Expanding Materia System

[Nurvus]

If they made materia do more than just increase raw stats, then they would need to add materia slots to all gear including raid stuff because everyone would want those advantages.

If the effects aren't overpowered, then you will look at all materia and gear stats in the same way.
A +5 Str will affect all your abilities, while a "reduced cooldown on ability X" affects 1.
It's not meant to be a no-brainer, otherwise there would be no point having Independent Materia (Stats).
As long as it's not horrible done, it will be a meaningful decision.

That being said, yes, Gear Slots across different gear would need to be looked at.

I think the reason they don't let you have that level of customisation is because it makes it much harder for them to balance it so certain combinations are not too powerful and deemed necessary to have.

That just means SE needs to step up their game, because the balance in this game is not superior to that of games with build customizability (which this game does not yet have).
A certain popular MMO has 3-4 specs per class and many ways to customize each spec to a competitive level, and manages to keep the various DPS builds within a respectable proximity of each other accounting for what they bring besides damage, as well as making sure all tank and healer builds are competitive.

That means we are comparing FFXIV's 13 "builds" (which are not more balanced) with that other game's 100+ endgame builds.

Build diversity and skill cap are the only areas I consider FFXIV is behind when comparing to MMOs out there.
Between this kind of change to Materia, giving us real choices in Traits, Skills and Cross-Class Skills, and giving us more dynamic (not premeditated) decisions in our rotation, the above issues would most certainly be dealt with.

Still, that was not the only reason I posted this suggestion.
I find it sad that FFXIV used the name "Materia", which we recognize from FFVII, and turned that awesome concept into mere Gems (stat sticks) for FFXIV:ARR...
This suggestion is also an attempt to restore Materia's glory and dignity.

The same should be done to Limit Breaks, as we should have some form of personal Limit Break, but that's for another thread.