Are the numbers too high?

[Dragon]

Well it wasn't entirely different in FFXI, like remember those ACC+3 gloves? Or the ATK+4 rings/earrings? Actually, the stats while relative are generally better even per comparison with XI since we have materia.

Perhaps the reason gear doesn't matter may be that character stats are too high, which I've often wondered why myself (I think XI had the superior stat system).

[Rydin]

Well it wasn't entirely different in FFXI, like remember those ACC+3 gloves? Or the ATK+4 rings/earrings? Actually, the stats while relative are generally better even per comparison with XI since we have materia.

Perhaps the reason gear doesn't matter may be that character stats are too high, which I've often wondered why myself (I think XI had the superior stat system).

Thats what I'm saying....
If your attack is 40... then +4 is a 10 percent increase
If your attack is 588... the +4 attack is laughable

Lets do a comparison... with my same Lancer
Damage Output
Fully geared 151
Nude, wearing only Ifrit Harpoon 151

Attack
Fully geared 588
Nude wearing only Ifrit Harpoon 532

Strength
Fully Geared 296
Nude wearing only Ifrit Harpoon 256

Piety
Fully geared 276
Nude wearing only Ifrit Harpoon 235

Magic Defense (Everything Ifrit does is Magic Damage, accept the swipes that only hit the tank)
Fully Geared 356 fire resistence
Wearing only the Ifrit Harpoon 356 Fire resistence

And THAT is why people can beat Ifrit Naked

The ONLY THING I get from Gear is defense....
which, even for the tank, does very little against Ifrit anyway

And as far as the damage stats... Damage Output is by far the most important....
Stats matter... they're just so high that its difficult to bring about a noticeable change