Check out the hottest topics from the past week of the FFXIV general forum.

No time is busier than the winter holiday season, which explains the absence of last week's Hot Read Thursday. However, as the end of the year draws near, I feel obligated to break from vacationing to recap some of the most interesting threads from the past couple weeks. Usually I only recap threads from the previous week, but I figure slightly older threads are fair game since HRT skipped a week.

The first thread in today's HRT delves into how to cope with weapon durability (or lack thereof), while the second thread summarizes all the changes to the game in 2010. The final thread asks the ultimate question -- the same one that accountants at Square Enix probably grapple with every day.

Here are the links!

Title: Am I Overthinking Weapon Repairs?

Which is the better option: leveling enough crafts to be able to repair your own weapons, or carrying around multiple weapons so you're not attacking mobs with a wet noodle? My answer: NONE OF THE ABOVE! While many players (myself included) level our crafts so that we can handle our own repairs, there's no doubt this becomes more of a chore than an enjoyable activity. In this thread, the OP asks whether players should be expected to go through the hassle of keeping a minimally damaged weapon. It's a good question, considering that weapons break down so quickly. Personally, I'm shocked this hasn't been addressed in one of the large version updates of 2010.

Title: Revisit Large Scale Version Update 2011

It's amazing how far FFXIV has come in such a short time. In this thread, the OP does a great job of summarizing all of the recent changes made in the three large version updates of November and December. Last time we heard, the next large version update wasn't scheduled to happen until March. I have to wonder, is this still the case? Will new version updates be announced soon? And will the next updates finally give us some real content that doesn't involve guildleves?

Title: When Would You Be Willing to Pay the Monthly Fee?

I would have gladly paid for Final Fantasy XIV at the end of my initial 30-day trial, but I know most people feel differently -- if they didn't, more people would still be playing the game! The question now is, how much better does FFXIV have to get before the remaining playerbase would pay to play? In this thread, a large number of people say they would pay for the game in its current state, as long as Square Enix continues to aggressively improve the game. However, there are still many players who want to see more development in Eorzea before they open their pocketbooks. My prediction: This game will remain free to play until after the PS3 release.