I like how no one actually disagrees with the OP and instead looks to their 'only 9 jobs in this entire game' comment to troll.

I strongly agree that this game has been extremely linear. Personally for me, allowing us to choose which two sub classes to draw abilities from would go a long ways in making things better. As things stand, classes get massive freedom but who plays classes for groups? When jobs are obviously designed to be THE one you choose for groups? So classes are left for soloing or farting around in small groups of two or three. I guess that's why they get ten slots. Apparently jobs get only five slots from two predetermined classes for so called balance purposes.

This system is superior to the sub job system in FFXI, but it loses a lot of it's luster when it's so restrictive. It's no longer superior. It might even be inferior. FFXI gets one sub job but FFXIV gets two! that are predetermined and only has select abilities that can be shared unlike FFXI where a sub job gave all abilities up to the half way point in levels. For those that are not aware that means a 75 WHM with a 37 BLM sub could use all abilities and spells up to a level 37 BLM. I can live with a stripped down version of this if I could choose which two classes I can draw abilities from. I might even call it superior despite having a limited selection because there's far less chance of imbalances that plagued FFXI for it's entire existence.

No matter what you do though, there is nada you can do about everyone looking and playing the same way. People will look for the best way to play MMORPGs and eventually it becomes the standard and expected of you to follow their lead. BUT, that is sure a hell of a lot better than having no choice whatsoever on the matter. Linearity sucks.