Aradune said:Yeah, I don't mind cosmetic items as long as they don't make you look like you're wearing earned items -- of course, this means more art assets to create, because we'd have to create character appearance items to reflect those cosmetic items, not just earned items.
Also definitely not a fan of being able to run into combat with your cosmetic items on.... so perhaps if you have your cosmetic items on or switched to 'viewable', it should affect your stats/AC/DPS/etc?
We know what we don't want (stated earlier), but the details of how a hybrid system would work is interesting and we've not set anything in stone when it comes to the details.
I'll lead off by saying I strongly dislike cosmetic anything. If you want to look a certain way, you need to equip the items that look that way. That being said...
Is there an easy-ish way to have a separate "inventory" that holds cosmetic equipment for people? When out of combat they can toggle their wardrobe, but in combat their real equipment is what always displays. Have a regular inventory, then maybe 1 or 2 extra inventory wardrobe panes that are purely cosmetic.
I honestly hate my own idea, because I'm imagining someone roaming around out of combat in rags then poofing into full gear when combat initiates. I'm just trying to think of simplistic tools. This entire topic makes my skin crawl.
My thoughts on the issue...
1st, it is the game's artists job to make sure all items in games are appropriate to the setting. In my mind there is no point discussing bunny ears and candy canes unless that's a direction the game designers are heading towards (i doubt it).
After that, I fail to see why so many people are concerned about the way other look. It doesn't affect their gameplay at all (PvP folks excluded). The transmogrify system is very well made in that regard. It won't let you "equip" gear that your class cannot use and it wont let you wear something you never looted either. If I want my SsoY to look like a fine steel weapon, why does it matter to other people? The (non)issue of someone joining a group in rags that show up as high end gear is purely a trolling issue (you'd have to have earned said high end gear for it to show, proving some sort of success in the game). The community should deal with those trolls quickly enough.
As far as I'm concerned, don't bother implementing a system where stats are reduced from the best item to show as another. I would never lower my stats in order to look like something else.
In the end this is not a deal breaker to me, but it surely would be a nice improvement to the game if it comes (launch or later doesn't matter to me).
Edit: in any case, please create a coat/cloak similar to this image. I just love this look :)
Mekada said:After that, I fail to see why so many people are concerned about the way other look. It doesn't affect their gameplay at all (PvP folks excluded). The transmogrify system is very well made in that regard. It won't let you "equip" gear that your class cannot use and it wont let you wear something you never looted either. If I want my SsoY to look like a fine steel weapon, why does it matter to other people?
It's not a dealbreaker, but it deeply impacts the RPG aspect of this game and absolutely detracts from the game for me. Items and equipment are status symbols and immersion tools. If you want to look different, then you wear something different. When people can alter their equipment appearance, it starts to mean pretty much nothing to me as a player. I miss being able to recognize players (for better or worse) by their appearance. By certain looks and items being memorable, and things like that.
This is just my personal opinion but if the goal is to get back to a true MMORPG character appearance should carry weight and be meaningful, not a wardrobe fest.
picks86 said:It's not a dealbreaker, but it deeply impacts the RPG aspect of this game and absolutely detracts from the game for me. Items and equipment are status symbols and immersion tools. If you want to look different, then you wear something different. When people can alter their equipment appearance, it starts to mean pretty much nothing to me as a player. I miss being able to recognize players (for better or worse) by their appearance. By certain looks and items being memorable, and things like that.
This is just my personal opinion but if the goal is to get back to a true MMORPG character appearance should carry weight and be meaningful, not a wardrobe fest.
In the RPG aspect, not everyone should walk around with that fabled ancient sword in hand. But it's what is going to happen. I don't feel I should gimp myself to detract from that look every member of my class will end up having.
picks86 said:Aradune said:Yeah, I don't mind cosmetic items as long as they don't make you look like you're wearing earned items -- of course, this means more art assets to create, because we'd have to create character appearance items to reflect those cosmetic items, not just earned items.
