Visual Feedback: Non-Cosmetic Worn Items

[rain prism]

Hey folks 👋

We’re doing some early thinking around non-cosmetic worn items and how they fit into RuneScape’s visual identity, and I’d love to get your thoughts.

This isn’t about overrides. We’re specifically looking at worn items that:

• Don’t feel grounded in the world
• Are visually intrusive
• Or just don’t feel authentically “RuneScape”

For example, something like the Chicken Outfit might not be everyone’s taste, but it still feels very RuneScapey in tone and style.

Some examples already on the radar to give a bit of context:

• Elite skilling outfits
• Shark outfit
• Rune Ethereal
• Nature’s Sentinel
• Golem Outfit
• Divination outfits
• Master Camouflage
• Flaming Skulls
• Lovers / Haters Medallions

So the question is:

Are there any non-cosmetic worn items you feel break immersion, feel out of place, or visually clash with the game’s identity?

If you can, share specific item names and a short reason why. This is early listening, not promises, but it’ll really help shape where we focus.

Thanks!

[deft ferry]

First thing that comes to mind would be a lot of the more niche visually dated equipment, such as fist of guthix robes

While they fit the old school style, they haven't aged well with the modern visual style

Ideally such updates would have a retro override to maintain the classic look, as done with some prior cases

[tight brook]

• All 10 luchador masks
  • Squeal of Fortune (SoF)-original item with a stand-out style that hasn't been replicated since; neither as a head slot nor as matching pieces for other slots
• Queen's guard outfit
  • SoF-original set in an outdated style. If it could be brought in line with the style of the Varrock Guard outfit it might work, but in its outdated look it feels out of place.

[deft ferry]

Think those would be considered cosmetic worn items

[tight brook]

they're physical items, same line as lovers/haters medallion, so I assume it's fine
Edit: although it does feel like the odd one out in that list

[deft ferry]

Fair enough

[oak plover]

Hoping the listed Master Camouflage outfit is only referring to the combined invisible one, cause the 3 recolored base sets actually look decent and I incorporate pieces of the Keldagrim outfit into my main outfit that I feel still looks pretty grounded (tho I realize it's a selfish ask for just that reason from me :p)
The rest of the stuff listed definitely make sense tho

I feel like it doesn't clash with the rs vibe

[deft ferry]

That one would feel more fitting if it was used yearly at waiko for a festival or somesuch

Line of npcs with the parts walking around

Context can make or break a fit

[brisk crater]

Immediately comes to mind is these four due to particles, they all got item versions at diango

• Light Armour
• Dark Armor
• Ice Warrior Armor
• Fire Warrior armor

Its no coincidence that half the "troll" outfits using items use ice warrior armor pieces

[reef pulsar]

For me a fundamental part of the RuneScape visual identity is that the player character is a human. Many elite skilling outfits go against this idea by looking more like full transformations of our character into some other sort of creature rather than being an outfit worn by a human.

Specific examples:
Divination energy/chronicle/memory/elder outfit (weird magical rock man)
Shark/tiger shark/Burnt shark/Fury shark outfit (shark man)
Sapphire/emerald/ruby/magic golem outfit (weird magical rock man 2)
Law/Blood/Death/Infinity ethereal outfit (lightbulb filament man)
Oaken/willow/maple/Natures sentinel outfit (tree man)

But generally anything that is just

A transformation

[leaden surge]

I personally have issues with a lot of high-level armor sets, particularly in the helmet slot, the facemasks range from being somewhat grounded to frankly looking like a ben 10 alien design

seeing more classic wizard hats, caps, hoods, helmets and coifs would be nice

[brisk crater]

Agree with this.

[halcyon coyote]

Two groups of item-based outfits that don't fit the game:

• Disco outfit, Cool disco outfit, and Super disco outfit
• Starfury armour and starfire armour

I disagree on dark/light/fire/ice armours being wrong. because they reference Desert Treasure and they're not out of place in the game, although their particles could be toned down.

