Gear Swap Possible ?

[Ava]

I actually liked how gear swap injected a method of strategy/display of skill not present in any other game I have played, but it did have many major issues with it. Instead, maybe they could do something like paradigm shifting in FFXIII. The way it could work is you could set up a # of different stat setups (physical level stats). Let's say 3 sets. And via macro, or a button toggle, activate each one in combat. This would save us from the issues of inventory space and give us a streamlined system to apply the same effect. Using this kind of system you could say, set up a balanced STR/DEX setup for normal attacks, a heavy STR setup for the attacks you dont need as much DEX for, and a VIT focused set for when the monster changes focus to you.

I sort of just thought of this on a whym, but I think it would be cool. As for gear swapping, I like the idea but I don't think I'd want it in FFXIV. I'd prefer something else more streamlined that simply gives us the same effect.

[Shiyo]

Gear swapping gives you more gear to want, and ups the skill cap. It's something that would distinguish a good player from a bad player, a good player from a great player. Even though it's just a simple macro press, it'd still show you have knowledge of your class and know how to maximize it's potential with every ability/spell. This game lacks ANY ability to distinguish a players skill, we NEED things like this or the game will be very bland and boring. Would like, please readd <3

[RemnantWolf]

Gear swapping gives you more gear to want, and ups the skill cap. It's something that would distinguish a good player from a bad player, a good player from a great player. Even though it's just a simple macro press, it'd still show you have knowledge of your class and know how to maximize it's potential with every ability/spell. This game lacks ANY ability to distinguish a players skill, we NEED things like this or the game will be very bland and boring. Would like, please readd <3

Yes this does in a way add something to separate out players from good, bad and great, as you say, but as I have said before, shouldn't these type of things be built into the battle system.

Really this system also takes away from any player uniqueness. I remeber playing FFXI and my friend who invited me on set me up with his LS. They often told me what to wear and what weapons to use. And they could do this because there was a "best for everything". If you were warrior you had to do it one way, but if you played as another job you had to do it another way. If they build the battle system right then it would become possible for people to learn new ways of fighting and finding their, favorite style without creating a "correct" or "incorect" way to do it.

Skill isn't being able to swap gear to be constantly maximized, skill is finding how to fight according to how you have optimized yourself. Because IMO skill should be measured in your ability with the battle system, not how much or what gear you have. Because then, given enough time, everyone is a "great" player, as long as they have the patience to write macros and use them.

[Ava]

Really this system also takes away from any player uniqueness. I remeber playing FFXI and my friend who invited me on set me up with his LS. They often told me what to wear and what weapons to use. And they could do this because there was a "best for everything". If you were warrior you had to do it one way, but if you played as another job you had to do it another way. If they build the battle system right then it would become possible for people to learn new ways of fighting and finding their, favorite style without creating a "correct" or "incorect" way to do it.

MMORPGs are team games. If you want to be a unique snowflake then stick to other games or shift that mindset over to other things like visual uniqueness. When you're a part of a team, everyone needs to conform to an extent otherwise the team will fail. If you show up to football practice without your gear because you feel your wits will make up for your lack of protection, do you think you'll do well? No, you won't. If you show up to an office job wearing jean shorts and a short sleeve tshirt because you believe your excellent work quality will make up for your lack of appearance, do you think they'll keep you around? Absolutely not.

You can be unique in MMORPGs, but that uniqueness is either while soloing or it's because you're the linkshell leader's best friend and they don't want to hurt your feelings. In order to accomplish things, your leader needs to know what everyone is capable of, and ask people to adjust to fill the gaps. If Mr. Unique wants to be a melee oriented Conjurer but there's simply no room for that in a team environment, then what happens? You either waste a spot or feel crappy because you got kicked. This is not unique to just certain MMOs, it is practically a rule of all MMOs, and team games in general.

There will always be cookie cutter builds and you will always be asked to be them. They are cookie cutter because the people before you put their blood and sweat into figuring out the absolute best spec.

[Yikghigi]

As a previous player of FFXI, MMO's, DnD, and all other things considered to be of this genre, I can safely say that it would be perfectly reasonable to change something in the battlefield. Would it be wise to change out your suit of armor within battle? Not likely, but if you had a reason to do so, then go for it.

In FFXI I used to constantly change out wands, instruments, earrings, etc because it suited the situation better. I think anyone that ever played a bard in FFXI knows of these circumstances more than anyone else.

That being said, I do think some items (like wearable body gear) should face a mild penalty in doing that action. Something along the lines of a slight stamina hit, or like 100 TP to do such an action. This way it would make you think a little more about switching gear than a free for all system.

If people find gear swapping ridiculous, gear changing could be restricted to passive mode, but I would think that there will still be a way to create an edge... How about if you have the opportunity to train at dojos related to each of the elemental affinities. Once you have completed your training at that place, you would have a new battle stance. For instance after training at the Earth dojo, you would have a better defensive stance, allowing you to absorb more damage, but would cause you to deal less damage. Or completion of the Fire dojo that would allow you to hit for more damage, but you would become squishy. Wind - Attack faster, higher evasion, but lower damage. Similar things could be set up for the remaining elements.

