Quote Originally Posted by Kaurie View Post
@Bourne_Endeavour I only skimmed your arguments the past few pages, but you're clearly missing out on a lot of the reason for this sort of system. There are thousands of players who may have fun in this sort of system, that is "the point" that you asked once or twice. Further, you say it is meaningless out of difficult content because it is faceroll. This statement makes several incorrect assumptions, 1. that there is only extremely difficult and extremely faceroll content. 2. You're making the broad statement that all non top-tier content is meaningless. In which case, the current state of the game is designed horribly, and I am unsure why you play? 3. If you feel that the optimal builds are the only ones that should be in the game, how can you support having as many jobs that we have, or secondary stats? It just sounds like you're playing the wrong genre, tbh.
Not meaningless. Easy. The two are synonymous, especially as we're required to run content to progress. What I'm saying is skill tress aren't going to have a significant impact when a bear bones rotation will clear it no problem. A system needs weight; a sense you're accomplishing something. If I can spec Dragoon fifty different ways yet nothing changes due to the content not posing enough of a threat to warrant that versatility, it lacks impact. Thus, I have no reason to change my character build. And on that not, I didn't say should be the only ones, but that people will gravitate towards what is deemed best. STR tanks are a prime example of a niche eventually cannibalizing the other side until Square adjusted the whole system. Jobs differ because they play differently. A Ninja and Dragoon will have two different roles, and will play differently as a result. Skill trees aren't going to change Dragoon into a support DPS or tank. If they did, we might as well remove jobs entirely and just have skill tree define what people play. FFXIV just isn't designed to be that type of game.

As for secondary stats. I, honestly, pay little attention to them except to make the Crit-det joke.


I know I already responded to you, but then I read this and thought of an adequate example. You mention queueing into expert with people who are not great at their rotations, but perhaps it's that the rotations are a bit too cumbersome for them, or that they do not find them enjoyable. A talent system could allow for them to improve their DPS from what you are seeing, by taking more passive talents that improve DPS and removing cumbersome/difficult ones. They may not have top tier DPS, but they'd have better than they do now. For example, a black mage may take a talent which replaces ley lines or enochian with a passive buff that improves spell speed or damage. Their ceiling isn't as high, but their floor is higher.
In theory. Except if that same skill tree offered a straight damage buff as a potential path. They're right back where they started because the better players chose the direct buff and outpace them all over again.Furthermore, if they do want to attempt harder content, they will gradually need to learn a proper rotation as FFXIV is designed around that philosophy. I suspect this is why Yoshi wants to simplify rotations. Blade & Soul has a skill tree system and people mostly followed the same few builds once the top tier players ironed out guides. There were some variations along the way, but not many.