The existence of cosmetic toggle shouldn't mean Jagex will ignore the issue of garish cosmetics and obtrusive pets. For example you should really do something about the Shadow Drake pet.

[lost pelican]

For me personally a lot of the stuff looks good if it has a consistent art style, the issue with some of the stuff I have is more when you can clearly see a style that is just point blank hasnt been consistent with the game in nearly a decade.

I push back on the transformation thing because this is still a fantastical world, and if you have some high level stuff that transforms you into something cool looking (but I guess still human shaped) is fine. Also on helmets, I personally love the stylized masks and stuff, but this is probably more for my love of things like Kamen Rider, and I love equipment that invokes that feel (ie the new Masterwork range armor, or the Zarosian combat outfits) but I do think more traditional fantasy stuff like silly hats and other helmets work fine as well.

I think my idea is that as long as it looks and feels consistent I think a lot of the crazier stuff can be fair game in moderation. Such as if the Heavy Praetorian Magic Robes were added to the game as a type of tank magic armor I would think that would be something that fits the look and feel of the setting. RuneScape has a good way of showing off very fun, creative and cool ideas and it would be nice to have some of the cooler looking stuff unlocked via progression too and not just the Marketplace.

[brisk crater]

I did say it was due to the particles, follow. We both want those toned down if not gone entirely. The armor themselves are inoffensive.

[lost pelican]

God yeah particles in moderation are fine but sometimes I feel like im looking at a walking sparkler

[halcyon coyote]

They're grounded and they aren't intrusive in any way so in this context they shouldn't be mentioned at all

[brisk crater]

The particles are visually intrusive

[wicked steeple]

particles should just be deleted in general but that's a different conversation

[brisk crater]

I'm not sure I can say any invention items because thats in part the entire aesthetic of invention, but things like fishing rod-o-matic has definitely upended the aesthetic of fishing since everyone now runs around with a vacuum sucking up fish at most fishing spots

Binding Rod and Pickpocketing bag are much more runescape aesthetic than early invention was

[lost pelican]

I think that fits the whole dwarven look thing? But I do think more human invention looking things would be nice

[tight brook]

Same reason I'm not a fan of the sakadagami outfit. Feels like just removing the particles would make it feel much cleaner

[brisk crater]

In general a lot of invention stuff feels too modern for the setting, even as an invention thing

[lost pelican]

Im mixed on things like that one, because its in the human branch, but at the same time I feel like the overall look fits the setting and what it is doing in the overworld? Although I do think some invention stuff could use a bit of tweaking in their style to be more consistent since Invention has been through a few different design eras

[lost pelican]

Ok thats just a bit silly lmao

[brisk crater]

What are people's thoughts on Achto sets, in particular Achto Teralith?

[wicked steeple]

most invention stuff honestly doesn't look out of place for technology we've seen in game well before invention

[brisk crater]

Its the one that comes to mind as the least runescapey armor I come over

[lost pelican]

Whats the context of it I guess

[wicked steeple]

like dials and pipes and levers and vats have been around for ages

[lost pelican]

Yeah a lot of invention stuff looks out of the Elemental Workshop quests we never got

[wicked steeple]

elemental workshop, tower of life, glouphrie quest machines

[lost pelican]

Re-doing a lot of older quests in Leagues yeah the game has always had that mix of some modern stuff with the obvious fantasy flare, which is what ive come to like in stuff

[wicked steeple]

heck ernest the chicken has sciency machinery in it

[devout dagger]

Sirenic and tectonic being so blatantly referential to predator/samus respectively has always been extremely offputting to me personally. I actually really like sirenic body/legs but the predator helm makes me cringe a little every time i see it.

All of tectonic is extremely ugly and while it doesn’t reference samus/metroid as explicitly as sirenic references predator, it’s still blatant enough to be immersion-breaking for me personally

[deft ferry]

gonna be honest, it's barely a silhouette match

maybe with the arm cannon though

[devout dagger]

I think the silhouette is pretty damn close above-waist and it’s a very specific silhouette with the big round shoulders etc

Regardless, in no way does it look like mage armor imo.

