Required Rank vs Optimal Rank

[Seikninkuru]

Really, why did you guys even decide to play FFXIV in the first place if what you so obviously wanted was completely different from what was on the box?

All you FFXI-wannabes that need "clearly defined goals" and can't think for yourself should just go back and play either FFXI or WoW or any other myriad of old-gen games where lack of options was the status quo and free-will was a luxury the Thought Police wouldn't allow you to afford.

Honestly, this is one of many self-destructive decisions SE has made ever since Yoshi took the helm and does nothing but make me want to leave even more. Why would I play a game exactly like WoW/TERA but with FFXIV's slow combat system? FFXIV had a good idea that could help them maintain a foot in the market.

Too bad they don't realise that.

Self-destructive game-design. That's all this is.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[giftforce]

Jesus people don't read. Look up, I suggested in my post that I don't want to abolish Optimal rank system, and that they can co-exist, but it needed tweaking!

It cannot co-exist. Think it through for a moment and you realise it is basically a mutually exclusive concept.

Having the best of both worlds isn't possible when one impinges on the other.

[Fixy]

You realize you can buy them from 4 different NPC vendors if no one has any in bazaar, right?

ye let me bust out 90k gil

[Physic]

personally i think they should have made a gimper visual gear when it was below rank, like it looks like starter gear or something until you hit the actual rank req.

this way you would still have had a visual milestone, and the convience of not changing gear all the time. They also should have, and still should, more clearly show what bonuses a gear gives when its cross class. Many people had no idea they were gimping themselves, because it still shows you that its better stats in the gear screen, you have to actually look to the normal looking attribute window to see the real effects, and only works with stats that are in that window.

[giftforce]

I agree the bonuses and penalties need to be adjusted, and also delivered in a more overt way. Part of the perceived-issue with the optimal rank system is that there aren't severe penalties for wearing equipment outside of rank. The game developers should strive to make these details clearer before writing off the system as a whole.

But anyway, the visual motivation is not something that is needed, in my opinion. Obtaining the gear should be the motivation and reward itself. Grinding the SP just to wear it is little more than a chore. (Why do some humans find this fun and important?)

Is advertising one's own SP-grind for all the world to see so important that you would sacrifice everyone else's freedom for it?

[Chardrizard]

I am not going through pages, i loves optimal rank system as well.. while it doesn't bother me much and i don't think it really bothers anyone unless they keep changing job/class for whatever reason every 5min, keep optimal rank items for convinience purpose and class specific item for class defining purpose, i don't see the needs of rank required equips really if the scaling is done well.

[giftforce]

Exactly, it just needs to be scaled better (maybe even exponentially) and the effecs need to be displayed more clearly. Required rank is just an inconvenient bandaid path to satiate the ignoramus-rich FFXI expat community.

[Phenidate]

The idea that nice looking should be a reward for attaining high level is incredibly shallow and vain. While its nice to have some form of status symbol, the point is you are still vastly powerful compared to those who have yet to reach your level. If they want to mimic you by wearing the same armor, that's all they will accomplish in doing so.

If you are so horribly concerned, you'll be happy to know that there are restricted sets on the way if the .dats from 1.18 are any indication.

Personally, I like the fact that I am free to wear a shirt if I want to, even if its a '400 count Egyptian silk shirt with fancy bow" for a rank 48 conjurer, its STILL A SHIRT. Its refreshing to see a game that lets people look nice in their down time irregardless of what they are.