Jobs: unconnected and now feeling flat

[Talraen]

That said, XIV's entire Job system always felt like a huge step backward from FFXI, and I can't say that the system ever had much depth.

The job system has been lacking depth since 2.0, but the original class system in 1.0 and even the 1.0 version of the job system certainly were not. In the original release of FFXIV, every ability you learned was just another ability that could be assigned, and the number of abilities you could assign was based on your level. So if you wanted to be a pugilist with zero pugilist abilities and all lancer and marauder abilities, you could. That system didn't last long, but while it did, it resulted in certain classes being mandatory to level and everyone of every melee class using essentially the same skills. This is "depth" but it certainly wasn't good. That's why they got rid of it.

Look at FFXI - Ninja was a required subjob for Warriors. It just was. But the game didn't suffer because of that; people learned, saw what others were doing, and went out and leveled it. Worst-case, they viewed it as a chore, and their efforts essentially donated tanks for low-level parties; best-case, they found a job they liked, that they might want to main instead. But then for other content, they still had choices; maybe they were baby-sitting a friend in a lowbie party, and subbed WHM for Raise. Maybe they were fighting an enemy that hit rapidly for lower damage, and opted for MNK so they could Counter it to death. Were these choices mainstream options for end-game content? Usually not - but choice was nevertheless present.

We shouldn't be so scared of imbalance. It'll always exist, and homogeneity is an equally dire threat to FFXIV.

I don't think the evidence exists that could back up the claim that FFXI didn't suffer because of things like this (or that it did). But that's a pretty big assumption. The worst case with the /NIN situation was that people stopped playing FFXI. Indeed, FFXI had far less subscribers than better-balanced games that came later (including XIV), and this could very well be a factor in why. Other truths about FFXI, such as DRG being shunned for years, BST never getting parties really ever, BLM not being useful in Colibri parties, and so on, also most likely hurt the game's subscriber base, and much more so than having to sub NIN.

In short (to late) look at any of the FF series that had a job system in the past and you will see a web. Look at FFXIV and you will see your character in the center with just jobs sticking out like spokes on a wheel. Not only does that convey how bland the system is, it reinforces my point that you aren't building up a character, you are swapping out outfits like with a paper doll. You aren't building power, you are just cruising along a linear progression over and over. Which is fun for now...but with less then a year of game time I have already almost maxed out all my classes...what then?

A web? Clearly you've never played FFIII! But anyway, as someone else said, if you like leveling, and you get everything to max level, make some alts. That's what I did. I mean, I think I'm crazy, but maybe you're the same brand of crazy.

Aside from that, there are advantages to having multiple jobs leveled, as people have pointed out. You get more plot (i.e., job questlines), you have more options, you can take better advantage of multi-job max-level gear, you can come as whatever is needed in level synced content like Eureka or when helping a friend level, and so on. Does there really need to be an incentive beyond the act of leveling jobs being fun?