The glamour system is awful. We deserve an overhaul.

[ZhaneX]

It's not perfect, but it's better than no glamour at all. As for restrictions on gear, restrictions are necessary for AF and Job-specific gear at least, because that is the whole purpose of AF in the first place! It's meant to emulate the traditional appearance of that Job in past FF games (like a WHM's traditional appearance is a white robe or clothing tinged in red triangles, a BLM's traditional appearance is a dark blue or black robe with a yellow witch's hat and stripy pants, DRG's traditional appearance is purple draconic armour etc).

Allowing another Job or class to equip it, even for glamour, completely throws that whole idea out the window. Which is why the glamour system has Job restrictions on it. Given that Yoshi stated this ages ago it shows he's pretty firm on this subject (and rightly so), so I do not see that changing at all.

That isn't the point of contention though. The point is that, because of those restrictions, along with the fact that a piece of gear can only have 1 appearance glamoured on it, if you use Artifact Gear for Glamour, you will lose the ability to have a unique glamour for at least one other Job. The system as-is forces you to pick and choose. Most don't want to be able to look like a Bard as a Machinist, but they would like to have a glamour for their Bard without leaving their Machinist out to dry. As of 4.0, the only Job that will not share gear with another will be Dragoon.

This extends, to a lesser extent, to just the concept of wanting to have different aesthetics for different Jobs. The Wrangler's Set for example looks perfect for a Machinist, but few would find it fitting for a Bard.

[Cidel]

This:

...the ability to have unique glamours on a Per Job / Class basis, even if using the same base gear. That's it.

this:

The thing I wish they WOULD fix is job specific glam for any shared jobs(tank/healer) being ruined if you try to play multiple roles. I wanna be able glam AF3 for PLD, AF3 for DRK and AF3 for WAR on one higher ilvl gearset(such as thr Omega set).

and especially this:

People need to stop asking about a Glamour Log or whatever. It got brought up again today at E3... So maybe instead of clinging to the notion and bringing it up at every opportunity, we should instead try asking the developers on what their take on a better system might be?

Seriously, the glamour log question was already asked in reddit's 2017 PAX interview, did we need to ask it again here at E3's live letter instead of being a little more prudent with a precious question and finding out if maybe its more plausible to let glamour on separate jobs sharing the same gear look different or something?

I'd like a glamour log too, but asking about it at every other interview only a few months apart is nothing short of nagging them. I shudder to think our 1st post-Stormblood Live Letter is going to have a question asking: "so about that glamour log/ achievement log..."

[Waliel]

Yoshi P said today they didn't want to do glamor log book because it would make save files bigger and they are constantly rewriting the save file every time you do zone or do something which would tax the servers too much.

And it's probably the worst way possible to handle this. It always baffles me how the reason not to do something is basically "we do full character dumps and backups every five seconds, so it would tax the servers too much." I'm not sure if it's because of some underlying 1.0 stuff, and they don't want to rewrite their whole code, but there is no reason for it to work like that. You don't need full syncs every few minutes or when you change zones; incremental backups and log files exist for a reason.

My favourite bollocks excuse is that we can't have server side keybinds and UI, because there would be too much extra traffic. I guess loading them on login and saving them on logout is too much traffic. If your local config differs from server at login, the game asks which one you want to keep. Or add a button to do that manually. Even less traffic used.

Would it be possible to only write to the glamor log file if a change occurs that effects the glamor log such as getting a new piece of gear. Otherwise do not write to this file when changing zones or other stuff that causes a full save file rewrite.

The glamour book/log/whatever could be done with an NPC that you have to access from the retainer bell or something. Add new looks by "selling" your gear to the guy and then save it to the server if any new gear was added, and the server never ever touches it unless you talk to the NPC. There, traffic and server stress would be the same or less than retainers. Or maybe a text file that lists one string per row weighs too much and they will run out of space.

