Is it better to start a new character or just simply change classes?

Hey guys, new player here.

It may seem like a dumb question but I'm trying to figure out if it really is better to start a new character or just change classes.
I started as a marauder without proper research (also because I was checking the game) but the thing is, marauder is expected to be tank and I don't like tanking I prefer dps.
I was thinking to start new, then again the class system in this game is rather unique letting you change and adapt on the spot.
So I was wondering what would you guys advise me to do!
Thanks for your time \o

Just change classes

Yeah, id just switch classes. The storyline around level 15 sends you to visit the other 2 starting cities. Assuming youve completed your level 10 quest from your starting class(required to switch classes), being sent to the other 2 cities is a perfect opportunity to pick up whichever class you want to try next. The game will even give you a boost for doing so - any class you have that ISNT your highest level gets bonus exp. So until your new class overtakes marauder youll be getting extra exp to help catch up.

So did you research the classes a little? If not, you could always pick up multiple DPS classes to try out a little and see which one you like the best. Otherwise, keep asking questions. Someone is bound to have the answers you seek.

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Originally Posted by Houndgear

Hey guys, new player here.

It may seem like a dumb question but I'm trying to figure out if it really is better to start a new character or just change classes.
I started as a marauder without proper research (also because I was checking the game) but the thing is, marauder is expected to be tank and I don't like tanking I prefer dps.
I was thinking to start new, then again the class system in this game is rather unique letting you change and adapt on the spot.
So I was wondering what would you guys advise me to do!
Thanks for your time \o

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If you're not that far in yet, make a new character because you can gain more exp from the MSQ and the early side quests, then hunting log and fates in comparison.
If you're at level 30 already, sorry can't load the lodestone right now to check, then just switch classes.

However here's the good and bad based on each, might help to decide in the future:

Everything on one character:

Good: You don't have to unlock everything again, dungeons that you have successfully finished are marked as such, same for trials and story content. Giving you the option, that after switching to another class/job you'll be able to level via dungeons or potd alone, and not having to go through the whole fate and hunting log grind. At higher level, you accumulate tome stones, that can be used for either your main job or any other job on that same character, making it sometimes easier to switch between jobs and play the one you feel like playing that day.

Bad: While the tome stones as mentioned above are gathered on that one character, that also leaves you not much space or freedom to work with at the end, because you are getting only enough tomes to gear one job. So that would mean if you are one of the people, that frequently love to switch, that other job would be extremely under geared and won't be able to run up to date content. It would take around a month, basing this on the regular system not the increase of tomes we are having right now, since that's temporarily to prepare people for the new expansion, before you would be able to gear another Job.

Some content has a weekly lockout on gear, you will only be able to run get that gear for either your main job or your other job, but again that other job probably not at the gear level it needs to enter the instance, and people not letting you roll on the items if you're not on the right job. Wasting precious time that you could have spend on something else, in the hope that you would have gotten a specific piece but weren't on that "alt" job that day. Or RNGesus isn't pleased enough with you, making it a nightmare to gather specific pieces.

Same goes for gathering/crafting if you're planning on doing that later on, since SE introduced the spezialist tree in 3.x, and we don't know if it sticks around for stormblood, you would have only one character that could gather scrips and only one character that could get 3 specials. You can switch them if you want, but then we are talking again about a unnecessary grind of scrips and what not to do that.


Having multiple characters:

Good: You can help friends or pug via PF/RF/DF instances, that you won't be able to do on you main character, due to the weekly lockout as stated above. Groups wouldn't get less loot because you beat that instance already for the week etc. You gain more exp and level faster via MSQ/POTD and a couple of side quests, in comparison to the fate/old dungeon and hunting log grind. You could have more then one specialist if you're crafting, and wouldn't need an FC or others to help you out, since you can grab all of them and just rotate between the items, if you place both of these characters in the same FC for example.

Bad: You will have to unlock every region/dungeon/trial/aether currency/GC seals/Chocobo etc again. You would have to get gear for any new character again.

