Crafted-gear-only slots: Yay or Nay? It would solve 2 significant issues.

[NYCLouisGamer]

Everything that you are saying is correct. Thank you for the list. It is appreciated. I can look into some of those items.

But most of those things optional and don't affect gameplay. Selling that stuff only provides gil. Gil that then has nowhere to go, other than vanity items. For lower-level content, nobody really needs crafting or crafted gear. And when they do it, the final product has worse stats than the MSQ dungeon drops that players get for free. The only exception would be things like rings. This is because they rarely drop in dungeons below a certain level.

This post partially got started because I was making leveling gear and using it! It was fun until the crafting speed greatly slowed down, I was leveling my DoM job much faster, and the dungeon drops were far superior. Even though I was spending the same amount of time on both activities as before.

The economy can be so much more fun and exciting and effective than what it is now! The crafting system that you mentioned for raid tier would be phenomenal across the board. Why are there so many fun things that are entirely blocked from lower levels? Don't they want us to stick around and get to the higher levels?

[Jeeqbit]

most of those things optional

Everything in the game is optional... that means nothing. You could argue playing the game itself is optional and that you can play another game. Playing that other game is optional too. Using a PC is optional. I have a family member who does everything via mobile and iPad.

and don't affect gameplay.

Gear affects gameplay. It allows you to kill things faster, craft/gather things with a higher success rate and meet item level requirements.

Selling that stuff only provides gil.

Selling stuff results in gil, yes. That does not mean it does not benefit the individual.

For lower-level content, nobody really needs crafting or crafted gear.

Well no, but it is an option and some people will use that option.

when they do it, the final product has worse stats than the MSQ dungeon drops that players get for free.

That really depends. If they are a higher level than that dungeon, they can wear higher level, high-quality crafted gear. They might also not feel like farming the dungeon for all its loot (in fact, I doubt most people will bother with that). They might get 1 or 2 relevant drops and that's it.

The crafting system that you mentioned for raid tier would be phenomenal across the board. Why are there so many fun things that are entirely blocked from lower levels? Don't they want us to stick around and get to the higher levels?

Even that is an option. They can use normal raid gear which is worse. They can wait ages to start raiding (3 months) to outfit themselves in weekly tomestone gear first. Or they could try and sneak into a raid party thoroughly undergeared for it in previous-tier gear.

Everything is an option, just like in real life. If you sell a keyboard, some people will buy yours and some people will buy another person's.

[Jojoya]

But most of those things optional and don't affect gameplay. Selling that stuff only provides gil. Gil that then has nowhere to go, other than vanity items. For lower-level content, nobody really needs crafting or crafted gear. And when they do it, the final product has worse stats than the MSQ dungeon drops that players get for free. The only exception would be things like rings. This is because they rarely drop in dungeons below a certain level.

This post partially got started because I was making leveling gear and using it! It was fun until the crafting speed greatly slowed down, I was leveling my DoM job much faster, and the dungeon drops were far superior. Even though I was spending the same amount of time on both activities as before.

When crafting gear to equip for use instead just using for glamour, you should always be making HQ. The stat budget for HQ items is in line with that for the dungeon drops while NQ gear has a stat budget that's much lower.

Just for example:
Lvl 73 ilvl 400 Voeburtite Jacket of Fending 142 STR/155 VIT (from Dohn Mheg)
Lvl 74 ilvl 403 NQ Bluespirit Cuirass of Fending 130 STR/140 VIT (crafted)
Lvl 74 ilvl 403 HQ Bluespirit Cuirass of Fending 144 STR/ 156 VIT (crafted)
Lvl 75 ilvl 406 Ravel Keeper's Vest of Fending 145 STR/ 157 VIT (from Qitana Ravel)

So the HQ crafted body is right in line with the dungeon drops. It's the NQ body that isn't.

The crafted items also have the advantage of not being gated by RNG. Someone might need to run the dungeons a half dozen times before they get that free body while the crafted body can be made as soon as desired. This is a big advantage for players that want to keep their gear up to date with their job level but don't have the MSQ progression needed to have a chance at getting the "free" gear. The crafted gear is their only resource most of the time.

Crafting the gear as HQ will also give you up to 3 times as much XP on completion compared to crafting NQ (increasing quality rating on an item you craft adds bonus XP that scales based on the amount of quality rating added and not whether the final product ends up HQ).

Crafting is in better shape in this game than any other MMORPG I've played.