The anti FFXI job/class comparison thread

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defined classes = min/maxer rule the game with elitist mindsets and long party waits

ffxiv classes= anyone can fit any role, no wait time.


only thing has failed is the community forcing the ffxi mindset.
And yes, ffxi jobs in ffxiv will pretty much make ffxiv the same as ffxi.
I hated ffxi in how things ended up. Long waits to form a part or to join a party. Said wait taking months of playing 6 hrs a day everyday.

Sorry no thanks. I like the system just ppl need to stop force feedinbg the ffxi mindset while at the same time orduing ppl NOT to compare ffxiv to ffxi. When infact they trying ti force ffxiv to be ffxi.

Thing is, it's not a black-or-white, "either/or" situation, as some seem to be characterizing it.

I would welcome the flexibility of a system like XIV's... However, I do not welcome it to the extent that identifiable roles fly out the window because everyone can be/do everything at the same time.

That results in one thing: homogenization.

In fact, it would likely lead to even fewer options perceived as "viable" than you saw even in XI, because everyone shares the same overall pool of available skills at the same time. The only differentiating element is what your main class is at a given time.

In XI, for each Job, there was a set of different job/subjob combinations, as well as gear/food setups based on what role you were playing for that particular setup. Some were rather rigid (which was more about people having tunnel-vision than with the game itself). So, for each of the 20 jobs, you had a series of different ways you could play it. Sure, some setups were preferred or even demanded in some circumstances.. but again, that was people trying to keep the game as predictable as possible without deviating from what worked (e.g. what the walkthroughs and guides said).

I have zero doubt that the same scenario will play out in XIV. The only difference is, it'll be even more limiting than in XI. Why? In XI, even if you elected to "follow the online guides" and build out your character by following a template to the letter, you were still playing a job that had a specific playstyle and a defined role, or multiple roles in some cases. If you preferred mages, no matter what your setup, you were always ultimately a Mage, and that's the role you were chosen for. A Mage wouldn't typically be asked to fill a primary melee DPS role (save for some oddball out-of-the-ordinary circumstances).

In XIV's system, because everyone has access to the same pool of skills, regardless of class, min/maxers will eventually end up reducing the number of unique builds down to a handful of "standard optimal builds", likely built around filling traditional roles.

When that happens, I bet people will be wishing XIV had something closer to XI's system, where at least there was more variety by virtue of 20 unique jobs with several possible subjob combos for each, instead of a relative handful of builds due to XIV's setup.

I don't think SE needs to "lose" the openness of its current system. I do think they need to bring in more restrictions on secondary skill use, or, perhaps some enticing and very substantial benefits to combining "like" skills (dd with dd, magic with magic, etc)...

This way, people can still find a playstyle or role they enjoy playing at a given moment... such as in a party, doing a HNM, etc... but still have the flexibility to switch it up if they need, or want to while soloing, etc.