[QUOTE=Kaurie;3525369]To counter your points.

Not everyone takes part in end-game. Didn't they say like 1/3 players have beat Alex normal last they released numbers, that's nevermind Savage content. So that everyone will want the best is a bit of a stretch.
Job balance is mostly done on the mind set of end game, especially on the hardest content. Developers don't take as high consideration for people who don't take on the full potential of their job.

Some people, such as myself, find it fun to experiment with builds and come up with something that works best for us. I did this with Guild Wars 1 and 2, and never had any issues keeping up with content. I also do this with my rotations, I refuse to go on and read guides on how to play my job. I spent the first week or so of 3.0 playing with SMN and making my own rotation, and I do fairly well with it.
You will ultimately fall into the category of doing what gets the most out of your job. You are only trying to make things interesting at a leveling perspective.

I think that job specs don't have to have a best/worst, and can be balanced the way the jobs are currently balanced. One aspect may provide more raw DPS, while another provides more Raid DPS etc. Perhaps not 1 job spec will always be better, but it will vary depending on your group composition.
Again, that is way too much to ask out of developers. They have to try to balance out all skill trees the best they can. If you want to go on a solo mode, they give you abilities and sub abilities already that let you do that. Everyone also has some form of raid utility they can bring to the table, rather if it is big or small.

I take part int he end-game community, and almost everyone says to play what you want. On the very cusp of progression, things are bit crazier, but that changes after a couple of weeks.
Because everything except Thordan EX and Savage have any relevancy for what you play as. When a raid comes out, you either go an optimal setup, be really damn good and efficient at your job on a raid level, or gear up till you can meet the checks.

The switching jobs on the spot has actually turned out to be the most limiting aspect of this game. Not only can I not swap specs to adjust my gameplay as I please, but I can't gear more than one job. If I am a SMN in raiding content, that is all I will be. I could level an alt, but the story gating is huge. It's a lot easier to have alt classes in other games that can all take part in the various content and be appropriately geared up.
Only really holds water for AF gear and weapons. Most gear now except a few share with other jobs. SMN/BLM, WHM/SCH/AST, DRK/PLD/WAR, MCH/BRD. For the most part, I geared out my MCH and BRD almost simultaneously. If you want to go as something different, that is fine. On a raid level, and this isn't just FFXIV, people want you to go as what you are most optimal in. Putting a skill tree on that will change nothing.

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Just imagine being a developer and you got to balance 2-3 specs within a job out of the many this game is going to have. Games like WoW still have a very limited amount of classes to play in comparison, which makes it easier to balance three specs within a class. Wouldn't want to be that guy.