Yoshi-P on Character Growth

[Kaurie]

Not sure why people would have multiple gear sets with the addition of horizontal progression. Is this an FFXI thing?

[MomomiMomi]

Not sure why people would have multiple gear sets with the addition of horizontal progression. Is this an FFXI thing?

Probably because a lot of people see ideas such as that and think that there's only one way for it to be implemented.

[Morningstar1337]

Not sure why people would have multiple gear sets with the addition of horizontal progression. Is this an FFXI thing?

Yes, from what I gathered, XI allowed you to change your gear during combat. The result being that players would make multiple gearsets for spefici purposes and then swap them in the middle of a fight. Say there was a Boss which phases based on the elemental wheel. You'd start with Fire-aspected gear for the Ice phase, then when he switches to say...Lightning, you'd whip out your earth aspected gear and fight him there.

And XI has plenty of gear that affects certain skills, in another example lets say there 3 Gearsets with these as set bonuses: once that increases enmity for Fast Blade, One that increases enmity from Savage Blade and one that increases enmity from rage of Halone. If this kind of gear swapping was permitted in XIV then the PLD would be able to change gear almost every GCD

[Jynx]

Yes, from what I gathered, XI allowed you to change your gear during combat.

The main use of gear swaps were for your big attacks (Weapon skills) Tanking (Def or Evasion sets) or Elemental resistances for spells (Blackmages would carry around a large pile of staves for each element to reduce resistances and capitalize on critical hits.

So let's say I was playing Thief (Burst damage based) I had my haste and accuracy gear as my "TP" (Resource you gained to use big weaponskill attacks) So I would attack fast and accuratly, when I used my buffs and weaponskill I would switch over to my weaponskill set to maximize damage.

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Theoretically it was pretty cumbersome but it gave you a large variety of gear to work towards and always new things to try and obtain. It was rarely dull looking for gear unlike another MMO we all know.

[Bourne_Endeavor]

Not sure why people would have multiple gear sets with the addition of horizontal progression. Is this an FFXI thing?

Aurora summed it up nicely. If different gear influences boss mechanics, you'll have to change it based on the fight. But say they just put special effects on gear. What generally happens is players figure out which is most useful, then recommend only that piece. Say one piece of armour had a chance to make Blood for Blood cast with no cooldown (like how Healers get a free Cure proc) while another piece offered a straight 10% STR buff. The latter piece is likely to win out as the default because it's consistent. I guess you could add it, since it won't hurt. I just don't, personally, see the point.