Just add 1 more step for i635 Relic Weapon with Alternate Effect Color.

[sharknado]

The core concept of relic used to be grinding based on undisclosed elements/mystery that the player base have to uncover and solve together for max efficiency.
E.g. back in HW, the game never told you where to get the 40x different Unidentifiable, it's spread out everywhere from normal raid to treasure hunt.

Same with Eureka, the game doesn't give you tutorial, you just jump in and share the knowledge with other players how to tackle the contents.

Island Sanctuary had a spreadsheet day one. IMHO it was and should be more focused on looks rather than part of the gearing process in current patches.

[Dionysius]

Island Sanctuary had a spreadsheet day one. IMHO it was and should be more focused on looks rather than part of the gearing process in current patches.

And how many people actually bother with the spreadsheet and most importantly is it even fun? I'd take 2.x Diadem over Island Sanctuary.

I disagree that relic should be glamour only, It used to be a combination of gearing process + looks + content + social interaction.

[sharknado]

I disagree that relic should be glamour only, It used to be a combination of gearing process + looks + content + social interaction.

With the current narrow expansion format, it's rather not possible. Add the effect of player base aging, at least partially, SE focusing on solo/"fearful solo FF players" - IMHO it would have to be something new fitting the current player base which conflicts with the expansion format unless it's some very custom instanced separate system (which may not be that fun or socializing like the new dungeon type).

When the open world is designed to be dead aside from artificial systems (hunt trains, fate trains) socializing sits in Limsa and won't move from there. Side quests are useless and reward even less than in the past while gearing boils down to crafted gear/uncapped tome gear on patch week to then either get capped tome gear or farm in higher tier content if someone does that (and don't you dare play multiple types of jobs at a higher content level).