also developed a fascination with the graphics update.



If playing a mobile version of FF14 is what it takes to see old characters faces then so be it.

If the game is as big as the trailer implies, it probably started development during EW or earlier, so it would make sense for it to use older assets. I'm more fascinated about what engine are they using, because there's no way that crystalTools-Luminous hybrid monstrosity XIV and XVI runs on can run on mobile platforms.

[SchwarzwaelderTorte]

I've also been looking at this announcement lol

It is really interesting to see the eye highlights back to how they used to look, and even beyond characters the "atmospheric perspective" (the blue fog over distant landscapes, which creates added depth and also makes it easier to visually separate the foreground and the background) that was very present before 7.0 and almost completely gone post-graphical update is also back in this mobile version.
And yet, even if it looks "like the old graphics" there are still signs of improvements, like the metallic surfaces in the Gold Saucer look more reflective without being blinding, the lighting in the Titan duty seems to be a lot better, and even the shaders and textures on Titan himself seem more up to date.

But it's difficult to say if any of this will actually look like that on release, I think everyone here has learned their lesson in that regard... (some of those images have also clearly been painted over, like the grass on the La Noscea screenshot, and that Astrope mount looks almost AI generated...?)
(and we still have no clue what the gameplay will actually be like... or if this game has any bright future or will meet the same fate as many other Square Enix mobile games)

Also, I found out that on the Japanese (and Chinese) version of that title's website, there's a whole paragraph dedicated to how they tried to faithfully recreate the graphics, which has been curiously omitted from the English translation.
Again, at this stage it could just be PR talk with no substance, but it was interesting that they went out of their way to explain all that.

[lunartears]

Also, I found out that on the Japanese (and Chinese) version of that title's website, there's a whole paragraph dedicated to how they tried to faithfully recreate the graphics, which has been curiously omitted from the English translation.
Again, at this stage it could just be PR talk with no substance, but it was interesting that they went out of their way to explain all that.

This is pretty crazy to read.

Each race has its own unique production process. For example, in creating the Hyur male, it is important to convey a calm and friendly personality. In designing the textures for the character's face, we sought a naturalistic finish that accentuates the character's personality by avoiding excessive realism and flamboyant details and instead focusing on the style of the original work. In addition, in the creation of Lalafell, applying the same techniques as for the Hyur men would result in dark shadows on the face.

(DeepL translation)

[Khryseis_Astra]

This is pretty crazy to read.

Yeah that was one thing that struck me when looking through this thread, was that it felt like maybe there were too few hands doing the work for the graphic update. Each race should have it’s own process and it’s own artists working on them, and it feels like that didn’t happen. More like too few people being rushed way too much and working on too many assets, because a lot of the things that use to make the races look unique look really samey now.

If it’s F2P, or gets included with our subs somehow I might try it. From what I can tell so far, it’s a standalone game, so it’ll be interesting to see what all is included.

[IndraSyngiwyb]

Bump so it doesn't get buried.

[Rikizza]

Thank you! Sometimes I feel crazy being one of the few people talking about this when those eyebrow changes are just so, SO extreme...

I don't know, should I start a thread petitioning specifically for a change to Face 2's eyebrows? If it really is intentional, they won't change it unless enough people speak up saying they don't like it.


Even the CC icon of the face option still has a curve and a softness to it...

Yess make that thread if you want i will support it^-^
And also the icon picture still having the old brows baffles me, and they looked so much better before. Some changes made in this update was so wierd. Sadness :c

[MediocreIndigo]

Just now, I noticed something weird with the mouth on face 2 female Au Ra. Under specific lighting (like inside an inn room), the shape of the mouth looks like it did before the graphics update, but in other lighting, it looks different. What's up with that? I'd like it if it looked like the old shape all the time.

[Argantaelle]

I have a feeling that they did correct smiles to some extent; it seems like they put the corners of the mouth when smiling a little bit lower. Some of my friends noticed that smiles improved for many race/gender combinations.

[Router]

I am once again posting a JP Midlander Face 1 comparison pic. Credits to the person on the JP forum who originally posted it.

EW on the left, DT 7.1 on the right. Should speak for itself...