[Request] Ability Glamour System

[EwokAssassini]

I believe this was touched on by the development team in the past, but is there any chance for an ability glamour system to be implemented into the game? For example, replacing the current tank combo animations with the old enmity ones, swapping out Lucid Dreaming for Luminiferous Aether on Astrologian, or changing Rampart to Shadowskin/Foresight on Dark Knight/Warrior. The list really could go on. Not every job needs to have an equivalent (scholar has none for Lucid Dreaming), but I think players should have the option to see their favorite removed (or level locked) animations, icons, and sound effects back in the game and available to them.

I think it would be best to start with abilities that have obvious correlations. I have mentioned some before, but there are actions like:

Rampart -> Old Rampart (PLD), Shadowskin (DRK), Foresight (WAR)
Esuna -> Old Esuna (WHM), Leeches (SCH), Exalted Detriment (AST)
Lucid Dreaming -> Shroud of Saints (WHM), Luminiferous Aether (AST)
(God forbid: Art of War -> Miasma II)
Addle -> Virus (All)
Peloton -> Swiftsong (BRD)

All *enhanced* variations of spells and abilities: Stone I/II/III/IV, Bio/Miasma, Most upgraded combos, etc.

In-game, some of these options could be labeled as "classic" icons/abilities, potentially only being client-side (like Bahamut's size setting). Over time, I think the system could be expanded upon with player feedback. I would be interested to see what the community comes up with.

[Shurrikhan]

Or we could just NOT have spent additional time just to waste art, sound, and flavor text assets by turning effectively the same abilities into truly the same abilities?

I get what you're going for, Ewok, and it'd be better than nothing. But, I'd personally rather get back at least what we had, removing the Role Actions that merely demand that we spend more time in menus to put on our bars what used to be automatically placed there, and will wholly oppose any system that adds even more wasteful gimmicks just to cover up... intentional asset waste.

[EwokAssassini]

I get your sentiment, I really do. The Role Action system was a huge mistake on SE's part. While I would gladly do away with all of that, I think the devs would see otherwise. It's been two years since the original implementation, and we're likely past the point of return. Changing all those abilities now would mean confusion for players who had joined during Stormblood (at least that's the only reason I can think of).

I would love nothing more than to have those abilities returned to us entirely instead of getting something to just "cover it up," but since I don't see that happening, I've been trying to brainstorm what kind of alternatives SE would consider. I think the more ideas we put out there, the bigger the chance we have at getting at least something done about it.

[Shurrikhan]

I would love nothing more than to have those abilities returned to us entirely instead of getting something to just "cover it up," but since I don't see that happening, I've been trying to brainstorm what kind of alternatives SE would consider. I think the more ideas we put out there, the bigger the chance we have at getting at least something done about it.

That's completely fair, and I'm glad to see those alternatives being brainstormed. I just always hope there's some stick-in-the-mud, as I've been, who will remind SE that this is still just a second choice to the simpler and more obvious solution of reversion, especially where the alternative isn't so much imparting anything new as mitigating past losses.