Please reevaluate the balance between crafted and U/U items.

[Bluetaro]

If you're not running in-game content, how are you affording pimp status equips? You gotta come up with the gil somehow...

Farming my good man, farming.

Or actually, any other number of activities in the game that can earn you money. You don't really need to run the instances or defeat Ifrit to make gil right? I made millions just leveling up and selling materia.

[Cycloptichorn]

Farming my good man, farming.

Or actually, any other number of activities in the game that can earn you money. You don't really need to run the instances or defeat Ifrit to make gil right? I made millions just leveling up and selling materia.

Okay, great. So why shouldn't those people (who come up with the money from whatever source) not be allowed to have top-level gear?

I think this is an Epeen issue. There's no reason why people shouldn't be able to afford top-level gear by whatever means.

To get back to the original topic,

The current content is great to replay - if you have jobs that aren't at 50 yet. I've had a lot of fun running Shposae and doing other lower-level stuff, with lower-level jobs. And the U/U gear you get at those levels is really good compared to a lot of the other stuff that's available. And people just don't slot materia into r25 stuff; why would you bother? You'll be r30 in a few days and wanting all new gear anyway.

What would REALLY make U/U stuff great, is set bonuses. No materia? Fine, but if I have every piece of Sentinel gear, I ought to have a big overall buff b/c of that.

[Bluetaro]

Okay, great. So why shouldn't those people (who come up with the money from whatever source) not be allowed to have top-level gear?

I think this is an Epeen issue. There's no reason why people shouldn't be able to afford top-level gear by whatever means.

It's not an epeen issue. If it sounds that way I definitely don't intend for it to.

If you made the best items in the game purchasable with gil, why run end game content at all? Lots of players would skip primals/end game instances just to farm to purchase the best stuff.

I'm not saying you should make crafting gear a lot worse, but at the very least SE should consider making them comparable with the PVE counterparts to give players more options.

[Cycloptichorn]

It's not an epeen issue. If it sounds that way I definitely don't intend for it to.

If you made the best items in the game purchasable with gil, why run end game content at all? Lots of players would skip primals/end game instances just to farm to purchase the best stuff.

Why would they? What's the point of having the 'best stuff' if not to run end-game content?

I'm not saying you should make crafting gear a lot worse, but at the very least SE should consider making them comparable with the PVE counterparts to give players more options.

Set bonuses. Solves the whole problem, and presents an interesting dilemma - do I break my set, and lose the bonuses, to get the uber set of boots with a couple of materia in them, or not?

[Bluetaro]

Why would they? What's the point of having the 'best stuff' if not to run end-game content?

Because they could skip the content and just purchase the best in slot item?

If they made a materia slotted weapon the best in slot when the Ifrit patch released I wouldn't even do the boss because there would be no point in getting his loot.

[Wynn]

Because they could skip the content and just purchase the best in slot item?

If they made a materia slotted weapon the best in slot when the Ifrit patch released I wouldn't even do the boss because there would be no point in getting his loot.

I guess that is a matter of player perspective and where you and I would differ. I play content because I enjoy it, not for loot.

[Bluetaro]

I guess that is a matter of player perspective and where you and I would differ. I play content because I enjoy it, not for loot.

As do I, I play to enjoy the content too. But c'mon, you can't say that getting upgrades/loot and progressing your character isn't enjoyable right? Obtaining new items plays a huge factor in my enjoyment w/ games.

Anyway, I'm fine with crafters making top-tier items as long as they're on par with the stuff you'd get from instances and/or primals. Do you agree or disagree with that, and if you still believe crafters should produce superior items (as opposed to equal) I'd like more explanation as to why.

[Cycloptichorn]

Because they could skip the content and just purchase the best in slot item?

You misunderstand me. What's the point of having 'best in slot' item, if you aren't going to do late- or end-game content with it? The answer is: there is no point at all. So, I don't see how allowing people to craft or buy great stuff is going to keep anyone from doing anything.

If they made a materia slotted weapon the best in slot when the Ifrit patch released I wouldn't even do the boss because there would be no point in getting his loot.

There already IS no point in getting his loot. There's nothing to DO with his loot. If you don't enjoy the process of getting it - and the challenge involved in doing so - you shouldn't do it.

[Bluetaro]

You misunderstand me. What's the point of having 'best in slot' item, if you aren't going to do late- or end-game content with it? The answer is: there is no point at all. So, I don't see how allowing people to craft or buy great stuff is going to keep anyone from doing anything.

I see where you are coming from here, but my answer is that the point of having best in slot gear would be two-fold. A) to make all of the current content easier so you could help others complete it, and B) to prepare yourself for the next wave of content.

If I had the best in slot gear right now you are absolutely right, I wouldn't be doing the current content again for myself. But at least I can use the good stuff to help out others.

I guess if I could purchase the best lance in the game I could just use that to kill Ifrit just to say I defeated him... But it just feels like empty content if I'm not fighting him for any rewards. Do you see where I'm coming from there?

There already IS no point in getting his loot. There's nothing to DO with his loot. If you don't enjoy the process of getting it - and the challenge involved in doing so - you shouldn't do it.

I agree, if I'm not enjoying something I won't do it. That's why I'm against making a purchasable item from the market be the best in slot because then it takes the enjoyment out of doing fights like Ifrit because he's not going to give you anything useful.