HQ and NQ stat gap needs to close (Both should allow max stats with materia):

[Irisviel-]

By having more guaranteed melding slots though (or enough "enough % bonus to make HQ worthwhile"), the price of materia will crash horribly. No longer do you need 30 materia for that last meld, you only need 1.

I'm not sure if that's a bad thing. It brings it more in line with say, a gem or enchant system from other successful MMORPGs. In those games, there is still a massive, constant demand for those items, despite only ever requiring a few (or less) per item.