In summary, if you like to have a uncluttered inventory, and like to have your character based on a specific race/job due to lore, want to level fast and playing the game more on a solo kind of aspect when it comes to crafting/gathering or using the Raid Finder and Duty Finder more often, than you would going with friends or FC mates, then having more then one character would be your thing.

If you hate unlocking everything again, and are not keen to the looks of your character and their job, since you can't be bothered to find any interest in the lore aspect of the game. You enjoy playing this game more as a group or with friends/FC mates, making it your goal to min/max gear and raid at any given time, but don't mind that you can only run "lower/older" content with a other job, then one character with multiple jobs would be your goal.

Hope it helps.

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Originally Posted by Houndgear

Hey guys, new player here.

It may seem like a dumb question but I'm trying to figure out if it really is better to start a new character or just change classes.
I started as a marauder without proper research (also because I was checking the game) but the thing is, marauder is expected to be tank and I don't like tanking I prefer dps.
I was thinking to start new, then again the class system in this game is rather unique letting you change and adapt on the spot.
So I was wondering what would you guys advise me to do!
Thanks for your time \o

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You are only lvl 14 the so not really a big issue if you start new. However if you like the way your character looks then just switch classes. This way you keep whatever you have earned so far.

Wow guys thank you so much for your insight!

Changing classes is a very cool design and I'm fan of it for the purpose of not feeling trapped in one aspect of the character.

In my research I also saw interesting jobs and classes I would like to try so I guess I'll make a bit of both worlds. Making some more characters later down the road.

Thank you all for your help, and specially LunaFaye for it's in depth guide :cool:

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Originally Posted by Houndgear

Wow guys thank you so much for your insight!

Changing classes is a very cool design and I'm fan of it for the purpose of not feeling trapped in one aspect of the character.

In my research I also saw interesting jobs and classes I would like to try so I guess I'll make a bit of both worlds. Making some more characters later down the road.

Thank you all for your help, and specially LunaFaye for it's in depth guide :cool:

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As an altaholic. I do recommend focusing on one character for all crafts initially, this game is pretty punishing crafting wise if you dont have everything. Adventuring wise, try to at least focus on only one at a time for leveling. After that theres a lot of different ways of spreading out to alts.

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Originally Posted by Houndgear

In my research I also saw interesting jobs and classes I would like to try so I guess I'll make a bit of both worlds. Making some more characters later down the road.

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You don't have a real choice in this. You need level two classes in order to unlock a job. One needs to be lvl 30 and the other needs to be lvl 15. So if you wanted to unlock the job of Warrior, you need marauder to be lvl 30 and glad to be lvl 15. The new jobs added in HW and SB don't need this but the others do.

It sounds a bit confusing but it's actually quite nice, once you get used to it. You don't have to divide your attention between characters so much and gearing is much easier (since you can collect gear for your other jobs and a lot of the jobs use the same gear -- ie. the healers basically use the same set so if healing is your thing, you can get all three to max and gearing one will more or less work for the other two, after which you can switch between which one is best for the situation. You didn't just waste all the time gearing and leveling and investing in white mage only to find out that it's been nerfed into the ground. You can just switch to scholar until your preferred job is buffed. xD)

Change classes. The only purpose for having multiple characters is for storage. Most achievements in game count on you leveling up multiple classes. Around level 30 you will want to be sure you have all your cross class skills.

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Originally Posted by Alisi

You don't have a real choice in this. You need level two classes in order to unlock a job. One needs to be lvl 30 and the other needs to be lvl 15. So if you wanted to unlock the job of Warrior, you need marauder to be lvl 30 and glad to be lvl 15. The new jobs added in HW and SB don't need this but the others do.

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Starting Friday, no job will require a secondary class leveled.

Most of the benefits and detriments that LunaFaye listed are about having multiple endgame jobs. If you're changing, not because you want to max them both/all out, but because you decided your starting class isn't going to be a good fit for you, some of those may not really apply in your case.

You're still early enough in the game that starting over with another character would be simple enough, but just starting another class would also be simple. Lots of people try out several or all of the classes for a while before they really decide which is going to end up being their favorite. Just adding another class to your existing character would probably be the easiest route for trying them out.

