Job/Merit points? (Idea)

[Welsper59]

Only if it were implemented in a way that actually promotes choice and diversity with enhancements rather than just a set, clear path.

However, SE doesn't seem to like integrating any real choice into FFXIV and would rather have more homogenized jobs. I think with the current game design, we would just end up with everyone allocating merit points identically for every job, the same way we do with stats (for the most part).

Choice doesn't exactly exist when it comes to making your character stronger for your own goals. A clear and essentially set path is always going to exist when it comes to the numbers game. The only actual choice that does exist, however, is which set path you want to take. Math destroys the idea of "choice" when it comes to MMORPGs and picking what would be considered the "best" option. Would you rather put points into things that help you solo? PvP? Raid? Those are your choices. From my own experience with these things, the only one that tends to have the most freedom is the solo, and occasionally PvP, approach.

Plus, unless it were purely aesthetic benefits, bonuses to a character must have some sort of appeal to even bother with. The options

- It's having nothing of noteworthy value, e.g. Slightly increases resistance to petrification (the path that has the most freedom of equal choice without imbalance)
- Having some useless options and some decent/good options to choose from (obvious path is obvious)
- Having all decent/good options that would likely end up making the job OP, e.g. reduce GCD/CD, haste effects, stat boosts, etc (parsers will determine which is most worthwhile, so again a set path)

So unless you'd rather they included something generally pointless, you're going to follow some cookie cutter to perform optimally. It's inevitable in every game that involves output performance with customization options.

Having said all that though, I am for the idea of merits. While the choice thing that you're talking about and wanting is not a realistic possibility, the idea that we're not wasting our time doing things along the way (like killing mobs in a dungeon of any level), at least becomes rewarding in its own way.

[Delily]

Only if it were implemented in a way that actually promotes choice and diversity with enhancements rather than just a set, clear path.

However, SE doesn't seem to like integrating any real choice into FFXIV and would rather have more homogenized jobs. I think with the current game design, we would just end up with everyone allocating merit points identically for every job, the same way we do with stats (for the most part).

Which is what happens in FFXI. Anyone doing Alluvion skirmishes will have the same gear and job point setup as described on FFXIAH. People always go towards the optimal build.

[Roth_Trailfinder]

When I want to play a game with a point system such as this, I load up Everquest. The class in that game with the fewest points (they are called Alternate Advancement points there) has over 11,000 such points to earn to buy everything, thanks to the age of the system and the game. The class with the most has over 16,000 AA points.

Eventually such points become a supplement to leveling, and while leveling from 1 to 105 in EQ (or from 1 to 60 here) is one thing, getting 11k+ AA's on top of that is a much more daunting task. Adding such points to this game will result in getting to a similar place should the game last long enough.

[Hayward]

I liked the merit point idea in FF11, if implemented right it could encourage a little diversity and give people a reason to do content on their level 60 jobs, which would help out others who are leveling.

I doubt it will happen though, ideas from FF11 seem to be like Kryptonite to many FF14 players.

Blame the professional endgamers and their Microsoft Excel fetish for that. They cannot be trusted with the concept of merit/Job point systems

[Zumi]

Merits were added because at the time the dev team didn't want to raise the level cap past 75 but they wanted people to grind more exp to get some more stats and abilities. FFXIV isn't at the point where they are going to stop raising the level cap. Job points were added for the same reason once the level cap was at 99 they wanted yet another system to add stuff to your character by grinding more exp.

[Devils_Lawyer]

I don't think this community can handle choices.

On one hand you will have the people who only cares about being better and they will seek out the most efficient way and stick to it.

On the other hand you got the people that doesn't always care about achieving max performance and rather play around a little to see what funky things one might come up with.

But....

Seeing as we already have cases of people being abused simply for being new or not doing the optimal rotation then i would dread what would happen if a system like this is implemented.

As much as i would love something like this, this game was not meant to have it and most likely never will.

[Tracewood]

Math destroys the idea of "choice" when it comes to MMORPGs and picking what would be considered the "best" option.

Well I suppose I was naive enough to forget about that detail. Then also remembered how FFXI endgame became that "Must have XXX job with this setup". It's a shame though, I think even for a while people only bought BRDs, BLM, and PLDs to ARR endgame for before SE fixed that now that I had all day to think about this.

Still though, could there be something we could do with our mains? Maybe instead of merit points some kind of spendable token we could spend on something like glamour items, furnishings, minions, mounts, etc. Something to work for at least.

[Fevelle]

I'd like something like a Mastery System to go with the Mentor System. Just like you "master" jobs in other FFs, you could master the ones here, exactly like Mastery works on MOBA games.

[Kabooa]

I'd like something like a Mastery System to go with the Mentor System. Just like you "master" jobs in other FFs, you could master the ones here, exactly like Mastery works on MOBA games.

..Get a shiney medal for every time you do a dungeon with a job?

Do people just not like playing a game for the sake of playing a game anymore?

[Reynhart]

Then we get into the whole PF of "Must have maxed merit points!"

Do you see "Must have BiS to join" in every PF ? It's basically the same.

For Merits points, I'd like a Paragon system like Diablo 3. In the end, you could max everything, but the order at which you do it would all be yours.