Legitimate reasons why many of you do NOT like Gear Swapping

[Delsus]

Legitimate reasons why we should not have gear swapping go:

Blinking every 5 seconds, you may say there is no need to blink, other MMOs don't but on this game we do so it IS a problem for now at least, in the current state of the game healers will hate it, I don't heal on this game (until they release a SCH type job) but I did on FFXI and I liked to keep my target on the tank because they needed most healing, then I go to hit a cure just before they blink and heal myself.

Takes skill out of the game, when I was DDin in FFXI, I didn't have to try to do good damage, because I had decent gear, haste set for TP, get TP in a few seconds, hit my WS gearset macro and WS for nice damage, swap back. For nukers you could (if you wanted) stack alot of -enm and spam nukes without pulling hate, then hit your resting set to get MP fast and commence.

Everyone looks exactly the same, The game will end up like "you NEED x, y, z gear for TP and a, b, c gear for DD, you need this gear for nuking and that gear for healing. How many 51+ (think that was the lvl) BLMs did not have elemental staves? how many SAMs did not have a haub (or if they have gil +1 for both of these scenarios)

Without gear swaps you get people in different gear if they want the more situational things, perhaps they want hard hitting AA/WS over mass haste and low damage, so they stack stats that matter to that (I know we don't have haste gear now and we prolly will not get it, but its an example from FFXI) perhaps mages want all nukes to do high damage rather than thunder doing insane damage and all others gimp.

Ligitimate reasons for wanting gear swapping OMG LOOK AT MA UBER DAMAGE, Heres the parse of me being super awesomez!!!!! no other reasons.

[Fiosha_Maureiba]

Gear swapping.

How much is built into the game already? If it was intended to play a larger role in the game, SE should have just incorporated it into core of the system. We would have a monk beginning his combo with his fists, chain into a Dragon Uppercut, whoop out his staff and conjure a full thunder combo with the impact of lightning propelling him further in the air, when at last his Thundaja was on cooldown, he would twirl in the sky with the storm on his back, channeling heaven's wrath into his mighty polearm before plummeting downward toward his foes in a single swift destructive motion, ending with a seismic shock that knocks the subligar off every spectator.


Strategic vs. Tactical: In my opinion, the class, our cross class abilities, the equipment we wear, the food we eat, the potions we bring to battle before the battle starts is on the strategic level. It's what we take into the battle. Our positioning, what abilities we use and when, how we react to the enemy, and in accordance to our team mates, those are the tactics. Switching classes, abilities, and equipment in the middle of combat would bring the strategic level into the tactical level.


Gear Swapping: But if folks are rooting for gear swapping, why stop halfway? Why think small with *just* gear swapping of armor. Why not gear swapping of weapons ~ thus potentially classes and their respective abilities with traits. Need some accuracy before your next combo, swap out into the +accuracy weapon. Need the power? Grab your +damage weapon. Need to resist an incoming fire spell? +fire resist weapon! Zero out the equipment transition time, no ability cooldown reset for switching classes. Start as a White Mage, Blissful Mind, Sacred Prism, Holy, grab MP on the Blissful Mind, Holy again, switch to Thaumaturge for an improved Sanguine Rite, Blizzara, then to Gladiator for AoE Rampart, Sentinel, AoE Flash, then to Warrior to keep tanking while the other abilities are on cooldown? The whole macro shouldn't take more than 9 seconds to execute. And players that don't have the macros written or gear available for optimal gear swapping, well... they can have fun sitting in Ul'dah, eating steak tartar and watching people spam drama in the global chat.


Toward stopping gear swapping: Once a party member obtains enmity of any enemy, they are locked into their equipment until combat is resolved. And even a step further, once you enter an instance, you're locked into that class/job combo until you exit the instance.


Conclusion: If you support gear swapping, you can't be against the idea of gear swapping of weapons and abilities. And if you think that's ridiculous... well, welcome to the otherside of the argument.

[ThePatriarch]

Gear swapping.

How much is built into the game already? If it was intended to play a larger role in the game, SE should have just incorporated it into core of the system. We would have a monk beginning his combo with his fists, chain into a Dragon Uppercut, whoop out his staff and conjure a full thunder combo with the impact of lightning propelling him further in the air, when at last his Thundaja was on cooldown, he would twirl in the sky with the storm on his back, channeling heaven's wrath into his mighty polearm before plummeting downward toward his foes in a single swift destructive motion, ending with a seismic shock that knocks the subligar off every spectator.


Strategic vs. Tactical: In my opinion, the class, our cross class abilities, the equipment we wear, the food we eat, the potions we bring to battle before the battle starts is on the strategic level. It's what we take into the battle. Our positioning, what abilities we use and when, how we react to the enemy, and in accordance to our team mates, those are the tactics. Switching classes, abilities, and equipment in the middle of combat would bring the strategic level into the tactical level.


