Third Tier

[Elexia]

As I expected, especially for giving a RDM example.

I said they were examples, and these are MERIT abilities. They aren't including what the job might get naturally from 96-99 (Which is probably nothing, if we're only talking about RDM).

There's something wrong with Shiyo apparently. The only thing I foresee with these merits is SE will make it a horrible grind in some way, even with Abyssea.

I just hope DRK doesn't finally get Magic Attack Bonus for the tier V nukes we'll have for merits.

-.-

[Economizer]

Job Specific
Max per category:9 increases
Max per ability: 3 increases
Upgrading: 10/15/20 (merits)

Job specific merits definitely have a much bigger area to be stronger, since you can gear around the jobs.

Empower being party targetable gives me mixed feelings, especially with such a short duration. The enspell bonus you described is too weak compared to the other buffs you suggested, unless Red Mage is going to get another multihit enspell tier. If I had to suggest one for Red Mage, assuming three upgrades, I'd have something like:

• Magic Fencer
  Increases Magic Accuracy and the rate of Magic Critical when wielding with the main hand only. Grants a damage bonus to magic spells.
  Grants +10 Magic Accuracy, +3% Magic Critical Chance, and +1 Magic Damage Affinity per upgrade.

The main thought is that Red Mages wouldn't benefit from using a Staff with this ability, but would when equipped with a weapon and a shield. It might also fit more if it was also only active under Composure, but the game description is pretty long as is.

Also to be honest, I'm still holding out hope SE makes a shield that gives some low tier boosts to most or all magic, but this would be a start (if only for Red Mage).

[Shiyo]

RDM will get another useless melee DD spell when it's not a melee job 96-99 don't worry!

[Reiterpallasch]

RDM will get another useless melee DD spell when it's not a melee job 96-99 don't worry!

At least someone on these forums finally gets it.

[Atomic_Skull]

THF:

Treasure Hunter IV

Reverse collaborator

Hide enhancement (chance to work on mobs that Hide normally doesn't work on)

Steal enhancement (increases chance for Steal to work)

[scaevola]

Put me down for expanding the cap for each job merit group from 10 to 15 and introducing two new merits per group, and introducing a new global merit group with expensive QoL abilities like a permanent Sprint Shoes Kupower, FoV/GoV Field Support buffs on demand (cooldown reduced via additional merit levels), additional AH slots if possible, reduced aggro radius culminating with no aggro from EP mobs, and so forth.

[Leonlionheart]

:\ I'm pushing for more of a talent tree approach.

Want higher Retaliation activation rate?

Then you can't have increased Blood Rage duration and cooldown reduction.

But you get the chance to put points into occasionally attacks twice when Retaliating

But then since you didn't put anything into Blood Rage reduction, you can't get its next tier, Regain while under the effects of Blood Rage.

One tree supports taking the hits for more TP and dishing out higher damage, while the other supports party play and dishing out stupid high damage.

Just the feeling of customization would be nice, and choices that make you second guess what you're doing.

[Buffy]

Ya'll aren't thinking big enough. Tier 3 merits need to be a major time sync. Remember how long it used to take to merit off colibri and cap your character merits and your first job? You could exp every day, if camps were open, and not get it done in a month (if starting from scratch).

They need to take the same philosophy with tier 3 merits. Black mage merits could be MAB+ .25 per level, 10 merits per level, with a total of 100 upgrades. That would be 100k exp per .25% MAB, but +25 MAB from merits for capping 100/100. It would also be 1m exp. Sounds about right.

Bard could increase March effect.

War double attack rate.

Thief could merit TH. (Every thief just died a little inside).

Also make there be a bunch of categories, like 10, and you can cap them all. The game needs a major time consumer with the loss of Dynamis, Ein(tab), Limbus, Kings Camps. Voidwatch is clearly going to be a piece of that, but it can't be all of it.

Think of the all the fun things you could merit. Pup could merit something like the size of their puppet....make it bigger or something...

Also could have sub-job merits, merits that are only active when set to a sub-job, like giving /sch more charges.

Or /sam an increased return on meditate.

Endless creative options here. Just keep adding merit categories. Or better yet, let us merit infinitely, but have every upgrade cost more. So the first blm MAB +1 is 1 merit, but the 2nd is 3, the third is 5, the 4th 9...the 10 50 merits...just make it more and more painful.

[Economizer]

Now, I don't know about time consuming in general (although, I constantly find myself with capped merits, and no way to spend them except for leveling another job), but this I can agree with:

Also make there be a bunch of categories, like 10, and you can cap them all.

The thing I always hated about the merit system was limiting choices - very few jobs have this actually result in different play styles since most players gravitate towards the same ones on most jobs. I'd much prefer if job/subjob combinations and gear combinations were the things that make us different.

Also could have sub-job merits, merits that are only active when set to a sub-job, like giving /sch more charges.

This would be wonderful. The upgrades don't even have to be very big, but getting slightly more out of your sub job would be a great way to add more power and options without adding more things to the main job.

Endless creative options here. Just keep adding merit categories. Or better yet, let us merit infinitely, but have every upgrade cost more. So the first blm MAB +1 is 1 merit, but the 2nd is 3, the third is 5, the 4th 9...the 10 50 merits...just make it more and more painful.

Bad idea. Game balance flies out the window when the devs can't make a mob level appropriate. How do you make something level appropriate against someone who can have anywhere from 0~1000000 bonus Magic Attack Bonus (or rather, something else that scales better)?

[Leonlionheart]

I'm not sure time consuming is the right thing

Challenging on the other hand...