Future Plans for Equipment

[Camate]

Greetings,

Below are some comments from Akihiko Matsui in regards to equipment plans for the future.

Matsui here.

Are there any plans to add shields stronger than Ochain and Aegis? How about instruments that surpass Daurdabla and Gjallarhorn? Ranged weapons that are stronger than Yoichinoyumi and Annihilator? And if so, will they have weapon skills?

All of the items in your question possess extremely high stats, so we’d like to make it easier to enjoy playing jobs such as paladin and bard by adding equipment that will fill this gap.

The strong point of Ochain is in its extremely high block rate, but damage reduction wise the Killedar Shield has been set higher. We will be adding an item level 119 shield in the future, so please know that we will be reducing this gap even further.

In regards to instruments, we are currently looking into adding an instrument that will add another song, but I can’t promise a time frame just yet.

Finally, in regards to ranger, as everyone is already aware, the enmity-related stats for Coronach are very high; however, we've tuned content so that it can be completed even without Annihilator if you put Decoy Shot and Camouflage to use. Ranger is a job that we’d like players to pay careful attention to enmity, so we do not have any plans at the moment to introduce equipment or weapon skills that largely reduce enmity.

Speaking in terms of the overall situation, we feel that enmity is lacking for high item level tanks, and as such we would like to look into enmity adjustments as a larger framework.

Matsui here.

I’d like to discuss the fundamental plans for upgrading equipment with item levels, as there are questions and uncertainty in regards to the future.

First, the equipment we are currently planning to make upgradeable is the reward equipment from Rala Waterways, Cirdas Cavern, and Yorcia Weald skirmishes. You’ll be able to perform the final upgrade to item level 119 with the new skirmishes that are to be added.

Besides these items, we do not have any plans to upgrade other equipment with item levels. Also, we’ll be introducing brand-new rewards in the skirmishes to be added after the next round.

If we were to continue adding upgrade items, players would have to keep a large amount of equipment and this is tied to inventory space consumption, so moving forward when we implement higher-tier versions of existing content and make adjustments to content levels we would like to adopt the method of adding new equipment rewards.

Basically we will not be making it so you need to have older equipment to obtain the new equipment, and for the exceptions where you can upgrade and there are requirements to exchange existing equipment, we feel it necessary to make it easier to obtain the original item as well as have a way to recover the items if they were thrown away.

In regards to inventory expansion, just as Yoji Fujito has commented here, it is being investigated, but we need to create a new system from scratch and it will take some time.

[Tamarsamar]

As long as item level is a thing, there can be no guarantee that anything that we're playing with now won't be obliterated (not just obsoleted) by the next version update. This is the main issue I take with the game as it is; this is why, in spite of my overeager excitement to explore the western continent, I have refused to use my money to purchase the Seekers of Adoulin expansion, where this madness all began; and this will certainly be the cause for the playerbase to plummet further if left unchecked.

Who's stopping you guys from creating Item Level 120 items on a lark? 139? 159? 9001? If Vana'diel intends to survive for another 11 years, we need stronger levies against such rampant, spiraling power creep between players and enemies both.

[MDenham]

Who's stopping you guys from creating Item Level 120 items on a lark? 139? 159? 9001? If Vana'diel intends to survive for another 11 years, we need stronger levies against such rampant, spiraling power creep between players and enemies both.

The answer, obviously, is "nobody except themselves", but...

The thing is, the alternatives are either a stagnating cap (the better part of a decade where the cap was 75 and everything was situational; arguably we could be heading back toward that if the iLevel cap stays at 119 for an extended period) or raising the actual level cap (which would probably be directly accompanied by converting all of the iLevel gear to just have the associated level, and pretty much "be damned to all of you who were getting bigger boosts under the old scheme" - that is, this would be a nerf to pretty much every job that isn't at the forefront of any specific category).

Given the options, I prefer the current system - where, for now, it's going to sit at a cap of 119 on iLevel gear, and there's room to keep bumping it up in the future without causing stagnation or gut-punching everyone who's second best or worse in their field.

On the note of "future iLevel increases and inventory": My opinion here would be to have that process progress very slowly - a one-level jump every six to nine months - but have part of it be "let's give you a reason to get AF, relic, and Empyrean gear to iLevel 119/120/121 respectively first, then starting at 122, we introduce a fourth set that gradually subsumes the other three sets into it and gets upgraded as you go along". A finished set of AF4 ("Crystal Armor"?) would probably sit at about iLevel 129, but would very much be the be-all and end-all for job-specific armor... and that'd give a 5-7 year plan for things, introducing various content along the way.

(The "AF4" idea here would start with a quested "-3" set at iLevel 122; pieces could be upgraded through an NPC to Crystal -2 gear [iLevel 123] by trading in the iLevel 119 AF along with materials, to the -1 [iLevel 124] through a second series of quests, NQ [iLevel 125] by trading in iLevel 120 Relic along with (at least partly different) materials, +1 [iLevel 126] through a third series of quests, +2 [iLevel 127] by trading in iLevel 121 Empyrean and more materials, +3 [iLevel 128] through more quests, and finally +4 [iLevel 129] through some other means - possibly a final fight against Atori-Tutori, maybe something else. It's just a rough idea and I'm sure other people would have their own ideas about how to progress job-specific armor to a "this is the last suit you'll ever wear" stage.)

