True Support Class even possible...

[Warlyx]

bard is hardly support in ffxiv ,a song that boost magic dmg (if u have a caster) or a regen mp song ....are nice to have dont get me wrong but thats it...

is monk support because stun has mantra?

or drg stun , piercing debuff, slow ?

is smn support because can rez in combat ,eye for eye , virus , debuffs (heavy , disease....)

is warrior support because stun, -10% dmg received debuff?

[Peptaru]

There is a huge difference between what a bard can do and other classes can do. The closest thing is the piercing and slashing resist down because they work for more than one job, but neither of those can hold a candle to ballad or requiem --both of these are disgustingly strong. Paeon is [largely] useless, but in one or two spots it can make an entire strategy go more smoothly.

Notice most of the things you bring up debuff the mob, not empower the party. Empowering the party is what support does.

Support vs. Enfeeble, not that we have an enfeebling job because everyone has a little bit of that pie.

[KHShadowrunner]

One was mandatory but no one liked to play it, the other was relegated to cure-botting with token gunshots via Light Shot because SE was boneheaded enough to make COR ammo difficult and very expensive to obtain. That's not what I would call a winning formula.

Not to throw a hissy fit, but I played bard for years in XI, absolutely loved playing it. So much fun, so many smiling faces. I'll admit I was probably a weird one tho.

[Warlyx]

There is a huge difference between what a bard can do and other classes can do. The closest thing is the piercing and slashing resist down because they work for more than one job, but neither of those can hold a candle to ballad or requiem --both of these are disgustingly strong. Paeon is [largely] useless, but in one or two spots it can make an entire strategy go more smoothly.

Notice most of the things you bring up debuff the mob, not empower the party. Empowering the party is what support does.

Support vs. Enfeeble, not that we have an enfeebling job because everyone has a little bit of that pie.

requiem is a pbaoe debuff and is strong because BLM and SMN are strong DPS and partys are usually

1-2 tank (90% of content is 2 tank)
1-2 heal (u can do some bosses with 1 healer if no1 does mistakes)
4-5 dps (usually 2-3 casters 1 brd 1 melee)

if partys were 1-2 drg 1-2 brd 1 caster

brd worked on FFXI because u could stack melees on 1 party with a brd, in FFXIV u cant do that

[ReplicaX]

Why are ppl referring to XI's bard? Their early purpose in XI was more meaningful and helpful, yet the community exposed and abused its flaws, thus destroying the job. (They put up buffs and drop/rotate alliance pts, then sit outside pts as you were replaced by more DPS and cant do a damn thing for the PT or to the enemy.)

Every job in this game gives minor support to its party or at least another job in the party. At this time a true support role isn't needed at all unless they change the fight and battle mechanics specifically to add it in.

[Gooner_iBluAirJGR]

Support is a role, not a class. . .

I'm pretty sure the OP means a class with a majority of its skills and play style geared towards buffing the party / themselves Mr. smart guy.

I think its possible and it would be pretty interesting to see a class that focused more on enhancing a groups overall output of heals dps defense etc.

[Zantetsuken]

RDM in FFXI was also a solid support class.

Refresh, Haste, Refresh, Bio, Refresh, Slow, Refresh, Paralyze, Refresh, Blind, Refresh, Dia, Refresh, Poison, Refresh, Gravity, Refresh, Regen, Refresh, Bind, Refresh, Stoneskin, Refresh, Phalanx, Refresh, Protect, Refresh, Convert, etc, etc... Never a dull moment for RDMs.