Quote Originally Posted by Duelle View Post
In one word, yes. I left WoW long before they implemented flex raiding, but if it works as I'm thinking it does, then we would greatly benefit from a similar system.

The main thing the devs would have to adjust is party/raid structure and AoE abilities. Every ability in this game is party-focused with no raid options, and that's one of the first things that need to change if we are going to make size-flexible content.
I agree with this. Of course, more diverse designs along with getting core mechanics earlier would be ideal.
A few follow-up questions, then, if you're willing. I could use your insights on this as a fellow former WoW and XI player.

1. To what extent do you think we'll need to open up raid options? E.g. should all healers be able to raid-heal to some extent — which, if not very well tuned, could allow you basically one to three healers in a 24-man raid. Which party utilities, such Shadewalker, Eye for an Eye, Apocatastatis, or even Aetherial Manipulation, should be able to target non-party members — this perhaps having the further issue of troll Shadewalkers and/or a chosen tank never having to deal with issues of enmity. I'm sure there's a point of balance that could make all that work, but it might require some small raid adjustments as well.

2. If diversity and complexity was opened up into more universal means, such as introducing "by name" mechanics or traits like "Swiftness" (movement speed), "Quickening" (reduced cooldown time), "Flurry" (player-controlled multi-strikes), "Haste" (Attack Speed), "Syphon" (healing from damage), and so forth, would merely seeing your job's traits as a collection of universal mechanics, though now with potentially each job set of traits and each ability tooltip able to support more complexity with less text (unless expanded, e.g.: <Symbol for Drain> 25 | "Drain 25" | "Generates self-healing equal to 25% of damage dealt"), make jobs seem somehow less unique (or just, more clearly so?).

3. If cross-class traits were expanded, allowing for collections of, let's say...
  • Gold – mechanically-additive; core, integral; makes the job feel like the job, but can have some very cool effects on others as well (e.g. "Sword and Board" (GLD), "Guardian" (PLD), "Collusion" (ROG), "Field of Fire" (ARC), "Drive" (LCR)),
  • Silver – more general or passive traits, but can still have tremendous impact; generally less powerful, especially within the native job/class,
  • Bronze – augments for native Bronze and Silver abilities or small passives that tend to make them work a bit better
...traits, but that process allowed for more obvious collection of personal favorite, job-desired, or encounter-desired traits, would jobs feel less unique for being able to choose them. And if so, is that worth it for an increase in character freedom?

4. Would it be inappropriate or actually easier to have certain traits/passives/mechanics and skills/actives under the same name, e.g. "Cover (t)" and "Cover (s)"?

5. What QoL changes or points or structure of balance might make these trait selections feel less like the sliding panels of Warlords of Draenor and more like your own take on the job?

6. What other types of customization might be useful and desireable? (Ability adaptations to try to mitigate some of the hatred of certain skills due to their fine details and their consequences?)