So... Aiko 9...
I see Aiko 9 and think cool finally released her for G9... Only to find out that she is premier only... lame.
NOW I have questions.
Is this the only Aiko 9? or is there a regular release Aiko9 that is not toonified out the wazoo? You know like every other Aiko? Because if not that is, again... lame
If this version is the only version of Aiko 9 ever that will be released, her being premier only pretty much screws anyone who can't or won't do premier. I for one am NOT happy about this, I mean come on I can understand secondary character shapes like the dark elf shape, but a base character? I know that a lot of people were waiting on Aiko 9 to drop and now quite a few of them are irritated, because now if they want Aiko they have to go premier but many don't want to have to deal with renting content. I know I don't. I mean I plan on doing premier at some point, but not until my 13 months of + runs out. And when I DO try it I am not even sure that I will even bother downloading any of the rented content because I don't want to have to deal with the stuff turning itself or/deleting itself from my library if/when I have to stop premier. I think it would have been better to instead of making stuff premier only and taking it away if you let it lapse and not selling it to anyone at all, keep doing what you are doing, but sell it as well so that people who want it can get it and people who don't want to deal with the renting content thing can make it so they don't lose what they want to keep.
I am pretty sure this will be ignored by DAZ because their beancounters think they have a winner of an idea (nonexistant eyeroll emoji), but I had to rant a bit because I am irritated.
Comments
Given that they subscription locked the equally awaited Mesh Grabber 4.0, it's not surprising that now base characters are coming out subscription locked.
It's Aiko 9 Anime to be exactly. Not sure if there's an Aiko 9 Classic ?
Yeah, that irritated me too.
I am hoping that the anime thing here is not the only version of Aiko there will be.
Aiko 9 released as it is, not impressive. Not as good of a model as Vicky 9 and not nearly as many materials. I'd say if you have Vicky 9 and for some reason were considering subbing to Premier to get the Aiko 9 release today (doubt there' many), pass on it.
yeah, I noticed we're not seeing a thread full of renders for Aiko 9, like we'd usually get. I don't even think she's shown up in the Filatoon threads, and some folks'd dash off a render in seconds if they felt like it. For that matter, I don't think I've seen any with the dark elf either.
After messing around with Aiko, I can see the difference when I compare her to Vicky. Aiko will give you another anime eye style for some variety. She's taller, too. I'm never been a huge fan of the Daz anime characters so I'll admit I've been biased. Here's a side by side render.
If it helps, they do give you free time as Premier for your remaining balance of Plus. I wound up with like eleven months of free Premier until they start charging. An annual plan would be nice too.
For right now, I can't even find Aiko Anime 9, even with my DAZ instance logged in to my account. It's not showing up in Smart Content > Figures at all, at least as of last night. Did it just unlock this morning and someone jumped the gun on the announcement?
Dark Elf is a bit... odd. I'd rather just mess with dials to achieve the same effect.
Wouldn't know. Not gonna let it download and I don't have the energy to set up another PC with a limited library to look at it while keeping it from contaminating my main setup.
Dark Elf is pretty well endowed. O_O; She has never seen her feet when standing up.
Attached is a picture and another one I did with Aiko. She's definitely growing on me. Note-I didn't morph Dark Elf Vicky at all, just added makeup.
Edit-Replaced the Dark Elf picture. Completely messed up the lighting.
Yeah but what you get offered sepends on what you paid for the + time you currently have, I bought mine on a discounted sale so they only want to give me 2 months for my 13 months so yeah not happening.
Aside from the Premier imprisonment, I do like Aiko 9's look. She is the "best-looking" Genesis Aiko. Aiko 3 was clearly the cartoony 1990s moé-styled anime girl. Aiko 4 was also moé but not as much as A3. Then A5 onwards looked like the "realistic" JRPG/Final Fantasy characters.
For G9, there's been other base/core figures that fill in the "realistic anime" niche, so Aiko 9 has come back to the beginning of what she originally was. But her anime style is more modern/2000s onwards, instead of 90s.
I downloaded Aiko and tried to put iray character materials on her and nothing worked, she just stayed as a clay character. Then I went to dial her in to another G9 character to try that way, and she didn't show up in the shape tab. Can we not mix these premier only characters into others? Can we put regular skins on them?
Do you have the Genesis 9 Toon Essential Shapes Bundle? If you do, dunno why it won't work.
I don't have Premier so can't answer your questions, but I've had a Iray surfaces display bug in the viewport during Studio sessions that included earlier Filament renders. Can't say if that's the cause and I don't know if you're seeing something similar on your machine, but it's not a problem with the scene and a restart restores normal viewport behaviour. Probably worth a go.
You could use Content Directory manager to set up an alternative content directory set, with its own database, and install just the bare minimum for trying out/playing with the exclusive content.
Yes, I asked and this is apaprently the equivalent of Aiko 9 base.
Vicky 9, Elf Vicky 9 and even base G9 toon looks more 'Aiko(ish)' than aiko 9.
The issue there is that it'd be running on the same machine that's connected to the rest of my library, and I'd rather not mess around with the content database as the last time I did that it ended up destroying my smart content and requiring a wipe and reload of my library. I've already had to wipe and reload once this month, I really don't want to risk having to do it again.
It's just safer and easier to install a whole separate installation on another PC and try it out there if I get really curious. Since the content is Filatoon-based, I don't need a powerful Nvidia card to try it out.
KInda sad there won't be an Aiko 9 bundle.
That exactly captures my sentiment towards "Daz Connect". At the moment the extra-content is not worth the potential bother, and I doubt it ever will be.
Figures. So damned much disappointment this month...
If I said what I really think of this decision, my post would be deleted. So I'll just say this to everyone involved in the decision: "Your new business model is bad, and you should feel bad."
I'm not marginally interested in any of the new Filatoon content or Aiko 9 at the moment, but when I read that she would only be available with an active Premier subscription, I felt bad for the many diehard Aiko devotees. Decisions like these weaken and even break bonds of loyalty.
IMO, this seems an awful lot like they're trying to push DAZ to a subscription service.
Well, Daz + was always a better deal than just having the free program. But with them releasing content behind the service is creating a bigger problem. I feel like if you DO release content behind a subscription it needs to be really good and needs to be properly listed to showcase it. After all, if you want someone to sub to use it, it better be a product valued enough to continue buying.
I think they should sell these special shapes to everyone for a normal fee but Premiere members get to use them free as long as they are members. If their membership lapses then they can buy the character like everyone else maybe with an added discount. This way Daz can make money off everyone who wants to buy the shapes and customers who want to buy it won't be frustrated. It's not benefitting anyone keeping the content behind a paywall.
I am a premier Member and I got Aiko 9, but to be honest, I am not sure if I ever want to render those Anime style characters, they are not really toon.
I do not get how the outline works, and it all is alien to me, but then, maybe once I figured it all out, it grows on me.
Personally, I would have preferred a none Anime Aiko 9.