But there is one other possible advantage that nobody has mentioned yet to starting a new character. Through those first 15 levels, each of the starting cities has its own storyline, and you'll see only the story for the city where you began the game. By having started as marauder, you'll have seen Limsa Lominsa's early story. Arcanist also starts in Limsa and gets the same main story. But if you start a new character that begins as Lancer (dps), Archer (dps), or Conjurer (healer), then you'll start in Gridania and see its story. Or if you start one as a Pugilist (dps), Thaumaturge (dps), or Gladiator (tank), you'll begin in Ul'dah and see its story.

These different stories, however, only cover the first 15 levels worth of quests. After the level 15 quest that sends you as an envoy to the other two cities, the three storylines merge and everyone gets the same main scenario quests after that. So if you're into the lore and storytelling aspect of the game, then it can be worth running through the first 15 levels (up through the envoy quest) on three different characters to see each city. You can combine that with trying out three of the classes, and then add multiple classes per character to try out the others.

Yes maybe down the road I'll do that because I already saw ul'dah as a pugilist in another char and really liked the city (haven't done any of the story quests though). However I'll concentrate on one character now as I'm still learning the game and then when I'm bored of my main I'll try other content. Nice point though Niwashi cheers \o

Theres also a lot of points in the story that change dialogue based on what you have done. Like any convos with Momodi, Baderon and Miounne change slightly if your from their respective cuty-state. Your GC affiliation can sometimes change how a city leader refers to you. Whether or not youve leveled a certain job can change things as well.

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Originally Posted by Rongway

Starting Friday, no job will require a secondary class leveled.

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Really?

I thought you didn't need to level a class not part of your 2x class job to get certain required role skills... But that you still have to level a primary and secondary class to get a job.

Example: White Mage won't have to level Thaumaturge at all to get Swiftcast... But will still have to level 2x classes; Conj & Arcanist to open the job.

Sure hope that you're right and I'm wring, LOL.

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Originally Posted by Vaydren

Really?

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From PLL XXXVI
At time index 42m30s

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Originally Posted by Translation

So, with that, um, the requirements of acquiring a job changes as well. Uh, initially, we...in order to become the paladin job, you would have to level your gladiator to level 30 and your conjurer to 15, but with abolishing these additional or cross-class skills, you wouldn't require that sort of second skill. I think it may have been difficult to explain how to obtain these different jobs to people who are not quite familiar with the system, so that's going to be a major change there.

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If I may paraphrase, they're addressing the issue where we currently have to explain to someone who loves burning enemies to death with ALL THE SPLODIES that he must take a break and switch to pointy wooden sticks for fifteen levels before becoming a BLM. Starting Friday, that will no longer be necessary, and all aspiring splodymages will have to do to unlock BLM at 30 is unlock BLM.

So, now i'm leveling arcanist. At the moment i'm lvl 16, will do lvl 15 quest, than switch to thu* something. Explosion, lightning, crappy mana management mage. I leveled arcanist mainly for healing spell. I absolutly LOVE having healing spell for all kind of classes that are not supposed to have those.
And when i'm done whit thu*** i will be getting BLM.
So, from this friday onwards i wont be needing that archer, right?
Archers cross skills... duno. Quelling Strikes sounds like a MUST HAVE, but it requires me to endure archer for 34 levels... x.X Other skills... while its nice to do more damage for 20s, but 3 minutes cd... ahem.

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Originally Posted by KilimYolo

I leveled arcanist mainly for healing spell.

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BLM will require THM30, and will not require any other classes. No job will have access to the abilities of any other job.

Instead, there are role pools for tank, healer, melee DD, ranged DD, and magical DD. Each role has ten abilities, and BLM will have access to the magical DD actions.

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Originally Posted by Rongway

BLM will require THM30, and will not require any other classes. No job will have access to the abilities of any other job.
Instead, there are role pools for tank, healer, melee DD, ranged DD, and magical DD. Each role has ten abilities, and BLM will have access to the magical DD actions.