[Tamarsamar]

The thing is, the alternatives are either a stagnating cap (the better part of a decade where the cap was 75 and everything was situational;

Ah yes, the 75 cap. A period of time when--in spite of lacking the myriad of quality of life improvements that we practically take for granted today--the game was at its peak with a variety of things for players to do that were still relevant. Back then as now harder content was rewarded more-handsomely, but not so dramatically that you were expected to have all the best stuff or GTFO (because, well, the content was freaking hard!).

Or am I forgetting anything here?

[Ravenmore]

Ah yes, the 75 cap. A period of time when--in spite of lacking the myriad of quality of life improvements that we practically take for granted today--the game was at its peak with a variety of things for players to do that were still relevant. Back then as now harder content was rewarded more-handsomely, but not so dramatically that you were expected to have all the best stuff or GTFO (because, well, the content was freaking hard!).

Or am I forgetting anything here?

So sitting at a HNM camp for hours on end just hoping you beat the other LSs that might or might not have bots and if it happen to spawn in JP prime good luck. Oh and then killing Kirin for the 1000th time hoping it's your turn for W.legs. None of the old content at 75 cap was hard just a giant time sink of extremely low drop rates. Frankly yes to get into a HNMls that did ground on a DD you were expected to have the best of the best gear to even be considered not cause it was hard just cause so many people wanted it. Sky was just that easy that getting into a sky LS AH gear was more then enough, sea finding your way was the hardest thing, limbus what a joke that was, the really good players were 6 manning Omega with 18 people with half a brain it was a cake walk. Dyna staying awake was the hardest. Ein was about the hardest event around to bad it relied to heavy on pure luck on which mobs you got, roll drk elements and the Chairmen you were in for a time and drops from the none Odin chambers were crap. There just wasn't enough incentive to get the masses to do it.

On top of it all no one did any endgame content out side of nyzul isle and assaults with shout groups. So if you didn't have a LS you didn't do much endgame and spent your time in game waiting for a merit party to kill little pink birds or if your were in a LS spent it waiting on people to gather for a event that you had long since become sick of and only showed cause it was close to your turn to get something or you didn't want to give up your point lead. I don't really care for delve or skirmish now that I'm sick of it just like I was sick of dyna, limbus, NI, or sea at 75 and meriting was so slam head on desk mind numbing, I maxed merits on one job and stopped leveling others.

[Catmato]

So sitting at a HNM camp for hours on end just hoping you beat the other LSs that might or might not have bots and if it happen to spawn in JP prime good luck. Oh and then killing Kirin for the 1000th time hoping it's your turn for W.legs. None of the old content at 75 cap was hard just a giant time sink of extremely low drop rates. Frankly yes to get into a HNMls that did ground on a DD you were expected to have the best of the best gear to even be considered not cause it was hard just cause so many people wanted it. Sky was just that easy that getting into a sky LS AH gear was more then enough, sea finding your way was the hardest thing, limbus what a joke that was, the really good players were 6 manning Omega with 18 people with half a brain it was a cake walk. Dyna staying awake was the hardest. Ein was about the hardest event around to bad it relied to heavy on pure luck on which mobs you got, roll drk elements and the Chairmen you were in for a time and drops from the none Odin chambers were crap. There just wasn't enough incentive to get the masses to do it.

As opposed to the current state of the game which boils down to:
-Get sparks gear because it's better than anything but Delve gear
-Delve
-Log out

I'll take my Sky, Sea, Dyna, Limbus, Ein, Assault/Nyzul, etc. Just because you grinded everything so it wasn't fun anymore doesn't mean everyone did. No, there's no clear upgrade path, but at least there was some variety.

[MDenham]

Ah yes, the 75 cap. A period of time when--in spite of lacking the myriad of quality of life improvements that we practically take for granted today--the game was at its peak with a variety of things for players to do that were still relevant. Back then as now harder content was rewarded more-handsomely, but not so dramatically that you were expected to have all the best stuff or GTFO (because, well, the content was freaking hard!).

Or am I forgetting anything here?

That there's a difference between "relevant content" and "fun content"?

I dunno. I've outlasted a lot of the people I knew in this game because I've got different standards of what I find fun. Exploring East Altepa on my WHM25 way back in the day at one end of the spectrum. Soloing - well, me plus three Trust NPCs, but at least I know that if I die it's because I did something stupid - the second-tier Jailers, or soloing Abyssea zone bosses, again on WHM as a more recent example. Trying to do things that would be considered ridiculous otherwise, just for the sake of seeing if it can be done now when I know it couldn't in the past.

Eventually the game will reach the point where it's pointless even for someone with my playstyle - or, more likely, it'll reach the point where it's no longer earning its keep before then - and I'll be done, but the memories of doing things my way, for my own entertainment, are what I'll end up keeping. And very little of that involves content that was relevant at the time.