It looks sci-fi for no discernible reason

[brisk crater]

This one might be a bit controversial but Dino-hide armor always struck me as having proportions for a more cartooney game

And has glowing eyes for no clear reason

Compare how big it is to other range armor

[spare panther]

Oh God yes

Look at that thing

This sort of thing was still possible on Cosmetic Free worlds

[quiet dagger]

My life was better not knowing this monstrosity existed

[brisk crater]

Theodore this is an item thread.

[frosty aspen]

Tbh, even tho actho stuff looks weird, I don't mind it since it technically comes from another plane/dimension whatever. It makes sense to look weird.

[spare panther]

Some of those are items

[deft ferry]

8 of the outfits

rest are overrides

and some npcs

[frosty aspen]

I get the whole gear should fit a theme but powerful and magical armor as well as stuff from other planes and fun items should remain how they are. Like the shark outfit should prob be changed for sure but stuff like actho, or lvl 90 power armor is fine imo

[brisk crater]

Theo don't forget this part

"If you can, share specific item names and a short reason why. This is early listening, not promises, but it’ll really help shape where we focus."

[worn panther]

just make the helm bigger

if possible, spruce up the textures

i think achto looks completely fine

anima core of zaros also needs a helm resize

[outer folio]

raids armors not only don't feel terribly grounded, are visually intrusive, but they're also just horribly ugly. Very few people would object to ground-up redesigns.

While vestments of havoc don't clash a ton with RS I do hate that a dress originally intended for magic is melee's BiS. There's been many redesigns by artists over the years that make it look more melee focused.

Almost every aura that has a unique graphical effect look terribly out of place, including festive, harmony/salvation/corruption. Probably not worth worrying about since auras are on the chopping block shortly.

also not an item but light form/dark form are horrifically visually and audibly intrusive for something you're expected to have on for hours at a time. Should be massively toned down.

[brisk crater]

Does Scripture of Wen activation count for this. The visual disruption isn't the item itself but the item absolutely cause visual disruption with one of the most obnoxiously large particle effects in the game.

[worn panther]

I don't get how raid armors aren't grounded

mesomaerican stuff from the mesoamerican planet

they would be out of place if they looked like medieval armor

[brisk crater]

teralith looks like mesoamerican to you?

I genuinely thought it looked sci-fi inspired

[worn panther]

yes? have you never seen mesoamerican art and architecture?

[brisk crater]

I have seen mesoamerican stuff, it just tends to be obsidian bladed clubs and jaguar clothes

I'd not flinch at seeing this on a spaceship in a game

[worn panther]

teralith is a mesoamerican golem basically

that's stone and magic glow, not metal and electricity

redesigned to look more like stone I'd support

but tank armor being a loincloth and bones wouldn't really make sense

(note it's literally called teralith, terra = latin for earth, lithos = greek for stone)

[lost pelican]

See this is why I wanted context on this thing, if it looked a bit more stoney it would be cooler

[regal drift]

Master Quest Cape, specifically on the museum Curator, looks so out of place with the particle spam coming from a quest npc, especially if youre at the point where he's actively involved in your quests.

Maybe let him throw it in a display case?

On top of that, particle spam in general is still just noisy and distasteful imo. I don't mind when theyre used lightly but theyre so much now.

[regal drift]

Yes! And the animation of that thing hurts the "chill/relaxing" feeling of fishing

[hollow nymph]

why not just delete all the Elite skilling outfits? Replace the outfits with a "fishing/hunter/thieving/woodcutting/etc" pocket slot relic that has all the same benefits for each outfit? Relics could still be acquired the same way (training the skill to get the fragments). Or convert the skilling backpack to "consume" all the outfits and provide all the benefits of each outfit, like the Wicked Hood consumes all the Talismans? Either way, less out of place looks and more bank spaces.

