The state of the game worries me and it's good that the 20th anniversary is just around the corner, in the last 7 years I had never seen FFXI in such a deplorable state
Remember that the essence of FFXI is a horizontal progression and what you did with Odyssey was something in the pure style of FFXIV. The Odyssey items made the escha, omen, dynamis divergence items obsolete, which took away the personality of the game.
All players are using the same gear Sakpata's Armor, Nyame Armor, Naegling, shining one without any variety.
What users expected was the empy upgrades. That way AF+3, RELIC+3 and EMPY+3 could co-exist together offering creativity and variety to the player.
The weapons of Dynamis Divergence SU-5. They were not necessary, they would have only added PATH A to the Normal Relics. 50% double damage, 25 STP and base damage increase, that would be the perfect buff.
Example.
MANDAU R25 / SU-5
DMG:124 Delay:176 Attack+45 / Accuracy+45
Magic Damage+155
Daggerskill +269
Parrying skill +269
Magic Accuracy skill +228
"Mercy Stroke" Additional effect: Poison Aftermath: Critical hit rate +5% Critical hit damage +5%
Path A
[1] Chance of double damage +50% can proc on any multi-round
[2] Store TP+25
[3] DMG: +10
Finally, some ambuscade weapons need a nerf but without removing their power, what I suggest is simple, lock the weapons to the jobs that are specialists in them. This is my nerf to the Naegling can only be equipped by PALADIN, BLUE MAGE, RED MAGE.
Unfortunately when I left in 2020 FFXI was in a good state, you could play escha, dynamis divergence, omen, ambuscade and everything could co-exist at a good level. Odyssey buried all past content at the most pure style of modern wow or ffxiv