ELI5: Please explain to me how Glamour works, I can't find anything conclusive onlin

[Seraphor]

I've yet to use the Glamour Dresser, and I don't think I ever will until they make it possible to apply Glamour Plates outside of sanctuaries.

[Iscah]

I've yet to use the Glamour Dresser, and I don't think I ever will until they make it possible to apply Glamour Plates outside of sanctuaries.

I don't quite understand this mindset. Yes, the "enabling multiple job glamours on a single armour set" function of the glamour plates isn't fully working yet, but that's only one part of what it's useful for, and you're missing out on the things it does really well.

If you stick to prisms, you can't ever change the gear appearance in or out of towns without manually reglamouring them. Glamour plates let you do it while in town. It's a net gain.

But the really strong point of the dresser/plate system as it currently exists isn't the switching glamours with jobs, it's reapplying glamours when you update gear.

Any time I upgrade gear - especially while leveling where you might equip lots of new items at once - all I need to do is reapply the glamour plate I set up, and my appearance is straight back to normal within seconds. No messing around with prisms or having to carry the 'glamour set' of items around with me. It's fantastic.

[Brynne]

I've yet to use the Glamour Dresser, and I don't think I ever will until they make it possible to apply Glamour Plates outside of sanctuaries.

You can make plates for your outfits and then remove the gear from the dresser and carry it around for when you need to reglam manually in a pinch. It's not ideal, but it lets you use the (extremely convenient) features of the dresser while still having the flexibility of the manual system.

[Seraphor]

I don't quite understand this mindset. Yes, the "enabling multiple job glamours on a single armour set" function of the glamour plates isn't fully working yet, but that's only one part of what it's useful for, and you're missing out on the things it does really well.

If you stick to prisms, you can't ever change the gear appearance in or out of towns without manually reglamouring them. Glamour plates let you do it while in town. It's a net gain.

But the really strong point of the dresser/plate system as it currently exists isn't the switching glamours with jobs, it's reapplying glamours when you update gear.

Any time I upgrade gear - especially while leveling where you might equip lots of new items at once - all I need to do is reapply the glamour plate I set up, and my appearance is straight back to normal within seconds. No messing around with prisms or having to carry the 'glamour set' of items around with me. It's fantastic.

I dont change my glamours for individual jobs, i have a set BLM glam and DRK glam, etc. So i dont currently burn through prisms that much, i only use them when i upgrade my gear which isnt regularly enough to impact my wallet.

The only issue is when i get RDM up to 70, I'll have two jobs sharing gear, then i will need to use glamour plates. However, if i want to change jobs outside of a sanctuary, which i often do already free of charge and without expending prisms, then i wont be able to without looking like a freaky RDM/BLM/Rakasha hybrid.

[Seraphor]

Is there a good reason why glamourplates cant be used outside of sanctuaries?

[SannaR]

I think the answer was either code or server strain I can't really remember. Course they also said they were going to be working on it, like a lot of other things.

[Seraphor]

I think the answer was either code or server strain I can't really remember. Course they also said they were going to be working on it, like a lot of other things.

I expect it probably has something to do with the storage of glamour plates being held separately, and like retainers are only accessible in towns because having access to all that additional storage in addition to enemies and entire zones would be too much to handle.

Hopefully the dropping of 32bit windows opens the door for this.

[Vahlnir]

Is there a good reason why glamourplates cant be used outside of sanctuaries?

Server Limitations™

[Iscah]

I dont change my glamours for individual jobs, i have a set BLM glam and DRK glam, etc. So i dont currently burn through prisms that much, i only use them when i upgrade my gear which isnt regularly enough to impact my wallet.

I have a set glamour for each job too - and a plate set up for each of those glamours.

There's absolutely no downside to it, especially since they added the ability to remove gear from the dresser.

I don't have to carry those extra sets of gear to have them on hand for glamouring, and it makes applying them quicker and requires less going through menus.

Alternately if you do want to still carry the other gear for prism glamouring in the field...
1. Put it in the dresser.
2. Build your plate.
3. Restore the item.

The copied item remains on the plate, you have your gear piece, and can continue to use prisms when it suits you. BUT you now have the plate as well, and if you're in a town (which you most likely are if you're buying new endgame gear) you can use that instead.

The only issue is when i get RDM up to 70, I'll have two jobs sharing gear, then i will need to use glamour plates. However, if i want to change jobs outside of a sanctuary, which i often do already free of charge and without expending prisms, then i wont be able to without looking like a freaky RDM/BLM/Rakasha hybrid.

The thing there is.... what would you be doing if the plate system didn't exist? Still trying to share gear between your two mages? Making a single glamour that works for both? Equipping one of them in your second-best set of gear so you can apply different glamours to it?

You can still do any of those things, except the dresser will let you apply glamours to it faster.

Changing glamours for shared gearsets is not what the plate system is good at. It could be with some improvements, and it can do it in some situations, but for now its specialty is storing and re-re-reapplying preset appearances to your gear as you acquire it.


For now, if you want to be able to switch jobs in the field, the situation remains the same as it was before the dresser was introduced. You need a glamour that works for both classes, or you compromise on having the best equipment for both jobs.


In my case, I have a caster glamour where most of the pieces work for both summoner and red mage so I can switch in the field when I want to. Amatsu skirt, red True Griffin gloves and brown Gambler's Boots - and just different body pieces with the Lv50 summoner and Lv70 red mage coats. Or if I need to equip my best gear with the 'wrong' class, the Scaevan coat shows instead and that's not too bad either.

I also have a second summoner glamour that doesn't work at all with red mage, but if I feel like wearing it for a dungeon I can just apply it, go play, and return it to the normal "dual purpose" appearance afterwards. It wouldn't be worth doing that with prisms, but the plates make it possible to do that.


I feel like people still have a lot of misgivings over what they expected the glamour dresser to be able to do, versus what it actually does, and does well.

Is there a good reason why glamourplates cant be used outside of sanctuaries?
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I expect it probably has something to do with the storage of glamour plates being held separately, and like retainers are only accessible in towns because having access to all that additional storage in addition to enemies and entire zones would be too much to handle.

It's not "sanctuaries" but cities - specifically those without a surrounding field area on the same map. (eg. Revenant's Toll is a sanctuary, but you can't apply glamours there.)

I assume it's something to do with the game not having to process enemy AI and battle stats while you're in those areas.

Retainers must be a different system though, because they do have summoning bells available at Revenant's Toll.

[Elamys]

I mean all three of my healers have separate glamours for the same gear set and I haven't had any issues unless there's a rare moment where I'm outside of a city and need to change. So it's not like you can't use the dresser for that purpose. It just depends on how much you are leaving the cities. The places you can change in include Limsa, Gridania, Ul'dah, Kugane, housing wards, Ishgard, Idyllshire, and Rhalgr's Reach. I have no idea why Revenant's Toll isn't included as it was an endgame hub but I'm assuming it's an oversight.

We don't know for certain why you can't change in the field. To me it feels more like they didn't want to put forth the effort into making it work, so they just limited it and called it a day. After all, you always have been able to, and still are able to, cast glamours manually wherever you want. I imagine if anything it's the same limitation that prevents us from opening armor coffers outside of a hub city.