Quote Originally Posted by Musashidon View Post
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1. I get what you're saying there. The game itself should be unique. And that's a fine idea.

2. The concept of spirit bonding cards and turning them into items is exactly as op / worthless as our current system of spirit bonding items and turning them into materia, or desynthing items into other items. I see zero issue with it.

Honestly, I don't see it as something that should be a standalone thing. Everything in the game right now is already intertwined with everything else. Modern PVP in this game directly affects PVE, PVE gear has a direct impact on PVP, Gathering affects Crafting, both of which affect the Market, which affects everyone and almost everything. Retainers affect everyone. All of the dungeons affect crafting due to dropping of crafting gear. Most endgame content can affect retainers, which boosts their ilvl to drop high-level stuff.

Separating a single gameplay asset from the rest would make the game feel extremely artificial compared to every other gameplay asset. Heck, in a way, it almost wouldn't be worth the time and effort to code it, because only the diehard card game fans would actually play it, and everyone else would leave it alone. If it becomes intertwined into the gameplay, even if it's just for a bunch of items that players can get through at least five other methods, that will significantly boost popularity for the feature, due to it being a unique gameplay feature that doubles as a method of earning said items.

I don't want to be forced to use a feature either. Though is it not true that I am forced to participate in certain specific content to get certain specific items? I am forced to desynth a bunch of random fish just to boost my skill high enough to desynth gigantsharks and get my hands on some new glamour pieces. I am forced to deal with difficult, angry people to participate in and complete the Coil plotline. I am forced to run Syrcus Tower over and over and over to get the Throne Gem and the Wind-Up Onion Knight. Does that mean all of those features are bad? Not really, no. It just rewards specialists for being specialists, while still granting stuff to generalists who want to try everything.