[dev1017]Potential problems with item loss from failed materia synthesis

[Frein]

You're assuming that HQ versions of gear will remain rare and extremely expensive, that's not likely. HQ is going to be guaranteed with HQ parts and the amount of materials required for synthesis will go down so the rarity of those items will go down considerably. They'll still be rare(r) than the NQ versions though. Is a NQ Crab Bow with 5 materia better than a HQ Crab Bow with 1? Probably however those who gamble and win get that HQ Crab Bow with 5 materia, a completely unrivaled bow in all aspects.

Ok, let's switch it up. Instead of Crab Bow, we'll use Champion's Lance. Champion's Lance requires a Bloody Lance Head from Great Buffalo. HQ Bloody Lance Heads will be extremely rare unless some changes are done here. The only C.Lance +3 I've seen for sale was up for 178 million gil and I think it's very possible they'll become even more difficult to obtain.

Additionally, the possibly loss of the HQ item is a necessary part of the adjusted economy, as it is the only realistic HQ item sink in the game. If HQ items were not lost, then saturation would occur once each player had bought a single HQ item of each type.

No successful MMO has item loss because while realistic, it is not fun. MMOs naturally slowly slide towards a post-scarcity economy, which while desirable (no matter what clueless Keynesians will tell you), does not exist in real life.

With the proposed system, a player will start with HQ item with 1 materia. This will likely be stronger then an NQ item with 5 (or roughly equivalent). However, the player still has a need for another HQ item, if the price is suitable. Slotting a 2nd materia into an HQ item, while owning just the 1, is too high a risk. However, if a 2nd HQ item is bought at a satisfactory price, then the risk is substantially reduced.

So I'll pay 180 million for an item that's roughly equal to or worse than one that costs 500k. Then I'll buy another one just for a chance to get it up to two materia. Until I manage to climb up to the full five I may have had to fork out 180 million a dozen times or more. That raises the effective gil measured cost of a HQ C.Lance with five materia to billions of gil assuming the materials even exist. And god forbid they introduce a new, superior materia type, which will make you want to purge your Lance and start all over again. Still having fun with this?