Allowing Gear Change in Active Mode

[KyrsIsley]

I just want to jump in this thread to say that, if they want to avoid threads like these, it would be nice to see some more gear that balances a little of everything a class needs. Some of the AF pieces look more-or-less like "macro pieces"--for example, switching into BLM AF hat just to use Convert. -recast on Convert is extremely nice, but doesn't mean I'd be willing to sacrifice my overall DD for it. Or switching into a lot of crit potency gear (since you can rack up up quite a bit with gear, across many slots) to use Excruciate...

Someone earlier asked "Do you see them doing it" with regard to mages changing gear in combat--and no, you don't. That's not because they don't want to, but because some real sh*t could go down in the 5-10 seconds I spend blinking in/out 8 times and being rooted for a bit every couple seconds.

I guess what I'm saying is that there needs to be more definitive "Best in slot" gear if we're not going to be able to swap. If SE doesn't want me to have an enhancing set and healing set, then make me pieces that enhance both enhancing and enfeebling.

*EDIT:* Just to clarify--I'm not saying make a single piece that has the highest number of all stats, or put all stats on all pieces. But that I'd rather have a balanced piece than either a focus on stat A or stat B, which does encourage having multiple sets.

While I agree with you statement to a certain extent. In my opinion, that's part of the gear selection process. Take your BLM AF hat for example, you may say that it is a piece of gear designed to be "swapped" when you cast Convert. I would argue that, in most scenarios when MP isn't an issue for the length of the fight or the mechanism of the fight. I would simply ditch the BLM AF hat entirely and go for a straight damage/accuracy upgrade hat. However, if today I was soloing my way into a stronghold where I may run into situations where I will need emergency MP to get out of a sticky situation, then I will choose to go in the stronghold with my BLM AF hat for the extra insurance. Moreover, if I went into a instance, and the group is clearing/running our way towards the boss. During the run, I will also switch to my BLM AF hat so that I have more MP on demand, thus reducing the downtime. Once the group have arrived at the boss, then I will switch to the damage/accuracy hat for more reliable source of damage on the boss.

There are other MMOs that have done things more in line with what you said (a more definitive bis), for example: tier sets in WoW. Most of the time, the stats on the tier sets do not make them the bis, but combined with the tier bonus, the gears become desirable. However, in WoW, the tier bonus is usually overwhelmingly powerful, so that picking up tiers is inevitable and no gear selection decisions are required (other than figuring out which piece out of the five is the weakest, usually the case for dps, not always the case for healer/tank). But in the case of FFXIV, some of the bonuses on the AF fall into the category of "nice to have" and is at best a sidegrade, but depending on the situation/encounter it may become the bis. This to me is a more ideal way of balancing the gear.

This of course is simply my point of view, and you are more than welcome to agree to disagree.

[Mychael]

While I agree with you statement to a certain extent. In my opinion, that's part of the gear selection process. Take your BLM AF hat for example, you may say that it is a piece of gear designed to be "swapped" when you cast Convert. I would argue that, in most scenarios when MP isn't an issue for the length of the fight or the mechanism of the fight. I would simply ditch the BLM AF hat entirely and go for a straight damage/accuracy upgrade hat. However, if today I was soloing my way into a stronghold where I may run into situations where I will need emergency MP to get out of a sticky situation, then I will choose to go in the stronghold with my BLM AF hat for the extra insurance. Moreover, if I went into a instance, and the group is clearing/running our way towards the boss. During the run, I will also switch to my BLM AF hat so that I have more MP on demand, thus reducing the downtime. Once the group have arrived at the boss, then I will switch to the damage/accuracy hat for more reliable source of damage on the boss.

There are other MMOs that have done things more in line with what you said (a more definitive bis), for example: tier sets in WoW. Most of the time, the stats on the tier sets do not make them the bis, but combined with the tier bonus, the gears become desirable. However, in WoW, the tier bonus is usually overwhelmingly powerful, so that picking up tiers is inevitable and no gear selection decisions are required (other than figuring out which piece out of the five is the weakest, usually the case for dps, not always the case for healer/tank). But in the case of FFXIV, some of the bonuses on the AF fall into the category of "nice to have" and is at best a sidegrade, but depending on the situation/encounter it may become the bis. This to me is a more ideal way of balancing the gear.

This of course is simply my point of view, and you are more than welcome to agree to disagree.

I didn't say it in my last post, but I also meant to say something like "If we must go without swapping gear, then..." Because frankly, I am in favor of having various sets that can be swapped in a moment's notice.

