Supporter

[sylin]

Its as if you guys never played another MMO.

I have never seen a support class hurt dps of a group, only add to it.

This isn't hard stuff to figure out, bards in almost every game are a support type class, and in every game/raid/group I have always welcome them, because while their own dps maybe only 3/4's a different dps class, they boost all others dps by 1/4 or more, along with other possibly boosts. It more than makes up for their lower dps, the only other option here is to have a cut/paste of our current dps classes and just give them a new name/weapon....but if in effect they do exactly the same thing that would be boring and redundant.

[Radriel]

You misunderstand me, sir. I personally would like to see more Support style classes, my concern is that in 4 man content where a support class contributes the least, it makes completing the dungeon harder for the group overall and also adds more non tank/healer jobs which will make it harder to group up due to a higher disparity between tank and non tank types.

I say that support contributes the least in 4 man because generally support classes support in specific ways that are of benefit to one or 2 types of people. There is a big difference between making up to 3 people stronger and making 5-7 people stronger. This is assuming that all members are receiving a bonus from this class. It's more likely that a support type will only be able to help one type of class do better at a time(Bards can only perform one song at a time for example, so they are only benefiting 1 type of character at a time.)

This is why Bards are usually not using their songs.

[MartaDemireux]

I'm afraid the particular idea presented in the OP would be... OP lol.

I could see groups "requiring" this class/job for content. That's never good.

However I could see these abilities being spread about to other classes/jobs. This could make more support/hybrid jobs similar to how BRD functions. BRD lowers its DPS to support the party, well another job could lower its own DPS to increase an aspect of the rest of the party too.

[Jandor]

I can't really see much use for support classes, however support jobs branching off of DPS classes makes sense.

Like the bard, they could be respectable DPS in their own right but have the option to lower it's own DPS in exchange for buffs/utility/debuffs. Saves on having to re-balance all the old content to support a new role.

[Viviza]

I don't think that the game really needs a dedicated support role. DPS jobs can offer support at the cost of their raw damage output, and it works fine. Bards for example have generally been considered the strongest support, but on the lesser side of raw damage, and they've always been a job in high demand. There's no reason that this trend couldn't continue with jobs like, say, time mage.

I guess the counterpoint to this would be to ask "why NOT have support roles?" and my counter-counterpoint would be that (1) it's needless complication to add a role when an existing role can already do it, and (2) if you add a support role then the dps role is going to be even more highly overpopulated, which will make people unhappy.

[Jandor]

I believe Yoshi has stated that he plans to add a 'Hybrid' role. Which I assume will mostly end up being hybrids of DPS and 'support' because support abilities (like what a bard has) are useful but it's very difficult in the current game to build a full class out of them. Support sort of sneaks into the game a kind of 'half-role'.

I don't see how anyone will want any other combination of hybrid in a group when a job dedicated to tanking/healing/dps is bound to do it better. I'd like to be wrong though.

[Kitru]

I believe Yoshi has stated that he plans to add a 'Hybrid' role.

It was stated in the hypothetical as something they've been thinking about but is nowhere set in stone or even really a priority. He specifically clarified that "hybrid" role would be one that can tank, heal, or DPS while taking the place of DPS in the current group composition (which basically means that it would be a slightly inferior DPS that can, when needed, swap to fully effective healing or tanking for short periods of time)

Support is a different construct within the game and is basically a subrole that any role could feasibly have by gaining some optional group augmentation capacity that comes at the cost of their personal output. The two "support" classes we have right now are BRD (songs; decrease damage to increase resource regeneration for the group) and SCH (Selene is an inferior healing pet but she buffs speed for everyone).

[Jandor]

-text-

That hybrid sounds pretty cool, I'm not sure how useful it would be in the current content but if they implement it I trust they can make it work. Thanks for clarifying.

As for support, it's pretty easy to change a dedicated DPS class into a hybrid DPS/support role with the 5 job skills. Which is why I thought it'd be the route they'd go.

Assuming every class is eventually going to get 2 jobs then introducing a 'support' role that everyone knows is basically just DPS with some extra tricks tacked on allows them to create something that's technically not another DPS job on classes that are really hard to thematically turn into a healer or tank role.

Not very creative or ideal I suppose, but not something that would particularly bother me.

[Clawsome]

I do remember that Support Jobs are acutaly a goal for Yoshida I can't remember wxactly where I saw that but I did.

[Tyvek]

Everyone keeps thinkinng Support roles but Yoshi P did clearly say Hybrid Role as the new 4th role.