[byr1001] Uncapping the Merit Point Categories

[Kojo]

Good evening, Vana'diel!

As a part of the character growth system, we will be increasing merit caps and adding new categories in the future. However, we will not be removing the cap entirely.

The reason we are not removing this cap is because it would allow players to ultimately max out everything and cause characters to become universal or too versatile.
The whole idea behind merit points is to offer many choices and allow players to choose based on their preferences. This way, even though it’s the same job amongst everyone, their proficiencies and roles are different. With that said, by totally removing the cap from merit points, the fundamental purpose would be lost.

Currently, we can fully merit 4 Combat Skills, but only fully merit 3 Merit Weapon Skills, are there any plans to add the capacity to fully merit a fourth Weapon Skill to match out Combat Skills?

[Rekin]

Good evening, Vana'diel!

As a part of the character growth system, we will be increasing merit caps and adding new categories in the future. However, we will not be removing the cap entirely.

The reason we are not removing this cap is because it would allow players to ultimately max out everything and cause characters to become universal or too versatile.
The whole idea behind merit points is to offer many choices and allow players to choose based on their preferences. This way, even though it’s the same job amongst everyone, their proficiencies and roles are different. With that said, by totally removing the cap from merit points, the fundamental purpose would be lost.

If the last census was any indication the player base really doesn't follow this philosophy as the overwhelming majority merits their jobs in the same way leaving many traits/skills forever unused. And there is no merit that will suddenly make a job as a whole different when two have merited different things. EX: Rdm with slow/para maxed, useless. RDM with dia/bio maxed, still useless.

As argued by the OP removing the cap would not be detrimental at all. If the devs are so hell bent on making players pick after being able to enjoy the full extent of their jobs til 75, why not make a merit skill tree?

[RAIST]

Currently, we can fully merit 4 Combat Skills, but only fully merit 3 Merit Weapon Skills, are there any plans to add the capacity to fully merit a fourth Weapon Skill to match out Combat Skills?

Very good point...one often left out in the debate over increasing WS Merit caps.

In all honesty though, can't help felling that the whole mindset over the restrictions is due for a rethinking in general. These policies were made at a time when inventory constraints, time, etc. created an environment where most people only had a few jobs leveled and spec'ed out to max--and these limits were more in line with that take on jobs at that time. But, the game has taken a dramatic turn in recent years....and this is not the general consensus of the playerbase now. There are many that have anywhere from 4 to 6 jobs they routinely use in different capacities, and they are up against a brick wall with these restrictions.

Please, SE... take a long hard look at your own census data. Extract out just how many jobs people have capped out at 99 with completed armors and weapons, etc. Get a better feel for what the playerbase is actually doing with the 20 jobs currently available to them (and more on the way with Adoulin expansion, let's keep that in mind as well)....and bring these merit restrictions up to a more reasonable level.

[Kojo]

Very good point...one often left out in the debate over increasing WS Merit caps.

In all honesty though, can't help felling that the whole mindset over the restrictions is due for a rethinking in general. These policies were made at a time when inventory constraints, time, etc. created an environment where most people only had a few jobs leveled and spec'ed out to max--and these limits were more in line with that take on jobs at that time. But, the game has taken a dramatic turn in recent years....and this is not the general consensus of the playerbase now. There are many that have anywhere from 4 to 6 jobs they routinely use in different capacities, and they are up against a brick wall with these restrictions.

Please, SE... take a long hard look at your own census data. Extract out just how many jobs people have capped out at 99 with completed armors and weapons, etc. Get a better feel for what the playerbase is actually doing with the 20 jobs currently available to them (and more on the way with Adoulin expansion, let's keep that in mind as well)....and bring these merit restrictions up to a more reasonable level.

Agreed, Honestly, I'm not asking to me able to max everything, nor am I asking to be able to max 5+ Combat Skills, I just have 4 specialty Skills; H2H, Scythe, Great Sword, and Marksmanship, only with three of those am I capable of using a merit WS, I'd just like to see those evened up.