Also definitely not a fan of being able to run into combat with your cosmetic items on.... so perhaps if you have your cosmetic items on or switched to 'viewable', it should affect your stats/AC/DPS/etc?
We know what we don't want (stated earlier), but the details of how a hybrid system would work is interesting and we've not set anything in stone when it comes to the details.
I'll lead off by saying I strongly dislike cosmetic anything. If you want to look a certain way, you need to equip the items that look that way. That being said...
Is there an easy-ish way to have a separate "inventory" that holds cosmetic equipment for people? When out of combat they can toggle their wardrobe, but in combat their real equipment is what always displays. Have a regular inventory, then maybe 1 or 2 extra inventory wardrobe panes that are purely cosmetic.
I honestly hate my own idea, because I'm imagining someone roaming around out of combat in rags then poofing into full gear when combat initiates. I'm just trying to think of simplistic tools. This entire topic makes my skin crawl.
Agreed. I would prefer no transmog/appearance gear. In my opinion it takes a long time for people to even look similar in a new mmo. It also takes a lot of time to find gear/weapons and where they drop and what could be best for you. If people really want appearance gear it will be in the game, but I don't think the initial launch should have it. I like looking at people and knowing where they're at in the game, and I think other people do too even if they don't realize it. Especially with a new game where everything is mysterious, I'll be examining people and asking them where they got certain items for sure.
I really don't get those of you that are condemning customizable gear appearances as though it's one of the greatest of evils plaguing the genre, lol.
Who says appearance gear has to be as unsanctioned as wearing plate when you're actually wearing cloth? I mean what..? FXIV (and quite a few others) doesn't do that... you apply plate to plate, cloth to cloth... whatever you're allowed to wear to whatever you're allowed to wear – with the exception of some seasonal things; which could be made non-transferable in their case only or just not exist at all in this game's design scheme. Is that so wrong? Heck, toggables. Yes. Let's go with that. Well-considered options are always good.
Personally I'm quite offended with allusions to fluff, to RP; I like to think I'm both a top end player AND I happen to enjoy a good bit of RP (which merely entails speaking more in-character as opposed to adopting my RL colloquialisms, still though); they are not the separate entities as far as I stand and at the same time, therefore, is not a passable excuse for confining such expression to sessile townie/quasi NPC activities . My 'role' doesn't stay at home. I'm still a knight etc. etc. where it counts... on the field; where I'm going to be most of the time. This IS the MMORPG genre after all; if I were to brandish that sentiment likewise.
Besides, you could look as pleasant as a parishioner... then you're stuck riding a sabre bucktoothed flaming kangaroo-cow for a mount; oh and if we're going to get into what's immersion breaking... how about those 'funny' names eh? Do you plan to use a VOIP while playing? If you answered yes, I need say no more... unless everyone is into professional voice acting these days. Please. Touting the immersion tag really doesn't fly here when there's plenty of other avenues where that could be broken/potentially abused.
You don't need to see the top end gear to know it's out there... so I don't understand what the fuss is over that neither. I'm only ever going to bat an eyelid if the gear in question looks 'cool'. Dreadwyrm in FFXIV while it was relevant? You can be sure as hell I glamoured the **** (pardon mine Fruuunch) out of that garish trash rather than waltz around with wings affixed to my butt as a charming 'in-theme' aesthetic. It just isn't important to me to show off for the sake of being vapidly showy... and sometimes I really worry about the people that impart so much emphasis on that note... but why on earth would some of you guys feel so disillusioned by someone like me, who prefers to hide the 'epic' gear I worked to get under something I find suits my style needs and looks more... heh, sensible (in my eyes)? Oh and besides portraying my adopted 'role' more truthfully. And no, I don't tend to make a habit of frolicking around in a playboy bunny outfit unless it's really out of hours. ;)
Why strip (ah-haha!) something so innocent from a game? I would expect far more impassioned energy directed at more... meaningful topics, like, actual mechanics? Slightly pot-kettle-black, sure, but whatever. It's really quite vexing.
