Evolving armor/weaponry, Class changing Armor/weaponry

Hello everyone, I've played this game for about a year now and I've liked it so far.
The gameplay is ok, the game is ok itself, the story is allright and the character creation and multi class system is awesome.
What I feel like the game is lacking is the combat system and distinguishing features between characters.

Right now the combat is the standard system even WoW has with skills you can combo Or rather HAVE TO combo to do the full damage.

So here is my fev suggestions to the game:
1. The combat system.
I feel like the combat system is a tried and tested standard MMORPG system.
However it also feels super slow and boring (Fell asleep doing dungeons and raids far too often due to doing the whole moves and everything out of muscle memory and it's the same thing over and over again).
I feel like the game would benefit more over a combat system that they used in Tera for example.



For people who don't know what Tera is or the combat system here is a quick introduction.
TEra is a free to play MMORPG such as any other with many classes that are quite like in this game, you got the standard DPS melees and ranges, mages and tanks.
The tera counterpart for the Machinist is the Gunner and the Pugilist counterpart is the Brawler who uses giant fists BUT is a tank.
The combat system is a real time system where you have to actually klick to do damage and attack instead of automaticly attacking.

You could combo skills in that too and it would make characters a bit more different in aspect of being able to combo anyway possible they want.
In tera you could combo all skills but had a quick combo you could perform by pressing space when using a skill and it ended if you didn't want to enter another different skill instead.
This would benefit the game and would also lessen teh aspect of people falling asleep or failing to do the combo needed to do the full damage.

2.Evolving weaponry and armor.

Basicly the current system we have is that you need to do quests and buy stuff or gather stuff to evolve your item to a different version (relic weaponry.)
What I propose is something different.
Basicly evolving armor and weaponry through KILLS.
Down the line you will end up killing alot of things in the game and it would make sense for your weapon to change and armor aswell based on what you kill, where you kill and how many you kill.
This would cause them to look different, powerup differently so they have bonus damage against some creatues or types and so on.
For crafters and gatherers this would be based on what you craft, what you gather and so on.

3. Class Changing armor and weaponry.

Currently the classes are interesting and cool but down the line we are all the boring same classes with the same skills and same max rotation classes.
What I propose is a system that changes your classes skills, how they interact and so on based on what they wear.
Such as a Machinist weaponry changing how he attacks.
Pistols would cause him to be fast but low range class with pistol oriented skills.
Shotgun would give him close to mid range damage and AOE wave skills.
The basic repeater rifle would be just that what it is.
There would be a powerful magitek rifle that is a sniper that has low attack speed but high damage.
Also there could be beam weaponry and such that you gained from MAGITEK versions of the guns. (We already have lasers in game.)

The armor would make you more or less accurate, faster and or give you minion controlling powers like summoning more turrets, magitek armors and flying magitek bits that power you up.
This would also change your whole class to something like: Machinist sniper or a Magitek Machinist.

4.Different mount system.

Mounts are a great way to travel but lack anything that makes them really different other than flying or a few skills.
So what I suggest is making mounts have skills that boost their speeds variedly based on the area you are in.
So a Magitek motorbike for example would be slow in teh dunes unless you switch it to a dune version with a skill.

5.Changes to classes.

I'd love to see far more class changes than what we have now.
For instance I'd love to see at level 60 you haveing a secondary choice to advance to two other types of characters.
For instance on the Dark Knight he would have a Health leech variant Blood knight or such that relied more on HP stealing abilities that increase aggro and heal the tank.
Or a magic oriented tank that focused more on shielding himself using magic and weakening the enemy while buffing himself such as a Dark Lord.

For a dragoon it would be like the end of heavenswards story about the dragoon.
You would be able to change in to either a Dragonkin dragoon that turned in to a half dragon or a anti dragon Dragoon like the heavensward people.

These are just my opinions and I would appreciate more discussion around this subject.
I'll also update this as I think of things.

Continued!

6.More with free companies.

Currently I spoke with a friend on teh game that FC doesnt' really offer much in terms of gameplay focuses.
Would be nice to have FC specific gear crafting and such where different FC's could if they got enough money create their own styled armors and such with their own style in it for example.
FC specific dungeons where you can only do them with FC members and FC only raids that can't be accessed any other way than this.
Or you could do a Cross FC dungeon raid.

You can get around the 1000 word limit by editing your original post.

I prefer slower paced combat myself.
My reaction time isn't that great and the current combat speed is pretty much perfect for me to keep an eye on what's going on on the battlefield while using my skills.

Also thank you. Great to know now.

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Originally Posted by Moomba33

You can get around the 1000 word limit by editing your original post.