[Kitfox]

The problem with glamour log is most likely how the item/gear data is saved because the inventory system was not designed with glamour log in mind. That means the glamour data is probably attached to the base item data, which means that just getting glamour data comes with a large amount of unneeded parameters for all the other values the item has. That results in massive amounts of unnecessary data being moved around, just to get to that one part designating appearance, which in turn results in the glamour log not being a feasible option at the moment.

Changing a core system that the whole game is built on basically requires redesigning the whole thing, and that takes time and resources. It's like trying to change the foundation of a house after the house is already built, you don't just take it out, in the case of FFXIV the house is more like a skyscraper too. All the other systems depend on the foundation so it's not easy to change it.

If a glamour log was suggested 7 years ago when they started making the core item system, I'm sure we could have it, but since that wasn't relevant at the time, the current core system is not flexible enough for it.

[Yeol]

We have lots of issues with our servers, it seriously needs a big upgrade. Also, the coding is holding so many features back.

[Zojha]

The problem with glamour log is most likely how the item/gear data is saved because the inventory system was not designed with glamour log in mind.

Well, WoW didn't get their version of a glamour log until... how many expansions in? When the system was concepted, they didn't even have glamour in mind, let alone a glamour log.

It's probably not the only game that successfully implemented it either.

Personally, I still think the only real limitation is the fear of reduced retainer sales. But if I am right, we will never know, because nobody would ever be crazy enough to admit "that".

[usalia]

Problem is that now there onlly dragoon that can have a glam as he got gear he dont share. If you play healer or tank you super fucked. I hate my war looking like drk and drk like war. Why cant glam per class be a thing?

[usalia]

This is just terrible in so many ways I don't even know where to begin...

You just have a hard one for yoshi.
Say why you think itsa bad.

[Aylis]

Personally, I still think the only real limitation is the fear of reduced retainer sales.

I really want to think (and hope, deffo hope) that its less about that due to a past statement by Yoshida where he encouraged people to toss away old glamor they were no longer using. Though it is a possibility that might have something to do with it because after farming or spending millions or due to seasonal items the game throws at you. No one in their right mind would throw anything away.

I really believe coding and space is one of the issues. Under the current games systems, regardless if the graphic is saved or if the item itself is saved. The interface alone would be a nightmare. Tabs for plate type armor, tabs for healer armor, mage armor, bard, ninja, and whatever currant and future roles and architypes the game will bring and a tab for all the level 1 all/all armors. PLUS save slots for role changes. For it to really work at a bare minimal resources all gear types would have to be unchecked and glamorable by all. Something yes I would deffo love, even artifact armor as well, or else were back to tabs for just a few pieces or armor.

However.....This leads into something else I feel is a factor. Based on another of Yoshida's past statements revolving along the lines of he doesn't want healers in plate armor because it would confuse people. I really feel him saying that was just a nice and polite way of saying he doesn't want to take what makes Final Fantasy...Final Fantasy away from the fans. Something I can respect. There's plenty of talk on the forums that seem to allude to this thought. How many fans would cringe is they saw a WHM in DRG armor or a paladin in BLM armor, or how many as stated by a few in this thread even. Want glamor items to be more class specific. The only real feasible way I could see that happening is if the entire armory system was scrapped and every player was locked to one class role. As the other MMO's in this thread have mentioned, then a unlocked glamor catalogue may work.

That's really what I feel goes through Yoshida's mind when this is brought up. Does he create a current and future coding nightmare, does he scrap the armory system and class lock everyone all while taking away what makes to the fans everything that makes Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy all for a glamor catalogue.

*EDIT*
Me personally, I would rather have the armourer taken out of the game and have that space used for a glamor catalogue specifically for the all/all seasonal and level 1 crafted stuffies. Even using the transmog prisims as costs

[Annah]

i'm not trying to troll...but what exactly is wrong with the glamour? I must be living under a rock or something because I don't see anything wrong with it