Predictions for job(s) in the next expansion?

[Daroach]

I'll now try to grade going from 1 to 5 which will represent the chance they have to be in 6.0 depending of the four points listed above (purely subjective).
From more to less probable :

Geomancer :

• Weapon diversity : Already satisfied, he use a bell which is not used by any other classes
• Job diversity : He can fullfill the role of a healer or a caster DPS
• Job uniqueness : One job actually use earth as one of their primary magic which is WHM, but since ShB WHM lose their earth / wind ability to purely light one, that let room for a Geomancer job to go. I feel like this one can be pretty unique with ground / battlefield mechanics, but I also think it's pretty complex to implement it.
• Job popularity : Appear in more than 4 main FF games, 3 Tactics.

Note : 4 (Most likely)

Chemist :

• Weapon diversity : Claws in FF10, a Flail in FF1, but appart from that nothing really special
• Job diversity : As a Healer or ranged DPS
• Job uniqueness : Mixing different element you could extract from ennemies with different gauge in order to create elixir can lead to a really interesting gameplay in my opinion.
• Job popularity : 3 main FF games and multiple Tactics.

Note : 4 (Most likely)

Time Mage :

• Weapon diversity : Time mage in original game don't have a special weapon for them, but we can easely imagine a hourglass as a weapon for example
• Job diversity : It can be either a healer or a caster DPS
• Job uniqueness : Not difficult to imagine that core mechanic will give time related utilities to their party (Haste, Cooldown Reduction, Speed) which is not made by any job so far. The only downside I can think about implementing Time Mage is about the balance that'll be needed in order to not make it essential in every end-game content considering the fact he can grant haste for example.
• Job popularity : 2 main FF games and some Tactic games.

Note : 4 (Most likely)

Mystic Knight / Spellblade :

• Weapon diversity : Single-handed sword / runic weapon is enough to be differentiated with the PLD
• Job diversity : A melee DPS
• Job uniqueness : Having a main weaponskill combo with multiple runes to activate and change the effects of certains weaponskills could be an idea.
• Job popularity : One main FF game and multiple Tactics.

Note : 4 (Most likely)

[2/4]

[Daroach]

Beast Master :

• Weapon diversity : Use a huge variety of weapon depending of original game : Whip, instrument, Scythe to enumerate the most unique.
• Job diversity : Most likely a DPS but which one ? Pretty difficult to say, if he control pet but hit.
• Job uniqueness : Pretty similar to SMN in a way, but can really focused on capturing wild pet / tame them.
• Job popularity : 3 main FF games and 2 Tactics games.

Note : 3 (Maybe)
I think that Beast Master is more suited to be a limited job due to the fact that he want to capture / control different beast he encounter during his journey, and I've heard another limited job was planned so maybe it's him ? (If someone can find the source)

Gambler :

• Weapon diversity : Gambler use card and / or dice as a weapon, so first point checked
• Job diversity : I think it can be either a ranged or a caster DPS
• Job uniqueness : Random is a word that inspire fear in term of gameplay, but dice roll based combo that determine a combo to use in order to DPS could be an idea, and lead to a pretty unique playstyle compared to usual rigid rotation, but I don't think a balance team really want this to appear.
• Job popularity : In 6 main FF jobs, with Caith Sith in it though.

Note : 3 (Maybe)

Green Mage :

• Weapon diversity : Use a hammer or mace, so it's ok.
• Job diversity : Healer or Caster DPS.
• Job uniqueness : With the fact SMN tend to be less DoT dependant, maybe a pure DoT and debuff mage could make something, but nothing really extraordinary.
• Job popularity : Only FF Tactics Advance 2 and S, we know the Green mage more by his name.

Note : 2 (Less likely)

Sage :

• Weapon diversity : Another staff/rod jobs ?
• Job diversity : Healer or caster DPS
• Job uniqueness : Lorewise, nothing is unique from using black magics and white magics, and the fact that it's an upgraded version of RDM in many ways make it pretty worth nothing.
• Job popularity : 2 main FF games, 3 Tactics, the jobs existence is known at least

Note : 1 (Improbable)

Mime

• Weapon diversity : Nothing unique
• Job diversity : Everything and nothing ?
• Job uniqueness : Litteraly nothing unique, BLU at least copy and learn from ennemy
• Job popularity : Appear in 2 main FF games and multiple tactics.

Note : 1 (Improbable)

[3/4]

[Daroach]

Honorable mentions :

• Puppetmaster which can be in the same situation as Beastmaster, so as a Limited Job or maybe a melee DPS
• Bishop is too similar to WHM / is WHM in certain games.
• Illusionist are described like global mage who can touch every ennemies in Tactics, so nothing really worthy here
• Orator can be interesting, but maybe too niche ?
• A new unique job or a really niche one like astromancer in HW !
• And many others ...