I'm all for the RP aspect of wearing different things, I just feel you should have to be actually wearing said items in place of your normal equipment if you want something cosmetic. Like I said it's not a deal breaker for me if they add in "transmog" of some kind, I just feel it has no place in a true RPG.
If the desire for this is because you don't want everyone to look the same in "top end" gear, I feel they've said a few times that itemization will be based around situational gear. There ideally won't be 1 or 2 sets that your entire class ends up all wearing. Transmog treats the symptom of gear homogenization, and is a cheap sellout. Better itemization is the cure.
Items should have character and appearance should matter greatly. Being able to alter it on a whim with transmog (yes, even plate to plate, 1h sword to 1h sword, whatever) is a bad move.
I like the way Guild Wars 2 handles it; if you've equipped a sword, it's now on your appearance slot list for swords. Please don't force all the level capped players to wear the same look. Nothing is more boring than going to town and seeing 30 people all wearing the exact same thing.
@Aradune assuming you read this..You mentioned you are strongly against appearance slots being effective when in combat. I see a preference stated, but without any explanation. So.. why? :)
- What's the point of devoting man-hours to appearance slots if they go "off" the instant we enter combat mode?... (there is none. Combat is not only 40 people all set, combat can be that while i RP, on my own, i aggroed a mob. You are taking about a design implementation for nothing. Doesn't sound very practical to me when put like this, let alone rational).
- How exactly am i to comprehend (in reasonable, mature-oriented terms) a reply of the sort "i want exotic gear to show so as to motivate people"? Brad, we are not new to MMORPGs. And we are not any younger either. We already KNOW what better gear means, where, how and whether we want to go after it or not (answer, we do, this is a themepark, so your argument is prety much null anyway, this is the whole point. Get better gear..my having a choice about my look does not invalidate my wanting better gear..nor could it. Ever). So that's off.
ii) Your "exotic" gear, so that we can sit around in a town square for others to gawk at us right?, will by default look "shinier"/"better". Nothing threatened, argument-wise, by appearance slots. You'll be the ones to design everything, so entirely up to you to maintain that distinction to its fullest. As such, this is not an argument against appearance slots either.
iii) Occasionally, glowy staves and flashy dresses lit up like xmas trees going on and off are hardly everyone's choice. Appearance slots do not signify "oomph" factor or "extra cool" (so your "exotics" are safe). Appearance slots are about taste. Style. And the odd need to set an image of your avatar as you yourself imagine it. Not about overriding the hierarchy the game has set. Just about having the option, because it is impossible for everyone to like this one set you want us to like. So this too i personally fail to see as a valid argument.
iv) In a game with /inspect and online community pages, in a game where there can be a toggle controlling whether "i can only see people's worn gear", why are you against personal choice?
Do not confuse appearance slots with "fancy"/"fancier" please. If you are honestly after cheese to attract the hamsters, make only the exotic gear look "amazing".
Wanting a fixed visual need not entail looking "better" than 'x' person who raids all day. I can guarantee you it is simply about one player having found something he likes, and wishing to keep it. Which cannot be done (see: themepark and forced gear upgrades). Hence appearance slots. It's really so simple.
Benefits:
- Anyone yearning to stand still and have others gawk at him can still do just so. Exotic gear can and will remain the best-est-est ever looking.
- With inspects and toggles you escape any kind of confusions, accidental or deliberate. While you gratify those that seek more than epic cheese in games. They too pay you.
- With only a small (relatively) code addition, you can have an extra sphere in your game. Tied to crafting, tied to mob drops (not just economy, see also extra reason to return to areas), tied to auctioning
Would honestly appreciate a reply, as i honestly cannot fathom your reasoning :)
Appearance gear and weapons are one of the most important features in an MMO to me, provided they are handled correctly.
In a perfect world we wouldn't need appearance gear, but as i've noticed, developers or artists seem to hit a sweet spot early on where future armor pieces never seem to live up to their previous counterparts aesthetically. I don't enjoy having to wear some gaudy piece of armor simply because it's newer and has better stats. I should be able to find a crafter to alter its appearance if a system is not there for me to do it myself.
