Black Mage - the solution for everything?

[Jokerz]

No classes/jobs shouldn't be locked in the majority of content...the whole point of the Armory system is that you can swap out skills/classes/jobs on the fly. Having your best abilities on longer cooldowns etc. is enough to help with this, but the reality is that people who bothered to level everything to cap (I am not one of them) should be rewarded for that. So while I see where you're coming from, it's not practical in a game that's main selling point is flexability.

I really don't think that is the intention... think about it, I think being able to swap on the fly is convenient but I don't want it to become necessary. Lets look at FFXI and the macro system. At first it was a convenient mechanic to switch gear then look at how it spiraled out of control. Being able to swap classes on the fly can encourage stacking and leveling classes you don't necessarily like because it will become expected. imagine taking a balanced pt through a dungeon then everyone except one tanking being required to go to blm for boss. Doesn't that sound pretty broken?

I hate to say it bu if you give people a step they will try their hardest to take a mile from it.

[Kinseykinz]

I really don't think that is the intention... think about it, I think being able to swap on the fly is convenient but I don't want it to become necessary. Lets look at FFXI and the macro system. At first it was a convenient mechanic to switch gear then look at how it spiraled out of control. Being able to swap classes on the fly can encourage stacking and leveling classes you don't necessarily like because it will become expected. imagine taking a balanced pt through a dungeon then everyone except one tanking being required to go to blm for boss. Doesn't that sound pretty broken?

I hate to say it bu if you give people a step they will try their hardest to take a mile from it.

You might not like it, but it IS the intent of the game...heck, it how the game was marketed. You can switch out your class with the push of a button...

Also, it's a MMO people will ALWAYS try to find the best, most efficient way to do something, and then do that. The whole Thread is in response to our 'BLM onry' phase the game is currently in. People are already class stacking...not letting people switch out classes won't prevent this...as a matter of fact, it'll make things worse. If people can't switch in Cutters then they WILL go all BLM, because it is safer on Princess and CHimera than other DDs (WAR burn would no longer be popular b/c you wouldn't be able to switch for Chimmy). In veil same thing, BLM will do the whole Dungeon because it is more effective overall than another class would be at killing the 2 nm's safely. (again, I'm not saying I personally agree with BLM must burn everything, I'm stating why locking classes won't help).

And really, while a couple dungeons/etc that will reward balanced parties etc (like hamlets) are nice, it's fun to be able to choose how you do a battle too. I like being able to have the option of doing DH with 4 highly skilled players who can swap between 3-4 classes effictively through the whole dungeon just as much as the LOL's of going in as 7whm's and a PLD. So yes, I hope they add a couple instances that force you to play as classes not jobs, or have every job represented or give bonuses for bringing certain classes, but that isn't the solution for everthing. Also you DO see the irony that this is in and of itself 'class stacking' right? Like what if I like running as a Monk, but the party already has a monk and needs a Bard to enter...guess I have to go Bard even though I wanted to be a monk. Forcing classes/locking players into classes solves nothing, it just creates different problems.

SE can't possibly set up a MMO that will always allow everyone to be optimal on their chosen class/job for every fight and make it an entertaining game. Therefore, every battle, mob, etc will have an exploit. Heck, even crafters know if they level crafts x,y, and z for certain abilities they can HQ easier on their main craft...which is the Only craft they ever intended leveling.

[Jokerz]

You might not like it, but it IS the intent of the game...heck, it how the game was marketed. You can switch out your class with the push of a button...

Also, it's a MMO people will ALWAYS try to find the best, most efficient way to do something, and then do that. The whole Thread is in response to our 'BLM onry' phase the game is currently in. People are already class stacking...not letting people switch out classes won't prevent this...as a matter of fact, it'll make things worse. If people can't switch in Cutters then they WILL go all BLM, because it is safer on Princess and CHimera than other DDs (WAR burn would no longer be popular b/c you wouldn't be able to switch for Chimmy). In veil same thing, BLM will do the whole Dungeon because it is more effective overall than another class would be at killing the 2 nm's safely. (again, I'm not saying I personally agree with BLM must burn everything, I'm stating why locking classes won't help).

And really, while a couple dungeons/etc that will reward balanced parties etc (like hamlets) are nice, it's fun to be able to choose how you do a battle too. I like being able to have the option of doing DH with 4 highly skilled players who can swap between 3-4 classes effictively through the whole dungeon just as much as the LOL's of going in as 7whm's and a PLD. So yes, I hope they add a couple instances that force you to play as classes not jobs, or have every job represented or give bonuses for bringing certain classes, but that isn't the solution for everthing. Also you DO see the irony that this is in and of itself 'class stacking' right? Like what if I like running as a Monk, but the party already has a monk and needs a Bard to enter...guess I have to go Bard even though I wanted to be a monk. Forcing classes/locking players into classes solves nothing, it just creates different problems.

SE can't possibly set up a MMO that will always allow everyone to be optimal on their chosen class/job for every fight and make it an entertaining game. Therefore, every battle, mob, etc will have an exploit. Heck, even crafters know if they level crafts x,y, and z for certain abilities they can HQ easier on their main craft...which is the Only craft they ever intended leveling.

Personally, idc about class swapping and class stacking as a mechanic to fight bosses. If it's available to me I will use it to my advantage and think nothing of it. I like to succeed and will do what i can to make my success possible. All I'm saying is what will happen down the line. This community(at least those of us from FFXI) are well know for capitalizing on any advantage we may find, whether it be manipulating game mechanics to certain glitches and exploits in the game the developers missed. In the future the problem will become such that the devs will have to design content around class/job swapping(like how they designed content of gear swapping in FFXI) and I can't even imagine what kind of shitfest that would be.

I'd honestly prefer it not get that far and the issue gets nipped in the but soon, even though I know very well that if the mechanic is still present I will use it to my advantage.

And I think the whole ease to swap mechanic came from the whole "lifestyle" philosophy they had going on when the game was first announced. Iirc the intent was to go out and fight, then swap to a craft to repair your gear, or go out and gather then swap to a craft to produce your wares. I really, reallllllly.......................reeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllyyyyyyyyyyyyyy doubt they intend for us the community to take advantage of the mechanic in an endgame scenario