I prefer slower paced combat myself.
My reaction time isn't that great and the current combat speed is pretty much perfect for me to keep an eye on what's going on on the battlefield while using my skills.

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I agree that its good for alot of people but those that cant stand being forced to be slow, we should have an optional way of being faster in combat utilizing our skills so it woudent matter.
You could do a slow combo that does tons of damage or a faster combo spam that does alot of damage aswell.
This way you woudent be restricted to having to do the trial tested SINGULAR combo spin where you do the specific amount of damage no matter what but instead have the option to do any type of combo you want so it would complement how you play.

Oh also feel free to suggest something yourself! Like how would your suggestions work with these or how these would work with yours.

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Originally Posted by Linedwell

I agree that its good for alot of people but those that cant stand being forced to be slow, we should have an optional way of being faster in combat utilizing our skills so it woudent matter.
You could do a slow combo that does tons of damage or a faster combo spam that does alot of damage aswell.
This way you woudent be restricted to having to do the trial tested SINGULAR combo spin where you do the specific amount of damage no matter what but instead have the option to do any type of combo you want so it would complement how you play.

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Have you tried Monk? The whole bases of the job's dps is around keeping Grease Lightning up for fast combos.

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Originally Posted by Dyvid

Have you tried Monk? The whole bases of the job's dps is around keeping Grease Lightning up for fast combos.

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I started as a pugilist but quickly left for the Lancer due to there being very limited and small amounts of Dragoons.
So I wanted to be one of those who werent them.
Well I later started playing as Pugi again but felt bored by it.
It's fast sure, but it's still really boring and has a limiter on how fast you can use skills due to global cooldown and that's what ticked me off and got me bored.
I mean look at Tera and it's Brawler.
Thats what a Pugilist is supposed to be.

1. Generally speaking, I find the action combat in Tera and Blade and Soul to be rather simple, and I much prefer the combat in FFXIV. That said, those games are fun to pick up and play once in awhile.

2. Evolving weapons/armor is not a bad idea, and is a little bit like what we had with Relics. That said, I'd prefer an evolving system like how Blade and Soul does it, where you offer lesser gear to upgrade your current gear - and it requires certain breakthrough gear drops to pass certain levels.

3. This sounds very similar to Guild Wars 2. Have you played that? It's not a bad system, but I didn't particularly like it.

5. I would very much like a specialization system. However, Yoshi has publicly stated it is a flat out no.

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Originally Posted by Kaurie

1. Generally speaking, I find the action combat in Tera and Blade and Soul to be rather simple, and I much prefer the combat in FFXIV. That said, those games are fun to pick up and play once in awhile.

2. Evolving weapons/armor is not a bad idea, and is a little bit like what we had with Relics. That said, I'd prefer an evolving system like how Blade and Soul does it, where you offer lesser gear to upgrade your current gear - and it requires certain breakthrough gear drops to pass certain levels.

3. This sounds very similar to Guild Wars 2. Have you played that? It's not a bad system, but I didn't particularly like it.

5. I would very much like a specialization system. However, Yoshi has publicly stated it is a flat out no.

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Thanks for the comment.


1. It might be simple but its also very fun and entertaining to actually BE in control and actaully feel like you are the character than just stand there looking at him or her doing it for you while you press a button or two every now and then to do a flashy looking skill that is small.

2. I woudent mind that system either but I feel like through kills and or killing in certain areas or getting damaged by certain types of attacks, elements would change your armor and weapons.

3. No I haven't palyed Guild Wars 2. People suggested it alot to me but I don't really feel like getting in to it as it just ain't what I like.
I'd like the system in this game just due to how each class should be a bit different in terms of game style and having the option to benefit from your gear moreso than just ''3 attack speed more than the last armor.''
It would also complement each class as we see other NPCs walking around and in cutscenes doing special skills and donning special weapons that you don't use.
Such as the Arm cannon shields the castrum meridianum? boss used.
Or the gunblades the standard imperial units use.

5. I don't get why Yoshi is against it, can you explain it?

Let me guess, a new shiny MMO just came out?

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Originally Posted by Dyvid

Let me guess, a new shiny MMO just came out?

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No? Why would you think that?

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Originally Posted by Linedwell

1. It might be simple but its also very fun and entertaining to actually BE in control and actaully feel like you are the character than just stand there looking at him or her doing it for you while you press a button or two every now and then to do a flashy looking skill that is small.

