Quote Originally Posted by Rykken View Post
Other than attribute points, armor options and player habits, is there any other system in place to make me different from others of the same class?
You're going to have the same abilities as any other white mage. The main difference between you and other players are the decisions you make in combat, and to a lesser degree the choices you make with gear.

In theory the cross class system allows some customization, but in practice you'll wind up with the same skills as everyone else. And this is the problem with selectable skills in any MMO system. People will find the most practical setup and that will become the cookie-cutter build. There might be the appearance of choice, but you are only weakening yourself by being different. The development team also has to look at this build and balance the class/job around it, not alternative builds, because everyone will be using it. By leaving everyone the same they cut away the illusion of choice and can balance around a standard template, which is much easier, which in turn makes the player experience more reliably solid, which makes for a better game.

My point in summary is that offering such choices only really serves to weaken, not strengthen, the quality of an MMO. Players still have a great amount of ability to stand out via their actions. You still see a wide range in how well players perform at their roles and it really stands out given you know they all have the same basic tools to work with.