New Player with Class and Job Questions

[donjn]

So basically the only need for alts is if you want a different race or want to do all the other starting city quests?

[donjn]

Also, is there any way to do dps with a weapon as a plate wearer or are you always going to be a tank? I assume a Pugilist is the only class that wears plate and isn't a tank?

[Niwashi]

So basically the only need for alts is if you want a different race or want to do all the other starting city quests?

Yeah, pretty much. I have a Mi'qote from Gridania, a Hyur from Ul'dah, and an Elezen from Limsa Lominsa. I like the variety, but you can do all the classes and most of the content (all except for levels 1-15 in the other two cities) with just one character.

Also, is there any way to do dps with a weapon as a plate wearer or are you always going to be a tank? I assume a Pugilist is the only class that wears plate and isn't a tank?

The strongest armor is reserved for tanks, because tanks are the ones who should be taking damage, and so need the most protection. Lancers seem to come in next with the heaviest armor of the DPS classes, followed by the other DoW classes. The magic classes, of course, are the most limited, with mostly cloth armor.

[Cons]

So basically the only need for alts is if you want a different race or want to do all the other starting city quests?

And space for items.

[Sagittarian]

And space for items.

Except that at the moment you 1) can't friend your alts/anyone who is not online at the time and 2) can only send stuff to friends.

There are 4 disciplines (Disciple of X) but 19 classes.
Each class has its own xp track. So you can be GLD 30, ACN 17, BTN 3,.... There is no tracking of an overall character level.
Your class is set based on your primary "weapon" equipped - if you are using a sword you are a GLD/PLD, with a needle you are a WVR.
You can save and switch between equipment sets, so you don't have to go through and re-equip everything when changing classes.
Most of the equipment is marked as either GLD/MRD, DoW, or All Classes. There are a few armor pieces that are GLD/MRD/LNC, so lancers are actually the best armored units after the tanks. Class specific equipment mostly shows up at level 50.
There are cross-class skills but the crafting skills are limited to other crafting classes - you can't craft anything as a GLD (while wielding a sword)
The DoH and DoL classes mainly get xp by crafting/gathering. I imagine you could try to kill mobs as one of those, but I haven't. Their listed attack is so weak the only things you'd be able to fight would be so low level as to not be worth it.
Yes, the DoL classes get stealth to make it through higher areas. Those skills are NOT available for cross-class.
Many quests can be turned in as any class, so you can run around and do fetch/carry quests as DoH/L. Also, you can often turn in quests with a different class than the one that "completed" it - go kill X monsters as GLD then turn it in as FSH. Quests will have a minimum level they can be turned in at though, so you can't use this to level lower classes by turning in level 50 quests.
Your 'role' is determined by your class/job - tank, dps, or healer. After level 30 (and some other conditions) you can pick up quests for soul crystals giving you access to the jobs. So far only the Arcanist (ACN) has access to a job with a different role than the base class. Arcanist is dps and can split into either Summoner (dps) or Scholar (healing). Otherwise the job has the same role as the base class but is more suited for party play.
The Duty Finder (DF) is the main/easy way to run a dungeon. It automatically matches you up with people from any server who want to run the dungeon at the same time. The DF has set numbers of each role it looks for in each dungeon, though. For 4 character dungeons it is 1 healer, 1 tank, 2 dps. So your role is extremely important when trying to use the DF.
If you find enough people on your own server (by shouting or through the party finder/PF) to form the needed party size, then you can enter with any combination of roles.