Main vs Canon

I'll admit I'm not much of an RPer, at least not on this game, so I was curious. What job do you main, and is it the same as your character's canon job, or is it different? How come?

In my case, although canonly I picture Bahamut as a Dark Knight and machine of sorts, I can't bring myself to main the former, because the job feels way too clunky and poorly implemented.

While I do main Machinist, I also main Warrior, though I feel like the lore for both Dark Knight and Machinist fit her, Warrior just feels more 'Bahamut' esque I guess. Anyway!

I don't RP but I see my Character as a master of multiple disciplines. After all even when she is a BRD or a WHM in the MSQ she was still recognised as an Azure Dragoon. Storywise there is nothing saying your character is set to one particular role and in fact the dialog allows for you to have a diverse number of techniques mastered.

Yeah.
Aeon's job is a Bard, and that's my main.

I'm extremely original.

As an RPer with many characters I know the dilemma. Most RPers don't like Mary Sues that will just say they can do anything just because the game lets you, but if you do have exceptional abilities, having character flaws to mitigate them help balance that. Fernehalwes also said that even though there is extreme rarity of some jobs by the Storyline Quests, that isn't the ONLY way you can obtain those jobs, so a lot of RPers spin stories like if the Main White Mage they're actually just Conjurers, or they learned the magic another way (For myself, Terrini learned White magic through Echoes of the past.) or some people say they learned a similar art from Doma/Othard or some other far away place.

There are also RPers that RP unique mixes of character skills of their own creation, like I know someone that role plays a magic machinist with magic bullets and a slightly different take of the machinist aesthetic.

I also have another character that is a Paladin, but thematically, Dark Knight seems to suit her better, but the sword and board aesthetic works best for her style. She's not to Ishgard yet though so she can't even get Dark Knight but I'd like to bring that into things. The main thing is in RP you can do anything your imagination lets you, but since it's a community thing you shouldn't go overboard or people will be annoyed with you for it. Just work in moderation and discuss with the group you play with. ^_^

The only job I enjoy is Ninja, and so my character "story wise" is a Ninja also. Cats are stealthy so it works, I guess (unless we're talking about my cat, in which case he's as quiet as an elephant). I don't really RP so I don't exactly have a story for my character.

Since Alahra was created in the environment of FFXI, it's in her "canon" to be multifaceted to a degree, with her overarching character intended to be a sort of blend of Ninja/Monk, Paladin/Samurai, and Red Mage (two of which we don't have yet—but here's to 4.0!).

Of those, the only one I really play is NIN (though I typically end up gearing both MNK and PLD at some point or another). Right now, my tank main is DRK because I find it to be more fun than PLD. I play both WHM and BLM right now, as well, to sort of cover her magical side (it was SCH in 2.x). DRK and BLM sort of "bother" me in some ways, as she's supposed to be a "Lawful Good" sort, but the HW stories do a decent enough job of setting a foundation that lets me handwave the darker aspects of the two away.

I played BLM in 2.x, as well, for awhile, but couldn't reconcile it and ultimately gave it up—but I was incredibly curious about how Enochian played and couldn't help it anymore.

I roleplay as a cartagrapher and explorer. As such, my Jack Of All Trades combat style (have all jobs unlocked) was obtained to answer any problem in my way. Also fishing is a hobby picked up out in my travels.

Along the way I picked up Alchemy, Cooking, and Blacksmithing out of necessity.

I do not actively RP, but I do find myself giving my characters personalities. With that said, I definitely see my main, Kye, as a Summoner primarily. However, he is also become gifted with astrology since reaching Ishgard. I picture him walking around with both his grimoire and star globe at his side.

Similarly, my alt character is primarily a Warrior. But she has also been trained in martial arts (Monk) and is currently training to use firearms (Machinist). I created her to play the melee classes I didn't think suited my main mage type character.

Alexalea started out as a conjurer in Gridania but ended up in Limsa on her travels and fell in with the Rogue's guild. She was later brought into the world of the ninja which sort of ties back to her conjuring days in it's use of nature and the elements. It's a little weird though in that while I initially dropped Conjurer at level 12 or so (I still only have it at 15 so I could unlock further Jobs) and I don't ever plan to return to it to heal at any point I still consider that as both her origin as a character and my origin in FF14 as a player.

She's currently working as a summoner and Dark Knight but despite enjoying both as a player (particularly DK) I don't know that I tie either of them specifically into her identity. The DK storyline is really cool so far but I'm almost enjoying it as a sort of alternate version of Alex that exists just for that class.. right now anyway. Maybe it will all come together for me later on since I don't see myself dropping the class any time soon.

I'd say both yes and no.

Yes: My character, Helion V. Advensten, is based around the idea of being a western European Knight style character who's skilled at sword fighting and has a very basic understanding of magic to use as a self-support option in battle. As such, both PLD and DRK fit her well.

No: Even if both fit her well, both still have flaws. Helion's weapon of choice is a hand and a half sword, bigger then current one handers but smaller then current two handers. She doesn't really use a shield, but wouldn't stand like DRK's do in their default battle idle pose either. PLD's story has almost nothing to do with knights, and being an edge lord isn't really Helion's style. overall, there is no real class that fits her 100%, but the two "Knights" we have in game now are good enough for me.

As for other roles: She has a hard time using most non-sword type weapons, and even with a basic understanding of magic can't understand the more complex stuff.

