Legitimate reasons why many of you do NOT like Gear Swapping

[Roaran]

Gear Swapping is common in RPGs.

I need a logically sound argument as to why you do not want gear swapping.

Someone said, "it promotes elitism".

I say gear swapping is beneficial for SE, the worlds' economies, and game play.


BTW Mages can gear swap, melee can't. You have a flaw SE. Fix it and give us gear swapping in ACTIVE mode.

It's fairly simple really, and the developers already answered this long ago.

Their choice was between allowing gear swaps or not. The simple difference in this choice was in when the decision of what gear to use should be made. The developers already stated they wanted this choice to be made before the battle.

Personally, I do not see gear swap macros as a viable game mechanic. If this was FFXI, where combat was necessarily simple and required very little input or movement, then I could see there being a place for gear swap macros. However, this is FFXIV, where the pace of battle is significantly faster and requires far more inputs from the player. There eventually comes a limit to what a human can possibly macro; so, with every increase in inputs, we eventually get closer to a point where we will no longer be able to add battle mechanics. Implementing Gear swaps eventually comes at a cost to the faster paced battles. Battles like Ifrit probably have to be adjusted.

I also wonder whether gear swaps are even worth the time it takes to switch the gear back and forth. Would you really be able to get any gains at all?

[Molly_Millions]

Let's turn this conversation around for a moment. So what is gear swapping a solution to other than not having it in XIV right now?

[Gidonoidon_Sur]

I am pro gear swaps. It really allows you to make separate builds (str, def, acc, tp, -pdt, etc) and max your character to the situation. Promotes horizontal progression, and extends the life (and value) of existing content. If one piece is best in slot what is the purpose of all the other pieces in that slot? Some might say that is what materia is for. Maybe in theory, but unfortunately, not practice.

[StateAlchemist]

It's fairly simple really, and the developers already answered this long ago.

Their choice was between allowing gear swaps or not. The simple difference in this choice was in when the decision of what gear to use should be made. The developers already stated they wanted this choice to be made before the battle.

Personally, I do not see gear swap macros as a viable game mechanic. If this was FFXI, where combat was necessarily simple and required very little input or movement, then I could see there being a place for gear swap macros. However, this is FFXIV, where the pace of battle is significantly faster and requires far more inputs from the player. There eventually comes a limit to what a human can possibly macro; so, with every increase in inputs, we eventually get closer to a point where we will no longer be able to add battle mechanics. Implementing Gear swaps eventually comes at a cost to the faster paced battles. Battles like Ifrit probably have to be adjusted.

I also wonder whether gear swaps are even worth the time it takes to switch the gear back and forth. Would you really be able to get any gains at all?

Biggest difference you would see is from WHM and BLM currently (however even though we CAN viably gear-swap since we can stay in passive mode it takes TOO LONG) In princess fight I can have fire magic+++ when i go to cast flare i can swap to mag acc PIE, when i go to convert i can swap out for HP++++ gear...same for whm, when whm cures it can stay in hmp gear, soon as they go to rebuff, change to VIT+++ and enhancement magic pot+++ its not like you would be binking all fing fight...

[Griss]

1) Leads to Gear and inventory bloat.
1a) Allows for the creation of hyper specialized items that are only good for fractions of a second.

2) Engine limitations.

Have you ever changed a piece of gear and then be rooted to that spot for what feels like an eternity while the game re-renders your character? Its annoying when you are in the field or in town. It would be deadly in battle, specifically in the type of content that gear swaps would see there lion share of use. That alone puts the kybosh on this until the magic 2.0 fix. This game is still very much about movement and some small bit of player skill in avoiding things.


3) I really don't want to have to go to the lengths that I did for xi with this crap. To be considered any where near decent in xi you HAD to do it. You had to either fill your macro slots with Gear swaps or use widower in order to facilitate running swap scripts. You had to fill your inventory full of hyper situational stuff.

[Cendres]

Could materia be improved then so it could take the place of gear swaps?

[Andrien]

Personally, I do not see gear swap macros as a viable game mechanic. If this was FFXI, where combat was necessarily simple and required very little input or movement, then I could see there being a place for gear swap macros. However, this is FFXIV, where the pace of battle is significantly faster and requires far more inputs from the player. There eventually comes a limit to what a human can possibly macro; so, with every increase in inputs, we eventually get closer to a point where we will no longer be able to add battle mechanics. Implementing Gear swaps eventually comes at a cost to the faster paced battles. Battles like Ifrit probably have to be adjusted.

QFT

I just hope people understand this, because it seems common sense is so rare it might be considered a super power now.

[Molly_Millions]

I am pro gear swaps. It really allows you to make separate builds (str, def, acc, tp, -pdt, etc) and max your character to the situation.

we can do this now, so gear swapping adds what exactly?

Promotes horizontal progression, and extends the life (and value) of existing content.

like it or not, so does the current low drop rate on most of the good gear.

If one piece is best in slot what is the purpose of all the other pieces in that slot?

a different build for that class silly, see your own comment above. the difference here is when you have to make the descision, before battle, or not at all and just bring all your gear. I'll take the more difficult and strategic decision of before battle thanks.

Some might say that is what materia is for. Maybe in theory, but unfortunately, not practice.

We just got some materia reforms, there is reason to believe that SE is not done in that regard.

[StateAlchemist]

Let's turn this conversation around for a moment. So what is gear swapping a solution to other than not having it in XIV right now?

It's the solution to having to choose between damage and enfeebles on BLM. Better cures or better Enhancement Magic on CNJ. Faster TP Gain + More Weaponskills vs. Higher auto-attack damage/less but slightly more powerful weaponskills on MNK...etc etc... Being able to swap on the fly efficiently in battle as a blm to go from dealing damage to needing to land a sleep/bind/heavy (guarenteed) to save parties ass from sure defeat... being able to make a stoneskin last a lot longer midfight to help mitigate pulling too much hate from cures while still being able to cure at full potential... there is a lot of things there. (Gear swapping may even allow some fights to be done with ONE WHM instead of the standard TWO.)

And of course I am sure you can come up with some whatever comment to make it seem like none of this matters. But the point is it matters to some people. Adding it to the game will not be saying "Do this or gtfo." Since obviously enough people don't like it.

[Zantetsuken]

Could materia be improved then so it could take the place of gear swaps?

You might be on to something...