Hidde Glamours Locally (& other graphically immersive options)

[Illmaeran]

I was just about to say, put everyone in the AF1 gear since the OP is citing older games that generally have characters of a given class always wearing XIV's AF1 stuff.

I 100% disagree with any and all modding at all and disagree with the idea of using even a client-side mod to change the way people appear in the game. I also disagree with the notion that it's ok for players to force others to see their glamours simply because they put a lot of time and effort into creating a specific look. I'd be all for an official game UI function that put all players in a standard outfit from that specific players' POV. If a specific player doesn't want to see glamours, fine, let them hit the toggle. If a specific player wants to see other peoples' glamours, fine, let them not hit the toggle.

I personally prefer more "traditional" glamours that fit into the overall aesthetic of the NPC populations and not the rare exceptional NPCs like Godbert or the dude in the gold pig suit in Idylshire. That being said, XIV isn't a "lore game" in the same veins as an Elder Scrolls title where immersion is a significant deal. This is an MMO and the developers more likely than not are thinking of it as a *game* not an immersive world experience like Elder Scrolls. Being a "only a game", it's not surprising that we're allowed to glamour outfits that reflect anime and manga where it's common to have protagonists in school uniforms, maid outfits, tuxedos, and kimono swinging around gigantic weapons and taking hits that would rip a person in half completely in stride.

We're all probably happier by thinking of the game as an immersive anime with a wide variety of cultural aesthetics and weird stuff than a World Building game like Morrowind or Skyrim.

[Snorky]

I was just about to say, put everyone in the AF1 gear since the OP is citing older games that generally have characters of a given class always wearing XIV's AF1 stuff.

I 100% disagree with any and all modding at all and disagree with the idea of using even a client-side mod to change the way people appear in the game. I also disagree with the notion that it's ok for players to force others to see their glamours simply because they put a lot of time and effort into creating a specific look. I'd be all for an official game UI function that put all players in a standard outfit from that specific players' POV. If a specific player doesn't want to see glamours, fine, let them hit the toggle. If a specific player wants to see other peoples' glamours, fine, let them not hit the toggle.

I personally prefer more "traditional" glamours that fit into the overall aesthetic of the NPC populations and not the rare exceptional NPCs like Godbert or the dude in the gold pig suit in Idylshire. That being said, XIV isn't a "lore game" in the same veins as an Elder Scrolls title where immersion is a significant deal. This is an MMO and the developers more likely than not are thinking of it as a *game* not an immersive world experience like Elder Scrolls. Being a "only a game", it's not surprising that we're allowed to glamour outfits that reflect anime and manga where it's common to have protagonists in school uniforms, maid outfits, tuxedos, and kimono swinging around gigantic weapons and taking hits that would rip a person in half completely in stride.

We're all probably happier by thinking of the game as an immersive anime with a wide variety of cultural aesthetics and weird stuff than a World Building game like Morrowind or Skyrim.

Personally I can't compare ESO with FF at all. If people would just expand their thinking a bit. There are all kinds of fantasy worlds created in a person's mind. I just watched the golden compass movie again. That is a totally different world but it's still fantasy. This game is not a traditional fantasy so why would you try to make it that way. ESO is more traditional except all of the loud flaming store mounts they put out. But they know what sells and have raised prices accordingly. So I can't compare this game with ESO at all. As far as glamour people do those to show off their taste and I feel weather you like them or not they should be visible to all. Chocobos are a creature in this game finding someone in a chocobos suit is not out of the realm of possibility. Expand your fantasy mind this is not king Arthur and dragons. It's not table top dnd either. Exactly what you say in your last paragraph is how people must think of this then build their immersion around that.

[Illmaeran]

Personally I can't compare ESO with FF at all. If people would just expand their thinking a bit. There are all kinds of fantasy worlds created in a person's mind. I just watched the golden compass movie again. That is a totally different world but it's still fantasy.

This game is not a traditional fantasy so why would you try to make it that way. ESO is more traditional except all of the loud flaming store mounts they put out. But they know what sells and have raised prices accordingly. So I can't compare this game with ESO at all.

As far as glamour people do those to show off their taste and I feel weather you like them or not they should be visible to all. Chocobos are a creature in this game finding someone in a chocobos suit is not out of the realm of possibility.

