Materia for Dummies (i.e., Me)?

[notebene]

I tried searching on it, and found a few threads about materia becoming things, and things turning into materia, but I didn't really follow it.

I read another thread that started something like "...fans of FFVII will be excited about materia...", and went on to assume you just knew, more or less, what it was.

So for someone that (sadly) has 'no' FF experience at all (prior to this game), what is Materia?

[Stockapotapoulos]

Materia adds rad stuff to you character. In Final Fantasy VII, you add it to your weapon and you get powers. Be it magical, physical, or some kind of status boost, if I remember correctly.

I'm getting old.

[Seif]

We need the Oprah of gaming to break it down to us simple folks.

I know how VII materia works but based on what they've told us about this XIV materia those 2 don't have that much in common. On the bright side me not understanding it is actually a really really positive thing as it seems like a gameplay feature that has some depth in it!

I hope the changes to crafting make the process of crafting have some gameplay in it instead of just pressing the action button while reading a book or playing a game on a handheld.

[syntaxlies]

i remember there being a regain materia that would have a constant regain effect on your character. IN ff7 different weapons had a different amount of slots, lancer always having the most it think. You could move the materia from one weapon to the next. Now, in FFXIV when you equip materia i believe it becomes bound to the equipment and cant be removed and i think it cant not be traded either. Its been awhile since i read anything on and even longer since ive played ffvii. and for all the ff7 haters out there, if you actually played the game at release you'd know how awesome it was.

[Seif]

i remember there being a regain materia that would have a constant regain effect on your character. IN ff7 different weapons had a different amount of slots, lancer always having the most it think. You could move the materia from one weapon to the next. Now, in FFXIV when you equip materia i believe it becomes bound to the equipment and cant be removed and i think it cant not be traded either. Its been awhile since i read anything on and even longer since ive played ffvii. and for all the ff7 haters out there, if you actually played the game at release you'd know how awesome it was.

I don't think anyone's hating on VII? Anyway without VII the entire FF series wouldn't have grown as popular as it is today.

[Sephr]

i remember there being a regain materia that would have a constant regain effect on your character. IN ff7 different weapons had a different amount of slots, lancer always having the most it think. You could move the materia from one weapon to the next. Now, in FFXIV when you equip materia i believe it becomes bound to the equipment and cant be removed and i think it cant not be traded either. Its been awhile since i read anything on and even longer since ive played ffvii. and for all the ff7 haters out there, if you actually played the game at release you'd know how awesome it was.

You can trade materia with people, and they are removable, but I believe they're destroyed when you take them off of a piece of equipment.

[SuzakuCMX]

In VII: You found materia and had a certain number of materia slots. Materia were usually sorted by color (Yellow = Physical skill and etc.). Materia leveled up and it gave increased stats/ability effects depending on the level. When it reached max level (5?), the materia would clone itself as a Level 1 Materia. You could also mix Materia, I think.

In XIV: Materia is found by gatherers, and then attached to gear by crafters. You can also turn old equipment that has reached its maximum "Attachment Points" or "Affection Points" into materia. Putting materia on your equipment increases certain stats depending on what the materia is. You can remove materia from equipment to equip a different materia.

I think that's what we know so far...I'm probably wrong.

[Speeral]

Gatherers won't be finding the materia, just we'll be finding the catalyst material that will allow for the binding process to take place. Hopefully its a good market bc gathering is where all my income is :P

[notebene]

Ok, that all sounds fun, and complex, and hopefully when it shows up there will be some good patch notes that explains how to get started!

Thanks everyone

[syntaxlies]

I don't think anyone's hating on VII? Anyway without VII the entire FF series wouldn't have grown as popular as it is today.

trust me, plenty of people hate on ff7.