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I feel the biggest failure of those games is putting skills attached to your mouse buttons. Due to this, and due to high movement etc., the skills you actually use with the keyboard are greatly limited. This results in the vast majority of your time spamming the mouse click button. The targetting goes wonky and you end up with a system where you spam a very small subset of skills in a fairly chaotic way. For example, in Blade and Soul, for Force Master the optimal rotation is LMB RMB 2 - repeat. Press X every 40 seconds. This provides the single greatest DPS by a long shot. Further, the targetting is totally off and based on ping (as most action games really are). I shot off a fireball off screen to some mob 100 degrees to my right, rather than shooting one to a mob directly in front of me. This is frustrating and makes little sense.

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3. No I haven't palyed Guild Wars 2. People suggested it alot to me but I don't really feel like getting in to it as it just ain't what I like.

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I think the base game is now Free to Play, with the expansion being Buy to Play. I'd recommend checking it out, as I think the combat and weapon design fit quite well with what you are suggesting.

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5. I don't get why Yoshi is against it, can you explain it?

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No, I've read it a few times, and everyone goes on to say it is an "illusion of choice". I've always though that argument wasn't very good, and that everything in the world is an 'illusion of choice'. There is always a best or better choice, from a certain perspective, but removing it entirely isn't the answer. It's easily my least favourite aspect of this game.

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Originally Posted by Dyvid

Let me guess, a new shiny MMO just came out?

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New MMO's are always coming out. I think there are like 700 of them out there now. However, of course as you most likely know, BnS just launched.

Well thats just strange.
EVen if it was an illusion of choice, It would still be a CHOICE to have two paths with two different playstyles.
With the Action style such as TEra, it would easily be fixed with mobs being something you cant go through and make skills so they don't pass through enemies unless it's a skill that is supposed to go through it.
I'd much prefer it over this current system as its seriously causing me to fall asleep.
And I can't be the onlyone who falls asleep due to it.

Also SCREW THIS WORD LIMITER!

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Originally Posted by Linedwell

With the Action style such as TEra, it would easily be fixed with mobs being something you cant go through and make skills so they don't pass through enemies unless it's a skill that is supposed to go through it.

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Just to clarify, it wasn't that the spells went through the mob (like in Wildstar), but that the system picked up that I was facing a different way than I was (due to I am guessing a high-ish ping).

I found the action combat exhilarating, until i realized that it's far more limiting. In a given encounter with my SMN, I use up around 22 skills (on average) per fight. In a given encounter in Tera/BNS, I pretty much spam the same 3-ish skills over and over. If I was completely stationary in FFXIV, I'd agree, but I move around a lot as well - so the main difference is that I am selecting my target with a click or tab, rather than facing it. It is just more reliable, but the actual execution of the damage is more involved in FFXIV.

I personally also find it frustrating when you need to face your target for your skills when there is a pack. In Blade and Soul (again), as a Force Master, you need to stack up 5 fire debuffs and use Impact to apply burning. This burning debuff you need to keep up as it drastically increases your damage output. However, as my fire's just hit whoever I am facing, if there is a pack, it's virtually impossible to track stacks as a mob will run in front of another as I use a skill. Instead of adding a certain complexity that was fun, it just frustrating and annoying.

I dunno about that.
Started playing it and while there certainly is a frustration factor in group fights, the enemies tend to spread out around you.
Atleast so far the human enemies do that so it's easier to kick them as the destroyer and then grab them before slamming them down (AOE MElee class rules!)

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Originally Posted by Linedwell

The combat system is a real time system where you have to actually klick to do damage and attack instead of automaticly attacking.
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too much mouse clicks for auto attacking in an mmoprog that i am planning to play for couple of years = carpal tunnel syndrome
so i think its better if its auto attacks :)

If you want TERA style gameplay, play TERA.

I would play it if it was better optimized, if the russian developers woudent have taken the EU Developer down from steam and seized teh EU servers from being fixed.
So nah.
Besides if anything, FF should update it's combat system.
Just look at all the FFs over the time, real time combat is the norm especially when FF7 remake will feature a Crisis core/KH combat system.
WHICH WOULD TOTALLY WORK HERE!

It sounds like you want FFXIV to be overhauled into an action MMO. No thanks. There are tons of games out there already that were designed from the ground up for that style of gameplay. I'd rather not see developer time wasted on trying to make this game into another one of them. I actually came to this game from an action MMO (Dragon Nest) so I could play something different.

Better off waiting til their next MMO release if they ever do one. If it is an action MMO I'll be dropping this real quick.

Star Ocean 5 needs to hurry up and release already!

I'm waiting for the next MMO aswell, and it is quite highly possibly an ACTION MMO due to the style of approach they are taking with their other FF titles.
Besides the current style is a WoW clone mostly.
So if anything this style of gameplay is vastly overused and boring.
A ton of Free to play MMOs use the same gameplay mechanics as this game (Minus combo which doesn't really affect anything as you still got a specific combination you do)