Quote Originally Posted by Ravenmore View Post
While you think that feel good non sense works, it doesn't(hasn't since CoP). If a DD or healer isn't equal it is trashed and the player base takes the best why do you think every other MMO doesn't do this BS and try to get jobs to the exact same level. Other MMOs don't get it right all the time but they come closer to balance then FFXI will ever get(with most of their balance issues coming from PVP). What is so fun about taking the exact same set up to the fight every single time or only resorting to taking the less then perfect set up only out of sheer desperation(damn sure not getting that brd or good whm to go along with it).

Each job could do the same things just with different flavors and still be equal. Really as it is right now not much reason to have more then 3 jobs when all that is ever needed is mnk, whm, brd. I mean you have only to look at the dev post about shields and see how it is not the best players will not even consider it, SE tried and even stated that they went out and made Beatific Shield +1 close to Ochain by about 10% and it is still not even really considered for events. Parties will wait for a pld with Ochain then take a pld with out would be the case if it was 5% behind.

well we'll have to agree to disagree then. LSes,friends, and a lot of groups will take less than the 100 per cent perfect optimal jobs if they are at least within striking distance. And there are utility aspects to jobs which are hard to quantify. The problem is MNK is so far and ahead of pretty much everything (not just damage but survivability and utility) that people don't want to take chances. You say only about "10%" from Ochain - but 10% is TOO MUCH. That's a huge difference. If it was a 2% difference then I bet people would be 100% fine with it - but taking 10 per cent more damage is absolutely huge. That's why the playerbase isn't okay with it.

I have personally been in groups where people will take less than optimal. The problem is when the gap is TOO HUGE. Like the difference between a 4-5 song bard and a 2-3 song bard is SO BIG that people aren't willing to budge. I don't blame them.