People SHOULD be rewarded for accomplishing a long-term task. Right now, the reward for the relic grind is the second-best weapon of its class - but, like all weapons, is very bare-bones and bland, with nothing to make it distinct from other weapons, and the difference in effectiveness over the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth best weapons are very modest. I'd welcome "unique stats" of this kind.

However, there is a risk. FFXI had unique and POWERFUL stats on its Relic weapons that made them wildly unbalanced compared to other weapons in the game. This was fine, but only because the grind to obtain one was so ridiculous that it took a devoted linkshell an entire year to outfit just ONE of their members with one. Relic-bearers were rare and notable, but owning a relic weapon was not an expectation for any game activity.

As time passed, though, changes came to the game that made obtaining a Relic weapon much easier. Max level increased, and the zone where the grind took place became more accessible. The grind to obtain a Relic still put FFXIV's relic grind to shame, but it became something achievable by small groups or even individuals, rather than requiring an entire linkshell. Players began demanding that only relic-equipped DPS join their groups. Paladins in particular began to be seen as gimp if they didn't have an Aegis, the relic Shield, with its ridiculous block rate and power, and its huge reduction in magic damage taken.

Relics in this game are a grind, and while I'd like to see folks rewarded for their grind, the grind in this case is far too easy. If there is a special reward for sticking it out (and there should be), the reward can't be so great that players are EXPECTED to grind out a relic. Any bonuses from unique stats would need to be quite modest, rather than the game-breakers the FFXI relics had.

Players who play casually need to budget their time in order to participate in the FUN things the game has to offer. If other players won't party with them until they've used months of their precious gaming time to complete a decidedly UNfun Relic grind, that's a definite step in the wrong direction for the game as a whole...