Rank limits on gear

[Dubont]

The causation of XIV's lack of interaction has nothing to do with it's production based play. Having gear play a major role has become a design crutch and flaw of most modern RPGs. Take Ragnarok especially, with gear importance very similar to XI. In RO, only the largest guilds with the most resources are able to farm out the higher level dungeons, and only the highest level gear sells for high prices, perpetuating the concept that large guilds have to rule the game without exception because raid gear is what is important. This is also true of WoW, and consequently most other MMORPGs, and it doesn't permit real interactivity with smaller groups and the player market.

Ontop of that, let's be honest, we want to distinguish our characters, so why should most be gear be much more than aesthetics anyways? I'm not saying all gear shouldn't produce bonuses, but the simplest way to balance gear is to give different weight classes different absorption rates, trading element absorption for defense (or vise versa).

Honestly, I don't know how long you played other MMOs, but every MMO revolves around gear and every MMO has had a very large social environment. 14 does not. 14 is also the only MMO that relies this heavily on crafting and doesn't put any emphasis on ANYTHING regarding other players other than "I have this item that I found. Make it into this item for 200k." At least in 11, you could get gear off of higher level mobs that COULDN'T be bought from some price gauging low life. 14's downfall is that it has too many differences when it comes to every other MMO. The lack of limitations is one of these downfalls. A game without rules is a boring game.

[Augury]

Honestly, I don't know how long you played other MMOs, but every MMO revolves around gear and every MMO has had a very large social environment. 14 does not. 14 is also the only MMO that relies this heavily on crafting and doesn't put any emphasis on ANYTHING regarding other players other than "I have this item that I found. Make it into this item for 200k." At least in 11, you could get gear off of higher level mobs that COULDN'T be bought from some price gauging low life. 14's downfall is that it has too many differences when it comes to every other MMO. The lack of limitations is one of these downfalls. A game without rules is a boring game.

This is just the problem though! Games of the future should involve immersion, not convention. Gear systems are cute for games like FFIV where you raid dungeons and turn Cecil into a walking Abram's Tank that spouts of White Magic like it's nobody's business.

I have played a wide variety of social games, as well as RPGs and find that the only reason we cling to gear being a large portion of our play... IS BECAUSE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS DID IT. But for me, super-awesome gear that only "top-tier" players can unlock lost it's novelty before WoW ever hit the shelves. My favorite example is Conquer Online, which at one point was an amazing Kung-Fu Diablo where I ultimately became a healer who carried a massive poleaxe. But in Conquer, gear was ALL that mattered, and that really took away from it's playability as the game was developed (and then turned into a cash cow).

If most gear serves for much more than DEF/RES and aesthetic choice, then it has a tendency to limit design potential. The old gear system is just something that XIV can do without

[Akira]

i agree being able to wear gear on any job any rank is more real, and atm with stats not working we dont know how much the scaling down will effect us. yes AF relic etc gear should be restricted but crafted gear should not.

[Mugiwara]

I agree with Dubont, and you other guys sound kind of like narcissist in you arguments to be honest.

[Nephera]

http://gamersblock.net/gamefluid/wp-...-Takahashi.jpg

The armor is the way it is because so we look like adventurers rather than specific classes and adventurers have different tastes in what is appropriate equipment for their journeys.

at least thats what i think, but hey there's a thm wearing an acton.

Tldr: its so the player can wear what he wants.

[Sonic_the_Hedgehog]

http://gamersblock.net/gamefluid/wp-...-Takahashi.jpg

The armor is the way it is because so we look like adventurers rather than specific classes and adventurers have different tastes in what is appropriate equipment for their journeys.

at least thats what i think, but hey there's a thm wearing an acton.

Whenever I see Yoshida-san's art I wish this could been an MMO based on the world of Ivalice.

[Physic]

hmmm since this issue is all about having goals, and looks, more than anything. I think it would be a good idea, if when you wear an item out favor, or optimal, it has a visual change, basically some standard armor/gear look, of a low level variety that your class could equip, and if thats too non immersive for people, you could do something like making it have no color, just straight up grey or beige for the whole set. this would make it obvious when some one is wearing something unfavored/optimal as well make getting that next gear feeling like an achievement.

could go with a combination

standard low level gear that class can wear look for non favored, IE you equip gladiator chest on your thaum, it looks like a level 1 robe.

and no color grey/beige for non optimal, you equip iron haub on your level 1 gladiator, it just looks like straight grey version.

Honestly i think this is a good solution, you can switch gears, which already is not worth it stat wise, but now is also visually unappealing. And when you reach that proper rank, you unlock the real model/color schemes, If you also go with the model changing thing people will only be able to look like thier classes.

the only thing you lose, is the ability to create a specific look for your charachter, that goes outside of thier discipline specialties. essentially the people who do looks purely for fashion are kind of screwed.

[Nakiamiie]

I agree with gifthorse's opening post: I, too, don't like being stripped naked when changing job/class/whatever. Let me wear what I want, when I want. I'll equip the proper rank gear myself if I have big business to do in that job/class/whatever, don't force me to when I don't need to.

[Firon]

Need rank restrictions on armor it will help the DOH/L classes. No one is spending money really, so gear needs to be bought at all levels to help money circulate around the economy. Basically you can wear what ever you want as long as you are the proper rank So once you hit 50 u can do what you like just not at level one. I know a lot of you like to play dress up barbie but this is for the better of the game. A bad economy can be just as bad as having lame content people will not wanna play.

Also doesn't really matter if your armor comes off when you switch that's an small matter cause your gonna wanna wear the right equipment. In the end your gonna have to change armor anyhow a small matter that does not need to be over exaggerated.

[Rutelor]

And what's so great about rank limits anyway?

Aren't limitations usually bad? (By definition)

I feel like it's kind of stupid to sacrifice people's freedom just to inconvenience them even more by making them auto-unequip EVERYTHING everytime they change class.

What people really need is a wank limit. IMO.

I'm aware I'm chiming in rather late in this thread's course, and also that I haven't read all posts in it. But I think it wouldn't hurt anybody to remind ourselves that LIMITATIONS are the very essence of games. All games.

Burdens, obstacles, hurdles are the quintessence of game rules from time immemorial to the latest videogame. Isn't it a hindrance on freedom, and "kind of stupid" to "inconvenience" football (soccer) players by preventing them from using their hands to move the ball? Or "sacrifice" their "freedom" when we impose strict rules on their positioning on the field? Isn't it "bad (by definition)" to prevent them from hitting each other to grab the ball? And why should my chess horse only move in an L shaped path, whereas my bishop will only move diagonally? Boxer's can't hit below the belt, when everybody knows those blows would be, perhaps, the most effective.

Player freedom is a marketing gimmick, not a premise of any weight in the history of gaming. Wei Chi, Tabula, Poker, Wrestling, Tennis, Halo, Crazy Birds... they all have a series of factors that channel player action through a narrow path; and through that path, and that path only, will you be able to win.

Gear is an essential component of the advancement path in MMOs, and imposing limitations on player's abilities to equip it is a fair, and often fundamental, trait of the genre.

Just saying...

R