Would you want the hardest raids to drop vanity gear instead of useable gear?

[Azurymber]

Imagine that instead of having elite gear drop from the hardest raids that only hardcore players can manage, rare vanity gear drops instead.

Casual players and semi-hardcore players will still get a chance at all the end game gear and content that way, but SE can create really difficult raids for the hardcore players that give them vanity gear.

And by vanity gear i mean gear that you wear over whatever armor you have. Some high-demand examples may be:

• angel wings
• cute moogle wings
• dresses
• tuxedos
• demon armor
• magitek armor
• Garlean judge armor
• Goblin costume
• Ixali costume
• etc

They could either do it so you equip the gear and it is diplayed instead of your main gear, or create scrolls that let you enchant any item in the game to make it look like the corresponding scroll's gear. So you could you're favourite tri-materia'd haubergeon but make it look like garlean judge armor.

Could also add in little special things like if you wear and ixali costume they won't agro you. Or if you wear a Garlean judge armor random Garlean npc's will kneel when you walk past.

This would create a seriously strong incentive to do the challenging endgame content, while allowing all players to take part in the "game play."

[DexterityJones]

if I see a goddamn set of wings in this game........

[Konachibi]

I WOULD TOTALLY DEVOTE MY LIFE TO RAIDING FOR A DRESS AND A PAIR OF MOOGLE WINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!

GIVE NAOW!!!!!!!! >.<

I genuinely would XD

It's like, atm Ren is my little barbie doll, Konata makes clothes I think would look good on her, then I get an LS friend to pass over the clothes and see what looks good on her. Her current outfit (the blue one with the puffy sleeves in the sig) is something like her 4th or 5th costume!

[Sophia]

ooh angel wings gimme NAO!!!!
yeah i wouldnt mind seeing something like that added or dare i say a "back slot" for said wings or a visable cape you could twirl around you dramaticly as you start an adventure... would go well with riding a chocobo with it streaming in the wind behind you...
i want a cape so bad ... also angel wings

[weeble]

that would be like saying half the hardcore even do the seasonal events for crappy cosmetics. i can't talk for anyone but as much as i'd go for 1 of all of them ...it's not really a worthy adventure. i'd never buy a costume dlc for a game, and i don't think i will ever care to much bout anything but progression. soon as it stops i don't have a erg anymore to do it. though the fact that it's been put in the game freely rather then try charge extra for it i'd probably seek it out. but not for a replacement for endgame gear and contents.

[Gath_Iroku]

Really like the scroll idea, would distinguish hardcore players right away (not a hardcore player, but would be cool to see). Still rooting for a "back" slot for gear too.

[Eugenics]

Yeh sounds great, spend days or weeks to obtain some queer sailers outfit and let the crafting bots make the best gear.

[Azurymber]

it would also be like a status symbol and help generate economic activity if you made them sell-able and put a gil sink cost into doing the raid.

I'm not saying it should replace all end-game. Just the hardest stuff. Like FFXIV's "nidhogg." Stuff that only 5% of the server might be able to pull off. Or stuff that requires really really hardcore investment. I'm sure not everyone would be into it but people pay $100s to score the elite vanity gear in free MMOs so I think they would be enough incentive for people to do those activities. The elites could be elite and separate themselves. And i think some items should be -REALLY- rare. Like maybe a really nice pair of wings only drops once every 4 months or so. Or like a judge helmet is a rare drop off an absolute virtue type of mob.

It could actually be integrated to improve the game. If FFXIV included a linkshell or personal company "points" page that allowed all leaders to record points, leave comments as to what they are, view changes, etc... they would create an incentive for linkshells to use a point system for vanity gear, and thus an incentive for the elite to constantly help other ls members get the meaningful gear in order to rack up points to get that shiny judge helm or moogle pom pm.

edit:
I also want to point out, one thing that made a lot of ppl want to play FFXI was AF 1 and 2 armor. So many people i knew just played DRG for that shiny purple armor even when it became loldrg.
Being able to wear cool looking gear just makes the game special for a lot of people.

[Pulseczar]

This is truly precious, but no! The vanity gear you listed is just tacky and amplifies your already poor sense of taste.

However, I wouldn't mind vanity gear that actually falls in line with the game's superb art direction.

[Chardrizard]

Having wings will destroy my immersion.