(Slight) Changes to Job Crystal System

[ZodiacBrave]

This topic made me interested and decided to pitch in a few ideas of my own.
Sorry this is gonna be a very long post...

Using Paladin as an example:

[Paladin]
30: Shield Oath
35: Cover
40: Sentinel
45: Spirits Within
50: Hallowed Ground

[Sword Saint] (Example Gladiator DPS)
30: Sword Oath
35: Judgement Blade
40: Duskblade
45: Hallowed Bolt
50: Divine Ruination

(Sword Saint ability names taken from FFT abilities)

Here's my version of the skillsets.

[Gladiator]
38: Sword Oath (swaps with Sentinel)
42: Shield Oath (with Tempered Will)
46: Spirits Within (with Bulwark)

This way, even a normal Gladiator can have much more versatility switching between Sword and Shield, supplementing either Tank or DPS role he may take up. I also decided to give Spirits Within to the class as to let your 2nd Job Sword Saint (?) enjoy an additional offensive ability.

[Paladin]
30: Cover *
35: Sentinel
40: Tempered Will **
45: Bulwark
50: Hallowed Ground

As you see, Paladin will now have a much more defensive set of moves. Much akin to your idea of role based mechanics brought by Jobs. As for mechanics, I was thinking if they could tweak some of the abilities.

* Cover should be a bit more permanent, as a passive until reused kinda thing. That way, PLDs can run near anybody in order to 'Cover' and save their squishy lives.
** Tempered Will, since this will now be Job-exclusive, I'm thinking if they could upgrade it a bit. Why not give the buff to the whole party instead of just yourself? I'm sure tanks are not the only ones who want to be saved from falling off ledges like in the Titan fight.

[Sword Saint]
30: XXX *
35~50: same as you pointed

* As a new DPS job, you might not want to have more enmity than your tank. So a skill (passive until reuse) that trades enmity of weaponskills (Fast > Savage > Rage) with a bit extra damage could really be helpful. Saints can still gain enmity with Flash and Provoke.

If Job traits are to be introduced, they could add a few traits supplementary to the roles on top of the Class traits. Something like Paladins favoring Shield Oath and Sword Saints with Sword Oath.

~~~

Now for another job...

I don't have a MNK yet, but based on their skillsets it feels kinda weird to me that MNK seems to be a bit too similar to how a PUG currently is.
As such, here is my idea:

[Pugilist]
38: Rockbreaker (Swaps with Steel Peak)
46: One-ilm Punch (with Howling Fist)
50: Dragon Kick (with Perfect Balance)

This way, all form-based moves are given to PUGs. Even as classes, they could enjoy an AoE combo of Arm of the Destroyer > (any raptor) > Rockbreaker.

[Monk]
30: Steel Peak
35: Shoulder Tackle
40: Fists of Fire
45: Howling Fist
50: Perfect Balance

This version of the MNK's skillset has all form-based weaponskill removed, and replaced with Abilities not relying on forms and can be popped in-between combos in a similar manner as a Dragoon's Jumps. As a bonus lore wise, Perfect Balance for MNK's gives the skill more context as it will allow the PUGs to master their control of mind and body and allow them to 'transcend forms'.

~~~

For 2nd Jobs of current classes... you already mentioned GEO for CNJ. I'm glad I'm not the only one thinking about that.

For PUGs, I was thinking if they could fill the role of an Evasive Tank. The Tank Job could further increase their evasive maneuvers, giving more importance to skills like Featherfoot and Haymaker. Their enmity source could come from changing forms, however that might happen. Job traits may improve Fist of Earth and Fist of Wind, giving them enmity boost or evasion boost whichever the PUG needs more. They could get GLA and ROG as cross-class skills especially Flash, Provoke and Perfect Dodge. (Bonus that this may be the first Job that can equip ROG skills)

For the Archer's potential second Job, we differ in ideas for it could potentially be.
Basing on other games WoW, Guild Wars, Dragon Age and many others, Archers and pets seem to be quite inseparable,
so why not give Archers a Job that lets them have their own pets?

[Ranger / Beastmaster / Hunter / Animal Tamer]
30: A skill that calls the pet
35 ~ 45: Skills that affect you and your pet, or possible offensive skills
50: A skill that invokes a pet to do a cool move (much like Enkindle)

For cross-class skills, ARCs may get skills from ACN. Aside from Physick, Virus and Eye for an Eye, they could get Sustain and Rouse, cross-class skills exclusive to their new job kinda like Cleric Stance for SCH.

As for what the pet can do, this is where we might get issues. Unlike ACNs, which have weak Ruin spells, their pets compensate their supposed lack of DPS (?). ARCs alone already have a crazy DPS, so having a DPS pet might give them too much of an advantage in the damage department? Having a healer pet might make them too similar with SCH, and a tank pet make them similar to SMN.