In my opinion, it adds more meaning to getting individual pieces of gear--not that your scenario doesn't, but I'd be much more likely to get three nearly-impossible bodies for my WHM if I could use all three--Regen Potency, Cure Potency, Stoneskin Potency, or something. While you're right that, even with the current system, you should have all three and select based upon the situation, the fact is all three of these are powerful pieces and, if SE could manage to make them difficult, but not tedious, to acquire, it would be much more interesting than getting a +Cure body and wearing it over anything else because, in general, it will be the best. Of course a fight here and there would be different, but...

I also do like your ideas--especially since we have two WHMs (normally) in a party, it's interesting to think that one could gear towards higher buffs and lower cures, while the other gears toward higher cures and just lets the other buff--or something like that--but I think that in the end, it would be more worthwhile to focus on Healing Potency over anything for most fights--or just buff in different gear then change back before entering combat. I like being able to use the advantages of all my hard-earned gear.

The reason I suggested making better "all-around" pieces was that, if we have to stick with a single piece, I don't want to worry about sacrificing X for Y. I'd rather have a piece that gives 35% cure potency and 15% regen potency than choose between two pieces, one that gives 50% cure potency, and one that gives 25% regen potency. If I could switch, I'd be more likely to use the last two, but if I couldn't I'd lean toward the first one. Sadly, we can't switch, but there isn't anything like the former.

[Rowyne]

While I agree with you statement to a certain extent. In my opinion, that's part of the gear selection process. Take your BLM AF hat for example, you may say that it is a piece of gear designed to be "swapped" when you cast Convert. I would argue that, in most scenarios when MP isn't an issue for the length of the fight or the mechanism of the fight. I would simply ditch the BLM AF hat entirely and go for a straight damage/accuracy upgrade hat. However, if today I was soloing my way into a stronghold where I may run into situations where I will need emergency MP to get out of a sticky situation, then I will choose to go in the stronghold with my BLM AF hat for the extra insurance. Moreover, if I went into a instance, and the group is clearing/running our way towards the boss. During the run, I will also switch to my BLM AF hat so that I have more MP on demand, thus reducing the downtime. Once the group have arrived at the boss, then I will switch to the damage/accuracy hat for more reliable source of damage on the boss.

There are other MMOs that have done things more in line with what you said (a more definitive bis), for example: tier sets in WoW. Most of the time, the stats on the tier sets do not make them the bis, but combined with the tier bonus, the gears become desirable. However, in WoW, the tier bonus is usually overwhelmingly powerful, so that picking up tiers is inevitable and no gear selection decisions are required (other than figuring out which piece out of the five is the weakest, usually the case for dps, not always the case for healer/tank). But in the case of FFXIV, some of the bonuses on the AF fall into the category of "nice to have" and is at best a sidegrade, but depending on the situation/encounter it may become the bis. This to me is a more ideal way of balancing the gear.

WoW definitely does take the guesswork out of endgame gear. They've used the same methodology for the last two expansions (BC started moving toward this model, but WotLK really locked it into place). You run normal dungeons to gear up for heroic dungeons. You run heroics to gear up for raids. Your raid drops are placeholders for your tier pieces, which are bought with points you get in heroics and raids. As you said, the 2/4 piece set bonuses are too powerful to ignore so even if your raid drops are on par, you'll still always be working for at least 4 pieces of the tier set. In the end, the only decision you make is how to gem/enchant/reforge each piece.

Even with this idiot-proof gearing model, I was still always dragging around three gear sets in WoW - my raid healing set, my solo DPS set, and my PvP healing set.

As much as I hated it eating up my precious bag space, I can understand having a couple different sets or key pieces for generally different situations. The example you gave with the BLM AF hat is reasonable.

What I don't like is situational gear specifically tailored to one raid, or one encounter, or even one spell. Like how back in the day your guild wouldn't take you to 40 man Molten Core if you didn't have a certain level of fire resistance gear. Or how in FFXI you had to have an arsenal of wands and staves and MP regen gear you were constantly switching out during combat and while resting (needed to hire myself a taru caddy squire to lug all that stuff around).

I'm certainly not saying I want this game to emulate the formulaic end game gear grind that WoW has down to a science. But I have no desire to get back into the ridiculousness that was FFXI's gear swap macros. As others have said, I would rather be more focused on combat and my abilities than playing with my wardrobe. If that means fewer situational gear pieces and more sets that are overall generally better for a class/job, I think it's a fair tradeoff.