Originally Posted by
Connor
The same goes for a job like Bard. Because it comes from the Archer class, it can't have its own unique identity as a 'Bard'. And personally I think they squished these two jobs together just because they couldn't think of a way to balance a Ranger job that was full-on dd.
Existing classes also restrict future job options. For as long as Bard exists as an Archer class there cannot ever be a Ranger class in FFXIV, despite 'Ranger' being one of the iconic FF jobs (and not remotely related to Bard). The same goes for, say, Ninja; as long as Ninja comes from Rogue there cannot ever be a 'Thief' job in FFXIV.
There are potential opportunities for many things (job adjustments, future jobs, creating a unique identity) that would happen if the class system was done away with.