Level cap increase every 1-2 years.

[Shipp]

ok


Because it's not about whether the new weapon is better or worse it's about the actual stats and effects it contains. If one endgame hat has 4dex and 7str and another eg hat has 7dex and 4str which is better? which is worse? Neither one of those hats is better or worse than the other assuming it has no other stats. Now in a system where one of these hats came out under a shorter level cap the higher level hat lets say its the first one would have something like 6dex 10str vs 7dex 4str.

Clearly the 'option' is slowly being taken away from me as the ranks separate.

But here's the thing, you now have 2 hats that are situational. Not everyone cares about that. Also factor in how many different combos of hats you're going to have for every single job you level. Inventory issues. This is only hats, apply that to every single item slot, especially when it's crap like Carby mitts that are only used when he is summoned, or the equipment that SAYS it increases SMN damage, but we really will never know for sure since it's so random in the first place, or if we should stack 2 different slots that say +Avatar damage, or do we swap them in right before a BP? Do they even work with BPs or is it just their melee damage?

See where I'm going with this? So much of the stats were hidden (and are currently the same way in XIV) that you never truly know if the gear is even worth having in the first place. This leads to pokemon-syndrome when it comes to gear. A set for resting, a set for regaining MP while moving, a set for casting, a set for casting this other spell, a different staff for every single spell, a set that you macro in depending on the weather. A set that you macro in depending on the day, etc etc. It gets very tedious and is completely ridiculous after so many "side-grades". Your hat example is nice and simple. I don't know about Dex and Str, but I remember 1 point of int is equal to x amount of damage per tier of nuke. Simple formula. Side-grades work when that's it. They don't work when you have hidden stats alluded to on gear that you wouldn't be told of otherwise except through an equally useless merit system (when it came to certain jobs). I, personally, prefer a straight up upgrade so I am not forced to buy something with RL money just to increase my inventory space because I'm already at the cap. On my BLM, I had something like 40 freaking pieces of gear that I had to carry with me for endgame. 40 pieces! That is not acceptable, I'm sorry. I don't care how many arguments are used in favor of it, that is simply a very flawed system.

Can you even gear swap mid-fight in XIV? I haven't tried it. If you can't, then this is even more reason as to why side-grades like I've mentioned wouldn't work.

Now you can say that they can add as many options as the want in every cap raise, and they can. However, there is clearly only so much they can do at some point someone is going to want some stat that isn't around under the new the cap. So what? they can wear the old gear anyway right? wrong, the game mechanics dictate now that the new gear is so necessary that they are gimp without it then they really don't have a choice as above all no one wants to be gimp.

In all my years of MMOs, I have never heard anyone but FF players use the word "gimp". "Gimp" to an FFXI player was not having the +1 staves for a BLM and SMN. Gimp was not having very situational macro pieces, such as certain SMN af2. Gimp was not having mahatma slops instead of errant (I think was the name?) or Serawhatevers, because there was a 1 or 2 point difference in stats.

If players are going to already impose their ridiculous standards on people, I hardly see how SE upping a cap and giving that new gear similar itemization is going to hurt.

The game mechanics im referring to are the same mechanics all mmos share. Base stats go up with levels and without sufficient base stats a person will wipe before they have a chance to effect an outcome. Like a naked player, rank 50 is 30 gear is usually gimp.


I don't understand why you assume that having a longer standing level cap means you have the same content. You can add content without increasing the level cap so your point is moot. It's not the 1 more str im after, it's the option of different stats it's not all about str, or dex or vit sorry to say.

Quite right, those invisible stats that really had no way of being measured (at least SMNs didn't) are so worth chasing for the majority of MMO players. You can also increase the level cap without it being as extreme as WoW where 10 more levels means 10x the stats.

Becoming stronger doesn't negate content that is not my concern at all. The way you negate content is by making it so there is no reason (no progression in it) to do it. Besides just doing it for the heck of it. I don't care if the mob dies quick or slow that is not the point i'm making here. Killing a rank 90 goblin headman (or w.e) may be the most challenging thing ig right now but there's very little reason to do it so it is likely that no one will experience it.

Here's the thing, there was no challenge left in sky after ToAU. The challenge was gone. The CHALLENGE and fun should be the defining factor on whether it is relevant or irrelevant. Otherwise content becomes nothing but a chore for gear.

If there is different gear in different content for people to choose from then there are options and every option is relevant content to that particular individual. When there are less options then there is less relevant content.

