Itemization in this Game is One-Dimensional

[ApolloGenX]

See, to me, iLVL just nuked your idea to oblivion. The idea that ilvl determines what you can enter, and how you gear up, pretty much forces gear to be linear. IF I'm wearing an acc-cap set at i70, why would I think about going for that new ilvl 80 axe with no ACC? because of the iLVL.

Well, there will be min reqs regardless... but it used to be that you had to have a certain level of resist... or a certain amount of hps for a fight- those kinds of things. When fights rely on more tailored requirements, not a flat Ilevel, then you have more flexibility- out of necessity.

However, I tend to agree that Ilevel kind of messes things up. However, when you have a large variety of stats, such as resists, additional effects of various kinds- Ilevel becomes fuzzier... because it isn't a 1:1 stat comparison. Sure, you still have the people that require Ilevel X gear for fights- but if you could have that X level and still not meet the hp or resist threshold, then you have to look beyond iLevel to fight specifics.

[Tupsi]

http://ffxiv.mozk-tabetai.com/ < 1.23's Itemization. Certain Armor/Weapons (especially Artificat wise) were much more..obvious as to why they took work to get. While you had gear that replaced it, WHM's AF and original Dark Light enhancing cure and regen? Stuff like that made the stuff seemed so much more worth the work lol. Heck you didn't "need" gear swap, but you had BRDs swapping in-out of gear to enhance songs (!) since the game only penalized Active Mode gear switching.

Oh you could also switch classes in a dungeon when not in a boss fight (or regular fight) so you could even repair everyone's stuff mid run. Just food for thought.

Give it time, most games start slow with gear choices.

This is a 3 year old game and it reused most assets from previous versions - Even yoshi said it's been 3 years since the original version lol. It's more like they're starting over in order to go into a different direction.

[Galliano]

SE stated in the past that vertical progression is the route they were going to take in regards to gear in this game so I doubt we will see what you are asking for OP. With that being said I fully agree with you and would love a chance to mix and match gear sets depending on the encounter I'm going to face. I further agree that I would also dislike macro gear swapping to return but would like to see some variation in stats that would add diversity to our gear and the way we look.

[Raagnar]

False choices just make for poor players. In MMO there is typically a right and a wrong way to do things with very little true customization. If they add things like mog dmg proc your base weapon dmg goes down for balance issues and now you rely on something that doesn't kick in all the time for the sake of variety.

Lets take stat allocation for example. BLM spec anything other then INT: no solid benefits from other stats make this a false choice, INT is always the right answer until they change the game. Please just remove stat allocation.

[Tupsi]

False choices just make for poor players.

No. Players with lack of skill makes for poor players - This is true in any game. How many times have people RQ'd due to said lack of skills or even general comprehension? Lets take Labyrinth of the Ancients for example. No Horizontal gear choices here.

[ApolloGenX]

Give it time, most games start slow with gear choices, but even WoW, which has been out for close to ten years is basically the same, go for top gear that is available.

Yes, I believe WoW gear actually got much simpler over time. Instead of choices now, they have "sets"... and basically, you just get your "set"... so everyone wears the same "sets" and looked the same until vanity slots happened.

That is fine, but then gear might as well be tokens, while there is fashion gear that you use for your vanity slots. It really kind of disconnects the acquisition of stat related gear and appearance/distinction. That's fine if you want a game where tanks run around in swimsuits, and dps runs around in furry animal costumes... but to me that really just ruins immersion and makes characters feel like paper dress up dolls... I don't know... personal preference.

[PallasLloyd]

Not sure if you are up to date, but in August the released a Final Fantasy XIV: A Real Reborn, it is a new game, it is built in the same world at a different time, that's how we kept our original characters, but it is a new game. Saying this is the same game as the one that released three years ago is like saying Final Fantasy XII and XII-2 are the same game, same world, returning characters, different time, and different game.

Wrong. That's why ARR is version XIV 2.0 and not ARR 1.0. ARR was NEVER billed, stated or advertised as a new game but a relaunch and update of the old one, and that's exactly what it is. So not sure if YOU are up to date but it's time for ignorant people to stop using this excuse because it's utterly fallacious.

[Galliano]

And there is also the issue of power creep that a system like current one can cause. here's a great video on power creep by the extra credits team.

http://youtu.be/Bxszx60ZwGw

[KHShadowrunner]

Wrong. That's why ARR is version XIV 2.0 and not ARR 1.0. ARR was NEVER billed, stated or advertised as a new game but a relaunch and update of the old one, and that's exactly what it is. So not sure if YOU are up to date but it's time for ignorant people to stop using this excuse because it's utterly fallacious.

I dunno, this one is tough. It is an update, but an update means that the old content is there to enjoy, yet all of it has been wiped. But I guess progression is retained, maybe? This particular game is a very strange example.

I mean, by that logic, the remake of a movie is not a new movie, just an updated old movie. But tell that to the umpteen spidermans and the Hulks and Batmans.. Fairly confident you'd get that they're new movies.

[PallasLloyd]

I dunno, this one is tough. It is an update, but an update means that the old content is there to enjoy, yet all of it has been wiped. But I guess progression is retained, maybe? This particular game is a very strange example.

I mean, by that logic, the remake of a movie is not a new movie, just an updated old movie. But tell that to the umpteen spidermans and the Hulks and Batmans.. Fairly confident you'd get that they're new movies.

Movies are not really comparable to software.

You can completely refactor and change the design of a piece of software and designate it a new version and it is still considered the SAME program.

I don't see anyone claiming the Windows OS is only 2 years old because that's when version 8 was released. It's not tough. It's a well-established principle.