Quote Originally Posted by Kaurie View Post
I guess I view things differently than yourself. There are a lot more different things between jobs than cosmeitc. For example, a SMN mechanically has to manage a pet.
in very few fights do SMN have to manage their pet. i main SCH but i play SMN quite a bit when i have to DPS. i'm just fine never doing anything more than Contagion and having Garuda following me around for Expert/Diadem/Void Ark/Hunts/Maps. and there's really 0 reason why Contagion has to be a pet ability. FFXIV SMN is a really poor excuse for a pet job.

Quote Originally Posted by Kaurie View Post
Further, a SMN is much stronger at AoE and a BLM is much stronger single target. They play very differently mechanically and excel in different things.
this was completely opposite before 3.0 before they nerfed Flare and took off the 4 target cap on Bane.

and isn't that the point of skill trees to make the same job play differently?

i can make the SMN rotation a BLM Skill Tree in like 30 minutes. and it would even make sense Thunder 3 = Miasma 2, Thunder 2 = Miasma 1, Thunder 1 = Bio, Scathe = Ruin, Blizzard II acts like Bane spreads all the electricity around, Blizzard III acts like Fester and drops a big damage attack, Freeze puts an AOE ice cloud that ends up acting like Shadow Flare, etc, etc.