[lost pelican]

Eh I like some of the outfits, I love the Master Arch outfit the most, some of them look pretty neat

[zinc spear]

bank space isnt really an issue when you can delete the outfits and recover them from django

[zinc spear]

the visual identity of the games all over the place. id love to see at least the core smithing sets reworked to be more inline with one another. the left is an edit someone on reddit did, the right is what we have now.

[worn panther]

it's not like medieval armor has ever had one style

just say you don't like how they look

[lost pelican]

Im not a fan of just reskins with slight differences, I feel like the current armor could be touched up to work in a modern style, its just sadly stuck in that 2012 look and feel

[fiery tinsel]

I can't find the OG source, but I remember an osrs content creator (9rain I think) going on a bit of a rant + solution about the original and fixed OSRS Torva armor design
The solution was very simple. Stop making broad shoulders with small forearms, they look bad. You want big forearms, small shoulders. So far this applies to achto stuff, tectonic, dinohide and some of the core metal armors. And thats just the stuff mentioned so far

[lone inlet]

please delete the sakadagami set from elite dungeon shop, the trousers especially are the poster-child of horrific worn items. Thanks

[leaden surge]

while i do think some core metal sets can be reworked, i would rater see it take from a variety of medieval armors/helmets instead of the osrs armor model upscaled

[reef pulsar]

i do like the idea of the metal armours having different looks but in all candor i feel like almost every current smithable armour is visually weird, largely made up rather than being based off of the many cool real world examples of medieval armour and overall unappealing

but that's definitely me personally and i know some people like the current armours

[ruby ridge]

Vestments of Havoc should have the long needed respect they deserve and not just be a copy-paste of the Cultist robe hood + Tithe collector MTX set. The concept art from a game-jam should definitely be reconsidered tbh. I hope this is the right thread to bring this up again. There's a reason I have this ugly looking MELEE armor set overridden.

[worn panther]

vestments as they currently exist is one of the best looking armor sets in the game tbhhhh

[spare panther]

Honestly like a ton of invention stuff

[lost pelican]

How can I wear this Theo?

[deft ferry]

https://runescape.wiki/images/Lightning_Rod_Hat_equipped_(male).png?355ce

[lost pelican]

https://klipy.com/gifs/perfection-michael-fassbender-1

[spare panther]

Perfection, Pat? You think so...?

I worry about you

[olive summit]

...have you done Ernest the Chicken any time recently?

[lost pelican]

Yeah when going through Leagues I was shocked how a lot of things people say feel out of place have roots in things that have been in the game since like 2005

[misty hollow]

I would say the 15 & 20 year capes feel out of place, and far too bulky, especially compared to the 5 & 10 year capes. They don't really feel like RuneScape capes.

[rain prism]

Some great feedback here. Thanks everyone for being so thorough

[spare panther]

Thank you for listening, Yuey!

[winged oasis]

I dont feel that the golem outfit for mining is that outside of the runescapy feel. The other elite outfits mentioned are definitely out of left field.

[umbral osprey]

i think they're cool apart from fishing outfit and its big part why i want them so badly, wish we could get override for current versions or something if they get drastically changed. first skilling sets that dont actually look so damn boring.

[winged oasis]

I get that but the nature's Sentinel outfit doesn't really hit me with the feel that I've become more tree-like? If that's the thought behind its original design. Same for the others, minus shark and golem I guess.

[reef thunder]

I like the shark outfit

I think if you went to the arc and saw an NPC that looked like the fishing shark it would look in place

Siren esque

[winged oasis]

What if the outfit were changed to look more like a siren?

I'm not that fond of the outfit but I see why people like being a shark-person

[reef thunder]

I think it's fine as is

Unless they just have an absurdly big item graphic budget for whatever they're working on

Like I wouldn't even put it in the top 20

Ethereal outfit I think is probably one of the worst examples

Tectonic robes I think the helmet is out of place

Lots of head items tbh

[lone inlet]

the hunter experience outfit from the Arc looks pretty overdesigned too but I'm not entirely sure how I'd go about changing it

[weary shell]

I find that the smithed metal armours are extremely overstated and overly bulky. I'm not saying we need something as barebones as osrs but if i wanted bulky playschoolesque armours i'd play WoW, and frankly its been pushing me away for a long time now.

