It's very depressing how...

[Tiggy]

Getting better gear is one of the primary goals and drives for players in an mmo. So for many they will do it regardless if it's fun because the reward is what was fun in the first place. Try to understand that mindset.

[Zohar_Lahar]

Getting better gear is one of the primary goals and drives for players in an mmo. So for many they will do it regardless if it's fun because the reward is what was fun in the first place. Try to understand that mindset.

The reward has so much effort such trivial gain, with no meaningful change in how the class plays. Even with the Zodiac Weapon, the Scholar job still plays the same as it did before. What do they expect Augment Ironworks gear to do differently?

At what item level will there be a truly meaningful power boost...enough to even override team jump rope mechanics in Coil and other endgame fights?

[NyarukoW]

...] power boost...enough to even override team jump rope mechanics in Coil and other endgame fights?

Seriously? Getting people to play together and learn to coordinate is the challenge and the fun part. Call it "team jump rope" all you like, but if you can't get the team to play correctly you end up losing like the Packers did last Sunday, like somebody forgot to tell the TE to block and not jump for the ball in that onside kick. If you just want god mode so you can solo override everything, this is not the genre of game for you. Hero ball might be fun for Kobe and MJ, but it is no fun for everyone else, and being an MMO, and other players are not just NPC for you take for granted it makes sense the things should be balanced and you do not get to override everything.

[Tiggy]

The reward has so much effort such trivial gain, with no meaningful change in how the class plays...At what item level will there be a truly meaningful power boost...enough to even override team jump rope mechanics in Coil and other endgame fights?

The entire point is that what you consider fun and worth it isn't the same as someone else. It doesn't matter how trivial you think it is. For some people the capped level gear is reason enough. And if you think higher level gear doesn't make fights easier then you're living in a dreamworld. It always helps make healing less intense due to more HP and higher potency heals, tanks have more HP to take big hits, and dps beat damage checks easier. The 130 gear most certainly is very useful for the "team jump rope" fights in the coil. The difference between a team at 120 and 130 is palpable. Will it override the need to do mechanics? No, that would be silly and make the fights pointless. Does it make them easier? Yes. It absolutely does.

[Zohar_Lahar]

The entire point is that what you consider fun and worth it isn't the same as someone else. It doesn't matter how trivial you think it is. For some people the capped level gear is reason enough. And if you think higher level gear doesn't make fights easier then you're living in a dreamworld. It always helps make healing less intense due to more HP and higher potency heals, tanks have more HP to take big hits, and dps beat damage checks easier. The 130 gear most certainly is very useful for the "team jump rope" fights in the coil. The difference between a team at 120 and 130 is palpable. Will it override the need to do mechanics? No, that would be silly and might the fights pointless. Does it make them easier? Yes. It absolutely does.

Okay then, tell me this: how much stronger will Sacred Soil's damage mitigation be with average item level 130+ and all the MND we can get? Answer carefully.

[NyarukoW]

Okay then, tell me this: how much stronger will Sacred Soil's damage mitigation be with average item level 130+ and all the MND we can get? Answer carefully.

You are only going to be happy when it gives people invulnerability. So it doesn't matter. But a tick more may mean the difference of surviving the megaflare right at heavensfall when a player has weakness is a big difference maker.

[Tiggy]

Okay then, tell me this: how much stronger will Sacred Soil's damage mitigation be with average item level 130+ and all the MND we can get? Answer carefully.

Okay then. How much should a SINGLE ability of the scholar be used to determine how useful gear is for every other class and most abilities in the game? Answer carefully. Pointing out this one scholar skill changes nothing about what I said. It's one specific ability that won't be affected. How about the scholars other spells? Physic certainly gets stronger. So by the merit alone your point is pointless.

You are only going to be happy when it gives people invulnerability. So it doesn't matter. But a tick more may mean the difference of surviving the megaflare right at heavensfall when a player has weakness is a big difference maker.

Nyaruko really nailed it here. Sacred Soil won't change but it's that little bit from other skills and improved HP pools that make the difference.
Nyaruko, have we entered the twilight zone? I've seen us on the same page in a couple of threads lately. Mind blown right?

[Zohar_Lahar]

Okay then. How much should a SINGLE ability of the scholar be used to determine how useful gear is for every other class and most abilities in the game? Answer carefully. Pointing out this one scholar skill changes nothing about what I said. It's one specific ability that won't be affected. How about the scholars other spells? Physic certainly gets stronger. So by the merit alone your point is pointless.

Enough to make sure there's no chance of getting derailed because someone else keeps tripping on the team jump rope mechanics. What good is doing end game content if people just rage quit and flail around, and I can't do anything about it, no matter how much I try to learn fight mechanics? It's all luck based; I only cleared Twintania because I had the fortune of a group offering to carry people for Soldiery bonuses. Every other attempt failed in ways that I was powerless to prevent.

[NyarukoW]

...It's all luck based; I only cleared Twintania because I had the fortune of a group offering to carry people for Soldiery bonuses. Every other attempt failed in ways that I was powerless to prevent.

It is so not lucky based. The coil fights are tightly scripted with limited RNG windows for the boss mechanics. You don't clear them without putting in the time an effort to recruit, organize, and coordinate, and practice. You got lucky because someone else put in all that effort outside of T5 and just need someone to provide soldiery bonus. This challenge only get harder with more current content, and probably harder than the boss itself, especially with the attitude of people not wanting newer players, being all exclusive and all.

The thing is if you give up on other too quickly like in less than 50 wipes, you should expect treatment of the same which make this problem even harder. It take time to find, create, maintain a static that can tackle some of the newest/hardest content. Sometimes you discover DPS or gear checks that the group is not geared up for and you need to go help the group farm for upgrades. You need to take the long view, and by helping others you help yourself. Wipes and fail are normal, you may be powerless to prevent those because people need the time to learn and space to practice, but you have the power to patient and inclusive and help them overcome those and over time you will have helped group earn the clear, for both you and them together. Bringing people together and playing together is good thing.

[Izsha]

I run complex endgame raids with complete strangers and no matter my personal gear in an 8 man raid I still loose. Therefore gear has no purpose and raids are luck based.

Does that about sum it up?