Idea: Split Archer into Bard and Ranger

[Shaddai]

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Dude I think you are the one missing the point. I say add a branch and then you argue about the core. Jobs are specializations. Branchs are addition specilizations. You guys argue about core saying core is fine without it. This is wrong jobs are what make gameplay as you say "add to it". Branching is adding something different to have different play styles from cores. The concept will still be the same. You know what forget it. It's like talking to a wall. Drop it.

[RiceisNice]

Dude I think you are the one missing the point. I say add a branch and then you argue about the core. Jobs are specializations. Branchs are addition specilizations. You guys argue about core saying core is fine without it. This is wrong jobs are what make gameplay as you say "add to it". Branching is adding something different to have different play styles from cores. The concept will still be the same. You know what forget it. It's like talking to a wall. Drop it.

Ok fine, drop it then. You keep putting words into my mouth anyway and it's honestly going nowhere now, and you're still missing the point that adding a branch does not deviate enough from the core to give its own distinct gameplay, only enough to add to it.

[Attelia]

Ok fine, drop it then. You keep putting words into my mouth anyway and it's honestly going nowhere now, and you're still missing the point that adding a branch does not deviate enough from the core to give its own distinct gameplay, only enough to add to it.

Precisely. These "branches" will not be different enough from their base class to justify their existence. Your little "Thief" or "Ranger" will either be too similar to the other job (which would render them pointless) or would be so dissimilar as to require a separate job (defeating the point of "branches").This isn't FFXI. SQENIX actually seems to give a damn about balance. There is not and should not ever be a separate job or class for every "flavor."

Classes are a cancer left over from 1.0 that serve to weaken the game's core. I believe the "extra jobs" introduced in HW is the right way to go about correcting this issue, and I hope SQENIX avoids adding more classes for the sake of "flavor" at the cost of balance.

[Shaddai]

Ok fine, drop it then. You keep putting words into my mouth anyway and it's honestly going nowhere now, and you're still missing the point that adding a branch does not deviate enough from the core to give its own distinct gameplay, only enough to add to it.

So then why does scholar/summoner work? Also about performance and gameplay not being hand in hand is delusional. If your ilvl is not high enough you miss. You miss no 1-2-3 combo. Changes will be made regardless. Having brand new class with no base is OK but it's most definitely not the better idea. Having skill tree's that branch into different directions is the way to go. If your not creative enough to see it that's fine. The soul crystal alter idea would be more interesting and less grinding. If your arguing a technical stand point, factually you and the other guy are incorrect. You want new new new. I Propose evolution of old to new. Semantics so I'm done with this.

[Aiselia]

So then why does scholar/summoner work?

Because they were designed with the split in mind and they dumped everything that you'd use for healing into the actual SCH skills except Physick.

If your ilvl is not high enough you miss.

Your ilvl is irrelevant to you missing. Your ACC is what matters. I just took my gear off and went and attacked a training dummy. Didn't miss a single hit. I put my gear back on. I attacked it again. Unsurprisingly, absolutely nothing changed in my rotation.

Having brand new class with no base is OK but it's most definitely not the better idea.

SE disagrees, thankfully. And that's probably because they have a bit more experience in making games than you do and know it'd be pointless to waste their time remaking everything that already exists when they could far easier make a completely new job that would actually retain its identity pre-30.

less grinding.

Yes, we all know that the only reason you want job splits is because you don't want to take the time to actually play the new jobs that you claim are so important for variety.

I'm done with this.

What is this, the third time you've been done?

[DestinovaTrueblade]

And even though they were designed to split, sch/smn still had a host of problems, one of which being SE can't buff any acn skill without affecting both of them. Even if we do dps/dps ssplit we would run into similar problems.

[Duelle]

And even though they were designed to split, sch/smn still had a host of problems, one of which being SE can't buff any ACN skill without affecting both of them. Even if we do dps/dps ssplit we would run into similar problems.

I'll continue saying this until the day I die, but this is solely because their implementation of job crystals was extremely lacking. It would have worked if the SCH crystal renamed and outright changed ACN skills to show that it is a job designed for healing while the SMN just built on the foundation provided by ACN.

[Shurrikhan]

And even though they were designed to split, sch/smn still had a host of problems, one of which being SE can't buff any acn skill without affecting both of them. Even if we do dps/dps split we would run into similar problems.

And, so? They can change this system at any time. There's nothing even to say that every job needs the same number of actions or traits, let alone that every job must leave every source-class action unchanged.

[Noelzzz]

Yesterday, in Chinese live letter, the producer yoshi-p said that soon they will announce job system adjustment. I guess will find out who is right and who is not

[RiceisNice]

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ACN has half of the necessities that would make for a healer; a basic healing spell, a Resurrection, mp regen and utility buff/debuffs. You also need to keep in mind on what they have to work with and the restraints of recovering a game from 1.0.

Ignoring the amount of development needed to change the entire system of job crystals, even if it were to change the base skills to suit the class, you'd still have them share weapons and animations. Unless you want to go even further and differentiate that, then honestly wouldn't it just be far easier to build something from the scratch up than change each and every spell to give that job it's own identity?

And, so? They can change this system at any time. There's nothing even to say that every job needs the same number of actions or traits, let alone that every job must leave every source-class action unchanged.

Whether or not it's feasible to change it compared to remaking the job from the ground up is the thing. Button bloating (and by extension, muh precious datas) is also another thing you want to avoid, unless the soul crystal was to disable class abilities.