Item Levels

[Camate]

During the Test Server update on June 14th, we made it so that item levels are now displayed on items that have been added since Seekers of Adoulin.

I’d like to explain a bit more in detail about how this will work.

What are item levels?
As mentioned previously, as we move forward, player growth will occur through the procurement of equipment, instead of levels. (We are planning to have new merits, but from a level perspective players will not go above level 99.)

As such, there will be differences between the item stats that can be equipped at level 99, so we've arranged the "item level" system to display the strength of each item.
(Item levels for accessories will not be displayed.)

The level of the items you can obtain from content will become higher as the content level increases as this is demonstrated below:

119	20		Delve (Boss Monsters)
118	19
117	18
116	17
115	16
114	15
113	14		Delve (NM Group 2）
112	13
111	12
110	11		Delve (NM Group 1)
109	10
108	9
107	8
106	7		Wildskeeper Reives
105	6		Skirmish
104	5		Colonization/Lair Reives
103	4
102	3
101	2
100	1
Item Level	Content Level		Up to April 2013

Item level display
Item levels will be displayed on the very bottom of a piece of equipment.




For equipment that can have enchantments or augments applied to it, the item level will be displayed as if the item were at its maximum value.

For example, if you had an item that could be augmented and it displays an item level of 113, augmenting it with the highest value possible would make that piece of equipment each its full potential at item level 113. (This rule is the same for both random augments and for Delve's rank type system.)


Displaying monster strength when "checking" them and the amount of experience points received
The strength of a monster that is displayed when using "check" and also the amount of experience points gained when defeating monsters will vary based on item level, not on your character's level. The fundamental rules will not change.

Based on the combination of the various equipment you are wearing and their item levels, your ultimate level will be tallied, and this is what will be referenced. However, accessory slots, grips, and items equipped in ammo that are classified as accessories will not have item levels and will not be referenced for this level.

The main reasons for switching to this is due to the fact that if we kept it the same as it is currently, regardless of how strong a monster is introduced the message displayed when you "check” would be inaccurate and we are aiming to change this. We are also aiming to make sure the amount of experience points gained from defeating enemies, as well as the pace in which they are obtained, do not become unbalanced.

Adoulin mission difficulty levels
Missions and quests will basically become unlocked through coalition assignments, and we plan on balancing it such that they can be undertaken with a single party, which has the strongest items at the time that can be purchased with Bayld.

[detlef]

Based on the combination of the various equipment you are wearing and their item levels, your ultimate level will be tallied, and this is what will be referenced. However, accessory slots, grips, and items equipped in ammo that are classified as accessories will not have item levels and will not be referenced for this level.

The main reasons for switching to this is due to the fact that if we kept it the same as it is currently, regardless of how strong a monster is introduced the message displayed when you "check” would be inaccurate and we are aiming to change this. We are also aiming to make sure the amount of experience points gained from defeating enemies, as well as the pace in which they are obtained, do not become unbalanced.

Really? They are worried about us becoming powerful and obtaining too much experience points when all this gear requires us to be at max level to equip?

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

We're talking about the same folks who give us this gear-based level mechanic but still throws slugs at us.

(Seriously, how will having that gear ripped off mid-battle affect the EXP rate?)

[Aarahs]

The main reasons for switching to this is due to the fact that if we kept it the same as it is currently, regardless of how strong a monster is introduced the message displayed when you "check” would be inaccurate and we are aiming to change this. We are also aiming to make sure the amount of experience points gained from defeating enemies, as well as the pace in which they are obtained, do not become unbalanced.

Unbalanced compared to Abyssea? Is there something we're missing here?

[FrankReynolds]

Can we get a website setting similar to the in game profanity filter so that I can curse at you guys when you do stuff like this and have it just show up as ?????? to people who don't want to see the offensive words?

[Zhronne]

I really hope I would have never saw the day when they introduced "item level" in FFXI as well... homogeneizing gear and everything else, sigh.
Why must they copy from other MMOs instead of keep doing things their own way as they did in the last 11 years?
Do they think people kept playing FFXI hoping one day someone would have come and made it like every other MMO, or because it was actually different from everything else?

Also the part about XP is so... unnecessary. Can't they just display the monster level? People already showed that this is possible with third party addons, they could do exactely the same instead than this complicated and appearently useless thing about XP.
Please explain to me who cares about XP these days?
Do I need the game to tell me if I'm ready for a certain monster or not? What if I go around with my idle/movementspeed gear and then swap to TP once I engage?

Really... it makes no sense. Stop changing what's working Matsui! Leave FFXI alone damnit :<

[Ziyyigo-Tipyigo]

Can't they just display the monster level?

I think the /check mechanic in Final Fantasy XIV lasted about two weeks before they flat-out started displaying the monster's level next to its name. I suspect the "just show me its real level" mechanic will be something they'll add to the new (PC-only) UI.

[Zhronne]

They cannot.
The client (your PC) needs to "ask" the server to know a target's level. You do this through the "check" command.
The check command returns the target level to your client, and then your client calculates the difference in level between YOUR level and the target level, and decides which of the possible messages to display.

This means that to know the level of a target you need to use the check command, cannot display it constantly like in other games.
This is already possible through third party addons.
If they really want to make a change they should do that instead of silly elitist stuff about your average item level and the target's level.

That's like one of the crappiest change I've heard in the last years.

[Sargent]

I think SE are completely oblivious to the part where people are gear swapping and have been for most of the game's existence. Item Levels just don't work for this reason, your level taking into account the gear you use is going to go up and down like a yo-yo due to this, the only piece of applicable equipment that melee's would use fulltime in these situations would be the weapon.

In addition to this, the item levels for melee gear have far surpassed that of other jobs (WHM, GEO, SMN I can see being examples). In relation to Summoner, the only relevant pieces of gear that they've added for the job since Adoulin's release are weapons, Bokwus Circlet, and Bokwus/Orvail Body.

In terms of melee gear, for some jobs (like SAM), there's minimal TP gear from Adoulin that is considered optimal, making your "Item Level" if you defeat the mob whilst in TP gear lower than when you defeat it in weapon skill gear (In terms of SAM, only the hand equipment from Adoulin is in any way the best piece in that slot at the moment barring weapons, the rest is beaten by AF3+2/Usu+1/Phorcys).

[FrankReynolds]

They cannot.
The client (your PC) needs to "ask" the server to know a target's level. You do this through the "check" command.
The check command returns the target level to your client, and then your client calculates the difference in level between YOUR level and the target level, and decides which of the possible messages to display.

This means that to know the level of a target you need to use the check command, cannot display it constantly like in other games.
This is already possible through third party addons.
If they really want to make a change they should do that instead of silly elitist stuff about your average item level and the target's level.

That's like one of the crappiest change I've heard in the last years.

The /check command is to find out the monster strength in relation to your own. They can easily just make it say "Tiny Mandragora - Level 5" right above a monsters head.