Alternative solution to "Unique Effects on Gear" debate - FFIX style

[Mcshiggs]

I like this idea primarily because it addresses the problem of stupidly boring gear selection in some way. I personally don't see 'people wearing lower ilvl gear for longer periods of time because the additional effects are too good' as a problem, but I spent a lot of time in FFXI where certain pieces of gear were BiS (for something!) for years at a time.

XI the gear system was one extreme and XIV has the complete opposite extreme. Even the 1.23 had a little more complex system with 2 stats weighing on each class's damage, no cap stat melds, more stats like store TP and what not, vitality being used to increase enhancing magic. They just dumbed it down way too far to make it all newbie friendly so people don't have to actually think, or even look it up on forums, to find out which gear is better. The secondary stats give a little bit of variance, but not enough to really matter. As long as they cling to their idea that the entire game remain newbie friendly, I don't see them introducing anything too complex, plus it keeps development costs lower because they don't have to design as much gear. Once a year they can toss out job specific stuff, then each patch they just have to make a fending/healing/casting/slaying set and that's it.

[Tsuwu]

I believe a new system is in order.
And Yoshi did say something along the lines of, "a lot of people want these effects (I'm regard to enhanced Spirits Within damage on 1.23 Curtana) so maybe its time we start looking into them".

I love your enthusiasm. Your idea is a good start, but it needs to somehow have a barrier to entry and simply specialize, not break the classes. Example: a SMN specialized with one extra Aetherflow stack versus one with -120 seconds on Enkindle cool down.

A white mage with Enhanced Regen versus Arise (full hp Raise, zero cast time, big cost, 300 second CD or some such).

Or a Warrior specialized with either enhanced Thrill of Battle or prolonged berserk.

Make it where having both is impossible and switching between skills is on a 2 hour cool down once activated.
One will have to really think about how they party/play the class, but not lock anyone out or break any classes. Different things don't always have to have one best thing in all cases.

[Surian]

I remember having to switch back to terribly weak gear sometimes just to learn an ability :/

It's not terrible, but the idea needs a lot of work to become viable in XIV.

[Nicobo]

...Bring back unique gear effects but modernize them! No need for gear switching macros, just learn them permanently and expand the range of character customization at the same time!

I feel the suggestion sounds like FFXI Merit Points ... ^^;
Why not simply let players obtain those extra "effect" thru new job quests for example..?

[DefendPopPunk]

If it's using ffix's system, then that means I'll probably get stuck using crappy gear I don't like just because I still have 42 AP to go before I can learn the skill from it and move onto my new gear that's been sitting in my inventory for a while. I can just see it now, threads filled with people's complaints of those that use crappy gear in ST to farm AP.

[Duelle]

If it's using ffix's system, then that means I'll probably get stuck using crappy gear I don't like just because I still have 42 AP to go before I can learn the skill from it and move onto my new gear that's been sitting in my inventory for a while. I can just see it now, threads filled with people's complaints of those that use crappy gear in ST to farm AP.

Could be worse. The devs could make it possible to only get AP from FATEs. It'd annoy me to no end but I see it as a possibility.

Personally, I wish people would abandon this silly idea of adding more stats than are needed. If you want to give character "builds" ask for Alternate Advancement, while also keeping in mind that whatever choice you're fantasizing about has the chance of being the gimpest of the gimp to the community because they WILL pigeonhole you towards the best build, like it or not.

[axemtitanium]

Why must everything be implemented in the worst way possible? Why not imagine the best possible implementation and critique the idea from that standpoint? I imagine unique effects would be attached to desirable gear, much in the same way that it was used in 1.x and FFXI, and keeping the effect beyond the lifespan of the gear would be a bonus to using it for a modest amount of time. For example, it doesn't take long to spiritbond current ilv 90 gear in CT2 or Coil 1. Obviously you'd never wear gimped gear when you're raiding Coil so you'd spend off-time to gain the "AP" to permanently learn the effect while doing other content. That said, ilv 90 gear isn't "crappy" by any stretch, especially for CT2, and is more than adequate to clear that content without gimping your party.

[Evangela]

FFIX gameplay is boring. please don't bring any of them to XIV.

[axemtitanium]

FFIX gameplay is boring. please don't bring any of them to XIV.