Variance in player skill is hurting FFXIV's itemization design.

[Kaurie]

I don't think that's what he said. I think what he meant was "why should interesting bonuses be limited to raid gear". As in, if they decide to add some sort of bonuses outside of stats and sub stats, like "cure 1 potency +50" or whatever, that kind of system should be available on both raid gear and non-raid gear. Sure, have the types of bonuses be more effective on raid gear if you want, but the system of it shouldn't be locked to raid gear.

Personally, I think it should just be done through materia - where the set bonus stuff is in raiding. However, if you don't raid, you can just buy the materia off the market board. Similar to how people need to buy crafting stuff off the market board if they don't choose to partake in crafting (i.e. foods, potions, crafting materials for relic etc.). Makes it accessible for all, provides incentive for raiding, gives interesting bonuses for raiding and to gear etc.

They could also do set bonuses that are achievable through other means, but perhaps are less nice.

i.e. Alexander Materia V
Provides +5 crit, +5 sps, +5sks, +5 det
Secondary effect: when two different pieces of gear have Alexander Materia V slotted in them, the wearer gains the following bonus - SMN: reduces MP cost of Ruin III by 100, BLM: increases timer on Enochian by 5s per refresh, WHM: Cure II procs are now instant cast, etc.
(I was going to make more, but it's hard to make these up on the spot in a semi-balanced fashion, naturally testing would be vital to implementation).
Tertiary effect: when four different pieces of gear have Alexander Materia V slotted in them, the wearer gains the following bonus - (more bonuses, perhaps this would could just be something like +Main Stat etc.)

[bass9020]

Personally, I think it should just be done through materia - where the set bonus stuff is in raiding. However, if you don't raid, you can just buy the materia off the market board. Similar to how people need to buy crafting stuff off the market board if they don't choose to partake in crafting (i.e. foods, potions, crafting materials for relic etc.). Makes it accessible for all, provides incentive for raiding, gives interesting bonuses for raiding and to gear etc.

They could also do set bonuses that are achievable through other means, but perhaps are less nice.

They should be linked to the class guilds. Bring back the guild tokens!!! Make the guild relevant again, give them a purpose

[Noxifer]

Personally, I think it should just be done through materia

Oh I agree completely =) Like for example the idea with having it be special materia (Untradeable, bind gear on meld) bought through the limited tomestones. (Or some other system that would limit the speed of access without making it 'exclusive' or extreme RNG.)

But if it was added in the form of "set bonus when wearing x pieces of this set", then both raiders and non-raiders should be able to take part in that.

Personally, if it was added through set bonuses, I'd like to see a little bit more varied bonuses than what exists today for GC equipment.
I mean, as in for example:

If 3 or more Plague Bringer pieces equipped: [minor effect]
If 5 or more Plague Bringer pieces equipped: [minor-to-medium effect]
If 7 or more Plague Bringer pieces equipped: [medium effect]
If 9 or more Plague Bringer pieces equipped: [medium-to-large effect]

(How many pieces needed of course depending on how many that set has, so maybe 2,3,4,5 on a set that doesn't have accessories.)

It'd mean new variables to take into account when mixing sets for BiS. E.g. "Is it worth taking this item that has Parry instead of Crit, if it means I get that +5% bonus to enmity?"

I'm certainly not saying this would be easy to balance; that'd probably be easier with Materia. But it could be very interesting.

Edit: Saw your edit =) Seems we were a bit on the same lines :p But I also think that it would take a lot of space in the tooltip window to list all the effects for all the jobs. If they decided to go that way, they'd probably have to make it into stuff like "Alexander Materia of Healing V" to limit the number of jobs listed ^^;