Quote Originally Posted by CreedFallenwing View Post
i guess but i've always pictured the NM/dungeon gear as being the best (until they make better stuff, raise level cap, what have you). it just seems kind of lack luster that you could spend all of this time exploring and looking for this drop gear and end up looking at someone next to you and they have the craftable equivalent and its stronger cause they have 3 or more materia.

maybe if materia gear 3 or 4 = drop gear then that might make more sense to me. in the end we don't know how strongly materia will affect the stats of a piece of gear. we could assume that each grade translates into 1 point in that stat, so grade V is +5 in that stat. but then you only need 2 +5 and you can make any craft gear stronger than its drop equivalent
and thats why theres such a risk in it
your dungeon gear will start out good, but youll have to work to earn it

your crafted gear will start out lesser, but get better IF you are willing to take the risk to make it better