Job Personalization: Can I Have It?

[RiceisNice]

Ok what I hear a lot is: "Everyone will just pick the optimal build."

That's just not true. If it were, then why are we all not playing the optimal dps, tank, or healer jobs?
Because we all don't enjoy playing the mathematically solved "best" job. Build choice wouldn't be any different.

If we don't like choice so much, then why isn't there just three jobs; one for every role so we're all equal? Why don't they just start us all in BIS gear so no one gets bullied and we can all clear content more reliably? Sounds fun to you?

People do this already. It's called group composition. Most cutting edge groups are actually foregoing AST because their healing output isn't quite up to snuff, nor do their card buffs really make up for it. Most groups go for a 2 melee, 2 ranged setup because it's the most optimal.

Why don't groups take 4 DRGs when they're arguably the highest dps? Why not four bards when they technically have the best damage uptime?

[MilesSaintboroguh]

Ok what I hear a lot is: "Everyone will just pick the optimal build."

That's just not true. If it were, then why are we all not playing the optimal dps, tank, or healer jobs

Because any differences between jobs are not so great that you're boned for having a team of, let's say 2 DRKs, 2 WHMs, and 4 BRDs.

It is true that people will gravitate towards the best set up in regards to end game content. When I played PAYDAY 2, a game that brags about letting customize how you want your skills to be, none of that mattered when it came to Death Wish difficulty; everyone went for dodge based builds because those let you survive longer than using heavy armor. Playing with armor made you a liability and even if you could pull your own weight, no one wanted to take a risk because the difficulty level didn't allow any room for experimentation. That's what would happen in this game's raids; go with what the crowd wants you to be or get out.

[RethDaron]

Where WoW has 3 builds (sometimes 4) per class XIV makes up for that with the amount of classes. Instead of picking a spec we pick an entire class, as the typical FF formula goes.

[justinjarjar]

The skill differences in current games are not that good of examples for big change. Wow each class has three builds (more like three different classes). Within those the only thing that really gets changed is if you are pvping or pveing (we have a system for that already). The whole 1% this 1% that over the top skill three will not change the class that much and overall you are still playing with the same package of skills (if i am still playing the class i like why would someone play an suboptimal build?). These systems are flawed and would not be a welcome addition to the game. The classes are not the same in how their kits work, for example DRG is the "best" dps, but monks can pull similar dps. DRGs have two three set combos with BoTD up have a random proced 4th skill and have their oGCD attack skills buffed for the most part. It has 4 positionals and the buff skills are similar to monk as well as the fact that they both are melee dps. Monk stacks GL with an interchangeable 3 style combo with 8 skills that can be used all but two (aoes) with postionals. Very different classes, while with I can just change "x" skill for y or z, when z gives better dps and you still play the same kit (nothing changes enough to matter). Why would you chose y? That is what people mean by people will pick optimal build, since most skill trees do not offer enough change to he class. When they could change the class enough, why not just make a new class instead?

[Reaperking386]

You can look at every game that has a talent system and it always will boil down to the optimal specs. Wow tried to rid themselves of this plague, but they still could not.

[DreadRabbit]

Part of the reason why WoW, Rift, etc. games offer those variation specs is because you can only play one class per character. The only way to play other classes is to create a new character entirely and start from scratch. And no, not everyone is an alt-o-holic, so a solution had to be made so that they weren't stuck doing the exact same thing over and over again. Thus specs were born to help give variety. Even in GW2 with all of it's variety, you're still the same class you picked from character creation.

But in FF14 we have the freedom to be any class/job at any one time. We can cross-class skills into our builds. It's far from perfect but this is a lot more "free" compared to spec games because I can actually play other roles and experiment without starting over again in story and exploration. We need more customization, yes, but it needs to work with the system we have. Traditional skill trees aren't going to do it. Picking between 3 specs for 13 different classes and planning gear for all of them doesn't sound fun to me.

But that's also just me.

[StrejdaTom]

I get that optional build argument but they could make the talents so good that there would be atleast 2 optional builds. Then there would still be a chance of some choice. There are a few MMOs that have around 3 - 4 viable builds for every class and you just have to chose your playstyle. I think it could work here too, they would just to have to put a lot of effort into the talent system and not make half of the talents just fillers that no one will chose.

[justinjarjar]

I get that optional build argument but they could make the talents so good that there would be atleast 2 optional builds. Then there would still be a chance of some choice. There are a few MMOs that have around 3 - 4 viable builds for every class and you just have to chose your playstyle. I think it could work here too, they would just to have to put a lot of effort into the talent system and not make half of the talents just fillers that no one will chose.

People are mainly looking at track records with skill trees, most of the 3-4 builds is created more because you are locked into one class and the game is designed to play one class. Which gives you options within the class (and in many ways/times vastly changes how the class plays), FF14 is set up to have multiple classes at max level and lets say you are not feeling bard today you could play WHM and heal or play BLM to play magic dps, etc.

[Izsha]

Can we just not. It has never worked in another mmo that required fine tuned teamwork. It works in crap like diablo because it's not really a team game. You can play how you want because it doesn't affect anyone else.

The balance is always crap. The more different the options are the exponentially harder it becomes to balance. No one wants to be benched because they aren't the current top patch job.

Find me one game requiring fine tuned coordinated group gameplay that featured a lot of classes (like 10+), with a large number of viable trees that didn't get boiled down to the cookie cutter and maybe a situational varient. Bonus points if it's not a class per character system.

it has NEVER worked. This customization junk is pie on the sky dreams. It doesn't work. It's been tried over and over year after year. And it flops every time. The reasons are well documented at this point.

But sure, let's ignore all that and flush another good game down the snowflake drain.

[Bishop81]

Can we just not. It has never worked in another mmo that required fine tuned teamwork. It works in crap like diablo because it's not really a team game. You can play how you want because it doesn't affect anyone else.

The balance is always crap. The more different the options are the exponentially harder it becomes to balance. No one wants to be benched because they aren't the current top patch job.

Find me one game requiring fine tuned coordinated group gameplay that featured a lot of classes (like 10+), with a large number of viable trees that didn't get boiled down to the cookie cutter and maybe a situational varient. Bonus points if it's not a class per character system.

it has NEVER worked. This customization junk is pie on the sky dreams. It doesn't work. It's been tried over and over year after year. And it flops every time. The reasons are well documented at this point.

But sure, let's ignore all that and flush another good game down the snowflake drain.

Again, allow customization of Classes and don't allow them in raids.

"Fine tuned teamwork" is not the whole game you know. I don't see why the whole game has to be designed around the needs of raiders.