Gerolt's Masterwork Weapons: Please Continue Upgrades

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

I won't speak for anyone but myself here, but if you agree, like it or say so:

Given the way the Relic/Zodiac Saga weapons are meant to ultimately be the best, even at times edging out Coil/Raid weapons like it is now, I'd like it if the Gerolt Masterwork weapons were also able to be continuously upgraded. NOT through mindless RNG grinds, NOT through expensive materia melds, but through challenges and item aquisition (think original Relic quest/Rowena tokens, etc.)

Look at it like this: I have a Rosenbogen. Already, I had to upgrade it by gathering the tokens (mostly restricted by time/tome caps, much like Zenith), and a UAT which I got from ST but would have happily challenged Turn 7 for (I like Coil. Seriously.) To get those items, I had to do much more than grind, and for that reason, I'm attached to my Rosenbogen, much like I was originally attached to my Relic Zenith. It may not be the best Bard weapon, but it's MY weapon that I worked for, and though it may not hold the weight or importance of the Relic/Zodiac Saga weapons, it's still equivalent (roughly) to a Novus, therefore it's useful.

Do not make me have to throw that time and effort away.

I'll be brutally honest: I don't like the Relic/Zodiac Saga. I particularly hate it. I disagree with both the Atma portion and how it was handled by the devs, Animus just felt like a lengthy to-do list, and an uninspired one at that, and I personally have no clean words for the Novus portion of it. Nexus at least generates interest in running other content again after the Hunts, but not really in a good way. But, grind culture is grind culture. Good for some, but not for many.

As of now I feel like there's no point nor reward to being skilled or taking on greater challenges, especially if the long, easy road that is Zodiac Saga will only produce similar if not greater rewards than taking on the game's other challenges/raids. And to use Yoshida's "Theme Park" metaphor again - Why should I bother riding the thrill rides if the Merry-Go-Round will just give me the same result? Thing is, I LIKE the thrill rides. I LIKE the challenge, and while I speak for myself, I know I'm not alone in liking them.

As it stands, I have an Artemis Bow Atma gathering dust in my retainer's inventory. As a Zenith, it meant a lot to me, but the Atma and everything after completely devalued it to me. I have no intention of upgrading it, and I think of discarding it every time I see it. But my Rosenbogen? I love it. I think it's hideous, but I won't glamour it. It's my souvenir picture from the thrill rides I've experienced. It's my T-Shirt that says I took on a challenge (greater than Zodiac) and conquered it. I want to keep it. I would love to see it made better and stronger along with me. And from a lore standpoint, it's an original weapon made by the master craftsman that originally restored the relic in the first place. By that logic, it should mean something. For those of us stuck in the middle of Zodiac and high end raid weapons (destined to only be eclipsed by relic anyways), don't take away a potentially great alternative. Don't ruin our theme park experience.

[Raldo]

It's amusing that you mention challenge in the same breath as the Gerolt Masterworks, 'cause there was definitely no challenge involved. I can't fault your lore argument, but that aside, there's no functional difference between upgrading the Gerolt Masterworks weapons and just getting new ones.

Upgrade: Get me 7 fizzywhistles, and I'll upgrade your doodad.
New weapons: Get me 7 fizzywhistles, oh here's a new weapon.

Personally, I'd rather have new weapons because that means more glamour variety.

Let me gaze into my crystal ball: Gerolt Masterworks won't be upgraded because it'll be a pain in the ass for people to play iLevel catch-up if every good weapon is upgraded from something else.

[Eggnook24]

Gerolt is too drunk to mastercraft anything higher than i90.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

There will be new weapons, naturally. The point I was making is since the GM weapons were one of the first upgradeable alternatives to the relic, I'd like to see that continued. And I could argue back that getting 12 Atma is no different than 10 tokens and 1 UAT (originally only attainable in Second Coil- the implied challenge), but in one of those cases, only one of those is/was an RNG drop. Still, gotta do stuff to get those tokens somehow. Is it similar to the Animus grind? Yes, actually. Is it as tedious? No. Is it as tough as Coil? No. Long easy road, tougher not-quite-shorter road, then somewhat of a happy middleground.

