Why not abolish the Class system entirely in favor of Jobs? [@ Devs]

[Newtype879]

I personally like the idea of the Class/Armory system for a few different reasons:
1) In terms of content, it's easier to have a class branch in multiple jobs (GLD to PLD or DRK, depending on other class levels for example) then building an entirely new class when they want to add new stuff.
2) In terms of PvP (coming in 2.0) it's much easier to balance 9 classes against each other then tweak the 5 abilities of jobs for PvP than it is to to balance what would eventually be 10+ classes (assuming they add jobs regularly).
3) I LOVE the fact that with the Armory system it's easier to solo. Having to party up in order to be able to get healing in FFXI really slowed the game down for me and the survivability of classes in WoW went from LOLEASY to stupid tough depending on which expansion you're looking at.

[Ralos]

I haven't read the 25 pages of this thread but I like the story purposes beind the class to job system. It's reminiscent of the FF1 job upgrade (seen in other FFs as well such as 3) and I love the storyline of developing into your job. As for the actual game play mechanics of it and the practicality, I enjoy the differentiation between spread out abilities and more focused strengths/weaknesses.

[Endigiont]

I'd be in favor of it, however I also kinda like the idea of just random people random professionals becoming Final Fantasy heroes <,<;

Like I had the Idea for a web comic where like the party consists of real life people like a Doctor becomes the Whitemage, an Army veteran becomes the Warrior, a Physics teacher becomes the black mage XD You know..

So what I'm saying is I kinda like the idea of these real careers get blessed with the light of the crystal and become iconic final fantasy jobs in a weird way <,<;

[Jynx]

The class system does nothing but hamstring the job system and limits overall creativity that can be put into job specializations and variations within the job itself.

It's like PLD and DRK bith coming from gladiator, sounds good on paper until you fealize that unless DRK is going to also be a tanky class gladiator lends nothing to any other roll than tanking. Boom, brick wall...not only that drk would be limited to single handed swords due to once again the class system being counter productive. This scenario plays out with bard as well making them need to focus on dps as well instead of being able to focus as a full buffer they need to juggle and make archer skills integral to the job.

What happens when or if they introduce a new job like blue mage who uses a whip or some weapon not i the armory system? We need to introduce a class for that job spending twice the ammount of time and effort and also need to make sure the class can balance with all the skills they can grab from others while still making Blue mage not feel like a upgrade from that class and be unique somehow. Forthe most parts jobs act as just a slight more ficused class without the freedom of choice but all the kimitations that came with it.

Classes really need to go or be further seperated from the job system, makenthe jobs wholy unique and not tied down to their origin class with half their skills originating from their class cunterparts.

[OctaviusEvergreen]

I'd be in favor of it, however I also kinda like the idea of just random people random professionals becoming Final Fantasy heroes <,<;

Like I had the Idea for a web comic where like the party consists of real life people like a Doctor becomes the Whitemage, an Army veteran becomes the Warrior, a Physics teacher becomes the black mage XD You know..

So what I'm saying is I kinda like the idea of these real careers get blessed with the light of the crystal and become iconic final fantasy jobs in a weird way <,<;

[Endigiont]

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[Shougun]

Would like to see jobs be moved to advanced jobs and classes moved to jobs. So you use jobs to unlock the advance job (just like in FFXI) and then you level it (just like in FFXI).

Then we can have freedom of jobs touching other jobs and if SE so wishes still limit advance jobs to two sub jobs.

Not only do we get more stuff to level (good to give Yoshi some breathing room when ARR rolls out) but advanced jobs can actually be such... Like Jynx said gladiator to paladin.. ok. gladiator to dark knight... lol lol lol wtf?
Current system:
If you want to make each job unique you have to make a class dedicated to it - so we are just creating two for one.

And every time you make class you have to dedicate one weapon to it and only one weapon.

I'd like to see weapon variability again honestly... (though the weapon part makes changing classes easy)

[UmJammerSully]

I can just about put up with the clunky class to job system in 1.0, it was stupid but fortunatly most people accepted that most classes were redundant once jobs were released and they were pushed aside. I just don't like how they're trying to push choice between classes and jobs with stuff like class-specific weapons when jobs are superior 99% of the time. A lot of those weapons would have gotten good use on jobs. >_<

[Keith_Dragoon]

I agree with OP, Jinxed and shouguy. I've disliked the armory system since day 1 alpha. The restrictions that comes with outweighs the freedom it's built around.

FFXI had 20 something unique jobs that had their own abilities catered to their roles. They also used multiple weapons some even sharing weapons and being played completely different (BST-WAR, DNC-THF, PLD-RDM)

SE will have to add a new type of spin for new classes just to expand the jobs unless they tack jobs to classes of opposite roles like the gladiator/dark knight example.

I'm all for looking into a better system.

[Kallera]

I agree with OP, Jinxed and shouguy. I've disliked the armory system since day 1 alpha. The restrictions that comes with outweighs the freedom it's built around.

FFXI had 20 something unique jobs that had their own abilities catered to their roles. They also used multiple weapons some even sharing weapons and being played completely different (BST-WAR, DNC-THF, PLD-RDM)

SE will have to add a new type of spin for new classes just to expand the jobs unless they tack jobs to classes of opposite roles like the gladiator/dark knight example.

I'm all for looking into a better system.

You are forgetting something: all those jobs were after 10 years.

What did they have in the beginning? 6

After their first expansion: 15

We have 3 DoL, 7 DoW amd DoM with 7 jobs and and and 8th on the way, and about 8 crafting jobs.

Even if you didnt count the classes that's 19 different style of play. 19 things to level to 50.

If you were just count the classes you fight with its 8 things to level to 50, which could result in up to16 different styles of play depending on the changes in ARR. (Arcanist to summoner tactics for example.)