Itemization in FFXI in unexciting

[BlaiseArath]

the way I see it you have two people... some people like Diablo 2 and its complex but ultimately rewarding and interesting Itemization. Then you have some people like Diablo 3's "1.0" itemization.

But to the point... A lot of people ignored all that "math has real world applications" talk in school so can't understand an items usefulness unless they slap in a system that is and always will be "Big number > Little number"(Item Level), so it makes it easier for people to have a goal when they don't have to think too hard on which item they should get or need because of big words like "Double Attack +2".

This is why we have "Item level" itemization... its easier for the idiots, millenials, Participation ribbon babies, how I shot math common person to understand, and is much easier to pick up on an get into. Almost every MMO is pretty much Item level now, or in some form Item level (I.e Tiers, Blue/green/orange/etc are basically just I/lv without the numbers). Its a familiarity that puts people in comfort zone, and Item levels/tiers are familiar, and basically really stupid easy to program/balance too, so some logic is that they have more time to balance the content rather than focusing on how to balance the gear.

Item levels have their own problems though, particularly "Power Creep", and the fact that I think in the future its going to be stupid to have us being "Item level 400", which just sounds dumb coming off your tongue. Honestly Power Creep is one of the biggest issues Itemlevel MMOs face, and you can already see it happening in XIV (Level caps on old dungeons)