Another thing is perhaps to match the Magic Skill category with a "Spells" category. My half-baked ideas for new spells was this.

WHM/RDM/SCH
Forsaken - A Light based Dia/Bio hybrid.
BLM/RDM/SCH
Ultima - Non-elemental magic damage (Unaffected by Manifestation)
BLM/DRK
Impact - Just make Impact unlockable via merits.
SMN
Cait Sith - Abilities are unlocked by putting more merits into Him/her.
NIN
Utsusemi: San - 1 Merit = 1 Shadow; 5/5 means a 5 Shadow Utsusemi.
BLU
Flare Star - Not used by any mob; Fire damage that ignores Magic Defense, but is subjected to resistence.

Just some ideas, obviously, like WSs, these would gain power as they are merited more.

[Rekin]

Just a reminder:
2) If they are perfectly merited for one job, it presents the biggest balance threat when given more merits because you have to assume that they would be on that job in situations that require high performance, the hardest events.
3) If they are perfectly merited for one job, any future merits that they obtain from having the cap increased will necessarily be less valuable to their job than the ones they already have.
4) Optimally-merited jobs barely benefit from increasing the caps.
Simply raising the cap accomplishes nothing, and adding more merits does just as much.

[Ophannus]

The terrible thing about the merit system is it screws over one job in particular, red mage. How?

BLMs learn new nukes 76+ (Stone V, Fire V, Blizzard V etc) these replace the level 75 merit spells(Burst II, Flare II, Quake II)

RDMs don't learn new enfeebles 76+ besides Addle. Our 75 merit spells remain our strongest enfeebles. BLM on the other hand learns stronger elemental magic than their 75 merit spells but RDM's merit spells remain the best for the class. It would be the same as giving PLD RDM SCH all Cure V and giving WHM Cure 6 but only through merits, because a WHM/RDM can cast Paralyze I and a BLM/RDM can still land Slow I too, RDM has Slow2 and Paralyze 2 but those are merit spells. Since RDM is a enfeebling specialist, RDM shouldn't have to choose.

[Nala]

While we appreciate the response and its great news for the most part please consider: if you truly wanted to limit player's choices and therefore force some sense of unique customization why did you create a job system where 20 (soon to be 22) jobs are able to be leveled by a single character, the pure choice of whether to level or not certain jobs in of itself makes each player/character unique as is.

[Nyerieri]

Good evening, Vana'diel!

As a part of the character growth system, we will be increasing merit caps and adding new categories in the future. However, we will not be removing the cap entirely.

The reason we are not removing this cap is because it would allow players to ultimately max out everything and cause characters to become universal or too versatile.
The whole idea behind merit points is to offer many choices and allow players to choose based on their preferences. This way, even though it’s the same job amongst everyone, their proficiencies and roles are different. With that said, by totally removing the cap from merit points, the fundamental purpose would be lost.

As I said when this thread first started. Thanks for confirming!

[Demon6324236]

BLM/DRK
Impact - Just make Impact unlockable via merits.

Umm~ should probably be for all jobs on Twilight Cloak, or at least add RDM to this list...

[Byrth]

Good evening, Vana'diel!

As a part of the character growth system, we will be increasing merit caps and adding new categories in the future. However, we will not be removing the cap entirely.

The reason we are not removing this cap is because it would allow players to ultimately max out everything and cause characters to become universal or too versatile.
The whole idea behind merit points is to offer many choices and allow players to choose based on their preferences. This way, even though it’s the same job amongst everyone, their proficiencies and roles are different. With that said, by totally removing the cap from merit points, the fundamental purpose would be lost.

... but your point of view doesn't make any sense given the current state of the game. You also failed to address my preemptive logical counterpoints to this argument (A, B2). Still, if you managed to ignore the contents of the OP then I'm sure anything else I can say won't help.

If the topic offended your sensibilities in some way then I'm sorry. I just wanted something to do in game.