The current job design system is not fit for purpose

[KalinOrthos]

Anyone who says Ninja, Monk, Dragoon, and Samurai, or Black Mage, Summoner and Red Mage, or Dancer, Bard, and Machinist feel similar are absolutely full of it, or are just looking from the outside in. The tanks have the issue of feeling rather homogenized, true, but Gunbreaker and Paladin still have enough uniqueness to them to make them feel different enough to play and have fun with. Dark Knight also has a lot of ability expression as well, though at times it can feel just as shallow as Warrior, which 100% got the short end of the stick this expansion. Can't feel too bad about that last one, though, they were kings of the mountain for a LOOOONG time.

[Melichoir]

Anyone who says Ninja, Monk, Dragoon, and Samurai, or Black Mage, Summoner and Red Mage, or Dancer, Bard, and Machinist feel similar are absolutely full of it, or are just looking from the outside in. The tanks have the issue of feeling rather homogenized, true, but Gunbreaker and Paladin still have enough uniqueness to them to make them feel different enough to play and have fun with. Dark Knight also has a lot of ability expression as well, though at times it can feel just as shallow as Warrior, which 100% got the short end of the stick this expansion. Can't feel too bad about that last one, though, they were kings of the mountain for a LOOOONG time.

The thing is that GNB feels like its own thing by a vastly wider margin when compared to other tanks, compared to when you compare PLD to DRK and War. Its noticeable.

PLD is more unique compared to DRK and War, but it still does have part of the same issue: Use a CD to spam a single skill multiple times for the duration. It's not as bad as War adn DRK but it still needs some work. Why even have such a skill when you literally have a class that has a shield. There's a lot of creativity they could have that revolves around Shields that wouldnt need them to resort to letting PLD be a caster for 10 seconds. And as for War, I think that stems from an issue with numbers and the flexibility of Holmgang.

[Stanelis]

Anyone who says Ninja, Monk, Dragoon, and Samurai, or Black Mage, Summoner and Red Mage, or Dancer, Bard, and Machinist feel similar are absolutely full of it, or are just looking from the outside in. The tanks have the issue of feeling rather homogenized, true, but Gunbreaker and Paladin still have enough uniqueness to them to make them feel different enough to play and have fun with. Dark Knight also has a lot of ability expression as well, though at times it can feel just as shallow as Warrior, which 100% got the short end of the stick this expansion. Can't feel too bad about that last one, though, they were kings of the mountain for a LOOOONG time.

What you don't understand is that people don't talk about homogeneisation in terms of thematical approach of the jobs but in term of what they actually do during the encounters. BLM and SMN deals damage. MNK, DRG and SAM too, etc but that's it, hence the homogeneisation. Even jobs that are said to bring "utility" only bring it in terms of DPS increase and pay for it with lower self DPS (hence, it isn't real utility in the way snares or CCs used to be). Let me remind you than back in the early day of FFXIV, you actually had to use CCs in some of the coils floors (T7, namely).

Look at how controversial the ability for RDM to heal or raise easily is (one of the only thing that isn't shared by all casters) and the DPS tax they get for it.