But hey, if new weapons would be the preferred choice, then cool, I can store my "weak" Rosenbogen soon as 2.4's new weapons arrive and remember not to bother upgrading anything ever again. Oh and I'll skip the Coil/future raid weapons too. You know, since the relic will (eventually) be better anyways. . . Something for everyone in this "theme park".

[echoica]

The only weapons that should have continued upgrades patch after patch are relic weapons. That's one of the reasons they are special and will be the most coveted weapon in the end.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

The only weapons that should have continued upgrades patch after patch are relic weapons. That's one of the reasons they are special and will be the most coveted weapon in the end.

Then there was never really an alternative or a need for one anyways was there?

Congratulations those of you who cleared Turn 9 or got your UAT this week, and got the weapon you may/may not have wanted. . . The person who farmed Garuda Hard Mode all weekend for Nexus lights now has a better weapon than you anyways.

On a serious note, this is not me saying Relics shouldn't be that good. Not at all. This is me saying if you offer an upgradeable alternative, don't just invalidate it with the next patch. At least not without something else equally upgradeable or comparable. Otherwise the Relic/Primal/Coil "alternatives" really aren't worth any amount of time or effort put into them.

Guess I better go cash in some tomes on an Animus book and watch a video on how to start saving up for those 150K minimum Grade IV materias.

[elizar2006]

Congratulations those of you who cleared Turn 9 or got your UAT this week, and got the weapon you may/may not have wanted. . . The person who farmed Garuda Hard Mode all weekend for Nexus lights now has a better weapon than you anyways.

All sarcasm aside. The coil/GM weapons have been BiS since patch 2.3. You honestly cant start griping about the Relic being the best for what 2-3 weeks before 2.4?
The Relic just got a stat increase. For people who just finished T9 congrats, but I think it is unfair to judge Coil/GM vs Relic when those weapons have stood higher on the pedistal for many many weeks prior. The Coil/GM weapons have been leap frogging with the relic for a while now.

As for asking to have the GM weapons to be further upgradable, aren't you just asking for another Relic?
The GM weapons are a part of SCoB/Crystal Tower era and a new set of FCoB weapons/Shiva weapons (probably upgradable) will be available.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

I know the current status of the relic vs Coil weapons is temporary, and that's just how its always been. I no less want a T9 weapon (more importantly, I just want a T9 win overall), and I do still love my Rosenbogen/GM weapons. But knowing that no matter what, Relic weapons have overall longevity, I'm left feeling like upgrading any of the alternatives is rather pointless. They'll just be replaced when newer content arrives.

And given how the relic weapon/Zodiac Saga seems to progress, I definitely don't want another relic. I do however want a less time/length-grind based alternative that involves more of a (sub-raid level) challenge, that won't be so easily replaced. The road to getting the Relic (shall we call it pre-Zenith?) was perfectly acceptable for its time - for its time - and was enjoyable to a degree. Leave the grind to those who want it, and the raids rewards to those who can rise to that challenge (I myself aiming to be in that group). But fill the gap in the middle in a more substantial way.

[Raldo]

Your request is easily filled without the requirement of it being an 'upgrade'. It will most certainly be a new weapon, rather than an upgrade, which serves your purposes just fine. If you don't like "feeling like upgrading any alternatives is rather pointless", then you're definitely playing the wrong game. It all gets replaced in due time, get used to it.

If they were to go the upgrade route, no doubt there'd be some task that would sour your opinion on the whole endeavor anyway. "I don't like the current upgrade weapon path, so please give me another upgrade path option." You really don't see that going wrong?

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

Sadly, given what I've seen so far, I see it going all too wrong. . . I'm a bit upset with my own cynicism there, but to ignore it or try to pretend otherwise would be naive. SE doesn't need to go a mile to convince me otherwise, but as of yet, I'm not terribly confident.