SoA content for ALL 20 jobs...

[Kincard]

If you only chose one job in FFXI then what your saying is true. Fortunately (or not depending) we can walk to our pet moogle and *BAM* instantly respec / change jobs. This ends up exasperating the problem by enabling high end players to always be capable of doing the "near perfect" setup. Why would anyone bring a non-perfect job when they can change to the perfect job or be replaced by someone else. The only time this is no longer an issue is when the jobs in question are so similar that their functionally identical in 90% of cases. DRK vs WAR for example.

Except you can apply that logic to other games because other games don't charge extra for more characters.

"Why take x person when we can take y person?"
"Why take x character when you can hop onto your y toon instead?"

In other games it's pretty normal for people to play multiple characters in compensation for the fact that a job change system doesn't exist. The same logic would apply, but it doesn't because there generally isn't that gigantic gap between classes like this game has.

And, WAR vs DRK, as you said, are pretty much functionally identical when it comes down to just filling in a holy trinity role (in this case damage). They still have unique function such as fell cleave, multiple high skill weapons VS absorb spells and twilight scythe etc. This should be the philosophy when designing other Damage jobs. Make them capable of dealing damage, and then add unique things to their role to make sure not every job is the same. It's precisely because that there's only so many ways to crack the pinata that it's important to try to make it so that everyone can function as the bat in about the same manner when that's the main attraction. I can use either a golf club or a bat of the same length to crack the pinata about the same, but when i go play baseball or golf obviously I"ll choose one over the other.

[detlef]

But thats the thing though, I don't wanna play my NIN in just abyssea, I wanna take it to Voidwatcher. I don't wanna play my BST in just Dynamis, I wanna take it to Legion, and the same goes for my RDM. Old content is not the solution to make jobs that are being sidelined viable again.

The issue with Legion is the time limit and the essentially unending waves of mobs. If there was just one NM that had to be killed within 30 minutes and "perfect" groups could kill it in 5-10 minutes, then sure there could be a place for any job. Time would never be a factor, and it wouldn't matter how quickly or efficiently you killed it so long as you didn't time out. However, Legion does reward kill speed with additional NMs to kill. In such an environment, while anything less than the best can still be competent or somewhat competitive, you'd always be hurting yourself by bringing a NIN, BST, or RDM instead of something else.

Legion is only one event though and it is unique in that regard in today's game.

[Camiie]

Legion is only one event though and it is unique in that regard in today's game.

So basically the ultimate endgame large group activity is only meant for a handful of jobs no matter how much time, gil, and effort one may put into one of the unfavorite jobs. It's OK though because some of those unwanted jobs might be good for some other thing. Is that about the size of it? That sounds kind of stupid to me.

[detlef]

Oh I agree. I prefer the old model of slightly easier, more forgiving battlefields with a more forgiving time limit. I also prefer being rewarded for killing something rather than being rewarded for how quickly it was killed.

But again, Legion is only one event in the game and for the vast majority of players, you aren't missing anything by not participating.

[Afania]

Oh I agree. I prefer the old model of slightly easier, more forgiving battlefields with a more forgiving time limit. I also prefer being rewarded for killing something rather than being rewarded for how quickly it was killed.

But again, Legion is only one event in the game and for the vast majority of players, you aren't missing anything by not participating.

You don't get a chance to obtain awesome gears in legion unless you find a LS to merc for you. So you can't really say "you aren't missing anything by not participating".