Wish FF14 would transition to FFE job/skill system

[Callback]

The difficulty with a system that doesn't enforce it is that if you show up in a group as a tank, you won't be allowed to tank. People will pull ahead of you, and will ignore any pleas to follow the system. Just thinking about it is giving me flashbacks to dungeons and scenarios in WoW: Mists of Pandaria, where the mobs did so little damage and died so easily that there was no need for any sort of role system. It was incredibly frustrating, because my character was built to be able to survive, and to prevent other people from taking damage, but all of the utility I brought was ignored, and thrown out the window. And especially considering how little damage tanks did natively, I felt utterly useless in that content, which made the game utterly unenjoyable.

Our guild healer experienced the same thing. Classes had so many self-heals that they trivialized most content, and left her Smiting and Penancing to contribute what minuscule amounts of DPS a Disc Priest could. It actually drove us to drop WoW for a while very early in the expansion, because our favorite activity (small group content) was not at all fun for us.

In a system where there is no enforcement of roles, everyone becomes DPS. Tanks aren't allowed to tank, and if they try, they're left behind. Healers aren't allowed to heal, and if they try, they're scolded for not DPSing. Everyone is expected to Zerg rush trash and bosses to death, and there's nothing unique about any of it.

You seem to fail to understand. Have you played any of the games I listed? I'm talking games with combat systems designed to avoid forcing that trinity, not more WoW clones that just happen to allow any comp. Heals are optional and generally somewhat small or limited because if you're good you won't get hit. Tanking isn't required since everyone can dodge. If you do want to tank, you generally get a block, counter, grapple, etc. that can be used for that, to hold the enemy in position or keep people behind you safe. Otherwise you might want to be more of a berserker archetype, with massive AoE on your attacks, big damage, and a huge health pool. You would have tons of super armor to make sure you can get them off, but slow animations that make it much easier to get hit. It's not like XIV or WoW where everything in the game has 100% super armor 100% of the time and mobs deal flat out unavoidable damage to whomever they see fit as a target. THAT'S the kind of system that forces a trinity. Other games have combat systems that emphasize skill in aiming your attacks, following up with good combos, recognizing attacks, and dodging the enemy. Damage is a punishment for screwing up. There are still roles, but the roles are different, and not so rigid. Having a class with lower damage but massive AoE lockdown potential makes a sort of controller whose job it is to keep the mos in one place and control the battle to make it easier for allies. Duelists specialize in focusing on one big problem mob and engaging it 1v1, locking it in combat to remove it from the fight the rest of the team is having. Supports focus on buffs or debuffs, sacrificing their own damage for large enhancements to parties. There are solo-friendly classes that have quick attacks and are great at dodging so they can stay alive while on their own as they push through the content.

And most importantly the combat is engaging. You actually have to play the game performing the actions, not just letting your character do its thing while you plug in an order for it to use its skills. Timing, aim, reaction, all important. The combat is active.

Final Fantasy XI was out before WoW. FFXI utilized the trinity system. SE developed FFXI. Sooooooooo, who copied who? Admittedly, SE took from Everquest, but in your example you are falsely claiming that SE took the idea from Blizzard, which is not the case. Sorry to nitpick. Not trying to be rude either. I just had to clear that up cause it really grinded my gears. lol

Never said they invented it, just said the industry as a whole has been flooded with countless games in the same style ever since its popularity boom, trying to copy its success.