Theres 2 decades of old outdated models.

All amulets float above armours or inside them rather than on them like they used to. Similar clipping issues with capes.

the basic skill capes in the new style are so thin an flimsy compared to every other cape in the game.

Simplify textures and pallets a bit, reduce visual weight and business on most items.

messy

messy

Off-triangle design

[weary shell]

Give me something more in the vein of barrows or anima core armour. They are simple but look cohesive. They don't have to be visually busy to look cool.

[worn panther]

just use overrides

[weary shell]

these capes

All necro armours and weapons.

20, 15, 10, and 5 year capes.

TokHaar-Kal(kiln) capes.

Elemental Workshop Equipment:
Elemental
Mind
Body
Cosmic
Chaos

Mage Equipment:
Zamorak Robes
Wizard Robes
Black Robes
Wizard Robes(t)
Wizard Robes(g)
Spider Silk Shield
Imphide Robes
Combat Robes
Mycelium Web Armour
Splitbark Armour
Vestments sets
Druidic
Skeletal
Skeletal(superior)
Mystic(all)
Dagon Hai
Flamtaer
Infinity(all)
Dragonbone
Lunar
Enchanted Robes
Battle Robes
Sacred Clay(all)
Grifolic
Third Age Druidic
Virtus
Ganodermic
Third Age Mage
Ahrims
Seasingers
Tectonic
Elite Tectonic
Masterwork Mage(looks like a prissy cowboy)

Any Staff under T85

Roar Of Awakening

[weary shell]

Melee:
Mithril
Adamant
Black(especially)
White
Proselyte
Rune
Granite
Orikalkum
Vesta(all)
Third-age
Slime Hunter(especially)
Rockshell
Rockshell(superior)
Statius
Second Age
Linza
Torva
Elder Rune
Primal
Sacred Clay
Numerous non-core melee items that are just old as heck.

EZK

Ranged sits in a place where nothing looks bad per se, but it has two types: Extremely busy or extremely old.

[midnight sand]

Just to play devil's advocate for a few things. Flaming skulls: We have a skill called necromancy, and fight a necromancer from the first age; not that out of place.

Nature's sentinel: We fight a tree (solak). I think he's even somewhat revered in the lore? Not that out of place for a medieval (if we're going with that) society to create armors that impersonate-copy. Monkey see, monkey copy. (I also just love nature themed equips/cosmetics, so I have a bit of a chip in this game.)

Golem mining outfits: We fight a big rock man (Vorago) ect.

For just about every outfit on that list, I would say there is in game quest/boss content that justifies its existence. We have a quest all about falling star people, so we can look like star people. We fight insanely powerful and important to the lore tree's, dino's, rock men, ect, so we can look like those things.

I think the greatest argument against any of these would be against the Lovers/haters medallions. But then, we celebrate those holidays in-game (however tongue in cheek), and if you use that justification (that valentines wasn't a thing in any medieval society), you'd have to apply the same to Santa hats and Halloween masks, ect.

For a personal note, I have played for 20+ years and grew up with Runescape and am an avid fan of fantasy and have only a tepid appreciation for sci-fi. I have never seen an armor model in game (yet) that did not in some way fit Runescape in my mind. Overrides and particle effects however.... Particle effects in particular can make something that looks only slightly outlandish become extremely outlandish.

As an aside, I don't think we should conflate 'visual identity' with 'everything needs to look the same or similar', specifically in reference to the discussion about the smith-able armors. Would it be nice if they pulled on atleast some real-life logic and analogs? Yes. But do they all need to have exactly the same silhouette or 'style'? I think it would be worse that way.

