Predicting the next new Job after Ninja

[AspectOfWinter]

There's a lot of theories aboud about what's next on the table, now that Ninja is confirmed and a "gun class" is in the works.

However, my prediction is that the gun class (Musketeer/Corsair) will be released alongside...

Red Mage, in 3.0.

If you think about it, RDM would fit the bill perfectly for just about every major decision the design team SE will have to face:

-RDM would fit in the Main Scenario story very well as a character who could step forth claiming to be one of the last of his kind (similar to Yugiri). It would explain why they weren't implemented immediately as well (it may be that there used to be elite soldiers capable of wielding both White and Black magic in the old days, as well as the arts of the sword, but since both arts are outlawed now, they were thought to have died out along with the WHMs and BLMs of eld).

-It's been heavily implied that the mystery "gun class" will do far more than just shoot stuff. Another thread on here has brought up the idea of it being a combat medic/engineer type Job that can heal. It's confirmed that a new Healing class as well as a new Tanking class are in the works for 3.0; if this is true, then it could be that RDM will actually be a Tanking DoM class.

-Details have been sparse, but "Hybrid" classes have been rumored to be in the works, so RDM could be the first example (and test) of such a class. Perhaps it will be capable of Tank as well as melee DPS, while the Gun class can be either ranged DPS or Healer.

-Most importantly, the dev tram has said that they really would LIKE to add RDM to the game at some point, it's just a matter of working it into the armory system somehow. My guess is...that it will use a base class along the lines of Spellblade, or something like that, and the playstyle will be similar to Jedi Shadow/Sith Assassin from SWTOR. He can use melee attacks and a special blade custom designed for him as well as spells like Enfire to boost damage and Blaze Spikes to generate threat, as well as passive Conjury-style healing abilities to survive in light armor.

[MartaDemireux]

Well, there will be two released at the same time (tank and healer). One of which we pretty much know will be Musketeer. Available jobs that could possibly come from it: COR (DPS/Support), RDM (DPS/Support, DPS, Healer), CHM (Healer), BLU (DPS/Support, DPS, Healer), RNG (DPS). I have a terribly hard time believing a gunner to be a tank within a FF game (although it's entirely possible) so that leaves MSK being our healer. The possibilities I see for the healer are RDM, CHM, BLU. Red Mage could function as a healer/DPS hybrid though I hope it comes with Fencer some day as it's schtick is swords not guns but their AF is very "3 Musketeer" looking so would fit the name of the class. Chemist fits the bill perfectly. Blue Mage is a job Yoshi really wants in, has used guns in the past and has had access to healing spells. My bet goes to MSK>CHM.

For the tank I'm seeing the trends across various websites on which jobs people want to see and that's leaning heavily to SAM/DRK/RDM/BLU. I personally cannot see DRK or RDM as a tank. I could see Mystic Knight as a tank but there's little demand for that. BLU could function as a tank probably; it could during low levels in FFXI. However seeing as how Yugiri's race will be revealed in 3.0 and how she wears garbs of far eastern style I would guess that along with the new race comes a new area, the far east. That makes me think Samurai will be the tank coming.

TL;DR: Musketeer>Chemist & Mononofu>Samurai.

PS: And please please if they bring enspells back for players to use have them used by Mystic Knight D: They should never have been given to RDM in XI.

[Nahara]

Mononofu>Samurai

I have a hard time wrapping my head around this one. Not so much that I can't see it happening, on the contrary I'd love it if SAM came out, but I just don't know how it could be introduced without somehow crowbar-ing it into the current story, instead of in a story that deals with Doma or whatever other lands are eastern in thematics.

NIN I get because the base class is very much something we see in Eorzea as it is, but for SAM... I dunno, I just have a hard time seeing it.

[MartaDemireux]

how it could be introduced.

Well, no one said that it had to come to Eorzea. 3.0 could have us traveling to Doma where we get to unlock the class. It wouldn't have to be incorporated into the main storyline at all. It could just be a guild over there that we go and do the class quests for when we get there. Of course this means that we wouldn't be able to choose that class upon starting. I'm all for unlockable classes through story progression though.

Being an actual expansion pack it could have its own story completely unrelated to the main story we have now. They could place an early level restriction like 15 (coinciding with class changing) to unlcok access to the new area and then we could begin its storyline akin to how FFXI did its expansions.

[Ultimatecalibur]

3.0 has been said to be planned to introduce a similar amount of content as was in 2.0. I suspect that this will be one new 4 or 5 section area roughly the same size as the starting nations with level 1-49 content including a new starting city with its own new character storyline and a 50 to Cap area that may be roughly twice the size of the current nations.

[Marionette]

Don't forget dancer as a possible healer alternative as well, which would be relatively easy to make different from the current healers as it did it's healing via tp

[MartaDemireux]

I didn't mention DNC (which could effectively be any role tbh) because of my supposition that the MSK will be the healer class. MSK will use guns and DNC has always used daggers, cloth, or poles. Guns have nothing to do with DNC. DNC could be the incoming tank but I still think 3.0 will bring us to the far east and SAM makes sense (by FF standards, not real-world) to be a tank and the job of choice from that area.

[Giantbane]

If they don't have DRK in 3.0 I'm going to be a very sad panda.

[Mimilu]

I wouldn't mind Dancers coming to Eorzea, even as healers (although I would prefer combat Dancers vs healing Dancer).
We even received four continuous dances at 2.2.

[Eggnook24]

Gunblade Tank, Chemist Healer.