Expand your fantasy mind this is not king Arthur and dragons. It's not table top dnd either. Exactly what you say in your last paragraph is how people must think of this then build their immersion around that.

1. Golden Compass is a great example; it's a "real world" setting with fantastical elements. That's how I see FF to be in a manner of speaking. There are different cultures based on different time periods and technology levels with the added fantastical elements of magic and ultra-high technology. It's exactly those elements that push XIV's world past the boundaries of Real World Earth into this crazy mish-mash of conflicting milieus that is our beloved Eorzea.

2. You're 100% right here, ESO and FF are two wildly divergent games/aesthetics, to the point where there's really no comparison between the two. The folks who make the Elder Scrolls titles do seem to try to maintain consistency of aesthetics/technology levels between the games and make a serious effort at creating a world that draws the player into in a way that XIV simply doesn't. Tamriel is much more realistic within its creative boundaries than Eorzea is within its own boundaries. I'd say both have equal verisimilitude but are not equally immersive.

3. I agree, the default setting should be that glamours are visible to everyone, as it is now. I don't think it would be a bad thing to have an official option of displaying all PCs in their racial starter gear or AF1 gear appropriate for the job they're on at the time though. I generally like to see other people in their glamours as it adds to my Isekai head cannon, but even then the 1000th Miquote in the Nier raid gear or Broegadyn in a subligar gets tiresome sometimes.

I love Nine Inch Nails, but sometimes I just want to listen to Bach instead.

[Fabbro]

1. Golden Compass is a great example; it's a "real world" setting with fantastical elements. That's how I see FF to be in a manner of speaking. There are different cultures based on different time periods and technology levels with the added fantastical elements of magic and ultra-high technology. It's exactly those elements that push XIV's world past the boundaries of Real World Earth into this crazy mish-mash of conflicting milieus that is our beloved Eorzea.

2. You're 100% right here, ESO and FF are two wildly divergent games/aesthetics, to the point where there's really no comparison between the two. The folks who make the Elder Scrolls titles do seem to try to maintain consistency of aesthetics/technology levels between the games and make a serious effort at creating a world that draws the player into in a way that XIV simply doesn't. Tamriel is much more realistic within its creative boundaries than Eorzea is within its own boundaries. I'd say both have equal verisimilitude but are not equally immersive.

3. I agree, the default setting should be that glamours are visible to everyone, as it is now. I don't think it would be a bad thing to have an official option of displaying all PCs in their racial starter gear or AF1 gear appropriate for the job they're on at the time though. I generally like to see other people in their glamours as it adds to my Isekai head cannon, but even then the 1000th Miquote in the Nier raid gear or Broegadyn in a subligar gets tiresome sometimes.

I love Nine Inch Nails, but sometimes I just want to listen to Bach instead.

Exactly this.

[Fabbro]

I was just about to say, put everyone in the AF1 gear since the OP is citing older games that generally have characters of a given class always wearing XIV's AF1 stuff.

I 100% disagree with any and all modding at all and disagree with the idea of using even a client-side mod to change the way people appear in the game. I also disagree with the notion that it's ok for players to force others to see their glamours simply because they put a lot of time and effort into creating a specific look. I'd be all for an official game UI function that put all players in a standard outfit from that specific players' POV. If a specific player doesn't want to see glamours, fine, let them hit the toggle. If a specific player wants to see other peoples' glamours, fine, let them not hit the toggle.

I personally prefer more "traditional" glamours that fit into the overall aesthetic of the NPC populations and not the rare exceptional NPCs like Godbert or the dude in the gold pig suit in Idylshire. That being said, XIV isn't a "lore game" in the same veins as an Elder Scrolls title where immersion is a significant deal. This is an MMO and the developers more likely than not are thinking of it as a *game* not an immersive world experience like Elder Scrolls. Being a "only a game", it's not surprising that we're allowed to glamour outfits that reflect anime and manga where it's common to have protagonists in school uniforms, maid outfits, tuxedos, and kimono swinging around gigantic weapons and taking hits that would rip a person in half completely in stride.

We're all probably happier by thinking of the game as an immersive anime with a wide variety of cultural aesthetics and weird stuff than a World Building game like Morrowind or Skyrim.

