[ Dev's ] Gear Swaps Can I have It?

[Lionheart]

I think in FFXI gear swap is one of the core-fun feature of battle system. Having the chance to study different equip sets to maximize every ability or situation in real time is stimulating and brings a lot of variety into play even for a single job. Of course no one says this feature has to be carryed over to ffxiv as it is... I just ask, if it's possible to think of some other feature in battle system that could make a bit more spicy every fight by breaking the "ability cycling" and "fixed equip" walls.

Let the players think and invent new things and ways to play even beyond the devs plans, make a battle system full of open chances for adventurers so they can reinvent each fight in real time!

[TatsuIkari]

Those who are worried about there being a limited reason to repeat content to get gear in end game and that their gear will become obsolete when they increase the level cap in FFXIV should keep these things in mind:

1. FFXI *DID* make gear obsolete (job AF) with a level cap increase. They also released a way to upgrade that gear later to make it relevant again, so who is to say they wont do that here too?

2. Even though you can't swap gear mid-battle it doesn't mean they can't release different sets of gear for different encounters. When describing the dungeons, they keep saying that it will require "specific strategies" to complete the objectives. Maybe that means you need a set of fire resistant gear to take on a certain boss for instance?

3. Most importantly, MATERIA! If they do release a new set of gear that is better than your current set, you can just turn your old gear into materia (which will have stats related to your own playstyle) to attach to your next set.

Bottom line, though, is that nobody knows what it will be like. Just because you can no longer gear swap shouldn't make you give up on the game when there is still great potential for gear selection strategy with materia and a variety of encounter types. Time will tell but don't lose hope just yet!

[Naylia]

I got to say I am little disappointed simply because of my experiences in FFXI. Having different gear sets really made putting the finishing touches on a job require lots of different gear pieces that really encouraged people to participate in all the different events in which all these pieces came from. Now it seems as 1 piece will generally be the best overall piece and that is it. No more enfeebling sets, stoneskin sets, elemental magic sets, -pdt sets, etc.

I don't think you get it...you can still have all of that. The point is just that you might have to think ahead and plan a little, rather than wear 13 different sets of armor in a 2 minute battle...

[_C-a-e-r-i-t-h_]

Thank you, Bayohne. Glad to know that Matsui is making the intelligent choice here. Any word on whether we can swap arrows/ammo mid-fight?

[Reinheart]

Thank you, Bayohne. Glad to know that Matsui is making the intelligent choice here. Any word on whether we can swap arrows/ammo mid-fight?

I don't see anything wrong with arrows/ammo being swapped in middle of fight; Pretty sure there are time like sleep mob using sleep arrows/bolts at times for crowd controlling on mobs and switching to main damaging arrow for kills. + If you run out while fighting if they don't allow swap that's gonna be bit hard for archers lol.

[_C-a-e-r-i-t-h_]

I don't see anything wrong with arrows/ammo being swapped in middle of fight; Pretty sure there are time like sleep mob using sleep arrows/bolts at times for crowd controlling on mobs and switching to main damaging arrow for kills. + If you run out while fighting if they don't allow swap that's gonna be bit hard for archers lol.

I agree. I don't think it's currently allowed (unless it changed?) but I think it really ought to be. Swapping ammo was one of the things that made ranged attacks really useful in FFXI, especially with status bolts.

[Lionheart]

1. FFXI *DID* make gear obsolete (job AF) with a level cap increase. They also released a way to upgrade that gear later to make it relevant again, so who is to say they wont do that here too?

11 different sets on THF all ready to swap, I don't even mention how many I had on RDM...had to swap all the inventory to make sure I coult take with me everything and no AF even the non +1 ones were still usefull for some abilites. Surely you could play ffxi being the "avarage" player with 1-2 sets for jobs but please don't come tell me equip variety was obsolete in ffxi and that preparing different sets outside battle is as thrilling as having them swap in real time to counter battle events.

[Naylia]

Swapping gear during battle isn't thrilling....it's ridiculous. I go back to my original post.

Go get in a bar fight and try changing your pants in the middle of it....let me know how that works out for you.

[Cichy]

My next question I want to ask to the devs is what is square planning on doing with content at expansions? Not having gear swaps is ok but how are they handling content then... atm most who are against gear swaps it is because of this reason from reading the these post.

If the Plan to:

-replacing old content with new dungeons/raids/quest (Western sytle concept of expansions)
or
-incorporating old content to keep all content in the game worthwhile (XIs method of expansions)

If it is the first one... I hope people like the game now because the way SE released every mmo and every mmo expansion has been like this. Absolutely nothing in it besides zones and barebone quest/missions with everything else being fleshed out over the next 2yrs period of time.

And even with a level increase are you going to continue to spam old dungeons knowing that in a few months all your time is wasted? You will have the same crap you have in WoW atm. Everyone is crazy active at an expansion/content update... then everyone stops logging on once they do everything. If anyone thinks that is good something is wrong with them.

Square needs to insure me that they will not screw the game over everyupdate. I want more content then I can handle...not some BS that I can finish in a week then take a break for 6 months.

Atm this game seems to be going more and more in the direction of the worst WoW clone ever created... I sure hope these content updates are some kind of godly content... if they want to butt heads with WoW, Rift, and GW2 they need to not match them but beat them... good luck if they are on that path.

What you want is the FFXI endgame pre abyssea which was arguably the worst MMO endgame around.
You do realize that FFXI endgame excluded like 90% of the server population dont you?
Sure it was fun when you had an endgame linkshell but if you were on the other side of the fence you got completely screwed. All most people had to do for 6 years was limbus, dynamis, exp. Not to mention how HNM system for the longest time had nothing to do with skill but bots. This is why WOW has more players, content is about including everyone not about excluding people like FFXI was. That is why endgame player playtimes in XI were 6 years vs normal player few months.
Not to even mention that MMO players have tons of MMOs to chose from and they not going to stick around hoping to get in a endgame shell and than be in that shell for 6 months and than hope for an item to drop like e body that maybe dropped once a week under right conditions (no server maintenance etc etc).

Yes they should release content all the time that will get you gear that will outdate old gear. It's the only way to progress.
The trick is to make the content relevant and fun. It should be about journey to the level cap and content along the way that makes you improve. Not grind to the cap and than fighting it out for a piece of gear that you hope wont be outdated for 6 years and drops of 1 mob that 800 people camp.

[_C-a-e-r-i-t-h_]

Swapping gear during battle isn't thrilling....it's ridiculous. I go back to my original post.

Go get in a bar fight and try changing your pants in the middle of it....let me know how that works out for you.

I hope they add macros to real life.