Agreed;
It is not only impossible to cater to everyone's tastes, but also unnecessary. Hence wardrobe/customisation/appearance slots. Which by the way do just fine in all raid centric-games (hint).
I honestly believe it's mostly due to misconceptions and/or a lack of deeper thinking that so many find themselves opposed to them.
Despite previous doubts, i have a lot of faith put in Brad (and a lot of real, actual money on top of that) but in this case i must admit i expected him to lack said misconceptions/lack of foresight some players might have. Secondary spheres/activities detracting nothing from main ones but instead enriching them further (and simultaneously providing incentive for some RP in the MMORPG) are never a hindrance, let alone a red flag.
There are many small/smaller systems which may later on be expanded (or not) that can tie in to core ones and in turn augment a game's environment. It is what we usually denote when stating 'details matter'. The small things adding up. That accumulative factor leading to a noticeable overall improvement/enrichment.
edit: we talk and talk about the 'idea', but i sometimes wonder if we are even aware of the concepts behind it. If Panthon will be an MMOG (we pew pew online), that's one thing. But if it is to be an MMORPG (we role play online), well then i suppose we need perhaps (re)consider just what signifies RPing. And no, it's nothing to do with weirdos conversing in archaic English :)
I like the idea of appearance gear but ONLY in these conditions:
1. Cannot have online store bought options or non-game aquired items
2. Needs to be gear that was previously "earned" or looted by the character applying
3. Has to be gear equivelant to equip in that item slot (in other words if it is leather, main slot must also be leather) This prevents mages looking like tanks
I see nothing wrong with giving an option to "protect" a look on something you earn already or looted. As long as it has restrictions as stated above to prevent exploiting this feature. It is really something that I would personally look forward to and not force you to look a certain way just because the item is better.
picks86 said:I'm all for the RP aspect of wearing different things, I just feel you should have to be actually wearing said items in place of your normal equipment if you want something cosmetic. Like I said it's not a deal breaker for me if they add in "transmog" of some kind, I just feel it has no place in a true RPG.
If the desire for this is because you don't want everyone to look the same in "top end" gear, I feel they've said a few times that itemization will be based around situational gear. There ideally won't be 1 or 2 sets that your entire class ends up all wearing. Transmog treats the symptom of gear homogenization, and is a cheap sellout. Better itemization is the cure.
Items should have character and appearance should matter greatly. Being able to alter it on a whim with transmog (yes, even plate to plate, 1h sword to 1h sword, whatever) is a bad move.
This sounds perfect to me :)
They only thing a cosmetic slots offer is an option of cashshop items. I guess that all depends on how the numbers add up. but I would understand if they went that way to make extra $.
Do you even read posts longer than a couple of lines?
Barring regurgitating various over-generalised precepts based on nothing but the might of personal belief..is there anyone here that also has a reasoning to go along with their thinking? One they'd be comfy sharing that is..
It's not about your accursed top gear. Or which OF the top gear armours is bestest and l33test. This cannot and should not be changed in a themepark. People need their carrot, and no one's to force that differently. This is entirely a different issue..Can there really be such an extent of a narrow mindedness that even after explaining, you are still incapable of even grasping the matter from a different angle? No one's talking about your agreeing with me or vice versa, this is merely conversation 101. You are given factors to consider and you go on and on and on about your "wants". Do you always converse so constructively with one another, or are you making an exception just this time around?
Thoroughly disappointing. It's an MMO forum, i know; Am not expecting dissertations on the human condition within the post-modern..but i would expect, even here, in the most dumbed down of the RPG subgenres (and wth the relevant audience therefore) some level of..insight? Mental acuity? Some. Just basic levels.
Anyway..By all means, if you all wish is to state "i like this only" and leave it there, do go ahead. And my sincerest apologies for the intrusion thus far :)
What about this as a compromise between the two beliefs:
Create rare drop, special lore gear throughout the entire game starting from level 1 thru max level (stats equal to zone or might not have stats), have it be "no drop" items that have a (x) chance of being a certain class to equip. If you get lucky enough to loot one and are the right class, it becomes an "option" for you to wear cosmetically if you like. This way it is limited, yet could be desired as well as a second option to high end raid gear that not everyone always gets. It could also have a cool story of its lore / history, making it fun and unique. But this would be the ONLY cosmetic option for anyone.
