Job/Merit points? (Idea)

[Orrias]

If the Merit System from FFXI were to be implemented in FFXIV, so as to halt mere player levels (i.e. straight up increase to a plethora of stats each level) and instead offer a means for players to select stats of their own choice to increase, then that may solve the sneaking problem of power-creep. However, people will eventually figure out what is mathematical/ theoretically 'optimal' and it'll be a case of everyone following suit in sheep-like fashion, irrespective of how minimal the difference would actually make to them, if even at all, in reality it actually did, making the artifice of the choices redundant, and overall superficial.

The problems with 'perceived choice' systems in FFXIV, such as the Merit System are:-
(1) Inter-Job balance vs. superficiality/ trivialisation of differences (i.e. situational or general standard builds, and how well balanced they are overall)
(2) Inter-Role balance (i.e. the 'take the class, not the player' dilemma).
(3) cross-role balance (e.g. Role encroachment).
(4) Overall balance, which would also encompass encounter balance, too.
(5) Would the grind (which presumably there'd be), be meaningful and perceived as on par with the typical raising of the level cap?