Poll: Gear progression, horizontal or vertical?

[Gilthas]

XI had the best gear model in the genre by a large shot, yea classes were not balanced at all but that is a different issue.

Only if you loved carrying a crap load of gear with you and getting upgrades once a year if you're lucky.

Whatever interesting stats the gear in FFXI had did not make up for all the problems that it caused.

No, I agree that there isn't a best set because it depends on your skill, familiarity and style.

That doesn't meant that there isn't a best set, it just means that you're not skilled enough to use the best set at its full potential.

[Sylkis]

That doesn't meant that there isn't a best set, it just means that you're not skilled enough to use the best set at its full potential.

If 99% of the population can't and whenever someone gets flamed for dying in that gear, BiS loses its meaning no?

It's like having triple weakness, healers are gonna hate you

[Gilthas]

If 99% of the population can't and whenever someone gets flamed for dying in that gear, BiS loses its meaning no?

It's like having triple weakness, healers are gonna hate you

Not really, no. It just means that only 1% of the population is good enough to use the best gear.

[Sylkis]

Not really, no. It just means that only 1% of the population is good enough to use the best gear.

So if 99% of the population don't have a BiS, isn't that what horizontal wants to achieve?

[Gilthas]

So if 99% of the population don't have a BiS, isn't that what horizontal wants to achieve?

They do have a BiS, they're just not skilled enough to use it to its fullest extent.

And if the aim of horizontal progression is having 99% of the playerbase not have BiS gear, horizontal progression should be stuck where the sun doesn't shine.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

They do have a BiS, they're just not skilled enough to use it to its fullest extent.

And if the aim of horizontal progression is having 99% of the playerbase not have BiS gear, horizontal progression should be stuck where the sun doesn't shine.

So basicly your saying that Gear > Skill? I suppose, but yes. Horizontal Progression would probably mean that they might not have BiS for different encounters, however what they will have is unique playstyles, which makes them better skillfully. Skill can go over gear if its wieldy enough.

[Gilthas]

So basicly your saying that Gear > Skill?

*rolls eyes*

BiS means that said piece of gear is the best gear for that slot. It has zero to do with player skill. Not sure why this concept is so hard for people to understand.

In a perfect world, Horizontal progression would mean that you had several options to reach the same peak performance. In reality there is always a best set for everything.

I worry about how quickly content has atrophied - this is a problem that will continue to effect the game for it's entire life cycle. Depth is important.

There's always two sides of that story. Yes, content in FFXI was relevant far longer than it is in FFXIV, but do we really want to go back to doing Dynamis/Kings for years? This is more an issue for new players than it is for the old ones. I for one would be happy to never see Garuda Ex ever again.

[SDaemon]

If 99% of the population can't and whenever someone gets flamed for dying in that gear, BiS loses its meaning no?

99% of the population can't what?

BiS doesn't lose its meaning. It is BiS for a reason, whether you make use of it or not is up to your individual skill level. In this "horizontal" definition they are using BiS will be based, not on your optimal stats universally, but rather the optimal stats/bonuses/procs different pieces of gear provide for individual fights.