Quote Originally Posted by Tev View Post
Still haven't seen anyone address how obtaining the BONUS stats from melding is any different than obtaining the BONUS stats from food and potions or how these stats are any more required than food or potions. If you're the kind of person who already doesn't use food and potions you don't need these slots used either... and if you are the kind of person who uses food and potions then you're probably fine with finding crafters to meld for you.
No one has addressed it because it's an over exaggeration.
Potions last all of 10 seconds. The Item system is even worse than the Materia system in this game.
The only potions most folks use are HP & MP restores.
Ailment cleansing is useless as NPCS immediately reapply the ailment.

Food Buffs are mostly used by Crafters & Gatherers.
Battle Jobs use them for the xp buff.
Raiders use them because Savage requires every little boost you can get.
Also Food is readily available by NPCs. Unlike Melding.

Also gear doesn't require you to be fed.
Now if a system were implemented where your character got hungry and received a debuff that could only be cleansed via eating the appropriate lvl food & that food could not be bought from an NPC.
THEN you'd see players get upset.