Dropped Items and Materia

[Pyretta_Blaze]

Here's an idea that doesn't involve adding in new features: go back to the old NM method of having the enemy drop materials to craft a meldable item. Silver Tricorne is still among the best head pieces in game. . .

Seriously, though, there's your DoW, DoM, DoH, and possibly DoL involvement, all in one fell swoop.

I don't like that system since it is then possible for someone who did not earn a piece of equipment to obtain it. There should be some items unobtainable unless you complete the content required. That content don't always have to be killing a primal, completing dungeons, or hunting coffers but that is what is in the game now.

[Viridiana]

I don't like that system since it is then possible for someone who did not earn a piece of equipment to obtain it. There should be some items unobtainable unless you complete the content required. That content don't always have to be killing a primal, completing dungeons, or hunting coffers but that is what is in the game now.

Depends. They could, for example, make the very best pieces (and/or the materials for them) be U/U. I know I wouldn't be adverse to the idea of the very best gear only going to those who've maxed multiple aspects of their character. The hierarchy, then, would look kinda like this:

Extremely rare drop-craft (U/U)
Somewhat "common" drop-craft (still Unique)
Common mat crafting

The only way to get the best gear, then, would be to earn it; but you could still buy the second- or third-best, same as now.

Of course, that's just the simplest option for ensuring that the content gets done. I can think of several others, but I'm trying to stick to my idea of not adding in any new features to accommodate it.

[YuriSan]

Extremely rare drop-craft (U/U)
Somewhat "common" drop-craft (still Unique)
Common mat crafting

The only way to get the best gear, then, would be to earn it; but you could still buy the second- or third-best, same as now.

That sounds great actually.

Right now u pretty much fight and kill your time for a mediocre set of gear (Mercenary's lolset)
If you are going to spit blood and shed swet you might aswell do it for something thats worth it.

[Lerend]

I think a nice way to balance it would be to let U/U have a single meld that cannot fail and explode the item, and let non-U/U continue with the current method.

Want a really good weapon and the ability to slightly tweak your stats? Meld once to a U/U.

Want to hardcore min/max your character at the risk of exploding gear? Multimeld onto a non-U/U weapon to end up with slightly better stats (again, at the risk of blowing it up).

The hardcore crowd will still want the U/U stuff because it's better than previous stuff, and it gives them an alternate piece of gear to use while they blow up three pairs of melded pants until they get enough successes to make them better.

The middle crowd will continue to have options between getting the U/U gear and melding once or twice on the crafted stuff.

The casual crowd can stick with mostly the easier to get U/U stuff and the crafted stuff with a single meld and still perform reasonably well compared to the medium and hardcore folks.

All three keeping both the materia/melding systems relevant as well as the U/U dropped items relevant.

[Zeref]

This is like saying Level 10 gear is useless because eventually you'll get level 12 gear, they're even, its Regular>Unique/Untradeable>Materia'd We've had NM drop gear for a while, but its never phased out equivalent gear prior to material, I worse my Conquistador Elmo at level 30, then replaced it with Iron Salet at 35, etc.... you're just looking at gear that's conditional outside of the condition it depends on.

[Brannigan]

Great, except it requires every player who actually wants to play the game and get items to level 3-4 crafts to max. You don't even have to max out more than one combat class anymore with the new ability changes. The worst is like 42 archer for chameleon. Trying to avoid not adding new features is great and all but not when you make the situation even worse than it is.

As for melding Blue, I disagree completely/ it will definitely get re-balanced if they go with it so that the stats are lower. If anyone thinks they'll just keep Blue W gear stats the way they are and allow us to meld them, they're being naive.

Yeah they'd have to nerf the HELL out of templar's falchion. Plus, who cares if they'd "need" to nerf a few weapons somewhat when it would be way better for the game in the long run?

[Viridiana]

Great, except it requires every player who actually wants to play the game and get items to level 3-4 crafts to max. You don't even have to max out more than one combat class anymore with the new ability changes. The worst is like 42 archer for chameleon. Trying to avoid not adding new features is great and all but not when you make the situation even worse than it is.

Yay for exaggeration! How many crafting classes do you really think an ARC would have to max out? I'm betting no more than two--CRP and maybe LTW. For PGL, I'd say the same: BSM or GSM and LTW. GLA, MRD, and LNC would all be ARM and BSM, CRP for LNC. THM would be GSM and WVR; CON would be CRP and WVR.

Notice how I just gave each class a full set of gear with only two crafting classes. And really, that's overkill, because I only recommend using this system for one or two pieces of gear per class, anyway. Also, this is only for the BiS gear. There'd be other options for those like myself who don't have any crafting 50s.

[Brannigan]

Yay for exaggeration! How many crafting classes do you really think an ARC would have to max out? I'm betting no more than two--CRP and maybe LTW. For PGL, I'd say the same: BSM or GSM and LTW. GLA, MRD, and LNC would all be ARM and BSM, CRP for LNC. THM would be GSM and WVR; CON would be CRP and WVR.

Notice how I just gave each class a full set of gear with only two crafting classes. And really, that's overkill, because I only recommend using this system for one or two pieces of gear per class, anyway. Also, this is only for the BiS gear. There'd be other options for those like myself who don't have any crafting 50s.

I was under the impression that you were going for a full set of gear, which for Gla would be ARM (armor), BSM GSM or CRP (weapon), GSM (jewelry) and WVR (pants). Casters would probably need the least. Anyway, it's not a horrible idea to have a few good pieces that you can only get by having a crafter leveled but it shouldn't be the norm and it's not a solution for most of the problems with the materia system.

Materia for it's difficulty in obtaining higher tiers should remain superior to dropped loot. The dropped loot has no chance of being destroyed and is at the get-go fairly powerfull allowing you the means to attain materia easier.

Slot machines aren't difficult, they're just random. Difficulty implies there's things you can do or skills you can acquire to make it easier. Having dropped loot as just a means to grind out materia faster is pretty much the worst idea I've ever heard (plus, wearing that dropped loot means you get one less piece of materia for your spiritbond time). This thread isn't even about making dropped loot superior to materia-equipped gear, it's about allowing dropped gear to actually use materia.

[Viridiana]

I was under the impression that you were going for a full set of gear, which for Gla would be ARM (armor), BSM GSM or CRP (weapon), GSM (jewelry) and WVR (pants). Casters would probably need the least. Anyway, it's not a horrible idea to have a few good pieces that you can only get by having a crafter leveled but it shouldn't be the norm and it's not a solution for most of the problems with the materia system.

Hmm. . . somehow I missed the fact that ARM doesn't make any pants. Anyway, I doubt we'll ever see a dagger or paddle as a BiS item, so the weapon kinda defaults to BSM. And I also doubt they'd use this system for jewelry, since we all know how much they love GSM. . .

Anyway, the corollary to this is the idea that all gear under this system would be meldable. Granted, this wouldn't solve everything, but it would put a nice dent in the dropped-vs-crafted dichotomy.

[Brannigan]

Gla gear is all messed up anyway. GSM repairs Ifrit's Blade (cause it's a horn I guess) and Vintage Kite Shield is wooden I guess 'cause that's CRP.

Aaaaaaaanyway all gear needs to be meldable. They need a system for melding through the bazaar for 2.0 anyway so get on it yoshidaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa god damn