Predictions for job(s) in the next expansion?

[RyuDragnier]

The problem with that is, we already know how that song and dance goes.
They tried to add Chemist back in Heavensward with a pistol and Mix-based healing; Chemist ended up being so imbalanced they scrapped it, gave the gun to Machinist and made Astrologian for the healer spot instead.

They couldn't figure out how to work the Mixing back then. Since then, they have fixed the Mudras which they didn't know how to fix back then, and they made DNC which has a type of "random" mix with it. It could very well be possible for them to make Chemist now, and hopefully are since it's one of the most asked for jobs in the game (plus we really need another healer).

[Seraphor]

They couldn't figure out how to work the Mixing back then. Since then, they have fixed the Mudras which they didn't know how to fix back then, and they made DNC which has a type of "random" mix with it. It could very well be possible for them to make Chemist now, and hopefully are since it's one of the most asked for jobs in the game (plus we really need another healer).

Pretty much.
It sounds like they were trying to do something far too complicated for Chemist back then. They've since changed course on healers and could pull off something that fits their current healer design much more easily.
Judging by the fact that their failed attempt at Chemist became Astrologian, they were trying to set up a mix system that results in a range of different party buffs.
Now that party buffs are universally just damage increases now, a range of different buffs is off the table, and instead whatever mix system they come up with could instead feed into their healer kit. For example, adding potency boosts, shields or regens to their heals. Something that wouldn't have worked back when they were still trying to maintain a shield/regen dichotomy.

[ADVSS]

The problem with that is, we already know how that song and dance goes.
They tried to add Chemist back in Heavensward with a pistol and Mix-based healing; Chemist ended up being so imbalanced they scrapped it, gave the gun to Machinist and made Astrologian for the healer spot instead.

Besides, it would be the only Disciple of Magic with a ranged auto-attack, can't imagine the nightmare that would cause for its damage output.

Im not sure of all the details of HW but it wasnt just chemist, they had planned for samurai or dark knight and chose drk because of the landscape and theme of heavensward(supposedly) so I tend to take that with a grain of salt, especially dealing with AST which we all know uses Time Mage damaging spells, and is very Time Mage-esqye as well. showing much less of the Chemist idea only in the cards. How many jobswere they working on back then? I don't really know, seems like it was much more than the honorable mentions that we got. How much of those 3 jobs introduced was borrowed from other jobs? Not sure about that either. What I do know though is that debuffs, and party buffs are slowly being deleted from many jobs, and we just have to see. As was stated before, if Mix is their thing and not some proc or mundane ability(looking at you Soul Eater), it could just be modifying a heal to be aoe, or do something like stance benefic, like heal and then regen or heal and then shield also or even more heals on the heals, or heals with esuna effect, or potency buff etc, Also I'm not really sold on the dual pistols, id assume itd be another 2 handed weapon like a rifle, but what im saying is that they could just do it if they wanted to, especially if healers have to be a disciple of magic no matter what, a spell gun that uses magic damage is a very easy compromise for a gun toting healer
As for the chemist meme of tossing knockout shots at ramza's head, i think a lot of us wouldnt mind that, some might even call it stress relief as a healer lol.

[Archwizard]

Im not sure of all the details of HW but it wasnt just chemist, they had planned for samurai or dark knight and chose drk because of the landscape and theme of heavensward(supposedly)

It was more that they intended to make Samurai as a tank, but got partway through development and realized the skills they'd made would be better-suited for a Dark Knight instead. My understanding is that the "aesthetic" of Heavensward had little to do with it.

(Just speculation on my part here, but it was probably something to do with the self-healing nature of their combo in addition to a tank's attacks being poorly paced for a Samurai.)

It's an iterative process, but it seems like the original plan was Samurai and (some iteration of) Chemist, both of which changed as a result of the designs being output. Unclear if they originally even intended to release a third job, but we know MCH and AST came as a result of splitting Chemist.

[Narigo1]

Ranged Job
Corsair/Pirate

Healer
apothecary/chemist

[ADVSS]

It was more that they intended to make Samurai as a tank, but got partway through development and realized the skills they'd made would be better-suited for a Dark Knight instead. My understanding is that the "aesthetic" of Heavensward had little to do with it.

(Just speculation on my part here, but it was probably something to do with the self-healing nature of their combo in addition to a tank's attacks being poorly paced for a Samurai.)

It's an iterative process, but it seems like the original plan was Samurai and (some iteration of) Chemist, both of which changed as a result of the designs being output. Unclear if they originally even intended to release a third job, but we know MCH and AST came as a result of splitting Chemist.

