Are melds and super gear really necessary?

[Xakery]

It has been bugging me forever, but figured I'd rant on here for a few. I'm tired of people complaining they don't have Ifrit's bow, or melds, or certain pieces of gear and think they will do better if they have it.
I'm not saying that stuff is crap, but it does not ensure a win. Let's take Moogle for example. Moogle is hard. Melded gear and Ifrit weapons can be nice (except Ifrit's Cane lawl), but just because you lack it does not mean it is the reason you wipe on Moogle all the time. In my experiences in pick-ups (which is where I can only get wins), it is all about timing, combos, and sticking to a strategy.
Does this infuriate anyone else? To hear over and over again people crying that they can't do Moogle because of this or that. Is melded gear and Ifrit weapons (namely Ifrit's bow) really necessary? Am I not getting something?
Sure, I get awestruck at melded gear, but I have shitty melds or non at all. I parse 4/5 or 3rd on my archer (blood thirst on my feet lol and Ifrit's bow) and my Con (my preferred) has lack luster gear and few melds, but I manage to play as hard as I can and have twenty plus wins.
What am I not understanding? Are melds that necessary? Is Ifrit's bow that needed that Archers have to have it? I know for a fact Moogle can be done with a melded crab or Uldahn bow if you lack Ifrit.
#rantstomp

[Chardrizard]

It can be done, but better gear makes run faster or more efficient. You definitely will not get Moogle's speedrun without Ifrit's bow however.

[MariyaShidou]

It can be done, but better gear makes run faster or more efficient. You definitely will not get Moogle's speedrun without Ifrit's bow however.

With the HQ change and jobs, it might be more than possible.

[Choyi]

Currently the only equipment that you easily notice improvments on your character with are weapons, game is suffering from a slight stat inflation atm, so HQed doubleslotted gear doesnt make a huge difference.

A few more hp,mp or stats here and there does give you a small boost, but thats just what it is; small.
Sometimes small bonuses can make a difference, more then often it doesn't.

But like said, weapons such as Ifrits Bow etc does however matter more as they will imrpove your damage quite a bit, they dont do miracles but they are easier to notice the imrpovement on over other weapons.

[Estellios]

At the very least everyone should have 1 materia on all their gear since that's what content is balanced around, primal weapons not necessary but you do need 1 materia on a regular weapon just like armor. It's no risk and not taking the effort to do just that is really just you bringing the rest of your group down.

That said, practice and teamwork are the most important factor, especially in the primal fights. I have much more success when the group consists of mostly my LS with "weaker" classes because we know how to work with each other.

[Xakery]

Okay thanks for the feedback!

[Choyi]

As Estellios kind of pointed out, having up to par gear with materia in every piece which can hold one will at least show that you are commited enough to the groups effort that you brought the best you could to the fight.

[Raldo]

Not to mention... gear is the carrot on the end of the stick. Take the carrot away, and well...

[Xoo]

Good gear is meant to do one of two things:

1. Supplement a lack of player skill.
2. Accentuate player skill.

[Asiaine]

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear people are picking on you or bugging you because you do not possess the 'latest and super douper gear' out there. I think a lot of people are after super-douper-gear because it makes them feel better about themselves, rather than it being a true necessity in the world.

Will super-douper-gear help you? Yes. Will it help you a LOT? Not really. Is it absolutely needed. Not really (with the exception of perhaps a few very isolated things).

For example. I can do Iffy now (as CNJ) with mostly useless equipment or cheap equipment and have no problems. For that matter I can do iffy without even using sentinel (and am shocked at how anyone with sentinel dies to be honest).

I can solo most 1st/2nd chest coffer mobs as THM with cheap-market-ward equipment.
(If I had better gear I would be able to solo them FASTER or EASIER however!)

Moogy I just die to.. this has nothing to do with my gear, just me not being good at it ^.^;;

So far I do not even have single-melded gear (have not run into any situation where I needed even that), let alone double melded.

So I think in reality:
Having super-douper-gear will make things easier or faster, but is not needed.
Being able to understand the strategy and being good with how you approach it is far far more important.

If you have a choice between:
Spend 10 hours farming up money to get a piece of equipment so you can do battle easier, OR, spend 10 hours practicing the battle. I would suggest spend 10 hours practicing the battle.

However, if you ARE going for SPEED, then yes, every little bit helps ^.^;

I hope this helps...