Is this the road they will continue to take with items?

[Gardes]

Back in january, i90 was the best gear you could get. Of course there's better gear now and tougher events, so the old i90 gear (and i70) is far easier to obtain and the new base ilvl you generally want for current endgame.

I think yoshi said recently somewhere he'd like to go back to having more unique stats on gear, but then he also wants the game to be easy for new players that join in the expansion. We might see some different gearing progression, but then again, we might not.

I remember reading in one of his recent interviews that he'd think about it first (about adding unique stats) but it wont appear even by 3.0

[Gramul]

That's a problem with Vertical Progression and Power Creep.
Because there's no gear variation, they have to make the gear more powerful as it appears. However, the more pf a gap there is, the less people will make it to endgame content, meaning a harder time for the people who do manage to get to that level. They make getting old gear easier as they add newer gear so people have a chance to "catch up".

I never really liked that style. I prefer more options and variation in effective gear for the level. The problem with that, however, is that it's very difficult to balance in a way that both satisfies the players and prevents content from being broken. It's far easier for Square to make content that they have high control of through scripted dungeons and rigged party roles.

[Loki]

Instead of focusing on "eventual" new players, they should focus on players who are already playing.

Personnally in the other games i played i was motivated to find the best gear for my class etc but here in ff14 sometimes i just think "why? in 3 months i'll have to farm a new kind of money or some points for a new set, so why should i spend hours for that piece of gear which give me what, 3 more stats than my actual stuff, i can play and win without it, so why? to boost my ilv? omg i'm happy to be ilv110 ...."

It's borring to see everyone wearing the same things, i liked to check HLs and have the goal to obtain the same weapon or the same ring than a guy, but here you are sure you will have it with time by farming points. I would like they change this part of the game.

[Dwill]

Vertical progression should have died when WoW showed that it falls apart later on. Horizontal progression is best progression.

I sure loved having my Hagun, Byakko's Haidate, Bushinomimi, Haubergeon +1 for 5+ years and my Rajas Ring, Justice Torque ,Brutal Earring, Forager's Mantle for 4+ years

In FFXI, where the progression was horizontal for years, there was only an illusion of choice. Theorycrafters found the best gear and that's what people would aim for.

While vertical progression has its flaws, I'd rather go with that than be stuck with the same pieces of gear for years again.

[Apricoth]

Though I agree to a certain extent about the ease of obtaining that high level gear, do remember that the best gear in the game does not make a good player. It might gloss over a bit but when it matters most, the horrible players will glaringly stand out, regardless of the outstanding gear they are wearing. That is just my opinion of course - it just helps me cope with the way this game is designed where gear is concerned.

[Aylis]

I'm reminded vaguely of an interview with Yoshida early in the days of ARR when the topic of alternate progression came up and he said no because he wanted to keep everyone closely the same skill set wise. If my memory is right and the devs are still staying true to this. With no way to progress ourselves on a character level after hitting the level cap other then chasing the top tier gear score level then yeah. Its a gear grind from here on out.

[Coatl]

The ilevel 55-80 armors are pretty useless when you can jump straight to i90 myth in one day. I mean it's all good and fun for new players to be able to play catch up easier, but how fun can it really be when you jump from i55 to i90 to i110 at break-neck pace

Slowing it down a bit I think, would make more armor feel relevant.

[Cutie_McSnuggles]

I will never understand the hate for vertical progression. (Though I'm sure you will all try and explain it to me) If I had to use the same gear for 6+ months I'd leave the game. I have to have something new to reach for.

[Magis]

I will never understand the hate for vertical progression. (Though I'm sure you will all try and explain it to me) If I had to use the same gear for 6+ months I'd leave the game. I have to have something new to reach for.

The point is not to have something not to reach for, that would just be stagnation (neither vertical or horizontal progression). It's to have something to reach for that doesn't negate the previous thing.

[Dwill]

The point is not to have something not to reach for, that would just be stagnation (neither vertical or horizontal progression). It's to have something to reach for that doesn't negate the previous thing.

That in itself is an illusion. There will always be something that is the best out there and that's what people will reach out for while ignoring what's inferior. So in the end, you're stuck with the same set of gear for months/years. Not so fun.