Materia System

[Amineri]

Running list of player critique of the Materia system, with proposed solutions:


Problem:
Matsui's new system focuses on rewarding the effort and innovation of players playing at their best, but this system seems to incentivize equipping low-grade equipment to battle. These focuses seem antagonistic to each other, and a player may be forced to choose between being at their best and getting materia.
Solution
You can attach to one tool, one weapon, and three armors at any given time. You do not have to be wearing said armor to attach.

I wouldn't agree 100% with "equipping low-grade equipment to battle". Another way to characterize this is "gives incentives to players to wear gear appropriate to the challenge". It's saying the same thing, just another way to characterize it.

For example, your proposed solution leads to "everyone always wearing the same best gear". And this is just my own bias, but carrying around gear and not using it, in order to power it up to turn it into materia ... just seems kind of weird.

[Peregrine]

I wouldn't agree 100% with "equipping low-grade equipment to battle". Another way to characterize this is "gives incentives to players to wear gear appropriate to the challenge". It's saying the same thing, just another way to characterize it.

For example, your proposed solution leads to "everyone always wearing the same best gear". And this is just my own bias, but carrying around gear and not using it, in order to power it up to turn it into materia ... just seems kind of weird.

If you bring your materia crap out to get sp on, there are players out there who will not tolerate that. Thus would you rather carry around the gear with you to attach to it, or be forced to skill it up on marmots on your own time?

I'd rather keep the 5 pieces I'm attaching to on me, while having the option to perform at my best at all times.

OR you don't even technically have to have it on you. Maybe you trade gear you attach to to a moogle, and it atherite links it to you so that any actions you perform attach directly to the gear. Thus you trade a NPC the gear. It disappears. You go do some stuff. You come back. You get your materia with a chance of HQ.

Thus, you can always put your best foot forward, while cooking a better foot on the backburner.

[Amineri]

If you bring your materia crap out to get sp on, there are players out there who will not tolerate that. Thus would you rather carry around the gear with you to attach to it, or be forced to skill it up on marmots on your own time?

Hmmm, already a new buzzword has appeared ... "materia crap".

Sure, there are players that would scream bloody murder if I brought out and used an Iron Halberd instead of an Iron Halberd +2. But, those are the same players that would complain because I wasn't using an Iron Halberd +3, or more likely, that I wasn't using a Lance of whatever flavor they think is best. Fortunately, I don't play with those players ^-^.

Also, the current HQ system really needs to DIAF. There have been more than enough posts already about how HQ gear is 95% or so useless. Weapons and tools, and armor for tanks. That's the only useful HQ gear. Hopefully the materia system will be strong enough to make the absolute need for HQ items relatively moot, and then SE can rework the HQ / crafting quality system without it making such a huge impact on people.

That said, it'll be interesting to see how this plays out with all of the changes to the battle system.