Quote Originally Posted by Shougun View Post
I've always felt there could be something from a cosmetic merit system, can even give it a cute sphere/crystal/XII grid - where you unlock these visual customization that allow you to look different than someone else without giving an edge that makes it painful to arrive late to the game.

Just encase someone is unfamiliar with what merit systems are. A merit system takes EXP you no longer earn at cap and adds them to a pool that you can spend on specific things like +5 strength, +10 seconds to burn, and so forth. Here I'm suggesting a cosmetic merit system where you take your exp and purchase unique things that don't affect gameplay but do affect how you present yourself (like changing an ability look or giving you very special equipment). Doesn't have to be limited to your character though, there could be a tab for general for emotes, mounts, etc. As for sphere grid, crystarium, and the license board (FFXII) they're just different ways to represent level progression - and since this is just for cosmetics the devs could have fun on presentation if they wanted.
  • Did you want that smokey dark knight effect for tank stance? Well you can now.
  • That female/male weapon stance, you want it? Go for it.
  • Were you a huge fan of Golbez, that black mage with plate armor? We made a special exception on no heavy metal, just for you .
  • Holy breastplate? Yes, whm you can have.
  • Not enough praising the sun Paladin? Have some sunlight lance instead of shield lob (bolts of holy light being tossed at the enemy).
Etc

Could be other things as well like permanently unlocking a dye color, that'd keep some people going for literal days+ worth of time just so they could unlock all the colors lol.

The description of FFXIV gameplay made me a bit sad though, as an aside
No disrespect because some of those things you listed sound cool. But one of my issues with this game is everything is cosmetic for the most part.
  1. Got a cool armor from a raid or dungeon? Well in a patch or two the stats will suck and it is cosmetic from then on.
  2. Got a cool egi glamour? Well hope you like it because you are probably never getting new egis. Cosmetic
  3. Capped all your tombstone gear? Well enjoy it because in a patch or two your gear stats will be obsolete and it will be cosmetic.
  4. Finished progression on one character and bored? Well go do something else or wait till the next patch so you can start a new cosmetic cycle.
  5. Tired of your character's Dragoon looking and playing like 100 other Dragoons? Well it might seem that way because your character is, glamour it. Cosmetic.
Progress, erased, repeat, progress, erased, repeat, progress, erase, repeat, forever and ever and ever.

Sure the point of having a moving goal post is to keep you playing longer. People call it a hamster on a wheel. I don't mind being a hamster on a wheel, all games are meant to waste time.
But I don't like the wheel sending me back in time 3 months before and telling me to do it over. And making my hamster look like a pig or fairy is not gonna change that.
As long as that wheel moves forward at all times, I will spin that wheel happily chasing that piece of cheese 10 miles ahead of me.

Balance and the need for parity has served the game well for the most part in previous years. But this game is no longer a new game, been out since 2010-2011.
It is time for an elder perpetual progression experience system to come to fruition. And funny enough, this game already has systems in place to facilitate that with the numerous logs.
The rewards just need to change from only just being unlocks on achievements and cosmetics, to actually adding character progression via stats and skills.