Any reason to NOT choose a job?

[Castillan]

As we all know, from level 30 onwards, we get to choose the job classes. By level 50a job basically gives you 5 job-specific skills, at the expense of losing 5 cross-skill slots (ie. 5 cross skill slots with a job, vs 10).

Aside from not being able to use your job-specific relic weapon (assuming you've unlocked it), and we're wearing non-job-specific gear (eg. darklight), can anyone think of a reason why anyone would choose to roll as a non-job specific base-class with ten specially selected bonus skills that would create a toon that is the equal of a job-toon? I ran over the conjurer/whm possibilities and couldn't see how it could possibly be better to stay as a base conjurer, but that doesn't mean that there doesn't exist some base class out there with the full 10 cross-class skills that results in something that can roll with the job classes.

Any thoughts?

[Ventus]

I personally would love to see classes encouraged more in the game because they allow you to define your own playstyle. That being said, job crystals aren't very numerous right now but aside from giving 5 abilities they also give bonus stats which is why people are hard pressed to choose otherwise in a party scenario because you only need to fill a certain role. When more jobs are available I'm sure it will feel like more of a choice: do I want to be a burst dps black mage or should I equip my green mage job crystal for etc etc (just an example).

Edit:
Also just wanted to mention that jobs not only cut 5 extra abilities for borrowing but also limits you to borrowing from two other classes instead of all of them.

[Lisotte]

Even if there was a reason to roll as a class I'd still stay as a job because I want to play something I recognise from FF; that was one of the problems at 1.0's launch, nobody had ever heard of a "thaumaturge" in FF before.

[Clavaat]

I've actually been curious to play around with this on a few classes. For example, team decides to go all class, with cure/physick/SS and Second Wind. Would the healing be enough to actually survive some instances -better-? Would access to more debuffs on a BRD be more beneficial than songs? The immediate thought is "no", but these are just a few experiments that I don't know whether or not people have tried. When you consider DL and AK armor is for both class and job, and any of the weapons, the options are not limited. Like you said, it might be up to something specific per class/job combo, and probably also situational (maybe dungeons, but not primals?).

[Castillan]

Yes, you're right about job restricting on bonus ability borrowing. I was just digging into it more, and thought that Pugilist might make for a good base class at level 50.

Some suggested bonus powers for a 50Pug (excluding those which are already available for a Monk)

Straight Shot (+10% crit-chance)
Raging Strikes (+20% attack power for 20s, but combine with Fists of Earth for example, for something that is basically close to Fists of Earth and Fists of Fire together on average)
Eye for an Eye
Stoneskin
Awareness
Hawk's Eye

Pick 5 of the above for a tankier/dodging DPS style

I dunno. It was just an idea. Was hoping for some brainstorming as to perhaps a good idea for a useful cross-base-class build that people might think: "Hey - I'd like that on my next raid" or whatever

[Misaky]

well, since the job gems give you a lot of stats+HP, it becomes impossible to choose to un-equip it..
for DDs the dmg is just way bigger, for tanks they get a lot more HP, and healers heal for more and got more mana.
so.. its not just swapping 5 job skills, you would also lose a big amount of stats!

If it wasnt for the stats, i would only equip my gem during dungeons.

[Alhanelem]

character, not toon

[Castillan]

well, since the job gems give you a lot of stats+HP, it becomes impossible to choose to un-equip it..
for DDs the dmg is just way bigger, for tanks they get a lot more HP, and healers heal for more and got more mana.
so.. its not just swapping 5 job skills, you would also lose a big amount of stats!

If it wasnt for the stats, i would only equip my gem during dungeons.

Wow, I never noticed that, lol. Yeah, the gem is giving +20 to your two main stats, and +10 to the rest.

So basically there's no way that 5 bonus skills is ever going to make up for that, so I guess that pretty much answers my question. No, there is basically no reason to not go as a job, except for maybe in super-specialised instances, and even then...

[GameGeeks]

I personally would love to see classes encouraged more in the game because they allow you to define your own playstyle. That being said, job crystals aren't very numerous right now but aside from giving 5 abilities they also give bonus stats which is why people are hard pressed to choose otherwise in a party scenario because you only need to fill a certain role. When more jobs are available I'm sure it will feel like more of a choice: do I want to be a burst dps black mage or should I equip my green mage job crystal for etc etc (just an example).

Edit:
Also just wanted to mention that jobs not only cut 5 extra abilities for borrowing but also limits you to borrowing from two other classes instead of all of them.

Yeah, but this could be remedied with something like adding a Mime or Onion Knight class.

[Ri_ri]

Maybe THM?
Exact same rotation as BLM, while THM can use Internal Release and Blood for Blood.