Unexplored Class Concepts I'd Love to See in FF14's Future

[ArkenaeuxBelmont]

hmmm i look at the weapon they can add more than class at this point, since everything is open...

- double pistol
- double axe, especially with the new continent having american indian society.
- hammer, mace, morning star
- spear and shield, it's a classical with the templar of ffta or phalange from history
- double sword



especially with the 4th boss of pandemonium i was where is belmont!!!

Exactly. If vampires are gonna be a thing, gimmie my whip. Let me hunt the night.

[kejakalope]

A Melee Orientated Damage-To-Heal Based Healer: Either with a 1h Mace/Offhand weapons or a 2h Hammer. For the MMORPG's veterans, think of Warhammer Online's Warrior Priest

This would be very cool! It will never be added to the game because it would be incompatible with the various fights that already exist (Alex 4 comes to mind, also Ifrit) that require the healers to spread away from the party or kill everyone.

[Shurrikhan]

Personally, I'd love...

• a mixed-weapons and hybrid-range Hunter (e.g., whip, push-dagger or side-sword, and crossbow),
• a Judicar as a tanky support (yes, very truly, very intentionally role-blending),
• a flex-role Beastmaster/Wildling (again, to intentionally push for a less rigid role system and increased job identity, as opposed to basic gimmicks slapped atop shared templates),
• and, say, a Scouting-class Adept (staff-based martial artist with a large spell-pool and high utility).

[Fyrebrand]

Interesting ideas, though I'm not sure I get the concepts...

A Melee Orientated Damage-To-Heal Based Healer: Either with a 1h Mace/Offhand weapons or a 2h Hammer. For the MMORPG's veterans, think of Warhammer Online's Warrior Priest

What is a "damage-to-heal" class? I have not played Warhammer. Like, you smack an enemy with your mace and a portion of the damage heals a nearby ally? Or every time you deal damage it gradually fills a resource you can use for special healing spells, sort of the opposite of the WHM Blood Lily mechanic? It has potential. Imagine having your full healing potential contingent on dealing enough damage. Could be a problem to play in difficult content, or content you're new at and don't have a great iLevel, where you need to focus more on healing or learning mechanics rather than "green DPS."

A 2h Hammer Tank: Hard hitting, slow attacks. With some great crowd control.

What are "slow attacks" in FFXIV? Melee attacks with a cast bar? Or a 4-second GCD? Why do we want to be slow? There's room for it, sure. We have BLM after all, with all their build-up investment, and Ley Lines discouraging movement. There could be a melee/tank that operates on the same concept. I don't think it would appeal to me personally, but perhaps some would like the flavour.

A Bladed Staff Melee DPS: No explanation needed. Weapon speaks for itself.

I mean, that's just a weapon and not a class/job, but sure. Sounds fine. I am assuming you mean like a glaive, guandao, or naginata type of thing. I think I would rather see a great class concept come first, and an appropriate weapon to suit the theme of it second.

What are some class concepts you'd love to see?

I really like the idea of classes that venture a bit outside of their assigned role, such as Red Mages having a heal and a revive, Dancers having a small group heal and damage mitigation, etc. In terms of theme, I would love to see a "Druid" class, although I realize it's never been a thing in Final Fantasy before and the Conjurer lore sort of explores that "nature" flavour already. I just really enjoy playing a Druid in D&D, as it felt like I could do anything -- damage, healing, utility, buffs, and control. Bonus points if they let you "wild shape" into an animal form, maybe even become a bear and handle aggro for a short while if the tank dies. Could take some inspiration from WoW and give us a unique "travel form" animal in place of a mount?

[Shurrikhan]

This would be very cool! It will never be added to the game because it would be incompatible with the various fights that already exist (Alex 4 comes to mind, also Ifrit) that require the healers to spread away from the party or kill everyone.

Is that a constant need, though? How many consecutive GCDs, and how many GCD per minute on average, must they be spread away for?

