The Emperor's New Shield

In this game, I'm perfectly capable of taking off my shield and going through a normal rotation without any wonky animations or strange looking movements. Things like casting Bulwark or Sheltron still look fine, and IMO pretty great without a shield on that other arm.

Furthermore, the animations for Shield Swipe and Shield Bash would look amazing without a shield. It would look as if I'm power back-handing enemies right in the mouth; and then they're stunned. How is that not amazing?

Please SE, give PLDs everywhere an Emperor's New Shield off-hand gear.

Sidenote: It would also fix a TON of clipping issues I get with some outfits; which harshly enrages my OCD.

This topic has been brought up several times in the past.

The most recent official response is the following:

From a World setting and story perspective, not having a visible shield would mean that you couldn't use shield bash or shield lob, and as such we have no plans to introduce an "Emperor's New Shield." However, we may be able to make a small shield so that it doesn't stand out too much, so we will look into that.

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Originally Posted by Ashelia_Ferron

This topic has been brought up several times in the past.

The most recent official response is the following:

From a World setting and story perspective, not having a visible shield would mean that you couldn't use shield bash or shield lob, and as such we have no plans to introduce an "Emperor's New Shield." However, we may be able to make a small shield so that it doesn't stand out too much, so we will look into that.

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I can't be the only person who is thoroughly unsatisfied with that reason. Can we instead keep clamoring for invisible shields rather than a single glove sized shield which everyone has to use to achieve a pseudo-effect?

I am not a PLD yet but did anyone tried to do shield bash without the shield equipment?

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Originally Posted by Hrimfaxi

I am not a PLD yet but did anyone tried to do shield bash without the shield equipment?

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You need a shield equipped to do any of the skills with "shield" in the name. Were you to remove the shield, the animation would consist of a clenched fist back-handed right into an enemy's chops. It would be awesome.

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Originally Posted by Destous

You need a shield equipped to do any of the skills with "shield" in the name. Were you to remove the shield, the animation would consist of a clenched fist back-handed right into an enemy's chops. It would be awesome.

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So you want to use your fists instead of a sword and shield? There's a class and Job already for that.

Seriously though, the development team have made it quite clear why they will not be giving an 'invisible shield' glamour, and no amount of player complaining about it will change their minds. And I'm actually glad they're sticking to their guns about this, as whenever they buckle to stupid player demands simply to keep players happy is when the game ultimately suffers for it.

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

So you want to use your fists instead of a sword and shield? There's a class and Job already for that.

Seriously though, the development team have made it quite clear why they will not be giving an 'invisible shield' glamour, and no amount of player complaining about it will change their minds. And I'm actually glad they're sticking to their guns about this, as whenever they buckle to stupid player demands simply to keep players happy is when the game ultimately suffers for it.

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What part of the game suffers from glamour changes?

Specifically? The constant demand by players to unlock glamour restrictions regardless of Job/class - the reason for these restrictions is the same reason shields will not have an 'invisible' option. That the type of armour a class or Job can wear identifies that class or Job, especially Artifact Armour which is specifically designed to represent that Job's traditional appearance from past FF games. Mages wearing heavy tank armour for instance would completely destroy that.

To that end, a shield pretty much identifies you as a PLD, it's the Job's very icon after all. Remove that shield, even by making it invisible, and what are you then? A PLD's image is a knight wielding a sword and shield. This is how the Armoury System is set up, your class and Job are identified by your weapon, that's how it has always been even in the original version of FFXIV and that is how it will always be.

I'm sorry if I sounded cranky about this, but I'm kinda of passionate about PLD and actually like how it is portrayed and do not feel this sort of change would be for the better. :)

Shield bash without a shield would be awesome, Paladin Backhand!

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Originally Posted by Destous

What part of the game suffers from glamour changes?

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Do you want an invisible sword too? Its only glamour changes. I've said this time and again, the animations will look so bad with an invisible shield because they aren't designed with it in mind

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Originally Posted by Lambdafish

Do you want an invisible sword too? Its only glamour changes. I've said this time and again, the animations will look so bad with an invisible shield because they aren't designed with it in mind

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They'll look fine. It's not like it'll lead to bacon elbows and weird angles. It would literally be a back-handed fist bash.

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Originally Posted by Destous

They'll look fine. It's not like it'll lead to bacon elbows and weird angles. It would literally be a back-handed fist bash.