In the design of it, you make sure to keep it from looking like anything that is raided.
All bias aside, I just don't personally see a reason for it. If you want your character to look like he's wearing/using something, then wear or use it. Chracter appearance should matter heavily, and altering it for aesthetics seems like a real bad idea. This is further pushed in that the design goal is for itemization to be environmental/situational. We'll have multiple pieces or sets of equipment for different purposes. This is a great design, and it should show. Not be covered up by people completely altering it out.
I'd be comfortable with maybe some armor dyes or being able to add guild emblems or runes/insignias/something to pieces of equipment though. I understand the desire to personalize your look, but there needs to be realistic limitations to it. Making a robe / sword look like a completely different, unrelated robe / sword however makes no sense.
This is an important issue and one where I think we should not let nostalgia cloud our judgement too much. Originally when you couldn't modify a piece of gear it wasn't because the devs thought it was the best way; it was because the ability wasn't available.
Most importantly gear appearance should be given sufficient attention and resources to ensure that top tier gear is awesome enough that who wouldn't want to show it off. All gear from level 1 up should be relevant to its tier, have variation in style, and fit within the thematic setting. When I see a gear piece I should be able to tell what it is.
Second, I think a small amount of customization should be allowed. I am not asking for an appearance tab where people can easily make any rag look like raid gear. I do think that their should be a crafting profession that makes dyes for tinting armor. Maybe inscriptions to allow guild emblems. etc. Players spend a lot of time giving their avatars a back story, theme, etc. They raid forever to get that gear piece. At least let them make it their own. If every warrior is running around in the exact same gear it losses that wow factor, but if everyone gets to tweak it slightly then you capture that individuality without losing the acomplishment of earning it.
I RP with my avatar and would also like to see some kind of outfit management where I can switch from combat to social easily.
If the devs decide to go with more customization of appearance then I would suggest adding item level restrictions to appearance changes to avoid newbies running around in top tier gear. I would also suggest adding a cost to it, either through a crafting system (transmogrify) or a special npc.
picks86 said:All bias aside, I just don't personally see a reason for it. If you want your character to look like he's wearing/using something, then wear or use it. Chracter appearance should matter heavily, and altering it for aesthetics seems like a real bad idea. This is further pushed in that the design goal is for itemization to be environmental/situational. We'll have multiple pieces or sets of equipment for different purposes. This is a great design, and it should show. Not be covered up by people completely altering it out.
I'd be comfortable with maybe some armor dyes or being able to add guild emblems or runes/insignias/something to pieces of equipment though. I understand the desire to personalize your look, but there needs to be realistic limitations to it. Making a robe / sword look like a completely different, unrelated robe / sword however makes no sense.
In my personal opinion, this is how I view Appearance gear too. I would never want to stop others from changing out of their armour into something more aesthetically pleasing and I support shops and stores that sell casual, formal, dress up wears and dyes but to then take that appearance gear into battle is just silly and now breaking everyone else's immersion. I don't want to fight alongside a tank in a clean unscathed robe unless I know they have no stats or proper protection and will die quickly teaching them a quick and brutal lesson to never forgot their combat armour!
I strongly believe that anything you wear should be appropriate for the occasion, in battle wear appropriate battle gear that you earned via quests, killing mobs, dungeon or raid loot, crafting etc., around town and everywhere else, wear what you like! :)
What a highly polarized topic. I'll just quote a few brief things here, and probably won't attribute them back to their posters correctly, sorry if I miss your name.
picks86 said:
Chracter appearance should matter heavily, and altering it for aesthetics seems like a real bad idea.