Gear Swapping: But if folks are rooting for gear swapping, why stop halfway? Why think small with *just* gear swapping of armor. Why not gear swapping of weapons ~ thus potentially classes and their respective abilities with traits. Need some accuracy before your next combo, swap out into the +accuracy weapon. Need the power? Grab your +damage weapon. Need to resist an incoming fire spell? +fire resist weapon! Zero out the equipment transition time, no ability cooldown reset for switching classes. Start as a White Mage, Blissful Mind, Sacred Prism, Holy, grab MP on the Blissful Mind, Holy again, switch to Thaumaturge for an improved Sanguine Rite, Blizzara, then to Gladiator for AoE Rampart, Sentinel, AoE Flash, then to Warrior to keep tanking while the other abilities are on cooldown? The whole macro shouldn't take more than 9 seconds to execute. And players that don't have the macros written or gear available for optimal gear swapping, well... they can have fun sitting in Ul'dah, eating steak tartar and watching people spam drama in the global chat.


Toward fixing: Once a party member obtains enmity of any enemy, they are locked into their equipment until combat is resolved. And even a step further, once you enter an instance, you're locked into that class/job combo until you exit the instance.



Short: If you support gear swapping, you can't be against the idea of gear swapping of weapons and abilities. And if you think that's ridiculous... well, welcome to the otherside of the argument.

Regardless of my stance on this issue... This is a great post. Kudos to the thinking you put into this.

[HoolieWho]

Gear swapping.

Strategic vs. Tactical: In my opinion, the class, our cross class abilities, the equipment we wear, the food we eat, the potions we bring to battle before the battle starts is on the strategic level. It's what we take into the battle. Our positioning, what abilities we use and when, how we react to the enemy, and in accordance to our team mates, those are the tactics. Switching classes, abilities, and equipment in the middle of combat would bring the strategic level into the tactical level.

This is how I feel. The limitation of one set of gear for an encounter makes for interesting choices. Combat is no less dynamic because you can't swap gear in the middle of a battle.

I had similar feelings about the old Armory system before the class overhaul. Allowing every class the ability to "swap to Gladiator" for Sentinel before Hellfire takes away from the challenge of the Ifrit fight. Working as a party to overcome the limitations of individual classes is much more satisfying.

Toward stopping gear swapping: Once a party member obtains enmity of any enemy, they are locked into their equipment until combat is resolved. And even a step further, once you enter an instance, you're locked into that class/job combo until you exit the instance.

I am also in favor of no class/job swapping inside of an instance. Make your choice outside, then play to your strengths in each encounter inside. I think it's great to see WHMs nuking down Whiskerwall at the start of Moogle fight.

How much is built into the game already? If it was intended to play a larger role in the game, SE should have just incorporated it into core of the system. We would have a monk beginning his combo with his fists, chain into a Dragon Uppercut, whoop out his staff and conjure a full thunder combo with the impact of lightning propelling him further in the air, when at last his Thundaja was on cooldown, he would twirl in the sky with the storm on his back, channeling heaven's wrath into his mighty polearm before plummeting downward toward his foes in a single swift destructive motion, ending with a seismic shock that knocks the subligar off every spectator.

Awesome! My opinion is changed.

The fact that you can't select a set of gear that will handle a battle with different variables is exactly the beauty of choosing your gear wisely prior to the battle. You need think hard and find what set of gear will suit your playstyle and the encounter the best. Perhaps the fight has a lot of fire damage, but you are confident with your own skill that you can dodge them all, then why not stack up on allowing higher damage output? This way the boss goes down faster and you will ultimately ease some of the burden of the group. If you don't think you can dodge all the extra fire damage, then wear fire resist heavy gear, even though this may reduce your damage output, but being dead means 0 dps, so you go for survivability. Choosing your gear prior to the battle isn't a cop-out to not wanting to carry more gear. It takes real understanding of your own playstyle and how it fits into the group's playstyle and of course how the encounter works. In this case, bringing every set of gears available to encounter every variables in the battle is the easy way out. Sure it takes a lot of effort to gather all that and write up the macros. However, you are just playing reactively, what's the fun in that?

Another great post.

[Peptaru]

For anyone who failed to grasp what people mean by stopping mid-combat to change gear, i think you don't get it. I know its an instant button push, flash-bam new gear! The character you play has no time to do that if he's being mauled by a dragon. This is what I (and others i think) mean by stopping combat to gear swap. Its not feasible that you could don a new set of armor mid-fight, let alone new gear every half-second.

[Xoo]

If being a spoiled brat means being sensible about things, then I am what I am!

[Kiroh]

If being a spoiled brat means being sensible about things, then I am what I am!

Yes, expecting people to hand things out because you're you and deserve getting everything you want for 3,000 gil is totally being sensible.

[Xoo]

Yes, expecting people to hand things out because you're you and deserve getting everything you want for 3,000 gil is totally being sensible.

Shyeah, and you sit there and tell me you're fine paying a 97% mark-up on your next Lv40 weapon. Please, stop it.

[Kiroh]

Shyeah, and you sit there and tell me you're fine paying a 97% mark-up on your next Lv40 weapon. Please, stop it.

I paid 500k for my level 48 weapon when it came out because I didn't have the craft high enough and had no intention of grinding it up at the time. If you want something, but don't want to put the effort in to make it yourself, then don't complain when you have to pay for it.

(Btw, it's worth like 50k now so I paid 10x on mark-up.)

[Xoo]

I paid 500k for my level 48 weapon when it came out because I didn't have the craft high enough and had no intention of grinding it up at the time. If you want something, but don't want to put the effort in to make it yourself, then don't complain when you have to pay for it.

(Btw, it's worth like 50k now so I paid 10x on mark-up.)

I won't complain because I'm not dumb enough to pay that much for a basic weapon.