More Horizontal Progression please

[Xatsh]

Never understood the want for 1 gear set for everything mentality.

It just leads to not having enough stuff to do at endgame.

[Iromi]

Never understood the want for 1 gear set for everything mentality.

It just leads to not having enough stuff to do at endgame.

Agreed. Add that to the fact of how quickly it goes obsolete and there goes motivation to acquire said gear lol.

[Preypacer]

Since you can't swap gear in combat, it wouldn't be that much of an issue. Gear was shared between jobs more like the <50 gear, so the 1-3 pieces per slot you have for your whm would mostly be wearable and useful to all caster classes.

Yeah, I think implementing a more horizontal gear system would reduce gear bloat, not increase it. With gear remaining viable for a longer period of time, there's less of a rush to replace it. The way it is now, with new gear sets being introduced (with an accompanying new tomestone to farm) as often as they are leads to bloating far more than a more horizontal system would.

I remember having pieces of gear in XIV that lasted me for 20+ levels, and were still useful, because the % increase they gave was always beneficial - not to mention, being useful across multiple jobs. I kept fewer sets of gear, overall in XI.

Actually, on a previous episode of Limit Break Radio, they were talking about how XI had gear that people would drool for, and would set a goal to acquire... and then that piece would be used for a good while once they'd acquired it. It made the time and effort to acquire it worthwhile, because you knew it wasn't going to be replaced by something better in a few weeks or whatever.

Gear is so fleeting, and so quickly replaced in XIV that getting something new is kinda "meh". I think that was a great point they made on LBR, and it's something I could relate to perfectly, because I noticed the same difference between the games.

The rate at which gear is replaced in this game is kinda ridiculous, in my opinion. You barely have time to enjoy the fruits of your efforts before, oh look... there's a new set to go after, and suddenly that gear you just spent all that time going after is old news.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I remember in EQ2 the "Fatal Lifetap" Jewelry dropped. (gives a lifetap proc) and has multiple stats. So its literally good for Mages/Scouts/Tanks and it was good for pretty much everyone. Although it benefited tanks a little more then the others it was still nice. However, there were also procs that warded mages when they casted spells or casted another small nuke.

Horizontal Gear can make it where you need less gear.

Say they revamped Jewelry and made Jewelry like this.

Soul Sucking Necklace
30 Vitality, Strength, Intelligence

Fatal Lifetap:
10% Chance on any hit to deal 584 unaspected damage and heal's caster for 584.
This is good for all melee, all tanks, all mages. Sure, it might be better for tanks overall. However it can still help mages and melee too!


Life Siphoning Earring of Energy
30 Vitality, Wisdom, Intelligence

Engorged
Slowly converts 500 Life into 300 Mana every 4 seconds.
This is good for all mages and casters. Some other classes may benefit more. However all classes can use it!


Bracelet of Stone
30 Vitality, Wisdom, Strength

Stoneskin
Reduces damage taken by 5%. Slows movement speed by 15%.
This is good for all mages and casters and tanks. Some other classes may benefit more. However all classes can use it!

There is no "BEST ITEM" if made well. All items are different and some have weaknesses attached to them. They just change your "Playstyle!"

[StouterTaru]

I kept fewer sets of gear, overall in XI.

I had about 50 pieces of gear for BLM in FFXI, between damage, max MP, lower HP for latent ring effect, rested MP, INT, elemental obis, and all the elemental staves. I would hit 3 different macros for most spells. BRD was only like 35 pieces, with a few pieces of carryover.

Without gear swaps in combat it wouldn't be an issue. FFXI also made it harder to have multiple jobs at max level, the exp grind was horrible.

[Nektulos-Tuor]

I had about 50 pieces of gear for BLM in FFXI, between damage, max MP, lower HP for latent ring effect, rested MP, INT, elemental obis, and all the elemental staves. I would hit 3 different macros for most spells. BRD was only like 35 pieces, with a few pieces of carryover.

Without gear swaps in combat it wouldn't be an issue. FFXI also made it harder to have multiple jobs at max level, the exp grind was horrible.

Honestly, that sounds silly and horrible. I don't see how you or anyone played Final MacroFantasyXI.

[StouterTaru]

Honestly, that sounds silly and horrible. I don't see how you or anyone played Final MacroFantasyXI.

There also was no armory chest, so those 50 pieces of gear were taking up most of the max 80 item inventory.

[Xairos]

I really think this is a "grass is greener" post.

Horizontal Progression sounds great in light of all the vertical progression we currently have, but yeah.. Low drop rates and one piece of gear for a group of 8 ppl per week is kinda absurd. the Forums would gripe about the "wall" that is RNG and .0001% drops in a heartbeat.

[Amberyl]

Why is vertical progression so important? I really don't understand the argument, maybe someone can enlighten me.

It's an addiction inducing method, that ensures subscription funds through habit-forming daily content grind. Korean MMOs perfected it years ago, and SE are copy-pasting the structure, which is known to work. They only have so much development time, and horizontal progression doesn't ensure engagement in the same way.

[Felis]

More gear between ilevel 190 and 210 come with 3.1