2hr Abilites (Yes Please!)? or (No Thanks!)?

[DAOWAce]

Quoting entire post because I fully agree with it and it doesn't seem like many read it.

If the development team does implement a "2HR-like" ability for each class they have to be extremely careful. There are MANY dangers and pitfalls.

1. Abilities from some classes are more powerful/effective/useful than from other classes. This would lead to classes becoming "lol<class-name>" and shunned from parties.
2. Demand for a particular ability creates artificial demand in parties for the class with that ability. Party members would not be chosen for their skill with a class or role (e.g. Summoner), but instead simply because they have that ability (e.g. Astral Flow). If a player has already used that ability, they are no longer useful, and thus removed from the party and unable to get into another party until that ability is available again.
3. Abilities are "too balanced" and become virtually identical. As such, they would not contribute to class-uniqueness, and thus be counter-productive.

The tactical benefits of any additional ability (whether 2HR-like or not) are clear. Having more options in combat is always positive. But the permanent social implications and drawbacks (as demonstrated by the venomous debate of the preceding pages) might do more harm than any temporary tactical advantage that these abilities provide is worth.

I am on the fence, to be honest. If the choice was between "2HR-class abilities" or "constant class traits" like Marauder's Steadfast Stance. I would go with traits, as they would be easier to balance, and have fewer social pitfalls.

An example would be if Lancers had a "Piercing Charge" trait that allowed them to always hit multiple enemies as long as they were in a straight line in front of them. Something like that would add class distinctiveness and tactics (specifically the tactic of maneuvering).

Adding 2HR-class abilities is not as simple as it may seem. Class traits may be the better way to go.

[Maat]

Greetings everyone! We have heard about the possibility of a 2 hour ability straight from the development team! Without further ado here's what Akihiko Matsui, the FINAL FANTASY XIV Battle lead, has to say!

Im just so happy my thread got recognized yays ^^; and im so happy with the news! thanks Gildrein

[SkeletonJelly]

I don't specifically have a problem with adding a job specific ability on a long timer. However if you do decide to add it, please think the abilities through very thoroughly! I hated 2 hours in FFXI because they were so unbalanced between jobs. Some jobs in XI got extremely overpowered 2 hours such as Rdm's chainspell and samurai's 2 hour as well. Where as some jobs got very lackluster ones, such as Blue mage and puppetmasters short duration self buff 2hr's. This made certain jobs very unfavourable in time limit battles with limited participants. Please don't let FFXIV have the same problem!

[Vanguard319]

Being invincible for 30 seconds wasn't useful? Doing 5 minutes worth of attacks in 30 seconds wasn't useful? Completely healing your entire party wasn't useful?

Hate to say this, but the only useful 2 hrs were Invincible, Benediction, Chainspell, Perfect Dodge, Trance, Tabula Rasa, Meikyo Shisui, Wild Card, Hundred Fists and Astral Flow (after Alexander was made a special summon)

Mijin Gakure was only useful for a free death warp/removing weakness, Sidewinder/Slug Shot did more damage than Eagle Eye Shot, and Azure Lore was only good for a single spell. Spirit Surge was helpful in a bind, but cost you your wyvern for it's duration (possibly longer), Manafont was good, but not always useful due to casting times, Bloodweapon was only useful if you had a low delay or multihit weapon equipped, and Familiar despite lasting longer than all other 2 hrs combined would wear off if your pet died, which could happen often at high levels. The remaining ones, I don't think I ever used

In summary, only about half of the available two hours were really worth using, the rest were either mediocre or just useless. As Sorel pointed out, it created favoritism of certain jobs among players, so there was no reason to try new party setups, even when the ideal setups were unavailable. (which was one reason why you could be sitting in towns for your entire gaming session lfg)

To that end, I don't think I would want 2 hrs.

[Vanguard319]

cuz no one played them correctly in a full rdm sence. AkA making them backline mages when infact a rdm was not a backline class. They wore meduim armor and used swords. Healing skill was one of their weaker skills. And ppl got made when I refused to backline because I stunk at it due to boredum.

I feel the same way, I had a hornetneedle for my rdm, and I could do some crazy damage using it with a tier II enspell, Haste, and Composure up, and I could use Energy drain to supplement my mp pool and convert, but even with a sch in the party, the ppl I played with would whine if I started fighting, even when I was keeping up a buff cycle. They never could counter my arguments for why I should be in the front row. In the end, it was the reason why I established myself as a rng, and why I went dnc when that job became available.

[Betelgeuzah]

The problem with "2h" or "strong, one time" abilities is that it is quite hard if not impossible to balance and design content. I am sure FFXI players remember how 2h's of certain jobs were abused to make encounters easier, even in ways that the developers did not intend. If the devs have to design encounters with the use of 2h in mind, it also created an artificial timesink considering you 'need' to have the 2h to beat the content in the way the developers intended.

Thus I would like it if the "2h" of this game were a lot more situational and not nearly as strong as with some jobs in XI. Perhaps something along the lines of the weakest 2h's in XI would suffice to balance things out. I would not mind if they were simply "iconic" abilities that are not 'stronger' than any other ability, but simply have a longer cooldown.

Either way, whatever the developers decide to do, I hope they can avoid the problem of imbalance that comes as a side-effect with too strong abilities.

[Hhaven]

I would definitely welcome 2hrs. It brought a uniqueness to your class and saved your hide a lot, especially when soloing.

[Argh]

YES!

BRING BACK FFXI ELEMENTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Kurokikaze]

I would prefer if these big cooldowns were in the realm of 30 minutes for reasons that Betelgeuzah stated. I don't want to relive waiting around waiting for our 2 hour so we can zerg <insert hnm here>.

You just cannot balance interesting encounters when you have to consider the use of a really strong ability that can be used every 2 hours. XI is proof of this.

Need I mention Absolute Virtue?

[Gasper]

I would love it if they did the 2 hrs. It was all about tactics and using them in the right situation. OR, they could add race specific abilities like in oblivion. I would be happy to see something that either adds tactical gameplay, or role specificity.