Oh damn, i really thought this was over, but here we go.
Dear @Mercury, Criticism is supposed to be taken, that's true, but not all kinds of criticism.
I've gotten some criticism that I can perfectly get behind, and I've even upvoted some of the critique i've gotten - your first comment included. Or Dragonpixel who constructively said that he'd avoid using pillow shading along with some other things.
The type of criticism that I cannot take seriously is the aggressive type. Pretty much all form of criticism that comes from "a higher place" - that has nothing good to say about your work and simply tells you what to change.
Now remember, I've shared this rig here for people to see and use for themselves, not for the forum to pick "what's wrong with it".
Don't get me wrong, with all your help, I was able to find a bunch of things I didn't like about the rig myself and I've changed that. I wouldn't have been able to find those things on my own, so thanks for that.
But I'm the one who owns the rig and I'm the one who gets to change it. And there are a bunch of things on it that i prefer to keep the way they are - for instance: I don't like the cartoony feel you get when you put the pupils together; i want to keep them apart as it doesn't make my character look like a child. That's 100% a personal preference and I have all the right to keep it that way. If you like the pupils closer together, then move them there yourself and use it like that in your animations, there's nothing stopping you. But I'd like to keep the original pupils the way they are.
That's not "deflecting criticism", that's simply "having a preference" - and I really feel like this place needs to be more aware of it.
Simply put - if you don't like it, that doesn't mean I MUST change it. I've made the rig for myself and shared it in case anyone wants to use it. That doesn't give anyone here the authority for changes.
As far as the textures go, I agree, they're not really the best textures in the world - as I'm no texture artist. But on the other hand, I really don't see the big issue this place is making of it. I don't think they're THAT bad, they feel pretty alright to me. If you're referring to the face, when you mention pillow shading, then yes, at some point I'll probably make it more obvious that that's a beard. If you're referring to the "noise texture sweater", that's the real life sweater pattern, it's supposed to look that way. If you're referring to the rest of the clothing on other rigs, I honestly don't see the big issue. Not saying it's professional, but I'm also not saying it's in desperate need of fixing.
Sometimes in this forum it feels like that certain techniques (like pillow shading) are targeted, simply because people say it's bad, not because it was actually that awfully unappealing to watch - as I've said, I agree the textures could be better, but I dont think it's as bad as this place is making of it.
And I feel like i need to clarify that I'm not attacking you, or defending myself, or being arrogant or any of that stuff, I'm simply expressing the way I feel about the situation. Thank you again for your input and feedback, but I honestly don't feel like I'm deflecting criticism, I simply like things the way they are and don't share your preferred style.