Archangel: A fan-made Job - Scythe-wielding Melee DPS

https://goo.gl/IIFQ4v

For shits and giggles, I've designed a melee dps Job called Archangel that wields a scythe. It was lots of fun to make so I thought I would share it!
I'm definitely open to constructive criticism. Likes? Dislikes? Suggestions? Comments? Would you like to see this Job in the game? etc.

I'm very open to feedback and would love anything you guys have to say about it.

I know the concept is a bit generic, so maybe look past that and give me some tips on the actions, mechanics, and rotation side of things? I would appreciate it so much!

Cheers!

Fun story- scythes are terrible, awful weapons for actual combat. The blade is only on the inside, you see- because it's a farming tool where you cut wheat by pulling it forward towards you. So, if any class should be using a scythe, it should be a gatherer(And Botanists do, in fact, as an offhand!). So I have some issues with the design aesthetics of the class- it's a little... "Deviantarty", if I can put it in a word.

Mechanically speaking, it seems pretty solid with numbers, where everything falls by level, and it looks like you put a good amount of work into how everything works. My issue with it is that there's no real codifying class mechanic- it just seems like a DPS a bit like a lancer, but without a real mechanic that makes it stand out it has a hodgepodge of other skills for party support(Party defense buffs, MP restore, Storm's Eye, reduce resistance, etc), but also magic and also melee... it feels like a lot of loose concepts on a table that all work and make sense individually but when put together don't seem to flow properly, and mostly makes me see this as a sort of lancer with a bunch of defensive buffs instead of offensive/jumps. I will also say the repositioning skill seems like a cool idea but might be hard to work- especially when the enemy doesn't have a "Behind" to blink to.

That said, as critical as I sound, I see you put a ton of effort into this, and it shows. It needs to be thought about, and probably needs a new and less over-the-top flavor(Maybe stick a bit more to past Final Fantasy game examples? You don't have to, but this game kind of runs on nostalgia), but like I said each thing seems pretty solid and well thought out on an individual basis.

funfact you know that warscythe exist, yes farming scythe are awfull weapon, but generally the scythe show in video game are not really farming scythe.

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Originally Posted by silentwindfr

funfact you know that warscythe exist, yes farming scythe are awfull weapon, but generally the scythe show in video game are not really farming scythe.

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A scythe meant for combat has the blade rotated 90 degrees so it's built a bit like a glaive, where you use the reach of the handle and swing to treat it a little bit like a bardiche, or a poleaxe, in some loose terms- this is because, as I stated, a scythe meant for farming(Meaning, any scythe shaped in a hook manner that curves down, and is generally built for pulling towards you!) is a really bad weapon in practical applications. This concept did not have that manner of scythe. Thank you, though!

I won't lie, I came here reading Archangel and as someone who uses this name in every forum or games I play (except this one), I just got baited. Neat.

But to be fair, even though I like the idea I think that "Archangel" is a bit out of place for a scythe user. I like the opposites like that but I think that if you want a class/job/whatever that uses a scythe, I would recommend a spell caster OR a hybrid, something like Necromancer or similar.

But if you want to stick with the Archangel Idea, I think a different weapon would be a bit better. Or call them Punishers or Inquisitors. Still a better idea than my fan-made class for sure.

Scythes already used in an mmo, and it's a great class to play.
http://rift.wikia.com/wiki/Harbinger

Your link has image artist unknown, I believe it's Jason Chan. It's a mtg card called deathpact angel.

Edda is already using a scythe.

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Originally Posted by Atlaworks

Fun story- scythes are terrible, awful weapons for actual combat.

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Let's face it most classes have comically unwieldy weapons already... a Scyth wouldn't be that big a stretch.

drk in ff11 use to used Scythes really miss em :\
http://i.imgur.com/TW5WqzQ.png

Insurgency use to be favorite weapon skill, would love these weapons to return :p

Just because other MMOs let people fight with farming tools doesn't make them good weapons. The whole reason people ever use them is due to this iconography with the grim reaper- and the grim reaper uses a scythe because it is the "harvester of souls". The entire reason it uses a scythe is because it's a farming tool- and he's the farmer. In an actual fight, a scythe is terrible, as I explained earlier. You can justify other MMOs letting you use scythes, or other classes using comically unwieldy weapons(Yes yes, the astrologian duel disk is silly, I agree), but it doesn't make the idea of fighting with a farming tool any better! Just because other ideas are bad does not mean bad ideas should be perpetrated- strive to be better, not be "As good".

In terms of this class, if I may- if you want a sort of holy DPS with a similar weapon type, how about "Templar" or "Crusader"? Heck, one could be a class and the other a job if you like that format. Both are holy warriors(and the paladin fluff isn't... terribly close in retrospect), and at least templars have some history in Final Fantasy(Specifically, FFTA(Maybe just FFTA2? I'm not looking it up)). You could give them say... halberds, glaives, bec-de-corbins, and the like, and it would fit well. They could even keep the same attack styles and things like "Divinity" and "Creed" and holy magic, and it would all still fit in place.

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Originally Posted by Atlaworks

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a book is a great weapon though

Interesting concept. Bit convoluted, and it took me a minute to figure out what role it was supposed to be. Still some stuff missing too such as armor type and maybe some ideas for the ongoing questlines for it, but otherwise not too bad.

That being said, my biggest issue is with the lore component. Although the Twelve are deities and there are tales in the game of them in reference to their quarrel with man, it doesn't look like it fits very well when you factor in that the Twelve only shared six elements with each other, and light and dark weren't among them. In that sense, given the references to various deities from specific job storylines or deities that could be compared to specific jobs in the game, the lore of this Archangel concept doesn't quite feel like it fits very well. That's just my opinion on the matter though, and I'm sure there's probably someone with more of an expertise on the in-game lore to find some more suitable way of this concept fitting on some level or another.

As for the whole "scythe as a weapon" argument, the best way of making it look practical while making it look like a scythe would be to make it look more like a giant fishhook. That way, it'd be a lot more of a balanced weapon (which was why normal scythes were never used).

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Originally Posted by shepherd

drk in ff11 use to used Scythes really miss em :\
http://i.imgur.com/TW5WqzQ.png

Insurgency use to be favorite weapon skill, would love these weapons to return :p

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You know the guy...the one that made the Drk job in FFXI and the Scythe..... He did not like it..and he made it lol.

Funny story he join the FFXIV team this pass year....