The harp is a lie.

[Davorok]

Your tone says arguing... but your points are really the same as my points.

I prefer the term "Conversation" rather than "Arguing" (I just tend to ramble so I like to multi-quote). Your points are good valid points. That is why I feel the need to attempt to respond with where I think they are going. I wish I had solid info to base my theories on but it is a mixture of 33% Speculation, 33% Observation, 33% Flatulation (BS) and 1% Verification (truth).

And that's the crux of the debate, and the crux of my dissatisfaction with the proposed job system. Right now I can turn my gladiator into a pseudo paladin, I can learn protect, shell, cure, I can distribute my attributes so I have a decent MP pool. In practice I'm functioning as a paladin.

I think it comes down to the basic human desire to feel needed. With the old Class System, anyone could tank...literally anyone. People also want to feel special, that they are really good at something which means better than someone else.
So now we are getting Jobs that are specialized and probably better at a Role.
That still doesn't phase out Classes though because almost anyone can still tank and almost anyone can still heal.

If they are going to add the job paladin I'd like it to rely on the class system more than just getting gladiator to a certain level and doing a quest. It makes sense that if I level up Gladiator and level up Conjurer I can take skills from both of those classes to unlock the paladin job.

I agree with this. I feel to unlock Paladin you should have to level Gad AND Con to r30. I think they should require 2 Classes to r30 for each Job. They could have introduced new Classes (like Minstrel and Arcanist) to make this viable. Sort of a spin on the old XI subjob system but rather than becoming a hybrid, you become a Job.

If they are going to add instrument use to the game I'd much rather see them implementing the class system to do it. Introduce a minstrel or a musician class and then have it be one of the required classes to unlock the bard job... if another of those classes happens to be archer that's ok.

Agreed. And introduce Arcanist Class to unlock jobs that use magic.