Shiva.Mewtwo said: »
Now back for Thorgrimms statement. Farming for improved gear or master levels is the same thing weather you like it or not. They all increase your stats.
It's not the same though, is it? I mean, since when did a piece of gear allow you to increase your subjob level and give you access to extra abilities from the increased subjob level? Never, as far as I know. Yes, some bits of gear gave access to certain spells that weren't ordinarily available at the time, but that's not the same thing at all.
And, as for not "needing" the extra stats/abilities/skill points, they all make earlier content that may prove hard for some (Unity NMs, Geas Fete NMs, VR missions, HTBFs, etc.) more doable solo. It'd also make you more desirable should you partake in any content that involved partying up (and don't say that this isn't relevant as we've already gone through the "REMA only" phase, it'll only be a matter of time before it'll be "ML50 only"). Let's hope that they actually do introduce sources of higher and easier EP in the future.
To Draylo, the reason I left after Odyssey was introduced wasn't just the grind (let's face it, there'd be no point in stopping at R0 gear), it's that not all jobs are looked on as relevant for the content and I'm not going to master a job just to participate in grindy content that also requires a dedicated static.
Like I said, it's not just me that feels this way, most of the players in my (now empty) LS have quit over the constant grind. The game's not a job at the end of the day.