Suggestion to simplify companion chocobo color changing

[UtterEast]

Currently, the system to alter your companion/company chocobo's color from the default Desert Yellow involves feeding it various food items while it is stabled. Aside from a couple of one-time quests, the seeds for these food items cost Allied Seals and then require the Gardening function to be grown and harvested (or to purchase same from the market board). Access to a stable requires that the player join a free company with housing and a stable placed as an outdoor furniture item, or to buy an apartment.


The bit I want to propose changing at this time is feeding the food items to the chocobo one by one, as this is very tedious (upwards of 60-70 food items depending on the color) and can require the food items to be fed to the chocobo in a certain order due to the nature of the color change system. I've had more than one friend lose count and not get their intended color, which is unfortunate given the expense of the food items for ordinary players.


Instead I wanted to suggest making a craftable dye from those food items to permanently alter your chocobo's color in one go without the uncertainty. This would improve the tediousness and potential for error of the current system, and so I personally would be much more open to changing my chocobo's color more often to match different bardings in the same manner that I frequently change glamours for various armor sets for my character.


Some potential pitfalls I've tried to brainstorm:

• This will trivialize changing your chocobo's color: I rarely ever see other people's chocobos, honestly, because you can't have them out in major cities, so I don't really feel like there's a huge prestige aspect here.
• This will remove the stabling requirement & implied gil sink: The one-and-done dye/potion could need the chocobo to be in its stable to be administered if this is an issue.
• This will increase demand/price for the color-changing food items and actually make changing your chocobo's color less accessible: I'm OK with experimenting with this to see what happens, but I could see one way to balance it being that the potions need a standard number of fruits, such that it might be cheaper to hand-feed your chocobo for a certain color, or you can go for the more expensive but more convenient potion (a common net result of crafted item prices)
  
  (I'm also OK with the fruits or finished potions being buyable for currency, similar to the ishgardian/firmament dyes, or being brought back from retainer ventures (without diluting the current retainer quick venture venture coffer dye gashapon, pure white/pure black/pastel pink my beloveds) like flowers and the crafted items made from flowers)

[Crafoutis]

The process of dying your chocobo is supposed to be restrictively intensive, making the process into something that takes thought and intention to perform.

That is by design.

Changing your companions color should be a big deal, he/she is supposed to be your loyal buddy not a fashion tool to be dyed with the seasons like spring chicks in farmer's market, or urbanite poodles.