Rogue/Ninja Starting Class?

[Giantbane]

Hurting the feelings of those that love the story and lore (which I do, myself) is less risky and less likely to result in losing dollars than potentially losing new players who want to play NIN.

Not to mention that anyone that is in love with the story to the point that they will be mortally wounded by this minor blip in the narrative will have already passed the point where ninja is unlocked. Thus they will never experience this and it will not ruin the story for them. Further mitigating the "damage" that might be caused.

The game is based around leveling multiple class, so people WILL play something beside NIN. If they buy the game only if they can play ROG from the start, that means they're seriously narrow minded.

If this were their mindset, I think they would have placed a greater emphasis on powerful cross class skills, such that leveling multiple classes would be mandatory to playing your character well. While there are some pretty useful cross class skills, none of them are really required save for Provoke on the WAR when you get to Titan EX and above.

Up till now, they didn't seem to want to force players to level up too far with multiple classes if they didn't want to. Only thing that's really required is 15 in another class to unlock the job, but that's it. I would be surprised if they changed this by asking you to level up one class to max and do some additional unlock questing just for the ability to start completely over with another class at level 1.

[Odett]

f this were their mindset, I think they would have placed a greater emphasis on powerful cross class skills, such that leveling multiple classes would be mandatory to playing your character well. While there are some pretty useful cross class skills, none of them are really required save for Provoke on the WAR when you get to Titan EX and above.

I don't know what jobs you're playing, but x-class skills ARE powerful. Some are a nice bonus to utility like Eye for an Eye and Virus on BLM, Stoneskin on PLD, but others like Internal Release, Blood for Blood, and Mercy Stroke are very powerful indeed and almost a necessity for any serious endgame fight. Swiftcast is almost a necessity, and Provoke certainly is one.

[Giantbane]

I don't know what jobs you're playing, but x-class skills ARE powerful. Some are a nice bonus to utility like Eye for an Eye and Virus on BLM, Stoneskin on PLD, but others like Internal Release, Blood for Blood, and Mercy Stroke are very powerful indeed and almost a necessity for any serious endgame fight. Swiftcast is almost a necessity, and Provoke certainly is one.

Maybe mandatory in savage coil, not anywhere else. It all caps out at 10% effectiveness for limited durations. Switfcast is okish for shadow flare, but not mandatory. It's awesome for res but you only need that if someone sucks and dies. Virus doesn't stack very well. Stoneskin for PLD is an extra 700hp only when you can fit the cast time in and don't get interrupted. Inner release & mercy stroke are particularly weak (except inner release on the BRD), but they're DPS boosts and if you want extra DPS it's better than nothing.

I mean, when you're maxing your character's capabilities you SHOULD get all the cross class abilities. But you can still operate at 90-95% max efficiency without a single cross class. Even then, most cross classes are available before level 15, so you have some of them without even leveling that far. It's a far weaker component of your character's overall strength than sub classing was in FFXI. Pretty sure that's intentional.

Unless, y'know, they make an alt.

If they're making an alt to specifically play ninja, I have a hard time believing anyone wants to level up a whole other class they don't intend to play. Regardless of whether or not they'll admit it.

[Viridiana]

Not to mention that anyone that is in love with the story to the point that they will be mortally wounded by this minor blip in the narrative will have already passed the point where ninja is unlocked. Thus they will never experience this and it will not ruin the story for them. Further mitigating the "damage" that might be caused.

Unless, y'know, they make an alt. Or if they're a new player who loves the story but hasn't gotten far. >_>

Not trying to imply that locking it behind Through the Maelstrom is the only option or anything, just that every path I see from here is going to be annoying to some part of the fan base.