Let players choose what cosmetic armor type they want to wear for any class

[Adenin.5973]

I love to play classes that wear medium armor and I hate the medium armor styles. But I love how the heavy armor looks.

I don't want to buy an outfit that completely takes away every reason to hunt down any sort of cosmetic item that I could mix and match and I do not want to play a class that I do not like, just to get it looking right.

 

With all the outfits out there and many armor pieces that have the same skin across all three armor types, I don't see why we couldn't see a Mesmer in heavy armor or a warrior that is wearing a dress or whatever (since again, we can already do that). I know that there is a problem with mixing different armor types, so at least give us the option to wear the cosmetic armor appearance that we like, regardless of our class.

 

This would give me so many new options and new cosmetic rewards that I would want to aquire and if Anet wants to monetize it, they can even put some "change armor type appearance ticket" in the shop.

 

I do not see how it would negatively impact the game (in PvP you can still give ppl an option to display standard armor type/skin), it offers many players a MASSIVE amount of content that suddenly becomes relevant for them, it shouldn't be THAT much work (especially considering how much playtime many players will get out of this) and you can even make more money with a new shop item.

 

Edit: Basically what I want is what the wardrobe preview gives you already, where you can have any armor type on any class, yet it makes sure you can't mix and match the different types

[coso.9173]

i've asked for the same, and many others too. I still prefer they make all the work to make all armor mix and match between different weights, even.

I know it's probably a lot of work, but it would just add so much more variety to everyone, I think it's worth the effort. maybe next expac, we'll have to wait and see.

[Copestetic.5174]

I was just thinking about this a few days ago on my female War. Don’t even worry about possible clipping issues! There’s an alternative somewhere!

[Tails.9372]

Could easily be done by making the skins for the weights work like "customizable outfits". You wouldn't be able to mix between them but this also eliminates the main issue which is always brought up as the reason why we can't be have this.

[Josiah.2967]

I wear a heavy armor outfit on my elementalist, but I can not wardrobe heavy armor because...logic?

 

At least alll us to chose the type we want if we cant mix n match.

[Donari.5237]

You may wish to search the years of threads on this issue. Some of them contain quotes of dev responses explaining the incredibly vast amount of work this would entail along with the good chance of breaking the game software into little bits, even if it's just an all-or-nothing weight choice.

 

I fully agree with the desirability of expanding what characters can wear. I've been wrong before about what they can't do for technical reasons (see: Gliding in Central Tyria). So I'd *love* for this to be one of their QoL surprises one day. However, I'm certainly not holding my breath. With gliding, they never said they couldn't, as best as I can recall. They've very strongly said the weight distinctions are baked in. I'd rather continue with the current limitations in a solidly functional game than have everything wrecked in the attempt to rework the game's core.

[Za Shaloc.3908]

As a Rev main who dislikes the aesthetic of heavy armor, I approve this message.

 

But alas, something something silhouettes. Hard to take any sense of visual integrity they claim to have seriously with the way half the skins in the game look.

[Tails.9372]

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> You may wish to search the years of threads on this issue. Some of them contain quotes of dev responses explaining the incredibly vast amount of work this would entail along with the good chance of breaking the game software into little bits, even if it's just an all-or-nothing weight choice.

No, they explained how you just can't mix skins between the weight classes but changing isn't an issue at all.

 

 

[Taylan.2187]

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> You may wish to search the years of threads on this issue. Some of them contain quotes of dev responses explaining the incredibly vast amount of work this would entail along with the good chance of breaking the game software into little bits, even if it's just an all-or-nothing weight choice.

 

I wonder what their reason is, because as a programmer I can't imagine it being all that difficult.

 

I'm guessing that their issue is that they've coupled item skin too tightly with item type. E.g. when I transmute my Eternity into a Darksteel Greatsword, it doesn't become an Eternity with the skin of a Darksteel Greatsword, it actually becomes a Darksteel Greatsword. (The rarity and stats are probably decoupled from this "item skin/type" attribute, so you legit get a legendary Darksteel Greatsword, just like you can have a masterwork Eternity via transmutation.)

 

And this combined skin/type attribute probably determines whether the armor is light/medium/heavy, so if they allowed to transmute them we would be literally changing the item type. In other words, after you've transmuted your heavy armor to light you suddenly can't use it anymore because it's now actual light armor.

 

The solution? Give the item data type a new attribute called "skin override" which in the case of armor can be set to any armor for the same body part, and which is used for nothing else than rendering the appearance. If the attribute value is empty, fall back to the old attribute for rendering. Going forward, don't ever change the base item type anymore but only the "skin override" attribute when an item is transmuted, so that the logic of the "can be used" check isn't affected. And ta da, you have a piece of heavy armor with an overridden appearance of light armor.

