This thread...this is quite a lot of butthurt over 1 ring......
For group1 and 2, 95% of the choices are not real, which I agree. But you still have room to make choices. IMO merit point system deserves more credit.
For example I went with 5/5 Vallation effect/Pflug on my RUN, I've seen 5/5 Rune Enchantment instead. I choose very different merit WS from my friends/lsmate playing the same job as well. If there are no real choices, my merit allocation would be the same as everyone else, but that's not the case.
I have 4 merit point WSs, some of them aren't 5/5. I can play all of my jobs just fine. I don't know why would anyone choose not to play a job without merits.