Please do not lock Jobs to the Weapon Class that unlocks them.

[Engineer]

Massively: Will the jobs that are previewed going to be linked to specific classes, or will they be somewhat more flexible?

Naoki Yoshida: To answer that question, we're just going to go into a little bit of an explanation of this job system. Let's say you're looking to become a Paladin and unlock the job. What we're planning is that you can get your Gladiator to level 30 and you also get your Marauder to level 15 -- and please note that these numbers are not set in stone. When both conditions have been met, you can unlock a quest, which you can accept to unlock the Paladin job.

Once that class is unlocked, you will earn a job stone (again, not necessarily the final name). When you equip that, you can change your class into the Paladin job. Beyond the level 30 quest through which you get the job stone, there will also be quests at, say, levels 35, 40, 45, and 50 -- just as an example -- that deliver you the story of the Paladin job.

The level of the jobs will always be connected with the base class, so by earning experience as a Gladiator, you will make your Paladin stronger, and any experience earned as a Paladin will go toward your Gladiator experience. There's no necessity to go and raise your Paladin separately from your Gladiator. However, there will be job-specific weapons and armor, and to unlock these, you'll need to do the quests after unlocking the jobs. Similarly, weaponskills and abilities won't be earned through levels but by doing those quests. Experience is how you improve your classes, but the quest chains are how you improve your jobs.

Obviously, the question is what's different between a class and a job. After discussing with the battle team how we wanted to do this, we decided that for light parties and casual play, we wanted players using the class system where you can freely mix and match abilities to make an all-around type of character. Jobs we want to make more specialized, like you see in a lot of other MMOs, such as where the Paladin would be designed as a tank. They have special abilities to defend other party members, and while attack power might be lower, they'll have abilities that will enhance defense and allow them to play a certain role in their party.

Of course, during this job system, to make sure that the job is specialized, there won't be as much freedom in using abilities of other classes. Players will be able to play a specific role, and with that they'll be able to know their roles in high-end battles that require more tactics and a more specific type of playstyle, rather than solo battles, which are more open and where we'd rather have players be using the class system to meet a more flexible style.

The best way of thinking about it is probably two different modes of character fighting style depending on what type of content you'll be playing.

Reading this has me thinking that classes are not locked. If you need to level Gladiator and Marauder to unlock Paladin, why should Gladiator be the only class that can use Paladin? seems like it wont be locked.

[Alerith]

Reading this has me thinking that classes are not locked. If you need to level Gladiator and Marauder to unlock Paladin, why should Gladiator be the only class that can use Paladin? seems like it wont be locked.

But he also said that experience points gained on your Paladin go towards Gladiator. Meaning it's tied to Gladiator. The 15 Marauder would just be an unlocking condition.

[Physic]

Reading this has me thinking that classes are not locked. If you need to level Gladiator and Marauder to unlock Paladin, why should Gladiator be the only class that can use Paladin? seems like it wont be locked.

interesting change, i did note that in one of the pictures, a bard has a windpipe instrument, and the bow harp, may have different functionality than a regular bow, however, i think that while we may get more weapons per job, they will probably still be exclusive to each job, and most likely only a few will get a different weapon.

Thats the way i see it though, we really wont know yet.

[ellohwell]

Reading this has me thinking that classes are not locked. If you need to level Gladiator and Marauder to unlock Paladin, why should Gladiator be the only class that can use Paladin? seems like it wont be locked.

Doubt that. If he had said you can equip the Paladin stone on any class, then I would agree with you. I remain skeptical until he says that. Otherwise it looks to me like PLD is locked to GLA

[Zion_Cross]

Okay say you're a lvl 50 gladiator and you just unlocked paladin... Will the paladin job be 50 too? Or will it be lvl 30, and you'd have to grind with your glad to transfer that exp over to your paladin?

[Answa]

Okay say you're a lvl 50 gladiator and you just unlocked paladin... Will the paladin job be 50 too? Or will it be lvl 30, and you'd have to grind with your glad to transfer that exp over to your paladin?

PLD is not a class, therefore it does not actually have a level. It's tied to the class. You don't gain anything from "job levels". You get job abilities from quests.

[Engineer]

But he also said that experience points gained on your Paladin go towards Gladiator. Meaning it's tied to Gladiator. The 15 Marauder would just be an unlocking condition.

ya but he still didnt answer the question straight forward. There is a chance he can be using Gladiator as an example for what hes saying, and that Gladiator will just be the optimal choice for Paladin.

interesting change, i did note that in one of the pictures, a bard has a windpipe instrument, and the bow harp, may have different functionality than a regular bow, however, i think that while we may get more weapons per job, they will probably still be exclusive to each job, and most likely only a few will get a different weapon.

Thats the way i see it though, we really wont know yet.

ya, i also saw that. I seen 3 diffrent variations of weapons, ill list my thoughts below.

*Harp Bow - This weapon seems like the artifact weapon that can only be used if you have Archer and Bard equipped.

*Harp and *Flute - These two instruments are on two seperate concept art pieces. My guess is that these are stand alone instruments that can be equipped in your ranged slot for use when Bard is attached to any other class.

so Gladiator/Bard (flute) or Conjurer/Bard (harp) are possible.