This game, just like every good Final Fantasy, started and for a long time was a what you call "lore game", and just like FFXI before it. I would love for this game to be more like ESO in many aspects as well. Immersion is important in any game, specially in RPGs. It saddens me to see the developers seem to care for kids, teenagers and not adults and mature players that want a more immersive experience and that actually value the ingame lore, world and story, and want things to coherent and more "in tune" and not all "wacky" and over the top non stop all the time.

World building is one of if not the very most important thing besides gameplay in any RPG, and basically is one of the main factors that dictates the quality of an RPG, that's why people love FF Tactics, FF9, FFXI, EQ1, etc.: world building, make a fantasy world actually believable. That's one of the major things that separate good RPGs from bad RPGs.

[Saraide]

This game, just like every good Final Fantasy, started and for a long time was a what you call "lore game", and just like FFXI before it. I would love for this game to be more like ESO in many aspects as well. Immersion is important in any game, specially in RPGs. It saddens me to see the developers seem to care for kids, teenagers and not adults and mature players that want a more immersive experience and that actually value the ingame lore, world and story, and want things to coherent and more "in tune" and not all "wacky" and over the top non stop all the time.

World building is one of if not the very most important thing besides gameplay in any RPG, and basically is one of the main factors that dictates the quality of an RPG, that's why people love FF Tactics, FF9, FFXI, EQ1, etc.: world building, make a fantasy world actually believable. That's one of the major things that separate good RPGs from bad RPGs.

But the ff14 world is and has always been wacky. Godbert and Hildibrand have been part of the game for a long time. Clothing in a modern aesthetic make sense because of influences from allag and garlemald. Seasonal events have some main story characters run around in a chicken suit. A fantasy world is not just doom and gloom all the time. Casting glamours has been part of the story. You'd be breaking game lore if you removed glams from everyone if anything.

[SilverObi]

stuff

I get what you mean honestly, I think what you're looking for is an aesthetic cohesion or something similar. 1.0 and FFXI shared a similar style in armor and world with both feeling very grounded in their fantasy elements, and that made the outlandish stuff (Garleans and Zilart) feel otherworldly or exotic just for how outside the established aesthetic of the world they were. And it made them more special for it in my opinion. So while yes everything that seems out of place in XIV has been given lore reasons for existing I can agree that for some folks it can be jarring or at least incongruous.

Do the Regalia, 2018-esque Japanese fashion, Korean historical outfits, mascot outfits, cartoon character minions, jets, and cyborgs exist canonically in-universe? Yes. Can they still be considered weird by people expecting a more traditional fantasy aesthetic regardless? Absolutely.

And yeah I know FF has long been mixing fantasy and sci-fi elements in their games but I argue that they did a better job of blending them and/or making the reason for them being so mismatched a lot better. Not that it bothers me at the end of the day, it tickles me to no end that I can see a Miqo'te cosplaying as Korone Inugami or someone riding basically Mechagodzilla. I just don't see a problem either if someone wants a toggle system to swap out some of the more "interesting" outfits in the game.

[Fabbro]

I get what you mean honestly, I think what you're looking for is an aesthetic cohesion or something similar. 1.0 and FFXI shared a similar style in armor and world with both feeling very grounded in their fantasy elements, and that made the outlandish stuff (Garleans and Zilart) feel otherworldly or exotic just for how outside the established aesthetic of the world they were. And it made them more special for it in my opinion. So while yes everything that seems out of place in XIV has been given lore reasons for existing I can agree that for some folks it can be jarring or at least incongruous.

Do the Regalia, 2018-esque Japanese fashion, Korean historical outfits, mascot outfits, cartoon character minions, jets, and cyborgs exist canonically in-universe? Yes. Can they still be considered weird by people expecting a more traditional fantasy aesthetic regardless? Absolutely.

And yeah I know FF has long been mixing fantasy and sci-fi elements in their games but I argue that they did a better job of blending them and/or making the reason for them being so mismatched a lot better. Not that it bothers me at the end of the day, it tickles me to no end that I can see a Miqo'te cosplaying as Korone Inugami or someone riding basically Mechagodzilla. I just don't see a problem either if someone wants a toggle system to swap out some of the more "interesting" outfits in the game.

Thank you, much appreciated. I agree with you : )