Arbitrary Stat Caps on Materia Melding & Freedom to Meld MAIN Stat Please

[Kiara]

During Beta, many crafters noted some problems with Materia Melding & how limiting the Statistic Cap was. Having spent some time after launch, I wanted to provide feedback on 2 key points:

• Statistic Caps are Arbitrary & Unintuitive. It's bad enough that we're generally locked out of our "Main Stat" when melding Materia onto Equipment (for DoW/DoM), but what makes it completely frustrating is how *random* and *arbitrary* the Stat Caps are at times. Take for example:
  • Weaver's Trousers HQ (i55): Craftsmanship +3, Control +31.
    These are the best Weaver's pants you can get in the game. Yet, when attempting to meld a Tier IV Craftsmanship Materia (there's only +3 default on the item), you can only get +1(!) Craftsmanship to add. Yet, you can add a FULL Tier IV Control Materia (even though this item has a whopping +31 Control already). And you can only add +1 CP, and there's NO CP on this gear at all. How does this make sense?

• Please let us actually meld and use the Main Statistic that's important to our Jobs. Yoshi P mentions he wants to make this game for mainstream audiences, and to make this game easier to understand for everyone.
  
  So what is more intuitive than allowing players to actually add the Main Statistic that's actually IMPORTANT for their Jobs?
  
  A new player starts and levels Lancer. They realize STRENGTH is their most important stat. They look for Equipment that adds to STR whenever possible. They buy some gear and try to request a Materia Meld of STR, only to find out, "Sorry, you can't meld STR. The item is 'capped.'"
  
  It makes NO sense that the very stat that is important to your Job *can't* be actually added to via Materia.

On a side note: Who's *actually* going to use those "Main Statistic" Tier IV Materia besides the actual Jobs that need them? Is a Paladin or Dragoon really going to use an Intelligence Tier IV Materia (because their gear has No Hidden Stat Cap for Intelligence)? No.

And since you locked out Black Mage / Summoner from actually *adding* a full Tier IV Intelligence Materia to their gear (in general), WHO is it for? Same for Tier IV Strength. Is a White Mage going to use a Tier IV Strength Materia on their gear (because it's not capped)? No. It's really for the Jobs that need it, but they can't actually use it.

In closing, I realize the Main Stats are much more potent and powerful than they were in 1.0, and it's very clear Yoshi P wants to limit / control just how much a Stat can be stacked for "Game Balance." But these 2 problems about Materia fly in the face of all you are doing to make the game "less stressful" and "more for the mainstream" (for everyone) to play.

Please consider easing up the Stat Caps / Restrictions. In 1.0, the Materia rules were very clear (e.g., Items Level 41 - 50 could use up to a full Tier III / IV Materia; Items for Level 31 - 40 could use up to a Tier II Materia, etc.). But in here in 2.0, it's all obtuse, random and hidden.

You've already dramatically reduced the Stats on all Materia (Tier IV Strength Materia in 1.0, had up to +20 Strength; now it's just +7). But it feels like it's become TOO controlled, and, worse, *hidden* from Players, so we're just rolling the dice and learning by wasting money buying (or wasting time converting) Materia, only to find out later that we *can't* use most of (or all of) that Materia's Statistics because of some hidden and arbitrary Stat Cap.

Thanks!