How would you feel if they scrapped the current "classes"?

[Kimahri]

The problem with the system in FFXI was not the system it used but the people that expected you to use it to achieve an optimal build and that will be no different in FFXIV. As soon as a skill comes out that is as effective as Utsusami then it doesn't matter what class or rank it is people will expect you to have it, especially if you are a tank.

The game at the minute provides little challenge for people to have a reason to have these optimal builds but as soon as they ramp up the challenge and certain skill's and abilities start to shine through then people will start expecting it.

The current system is not so flexible to allow you to really make any class you want like some seem to think, if I invite a GLA to a party I would expect him to tank, if he turned up and said "no I want to main heal" then lets just say that wouldn't go down to well. If I invite an Archer he will be a ranged attacker, if I want someone to main heal I will invite a CON or THM.

The only thing the current system does is help with building a solo class, so you can add those cure's and defence moves to make it easier. I personally believe it would have been better if they kept the sub job system and allowed you to call your companion to help you solo. So if you were a DD then your companion could be a mage to help cure, if you were a mage your companion could be a tank or DD and so on.

By doing what they have done it will create a balancing nightmare and as such they will really struggle to make classes unique as if they give them something good, then unless it is tied to that class people will expect you to have it on your class.

Now just a little comment towards your first paragraph. A Paladin almost never used the Ninja as a subjob. Hell almost all of them didn't sub it, because it was much better to sub other jobs for maximum damage. The only job I seen subbing Ninja would've been a Thief and Warrior.

Now the rest of your post I completely aggre with. There is absolutely nothing different about any class other than the fact that they are divided upon two groups. DoW & DoM. However! This is where we need to base our improvements. I do not want a cheap gimmick of FFXI slapped on a new skin of graphics. It might be fun for a year or two, but eventually it'll decay faster than FFXI actually did.

I would like to keep the classes as they are. Limit the other classes from obtaining the abilities of a certain class. Untie the weapon from the class, and base it back to the system of XI. Keep BR, but define & tweak it a little more. And down the future maybe implement a choice of either two avenue's each class could take to an advanced job. (Example: Say they raise the level cap to 75 again. Have the ability to choose either Paladin or Dark Knight from the base class of a Rank 50 Gladiator.)

This is just a few idea's, and yes my idea's could be refined even better. That's basically the whole point of these Forum's.