Here we are, personally, I really want to see the Time Mage as a caster DPS who can grant haste to party and have a DPS rotation based on reducing cooldowns of other skills (maybe too op though).

What do you think ? I can keep updating this little thread if you want.

[4/4]

[Seraphor]

Most people don't realise this but Orator is actually wrapped up in Scholar, in a similar way that Astro has parts of Time Mage.

It's Strategem and Tactics skills are literally the SCH shouting superior strategies to party members to aid them.
While the Japanese names for Broil spells essentially translate into something like 'shouting obscenities' or 'heated argument'.
Indomitability refers to ones willpower or courage, basically encouraging your party members.
Recitation is the act of repeating a saying or a mantra.
Consolation, to comfort someone.

Basically everything that isn't overtly Fey is just the Scholar shouting instructions to party members or insults at enemies to boost/lower morale respectively.


So I think for the same reason that AST has Time mage Elements, and WHM has Geomancer elements, and SCH has Orator elements, we won't be seeing any of these as Healer jobs.
However, with the reduction in Geo/Time based skills from WHM/AST, Time Mage and Geomancer could potentially have room in the Caster DPS role.


I also don't think we'll be seeing Spellblade/Rune Fencer as a melee job, because it shares too much with Red mage, especially as Red Mage already has some skills used by XI's Rune Fencer job.
There is however room for a re-imagining of Mystic Knight, as this isn't not exactly the same thing as Rune Fencer, but it would not wield a single-handed sword.
There's potential for it to wield a Mace or Hammer, as these are melee weapons that have been used by mage-like and armoured jobs in the past alike.

[BasicBlake]

Most people don't realise this but Orator is actually wrapped up in Scholar, in a similar way that Astro has parts of Time Mage.

It's Strategem and Tactics skills are literally the SCH shouting superior strategies to party members to aid them.
While the Japanese names for Broil spells essentially translate into something like 'shouting obscenities' or 'heated argument'.
Indomitability refers to ones willpower or courage, basically encouraging your party members.
Recitation is the act of repeating a saying or a mantra.
Consolation, to comfort someone.

Basically everything that isn't overtly Fey is just the Scholar shouting instructions to party members or insults at enemies to boost/lower morale respectively.


So I think for the same reason that AST has Time mage Elements, and WHM has Geomancer elements, and SCH has Orator elements, we won't be seeing any of these as Healer jobs.
However, with the reduction in Geo/Time based skills from WHM/AST, Time Mage and Geomancer could potentially have room in the Caster DPS role.


I also don't think we'll be seeing Spellblade/Rune Fencer as a melee job, because it shares too much with Red mage, especially as Red Mage already has some skills used by XI's Rune Fencer job.
There is however room for a re-imagining of Mystic Knight, as this isn't not exactly the same thing as Rune Fencer, but it would not wield a single-handed sword.
There's potential for it to wield a Mace or Hammer, as these are melee weapons that have been used by mage-like and armoured jobs in the past alike.

Not to mention Scholar AF being the Orator set!

[Daroach]

It's Strategem and Tactics skills are literally the SCH shouting superior strategies to party members to aid them.
While the Japanese names for Broil spells essentially translate into something like 'shouting obscenities' or 'heated argument'.
Indomitability refers to ones willpower or courage, basically encouraging your party members.
Recitation is the act of repeating a saying or a mantra.
Consolation, to comfort someone.

Totally forgotten about this, you're totally right.

So I think for the same reason that AST has Time mage Elements, and WHM has Geomancer elements, and SCH has Orator elements, we won't be seeing any of these as Healer jobs.
However, with the reduction in Geo/Time based skills from WHM/AST, Time Mage and Geomancer could potentially have room in the Caster DPS role.

I don't completely agree, however, the fact that nowaday AST time magic is now completely inexistant after the rework and WHM Earth + Wind spells have been replaced by light spells (Dia and Glare) and if we think of the possible futur healer rework, I think Geomancer and Time Mage as healer are not impossible.

I also don't think we'll be seeing Spellblade/Rune Fencer as a melee job, because it shares too much with Red mage, especially as Red Mage already has some skills used by XI's Rune Fencer job.
There is however room for a re-imagining of Mystic Knight, as this isn't not exactly the same thing as Rune Fencer, but it would not wield a single-handed sword.
There's potential for it to wield a Mace or Hammer, as these are melee weapons that have been used by mage-like and armoured jobs in the past alike.