Why does it seem like a really bad idea? When dealing with many different people, not every single person is going to enjoy looking at Robe of the Silver Lining just because they needed to go fight the Dragon of Serenity on the Plains of Tranquility. If I wanted to use the appearance of another robe, why can't a crafter desynthesize (or rip the threads) out of the Robe of Silver Lining and apply those same threads to say the Robe of the Wandering Medium, giving the former the appearance of the later. This would not only give crafters something to do, but I think it would make sense that if the threads from the Robe of Silver Lining are what give the stats to the robe, then by weaving those threads into another robe would be perfectly appropriate, and this is technically doable in real life already. Not only would I find this fascinating as a character that needs multiple sets for different environments (meaning that if I wanted appearance gear to have stats of better quality, I'd have to farm multiples of the same item, and it would be -easier- to just use the given drops).
kilsin said:
I strongly believe that anything you wear should be appropriate for the occasion, in battle wear appropriate battle gear that you earned via quests, killing mobs, dungeon or raid loot, crafting etc., around town and everywhere else, wear what you like!
I don't necessarily disagree, however if I looted an item, but liked the appearance of an item I'm already wearing, why could a crafter not take the "magical threads" or whatever have you giving the looted item its stats and apply it to my old robes to give them the updated stats while retaining the look?
Azotate said:
Most importantly gear appearance should be given sufficient attention and resources to ensure that top tier gear is awesome enough that who wouldn't want to show it off.
What do you define as "awesome"? Certainly our definitions would vary greatly on that subject. I don't necessarily want weapons with flames engulfing them being persistant on my character, and indeed I find anything this flashy to be distasteful, depending on several factors. Granted, something can certainly look "awesome" without cheesy effects, and to that point certainly I would agree that they could be shown off.
Aenra said:
It is not only impossible to cater to everyone's tastes, but also unnecessary. Hence wardrobe/customisation/appearance slots. Which by the way do just fine in all raid centric-games (hint).
I agree that it isn't possible to cater to everyone. Wardrobe systems are one of those "quality of life" systems in modern MMOs that people take for granted. However, if it were incorporated in such a way as to be intelligable and within the paramaters of the universe in which the game is placed, I don't see why we couldn't get around this (See my response to picks86).
That's all for now.
shihiro said:kilsin said:
I strongly believe that anything you wear should be appropriate for the occasion, in battle wear appropriate battle gear that you earned via quests, killing mobs, dungeon or raid loot, crafting etc., around town and everywhere else, wear what you like!
I don't necessarily disagree, however if I looted an item, but liked the appearance of an item I'm already wearing, why could a crafter not take the "magical threads" or whatever have you giving the looted item its stats and apply it to my old robes to give them the updated stats while retaining the look?
Brad has mentioned that our crafting system may not include armour and weapons and while I think they should be included, it is a possibility that they won't, so there may not be a way for a crafter to do this and therefore, it would be earned and bought gear, in which case I would stand by my statement and hope that everyone must wear what they want but suffer the consequences if they are underdressed for battle and other important occasions.
Remember climate will be working against you in Pantheon, so dancing around in a thin cloth robe in the middle of a cold area should have serious and rapid consequences for being ill-prepared in my opinion.
Also if crafters are involved in armour and weapon making (I really hope this is the case), not all types of stats can be transferred, since some heavy armours like plate metal just have extra Dex/AC because they are well-made plate armour and allow the wearer more manoeuvrability and protection of armour class, there is no way to transfer that onto another item unless its equally well made heavy metal but I understand what you're saying, I just don't think it would apply to all situations and personally, I don't want to see a tank tanking end game raiding content in a robe as it would then be breaking my immersion, especially in such a lore rich world like Pantheon! ;)
Kilsin said:Brad has mentioned that our crafting system may not include armour and weapons and while I think they should be included, it is a possibility that they won't, so there may not be a way for a crafter to do this and therefore, it would be earned and bought gear, in which case I would stand by my statement and hope that everyone must wear what they want but suffer the consequences if they are underdressed for battle and other important occasions.
