Does DoW/DoM offhand slot matter anymore?

[SenorPatty]

Feels like something the 4.0 revisions should look at. As it stands at our current cap, only PLD as use of it. Unless the devs are adding some offhand specific skill for other classes, I just don't see the point of having the slot.

Heck, they should just make PLD sword and shield gear being one slot altogether and remove the one hand sticks CNJ and THM use.

[Sanghelios]

They havent added any one-handed weapons for healer/blackmages since 2.1 or 2.2 patch. So its fine as it is now.

[Khalithar]

Heck, they should just make PLD sword and shield gear being one slot altogether.

I actually think this is a good idea by giving them both away as a set. However, all the crafters and 2/3 gatherers have use of the offhand slot. I'd be cool with them ditching offhands altogether though for anyone not a pld and having the pld sword/shield come as a set.

[Rufalus]

There are probably too many slots in general. Didn't need 5 accessories and belts. The belts don't even have an appearance but we stuck with that now. Less slot pieces but higher degree of customisation over them would have been a nice system if we changed history with a time machine.

[Enkidoh]

GLA only starting the game with a sword and not a shield as well is actually a hold over from the original version of FFXIV (1.0) where shield use was originally an entirely separate class called 'Sentinel' (or 'SEN') for short. This is also why some shields can be equipped on CNJ and THM, in 1.0 players could still get 'skill points' in the SEN class with a shield attached on CNJ and THM, although they couldn't use shield abilities, only GLA could. SEN as a class was scrapped when the battle system and classes were completely redesigned in preparation for ARR and Jobs were added - SEN's abilities were given to GLA naturally but of course still required a shield to be equipped first before they could be used.

I really don't see this changing that much, as GLA's first shield-specific skill isn't even available at the start (Shield Lob) and a new player wouldn't even be doing anything that would require a shield immediately after all anyway.

There are probably too many slots in general. Didn't need 5 accessories and belts. The belts don't even have an appearance but we stuck with that now. Less slot pieces but higher degree of customisation over them would have been a nice system if we changed history with a time machine.

Again, that was a change from how the original version of FFXIV handled things - in FFXIV 1.0 belts actually had a visible appearance based on what belt you had equipped, however SE scrapped this in ARR as they felt it was too restrictive in terms of gear design - all equipment had to be designed and modelled so that belts would not clip through it or would just look right. This is why we're seeing so many new and original gear designs in ARR and HW compared to the handful of gear appearances in 1.0, it's what we gained for trading in a visible equipped belt appearance. Hence again SE will not be changing this.

And 'more customization' is all very well and good, but a reality check is needed here - in MMOs customization is an illusion of choice, where there will always be a 'best way' of equipping a character and thus the player meta will dictate that at the expense of all alternatives. FFXI suffered from this throughout it's life and it has reappeared here in FFXIV as well to a lesser extent with a handful of cross-class abilities deemed 'necessary' for a certain role (like Swiftcast for healers, Provoke for tanks etc). All SE has done has forced off the rose-tinted glasses and shown 'customization' for what it truly is, an illusion.

[TaranTatsuuchi]

Feels like something the 4.0 revisions should look at. As it stands at our current cap, only PLD as use of it. Unless the devs are adding some offhand specific skill for other classes, I just don't see the point of having the slot.

Heck, they should just make PLD sword and shield gear being one slot altogether and remove the one hand sticks CNJ and THM use.

I disagree.
Perhaps I want a specific sword, but a different shield?

As it is now, I can mix and match to my preferences.
If they were a set I would lose that choice.

They havent added any one-handed weapons for healer/blackmages since 2.1 or 2.2 patch. So its fine as it is now.

I still want to glamor a scepter over a staff...

[Lambdafish]

I disagree.
Perhaps I want a specific sword, but a different shield?

As it is now, I can mix and match to my preferences.
If they were a set I would lose that choice.

Agreed. Glamour is true endgame, and I would lose so much of what I like about PLD glamour (getting rid of ugly shields). If they did this, I would stop doing relic entirely.