I can see where the thread starter is going with this and I wholeheartedly agree.
While the gear and weapons should look functional I don't want it to copy realism to a tee. This is a video game, a fantasy one at that. It is alright to take liberties with design so as long as it fits the FF14 style.
Most importantly, I'd like to see a good use of color. Color can make or break an image, a sculpture, even a game. However, properly used color can enrich it.
Remember SE, brown and gray does not equal real.