 

Of course there might be a bunch of issues that I'm not aware of as I don't know how their code and data types are structured, but it really can't be that difficult unless their software architecture is a complete mess.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

The problem is the Devs would have to create a 5th Armor Weight, and then fashion of copy of each individual armor to match that weight.

That's a boatload of work, considering it takes 9 months to create one armor set for all 5 races x 2 genders.

[Zephire.8049]

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> You may wish to search the years of threads on this issue. Some of them contain quotes of dev responses explaining the incredibly vast amount of work this would entail along with the good chance of breaking the game software into little bits, even if it's just an all-or-nothing weight choice.

>

> I fully agree with the desirability of expanding what characters can wear. I've been wrong before about what they can't do for technical reasons (see: Gliding in Central Tyria). So I'd *love* for this to be one of their QoL surprises one day. However, I'm certainly not holding my breath. With gliding, they never said they couldn't, as best as I can recall. They've very strongly said the weight distinctions are baked in. I'd rather continue with the current limitations in a solidly functional game than have everything wrecked in the attempt to rework the game's core.

 

I think the most likely way for this to happen is that after a certain release, going forward each skin will be available in all weights but they don't plan on going back to make previous skins available in all weights, similar to how backpacks are now dyable if they're new but there's no plan on changing the old ones. There's still potential slipping issues with that but that's still a heck of a lot less work than tripling the number of skins by hand since there's no flip they can switch that will do it for them.

[Tails.9372]

> @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> The problem is the Devs would have to create a 5th Armor Weight, and then fashion of copy of each individual armor to match that weight.

> That's a boatload of work, considering it takes 9 months to create one armor set for all 5 races x 2 genders.

OP wasn't talking about mixing skins from different weight classes. Just putting skin sets from one of the other 2 weight classes over your current one like how outfits are already doing it rn would be sufficient.

[Inculpatus cedo.9234]

> @"Tails.9372" said:

> > @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> > The problem is the Devs would have to create a 5th Armor Weight, and then fashion of copy of each individual armor to match that weight.

> > That's a boatload of work, considering it takes 9 months to create one armor set for all 5 races x 2 genders.

> OP wasn't talking about mixing skins from different weight classes. Just putting skin sets of one of the other 2 weight classes over your current one like how outfits are already doing it rn would be sufficient.

 

I am aware of that. To enable a Light Armor wearer to wear Heavy Armor, it would need to be a different Armor weight that all characters could wear, much like Outfits are the 4th Armor weight.

[Strider.7849]

When the game was released you used to be able to preview different armour class sets together and mix and match pieces. I created some really awesome looks. Not sure how I feel about actually allowing any class to have any armor look though. I kind of like it how it is only because it's more incentive for me to multiclass

[Super Hayes.6890]

I hope they find a way to do this.

[Headhunter.4796]

See a tank in a mage outfit and a mage in a tank outfit. Nope, disagree!

[Adenin.5973]

> @"Donari.5237" said:

> You may wish to search the years of threads on this issue. Some of them contain quotes of dev responses explaining the incredibly vast amount of work this would entail along with the good chance of breaking the game software into little bits, even if it's just an all-or-nothing weight choice.

>

> I fully agree with the desirability of expanding what characters can wear. I've been wrong before about what they can't do for technical reasons (see: Gliding in Central Tyria). So I'd *love* for this to be one of their QoL surprises one day. However, I'm certainly not holding my breath. With gliding, they never said they couldn't, as best as I can recall. They've very strongly said the weight distinctions are baked in. I'd rather continue with the current limitations in a solidly functional game than have everything wrecked in the attempt to rework the game's core.

 

I do not understand what you are trying to say here. You have ALREADY the ability to wear any armor type on any class, in your wardrobe preview. Nothign breaks, the game doesn't freak out.

 

The wardrobe system just has all armor types enabled and a check and filter that allows you to wear exclusively one armor type at the same type, which is exactly what I am asking for.

 

And as far as I understood the problem they're facing with the different armor weights is when you want to mix and match them, which is also why I was never satisfied with their answers that Anet gave on this, since somehow they always talked about the ability to mix and match different armor weights, which again, is something I do not want because of the answers they already gave.

[phokus.8934]

The whole idea of having different armor types is outdated.

 

But we won’t see this restriction removed from GW2.

[Adenin.5973]

> @"phokus.8934" said:

> The whole idea of having different armor types is outdated.

>

> But we won’t see this restriction removed from GW2.

 

They said a similar thing about gliding, mounts, capes, even a third expansion.

