Comments from the Devs

[TacoTaru]

Fourthing or whatever the above statement. I was a big fan of gear swapping and how it allowed older content to remain relevant for a long time. I know some people thought it left it relevant too long, but I actually liked that almost events had a purpose for at least a few pieces of gear. As long as they improve macro speed and handle inventory problems better than XI did, I don't see the problem. Inventory was the biggest issue with the "shit is situational" mantra that existed in XI.

[Grey Jorildyn]

I could almost be OK with the gear swapping BS (insofar as it made every inventory slot it used worth it) if they stopped making every damn item in the game useful for crafting in some fashion, made NPC junk (white) items that just generated gil into the economy, and made us buy at least one crafting mat from npc for every synth (which the trend is moving to). At least that way inventory isn't just full of absolute crap. Why a MMO has an inventory space issue in this day and age kills me. This is a problem a child could forsee imo.

I dunno, I have issues with the gear swapping and all the other issues it contributes to and co-exists with (horrible macro system, blinking dats, etc, etc.).

[solracht]

I enjoyed the customization options that gear-swapping offered in FFXI, and I liked how there was so much gear to get, however I don't really want to see it in FFXIV unless some parts of the game are redesigned with gear-swapping in mind.

If Square-Enix offered good in-game support for the system (such as a user-friendly UI to set up gearsets for every skill/spell/etc and the ability to set different conditions for gear-swaps), and if the inventory system was rebuilt with gear-swapping in mind, then we could probably start talking.

Simply allowing gear-swaps mid-combat is not going to be enough to make this work nowadays, especially if they're hoping to gather a large fanbase.

If the system relies on so much macro building and updating, if the game doesn't make gear-swapping accessible without using third party apps, and if the inventory system is in direct conflict with keeping so much gear around, I think gear-swapping is going to be hated by the general population.

TL;DR: Make gear-swapping right or don't bother.

[Psion]

I dunno, maybe you could have a mannikin system where there's various types. Like you can add additional mannequins and what triggers them, like healing spell, weaponskill, tp, or just use /manniquin4 or something. And also have vanity gear, so you dont blink: just put what you want to look like in the vanity slots, or if you set nothing in there, default it to empty slot there or something. Of course, that would mean youd probably need a limit to the amount of gear you can mannequin, otherwise you could hold like 500 pieces of gear by just making mannequins for em, so maybe like 5 mannequins per job or the like, any more than that and they take up inventory space.

At the very least it would be nice to have a vanity set so we could look stylish AND fight effectively.

[Grey Jorildyn]

A good gear remodeling system would cover that nicely. This is one of those things a great many players looks for in their mmo these days. Perhaps not this community so much, but that could be attributed to long-standing iconic class gear. Even TOR has the iconic gear (you almost always look like a trooper, jedi, etc. while levelling up) and they are prioritizing customization so you can look as good as you like.

I've always personally enjoyed the iconicity expressed through gear in the (older) FF series games. XI really screwed the pooch for that with me in the gear swapping system. When did I ever look like a paladin? Only in my "town gear". Some might feel that takes away from immersion or w/e, but mmos also have the distinct problem of everyone looking the same due to the "best in slot" phenomenon (and the gear swapping with just a hyper-exaggeration of it), and so customizing your look is getting the front seat in games these days.

[Draylo]

Why couldn't they let you have a visual look but have different gear actually worn? Didn't they say they were planning something similar to that anyway?

[miokomioko]

Considering that they are trying to properly work in the dying/re-dying system into all crafted gear, I doubt they are going to let people run around looking like they are wearing anything other than what they are actually wearing. I think that's a terrible idea. /Display head and main hand toggle is enough in that regard.

[Grey Jorildyn]

Why couldn't they let you have a visual look but have different gear actually worn? Didn't they say they were planning something similar to that anyway?

This is what gear remodeling is and I'd love to see it, but yeah, what Mioko said. Maybe a 2.0 feature at best, and probably not high on their list right now if it's even on there.

[Corrderio]

Why couldn't they let you have a visual look but have different gear actually worn? Didn't they say they were planning something similar to that anyway?

I've wondered this to. I'd love vanity slots so when the inevitable happens with AF I can at least still use it to some degree even if it's just for looks.

[TacoTaru]

I know I'm over simplifying it, but if the windower guys could pull it off in XI I don't see what would be so hard about just having the option to toggle a display lock on/off so you never blinked or displayed different gear once you turned the lock on.

[Raldo]

They have a load of issues to fix if they choose to encourage gear swapping. Despite being one of the ones that enjoyed it from XI, I just don't see it happening here. There are a number of solutions they could take to allow it, but there's generally a downside to every suggestion too.

[Lordender]

A good gear remodeling system would cover that nicely. This is one of those things a great many players looks for in their mmo these days. Perhaps not this community so much, but that could be attributed to long-standing iconic class gear. Even TOR has the iconic gear (you almost always look like a trooper, jedi, etc. while levelling up) and they are prioritizing customization so you can look as good as you like.

I've always personally enjoyed the iconicity expressed through gear in the (older) FF series games. XI really screwed the pooch for that with me in the gear swapping system. When did I ever look like a paladin? Only in my "town gear". Some might feel that takes away from immersion or w/e, but mmos also have the distinct problem of everyone looking the same due to the "best in slot" phenomenon (and the gear swapping with just a hyper-exaggeration of it), and so customizing your look is getting the front seat in games these days.