[quiet dagger]

Would love to see how you try to justify one of the total particle hell outfits people can put together

[midnight sand]

Definitely wouldn't. If you read what I said I put "Particle effects in particular can make something that looks only slightly outlandish become extremely outlandish."

[brisk crater]

Light/dark form are way too visual a mess for what they are

[weary shell]

agreed. theres a considerable amount of this both in equipment and in overworld/mobs

[noble mauve]

The classic armor sets have too much glow to be considered medieval for Runescape

[idle dawn]

Boob window dragonhide
https://runescape.wiki/images/Green_dragonhide_armour_equipped_(female).png?b55f9

Batwing is another example

It's meant to be armour, but it tosses practicality out the window to let you show off your tits
Meanwhile the male version looks normal
That's not Runescape in my eyes, it's low budget JRPG
This is an extreme example, but personally I don't think armour should look different between male and female avatars at all. That's the approach dragonwilds and osrs have taken and it's great

[worn panther]

they already tried this and people hated it so they stopped doing it

completely unisex outfits and armors that is

[idle dawn]

when did they try it and when did they stop?
the only set that has gendered versions in recent memory was masterwork magic, and i've seen more people mention how they prefer one model over the other than i've ever seen complain about unisex outfits
dracolich is unisex, vestments, tumeken's, cryptbloom, starbloom, every smithed metal armour

[worn panther]

I think it was mainly with outfits for the time, they were completely unisex aka women were bulky and they switched to a more sensible model with everything recent

the pernix rework was completely unisex on release and they changed that

[idle dawn]

oh, I meant the armour having a different design entirely, like dragonhide or masterwork magic
pernix is how it should be

[worn panther]

I'm ok with how torva handles it but also there is real armor made for the female form that runescape has never attempted and I'd really like to see it

[lone inlet]

Contrary to popular media portrayals, female plate armor and male plate armor are essentially the same thing

[umbral kettle]

There's a lot of chicken outfits being posted here...
Kinda worrisome.
Dinohide armour could use a facelift it's too bulky and clashes horribly.
No issues with tectonic, dracolich, sirenic, vestments. They're pure runescape.
The boob window discussion is pure topic derailment
Some raids armour like the melee armour is a bit of a tone clash
But it's worth considering is things like https://oldschool.runescape.wiki/w/Blood_moon_armour runescape and are we trying to put runescape into a box that's too small?

[umbral kettle]

Invention stuff whilst the cogs on existing gear were kinda a poor implementation and I'm glad they're gone, the mad science vibe of invention items themselves are a part of the game since Ernest the chicken and shouldn't be booted out.

Although I would be a fan of the vestments rework idea, but that's besides the point.

Alright, for my personal bugbear about don't feel grounded in the world & visually intrusive gear.

Can we do something about the massive shin stabber spikes on the pernix chaps?
Where did these even come from?
They've just gotten more and more intrusive and pointy with every successive update to pernix.
What are they there for? Who would make this?
"Yes, I want big spikes on my legs to slap into my legs when I'm running" - The statement of madmen.

[fierce sigil]

bro really just saying everything

[weary shell]

dang near. game has looked terrible for years and years.

[feral path]

I love the middle Pernix 🙁

[feral path]

There is historic precedence for these. They're called "Pteruges" and they're intended to be light weight and flexible while still protective.

https://www.romanmilitaryresearchsociety.com/post/pteruges

[umbral kettle]

I wanna say the link you shared is something completely different to what pernix is depicting.

[worn panther]

so pernix needs more pteruges actually

[umbral kettle]

Yeah I'm not seeing spikes the size of my hand.

I'm seeing leather strips that would look cool if pernix depicted that.

[worn panther]

ok just make the ends less pointy problem solved

[umbral kettle]

Yeah, shave down the giant spikes.

[feral path]

I think that's fair that softer edges across the game's armor would be benifical. Spikes tend to be the edgdy default for a lot of graphic designers because pointy = SRONK

[umbral kettle]

Yeah, sadly in this case, it just looks dumb.

