Over the Thanksgiving break, I’ve been enjoying both a spot of tea (to calm my sniffles) andBaldur’s Gate 3for the second time solo. (This doesn’t includemy wild multiplayer playthroughs.) This time I’m a cleric, inspired by my white mage Final Fantasy 14 character.
I’m enjoying the playthrough, but realized that one thing I would want so badly in this game, whichFinal Fantasy 14has, is a glamor system.
What Is A Glamor System?
A glamor system within a game allows you to change the appearance of your current armor to something you’ve already picked up earlier in the game. For Final Fantasy 14, it wasn’t a feature that was initially implemented at launch, and I jokingly refer to the pre-glamor time as an era of “rucksacks, mittens, and Chef Boyardee cans,” referring to the, at the time, ridiculously atrocious beginning armor we veteran players had to deal with before the system.
Immersively speaking, it can make a huge difference in how you feel about both your character and the progress you’re making. Looking back on Final Fantasy 14, as an example, wearing ugly armor or mismatched pieces caused me to rush further into the story. I wasn’t skipping cutscenes, but my attention was no longer on being in the moment while playing the game. The goal was to find the next piece of armor so that I didn’t look so hideous during those cutscenes.
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Baldur’s Gate 3 Only Kinda Has One
In Baldur’s Gate 3, if you’re not happy with the way your armor looks, you can swap over to your camp clothing. I usually swap clothes with Shadowheart, because she’s got the best outfit in the group, in my opinion. Early on, when I was first playing, there were times in which I did swap over to the outfit because I was wearing mismatching gloves, armor, and boots. It was an atrocious blend of leather, metal, and bulky aesthetics.
Swapping to the camp clothing helped, but the problem with camp clothing is that all your weapons disappear. Since first playingDragon Age Originsin 2009, I’ve always found the appearance of weapons on my character’s back to be an immersive quality I deeply appreciate. Nothing adds to the power fantasy like having a flaming sword mounted on your back. Having my weapon disappear caused yet another problem for me, and felt like I had to pick between two lesser evils.
I want to be able to change what I’m wearing but not feel like I’m being punished for doing so. I want to see that glorious, flaming sword on my back when I’m experiencing Baldur’s Gate 3’s very immersive, cinematic-style conversations. Upgrading the glamor system into something that’s similar to Final Fantasy 14 would remedy this.
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How To Make It Work
Sure, it’s great to fantasize about how a glamor system would work in Baldur’s Gate 3, but it’s more efficient to consider it in a realistic fashion. How, within the game’s existing systems, could it work? I think back on the dye system.
In the game, you select a dye. You then select “Combine,” select the armor from your inventory you want to dye, and boom! Your armor is a different color scheme. Perhaps this is how Baldur’s Gate 3 can implement glamour too.
Much like Final Fantasy 14, there would be an item similar to its “glamour prism.” You’d select it from the menu, then pick the armor piece you’d like to glamorize. Finally, you’d select which armor piece you would like to have the armor appear as. Then suddenly, you’re stylin’!
Having a glamor system within Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t out of the picture.Larian Studioshas been doing a terrific job of bringing in new content and bug fixes, as well as taking into consideration what fans want. It would basically be a matter of fan demand, timing, and whether it can be implemented without causing too many bugs in an already crowded ecosystem of complex codes.
So far, the best solution I’ve seen comes from fans who’ve been creating armor mods. Many of them take in-game items and change the way they look. Sometimes, they combine camp clothing with armor, making some really beautiful pieces. I doubt such a thing will be implemented for us console players, and not all PC players want to use mods to look gorgeous.
Larian Studios has already done a great job of listening to fans and responding to their needs. If implemented, a glamor system would be a great addition to the game and help make it even more immersive.