Can agree, though I think we don't see the spellblade the same way and is totally different from RDM who is only a user of black magics / white magics in a way, even with his sword combo, we still have room for a sword spell fighter (and much more oriented melee too).

[BasicBlake]

Thank you for the time you have put into this!

I am definitely of the thought we will be getting a healer and a caster.

I think we will be getting some form of chemist as healer because as a dps I feel it would go the rifle route from Tactics and therefore an odd spot to compete with MCH in the ranged physical spot, while not stepping on any toes in the healer role.

And Geomancer for caster strictly due to it’s history in the series as a whole, as well as a class that has comparisons to both AST and CNJ (no matter how vague or in passing) shouldn’t be put in a role with those two classes.

[Seraphor]

I don't completely agree, however, the fact that nowaday AST time magic is now completely inexistant after the rework and WHM Earth + Wind spells have been replaced by light spells (Dia and Glare) and if we think of the possible futur healer rework, I think Geomancer and Time Mage as healer are not impossible.

I think AST and WHM still harbour a lot of Time/Geo aspects.

Have to remember in Japan, it has never been just Time magic, it's called 'Spacetime Magic'.
AST still has Gravity, the signature Time DPS spell, still has Lightspeed, and it's roots still go back to the Ishgardian Astrologers who wear Time Mage outfits.
Not to mention, AST is still fundamentally based on space and time. Space in the sense that it reads celestial bodies, Time in the sense that it predicts peoples futures.
It may not be a classic Time Mage anymore, but there's more than enough there to clash with an actual Time Mage as a healer, which is why I think if Time Mage does become a job, it'll have to be Caster DPS, so that it can draw parallels with AST in a similar way to SCH/SMN.

Likewise with WHM. It still has its roots in Conjury, it still even has it's Earth and Wind spells below level 70, and you can't just ignore everything below level 70.
Geomancy is still compared to Conjury and AST's Divination in the lore, so there's no escaping its similarities.
A Geomancer healer would clash far too much with WHM, as it would still essentially have to have a similar DPS kit, that is based around Earth, Wind and Water, and so it would be almost identical to WHM in any content below 70.
Again, this can be overcome by making it a Caster DPS, and drawing those parallels with WHM similarly as with SCH/SMN.

The problem here is that I don't think this game has room for TWO more Caster DPS, so we'll be choosing one of these.

[BasicBlake]

limit

Once again I agree with everything Seraphor is saying.

I don't see the SE team pushing past 4 of any role anytime soon outside maybe a melee dps later on to keep that very vocal playerbase from mass cliff jumping.

As for Time Mage vs Geomancer competing for that coveted 4th caster slot, I don't think there is much competition. Just with the amount they are still adding things to the game here and there about Geomancer as a class/school of magic. Hell since 5.0 alone we have gotten confirmation that the one Geomancer npc we have access to has finally opened his school for Geomancy in the 80 AST quests, to the newest mog station mount having to do with Geomancy. (Then again every Doman mount ties into Geomancy)

Granted we have no precedent, but I don't think they would continually add so much involving a classic FF staple class, just to have it as cute flavor text. They have have been adding little Geo backstory tidbits or straight up dungeons since 4.0 and we are approaching 5.3. That seems like a lot of effort just to be like "hope y'all enjoyed the flavor text ".

[Seraphor]

Once again I agree with everything Seraphor is saying.

I don't see the SE team pushing past 4 of any role anytime soon outside maybe a melee dps later on to keep that very vocal playerbase from mass cliff jumping.

As for Time Mage vs Geomancer competing for that coveted 4th caster slot, I don't think there is much competition. Just with the amount they are still adding things to the game here and there about Geomancer as a class/school of magic. Hell since 5.0 alone we have gotten confirmation that the one Geomancer npc we have access to has finally opened his school for Geomancy in the 80 AST quests, to the newest mog station mount having to do with Geomancy. (Then again every Doman mount ties into Geomancy)

Granted we have no precedent, but I don't think they would continually add so much involving a classic FF staple class, just to have it as cute flavor text. They have have been adding little Geo backstory tidbits or straight up dungeons since 4.0 and we are approaching 5.3. That seems like a lot of effort just to be like "hope y'all enjoyed the flavor text ".

The only problem is that the jobs in 6.0 will likely start at 70, and almost certainly not at 80.
So they can't really use this new school for Geomancy as the starting point.

It could be an entirely separate branch of Geomancy. Yanxian rather than Hingashi.
Or it could join up with that school of Geomancy at level 80.

Seeing as it would start in one of the three starting cities, it would likely start in Gridania, as it doesn't yet have a caster dps job. Which would place it perfectly to deal with its similarities to Conjury.