[Feedback] Character Development and Builds

[Nurvus]

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Both WoW and FFXIV are unbalanced.
You notice it less in FFXIV, because A) stat jumps are smaller; B) theorycrafting is simpler; C) each class has a set of effects you want in a group; D) you can be all classes in one character

However, think better about the example you've given after realizing that a spec in WoW is equivalent to a full Job in FFXIV.
Dropping Holy Priest to play Discipline Priest is be equivalent to dropping White Mage to play Astrologian or Scholar.

I'm not asking for more Jobs, merely for flavorful variations in the way you can fulfil the exact same role within the same Job - I'm talking about the equivalent to Talents and/or Glyphs.
The rotation and feel of a Retribution Paladin that uses Seraphim & Holy Avenger is different from one that uses Sanctified Wrath+Final Verdict or Divine Purpose+Final Verdict, and yet, their performance is close enough that you won't notice a difference for at least 95% of your playtime, and therefore you will have fun the way you want to.

Hardcore guilds requiring specific builds due to 1% improvement on your performance is nothing new, and is just as likely to happen if White Mage is 1% better than Astrologian, but you can still play the way you want outside progress content.

I'm not trying to win a debate or anything, I just think SE is falling short on the creativity and depth they've gotten me used to in many of their games, where it comes to variety.

[Darc18]

Hmmm character development?
Tried switching jobs?
If you would all think of your character as a freelancer.. Then you could consider all jobs as a spec/talent.

[Reynhart]

(Some) people want choices. Even if you level every job to 60, you'll still be the same as the other guy who leveled all jobs to 60.

Problem is, enough (voicy) people DON'T want choices, so that SE has probably scrapped every choice concept.

Like :
"You have to spend you stat points wisely !...or you could respec for a pitiful price in company seals"
"You have to chose in which craft you'll specialize !...or you could respec for a small price in scrips"

Why...? Let us make choicies, even if some of them aren't the most optimized ones.
Let me play a Frost Mage for fun, I'll play my optimimzed other DPS in raid situations...