Well I might be remembering things wrong about DRK fitting the theme of heavensward better, but its pretty ironic SAM comes as a DPS next expac, which makes me wonder if they were debating a reversal with DRK being a dps as well before the final decisions were being made(I still think they should have given SAM maiming gear, but thats just cause original SAM and up through tactics wore heavier armor). Even if it wasnt openly stated, I cannot help but think Time Mage was looked at more than just a glance, with possibly its job quest ending up being made the entire Hildebrand questline, as well as parts of Alexander especially the final boss fight, and Alexander in general being tied to the theme of time magic.

[Sairys]

Tbh I think we have enough "elemental" magic DPS atm...
I'm not saying Geo wouldn't fit, because it does. Just that with BLM RDM and (to some small degree SmN pets) we have "enough" element in the magic DPS.department.

Late but I'd disagree here. When you look at the Swallow's compass the earth room has vine attacks, wind has a tornado, you have the section with torrents of water. Together the presentation kinda feels more druid than mage basically. WHM kinda has that on a story level and in some skills but they feel more priest like in presentation to me right now.

Given the lore around the elements having a DoT class built around consuming and empowering them wouldn't really seem out of place either heh.

[Archwizard]

makes me wonder if they were debating a reversal with DRK being a dps as well before the final decisions were being made

I think you're giving a little too much credit to the devs' planning cycle. Remember, that was a period where both of the jobs we know they had on the table got scrapped, and we ended up with 3 completely different jobs.

Job concepts don't come out fully formed, nor do the devs have a list in advance that says exactly when each job will come; they didn't open ARR with a roadmap saying "We'll introduce Red Mage two expansions down the road and Gunblader in the third." The ones that make it are chosen and iteratively developed during the planning stages for the next expansion, often as a result of immediate circumstance (like the need for more ranged jobs that prompted DNC in ShB) as much as players' or even the devs' own hopes.

I cannot help but think Time Mage was looked at more than just a glance, with possibly its job quest ending up being made the entire Hildebrand questline, as well as parts of Alexander especially the final boss fight, and Alexander in general being tied to the theme of time magic.

Doubtful. Time travel and manipulation were aspects of FF games as far back as the first game, and to my knowledge never had correlation to the presence of a dedicated Time Mage job. It's more likely that they were developed independently of one another, and were flavored towards Sharlayan's general affinity for time-altering magic (see: AST's questline, Louisoix's teleport at the end of 1.0).

It's probable that Astrologian recycled aspects of what was spitballed for a potential Time Mage job (Gravity, Regen, old Timer manipulating skills, etc)... but if an actual "Time Mage" had been in stages of development at any point between HW and SB, we would have heard about it in the same manner we know about Tankurai, Chemist v1, and the Onmyoji/Oracle scrapped from Stormblood. On that front, all we've really heard is that we're definitely never getting Haste party buffs because it would be overpowered.

[ADVSS]

I think you're giving a little too much credit to the devs' planning cycle. Remember, that was a period where both of the jobs we know they had on the table got scrapped, and we ended up with 3 completely different jobs.

It's probable that Astrologian recycled aspects of what was spitballed for a potential Time Mage job (Gravity, Regen, old Timer manipulating skills, etc)... but if an actual "Time Mage" had been in stages of development at any point between HW and SB, we would have heard about it in the same manner we know about Tankurai, Chemist v1, and the Onmyoji/Oracle scrapped from Stormblood. On that front, all we've really heard is that we're definitely never getting Haste party buffs because it would be overpowered.

well omoujya, thats new to me makes sense though as that(mystic/oracle) could have been a fitting job to bring back, especially for that expansion. You could be right. That would be extremely depressing if they were that short sighted with combat/job designs, but I wouldnt doubt it honestly. Despite what we can speculate what they had, or hadnt had in mind, or how much future they look to(because a contradicting statement could be that they are already working on the next expansion before hand etc so i assume they have some planning involved at least with the story aspect) either way, its pretty obvious that they do scrap old ideas and mix and match them with jobs they come out with. Kind of wishy washy honestly. Anyway we will just have to wait and see what they reveal later on, though from another thread seems like quite a few people would keep playing if they stopped adding any more jobs ever.

[Morningstar1337]

Kind of wishy washy honestly.

By that point in time, XIV was still kinda on shaky ground, considering that so many MMOs had tried and failed to compete with WoW and that XIV's history started with a product so bad it became an existential threat to the company. Makes sense they try not to plan too far in advance outside maybe the story.