TIME: Interview with Yoshi

[Waliel]

I don't know if I'm happy or sad about the mention of the spec tree.

Final Fantasy XIV’s core concept is to have the freedom to play each role through the Armoury System, so we may explore new directions through a skill tree, in which the player’s job will be determined by what actions have been obtained.

How I understood that is instead of choosing job X and getting Y skills, you choose Z number of skills and get job X based on that.

[Blueyes]

I don't know if I'm happy or sad about the mention of the spec tree.

I honestly wouldn't worry about it too much. The way he describes how it could work sounded strikingly similar to the concept of having classes split off into two jobs; a concept that was abandoned pretty quickly. Personally I don't see it panning out. What might be more likely would be having a system similar to FFXI's Merit system which allowed minor customization with a handful of optional abilities catering to specific play styles.

How I understood that is instead of choosing job X and getting Y skills, you choose Z number of skills and get job X based on that.

That actually isn't far off from the original 1.0 concept which had a much stronger focus on the use of cross class abilities with the idea of having players "define their own class." I can't imagine they would ever go back to that considering classes are more or less ceasing to be developed further as of late. I took his response as more a hypothetical "if we were to do that it would probably work something like this" and not something that is actually being planned to happen.

[HeavensSword]

How I understood that is instead of choosing job X and getting Y skills, you choose Z number of skills and get job X based on that.

If you have ever played WoW before the spec changes that occurred in Mists of Pandaria I think (I only played during that expansion). You had your class, e.g. Warrior and as you leveled you spent points in your talent/skill tree. Skills and talents were broken up into 3-4 categories. What you chose determined the role you filled.

So you are still a warrior, but you might be a tank (protection), or DPS (arms, fury). Specs.

[Niwashi]

You had your class, e.g. Warrior and as you leveled you spent points in your talent/skill tree. Skills and talents were broken up into 3-4 categories. What you chose determined the role you filled.

So you are still a warrior, but you might be a tank (protection), or DPS (arms, fury). Specs.

That wouldn't be bad provided that there are opportunities to re-spec when you want to. I just wouldn't want a character to be locked into one specialty.