For those that want skill bonuses on gear: How would you do it?

[MagiusNecros]

Having 25% more uptime on Foe's is also a QoL change and could also give way to wanting Bard's over Machinist. When stuff is added it will be optimized and abused. You can't fight it either way you spin it.

[Kaurie]

. They're far more likely to be considered the sort of thing that would make raid groups go 'you must have X or else you can't join', which is something that would lead to what I'd call 'fake choices/variety'. Something that plagues many games..

I am not entirely sure why requiring gear is a bad thing. We even have that in the game atm with a minimum ilvl option in PF.

Further, you can add a variety of choices, so that there is a choice. i.e.

Cooldown reduction vs enhanced ability vs enhanced crit chance.

For example on SCH:
Aetherflow cooldown reduced vs Succor potency increased vs Adlo crit chance increased
which do you choose? Aetherflow CD reduction could mean pumping out more e-drains for higher DPS, but a higher succor potency may allow for SCH to solo heal better and take a 5th DPS, but Adlo crits could mean being able to stay in Cleric Stance longer.

Maybe on a BRD it could be:
Raging Strikes cooldown reduced vs Foe Requium giving a 15% instead of 10% effect vs Straight Shots crit buff increased by X%.
Which do you choose? Raging Strikes would give you the most consistent DPS increase, but Foe Req increase may be the best for your Raid DPS (especially in larger teams, but maybe not 4-person encounters), but the straight shot buff could give you potentially much higher DPS with bloodletter procs.

Maybe on a PLD it could be:
Rampart cooldown reduced vs Enmity on savage blade increased vs Life per hit
Rampart cooldown reduced would allow for you to take much less damage, allowing healers to DPS more vs Enmity on savage blade increase allowing you to stay in Sword Oath more often vs Life Per Hit helps keep your self healing up and lets your healers DPS more

Personally, I don't think any of the above has a 'best' option. It all revolves around your team composition and your playstyle.

EDIT: To add to the above, even if there is a 'best' option, I feel the differences would be minimal enough that people wouldn't exclude you if you had one of the alternatives. Similar to how their are optimal pairings and compositions for content now, but people don't exclude based on that.

[MiniPrinny]

I think your idea of implementing this through Materia is a wonderful idea. We could, for fun, recolor speed Materia to yellow, and make these Materia the new purple, a reference to FFVII, where purple Materia was "independent" Materia, that usually increased the character's stats or offered unique passive abilities to the user or party.

Anyway, as to what I would like to see, I'll just do my main. Dark Knight is a Job that sits somewhat in the middle, and I feel like more incomparable would be a good thing (and not just for them). However, I think flat increases wouldn't be a good idea, just modifications. I'll just list off some ideas:

Dark Waltz Materia: Replaces the Dark Arts Effect of Dark Dance with "Increases parry rate by 20%."
Soul Devourer Materia: Souleater will always absorb 50% of damage dealt as HP. Grit effect is lost.
Rune Weapon Materia: Reduces the MP restored by Blood Weapon, reduces TP reduction to 5%, allows the use of Blood Weapon in Grit.
Mind Break Materia: Replaces the Combo Bonus of Delirium with "Increases the target's magic vulnerability by 20% for 30 seconds. The target is immune to Foe Requium and Mind Break for 180 seconds afterwards."

[SaitoHikari]

Having 25% more uptime on Foe's is also a QoL change and could also give way to wanting Bard's over Machinist. When stuff is added it will be optimized and abused. You can't fight it either way you spin it.

I am not entirely sure why requiring gear is a bad thing. We even have that in the game atm with a minimum ilvl option in PF.

Poor choice of wording on my part. What I really mean is that while there may be a 'best' option, the other options should still be good enough that they're actually useful in other situations. The other options shouldn't be anywhere near as bad as trying to stack Parry, for instance.

[Jeykama]

The only problem I'd see with putting unique, job-specific materia onto unique gear is........................ you can be any job in this game. What if you wanted to play both bard and machinist and the best gear available is multi-job like is it now? You can't just swap out gear since everything not crafted is basically unique, and some of these job-materia suggestions are seriously OP and too strong to go without.

We have perfectly good job-specific soulstones and weapons you can attach materia to - just put 3-4 type-specific sockets on those instead.

[Almalexia]

The only problem I'd see with putting unique, job-specific materia onto unique gear is........................ you can be any job in this game. What if you wanted to play both bard and machinist and the best gear available is multi-job like is it now? You can't just swap out gear since everything not crafted is basically unique, and some of these job-materia suggestions are seriously OP and too strong to go without.

We already commit ourselves to one grade of gear every patch cycle. Specialization through materia sharpens that focus.

I don't see any problem with "of Xing" gear further enhancing a specific job as long as you can remove the bonus later. The opportunity cost would keep the market alive.

[Yhisa]

Hmm i like this idea with materia doing things to change our skills but then theorycrafters will attack the system then it will turn into u must have X materia skill sloted to be valid to take into statics etc

This is why we dont have choice options in games because we single hand destroy the system and just pick the best and screw the rest which is upsetting

This is also the reason why talent trees are not in game, or skill paths, etc etc etc cause players will look online and copy for maximum effect which ruins the system that u must have XYZ to do a role

[Yhisa]

Double post on phone

I mean look at warcraft they ditch there talent tree then made a new talent tree.... Now they changed it again because they want every skill to be situational vs boss fights and still they have issues due to how players pick there skill lines

It a good idea on paper, but in theory players will pick the best skill/combination that effects there roles which is not easy to balance and a headache to make sure its a choice and not madatory to take X skill

[Warlyx]

The only problem I'd see with putting unique, job-specific materia onto unique gear is........................ you can be any job in this game. What if you wanted to play both bard and machinist and the best gear available is multi-job like is it now?

why use materia in the 1 place? , and not traits that u can change out of combat? .....

[Quor]

I like the materia idea, and I like it being tied to job soulstones. One, maybe two at most, per SS.

As a WAR, I'd like to see a bit more group utility.

Compound Fracture - All physical attacks dealt to a target afflicted by Fracture deal an additional 5 potency in damage.
Mob Mentality - Berserk no longer buffs the warrior's attack by 50%, but instead applies a buff to all party members in a radius of 10y that increases physical damage dealt and TP usage by 10% for 10s. 90s CD.
Hurricane - Storm's Eye can now be combo'd off of Storm's Path, with an increased potency of 40 for Storm's Eye. Using Storm's Eye in this manner does not generate Wrath or Abandon.
Crush and Cleave - Steel Cyclone applies a Disoriented debuff to targets, causing the next attack to miss. Decimate radius is increased by 25%. Using Decimate creates a secondary aftershock 1 second later that deals a 190 potency attack to all enemies in the radius, with each enemy initially afflicted by Decimate adding 10 potency to the aftershock.

I really just want to be yelled at for *not* using Fracture instead of for using it.