The problem is this game has literally the worst itemization of any video game ever created except for Diablo3, and the worst of any MMO. 1h weapons + shields for casters are better than 2h weapons(same exact magic damage, but shield + 1h gives more int/vit/mnd/etc), barely any tanking stats, stats that take 100+ points(and you can't even really get 150+ of said stat) reduce the GCD by .1 second, no tank stats that actually do much, if anything at all, 100+ points for barely any more block % or anymore block reduction making no noticable difference at all.
It's just all fucked, and I hope that this itemization/stat system is a placeholder. But you know what? People said that in FF14 1.0 beta "LOL ITS JUST BETA JUST WAIT GUYS IT'LL CHANGE AT RELEASE!" No, fuck you, nothing fucking changed.
When the only way I'm comparing if something is an upgrade or not is by how much def/magic def, mnd/vit it has, you know your itemization and gearing system is completely fucked and boring beyond belief. What happened to infinite number-crunching, spreadsheets, parsing, data-testing, set bonuses, cool unique stats, etc that FF11 had? Did we really need to dumb it all down for the farmville/COD player who will pick up the game, play for a month because it's the new hot MMO in town, then quit after 1 month to play the next new hot MMO? Was that worth giving up the loyal fanbase of players who still play FFXI since release, to this day, and are the only players who will play MMO's for year and years on end?
What is the point of setting stat points when you level up? Yay I get +1 str when I have 150+ in a single stat, illusion of choice/customization. How many to each stat does the average naked level 50 gear char? If you use all 30 stat points you get from leveling to 50, you get 240 HP at level 50. Two-hundred, fucking forty HP. Why? That's a 7% HP increase for a level 50 MRD tank with 3,300 HP.
They really need to look at this games itemization/stats system. The above is a great example of how few stats there is in the game and how boring they are. There's no real tank-only stats on most gear(I think VIT and parry are the only "tank stats" on gear? and I personally don't consider vit a "tank only" stat). Sure the def/mdef is a HUGE difference, but other than that, parry and vit instaed of determination are the ONLY stat differences, not very exciting. Main stat/secondary stat, all resist, defense. Hmm..what game does this sound like? Diablo3 veterans might know.
http://na.beta.finalfantasyxiv.com/l...racter/363463/
Those are stats on level 50 gear, blues are the best gear in the game(I thnk?), look at how exciting the stats are. STR VIT SKILLSPEED PARRY. Yay! That 341 skillspeed? That's a 0.3 seconds off his GCD. Not that he has the best gear in the game, I'm not sure if he does, but his gear isn't horrible or anything I'd imagine, since it's blue quality.