Hi Syntax,

I don't mind the Class-Only Equipment... it's more options for players & more variety. I do agree that if they wanted to make more "high level / difficult" *crafted* equipment, that they should've started with Job-Only Crafted stuff first. But then again, as others have said, maybe Yoshi-P wants to bring some emphasis back to Classes (after all the Job System fanfare recently)?

Besides that, I totally agree with you:

Why are they bringing back the concept of Nuggets, Weapon Parts and Armor Parts when they stripped all this out with their Crafting Reform?

They wanted a "more difficult" synthesis / high level recipes, so I guess this is their answer to increasing difficulty: By making more steps to getting a finished product.

Getting an HQ version of these new Darksteel Items seems like it'll be a bigger endeavor than what we've had recently, but maybe not as bad as the old Iron Armor set (with all its Sub Parts)...

I don't like them mixing concepts at such an early stage...

It's one thing if, say, it was for "Relic Weapons" or "Relic Armor" (something super hard, long-term goals). But these are merely difficult for us in the short-term (before the first Level Cap increase).

It seems more like a Crafter & Gatherer Time Sink to keep them busy (and Combat-focused players who want to try and HQ stuff).