Remember climate will be working against you in Pantheon, so dancing around in a thin cloth robe in the middle of a cold area should have serious and rapid consequences for being ill-prepared in my opinion.Also if crafters are involved in armour and weapon making (I really hope this is the case), not all types of stats can be transferred, since some heavy armours like plate metal just have extra Dex/AC because they are well-made plate armour and allow the wearer more manoeuvrability and protection of armour class, there is no way to transfer that onto another item unless its equally well made heavy metal but I understand what you're saying, I just don't think it would apply to all situations and personally, I don't want to see a tank tanking end game raiding content in a robe as it would then be breaking my immersion, especially in such a lore rich world like Pantheon! ;)
Kilsin - I had the idea above, but I'll repost it here for clarity:
This would not only give crafters something to do, but I think it would make sense that if the threads from the Robe of Silver Lining are what give the stats to the robe, then by weaving those threads into another robe would be perfectly appropriate, and this is technically doable in real life already. Not only would I find this fascinating as a character that needs multiple sets for different environments (meaning that if I wanted appearance gear to have stats of better quality, I'd have to farm multiples of the same item, and it would be -easier- to just use the given drops).
This means that if there's (let's say) 3 environments (Arid, Temperate, Arctic), I would need at least 3 sets of clothing (Desert Clothing, Temperate Clothing, Arctic Clothing). I would need to find appearance gear for all three (Arctic Clothing can't be reinforced with Temperate or Desert, etc etc), and I would need to find stat clothing (or the same drop) to reinforce those 3 sets. This would not only create an economy around appearance gear, it would also give the crafters a great deal to do.
shihiro said:Kilsin said:Brad has mentioned that our crafting system may not include armour and weapons and while I think they should be included, it is a possibility that they won't, so there may not be a way for a crafter to do this and therefore, it would be earned and bought gear, in which case I would stand by my statement and hope that everyone must wear what they want but suffer the consequences if they are underdressed for battle and other important occasions.
Remember climate will be working against you in Pantheon, so dancing around in a thin cloth robe in the middle of a cold area should have serious and rapid consequences for being ill-prepared in my opinion.Also if crafters are involved in armour and weapon making (I really hope this is the case), not all types of stats can be transferred, since some heavy armours like plate metal just have extra Dex/AC because they are well-made plate armour and allow the wearer more manoeuvrability and protection of armour class, there is no way to transfer that onto another item unless its equally well made heavy metal but I understand what you're saying, I just don't think it would apply to all situations and personally, I don't want to see a tank tanking end game raiding content in a robe as it would then be breaking my immersion, especially in such a lore rich world like Pantheon! ;)
Kilsin - I had the idea above, but I'll repost it here for clarity:
This would not only give crafters something to do, but I think it would make sense that if the threads from the Robe of Silver Lining are what give the stats to the robe, then by weaving those threads into another robe would be perfectly appropriate, and this is technically doable in real life already. Not only would I find this fascinating as a character that needs multiple sets for different environments (meaning that if I wanted appearance gear to have stats of better quality, I'd have to farm multiples of the same item, and it would be -easier- to just use the given drops).This means that if there's (let's say) 3 environments (Arid, Temperate, Arctic), I would need at least 3 sets of clothing (Desert Clothing, Temperate Clothing, Arctic Clothing). I would need to find appearance gear for all three (Arctic Clothing can't be reinforced with Temperate or Desert, etc etc), and I would need to find stat clothing (or the same drop) to reinforce those 3 sets. This would not only create an economy around appearance gear, it would also give the crafters a great deal to do.
This is just my person opinion, I have been passionate about this for a long time over many years and games so it is not something I am here to debate, I just saw pick's comment and agreed with it, but it is a personal opinion for many people here and it differs greatly as we can see, a lot against appearance gear and a lot for it, the team with have to make a decision and stick with it as we can't please everyone!
We will, however, have climate gear which is specifically tailored to meet the requirements of the harsh weathers in Pantheon so adding more gear on top of that may be challenging but I am sure there will be different styles for each so the players can choose between a few styles but don't take my word for it, I am not speaking officially, I just threw my opinion in when I saw pick's comment. :)
My personal preference is that you wear what you want but unless you dress appropriately, you will suffer consequences.