Suggestion to the Developer

[FraenirVolsung]

I really hope that they pull in the merit point system from FFXI. Maybe not an exact copy, but something similar. A system that allows you to further develop your character after you have hit the level cap beyond just getting new gear would be great. Being able to put extra points into stats or get new abilities would go a long way towards offering some customization.

It would be nice to have 3 or 4 abilities for each class to choose from. I think you could limit it to only being able to get 1 or 2 merit abilities, but make it so that each offers something desired in battle. Maybe make it so two tanks with two different merit abilities is actually preferred over two tanks with the same merit ability, for example. You have to eliminate the "illusion of choice" and offer actual choice.

[Enkidoh]

I really hope that they pull in the merit point system from FFXI. Maybe not an exact copy, but something similar. A system that allows you to further develop your character after you have hit the level cap beyond just getting new gear would be great. Being able to put extra points into stats or get new abilities would go a long way towards offering some customization.

It would be nice to have 3 or 4 abilities for each class to choose from. I think you could limit it to only being able to get 1 or 2 merit abilities, but make it so that each offers something desired in battle. Maybe make it so two tanks with two different merit abilities is actually preferred over two tanks with the same merit ability, for example. You have to eliminate the "illusion of choice" and offer actual choice.

^This. Although I hate to use FFXI as an example of an addition I'd like to see in ARR, it did work well as a compensatory way of allowing players to customize their character once they hit the level cap. In a way something similar is already in ARR, a la, item level, but it's horribly flawed and is just a means of 'gating' content without allowing customization - it's also used as a lazy way of being able to add new gear which is 'stronger' than previous equipment without having to actually think much about how balanced that gear is in terms of stat progression.

The ilevel system is my main and pretty much only thing I hate about ARR. Personally, I'd love it if the ilevel system was scrapped completely and a FFXI merit system was brought into the game instead, it would make end game based on skill like it should be instead of nothing but a gear-check.

[Musashidon]

You have to eliminate the "illusion of choice" and offer actual choice.

but there would be no actual choice there you would need both types of tanks to work so in the end once again you have no choice. the only way to remove choice is to make content so easy it doesn't matter what you chose you win.

[FraenirVolsung]

but there would be no actual choice there you would need both types of tanks to work so in the end once again you have no choice. the only way to remove choice is to make content so easy it doesn't matter what you chose you win.

Not necessarily. You as the player have the choice to select which abilities you want to use merit points on and which direction you want your character to go in. You always have the choice. You may start seeing party finder comments such as "Looking for MT with X, Y, or Z merit ability. OT has merit ability A, B, or C," but as long as each ability has value to a party you have free choice to choose your abilities however it suits you. And I stress that each ability would have to have equal value. It would be a balancing nightmare sure, but you would have choice if nothing else.