They could do what WoW did and put in some type of transmogging system where you can morph your gear into looking like anything you want as long as you owned the original pieces, was not a legendary weapon.

I don't think gear swapping could happen in 14, you already need lots of gear for crafting, materia system eats up a ton of inv slots, it would just be an immense clusterfuck. You have to carry so much more shit on you in 14 than 11 just from the armory system alone.

[TacoTaru]

Couple days old at this point but he ConnectOn information was indeed "correct" in a sense. For reference here's the original post:

Connect On March Edition
http://ebten.jp/eb/p/connect_on201203/index.htm

Thinking of Thief coming from archer class.
For dark knight coming from Gladiator class, have to complete Paladin to obtain the quest, maybe it's good where once you become dark knight you can't go back to Paladin.

For Arcanist planning to include at start of 2.0
It's more of the sorcerer class that uses magic and WS to debuf and range and a technical pet class.
(poster comment: Looks like they just stuck the stuff taken away/missing after 1.20 in this one)

Musketeer is planned for after that and also thinking of dual gun

1.21 is delayed
Job equipment will be released but the weapon will not, weapon quest is harder to obtain.
Since everyone is saying AF, AF so decided the name will be artifact.
In 2.0 there will be a lot more dungeons, ID level style dungeon (I don't get this one), adding level sync, and checks to see ex/rare flags.
Other than that is post 1.23 beta planned. (doesn't talk about it just says that.)

And here was the response from the Dev Tracker:

Originally Posted by Rukkirii
Hey gang,

I wanted to step in and let you all know that what was written in ConnectOn interview were just a few of the random ideas (or delusions ) that Yoshida was kicking around in his head, none of which are finalized concepts.

I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don't get too involved one way or the other about what you've been reading!

[Spider-Dan]

To expound upon a previous statement, I'm not sure how AF gear is going to work in this game if gear swapping is not implemented.

Either it will be clearly better than existing meldable gear (in which case everyone in the game will look like carbon copies) or it won't (in which case there will be no reason to get it). The nice thing about XI AF was that most pieces provided job-specific bonuses that you couldn't get anywhere else, which made them relevant to carry around (if not necessarily wear fulltime).

The only way I can see AF competing (without being ridiculously overpowered) is if it's meldable. However, I'm of the opinion that all R/EX gear should be able to take (only) a single-meld; that would make a significant difference in the practical usefulness of R/EX gear.

[TacoTaru]

Yeah AF and the two new dungeons have made me extremely cautious with materia purchases considering we're (supposedly) only three/three and a half weeks away at this point. The lack of gear swapping and XI being my only MMO makes me feel like I'm at a bit of a disadvantage when updates come around, because I don't really know what to expect. In XI, I knew there were going to pieces that were going to be required to work on and get, but I knew a portion of my gear was still going to be relevant. Now I don't know if anything is going to be relevant and so I don't want to bother making/buying/melding anything ~_~.

[Niiro]

They had the perfect opportunity to allow gear style customization, stat customization, and stat flexibility with materia.

Instead of gear swapping they could have made materia a flexible, fluid system that would allow you to change stats without needing 3 body pieces and 4 pairs of gloves and blink like a retarded christmas tree during battle.

Needless to say they completely fucked it up and wasted an immeasurable amount of potential.

[Toth]

They had the perfect opportunity to allow gear style customization, stat customization, and stat flexibility with materia.

Instead of gear swapping they could have made materia a flexible, fluid system that would allow you to change stats without needing 3 body pieces and 4 pairs of gloves and blink like a retarded christmas tree during battle.


Needless to say they completely fucked it up and wasted an immeasurable amount of potential.

Agreed. Make it so you can switch materia (just one even) between items without needing a crafting job would be a huge positive.

[Alym]

They had the perfect opportunity to allow gear style customization, stat customization, and stat flexibility with materia.

Instead of gear swapping they could have made materia a flexible, fluid system that would allow you to change stats without needing 3 body pieces and 4 pairs of gloves and blink like a retarded christmas tree during battle.

Needless to say they completely fucked it up and wasted an immeasurable amount of potential.

Completely agree. I can't help but think how awesome of a system it would've been to have a specific materia pouch in your inventory. You would only need one weapon and one gear set, each with a specific amount of slots for materia. Then, you just put whatever materia you want/need for any given encounter in said slots. I was pretty disappointed with how materia was implemented, especially requiring a crafter to affix it to gear and not being able to swap them around as needed.

[Lordender]

Heres the main problem.

Materia is an idea that sounded nice on paper, a way to further customize your character. Implementation of materia is horrible because SE puts too much emphasis on crafting and went out of their way to appease crafters trying to make them "special snowflakes" when crafting should have never been nothing more than something you do on the side and not a main focus. Materia system is far to limited, it should have been a system that doesn't eat mass inventory slots, switchable on the fly without needing to find a crafter to meld it. It is a system that is gimmicky just for the sake of providing crafters with something to do to make them feel extra special at the cost of convenience.

They're going to have to stop this thinking of needing to find ways to tie everything into crafters, it just makes things more complicated than it needs to be.

[Vuitton]

That will never happen as Yoshida is intent on keeping DoL/DoH as classes. There was just a post about them getting their own AF gear after DoW/DoM get theirs.