---

That's kind of beside the point of why I mentioned the 75-cap era, though. I mentioned it because the "all gear is situational" thing leads directly to complaints about inventory space as an unfortunate side effect, and the devs are trying to minimize that particular complaint through means other than "here, have more inventory". It wasn't "have the best stuff or GTFO", it was "carry forty pieces of equipment and make life a pain in the ass for your healers who aren't using tools to ignore people blinking out, or GTFO".

[Tamarsamar]

That's kind of beside the point of why I mentioned the 75-cap era, though. I mentioned it because the "all gear is situational" thing leads directly to complaints about inventory space as an unfortunate side effect, and the devs are trying to minimize that particular complaint through means other than "here, have more inventory". It wasn't "have the best stuff or GTFO", it was "carry forty pieces of equipment and make life a pain in the ass for your healers who aren't using tools to ignore people blinking out, or GTFO".

Now this I can understand, but it still doesn't sit right with me how dramatically more powerful equipment seemed to become overnight. Weapons literally more than doubled in power (which is kind of ridiculous, if you ask me, even for an alleged 20-level gap). However much equipment you were using before was almost all rendered effectively worthless by whatever SE feels like should be the new best-in-slot at the time. In effect, it's actually a worse deal for players whose inventories were cramped with gear swaps--sure, they have tons more free inventory space now, but only because all their prior treasure has since turned to trash!

And you know as well as I do that SE will keep populating the "Level 119" tier of equipment with rewards from whatever new content they want players to participate in. As I seem to have missed your point, you seem to have missed mine: what's stopping them from decimating relevant content all over again simply by introducing a new "top tier" item level on a whim, obtained from a single event that--if Delve is anything to go by--probably isn't any fun, either?

[elqplau]

I am an old player my first update was ToU ive burned no jobs ive been to few aby parties one delve the gear i do have ive worked hard at getting it atm i use spark gear because if the stats RDM in the start was next to PLD in power now we cant get parties because we have been refresh/buff jobs RDM Maat fight was made diffucult because they took the melee away from RDM but left in that fight.. ive been solo sence the nurph i donot carry a staff as alot of others do...my merits are damage related not enfeebled if id wanted to play BRD mt BRD would be higher...those that burn their jobs then spend weeks casting protect on themselves should go back to WoW or which ever game they came from...if i wanted to do"end game" it would have been done already i was and still am an adventurer i walk the world killing if i can surving if i can i rely on 11 years of being the best RDM from the old order

[Rwolf]

TL;DR - FFXI has too much power creep as it is. They need to start adding incomparable weapons/armor/rewards and create content going forward with alternate goals than kill X within X minutes.

In complete agreement with Tamarsamar (+1'd). Matsui and the dev team are playing dangerously with content that is feeding power creep. Each time they release a new set of gear that completely destroys anything before it, some players take it as a good time to just quit instead of continue what they know from experience of Seekers of Adoulin is to be a continued power creep. And my hypothesis based on how they've introduced gear so far. Skirmish 3 gear will likely topple over a good deal of Delve boss gear, some AF pieces that don't have niche uses and some Ark Angel gear. Just to justify getting people to do the new content.

This is bad. A MMO is supposed to be a perpetuating experience yes, but at the same time what makes players feel the need to stay around is the attachment to the investment of things they work for. If a new update every 1-2 months tells you your investments are worthless or temporary, it loses value. Which means the game itself loses value. Why work hard all month to complete a set of gear if you're just going to get a better set that's easier to build next month? While some will still do it, it becomes more and more unattractive to players. Just look at the difference between the server population pre-Seekers of Adoulin compared to now. It's not just FFXIV: ARR or that the game is 11 years old.

In 9 months we went through several sets of gear that were outdated. That is some crazy power creeping. We definitely need new content and I am in no way advocating going back to HNM camping and all the other bottlenecks that still exist on content. Instead of making content with clearly better gear each update, make incomparables.

We need rewards that cannot be easily compared to other gear as better. We need content that is not won the exact same way. They need to go back to the templates that was Assault, Moblin Maze Mongers, and Meeble Burrows. Once there is endgame content that is variable, it will open the amount of imcomparable rewards they can add. Thus releasing the valve on power creep.

Even Monstrosity could be good (good as in there's a good percentage of the population who play it) but there's not enough reward to justify leveling a job from scratch. And by reward, doesn't mean add some set of Monster gear at 120 that beats everything else. Incomparable rewards. Adding sidegrade gear, new accessories like they've already started. Also adding heavy metal plates, alexandrite, riftcinders, colorless souls, umbral marrow, etc that already have a bottleneck. I know the devs will say well we'd have to look into balance. But seriously if anyone is going to solo level a bunch of monsters to 99 and hopefully do some dungeon content they said they'd add. You deserve some of that.

I think it's odd that they are afraid of allowing people to make R/M/E weapons by alternative and longer means, but have no issue adding gear that just tramples all over stuff and is easier to obtain.