Keep in mind that even a "Melee" DPS like NIN can technically spend ~6 GCDs out of melee at a time without losing damage due to its two charges of Ninjutsu, Ten-Chi-Jin, and Phantom Kamaitachi; the problem is merely whether the movement away can also sync up with Trick Attack, since they'd want to spend those ranged GCDs under TA. Additionally, one's mobility also decreases the time each way one must be out of melee range, since a teleport (a la Icarus, even) allows you to arrive for a given stack at the last moment.

Give the "melee healer" even just 3 GCDs per minute that can be used at range, bankable to 6 in a row, and some mobility, and it will do just fine in the vast majority of serious XIV content.

[kejakalope]

Is that a constant need, though? How many consecutive GCDs, and how many GCD per minute on average, must they be spread away for?

Keep in mind that even a "Melee" DPS like NIN can technically spend ~6 GCDs out of melee at a time without losing damage due to its two charges of Ninjutsu, Ten-Chi-Jin, and Phantom Kamaitachi; the problem is merely whether the movement away can also sync up with Trick Attack, since they'd want to spend those ranged GCDs under TA. Additionally, one's mobility also decreases the time each way one must be out of melee range, since a teleport (a la Icarus, even) allows you to arrive for a given stack at the last moment.

Give the "melee healer" even just 3 GCDs per minute that can be used at range, bankable to 6 in a row, and some mobility, and it will do just fine in the vast majority of serious XIV content.

Many fights are designed around the healers spending extended periods at long range. If you can't heal out there, it's not viable.

[ArkenaeuxBelmont]

Many fights are designed around the healers spending extended periods at long range. If you can't heal out there, it's not viable.

"Melee Healer" could also be a healer that just like our others, relies on DPS (but in this case via melee dmg) via GCD and healing on OGCD. Perhaps the heals radiating from them as they are the center, like a Mistweaver Monk from WoW. (Just the concept). Chain heals that radiate from them.

For instances where there absolutely has to be a split and they need to heal at range, could go with the clone concept that Wukong uses in Warframe. They could have an ability that spawns a clone of themselves that radiates their chain heal from the epicenter of the placed cast. Maybe that could be their job gauge. As you do damage, you feed energy used to spend and summon the clone up. How much energy you spend determines how long the clone stays out, bringing a level of decision on placing a quick spot heal or a longer lasting one in a safe zone when needing to split the party.

Though I guess this is more eastern aesthetic based and sort of away from the "Cleric" type vision from D&D that Haseno suggested.

[Shurrikhan]

Many fights are designed around the healers spending extended periods at long range. If you can't heal out there, it's not viable.

But, again, HOW long? Specify. How many consecutive GCDs comprises is an "extended period"? And what is the minimal interval between those forced periods?

Hydaelyn's split mechanics, for instance, require no more than a couple GCDs at range per full cycle of her mechanics -- perhaps less with enough instant mobility (Aetherial Manipulation/Icarus/Thunderclap/Elusive Jump/En Avant). Even our Ultimates requires far less than constant splits.

[kejakalope]

But, again, HOW long? Specify. How many consecutive GCDs comprises is an "extended period"? And what is the minimal interval between those forced periods?

Hydaelyn's split mechanics, for instance, require no more than a couple GCDs at range per full cycle of her mechanics -- perhaps less with enough instant mobility (Aetherial Manipulation/Icarus/Thunderclap/Elusive Jump/En Avant). Even our Ultimates requires far less than constant splits.

Long enough for the melees to be very dead by the time you can run back in, at least back when Alex was current.

That said, Arkenaeux's suggestion of being able to leave a radial clone has some merit. Geomancer works like that in FFXI.

[Anhra]

As much as i would like more Jobs as anyone does, i would prefer it if Squeenix would invest more time into currently existing ones, so that we get some form of customisation like alternative Skillsets/ specialisations/ selectable traits/ skilltrees and so on.