I never have played :ffvstr:, but am a long time fan of :ff:, and I'm wondering if there's something quite different in the lighting conditions in the newer game. I know the meshes are brighter in the newer game, but beyond that there is something I've been seeing on skins that I don't understand: characters that are being skinned as if the characters have LEDs embedded under their skin. There will be a character skinned with what, if they were static images, would be dramatic highlighting and shadow, but since once the game engine has started animating them things just look weird.
e.g. If a bright light is striking the top of someone's bicep when they're "idle", if that character throws an uppercut then during the uppercut the light won't be striking the bicep - the bicep is shadowed by the rest of the arm. If the bicep stays strongly lit no matter how it moves in respect to the light source this makes the highlights look painted on or lit from within.
I know in the original FF if a character were to run under a street light or through a dark alley, the skin would actually lighten or darken accordingly. Is this something that was taken out in :ffvstr: so that the dramatic highlights don't look as funky in motion?
It's just a stylistic choice on the skinners' part. I think a lot of them just want to make their skins look as cool and dramatic as possible, and don't necessarily take into account what they will look like in motion. Can't say it really bothers me, but I probably spend more time admiring skins in the Character Tool than I do actually playing the game. ;)
My character tool is extremely shakey. It tends to lock up a lot.
I think because the characters will be in motion, there is a tendency for some skinners to use "sculptural light", which looks as though each muscle is highlighted in the center and the light fades out toward the edges. At times it looks more dynamic, too.
Me, I use whatever looks best to me.
FFvsTR actually has WAY BETTER lighting than the original. And gosh, once I found out how to create and place my own lights I used it to full effect in the very few maps I ever made (only two of which I released).
Any weird skin things you've noticed is, as explained, skinner's preference.
For me personally it a stylistic. I like the high contrast bright colors, glossy sheen of my skins. It gives them character and more importantly (to me at least) distinction. A lot of older skins of mine look washed out and bland in comparison. I guess in some ways it is like skinning clothing - you add the folds and lines to create an illusion of fabric - for me it ultimately give the skin more depth.