Quote Originally Posted by KaldeaSahaline View Post
It depends on what we consider breaking the mold. By your examples, it appears that unconventional mechanics are what dictate your consideration. That's fair. Gimmicky encounters can be cool, but if they're overused they lose a lot of what makes them fun.
And heck, "gimmicks-based" has often enough been an insult in itself, in using the term "gimmick" as a negatively-seen form of a mechanic, such as one which disallows manipulation, control, or mastery, or has negative synergy or cohesion with the surrounding fight. Though new mechanics are generally what can make a fight outstanding in its day, there a many, many ways mechanics can go wrong (or turn into "gimmicks" as per the derogatory term).

More importantly though, do you have any insight/ideas into how the leveling formula could be shaken up/improved? I'd be more interested in hearing about that than discussing the semantics as to what does/doesn't qualify as a formula change.
This is what I'd love to hear more from the community about in general. At what point in abstraction is something new actually "new". I set pretty high standards, myself, but I've never been able to hear more than vague implications or counterexamples from most XIV players, and it therefore becomes hard for me to really broach any ideas of my own.