Itemization in this Game is One-Dimensional

One of the main problems I have with the game so far is that everything and everyone is so "cookie-cutter"

Since all gear is basically just a "stat-stick" for a certain slot, there is very little variety, and a very strict upgrade path.

It would be nice if there were additional effects on weapons/items to make equipment choices more interesting. Maybe this is planned for the future.

For example: Moogle weapons are my personal favorite weapons in the game. I think they are better looking than relics. It would be nice if they had additional effects... such as a mage staff that occasionally procced a moogle that shot a fireball at the target or whatever.

Currently, items are flat and dull, and gear is either directly superior or inferior, leading to bland no-thought choices, and everyone looking the same.

TLDR: Some variety would be nice. I am not suggesting the FFXI gear swapping macro nonsense... just something beyond "Is I-level higher than current item? Yes = upgrade No = Pass". There isn't even elemental resist gear in game. There are secondary stats... but that is a very minor consideration to be the majority of your gear "system".

ARR is still relatively new. Give it till the 4th or 5th content update before expecting that kind of variety. Right now it seems like they're just rushing what they can out the door.

People begged SE for this kind of system since other MMOs are doing it. They made our beds for us so now we get to lie in it.

Add in that they seem to just roll the dice for which stats to add to gear >.<

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Originally Posted by KamikazeMan

ARR is still relatively new. Give it till the 4th or 5th content update before expecting that kind of variety. Right now it seems like they're just rushing what they can out the door.

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Perhaps, but consider that there are so few stats- that is part of the issue, imo. For example, at release EQ had elemental resists as well as stats for mana regen, health regen effects, etc. You might have a resist set for Naggy... or a gear set for mana regen.

WoW had the same thing with spirit vs. int gear at release. Some priests leaned on spirit for mana regen, while others leaned on int or whatever for bigger heals/mana pool.

I don't know that "newness' is the simple answer here, because the stats are so few and simplified in effect that they don't lend themselves to much flexibility. There is determination and crit... but generally you have what? 4 or so stats on items... with only 1 being much variance?

The incredibly simplified stat system seems like the only wiggle room they have left is either resists or additional effects added to gear... and neither of those is in game.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by KamikazeMan

ARR is still relatively new. Give it till the 4th or 5th content update before expecting that kind of variety. Right now it seems like they're just rushing what they can out the door.

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Shouldn't take that long considering 1.0 and 1.23, previous versions of FFXIV, had gear like that - It even had MATERIA that introduced additional types of stats and special effects. In all reality, given what else they imported, they should have built the battle system around that kind of itemization rather than the GCD.

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Originally Posted by KamikazeMan

ARR is still relatively new. Give it till the 4th or 5th content update before expecting that kind of variety. Right now it seems like they're just rushing what they can out the door.

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XIV is 3 years old. Gear and stats used to have much more variety and room for customization and they made the explicit design decision to dumb and simplify it all down. It's not something that will just get better in time. They remade the entire game and that was something they REMOVED on purpose.

See, to me, iLVL just nuked your idea to oblivion. The idea that ilvl determines what you can enter, and how you gear up, pretty much forces gear to be linear. IF I'm wearing an acc-cap set at i70, why would I think about going for that new ilvl 80 axe with no ACC? because of the iLVL.

Ultimately, Min/Maxers will destroy it anyways. People will (and thank you to those who do) meticulously calculate the best combination and people will, for the better part, focus on it. The key would be prioritizing what are the -required- stats, and building a builder that allows you to cross-combo any gear (regardless of ilvl) that allows you to meet those requierments. Say, ACC is pretty much the only required one (Ok, HP is also required). Plug those in, and come up with x number of sets that meet that requirement.

EDIT: or to go a different route. Nothing is stopping you from using the Moogle weapons. Relic +1 took most people to the end of the end, so i'm sure a moogle weapon will take you two steps away from it, so why not use it until you absolutely have to use the other one? When I get tired of "iron suit" tanking, I take of the body piece and use Hoplite gear, just because i think it looks better. Go for it, nothing stops you! (even the iLVL requirement doesn't get close).

Plus there's always vanity in 2.2 (hopefully...)

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Originally Posted by KHShadowrunner

See, to me, iLVL just nuked your idea to oblivion. The idea that ilvl determines what you can enter, and how you gear up, pretty much forces gear to be linear. IF I'm wearing an acc-cap set at i70, why would I think about going for that new ilvl 80 axe with no ACC? because of the iLVL.

Ultimately, Min/Maxers will destroy it anyways. People will (and thank you to those who do) meticulously calculate the best combination and people will, for the better part, focus on it. The key would be prioritizing what are the -required- stats, and building a builder that allows you to cross-combo any gear (regardless of ilvl) that allows you to meet those requierments. Say, ACC is pretty much the only required one (Ok, HP is also required). Plug those in, and come up with x number of sets that meet that requirement.

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Aren't you allowed to switch gear inside instances?

Give it time, most games start slow with gear choices, but even WoW, which has been out for close to ten years is basically the same, go for top gear that is available. Once vanity system comes out, i think that will help a lot with everyone looking the same, even though stats might be the same.

You can't really blame companies though, it's players driving it. If there was more horizontal progression, where iLevel capped at say 70 or so, but different effects on items or whatever, players would theorycraft which gave best deeps or what, and if you didn't have that, no group for you. It's why WoW got rid of the old talent trees, it was just an illusion of choice, when everyone pretty much went on elitist jerks for the "best build" anyway.