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Which goes against the entire lore/point of the job, SHIELD lob, SHIELD bash, SHIELD swipe, SHIELD oath. Getting rid of the shield causes a lot of problems when it comes to the job making sense. How can you lob a shield if you don't have a shield (glamour wise)? MNKs get away with it, because any reference to their weapon refers to "fists". The official devs response is they may consider a smaller shield, but not an invisible one, and I agree with them.

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Originally Posted by Lambdafish

Which goes against the entire lore/point of the job, SHIELD lob, SHIELD bash, SHIELD swipe, SHIELD oath. Getting rid of the shield causes a lot of problems when it comes to the job making sense. How can you lob a shield if you don't have a shield (glamour wise)? MNKs get away with it, because any reference to their weapon refers to "fists". The official devs response is they may consider a smaller shield, but not an invisible one, and I agree with them.

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That's an incredibly weak argument. I'm currently dressed up as a pirate on my PLD. Since when are pirates divine warriors of light? At another point, I was a chocobo DRK; since when are chocobo cosplayers wielders of dark energy? It just makes no sense, right?

I don't buy it.

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Originally Posted by Destous

That's an incredibly weak argument. I'm currently dressed up as a pirate on my PLD. Since when are pirates divine warriors of light? At another point, I was a chocobo DRK; since when are chocobo cosplayers wielders of dark energy? It just makes no sense, right?

I don't buy it.

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ok, but your cosplay doesn't have anything to do with your skills, which was my argument, this isn't about swapping your armor for a coat and eyepatch, this is about removing a piece of gear that is integral to paladin both lore wise, and more importantly, mechanically.

Shield Lob > Enemy, "What the hell just hit me ?!?!?"

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Originally Posted by Lambdafish

ok, but your cosplay doesn't have anything to do with your skills, which was my argument, this isn't about swapping your armor for a coat and eyepatch, this is about removing a piece of gear that is integral to paladin both lore wise, and more importantly, mechanically.

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I posit that the PLD shield is more metaphoric than literal. Bam, now it's perfectly sensible.

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Originally Posted by Destous

I posit that the PLD shield is more metaphoric than literal. Bam, now it's perfectly sensible.

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Yeah... Shield lob and shield swipe sound very metaphorical, rather than the actions of lobbing and swiping with a shield... And apparently my argument is weak...

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Originally Posted by Lambdafish

Yeah... Shield lob and shield swipe sound very metaphorical, rather than the actions of lobbing and swiping with a shield... And apparently my argument is weak...

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My point is that the argument you're behind isn't any stronger than my own. It's all subjective. Yet, you kibosh the idea immediately.

I don't see why the animations looking silly ought to be a problem, considering the rampant clipping issues the game already has, and the devs apparently have no intention of fixing because they'd rather just add more and more badly-made content than make what we already have look good? Seriously, as a male Miqo'te, my tail clips through literally every robe or longish coat in the game, even the ones that actually have holes to accomodate the tail; why are we worried about things not looking quite right?

If the players want it, they should give it to them, and if it looks silly to you, you can deal with it the same way people who are really bothered by clipping deal; by not glamouring that specific item.

i am guilty of removing my paladin shield when i do some fights, because i look much cooler without a huge ass shield, of which there are only a few ingame that even appeal to me.so i cant shield lob or shield swipe/bash. i rarely used those things anyway. and its not like the shield is any sort of useful mitigation outside of bulwark lol. not everything, of course, just facerull stuff like VA or alex normal


im in full support of this empereors shield, lore reasons can simply go away as this game breaks lore so many times with its game mechanics lol

It's all about identity yo! I mean, can you name a game that let a Paladin wield a mighty staff of damage mitigation and use a skill of shadows to clone himself with, noting the fact that that skill is derived of a person from the deep dark shadows, all of which detracts from the "identity" of a paladin!!! Good luck!!!


Wait...bad example...no post button! Don't do it!!!!

Love how idiots keep making strawman arguments about this.
Hurrr durrr duz u wun indivisble soord and speer tu hurr durrrr
Get outta here with that b.s.. People are asking for invisible shield. No one said swords. And literally nothing changes animation wise. SE's excuse isnt an excuse at all. Just a cop out.

Garo introduced an invisible shield. It is available for wolf marks and MGP.

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Originally Posted by Nhisso

Love how idiots keep making strawman arguments about this.
Hurrr durrr duz u wun indivisble soord and speer tu hurr durrrr
Get outta here with that b.s.. People are asking for invisible shield. No one said swords. And literally nothing changes animation wise. SE's excuse isnt an excuse at all. Just a cop out.

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1. This thread is over a year old.
2. There's already an invisible shield you can use for glamour from the Garo event.

Garo shield from wolves den pier garo vendor is invisible