Customization is a key for any MMO, and if that includes swapping gear to better optimize yourself than how is that any different than socketing gear, magical enhancements, food buffs, or searching for that ultra rare armor?

[RemnantWolf]

MMORPGs are team games. If you want to be a unique snowflake then stick to other games or shift that mindset over to other things like visual uniqueness. When you're a part of a team, everyone needs to conform to an extent otherwise the team will fail. If you show up to football practice without your gear because you feel your wits will make up for your lack of protection, do you think you'll do well? No, you won't. If you show up to an office job wearing jean shorts and a short sleeve tshirt because you believe your excellent work quality will make up for your lack of appearance, do you think they'll keep you around? Absolutely not.

You can be unique in MMORPGs, but that uniqueness is either while soloing or it's because you're the linkshell leader's best friend and they don't want to hurt your feelings. In order to accomplish things, your leader needs to know what everyone is capable of, and ask people to adjust to fill the gaps. If Mr. Unique wants to be a melee oriented Conjurer but there's simply no room for that in a team environment, then what happens? You either waste a spot or feel crappy because you got kicked. This is not unique to just certain MMOs, it is practically a rule of all MMOs, and team games in general.

There will always be cookie cutter builds and you will always be asked to be them. They are cookie cutter because the people before you put their blood and sweat into figuring out the absolute best spec.

Well I bet if you switch padding in the middle of plays and shirts five times during a work day they aren't going to keep you around very long. And wearing a nice suit and tie won't stop you from being fired for horrid work either.

Your right, MMOs are team games. But that doesn't mean that the way you play a role can't be unique. Honestly I am not fully against cookie cutter builds, but making them easy to find by letting you change your armor in battle is just boring. Armors have pros and cons, thus making them and their use balanced. But if you make it so that people can change armor at any time then they lose that choice and therefor, lose uniqueness.

If your party is going against a boss that changes elements from fire to ice, wouldn't there be much more teamwork in this "team game" if you had to rely on people to cover your weaknesses as opposed to changing hats. Because then one person couldn't tank, it would take two tanks to be effective. But if you could change armor mid battle, your team doesn't as much coordination and therefor less teamwork because you could cover both ends by switching helmets (just an example, maybe not the best considering the game but it gets the point across). Sometimes not being cookie cutter isn't about being strictly unique, but just better at X situation that someone else.

And if they kept the situations different enough and gear varied enough, then it is possible that there would not be a true "best build" because at the end of the day, someone will be better at X event or X boss than you and Vise Versa. This adds to the community as well. If everyone is the same, no one has any real value, its easy to replace someone who is just like everyone else. But being different means that you can have an edge over the other players in some way shape or form. Uniqueness gives value.

[OJtheLIONKing]

I don't personally have fond memories of gear swapping in FFXI. There was way too much situational crap flooding up my inventory, to the point where my fully upgraded gobbiebag had on average 5-15 free slots because of all the situational gear I had to carry. For paladin, there was DD gear, magic tanking/kiting gear, HNM gear, VIT gear, etc. Plus swap ins to make individual job abilities a little better. It's immersion breaking and lets the developers get lazy with their balancing. I doubt they could have kept the cap at 75 so long if they couldn't have kept adding situational sidegrades instead of bonafide upgrades, and now the game has a ton of content that's no challenge to anyone at level90 and everyone spends all their time doing Abyssea. Plus, it's helps the motivation to get new gear if it's demonstrably better than your old piece, not "oh wow this'll boost the stun time on my 5 minute cooldown Shield Bash by 2 seconds, I hope I get it!"

Got off on a bit of a rant there, but the equipment swapping reminds me of some other poor design decisions in FFXI that I (and many others) have covered over with a thick layer of nostalgia. It was always a sloppy system, and shouldn't be brought into this game to spread its evil.

[Teknoman]

Gear swapping to take advantage of enemy weaknesses before battle or defend against certain status effects? Sure.
Constantly changing gear during a fight just to max out a certain attack? No thanks.

Uniqueness should come from the person's playstyle, or the equipment they use prior to battle, not constantly equipping and unequipping items during battle.

[ShinMetsu]

Gear Swaps were like the most awesome thing about FFXI imo.
And what's up with all those silly arguments?

"It takes so long to write macros"
"It takes away individuality"
"It isn't realistic"

Seriously, If you complain about having to write macros, then the problem is your lazyness.
If you think it takes away individuality and that you are 'forced' to equip certain gear,
turst me, that's not cause of the gear swaps, you will see that with or without gear swaps.
And about it being not realistic... this is a game.

I wonder what I'm to do in this game at all if there are no gear swaps.
So like, you get 1 set of gear and then people quit the game?

The most important factor to FFXI's longevity was the gear swaps imo,
there was always a goal, a motivation that keeps you going.

What are your plans in this game, once you get your desired set of gear?
The Story will end at some point, Dungeons wlll get boring at some point,
HNMs will get boring at some point, especially if you don't rly get rewards for it anymore.

I'm all in for gear swaps and the motivation that comes along with swaps.

[Reika]

It was already stated that they wont be making any encounters that require swapping of gear mid fight, thus they wont be adding gear swapping.