Materia and the Past/Future

[AJ_Anyia]

I know a lot, and that's an understatement, of FFVII fan boys/girls are all giddy with the announcement of a Materia-like system that is due to be released in the future. And while this brings back all of your fond memories and prequels what sounds like a grand initiative of customization of gear let's remember one thing. We've already seen this before, only it wasn't called materia it was called evolith.

I'm all for customizing gear to taste, preference, etc but the first attempt that SE gave us with this in the evolith system was below sub-par at worst and situational at best. The similarities are uncanny, use furnace to etch slots into gear, put stones into gear for various stats, and have the option to have them taken out if you want.

So here's my question, are we going to see another customizing system that leave the majority of players out in the cold. Or, are we going to see something that we've never quite seen before that surprises us all? Because it doesn't take a genius to know that we don't need anything extra to use job abilities or spells that materia in VII gave. Could they give otherwise unattainable spells and/or JA? Maybe. Do I think they will? Unlikely.

[Perrin_Aybarra]

let's wait and see and hope that they surprise us all with it ^^

[Nuru]

I know a lot, and that's an understatement, of FFVII fan boys/girls are all giddy with the announcement of a Materia-like system that is due to be released in the future. And while this brings back all of your fond memories and prequels what sounds like a grand initiative of customization of gear let's remember one thing. We've already seen this before, only it wasn't called materia it was called evolith.

I'm all for customizing gear to taste, preference, etc but the first attempt that SE gave us with this in the evolith system was below sub-par at worst and situational at best. The similarities are uncanny, use furnace to etch slots into gear, put stones into gear for various stats, and have the option to have them taken out if you want.

So here's my question, are we going to see another customizing system that leave the majority of players out in the cold. Or, are we going to see something that we've never quite seen before that surprises us all? Because it doesn't take a genius to know that we don't need anything extra to use job abilities or spells that materia in VII gave. Could they give otherwise unattainable spells and/or JA? Maybe. Do I think they will? Unlikely.

Is all speculation for now, but I do like what you mentioned in that last part. I do think that Materia shouldn't only be limited to augmenting stats, but perhaps augmenting abilities, adding extra effects like "10% Chance of Poisoning the Enemy when using Concussive Blow" or even "+20% Damage Concussive Blow". Perhaps even adding new abilities limited to specific classes only. This way, you'd have to be smart about where to throw in the materia.

Going off this, I would definitely throw in a Pugilist Ability Materia into my favorite hand-to-hand weapon, because the weapon and that ability are both tied down to that class anyways, so i wouldn't have to worry about using that gear on another class and wasting slots.

This is the kind of system I would like to see.

[Archadius]

Black Materia; +1000% dmg to Shadowsear

[Scherwiz]

I know a lot, and that's an understatement, of FFVII fan boys/girls are all giddy with the announcement of a Materia-like system that is due to be released in the future. And while this brings back all of your fond memories and prequels what sounds like a grand initiative of customization of gear let's remember one thing. We've already seen this before, only it wasn't called materia it was called evolith.

I'm all for customizing gear to taste, preference, etc but the first attempt that SE gave us with this in the evolith system was below sub-par at worst and situational at best. The similarities are uncanny, use furnace to etch slots into gear, put stones into gear for various stats, and have the option to have them taken out if you want.

So here's my question, are we going to see another customizing system that leave the majority of players out in the cold. Or, are we going to see something that we've never quite seen before that surprises us all? Because it doesn't take a genius to know that we don't need anything extra to use job abilities or spells that materia in VII gave. Could they give otherwise unattainable spells and/or JA? Maybe. Do I think they will? Unlikely.

Hey now! be nice. :P I think we need to see it in practice like all things in MMO's and allow the dev team to balance as they see fit. Throw aside the name for the moment, I do not think it will ever be anything like the full extent of the final fantasy VII materia system, Otherwise why give us classes and jobs at all?

[Nuru]

I'd really would like to see the materia effects be more universal to it's effects or enhancements to abilities as opposed to what evoliths were in FFXI where many of them were very limited to the situation type of buffs.

So none of this "bonus to this enemy type only" thing.

You mean like Bug Killer and Man-Eater type of Materia Abilities?

[Arcell]

Honestly I don't think it's going to be something we've never seen in a game before.

To me it sounds like a standard gem/slot system you see in many games these days. You put the gem in, you get a stat bonus of some sort specific to the gem.

[Darrkness]

the idea of having augment slots in equipment again is diffidently something that i would like to see again.. I loved the system in FFVII something similar to this with the current shard/crystal materia item already in place like being able to craft MATERIA from shards and crystals and so on and so on.. just an idea

[elreed]

In my op. i think they'll take the path that WoW did with the jewerly that you attached on gear, they'll give a set of slots in each piece to buff status only, and i dont see any trouble boosting abbilities, but they are more likely to improve only stats on the begining, and just guessing here maybe high quality gear will include an extra slot maybe.

Thats one of the few things that was positive in that game and the glyphs, you could customize your class as you wished depending on your playstyle, and i know that FFVII had it before but WoW used that in MMO, so thats why i refer to that game in materia use.

[Cairdeas]

Materia will most likely only give stats and traits

It might be how we get traits in the first place. Right now there are no "Traits" that just hide out in the background of your character showing up when you need it (Like double attack, holy aura etc.)