Gear and Content

[azura84]

...do you really want a level 50 dungeon dropping the best gear in the game, even after the level cap goes up? Do you really want gear to never become even a smidgen more powerful than what we have at the moment?

Most of us don't play RPGs to feel like a Dragonball Z character, yes there always need to be some vertical progression in an RPG but I think most of us who play FF endgame will agree it is usually horizontal gameplay requiring less brute force of level and more strategy around gear design and character type selections. Having played FF 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 I think its safe to they all hold this pattern of endgame.

[Urthdigger]

Most of us don't play RPGs to feel like a Dragonball Z character, yes there always need to be some vertical progression in an RPG but I think most of us who play FF endgame will agree it is usually horizontal gameplay requiring less brute force of level and more strategy around gear design and character type selections. Having played FF 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 I think its safe to they all hold this pattern of endgame.

Every single FF game, with the possible exception of FF11, had you getting better gear as you levelled up. You could generally assume that that armor you got in the last town is probably going to be better than that breastplate you picked up an entire disc ago.

There is also another problem I have with the mentality that gear should never be "invalidated", and that is what happens when new content gets added. I mean, I suppose they could never add any more HNM fights or dungeons and just have Darkhold be the only endgame forever and ever, but I doubt many people would want that. However, if the old gear isn't invalidated in some way, then you run into the little issue FFXI had. In order to be at least somewhat competent at endgame, you had to do EVERY endgame event ever released. You had one or two items you needed out of Sea, you had your relic armor from Dynamis, you had niche HNM drops, ZNM drops, and then once you had your items it was bad form to just leave the LS after, so you had to stay and help everyone else get their crap. So, because the items you need are spread out across multiple events, you wind up having to fill your whole entire life with endgame.

An obvious solution to this is if endgame drops aren't so soul-crushingly rare that people expect you to devote your life to them once you get what you need, a case where you can get your drop and move on. But then people whine and complain about how easy the game is, that getting the drops isn't a challenge at all.

So, really, what can you do?