Item levels in Hevansward

[melflomil]

If Anything they can just add materia slots on raid gear. People will have to collect three scroll or something for one materia slot and let players have fun with min maxing.

Or have skill materia that will have a small benifit like increase all attack potency by 5 or 10% increase in strength. Something that wont become mandatory.

[kirk]

If Anything they can just add materia slots on raid gear. People will have to collect three scroll or something for one materia slot and let players have fun with min maxing.

Or have skill materia that will have a small benifit like increase all attack potency by 5 or 10% increase in strength. Something that wont become mandatory.

Would that come with the % of failure it's a good idea but if the % of success could drop to 15% god help us xD

[Pterois]

did i read correctly that the only difference in Alex normal gear and Alex EX gear is it's dyeable? So that means the hardest to obtain gear in this game will be no better then the normal alex gear?

[Waliel]

I once asked about horizontal progression, and got some answers, but all I understand from horizontal progression is that there is no "real" progression. All you have is roughly the same level gear for years, never needing to change anything. I said I'd understand this a thing better, but guess I don't, as I still can't see how horizontal would be better. Well, other than numbers not getting too big, as they never increase, I guess.

[Whocareswhatmynameis]

I once asked about horizontal progression, and got some answers, but all I understand from horizontal progression is that there is no "real" progression. All you have is roughly the same level gear for years, never needing to change anything. I said I'd understand this a thing better, but guess I don't, as I still can't see how horizontal would be better. Well, other than numbers not getting too big, as they never increase, I guess.

Horizontal progression worked for games like ffxi where gear was hard to get. They gave you several options to get good gear and it kept people playing for long time with lots of different endgame activities. Salvage, Einherjar, Dynamis, Nyzul tower, Sky fortress, Sea fortress, BCNM, ZNM, and open world bosses all had gear that was good. These were the endgame activities of ffxi. Compare this to FFXIV that has Coil......... thats it. FFXI's system wouldnt work in a game with 100% drop rates.

The exteremely high drop rate is why they need vertical progression. otherwise ppl would gear out in 2 months, and unsub till the next level cap raise 1.5 years later.

EDIT: ok ffxiv has coil, primals, and crystal tower. I wouldn't consider dungeons and crafting endgame though, sorry. Even then primals aren't a relevant source of gear. So your still really only down to 2.

[Felis]

did i read correctly that the only difference in Alex normal gear and Alex EX gear is it's dyeable? So that means the hardest to obtain gear in this game will be no better then the normal alex gear?

Only if you want it for glamour only and are happy with the default colors.
The gear from the hard mode have higher ilevel and stats. Only the gear model is the same.

Tomestones of Law < Augmented Law < Alexander Normal < Tomestones of Esoterics < etc (primals?) < Alexander Savage

[Arkenne]

FFXIV that has Coil......... thats it.

At the very least include the Augmented Ironworks, the WoD and Crafted gears AND relic weapons there, otherwise you sound terribly biased :/

[Barimu]

EDIT: ok ffxiv has coil, primals, and crystal tower. I wouldn't consider dungeons and crafting endgame though, sorry. Even then primals aren't a relevant source of gear. So your still really only down to 2.

Agree with you in that this game only has coil. Crystal tower is a joke and primals are a joke. This game needs more coil like content.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

Horizontal Progression worked really well in TSO. =O

Gear had similar stats but dropped different "abilities" on the gear.

[Kiara]

The exteremely high drop rate is why they need vertical progression. otherwise ppl would gear out in 2 months, and unsub till the next level cap raise 1.5 years later.

Although interestingly enough, I've seen quite a few players on my server in full Dreadwyrm Gear (and weapon) about ~2.5 months after FCOB was released. The same for 2nd Coil when it was released.

And on the opposite side, even with 100% drop rates, sadly, there are plenty of pieces of gear that I've NEVER gotten even after Coil Nerf (e.g., in the countless runs of T9 before and after nerf, I never got my Tank Body). After a certain point the player just gives up and moves on to the next set of "New Gear" for that patch. Why bother trying to get a piece of gear that didn't drop yet (even with 100% drop rates) if ALL the gear released in the new patch (even Tomestone gear) outclasses it completely?

It's that kind of feeling of having your efforts invalidated EVERY 5 - 6 MONTHS that is demoralizing for some.

For Horizontal Progression I think a Hybrid could work:

Instead of new leaps of Item Levels every other major patch, with a Hybrid approach, you could slow down Gear Inflation / Stat Inflation, and still have *some* growth.

So instead of:

Patch 1 - i90
Patch 3 - i110
Patch 5 - i130

You'd have:

Patch 1 - i90
Patch 3 - i90 Alternate Sets with Different Stats / Unique Effects
Patch 5 - i120
Patch 7 - i120 Alternate Sets with Different Stats / Unique Effects

etc.

It doesn't have to be as extreme as XI, but it doesn't have to be as boring and with huge Stats / Numbers Increases as it is now.

It also has the effect of letting players gear for different scenarios / uses, OR even if they don't, their efforts weren't thrown away every few months.