How would you feel if they scrapped the current "classes"?

[Kimahri]

Anathiel. I love what you're coming up with. There are just a couple things I should try and go over with you.

First of all, I don't think it's the right time to implement the new jobs if it require's nothing more than leveling to a certain rank, such as the FFXI way. Basically you're saying, "You level Warrior to 30, and unlock the Dragoon job." That's a no go for me if that's how you feel. It would be too fast for those advanced jobs to be implemented without even giving the basic classes now room to grow.

Now if we were to try and adopt the system I was going for in the above posts, it could work. Basically you turn the basic class into an advanced class with two options. (Again. Gladiator can either become Paladin or Dark Knight.) I think we could also implement the talent tree in this scenario. Although, I will admit I'm not psyched over a talent tree.

And also to your post about how a Dark Knight could tank in XI......Maybe........But then again, they basically had gear that intensified their damage at the cost of their armor.

[Anathiel]

Dammit, I had a huge post and accidently erased it, I will try to rewrite what I wrote.

Now, what I was trying to say with the final fantasy: tactics type of unlocking new jobs, (some of the base classes, mainly DoM would have to be renamed conj= whm or blm) gladiator in combination with either black mage or white mage would unlock paladin or dark knight respectively. But not too ignore base classes. Lets say I went ahead and opened up Paladin, we could give paladin an AoE provoke which would bring a "group" of claimed mobs to the paladin, but gladiator could be an off tank, useful for both pulling hate off of mages and for casual players trying to exp alike. Now the AoE provoke would be unlocked using the talent tree sytem. The talent tree system, I'm not really too hot about, but it's there to appease a majority of players that believe that the only system of fixing the current classes. Now let's say we put in talent tree's to the base classes, we would have to get rid of the armory system. A slap in the face to the old dev team I know, but a change I feel is needed none the less. Alright, so talent points in the base classes= marauder being able to hit more than one mob at a time with talent tree spec in it. Now some of the "lesser known" final fantasy classes could be spec's within the current classes (think pirate, berserker, things of that nature) but letting the "well known" final fantasy classes be unlockable jobs.

Now to adress the Dark Knight tanking, I only used it with a static after reaching level 75, but it could be done. I used absorb vit and absorb agi, gaining large amounts of hate and boosting those stats which were lacking. Giving them a "talent tree" which would boost those abilities which would be useful in tanking (albeit in a "dark" manner) is still a good idea.

Again, most of my idea's are based on the idea they get rid of the armory system. If they don't get rid of the armory system, my idea's are invalid. But, maybe...the dev team could implement better than a guy giving idea's off the top of his head after a few glasses of wine and a 2 year old whining for more word world in his ear.

[Mortikhan]

Again, most of my idea's are based on the idea they get rid of the armory system. If they don't get rid of the armory system, my idea's are invalid. But, maybe...the dev team could implement better than a guy giving idea's off the top of his head after a few glasses of wine and a 2 year old whining for more word world in his ear.

Not really invalid as far as I see. These ideas could be very useful in either system. The armoury system could be used for the classes and the talent tree concept could be used in the unlocked jobs. I think that would be a good way to replace the merit point system from FFXI.

[Anathiel]

Not really invalid as far as I see. These ideas could be very useful in either system. The armoury system could be used for the classes and the talent tree concept could be used in the unlocked jobs. I think that would be a good way to replace the merit point system from FFXI.

The only issue I really see, is that they've already made up their mind on how they're going to implement the system without player input. My idea's are hardly original, they're a combination of alot of idea's already being thrown around the forums...but I hope beyond hope they read this (among other threads) and see what we all want and find the middle ground.

[Keith_Dragoon]

I'd be ok if the did away with current classes, I haven't been able to really get attached to any certain class like I do in every other MMO I play.

[Kimahri]

The only issue I really see, is that they've already made up their mind on how they're going to implement the system without player input. My idea's are hardly original, they're a combination of alot of idea's already being thrown around the forums...but I hope beyond hope they read this (among other threads) and see what we all want and find the middle ground.

Absolutely agree. My main concern right now is that I want each class to be unique in it's own way. Right now I'm on Marauder and I basically feel like I'm still Lancer or Pugilist with just a different weapon.

