The Pigeonhole

[Neralyte]

So I've been seeing these posts for sometime and it's become quite apparent to me as well. All "jobs" are getting pigeonholed into playing a certain way, even though we have subclass abilities to allow us to supposedly diversify.

I've played PLD and WAR predominantly since 2.0 release (and beta), but recently I've branched out more and now also play BLM and SCH along with an up and coming BRD. My gripe, like most others is that once you pick up a job you get pigeonholed into a certain role. Now normally I'm all for specializing and focusing in on certain roles, but there's a few reasons that I, like so many others, am not enjoying it so much here.

1. lackluster subclass abilities. The cross class abilities that are on offer are either not suitable (there are to many in this category to list) or they don't provide much benefit because of missing class traits etc

2. Abilities that should be great, but aren't. the immediate abilities that springs to mind here for me is Cure for a PLD. No body expects this to be a massive heal or a complete life saver... but healing 240 HP when you have 6.5K HP on a 2 second cast is completely useless.

3. The pigeonhole. here is the main gripe that I see, SE have included a cross class system to help diversify classes and give people the ability to wield powers outside of the job they are currently playing. But to contradict this, we are so tightly pigeonholed into this job, with such a narrow role that these abilities become benign and seemingly useless. By squarely pushing these jobs into set roles, SE have denied the diversity offered through a cross class system, effectively severing any ability to make use of any cross class abilities outside of what our set roles require.

Now I love this game, and I enjoy playing because it is a great game with great things to offer. But how can I take advantage of my cross class skills when they don't fit with the role that I'm being pigeonholed into?

[Nenin]

Hey man you DO have choices!



Like, like... Like you could cross-class Savage Blade or Skull Sunder and hope that maybe in patch 2.9 (release date: December 2017) SE will let you combo it.

The customization in this game is absolutely pathetic. Everyone wears the exact same un-dyeable gear, cross-classes the same abilities, and uses identical rotations. For a game that repeatedly boasts about its revolutionary armoury system it's unreal how few legitimate options you actually have.

[Nahara]

Because that's kind of the point of Jobs. Classes are versatile and able to do other things besides it's designated role if you pick and choose the right gear and cross-class abilities. Jobs prevent such versatility but greatly improve your capacity to perform it's given role.

Conjurer can be a viable magic damage dealer, but White Mage will always be a healer. Lancer could probably pull off being a tank, but Dragoon will always be a melee damage dealer. The only problem is that such versatility with classes can't really be exploited in party settings, since you need to be really good in your role in order to not suck and die and probably make your whole party die. When you're walking into Titan EX, nobody's really going to care how good your healer Thaumaturge is when the Scholar and White Mage perform that role a thousand times better and with less effort.

[Saccharin]

I feel the same about paladin cross abilities. As you stated cure is just terrible; you'll take more damage while casting it than it heals. I feel warriors got a better deal from our (gladiator) abilities but we get some of their less useful ones. I'd love an AoE damage ability before 50.

[Radkat]

If paladins have cure spells good enough to keep themselves alive, then what's the point of having healers? This isn't a single player game you know.

[Synestra]

Using this PLD Cure as an example, would it be ok if they made it possible to have a insta-cast proc in it via riot blade maybe? keep the current potency while reducing/removing cast-time to make it more usable.

[Renik]

every battle in this game has only 1 way to win, every movement must be executed perfectly, giving some personalization to jobs or importance to classes will require real battle desing and balance.

Imagine a WHM using manawall to avoid getting hit by ladslide, or a dragoon using provoke to keep spiny plumes on grauda ex to aleviate tanking stress, SE want us to die ultil we find the victory road they desingned for us, we wont see personalization until they change their mind about this trial and error system.

@Nahara

Clases are useless no matter how you combine them, the stat boost and skills jobs gets makes them more useful than any combination you could make, SE dont want us to use classes.

[Sylve]

I have Paladin and Warrior both 50 in Relic, and never have i felt the need to stop tanking and spam Cure on myself. Its nice as a pick me up between phases, But i have healers to heal me, why do i need to do it myself?

[Deifact]

I think people are missing the point here getting caught up on the cure pld example.

Let me give another example. In v1.0 the abilities you could cross class were so much more varied it's ridiculous. You want to play as a DRK? They don't need to add the job, just play as a MRD and cross class THM spells and LNC abilities. You could actually use Fire, Aero etc. As a melee class.

That's how the armoury system was advertised. You levelled up classes to unlock abilities you can then use on other classes.

Now it's just pointless. We have effectively zero class customisation. Not even a trait tree or anything which is usually the bare minimum in an MMORPG. And it's a shame.

[Gooner_iBluAirJGR]

Conjurer can be a viable magic damage dealer, but White Mage will always be a healer. Lancer could probably pull off being a tank, but Dragoon will always be a melee damage dealer.

Stop talking nonsense please. Conjurer as a damage dealer? Because Raging Strikes and Blood for Blood will turn them into
a viable damage dealer? Thanks for the offer but I'll have to pass.

Lancer as a tank? Skull Sunder and Savage Blade will turn them into a viable tank? Thanks for the offer but I'll have to pass.