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I was in serious panic now.
Than notieced that arcanist job is scholar and summoner.
I like mainly dps.
So, what do you think of summoner in expansion?

And to get red mage i need random magical caster (arcanist or whatever else, as long as its caster) to lvl 50, right?

And what about Black Mage in general and its playstile? without healings spell isnt it bit weak for casual solo players? ofc if i'm in party i will have a healer i guess. What happens to BLM in new expansion?

As a BLM even now (granted only dealing with 50 content), I find little use for Physick. It's incredibly weak, to the point where spamming it to survive is only prolonging death. BLM survival depends much more on burning things fast, which it is entirely capable of. If you ever have any real difficulty with that, even just pulling out chocobo companion can be enough to tip the scales. Or if you really need, you've always got Sleep to control crowds.

Poor knowledge of expansion requirements, but I think you don't need any specific class or role at 50 for Red Mage. Just any job in general at 50. As I understand it, unlock requirements are just having completed 2.0 story up to Ultima Weapon, which obviously requires a 50 job.

I dont play summoner, so ill leave it to someone with experience to answer that. Though i will say, as of this writing we're still guessing as to how things will play out. We've seen ability descriptions and some media members have played with an out of date build. But right now they are doing last minute tweaking and changing that no one will find out about until they actually get to play for real(and even then, theyll continue to make adjustments after the fact) this upcoming weekend.

As for Red Mage, leveling something up to 50(doesnt even need to be a caster - if you wanted you could be a tank from 1-49 then switch to red going forward) will meet the level requirement. Ive both heard and not heard about a potential quest requirement(finishing the 2.0 story), so we'll see what the final verdict is on that.

Black Mage, on the other hand, im qualified to talk about. So i enjoy BLM, as do many other players. The playstyle is essentially that of the cannon. You hit hard, but you have to be mostly standing still to be at your best. Some fights this is easy(there are fights where once i establish my initial position, i wont move a step), some fights test your ability to find/make breaks in your movement to continue getting off the big spells. And while yes, we're losing Physick, it wont be a huge deal. For a BLM, physick is useful from level 1 until about 30. From 30-50 its marginal, and after 50 the damage you can heal with it is rediculously small(yay my 600 point heal on someone with more then 20k hp). However, one of the new role skills youll be able to choose(at level 16 according to the media tour) is Drain. So if you want a heal for soloing, you still have it - only now it hurts the enemy too. Another thing to keep in mind is that you dont have the whole toolkit yet. Around level 20 youll get a chocobo to use as a mount, and around level 30 theres a quest to train your chocobo to fight alongside you. As you work with your chocobo, it will gain skill points you can use to teach it new skills - and yes, this includes healing abilities. The preliminary look says the BLM will remain similar in the expansion. A few buffs have been changed, but the playstyle is the same - hit hard with medium-long casting times. We look like we'll continue to do good damage in both single target and AoE situations.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE RESPONSES!!!!!!!!!!

So BLM have some healing spells already (chocobo) AND it will have far better healing spell than what i am using right now.

Now i'm happy again. Otherwise every time i join a cool MMO, devs break casters... its like my presence alone destroys parts of games... :D
I'm web developer so you can understand where this thinking comes from...

Question:
How is tha mana management for BLM? from random review it seemed that Thaumaturge atleast at start have HUUUUUGE mana problems.

Mana management? On BLM? I have infinite mana. I cast nonstop, every fight unless im forced to move. For BLM, you need to understand the 2 stances - astral fire and umbral ice. Astral fire boosts your outgoing damage(while essentially shutting down mana regen), so you do most of your damage with it up. Umbral ice boosts your mana regen to the moon(default mana regen is 1/10th your full total per server tick, with 1 umbral stack you get 1/4 of your mana back per tick while a full umbral stack is like 66% of your mana per tick) but doesnt boost damage. So you go into fire mode -> do a bunch of damage -> switch to ice mode -> regen a bunch of mana -> go back to fire to destroy things again. At level 4 you get Transpose, a 0 mana skill which switches your current stance to the opposite stance with 1 stack - meaning you can cast down to literally 0 mana then instantly switch to the regen stance to start getting your mana back quickly. At higher levels you also get spells(Fire 3, Bliz 3) that let you switch stances with full stacks. So... no. The review you read was wrong, mana isnt one of our problems.