Again, I bring up the argument of enchanting recipes from older raids in WoW that are STILL used. Does this mean that the level 70 raid is still relevant, just because it DROPS relevant recipes for a specific person? No. If you answer yes, then you really have no argument against vertical progression in the first place.

Recipes were added over the years so the same 100 crafters had new things to make. AND yet, they still had a demand the old stuff as it was still relevant to certain individuals hence there was more total things to do. Making someone level again doesn't inherently give them anything significantly new to do, just like you can add content without increasing cap you can add recipes. moot point.


Probably the only productive thing in this post. If I could thumbs up in sections then I would. The only thing that concerns me is that in the long run you're talking about lots of upgrades if a buccaneers shirt has to be upgraded as many times as there have been level cap increases then somewhere along the way we run the risk of having people complain about how inconvenient it is and push for a simplification that would kill content.

I actually do like this idea myself, if only to appease those who are so livid over a vertical progression model. It's much the same way how gear is upgraded in WoW, only those pieces only stay relevant within that expac.

[Shipp]

Oh I'm sorry i didn't realize I was talking to a business expert. Where did you get your degree? Is it relevant to the game industry? MMOS? Please elaborate, I need to know your credentials to assume that your knowledge is at all credible.

So list out all the pros and cons for vertical progression, and guaranteed that i've already explained in this post why I prefer a more horizontal method (not at all speaking exclusively). From a a total amount of options/diversity perspective.

She listed several pros. Try to think of the average MMO player. SE is not going to cave to the requests of the hardcores, because they don't make up the majority of the MMO crowd.

I still have not seen pros for horizontal progression laid out in an unbiased manner. Obviously Auction Girl likes vertical. She has listed actual unbiased arguments for it though, as have several others. The only thing I see from horizontal people is, "XI did it so it's fine." XI also had several problems, which just about every person arguing for horizontal has admitted.

I think too many people are looking at this strictly from the perspective of XI and not looking at it objectively. If you increase level caps gradually over the game's life, endgame is not going to be tuned to take forever like it was in XIV. You might have rare world spawns, but it's not going to be the defining factor of endgame if content is tuned correctly, and they certainly won't be on the BS spawn timers that they were in XI. This means that you will not have to grind for possibly years to obtain your gear. Sure, your feeling of accomplishment might be lower than it was in XI, but let's actually think about this for a minute. I don't play a video game to feel accomplished in life. I understand having accomplishments in a video game and being proud. I'm not saying you shouldn't have anything to feel proud about. I'm saying too much emphasis is being placed on that feeling of accomplishment in comparison to your real life, at least in XI. I played XI during highschool and part of college. I freely admit that I had no life in highschool. XI was my escape. Yes, it was quite an accomplishment getting all of that gear that I spent months of /played to get. Fast-forward 8 years and I, along with many who started on XI, simply do not have the time anymore. We have grown up, we have real life issues to deal with, and our number one priority is not to go slay some dragons for the 100th time to make sure everyone has every possible drop from that dragon.

You can easily have hardcore content that doesn't require years to complete. Why anyone wants a system like XI's is beyond belief. I am not left in the dust in other MMOs, because I do not -have- to complete every single raid if I can't log on for a couple months. I can go pick up some newly released gear that is an upgrade and catch up to the hardcore players. This wasn't possible in any timely fashion in XI. It punished players who started late. Need something from sky? Go pull some teeth from linkshell members until they finally come help you, if they're not too busy doing new content which totally "doesn't" make this place you need gear from look out-dated in the least.

[giftforce]

Omg what's with the feature length presentations. Keep it concise guys.

[Ichi]

Everything you said in response to my comment was already explained in my comment. The gear was situational, you didn't have to get it. Your choice of ideal gear is just as valid because it serves your mold. I can get all of the valid pieces or i can get as many as i want. You are simply saying that we should be forcefully limited rather than set the limits on ourselves.

I want everyone to notice a trend here that's reflecting in every discussion of every aspect of this game. There are people that are pretending to represent a demographic with out any statistical or logical representation. Please do not take stock in the opinions of facts. "In my opinion the fact is gamers want this" it's an opinion and you don't have to state it as one it's a given because you are just one.

[Coldbrand]

It's a numbered Final Fantasy, the cap should be 99.

[Etienn]

It's a numbered Final Fantasy, the cap should be 99.

This is where everyone should stop listening, this is the end.