Final Fantasy 14—a game that itself received a complete 2.0 revamp—will get a 2.0 version of the preview benchmark tool for its upcoming expansion, Dawntrail. History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
Why? Well, FF14 is having a massive graphics overhaul for its 7.0 update. This isn't just a few new shaders slapped onto an ailing engine, it's a complete remodelling of the world's characters (akin to World of Warcraft's revamp during Warlords of Draenor) as well as various lighting systems.
The benchmark uses this graphical revamp, so it's the first time players have been able to see their transformed Warriors of Light. And while community outrage over some model updates does seem a touch over-the-top, I do think FF14 attaches you to your player character more than other MMOs—especially since it's a pretty alt-unfriendly game.
In a recent blog post on the game's website, game director Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P) has promised that the benchmark tool will be overhauled so players can rest easy: «While we have received positive feedback and reactions from players, we have also seen others express their concerns. Therefore, I would like to share the current situation regarding these factors.»
First up, players have been worried about the «lifeless» eyes and various oddities in the character creator. Yoshida explains that, «although [the character creator] used the same processes as the actual game, certain aspects (such as weather) were combined to create special conditions exclusive to character creation … its light sources take advantage of backlighting which, in this case, proved detrimental for showcasing the upcoming graphical update.»
As this player points out on the game's subreddit, even just rotating your character to face the sun changes things considerably.
«We are currently expediting a rework of the environments and light sources of character creation for both the actual game and the benchmark; once that is complete, the current benchmark will be
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Naoki Yoshida