Comments from the Devs

[Corrderio]

With a rep confirming we can't add materia to R/EX gear I wonder if we can't extract from it either.

[Kurokikaze]

That fuckin sucks... Thats like not being able to gem/enchant your epics. Lame.

[Hyan]

With a rep confirming we can't add materia to R/EX gear I wonder if we can't extract from it either.

No.

They will probably be somewhere between NQ/HQ gear with 2 materias attached to them stat wise. Probably not too hard to obtain either.

[Niiro]

Do you have a precedent for SE making an item that you could equip yesterday unequippable today?

Can't think of one but saying "hey heads up you can't wear this gear under level in a month when the patch lands" it's hardly springing a huge problem on anyone.

[Grey Jorildyn]

This just sounds like the beginning of wonky stuff people will make threads constantly for as the game trudges forward.

Optimal Rank is bogus. SE needs to have the conviction to just make a standard and stick to it. Put up a news article about it changing next patch and be done with it.

[Kurokikaze]

My thoughts exactly. Not like its going to inconvenience anyone currently playing since most of the population is maxed out.

[Waraji]

most of the population is maxed out.

This is Not necessarily true. There is only a handful of players on all servers who have maxed out. The main problem with that is that a large percentage of those have botted one way or another to get there, whichever way you look at it, it is nearly guaranteed. I really do hope SE does a "Spring Cleaning" of sorts with those individuals.

[Priran]

I don't see why getting rid of Optimal Rank is a good thing. I'm assuming it's because people are sick of seeing others walking around in gear way above their current rank, but if the stats on gear actually meant anything it would have sorted itself out.

[Kurokikaze]

This is Not necessarily true. There is only a handful of players on all servers who have maxed out. The main problem with that is that a large percentage of those have botted one way or another to get there, whichever way you look at it, it is nearly guaranteed. I really do hope SE does a "Spring Cleaning" of sorts with those individuals.

Maxed out as in is 50 in their main class. Not that they have all 50s.

[Kurokikaze]

I don't see why getting rid of Optimal Rank is a good thing. I'm assuming it's because people are sick of seeing others walking around in gear way above their current rank, but if the stats on gear actually meant anything it would have sorted itself out.

You're right, but at that point why even have Optimal Rank then? The gear choice is only an illusion. The best gear for your level is the one closest without going over.

Everyone likes the system because it gives players options. No one ever takes a moment to think about it and realize that their options really just suck. It's like the Armory System. Just cause you can put nukes on an Archer doesn't mean you should <--- thats a bad option that is made available to players.

[Priran]

You're right, but at that point why even have Optimal Rank then? The gear choice is only an illusion. The best gear for your level is the one closest without going over.

Everyone likes the system because it gives players options. No one ever takes a moment to think about it and realize that their options really just suck. It's like the Armory System. Just cause you can put nukes on an Archer doesn't mean you should <--- thats a bad option that is made available to players.

So they should be adding more choices, not removing existing ones. If you really want to get people out of shit they're below optimal rank for, do what Lineage II did and throw a movement speed debuff on it. No ignoring that. It's like, using your example, if people complained that all DDs just ended up setting the same abilities so instead of adding useful new abilities to create new-but-not-necessarily-superior-or-inferior playstyles they said 'fffffuck it, from now on you only get the skills of your class. love yoshi-p'.

[mightyg]

Triary had a chance to confirm with Yoshida yesterday about all of this discussion going on regarding Optimal Rank gear, etc.

New gear that will be introduced in the future will move towards having an exclusive class and required rank requirements. However, not all gear will have an required rank or exclusive class, and new gear without requirements will also be added. For example, we will make distinctions on the type of gear itself, such as gear that is worn in town will have no requirements, and gear for battles and raid challenges will have an exclusive class and necessary rank.

Hopefully this gives a better insight into the direction we are heading.

So. Yeah. Everyone wins.

[Arximiro]

From that comment I got that dumb shit like event gear will have no requirements. That and maybe some other gear they implement just for looks.

[Hyan]

You're right, but at that point why even have Optimal Rank then? The gear choice is only an illusion. The best gear for your level is the one closest without going over.

Everyone likes the system because it gives players options. .

Everyone should like the system because it is more FLEXIBLE in places where restrictions become a hindrance and inconvenience. ESPECIALLY in a multiclass game where you may have to shuffle around equipment for multiple classes at varying levels.