[worn panther]

the best part?

the initial rework had them even pointier along with pointier everything else

[umbral kettle]

I gotta wonder what the reference image was for this?

[worn panther]

take the original and just add more, more more more

[umbral kettle]

Carapace armour

I just remembered that abomination exists

It's not exactly on topic though

It just looks ugly? Out of touch with the rest of range armour?

[worn panther]

ranged armor is all about using monster parts

just looks bad also they should add kalphite armor

[tropic turtle]

Kalphite armor should not be made like granite and infinity. Dragonhide that is red and above should re-tiered because these armor can be made from drops.

[fossil wolf]

I very much do not care about other people when I choose my outfit. If you dont like my particles, or immersion breaking outfit, then you can leave.
Update outfits so they look like they're in 2026 not 2006 but otherwise leave their trails, quirks, or vibes because someone somewhere likes them and I really dont care or support folks who want to take that away.

[hollow nymph]

I base all my cosmetic and item choices on what fits in a medieval/fantasy setting because that's what I want to see. I am quite happy that Jagex is moving RS3 towards that end in its visual design. Having the cosmetic toggles was a breath of fresh air finally. The redesign of many worn items to support that makes sense. Hopefully, as the toggle system is added to (which they promised) we will be able to turn off particle effects on many or the worn items.

[proven tinsel]

Why aren't T90+ shields dyeable? I think it's time.

[small fulcrum]

Lots of good ideas in this thread, wanted to add something important.

Please do not let MEN (or women policing what other women wear) censor female armor we've enjoyed for a decade. Calling women's bodies 'immersion breaking' or describing an outfit feature as a 'bob window' is disgusting. Critics rarely mention attractive features men have in the game (and they're both quite grounded in RS).

In f2p events I've hosted for a decade+ I've never heard any actual in-game player complain about any tier armors in game and on the contrary people find it fun every style and tier has a unique identity.

[worn seal]

I'm really frustrated that you made ugly trimmed clue armors and sell the retros as cosmetics knowing they look better than the ones you earn in game. I really wish retro ornament kits were a clue reward from medium clues since mediums really need something more to set them apart from easies

like it doesn't seem like a big deal just looking at them

but in-game I find the smoother/simpler blue allows the trims to really "pop" more whereas in RS3 the trims kinda get lost in the rest of the armors detail imo

it feels even more distinct with the legs

I guess trimmed armors fall in a grey area between cosmetic and usable but the fact they have prayer bonuses gives them a reason to be worn over regular rune

while you're at their respective level brackets

[worn seal]

also obligatory shark outfit needs to go.

The divination skeleton one I actually like in theory but I think the execution falls flat, it's kinda uncanny

[lone inlet]

honestly I prefer the rs3 legs here, they just have a lot more detail in general and the trim is still quite apparent. I think what you're getting at is the contrast (the white and blue in rs3 are both on the darker sides). I suppose it's possible to just brighten it a bit, but in this particular case it seems fine.
The rune (g) platebody does have more contrast which imo fits, although the complexity of the metal's shading does distract from the gold.

[deft ferry]

Salamanders still have their old model when wielded.
While not a major issue, an updated model is available

It might be neat to give the augmented version a tiny harnass to hold them with.
At the cost of some new visuals

[radiant kite]

I've never cared for the rs3 rune and below melee armor visuals. And this can be expanded out quite a bit. Some of the questions your asking answers for already have fixes in the game. You paywall the best looking sets behind runecoin. I get it, you want to get that MTX. Hear me out. Do the math. If I'm a new player and i see people in the game wearing that Zamorak Armor Bundle (that reforged is fire!) , the Saradomin Armor Bundle, etc., and I know all i have to do is play the game and I can look like that, well those new players will be much more likely to buy a subscription than what we have now. I definitely know returning players would agree. Expand on those in the Marketplace. Paywalls look bad, and you don't even need them for core items, for the armors that make the game look its best, and make the players feel their best for wearing them. Save the paywall for the Jester outfits.