A suggestion to keep normal raids relevant for longer:

[Uzephi]

->Make it Dyeable
-> Give the Savage Mode version 5 or 6 materia slots
->Add the Mounts to casuals for 99tokens same as Extreme Trials or have be a 5% limited drop for last fight of the tier

if they do those 3 things it will make the normal raids last many times longer then they would have because then they have actual reason and incentive to want to run the same raids over and over for these pieces of gear if they feel like they are getting something good out of it. and with the savage mode just being better over all in terms of stats and functionality it would encroach on the players rewards for savage.
as for the weapons i think what they should do is offer players a replica version for glamours like allow for people to trade the tomestone item thats supposed to be for an upgraded tomestone weapon also be used to obtain a replica weapon of the savage tier weapons this i feel like would make a good balance without ruining any of the savage core players experience in obtaining the gear sets or pieces from savage.

If full slots is 'too much,' how about just letting advanced melding work on savage gear? That way they're not stacking XII across the board.

[ShadowyZero]

If full slots is 'too much,' how about just letting advanced melding work on savage gear? That way they're not stacking XII across the board.

this could work as well, as long as the savage tier is better in every way compared to the normal mode's gear drops i think it would be a good trade off. hell they could just remove the materia slots from the normal raid gear version entirely and just make that a savage exclusive thing too.

[VeyaAkemi]

Full slots is definitely too much, as it would cause Ornate gear to become completely obsolete, and that's significantly rarer than raid gear, but I completely agree with overmelds, it's baffling that it doesn't work that way already.

[Valence]

this could work as well, as long as the savage tier is better in every way compared to the normal mode's gear drops i think it would be a good trade off. hell they could just remove the materia slots from the normal raid gear version entirely and just make that a savage exclusive thing too.

Normal mode loot just needs to be below savage in item level. Coincidentally that's what tomestone gear is at patch release it's 10 ilvl below savage, and only becomes on par with its augmented version the next major patch.
Normal mode loot would really benefit to compete with normal tomestone gear really. Currently non existent weapons included.

As another stated: you have relics. You also have EX weapons. Let's also not forget the crafted (770) and augmented crafted that will be 780 (similar to non-augmented tome gear ilvl) when they release a bit later.

- Relics don't follow the same pattern of tiers and release, and generally their new step happen during gameplay lulls, namely in the middle or at the end of patches.
- Ex weapons are by very definition not casual weapons.
- Crafted doesn't compete with tome gear.

Savage players don't have it much better mind you, since the only thing they add at the side of tomestones is savage loot. But that's already twice more options.