Job Personalization: Can I Have It?

[Sandpark]

We already have cross-class skills you can't equip when you change to a job, but you can use as a class without a soul stone should you decide to go for utility over specialization. Look at that: you have a choice! And there's people on this forum who even forego the soul stone so they can use more skills for said utility and they can get through content just fine.

I actually get a little offended that even other BLMs say we only have fire and ice. If you're only using fire and ice then you're the one pigeon-holing yourself.

Skill trees and such pigeon-hole you into doing one job and one job only. At least in this game with cross class abilities should shit hit the fan, I can switch gears on a dime and help my party until we're on our feet again. Name me a game with skill trees or specs that gives me that same variety and I will gladly shut up.

Yeah we have big choice on classes. But that won't work in duty finder or pre formed parties with strangers because jobs are better at roles than classes are.And that is fine, I like the way jobs are so restricted into a certain role. I was one of the people who said blms are refined to ice and fire, which isn't true if you count side skills like sleep or other things. I was referring to the the bread and butter damage. Just as I dislike a DPS having to resort to one or two weaponskills to deal the most damage in most situations.

I guess the truth I don't like. Is how combat resides with enemy identities. All jobs have some utility, but the enemy I am facing has little bearing on what I do. Sure some might resist stuff, but the same strategy can be used for basically most enemies encountered, if you take away order of AoE dodging types.

Enemy identity is something that would not work in tight based group content though. Because SE cannot make everything in the dungeon utilize and remember each jobs customization and would lead to members getting shunned if they don't fit the bill. But the open world could work in enemy characteristics to create more opportunities for us to cast different damage skills depending on specific situations.

[DreadRabbit]

snip

I guess by offended I mean more like when people think that's the only thing worth doing. You're right, fire and ice is our bread and butter for sure.

You make a good point with enemy identity though. And I have to agree that I'm hard pressed to find a solution to that one to make things like elements have a meaningful difference. But if they can do that in say, open fields like you suggested, I'd be on bored for that one because then it's like adding another game mode without messing with what we already have.

[Sandpark]

I guess by offended I mean more like when people think that's the only thing worth doing. You're right, fire and ice is our bread and butter for sure.

You make a good point with enemy identity though. And I have to agree that I'm hard pressed to find a solution to that one to make things like elements have a meaningful difference. But if they can do that in say, open fields like you suggested, I'd be on bored for that one because then it's like adding another game mode without messing with what we already have.

FFXI had abyssea. It was either a godsend or a bane depending on the user. In those zones a system of needing certain skills to mix and if combined correctly would grant you lights that extended your play time in those zones or cause enemies to drop rare items. Abyssea was different from the outside world. In there, you were a god. Outside, you were a normal human again.

While the endgame content before Abyssea was fun, comparable to FFXIV dungeons but more open. I never had any content before that let me do stuff outside the party only mantra and have worthwhile rewards. Well later I did, when I figured out my blm, monk, and rdm could solo things meant for parties. Fun as hell though, when I didn't feel like doing standard group content.

So it changed the rules outside the normal game we were used to but I never got bored or had problems adjusting to the outside world. The content did kill most other open world leveling due to being able to enter at 30 and leech though and it made the gear a little too good. It sent most gear acquired over years rendered obsolete for a time.