I agree, i strongly dislike the optimal rank system, much more rewarding to feel you earned wearing something by working for it, like AF gear, each piece needed some extra effort to be able to wear it, when leveled high enough to wear it all, felt great and a nice accomplishment indeed. This system further kills the incentive of ranking up besides the other incentive killers in the game like mundane and redundant abilities.

SE needs to focus on incentive, progressive and goal oriented gameplay, this optimal rank system just like Armoury system is just way too free and loose that it kills any real sense of joy. Just really lame seeing any class rank 1 being able equip any class rank 50 gear. Put some restrictions for the love of Final Fantasy..

I vote make all gear rank required and less generic gear, more class/job based.