If best way is the only...why do we see different setups ?

[Ibi]

Because even though some classes are objectively better than others, XIV is balanced well enough that all other jobs are only slightly less viable than optimum set-ups.

Balance being key, which is why some people (such as myself) are hesitant about skill trees and unique class specific materia. It's a balancing nightmare and I dont' want to see XI-2 where half the jobs in the game are considered unviable by the player base because they're ridiculously outclassed be easier to gear/play jobs.

The XI developers didn't even make an attempt at balancing anything that wasn't totally egregious for the vast majority of its lifespan. Even today, /shout groups will have very limited scope in what they're willing to accept for the majority of content, because some jobs (notably any melee at the moment) have such vast disadvantages.

The XIV developers may have moved a little slowly and reluctantly on some balance stuff, but overall any standard setup has been viable for almost all the content, and even in Savage you're not truly hampering your group that badly no matter what jobs you bring.

[AlphaSonic]

Well AST has an explanation.

AST 3.0 was terrible, was the worst healer by far.
In 3.05 and in 3.07 AST got lots of buffs (and even now Nocturnal AST is still bad compared to their counterpart).

By 3.07 everyone had already spent their Esoteric and people weren't going to roll again AST because it would have mean losing their Esoteric Weapon.

[Nihility]

there are classes that are numerically better
but the classes are also balanced well enough that a skilled player that is willing to put in the time is a lot better than a player that is on "the best class" but not as skilled or dedicated.

Also, the limit break requiring a variety helps force groups into doing as such

[Reynhart]

but the classes are also balanced well enough that a skilled player that is willing to put in the time is a lot better than a player that is on "the best class" but not as skilled or dedicated.

The same can be applied on templates for each job.

Kudos to all of you, by the way, it's the first thread I see about customization that doesn't end with nothing but insults after the first page

[Bashum]

Kudos to all of you, by the way, it's the first thread I see about customization that doesn't end with nothing but insults after the first page

Yeah? well screw you and your hippy moustache!

[Reynhart]

Yeah? well screw you and your hippy moustache!

And that's our quota

XI wasn't imbalanced because balance was difficult to achieve, it was imbalanced because achieving balance wasn't one of SE's goals.

And we can remember than XI dev team was the one that did 1.0 before Yoshi-P. And, boy, was it a balance mess...

[FoxyAreku]

People bring up the chinese clear a lot, but those people played on other servers, developed strategies, and researched a lot to be able to do that. They also had the BEST party makeup possible for the fight and still only beat the enrage by 1 second. They definitely wouldn't have cleared with a paladin, as an example.

Best doesn't mean only, but if a class isn't included in the 'best' setup, sacrifices usually have to be made.

[Lexia]

That is a mindset I see a lot and there are a lot out there that think if you don't conform to how the masses do things then you are a bad player.

[Caitlinzulu]

That is a mindset I see a lot and there are a lot out there that think if you don't conform to how the masses do things then you are a bad player.

Thats pack mentality at its finest. Those people will get the middle finger from me (even have a macro ingame to do that). I will play how I want/can/enjoy, with the gear I choose. That doesnt mean I wont give it my best effort.