Geomancer and Chemist - A Better Idea

[Archwizard]

Also the balance of the game right now needs more healers and more hybrid melees(should they follow my hopes and seperatr hybrids from standard melee over time like casters and ranged) than anything else.

And there are plenty who would absolutely disagree, stating that 1) the three healers we have now still need to be balanced against one another, and 2) that melee jobs are already the most abundant DPS of the three categories.

But thank you for highlighting that this is primarily based on "your hopes" that Square will implement jobs exactly as you vaguely envision them, rather than in practical ways that emphasize gameplay.

Again: My point isn't "They should add Chemist, but as a ranged!" it's "There are more holistic designs for Chemist as a ranged than as a healer, and if you want to add it at all -- much less as a healer -- impress me."

I'm sorry, but chemist/alchemist is just too ingrained in Square Enix's history as a healer to be anything else. It's like taking black mage and suddenly saying it can heal effectively.

That's hyperbole.

Chemist is only represented as a combat job in two numbered entries, and of those, one of them is as Rikku's Overdrive, which has powerful offensive AND defensive applications -- more offensive results, in fact, than recovery. It's only "ingrained as a healer" in side-entries like Tactics, where the gameplay is far removed from the numbered entries, much less an MMO. At its best, Rikku is a hybrid as a Chemist; at its worst, its a healer in games where Potions are significant.

By contrast, Black Mage has never had party healing skills. In fact it would be better used as an example of why not to add Geomancer as a healer, given its historic dearth of healing skills.

I know a lot of FFXIV players haven't played older Final Fantasy games, but there are certain roles that just need to be kept as they are known for. Respecting the history of the franchise is important for these fans.

And I find it deeply amusing to simultaneously see:

• They need to do X exactly as it was in previous entries to respect the history of the franchise! For their FAAAANS!
• Oh my gosh, you can't just throw out X because it's not gonna be 1:1 in every entry, that's too literal.

In this case, talking about how Chemist is "deeply ingrained" as a healer, while ignoring the most fundamental aspects of its healing in previous entries.

But to address you directly: I think that's a restrictive way of thinking, especially with a series notorious for implementing numerous hybrid jobs (such as Scholar, Time Mage, Red Mage, Dancer, Dark Knight, Ninja, etc) and an entry that does its best to fit them to the Holy Trinity of MMO Design.

For the future of the series, and the current game, chemist needs a stronger place in the franchise as a healer once more.

Bit dramatic. I don't think the series is in jeopardy just because they don't have Chemist as a combat job. Again... two numbered entries.