New World just released its Transmog system yesterday, and while we're still putting it through its paces, it got me thinking about outfit systems in general. While New World has had a cosmetic system for ages - I particularly love the Roman Legionnaire armor I've worn for about a year now myself - it was always Twitch Drops or store-bought cosmetics. The new Transmog system allows for in-game armor and items to be transformed into skin to use as an outfit.
It's nothing new in the grand scope of MMORPGs, as outfitting stations and cosmetic offerings oftentimes feel like the true endgame for many players, myself included. Final Fantasy XIV's Glamour system is particularly great, and I've dumped dozens of hours and millions of Gil into creating the perfect outfit for my Red Mage, only to start over again a week later. I'll check out the marketplace in-game while browsing the Eorzea Collection for inspiration (and incredible screenshots), and in the end, land on an outfit that lasts about seven days until I'm doing it all over again.
I swear I'm having fun. Seriously.
The Elder Scrolls Online also has a great system that allows you to create an outfit using any crafting style you know. So if you can craft an Argonian Heavy Chestplate or know the style of Ancient Elf, you can effectively create a custom outfit with a custom dye pattern to truly set yourself apart in Tamriel. It's another system I find myself interacting with every time I log in, and I love the absolute freedom it offers.
But I think my favorite is the first one I ever really used: The Lord of the Rings Online. I don't think it's perfect, but I think it's perfect for me. With multiple outfit slots on each character, I have taken to customizing my outfit to match the Horse I plan on riding that day.
Yes, I've got it that bad.
Any piece of armor or weapon can be used as a cosmetic in LotRO's system. What I also appreciate about it is I can take armor my character wouldn't be able to wear normally and use it as an outfit should I choose to do so, creating some incredible looks. You can also dye each piece and create some original looks from across the 16 years' worth of items, clothing and dedicated cosmetic items.
My biggest issue is down to storage. Since these actual items you need to use to create your outfit versus just simply unlocking a skin, a new vault type, Wardrobe, is used to keep them all organized. Thankfully this is shared across your characters, but it's limited, with expansion through microtransactions. It doesn't cost anything to turn an item into part of your cosmetic outfit, but if you ever want to revisit it later on for a new outfit, you do need the actual item to do so.
This has actually caused some anxiety for me as I dig through over a decade's worth of items in my storage (many of them cosmetics from expansion purchases), housing storage, and even alt characters made purely to hold cosmetic items as a bank for me to find what I want versus a unified skin menu like we see in New World and The Elder Scrolls Online. But I love the fact that anything I come across can be used versus just becoming vendor or Auction Hall trash.
What about you? Which MMO out there do you think has the best outfit system? Let us know in the comments below.
Related:
Check out our Final Fantasy 14 Sprout's Guide To Glamour!
