Merit Weapon Skill Adjustments April Update

[Masamune11]

Could we please get some clarification? Are we talking a buff or nerf here? Are DRKs going to be running back to scythes again? Very interested.

[Zumi]

Merit Point Weapon Skills

This is a topic we have seen in threads asking to increase the cap on the merit point weapon skill category.
Instead of adjusting the cap value, we are currently looking into adjusting the modifier values so that these weapon skills can be used with a single merit point.

We are envisioning to make it so 1 merit point will yield a 65% status modifier, and each point afterwards will grant an addition 5% for a maximum of 85% (no changes to the max value).

Current
1 Merit gets 17% mod each merit after adds 17% more to the modifier for a total of 85%

Next Patch
1 Merit gets 65% mod each merit after adds 5% more to the modifier for a total of 85%

This isn't what we wanted at all and we are very limited on the jobs we can play. A lot of the my melee jobs are now benched because I can't get their merit WS. Being gimped isn't an option for me so they will stay benched until they up the merit cap which they already said they didn't want to do.

[Demon6324236]

Could we please get some clarification? Are we talking a buff or nerf here? Are DRKs going to be running back to scythes again? Very interested.

It is not a nerf, it is an adjustment so that 1 merit gives 65% rather than 17%, with each additional merit giving 5% rather than 17%, so that they both cap at 85% but you can put in less merits for a much better effect than before.

[Hayward]

I see nothing wrong with frontloading the stat mods like this. This allows for much more experimentation (Shattersoul for SMN, for example) and flexibility (Realmrazer for club PLDs and Entropy/Upheaval for DRKs). This is a move in the right direction for those of us who have more than 1 preferred job.

[Alhanelem]

I see nothing wrong with frontloading the stat mods like this. This allows for much more experimentation (Shattersoul for SMN, for example) and flexibility (Realmrazer for club PLDs and Entropy/Upheaval for DRKs). This is a move in the right direction for those of us who have more than 1 preferred job.

This.

While it won't please the hyper-perfectionists (whom can never be pleased by anything), it does give a few inches more freedom.

[Zumi]

I see nothing wrong with frontloading the stat mods like this. This allows for much more experimentation (Shattersoul for SMN, for example) and flexibility (Realmrazer for club PLDs and Entropy/Upheaval for DRKs). This is a move in the right direction for those of us who have more than 1 preferred job.

Its not a good move that 20% modifier makes a huge difference in WS damage. Your WS will be doing less damage if they aren't capped there is no arguing that point. For the hardcore end game player there is no choice, you still have to have 5/5 on your weapons skills no going 1/5 with a bunch of gimped ones.

[Alhanelem]

Its not a good move that 20% modifier makes a huge difference in WS damage. Your WS will be doing less damage if they aren't capped there is no arguing that point. For the hardcore end game player there is no choice, you still have to have 5/5 on your weapons skills no going 1/5 with a bunch of gimped ones.

going 2 or 3 / 5 closes that gap sufficently for the WS to be better than alternatives in most of not all cases where the WS is better at 5/5.

3/5 in 5 WS lets you merit enough weapon skills that most of your jobs will have one they can use.

[Snowlock]

3/5 in 5 WS lets you merit enough weapon skills that most of your jobs will have one they can use.

Increasing the Weapon Skill category's merit point cap would serve the same purpose, and is a harmless, rational, and popular request. Can you formulate a comparably rational, sensible defense for maintaining the current cap?

[Alhanelem]

Increasing the Weapon Skill category's merit point cap would serve the same purpose, and is a harmless, rational, and popular request. Can you formulate a comparably rational, sensible defense for maintaining the current cap?

Yes. Increasing the base attribute bonus for the weapon skills is a harmless, sensible and rational request that would serve the same purpose.

If your suggestion would serve the same purpose as what they're already doing, then you should be happy that they're doing what they said they're doing.

Merit WS should just be treated the same as the job catagories. Imagine if you could only pick 3 jobs to use merits on for the job merits. The limiting WS merits clashes with the whole ability to change job system.

It really doesn't clash at all. You can play any of the 22 jobs that you want, and the jobs that you like the most you can choose to make even stronger. This customizes your character and makes it different from other people's. Apparently though, the popular opinion is no cusotmization, make everybody be the same. But then they may as well just get rid of the merit system, give us all the abilities they created for it, and pump our stats. SE WANTS you to make decisions. The only problem with this is people hate making decisions.

I don't know about you, but I'm totally fine with not being the best at <insert job1 here> in exchange for being better at <insert job2 here>. I can still provide Job1 if it's truly needed, but when job2 is needed, I really get to shine.

[Yinnyth]

Increasing the Weapon Skill category's merit point cap would serve the same purpose, and is a harmless, rational, and popular request. Can you formulate a comparably rational, sensible defense for maintaining the current cap?

Diversity in the game environment lending itself to more unique situations and people's ability to specialize themselves towards certain jobs. Back in the day, exp was one of the largest things defining which jobs you are more effective with, and which jobs you are less effective with. Since it is now less time consuming to get 10 jobs to level 99 than it was to get 1 job to 75, merits are now what helps to define your specialties. Well, that in addition to gear and player understanding and capability.

No truly great RPG allows one person to be the best at everything. Merits help to define who you are in game. My magic merits are in string, wind, and singing, so I am a more effective bard than most players. However, that means I'm a less effective BLM. I prefer it this way to having everyone be a carbon-copy of one another where it's ok to expect everyone has every job leveled with all merits and a base level of gear for each. I like the environment that this specialization helps to create.