Legitimate reasons why many of you do NOT like Gear Swapping

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Gear swapping.

How much is built into the game already? If it was intended to play a larger role in the game, SE should have just incorporated it into core of the system. We would have a monk beginning his combo with his fists, chain into a Dragon Uppercut, whoop out his staff and conjure a full thunder combo with the impact of lightning propelling him further in the air, when at last his Thundaja was on cooldown, he would twirl in the sky with the storm on his back, channeling heaven's wrath into his mighty polearm before plummeting downward toward his foes in a single swift destructive motion, ending with a seismic shock that knocks the subligar off every spectator.


Strategic vs. Tactical: In my opinion, the class, our cross class abilities, the equipment we wear, the food we eat, the potions we bring to battle before the battle starts is on the strategic level. It's what we take into the battle. Our positioning, what abilities we use and when, how we react to the enemy, and in accordance to our team mates, those are the tactics. Switching classes, abilities, and equipment in the middle of combat would bring the strategic level into the tactical level.


Gear Swapping: But if folks are rooting for gear swapping, why stop halfway? Why think small with *just* gear swapping of armor. Why not gear swapping of weapons ~ thus potentially classes and their respective abilities with traits. Need some accuracy before your next combo, swap out into the +accuracy weapon. Need the power? Grab your +damage weapon. Need to resist an incoming fire spell? +fire resist weapon! Zero out the equipment transition time, no ability cooldown reset for switching classes. Start as a White Mage, Blissful Mind, Sacred Prism, Holy, grab MP on the Blissful Mind, Holy again, switch to Thaumaturge for an improved Sanguine Rite, Blizzara, then to Gladiator for AoE Rampart, Sentinel, AoE Flash, then to Warrior to keep tanking while the other abilities are on cooldown? The whole macro shouldn't take more than 9 seconds to execute. And players that don't have the macros written or gear available for optimal gear swapping, well... they can have fun sitting in Ul'dah, eating steak tartar and watching people spam drama in the global chat.


Toward stopping gear swapping: Once a party member obtains enmity of any enemy, they are locked into their equipment until combat is resolved. And even a step further, once you enter an instance, you're locked into that class/job combo until you exit the instance.


Conclusion: If you support gear swapping, you can't be against the idea of gear swapping of weapons and abilities. And if you think that's ridiculous... well, welcome to the otherside of the argument.