Class Distinction in FFXIV? There is only 1 Class...Blue Mage.

I Like the potential for FFXIV and still have hopes for a great adventure, but one of the glaring problems with the current Class System is that we are all essentially Blue Mages.

No, we are not using Monster Abilities but we are behaving like a FFXI Blue Mage in that we are constantly rearranging and manipulating our Active Spells and Abilities to suit ourselves or a given situation. Too much of a good thing often is a bad thing and while I appreciate the Freedom SE sought to give us in customizing our characters, too much Freedom actually leads to Chaos and Anarchy.

There needs to be some restrictions to Class-Combos or everyone becomes a "Jack-of-all-Trades...Master of None".

I believe I have a workable solution that would preserve the current Armory System yet allow some Class and Character uniqueness and it is very simple...Dual Wield.

Allow each Class to use either a 2-H Weapon, a 1-H weapon + Sheild, or Dual-Wield two 1-H weapons.

If you use a 2-handed weapon you are that class and that class alone but a kick-ass killing, marauding, nuking, healing machine...best for balanced party play.

If you use a 1-handed weapon + Shield you are either a Tank in a party or do so for survivability in solo play or in an unbalanced party.

If you Dual-Wield 1-handed weapons you have the abilities of both Classes but are less effective than using a 2-hand weapon (and focusing your energies on 1 set of skills instead of 2.) and do so for survivability, party imbalance or just because you feel like it.

Marauder can use a 1 hand axe + a Conjuror Arm if that's your cup of tea.

Lancer can use a Short-Pole and a Shield if you're stuck tanking.

Gladiator can sacrifice defense for more offense or healing.

Archer can have any 1-hand weapon within easy grasp in between arrow pulls.

Mages can specialize, cross-class or just sacrifice some magic power for DD.

All of this can be done with the current Weapon-Based Class system and is much more logical for that system. All of our Abilities are based on the weapon currently equipped so why can I cast Sacrifice 2 when I am holding a 2-handed Axe? Why can an Archer wave an arrow to cast Protect when a Conjurer needs to have a wand/staff to cast it?

As I stated in another (long) post, a little logic can go a long way towards improving a good system into a great one.

Its slightly different, conjurer uses wand to boost its magic powr, but power is withing you. you level conjures byt using it, and by using wand s for examopkle your cure II heals 400 HPs, but when you want to cast it while holding sword, yuo alre less effective. Also you forget about other FF canon class, Red Mage, who casts spells, wjhile wearing armor and cutting stuff into a small pieces with its sword ^^ ( yes RDM is my all time fav class in Final fantasy:P).

Also yuo can be specialised. Noone forces you from puting most of your sp in dex/vit, get most of tanking skills and become dedicated tank, or hell with VIT, str/dex and youre dediated damage dealer, just fit all ovvensive skills you can find. people become jack's of all trades, when they solo, when they know noone wil be there to heal, buff, and support them, the trade edge for survivalability. And every hour they gater for extra SP ( behest) and you have a full party of Jacks ^^. I do believe that introducing more content, stuff like hard dungeones, more andanced storyline, based on party content, will turn the tendence, as [eop[e wil specialise within LS, and party to make those easier. It is not that class system is broken, its generaly game that is incomplete, and canot utilise it. its like geting TV, but no electricity.