Entire thread is retarded except this guy >>715974037

The problem with OP image is NOT "the raised ring could have been a normal map." That's up to the developer. It doesn't really matter, it's not that many triangles for modern hardware.
The problem is "the I and the O on the flat face of the button are made of triangles." The symbols on the buttons are modeled.
The I and the O are not higher or lower than the surface around them. They do not need to be polgyons at all, in any circumstance real or imaginary, since a game was first textured some time in the early 80's. They could be a fucking PNG with no mapping and still look right. Modeling the symbols on the flat button faces is utter madness, the mistake of an artist who has absolutely zero comprehension of what they're trying to do, and only the most basic understanding of the tools they're using.

Also, I work in industrial automation and while the green start button being recessed is correct, the red stop button should be raised so you can palm slap it in a panic.