Also, once they realize that they can earn tons of money and get ridiculous amounts of playtime for most of their players out of "updating" their old content/rewards, everything is possible

 

[Adenin.5973]

> @"Taylan.2187" said:

> > @"Donari.5237" said:

> > You may wish to search the years of threads on this issue. Some of them contain quotes of dev responses explaining the incredibly vast amount of work this would entail along with the good chance of breaking the game software into little bits, even if it's just an all-or-nothing weight choice.

>

> I wonder what their reason is, because as a programmer I can't imagine it being all that difficult.

>

> I'm guessing that their issue is that they've coupled item skin too tightly with item type. E.g. when I transmute my Eternity into a Darksteel Greatsword, it doesn't become an Eternity with the skin of a Darksteel Greatsword, it actually becomes a Darksteel Greatsword. (The rarity and stats are probably decoupled from this "item skin/type" attribute, so you legit get a legendary Darksteel Greatsword, just like you can have a masterwork Eternity via transmutation.)

>

> And this combined skin/type attribute probably determines whether the armor is light/medium/heavy, so if they allowed to transmute them we would be literally changing the item type. In other words, after you've transmuted your heavy armor to light you suddenly can't use it anymore because it's now actual light armor.

>

> The solution? Give the item data type a new attribute called "skin override" which in the case of armor can be set to any armor for the same body part, and which is used for nothing else than rendering the appearance. If the attribute value is empty, fall back to the old attribute for rendering. Going forward, don't ever change the base item type anymore but only the "skin override" attribute when an item is transmuted, so that the logic of the "can be used" check isn't affected. And ta da, you have a piece of heavy armor with an overridden appearance of light armor.

>

> Of course there might be a bunch of issues that I'm not aware of as I don't know how their code and data types are structured, but it really can't be that difficult unless their software architecture is a complete mess.

 

I don't get it either and I do have some knowledge of programming.

 

Only way I can imagine that this is "impossible" (or rather too much work), is a harsh case of spaghetti code, where somehow huge parts of code for the classes, skills, effects, traits etc are touched by their hardcoded armor weight. But I do not see why anyone would program a game in that way

 

And yes, like you said, there would still be ways around such issues

[raveparade.7582]

This was done in SWTOR and it's great; they removed all the armor weights and renamed it all to adaptive armor which gives armor rating based on level/class.

[HAsAsIN.6724]

the armor types and style are fit to what the class do when they're dealing damage. of course, in your face warriors should look sturdy with that heavy metal armor, unless the asura finally made a fabric that is 600x sturdier than the hardest metallic alloy in the lore. if yes, you can even use light cloth armor, asura engineered, and face tank everything without using elemental magic (face tank elementalists) but only sword and shield and a greatsword.

[Adenin.5973]

> @"raveparade.7582" said:

> This was done in SWTOR and it's great; they removed all the armor weights and renamed it all to adaptive armor which gives armor rating based on level/class.

 

And in ESO that's the case too. A game where armor type still doesn't matter that much but still WAAAY more than in GW2.

In fact the entire reason why I amde this thread here was bececause I looked up the differences between light and heavy armor and found out that it barely has differences in th armor values.

 

So I really hope they can manage to make all armor types available regardeless of class, beacuse that would make suddenly like + 200% more cosmetic rewards meaningful for your main character.

[Adenin.5973]

> @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> > @"Tails.9372" said:

> > > @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> > > The problem is the Devs would have to create a 5th Armor Weight, and then fashion of copy of each individual armor to match that weight.

> > > That's a boatload of work, considering it takes 9 months to create one armor set for all 5 races x 2 genders.

> > OP wasn't talking about mixing skins from different weight classes. Just putting skin sets of one of the other 2 weight classes over your current one like how outfits are already doing it rn would be sufficient.

>

> I am aware of that. To enable a Light Armor wearer to wear Heavy Armor, it would need to be a different Armor weight that all characters could wear, much like Outfits are the 4th Armor weight.

 

If that really is the case, this seems like the perfect work for an intern. Just very monotonous work of converting hundreds of items into a weightless armor class, like the outfits.

 

Alternatively they could also look into ways of making the armor appearance independent of the armor that you have equipped, like the wardrobe preview system already does.

[Fueki.4753]

> @"Inculpatus cedo.9234" said:

> The problem is the Devs would have to create a 5th Armor Weight, and then fashion of copy of each individual armor to match that weight.

> That's a boatload of work, considering it takes 9 months to create one armor set for all 5 races x 2 genders.

 

Arenanet shouldn't have split the professions into body types to begin with.

It's a self-imposed problem that they ignored for almost eight years now and, much to the detriment of player happiness and fashion wars, will continue to ignore.