Quote Originally Posted by Jeeqbit View Post
My understanding is the new versions are aimed at being 16 buttons, which add job uniqueness and allow for skill expression again like we had in the past, except not clunky this time.
I feel so unique as a bard no longer being able to dispel debuffs like doom, freeing up a GCD for healers. I'm so glad that the removal of abilities adds job uniqueness.

What even is this argument .. the removal of abilities never adds uniqueness, what adds uniqueness is designing things in a unique way.

An example of job uniqueness is the positionals for dragoon, that is a really cool idea. However skill expression? How is 3 positionals in 30 seconds, with no reason to pool up charges, or gauge on anything to spend them in a smart way to maximize your damage a form of "better skill expression"? There's more skill expression in 2 minutes right now than in evolved mode, not that it's saying much, since FFXIV is notorious for not having much skill expression.

So far, we have nothing to demonstrate skill expression, everyone will be playing the exact same, just as we have before. The only difference this time is that Johnny 2 fingers will be performing about just as well as Dancing Mad Legends, so it's not like you can even feel good about pulling off the rotation perfectly.

I'm praying that this all changes A LOT. They need to add a 10% dmg buff to star diver to incentivize strategically using your abilities instead of just "ehh, I'll press this button when I remember it exists, since I have like 30-60 seconds before I lose a usage."