[dev1210] Why Not Merit Weaponskills ??

[Afania]

This isn't even a logical discussion. The whole thing on both sides is based on feelings and preferences. There's nothing wrong with that. The problem here is that you seem to think that an RPG can only be an RPG if it's based on a plus/minus system. That somehow if SE allows a player to unlock all weapon skills on a single character that FFXI is no longer an RPG.

I never deny the fact that my argument is based on personal preference, so does everyone else's.

I don't MIND SE adding other RPG element if they remove merit point system, but as it stands now, this game is already lacking RPG element and removing them = even less.

FFXI doesn't even have a plus/minus system in the first place as you've defined it. It has limits, but choosing to "plus" one thing doesn't cause another thing to "minus." My INT doesn't go down when I merit STR. My WAR doesn't delevel when I level my BLM. My ice potency doesn't decrease when I merit earth. So, your whole plus/minus argument is moot anyway. FFXI is already not an RPG by your rather strict definition.

When you merit STR DEX, your INT merit is 0/12, this is essentially the same thing.

It's a fantasy game. Asking for it to mimic real life in such a way is absurd.

Even though it's a fantasy game, the game still has to follow certain "rule" that makes sense and related to rl. That'd create a feeling that we're in a virtual world, and immerse in it. Just because it's fantasy world, doesn't mean we can do anything we want.

I mean, why are there gravity? Why can't characters just fly and go through walls? Why do we have economy? Why can't we get free food/material? Why do we have arrows? Why can't we play this game like FFXIV that we just equip a bow and get free arrows?

Game dev can make any rule in a game because it's fantasy, but each rule must enhance the game playing experience to achieve the design goal. If the design goal is to create a world that simulate rl as much as possible in a fantasy world, then having arrows or having merit cap makes sense.

"Read a scroll and learn spell" is how this world works, so does "A pro BLM that spends entire life studying can't be the best RNG".

Personally, I think it's more interesting that way. This is, of course, personal preference. Since I like RPG or MMORPG closer to virtual life simulator.

Unlock the weapon skill categories and leave uniqueness in the hands of the players. That's my idea.

The point is that current FFXI doesn't offer room for uniqueness without merit point. And I still don't agree with "I'm unique because I say different thing in /p"

Again you have this very narrow view about what an RPG is. An RPG can still be an RPG with total freedom. As long as you're playing a role in a game setting that's all that's required. The actual game mechanics and methods of stat distribution are irrelevant.

Except RPG has always been about stats and +/-, making decisions about skills and such for past 30+ years. Don't try to reinvent the genre and remove such element and claim it's still RPG. In fact for games like JRPG, which is often more linear, is often being viewed as "adventure game with levels" instead of real RPG.

I'm not the only one with this POV. Most players in RPG community do view linearity "not real RPG". This isn't narrow POV, this is just how this genre works for past 30+ years.

Deep down I think people who support merit caps on weapon skills are just afraid of having even competition on their favored jobs. They don't want to get shown up on their primary job by someone who just leveled that job as their 4th. That's why they want to convince everyone that you don't NEED that merited WS to play the job. They want to maintain the edge they gain by having it themselves. If it wasn't worth having then they wouldn't have bothered with it themselves.

This is silly, I've been saying I agree the gap between merit point WS and the 2nd best option should be lowered, and certain job REALLY DON'T NEED IT. I'm against removing merit cap as a whole but I didn't say a thing about current WS hierarchy is doing right.

Also, after next WS update there's absolute 0 reason to complain about merit cap on WS anymore. Most of the jobs get better alternative.