More interesting loot please! Here are some ideas!

[Zaft]

Then you see everyone wearing exactly the same thing.

Are you implying that isn't the case right now? Every class has one set of BiS and everyone (who can obtain it) is wearing it. There is zero customization right now.

[kyuven]

Her point is moot anyway since FFXIV doesn't include in-battle gear swapping.

Not exactly. You may not be able to swap in combat, but if you have items with certain effects you will be expected to have these items for the specific situations, and have them equipped during those situations.
For example, the aforementioned proc'ing fire bracelet would be REQUIRED for dungeon runs where defensive stats are less important than DPS, meanwhile anything that futzes with defenses will be REQUIRED for the bosses.
And once again I must bring up the point that FFXI never really addressed with sincerity and that this game is, by the dev's own admission, suffering from: Item storage space.
Starting next expansion, there will be 23 classes in this game. There are currently 25 slots in the armoury. Having "more options" for gear sounds "great" on paper, but we simply do not have the space for all those gear sets. Even if SE does expand the inventory, we will NOT have the room for as many sets as adding "fun n crazy" items would require.
As mentioned in my EQ1 example, this created a LOT of problems.

Materia should be just stats, some crafted gear already has an advantage a bit.

However, there can be other ways to do it!

They can be items you equip on your character to give them unique procs and such.

This would be a more practical solution, so long as these items are balanced. Things like "Decreases MP consumption of Foe Requiem" or "Decrease recast time of Benediction" or "Increase Mana Regen of Shroud of the Saints by X%"
Stuff like that.

Are you implying that isn't the case right now? Every class has one set of BiS and everyone (who can obtain it) is wearing it. There is zero customization right now.

Not every class has a "fixed" BiS. There is some wiggle room to better fit personal playstyles, and the fact that there are plenty of options to attain those builds. It's not as robust as a lot of other games, but it doesn't NEED to be. This isn't Champions Online or Rift, after all. For some class certain stats just aren't worthwhile, rather than lacking options.

[Zaft]

Not every class has a "fixed" BiS. There is some wiggle room to better fit personal playstyles, and the fact that there are plenty of options to attain those builds. It's not as robust as a lot of other games, but it doesn't NEED to be. This isn't Champions Online or Rift, after all. For some class certain stats just aren't worthwhile, rather than lacking options.

Not really. Some slightly differ from fight to fight (for example, I wouldn't wear all STR jewelry as a WAR to T13 like I do T10-12), but there are specific, BiS sets that obtain the highest numbers.

You can choose to wear something else, but your performance will not be as high as the person who wears his BiS. Personal playstyle has nothing to do with BiS and min/maxing.

[Alberel]

What we need are some small set bonus effects or special materia effects that alter the way skills behave in minor ways. Nothing particularly powerful but just something that makes things feel ever so slightly different. They've expressed a desire to introduce such things at some point so for all we know they may be in Heavensward. The mods on the forums have acknowledged the request several times in the past so they definitely know we want it.

[Martin_Arcainess]

This game is seriously lacking in fun effects on equipment. Yes please to the OP. Devs need to tworry less about being so anal about balancing and worry more about having a fun game.

Yeah but if the game was unbalanced then it wouldn't be fun then would it? Also gear effects I have no objections but your ideas seem too OP.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

Yeah but if the game was unbalanced then it wouldn't be fun then would it? Also gear effects I have no objections but your ideas seem too OP.

Well, that is why I like options. I don't mind if it unbalances some things but I want the items to be around the same power level. However still retain their advantage in a situation.

[Teuciont]

Yeah but if the game was unbalanced then it wouldn't be fun then would it? Also gear effects I have no objections but your ideas seem too OP.

Well, if balance truly is an issue, there's always the concept of giving something up as is the case in a few of OP's suggestions such as "You can cast healing spells whilst moving, however the potency for all healing spells is reduced by 50." As is there's little to no customization in the game. You get your job to 50 and gear it up with whatever you can get your hands on. The differences in one i130 set when weighted against another are minimally noticeable, not to say that they don't exist at all, but rarely, if ever, change how you play the job compared to the next person who plays that same job. Yoshi and Co. have had all of 2.0 to set a solid foundation of balance for the original jobs, I think it's time they experimented before they run into the problem of having another entire expansion of cookie cutter playstyles amongst the jobs.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I don't want to add imbalanced loot, that is why some are usable by other classes and some have things everyone can use. (Sacrificing a bit of a main stat for an effect you want.)

I just want similar effects to be different, however fun and stuff people will use to change their builds around to be unique and different.

[Cutie_McSnuggles]

I'm really glad they've kept this kind of stat off gear. I don't want to get into a situation where you are required to have X item for Y content. I like the current gear progression system.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I'm really glad they've kept this kind of stat off gear. I don't want to get into a situation where you are required to have X item for Y content. I like the current gear progression system.

Boring, Bland? =O You won't ever have that situation, because to even get the gear you have to do the zone. So you pretty much killed your point. Lol.

I won't disagree but, a lot of the loot is basicly all the same. A lot of players are all the same.