It's the option to actually be able to wear something in every gear slot at any time instead of having to buy level 16 earrings when you're level 20 even though you already have level 21 earrings on your possession. Or alternatively play half-naked. Fuck yeah.

In reality players dislike the optimal rank system because a) its new and new is scary and uncomfortable and b) because it was taken too far and the logical community reaction is to just AXE EVERYTHING instead of, y'know, toning things down a little bit so that harsher requirements and player goals still exist without taking away the functionality that this system offers to anyone thinking about playing more than one class. Not every single piece of gear has to be a 'fucking milestone for the sake of having them.

[Charismatic]

Yeah, I don't really see why optimal rank is much of a problem.
In the first place if they weren't trying to make crafting so important it wouldn't even be a problem. With them introducing stuff like materia and changing the recipes I don't even see what the complaining is about. Most of the optimal rank gear is going to be gone soon enough unless people hoard it because it has optimal rank on it. Even so, people will likely be wearing new/better gear since stats are supposed to actually matter soon.
Guess what that does..? It fixes the problem all by itself. No need to axe the system.

Honestly, if they even kept optimal rank on the new recipes, made stats more important and made the materia bonuses also HEAVILY scaled or maybe not even work until the optimal rank... I bet people would switch to using proper rank gear on their own.
In fact, when I walk around checking people I see a good few people doing it already and soon they'll have even more reason to.

[Spider-Dan]

It's like, using your example, if people complained that all DDs just ended up setting the same abilities so instead of adding useful new abilities to create new-but-not-necessarily-superior-or-inferior playstyles they said 'fffffuck it, from now on you only get the skills of your class. love yoshi-p'.

You do realize that a substantial number of people are asking for exactly this, right?

It amazes me how much resistance there is in this game to player choice.

You don't like high-level gear being worn by lowbies? Don't wear gear when you're below the Optimal Rank.
You don't like gear being worn by every class? Don't wear non-favored gear.
You don't like every class being cookie-cuttered into the same abilities? Don't use those abilities.

Instead, we have a sizable group of people who want their own preferences to be enforced on everyone else. And you can't even use the excuse that Optimal Rank/cross-class gear is creating ill-equipped players, because gear doesn't even do anything of significance.

[Niiro]

Everyone should like the system because it is more FLEXIBLE in places where restrictions become a hindrance and inconvenience. ESPECIALLY in a multiclass game where you may have to shuffle around equipment for multiple classes at varying levels.

It's the option to actually be able to wear something in every gear slot at any time instead of having to buy level 16 earrings when you're level 20 even though you already have level 21 earrings on your possession. Or alternatively play half-naked. Fuck yeah.

This is the main reason I like the optimal rank system, starting out I leveled every job to 20 asap to collect abilities and being able to wear stuff above my level made managing my inv much less of a headache.

Imo they should have just tweaked the scaling system, something like -10% for every 2 levels below the optimal rank.

Edit: also you can consider the fact that crafting gear not needing repairs is a bit of an exploitation of the optimal system since additional stats aren't effected by damaged gear, but having to carry around different sets of gear for different level crafting jobs is just taking things too far, it's a sideline activity it shouldn't take up a shitton of inventory.

[Hyan]

Instead, we have a sizable group of people who want their own preferences to be enforced on everyone else.

Hm, yeah, this same line of thought was used to argue for gearchecks too. 'Because some people can access and clear content with inferior gear (although less efficiently), that would be unacceptable.'

That didn't stop me from doing my best to optimize in XI, and I'm pretty sure the same applies to everyone here. We still saw an increase in performance, so it was all good. Why would it be any different here, if we finally get to see actually substantial increases again?

(Not that I went overboard with optimization either. Like when playing with my low level jobs. Exactly where I think Optimal Rank would be of use.)

[Celeras]

Hm, yeah, this same line of thought was used to argue for gearchecks too. 'Because some people can access and clear content with inferior gear (although less efficiently), that would be unacceptable.'

That didn't stop me from doing my best to optimize in XI, and I'm pretty sure the same applies to everyone here. We still saw an increase in performance, so it was all good. Why would it be any different here, if we finally get to see actually substantial increases again?

(Not that I went overboard with optimization either. Like when playing with my low level jobs. Exactly where I think Optimal Rank would be of use.)

So everybody can clear everything with the trade off of the game having no substantial challenges? Sounds fun.

[Kurokikaze]

So everybody can clear everything with the trade off of the game having no substantial challenges? Sounds fun.

Me thinks he doesn't understand how a "gear check" encounter works.