I've played FFXI for like 10 years. But I don't have every job leveled to 99, and I don't have many geared jobs (ilvl jobs). I like my BLU at 99, I like my SAM at 99. I got PLD at 99, WAR, DRK, RUN leveled, but those aren't skilled or up to par in terms of gear. I have little reason to work on those jobs, and little reason to use the two geared jobs I have now in current content. Why?

All jobs are worthless for DDs except RNG and MNK.

MNK gets formless strikes making them the best magical DDs in the whole game, over Black mage, the main nuking job. They're also the best physical damage dealer, having massive damage over time, and spike damage. They're the only DD people want for the three old delve areas.

RNG can WS all they want, and stay out of insta-death range. Sure, they can draw hate, but they have tools to avoid getting aggro so they don't get killed by the deadly attacks of ark angels and new delve mobs. If you've got a relic bow/gun, you can do all the damage you want with relic WSs, and not worry about hate, because those skills don't pull a lot of hate.

These two jobs are the ONLY DDs people want for new content. The other jobs don't matter. People bring WHM (the ONLY healer), PLD (sometimes, like AAs require PLDs, not the old delve stuff, never even seen the new delve areas yet), SCH (the only stunner), COR, BRD, RNG, and GEO (for delve only). The ark angels have deadly aoe abilities absorbed by shadows only. All day, I can sit in jeuno and see people shouting for these jobs. Only select few instances can other people partake in adoulin content (skrimish comes in mind), on other jobs.

I want to play the game.

I want to experience new content.

I'm not interested in burning arrows or bullets (aka money) for hours on end on jobs that don't even have auto attack (RNG COR) for their strongest weapons' basic attacks. I'd skill up WAR if it helped me, I'd skill up DRK maybe, if I didn't need to spend millions of gil to obtain an ochain and/or Aegis, I'd even skill up my paladin's shield.

And RUN has no purpose as a tank, because a paladin can do it more effectively and efficiently. It's not even a true DD either.

Doesn't ANYONE see this as a problem? Only a handful of the 20+ jobs in this game are seen as "viable" in end game content. Only TWO DD jobs are "viable" by the community. If you play something else, you have to level the jobs you don't want to, or quit. Or pay someone else to get you your gear for you, effectively buying your way to be dragged past content. Part of it is bad game design. Part of it is that the community sucks, and only seeks the easiest, foolproof way to kill something.

I would like to play this game and 14, but only 14 is giving me an enjoyable time, because I don't have to level jobs I don't like to get into content.

/rant