Frizze, thank you for your answers. :)
I was reading that old players see newbies getting wrecked cause of running out of mana, some lacking skills and generally having 0 knowledge of what they are doing.
I translated this into crappy mana management, extreme need for heal that they dont have (ahem...) when reality is 100% oposite of this.

Well... i dont regret playing arcanist and a chance to get 2 nice classes in future from arcanist also sounds good.
Please correct me if i'm wrong, but it allmoust looks as if BLM and Summoner can use the same stats? I mean if i adjust for BLM, i can still use the same gear on Summoner and still be OK.
Right? If so than great, super easy switching on future.

Question - is there any easy way of switching gear?
for example when i started learning crafting (yesterday) my char turned necked... good thing i had lvl 1 gear left (looks just too good to sell... (hides)). Never new that i will need all that junk so i sold some of it...
So after that i had to search items 1 by 1... :/
Now i can imagine when my BLM will be lvl 50 and Summoner lvl 35, its gona be fun switching between those classes with 1 million clothes...

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Originally Posted by KilimYolo

Question - is there any easy way of switching gear?

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On your character sheet (C on the keyboard. No idea what it is on PS4), you should see an icon above your character's portrait. I think it's the one that looks like a piece of paper with lines on it. Don't quote me on that one. This will bring up your gear set list. It's a way to save equipment loadouts for fast loading and switching between classes/jobs, or even different sets of equipment within the same job. I do believe there is a limit to how many slots you can have, but you get at least one slot per class/job you have unlocked.

On the Gear Set list menu, you click the plus symbol to create a new loadout. Now, whenever you want to switch to it, you simply highlight your saved loadout from the menu and click the equip button. You can even make a hotbar icon for it so you don't even have to fumble with menus.

Granted, when you first unlock a new class/job, you're going to start naked unless you were already wearing level 1 equipment in a given slot. Example: A level 1 ACN won't be able to wear level 10 gear that a BLM was using until they get to level 10 or higher as well. Because you can level all classes on the same character, old equipment may always find another use on another class. It's often wise to stow away lower level equipment if you have plans to level another class that could use it. BLM, ACN, CNJ, and AST will find good mileage out of a lot of the Level 1-50 gear. However, if you've already sold off a lot of gear, it's no sweat. You get plenty of money from the story and side quests to re-buy it. You also get plenty of gear flat-out from said quests.

In short, Gear Sets will save you time and frustration.

Chrallmal, thank you :)

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Originally Posted by KilimYolo

Please correct me if i'm wrong, but it allmoust looks as if BLM and Summoner can use the same stats? I mean if i adjust for BLM, i can still use the same gear on Summoner and still be OK.
Right? If so than great, super easy switching on future.

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So the answer to this is 99% yes. Both classes have Int as their main stat, and both classes have the same general purpose, so both classes want a similar stat profile. If we're being SUPER specific, they value their secondary stats a little differently. The values of these are changing on friday with the early access patch, so i cant say what the order will be in Stormblood(someone will do the math). But currently both classes want just enough accuracy to hit whatever theyre going to fight(most important - misses suck), then for BLM the accepted priority is Spell speed, critical, and finally determination. My understanding is that currently summoners want(after hitting accuracy) as much Crit as possible, as much Det as possible, and a specific amount of speed(not too much, not too little).

With that said, that level of detail into stat weights and priorities wont do you much good until you get to very high levels when you can start to get a LOT of the stats in question. And again, all this changes on friday. Accuracy wont even be a stat anymore(being replaced by "direct hit" which sounds like a weaker crit that happens more often and can stack with it). But if you took a "best" gear set for BLM it would play slightly worse for SMN, and vice versa. None of this is the difference between good and bad, its more the difference between great and very good.