[Vaymathias]

Honestly, I'm against talent trees, per say. I don't like the idea that if I complete one tree, and I'm heavily restricted in the other trees, I get screwed when one of those other trees ends up being "necessarily in the eyes of the players" in order to do some content. This sorta spats in the face of what FFXI had going for it, which is the ability to change sub, gear, and such to really change your characters capabilities, while still being the same role.

I would prefer something like a single, large talent tree for each base class. ordering the abilities by theme, old up the right, warrior up the left, while still being able to reach across to the other side any time you have an adjacent ability.

I'd keep the allocation points for abilities and traits, to limit abilities, but making some abilities cost more.

Then have multiple levels of each ability, not as in cure 1 and cure 2, though they both would still exist, along with cure 3 and 4, but as in level 1 of cure 1 would give access to the spell to the native class, for instance conjurer. then cure 1 level 2 would reduce the amount of allocation points that cure 1 costs for conjurer. Cure 1 level 3 would give cure 1 used by conjurer AOE capability and allow the other classes have access to cure 1 level 1.

Each level of an ability would augment the ability itself in different ways, keeping in mind that the native class would get more augments, while others would be a few steps behind. Some levels of an ability(this is the first time I typed "ability" in this message and didn't have to correct the spelling) would lower the allocation point cost of the ability/spell/trait.

Abilities, weapon skills, spells and traits would all be treated similar, with an occasional one being native class only.

The abilities/ws's/traits/spells that would be native only, would be the most effective of them, and likely be the staples, such as Dragoon's Jump, Sentinel from FFXI's Paladin, Frost/Flare/Quake for the black mage..

There would also be unique pieces of gear, exclusive to their respective class that would improve certain abilities, which would further cement uniqueness.

I would also like to see something similar to class mods, kinda like in borderlands(yes....borderlands) that would be achieved through allocating certain abilities.

For instance, most abilities would have a modify number attached to them, that's only applied to the respective class, so say "cure" would have "pld 5", "Defense bonus" would have "pld 2", Sentinel would have "pld 5". now these do nothing in and of themselves, but when those total points equal to a set number on the respective class, in this case Gla, the gladiator then becomes a paladin, and along with it comes a few small bonuses native to paladin such as a trait that radically improves shield performance, a trait that improves enmity generation, and maybe an ability that "focus the pld's magic ability in his shield" that temporally reduces damage taken from all enemies in front of him.

Of course there would be more than pld for gladiator(every class would be more than one) such as Soldier (a Warrior type DD that uses Buster swords, such a better name that "great" sword) and Mystic Knight (kinda FFXIV's RDM, which would have enspells, minor support spells, minor debuff spells, all elemental based, and specializes in long swords.)

If the character had enough class mod points to become more than one at the same time, they would become the class that had the higher number of points, and if they were even, well, there's a few options for that one.

This would correct the issue that I mentioned in the first paragraph, and would still have a good deal of customization. It would bring in many of the classic FF jobs, while still keep the number of individual classes to a smaller number making it easier to customize, and easier to keep them unique.

Whatever the game becomes, I really hope they don't go with something moronically simple, or just do what they're doing over at rift or WOW with slight mods.

[Kimahri]

Then have multiple levels of each ability, not as in cure 1 and cure 2, though they both would still exist, along with cure 3 and 4, but as in level 1 of cure 1 would give access to the spell to the native class, for instance conjurer. then cure 1 level 2 would reduce the amount of allocation points that cure 1 costs for conjurer. Cure 1 level 3 would give cure 1 used by conjurer AOE capability and allow the other classes have access to cure 1 level 1.

Whew. That would be a hell of a lot of Ability Points to unlock ALL those features......Just the 3 levels you described and the 4 cures is 12......Jesus Christ we'd be in the thousands easily. Haha.

[Punxsutawney]

Don't scrap them just make it so only thaumaturge and conjurer can ability share, and that the Disciples of war can ability share, and then make 2 more ranged classes (Boomerang tosser and a gun/xbow user), call them Disciples of the Far Hand, and let them share abilities. Easy fix, creates realism(ie melees aren't using magic), and still promotes flexibility.

[Synthesis]

I like the idea, but I dont want it because I like armory system as well. However what I am looking forward to is "special armors limited for job only, as was mentioned in letter from producer" That will make classes/jobs in FFXIV more unique.

+ There could be more unique skills for "specific" class only. I would replace all these convert 10 mnd > 10 piety from guilds and replace it by "True unique jobs skills"