My friend the "content locust" :(

[Akiza]

FFXIV ARR is not WoW clone it's Final Fantasy with MMORPG elements added. Most people don't know the difference between Vertical and Horizontal progression
- Vertical progression is based on gear level and player level.
- Horizontal progression is based on adding abilities, attributes and skill points to augment your abilities and character stats.

Both types of progression by themselves have draw backs vertical progressions ends up becoming all about gear and horizontal progression becomes about grinding out skill points and is hard to balance in MMORPG's

Square stated that they would add the ability to change the effects of abilities in the 1st expansion so that should answer questions regarding horizontal progression.

[Gamemako]

Most people don't know the difference between Vertical and Horizontal progression
- Vertical progression is based on gear level and player level.
- Horizontal progression is based on adding abilities, attributes and skill points to augment your abilities and character stats.

Specifically, you do not seem to understand the difference. Horizonal progression is not about adding abilities and skill points; that is vertical progression as well. Any absolute gain in power is vertical -- you are going up in power for every possible scenario. Going from ilvl70 fending to ilvl70 pentamelded accessories is vertical progression -- though the item level is the same, there's no reason to consider the Fending accessories for any scenario (ever). Horizontal progression is moving into situationally-useful or playstyle-specific equipment which is not necessarily better in every case than the alternative. The focus is generally on incomparables -- things which simply excel at different tasks. In a shooter like Mass Effect 3, this would be like a shotgun and a sniper rifle. Both do a lot of damage with a slow fire rate, but one is highly accurate at range but limited at close range while the other is a shield-breaking death machine up close and nigh-useless at long range. The two are not directly comparable because each offers an advantage in a situation where the other is limited.

[Akiza]

Specifically, you do not seem to understand the difference. Horizonal progression is not about adding abilities and skill points; that is vertical progression as well.

Horizontal Progression
Use a skill-based, horizontal progression system rather than a level-based, gear grind system. Give us a huge pool of options and gear to buy, but let players find their own right combination of skills and gear. Place an upper limit on the most powerful gear in the game, but provide lots of it—variety of abilities and gear and finding matching with different abilities should be the progression for players who play for epic achievement. A good example of this is The Secret World there are no levels and players complete content to gain new abilities and skill points to increase their characters attributes.