Yes, my main started as a PLD then switched to DRK as various events removed her idealism. It helps that I've always preferred great swords in pen and paper games. I general don't RP as other jobs, but I do play as the, because I like variety to help keep things fresh.

I don't RP.

That said I do see Temulun as switching between MCH, NIN, and SMN for funsies. When it's time to get serious though, out comes the zweihander and the power of darkness.

I sort of roleplay as a timid recordkeeper of sorts that switches between WHM if he wants to heal and BRD if he wants to take a few defensive potshots before things inevitably go south and he has to flee. Carries around a journal and all. I've actually considered/already started writing a fanfic of sorts, although I doubt I'd ever make it public outside of my FC.

Eulios is foreigner who wandered on some place that he don't know how to interact with other but with emote (but now he can speak some basic of their language lol). He loves book and summoning, also love to helping each other. So he decided to take all healer and tank job to protect people in dungeon (Having pets is the priority for him). He loves craft everything and collect material to craft. He live in house near beach and also likes tropical stuff so he "mostly" topless to show his muscle :rolleyes: . His dream is to have bunny ears on his head and can speak their language fluently. Fledgling Dodo and Slime Puddle are his best friend.

I'm not really into RP tho...

I can only play certain jobs on certain characters based on my headcanon for that specific character. I make them all based around the job i intend to make them play.

Einheria is one of my "mains" and i play her as a paladin, along with dragoon and white mage. She runs around as the more noble classes by default. eventually i will run her dark knight but never the other jobs because I just don't feel right.

Shikaree U'semih has an entire back story as being a spiritual form of huntress (along with her retainers who i decided were shikaree of other tribes) on the shikaree from ffxi who hunt those causing imbalance and threatening the world so she is a bard now, and will also be running a number of other jobs (whm,pld,drg,monk,possibly ninja eventually.) she is also a leather worker and botanist because she would know those things in my view.

Chiyome~ my newest is an au ra raen that i made with the specific intention of running her as a ninja, monk, and dragoon, the martial artsy classes that fit her heritage.

I also base glamor on character type and where i decided my characters came from.

It is easy to understand why most people only use one character, its a personal choice though if someone is willing to put in the work on more than a single character and its just as valid a way of doing things.

over my 5 chars ive progressivly gone from - make the character, add backstory ish later; to; backstory ish, then make a character to fit. i dont actively RP as any of them however.

for each of them though, i say my main on Kessler is SCH altho i fluctuate in useage. however "canonically" i seat him as SMN since its what i started as and behind it all i and therefore he are all about wide spread chaos, and you dont get more destructively chaotic then SMN. the healing thing i credit to wanting to keep idiot friends alive, otherwise he'd be ignoring that and burning everything. SMN is probably my least used class bar WHM on Kess tho so the whole "canon" thing is... ehhh >.>

Alesana was made with the intention of "a tall beautiful slender female who looks like a model; and then proceeds to hit you in the face with a giant axe and laugh" so boom i mained her as WAR, and over time her "canon" in my head developed into a WAR pirate. that said im currently maining DRK on her so, once again the canon and main differ. that said with the progression of her classes and playstyle [aka, being a demonic a-hole who takes to many risks] DRK is a fitting development; but ill still claim her as a WAR main despite not playing it anymore.

Sierra was a midground of wanting to vaguely emulate a werewolf, and wanting to play MNK. luckly MNK has claw weps and is all about punching the shit outta things so it mostly works; she doesnt have any other class and never will unless something more fitting comes out. so the main is the canon but i wish for something else.

Moko was the first step on the other side of the scale, i wanted a character who "looked cute and kind but could cut you up 7 ways till sunday". canon and main is Ninja, so hooray that worked out.

and my 5th hasnt even left level 1 because life changed; he was canonically going to be a "blood till the death" commander type, so i was gunning for MCH/DRK/PLD, with PLD being my eventually unused RP esque class as i picture him as doing it shieldless which... yeah. maybe one day ill have the time to level him out.

still, overall my main class is different from my canon vision except on 2 where its the only class they have

I only roleplay casually. Renard's background is in thaumaturgy but he's been exploring the lighter side of magic for a while now, and he often uses the Archmage title for a reason. He's a pretty stereotypical caster in personality and his adventurer friends often tease him for his frailty.

It's a strange feeling doing the HW BLM questline when you normally spend most of your time on WHM.

He also dabbles in MCH these days, but it's more a hobby he experiments with on the side than a serious commitment.

It's hard to say, really. I use classes mostly to represent the weapon my character is currently carrying. Sometimes she carries daggers and a bunch of misc items, sometimes a gun, sometimes just a sword or bow.

Mentality wise, she's quite clearly a rogue and my main class is ninja.

My main (Alasdair) started off as a lancer, then became a dragoon, which I still main on him til this very day. It suits his character background story perfectly for me, and while I have been very slooooowly levelling up the other jobs on him, I still prefer playing dragoon the most. As someone who kind of RPs (I actually write ffxiv fics more lol), I just put it down to my character not having much talent for the other jobs, hence why it takes him so long to master them lol.

I ran into this dilemma, so i just decided that my character is an archmage.

Though my proficiency with thaumaturgy has fallen behind.

Yep! Started as Bard, still am. The Mousai in my character's name is the Greek Goddess of music/good fortune, so I'm happy to say I'm still going down the troubadour path :).