Will this be like WoW where gear becomes obsolte THAT fast?

[Darkhaund]

Has there been any comments or anything about this?

I am wondering if this will be a trend.
Where every patch or very often new gear is introudced and your current gear becomes "outaded" or obsolete.

I am NOT complaning or whining about this, I am just curious whereas this will be the direction the game will take.

I am personally more fond of "keepin" for a longer period of time your hard earned gear. but well.

[Prototype909]

Yes, steep vertical progression is the name of the game. Due to lack of implementation of any items which offer stats beyond the usual (Every piece is sequentially better than the next because gear is just stat porn) you just keep climbing tossing gear to your retainers as you go.

[Killance]

Yes, steep vertical progression is the name of the game. Due to lack of implementation of any items which offer stats beyond the usual (Every piece is sequentially better than the next because gear is just stat porn) you just keep climbing tossing gear to your retainers as you go.

That's most if not all MMO's. Just because WoW is the subscription king, doesn't mean every subscription based game is a WoW clone.

[Prototype909]

That's most if not all MMO's. Just because WoW is the subscription king, doesn't mean every subscription based game is a WoW clone.

I'm not saying that it's like this due to beingWoW clone, but to answer the TC's question as to whether or not gear will become obsolete quickly the answer is absolutely yes.

The alternative system would be something FF XI where every piece of gear has stats that provide augments beyond stats (Increase shield block rate, chance to strike multiple times, increased enmity, elemental resistances, flat damage reduction, skills built into the weapons themselves)- however due to the way armory system and gear swapping in this game works that isn't an option. Not to mention that many of those abilities would be redundant in this game due to the way skills work to begin with. This isn't to say that one approach is better than the other.

In FF XI you specialize to a fault, eventually to the point where you'd have macro gear sets for each individual action to optimize it. Gear had an incredibly long life-span for this reason. Even if you traded off stats in other areas pieces still had worth that outlived their level range.

in FF XIV you just keep upgrading because it's just flat stat upgrades that you can't say no to if you want to keep clearing content.

[Bufkus]

Yes, steep vertical progression is the name of the game. Due to lack of implementation of any items which offer stats beyond the usual (Every piece is sequentially better than the next because gear is just stat porn) you just keep climbing tossing gear to your retainers as you go.

That's how it should be. That's how every successful MMO does it. Don't like it? You're free to go back to an archaic MMO like FFXI.

Every successful MMO?
You mean the very large pile of WoW-too attempts sitting in the F2P zone of irrelevant-opolis?
Or do you mean successful MMOs that have lasted for over a decade without needing to rely on cashshop gimmicks. Like the wicked old FFXI.

Try to discount WoW all you want but it's a model that works. As for FFXI, well its dwindling subscription numbers speak for itself.

If the so-called horizontal progression model was something that the masses desired, we'd see it in every MMO that came out. We do not, and for a good reason.

[Gramul]

That's how it should be. That's how every successful MMO does it. Don't like it? You're free to go back to an archaic MMO like FFXI.

Every successful MMO?
You mean the very large pile of WoW-too attempts sitting in the F2P zone of irrelevant-opolis?
Or do you mean successful MMOs that have lasted for over a decade without needing to rely on cashshop gimmicks. Like the wicked old FFXI.

Try to discount WoW all you want but it's a model that works.

Yes. It's a model that worked FOR WoW. No so great for every mimic that came out after.

As for FFXI, well its dwindling subscription numbers speak for itself.

XI's low numbers can be attributed to the totally screwed up game dynamic brought on by Abyssia and the fact the game is chained down by a 14 year old console. WoW has no such restriction, and even then its subscriber base is starting to fall, even with constant expansions.

If the so-called horizontal progression model was something that the masses desired, we'd see it in every MMO that came out. We do not, and for a good reason.

What reason might that be? What on earth is so terrible about horizontal progression? The lack of nerfing old content just to make sure new players catch up? The variety in ways you can raise your character? What has made this idea so toxic to you?

[Parodine]

The main concern does seem to be gear in the ilvl50-i110 range atm.

A lot of people between CT, myth, and coil have i80 and i90 gear all ready for alts. DL is going to the waste side and everything under it for sure, aside from the rare vanity gear that is actually cool.

I don't even think most people wear their AF body as 50 nowadays on most alts since they likely have better ilvl Body pieces ready.

[Nekodar]

The main concern does seem to be gear in the ilvl50-i110 range atm.

A lot of people between CT, myth, and coil have i80 and i90 gear all ready for alts. DL is going to the waste side and everything under it for sure, aside from the rare vanity gear that is actually cool.

I don't even think most people wear their AF body as 50 nowadays on most alts since they likely have better ilvl Body pieces ready.

A new player that hits 50 likely need to progress through all the gear levels... i55, i60, i70, ... (not necessarily full sets of each gear level)
Aside from vanity i55, i60 and i70 drops can be turned in for GC seals, that you can buy crafting mats or ventures or other things with.
GC seals are actually useful now, which they weren't previously.

[RegnumMagik]

It's good in the sense that people won't feel left behind if they miss a patch or two, because they can catch up when the new ilvl tier is out.

But it's also bad since you don't have THAT much time to enjoy the gear that you spent months trying to earn BIS.

Personally, I don't mind it because it makes me want to progress more. But I can't deny that FFXI's system might be a better idea. Honestly flat stats upgrade isn't that creative to me.

[Felis]

DL is going to the waste side and everything under it for sure, aside from the rare vanity gear that is actually cool.

DL is still good for seals.