Concerning Merit Points.

[Tamoa]

Pretty sure NPCs in the game use gils.

Would be nice to be able to trade merit points for voiddust and cells.

This. Especially voiddust.

[Seriha]

Well admittedly then you weren't working for those limit points so why should you get something for them?
It's funny how things have changed. In the old days we'd have loved to get easy xp to recap our jobs for the next deathga in Dynamis. Now its so easy to get xp and so hard to lose it, people want something for this "extra" xp that accrues over time.

Just because doing things in the old days was typically one-track, it doesn't make it right or even diminish the point of merits eventually becoming a wasted resource.

Overall, I believe we should be given the ability to fully merit everything. Yes, it's a temporary pause in the problem I just mentioned, but it would be a considerable time sink that people could actually find use with since it is a goal that doesn't hinge on random number generators like VW loot. After that, we are, of course, left with the question on what to do with excess merits.

Other currencies like CP/AN/IS are an option, but those also tend to a point of lacking worth due to old/insignificant rewards stocking their respective lists. Cruor might be the popular choice due NPCing blinkers, but I'm getting the vibe SE is going to eventually nerf that tactic to encourage players to use their cruor elsewhere, like upgrading Atmacites. So, to that end, I don't see a direct gil conversion from merits ever happening.

I could see the creation of NPCs who deal solely with merits, and they might even offer things like new equipment or current items like the Forgotten trade items or various Abyssea seals for reasonable costs. Like 1 for the former, 1 for +1 piece, then 3 for +2s. Merits could also become vouchers for specific magian trials, like 1 counting for 50 kills on a Kill X type or however many WS for those branches. Heavy Metal and other respective mass trades could also be acquired this way, and I'd even be okay with Dynamis currencies. Heaven forbid, should we ever see +3 Empyrean armor, they could also be upgraded this way.

Now, I'm sure some would unsurprisingly bitch and moan about alternative sources being added for various things, and some evil person somewhere might just AFK to leetness. For one, someone has to let them, and so some level of social interaction is involved here. In the event of people multi-boxing, well, they'd not always rival a good group, but it's not like they don't have advantages elsewhere.

But yes, I'd prefer all merits unlocked for upgrading, and from there SE could even add group 3 and other varieties like elemental resistances or base things like ATK or MACC. The main point is something can always be done with this resource everyone has access to.

[Michae]

15 Merits = Race change, Name change.

This will never happen and it shouldnt. It would allow all kinds of shady business. Did that person just nin my Epona Ring? Yep but now you will never see him again cause he changed his name so he could steal your Loki's or Twilight armor. This would do nothing but create career drop thieves among other things.

[Rezeak]

I like the idea of using merits to augment old gear that isn't gonna be overhauled in the future.

For example
Kings gear (Ridil,Pixie earring,Algol ect)
Pop NM gear (Rostrum pumps,Rutter Sabatons ect)
Lotto NM gear (Leaping/bounding boots,Peacock charm ect)
Storyline gear (Raja's ect)

[Kiroh]

I fully support being able to trade them on a 1/1 ratio (1 merit point per) for Alexandrite and single ancient currencies.

[darkhorror]

I like the idea of using merits to augment old gear that isn't gonna be overhauled in the future.

For example
Kings gear (Ridil,Pixie earring,Algol ect)
Pop NM gear (Rostrum pumps,Rutter Sabatons ect)
Lotto NM gear (Leaping/bounding boots,Peacock charm ect)
Storyline gear (Raja's ect)

This is what I was sort of thinking being cool, maybe augment other stuff also.

[Lukielucas]

This will never happen and it shouldnt. It would allow all kinds of shady business. Did that person just nin my Epona Ring? Yep but now you will never see him again cause he changed his name so he could steal your Loki's or Twilight armor. This would do nothing but create career drop thieves among other things.

Wrong, cos once you /blist someone (if you were using your commonsense) it will blist everything that's TIED to that account, cos you're actually /blisting the POL ID not the character name

[Hoshi]

Knowing SE they'd likely make a merit BC where you have a low chance at getting something decent. More logs and ores for everyone! But... even that would be better than what is currently happening to xp after you cap merits. ^^:;

[Michae]

Wrong, cos once you /blist someone (if you were using your commonsense) it will blist everything that's TIED to that account, cos you're actually /blisting the POL ID not the character name

Yep and you are going to be lead in every pt you are in where you get a drop. None of your friends will ever be lead, none of your link mates will ever be lead. And if they are its all good cause everyone you will ever be in a pt with will have to put the same ppl as you on thier blist.

Ive been in pts with ppl on my blist. Its not like blist is going to prevent you from being grouped with that person ever again.

[Tashan]

I would be strongly against this idea because it does not help the growing issue of unused and outdated content. It's the continuing trend of giving us the "fastbuck" option towards making progress in all content areas by only doing [/b] one.

To illustrate, I'd like to compare the World of Vana'diel at LV75 cap, to the World of Vana'diel today. At LV75, if you wanted to make your character(s) the best they can be at their job(s) you had to engage in practically every type of content.

• Wanted the best earring in the game for a Dual-Wield job? - Zilart.
• Wanted the best earring for TP and WS? - Limbus
• Wanted the best mage body in the game? - Salvage
• Wanted some respectable TP gear for Light armored jobs? - Campaign Battle (Allied Notes and Cobra Gear)
• Wanted to be the best Paladin? - ToAU for Burtgang, Dynamis for Aegis
• Wanted one of the best rings in the game? - CoP
• Wanted some of the best gear in the game? - Land Kings, Sky, Sea
• Wanted to beat the hardest challenge in the game? - Pandemonium Warden/Absolute Virtue.
• Wanted to level up as fast as you can? Travel the world.
• And honorable mentions for Besieged, Campaign (again), Nyzul Isle, and Assaults for being content fun to engage with even for the casual player.

This game use to be a journey. It use to be an accomplishment. It use to actually mean something to have reached a certain zone, to have finished a particular storyline, to be taking part in linkshell events.

I'm not looking to have a go at Abyssea, which I dearly love for reviving the game, but for us to get back that real sense of accomplishment and achievement we've gotta stop making everything "more convienient".

Hell, I even think making items no longer consumed when paralyzed wasn't a good idea. It was a small thing, yes. But that small lead to some of the best rages and WTF moments this game has.

Nowadays the only WTF moments I hear are from this forum.

I've purposely had to pace myself from doing too much since the last update, gone back to doing Campaign for merits and allied notes just so I can feel like I've earnt my dedication.