Add Visual Differences to High Quality Gear

[Rentahamster]

A small request, but it would be nice to add in some kind of a visual indicator so that it's obvious a player is wearing HQ gear. It would add variety and give another layer of value to HQ items.

Perhaps extra decorations, or a shinier finish, or some kind of subtle glow, or color change, whatever.

Right now it's a bit of a hassle to have to "check" everyone just to see what quality of gear they have on.

[Rentahamster]

Here's a quick example that I just thought of:

Dodore Doublet: looks the same as it does now.

Dodore Doublet +1: Tiny Dodore wings sprout from the back

Dodore Doublet +2: Medium Dodore wings sprout from the back

Dodore Doublet +3: Large Dodore wings sprout from the back, and the character has a subtle, purplish haze around their body (like the purple fog Dodore spawn condition in Mor Dhona).

[Wynn]

This is a great idea! It would also make me more interested in synthing HQ items. Currently I just don't see much point to it. It is nice when it happens, but I rarely try for it.

[WilyKat]

I think this idea is great from an aethetics(sp?) point of view. It seems to me like this would be a huge undertaking for modeling and system resources- and I can't realistically see it happening.

[Rentahamster]

I think this idea is great from an aethetics(sp?) point of view. It seems to me like this would be a huge undertaking for modeling and system resources- and I can't realistically see it happening.

aesthetics*

Yeah, it might take some time to add in the differences, but I'll be a nice touch. They don't even have to be that elaborate. Didn't the HQ Dream Tunic in FF11 have just like, some extra buttons or something?

Anyway, as for performance, that's why I was just thinking about certain size variable changes so that the gear can share the same models, but just have various parts be different sizes, or have certain flourishes be repeated more often or be a different color or something.

Just like how the monsters are larger. It's the same monster model as before. They just changed a variable to make them look bigger.

[Black_Rose]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc0il...tailpage#t=59s

i've been wondering why we didn't have this since the beginning.
they seem to have a big lineup of equipment with slightly different visuals, they could easily make it so HQ's use those models, yet they rather add new armor that almost looks like the one you had 20 levels earlier, but with shoulderpads/or a closed visor :/

[Rentahamster]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc0il...tailpage#t=59s

i've been wondering why we didn't have this since the beginning.
they seem to have a big lineup of equipment with slightly different visuals, they could easily make it so HQ's use those models, yet they rather add new armor that almost looks like the one you had 20 levels earlier, but with shoulderpads/or a closed visor :/

Wow, that's really neat! So many cool variations of gear! Why is it that we have nothing like that in-game now? ; ;

And yes, I think that if what the video said is accurate and that such variety can be enabled without additional asset strain, it's a no-brainer to implement. I mean, looking at the video, all they gotta do is move around a few sliders, and you can get totally new looks.

Right now, the problem with (non-weapon, non-tool, non-tank armor) HQ gear is that

1. The boosted stats are irrelevant and useless to the player

2. They look exactly the same as their NQ counterparts.

I'd suggest that they devs see which issue would take less time and effort to resolve and do that one first. Either way, improving HQ gear in even one of those areas would make the process of HQing gear MUCH more worthwhile.

[Lionix]

You can see from XI that S-E's MO on armor and monsters is (and certainly will be) to re-re-re-re-use models and pallet swap. That being said, I've always praised XI's armor for it's level of intricate detail, which just got better and better over there years. Now, all they'd need to do to make HQ noticeable and (somehow. I swear! It works!) desirable is turn just one of those layers of detail they hide (as shown on the video) and give it a lighter shade color than the one being used on the armor itself. For example, black armor? Turn on a few little details and make 'em gray. Brown armor? How about making the details right there darker brown, or lighter?

The Dragoon Artifact Armor set compared to the Dragoon Relic Armor set (FFXI) would be a great example of this, granted, I am aware that they did add some small extra details in there (they generally do), but just taking some of the existent details on current armors and giving it a different colors should serve the purpose, and be relatively "easier" than making all kinds of new effects.

I am not one for wings and glows, that's why I play This not That, and it never felt like this world's direction to begin with. But with the current situation, the change of team and the fact that money talks (it's still a business, y'know) and copying from There would certainly be profitable (even if it hurts us all to admit it), I'd understand if they went that way (and cry myself to sleep). C'est la vie.

[Zaran_Akikaze]

I think this would be a really good idea. But it would seem like a big overhaul. I'm not too sure about sprouting things from the gear, but perhaps the design layers. Where a piece of armor is very bland, but each tier of HQ adds more color and design to it. Say a shield is just plain silver, but as each HQ it begins to have engravings and markings.

[Rentahamster]

I think this would be a really good idea. But it would seem like a big overhaul.

Well, according to that "Polygon Shaving" video that Black Rose posted, it shouldn't be all that hard to implement. (assuming that the video is not a cake, and thus, a lie)