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

[Reynhart]

Legitimate question here.
Everywhere in these parts, we see how <insert_job> is weak or how people always find and use only the best path...

If that is so, why do we see so much different setups in videos ?

At Savage release, everyone jumped the bandwagons "PLD sucks", "MCH is garbage", "AST is dumb", etc...
Yet, it's not uncommon to see clear videos with approximately any job as soon as early september, when A4S world first was only 23rd of August.

If that's the case, isn't it just saying that people are still basically playing what they want and not automatically reroll towards "What is best" ?

Maybe people still think playing the game is...for fun.

By the way, in one of those A3S clear videos, one PLD had over 19k HP, so he probably had some vitality on its right side, too

[Andrea]

Any class can clear any content. However there is obviously a best case party setup for every single content.

There are some who will switch classes if they think another class is better and some who don't, this goes for any game really.

I also dont think there is a person out their who isn't actually playing for fun. If someone is playing something they dont find fun anymore that to me sounds like an addiction.

[Reynhart]

Any class can clear any content. However there is obviously a best case party setup for every single content.

I see that, but, unless you're competing for world first, it doesn't matter that much, in the end.
Especially compared to how "fresh" it would feel to have more jobs, or more customization.

[Ibi]

The best way isn't the only way. It's just the best way. The fact that the A4S first clear on Chinese servers was by a relatively ungeared group (together with the various things groups like Lucrezia have done at very low item levels) shows that perfection is far from necessary.

Nor is the best way in general the same thing as the best way for a specific group or individual. If someone is more comfortable on a particular job, it's possible for them to perform better with it than with a job that may, on paper, be superior.

[Kaurie]

The best way isn't the only way. It's just the best way.

I completely agree with this, but isn't that the argument of the whole illusion of choice, that the best way is the only way?

[Yukiko]

Try to fullequip one job and then try same with 2 others...
Most players already switched tank away from PLD, same with healers and DPS...
You will see that after a few more months because weekly caps its not as if you can switch class within one day!

[SendohJin]

I see that, but, unless you're competing for world first, it doesn't matter that much, in the end.
Especially compared to how "fresh" it would feel to have more jobs, or more customization.

it doesn't matter if your group is willing to wait.

it's very possible that given everything else being the same, a group can clear X content with 6 weeks of Eso gear playing the "best" roles but that same group will need 10 weeks with "sub-par" roles.

some groups where the skill level is lower even with full i200 Eso gear won't be able to clear and they needed to wait till 3.1 so that they can get i210 upgrade items and i205 weapons.

some players even at full i210 won't clear and they are going to have to wait till 3.2 and even higher iLv and echo.

the question is do the players in these groups have the patience to survive weeks of failing. some of them can, some of them can't.

[abzoluut]

I see that, but, unless you're competing for world first, it doesn't matter that much, in the end.
Especially compared to how "fresh" it would feel to have more jobs, or more customization.

True. However, when you do the encounters a couple of weeks later (better gear and what not), it does not mean the "best" way isn't best anymore. It just means that people will find ways to make up for shortcomings a certain job (or setup) has. Fact remains that the best setup would have been better.

[Kosmos992k]

The best way isn't the only way. It's just the best way. The fact that the A4S first clear on Chinese servers was by a relatively ungeared group (together with the various things groups like Lucrezia have done at very low item levels) shows that perfection is far from necessary.

Nor is the best way in general the same thing as the best way for a specific group or individual. If someone is more comfortable on a particular job, it's possible for them to perform better with it than with a job that may, on paper, be superior.

Um, hadn't that group with the first clear on the chinese servers, previously played on Japanese servers as well, cleared A4S there, and practiced a specific strategy to enable them to clear it far more quickly than others on the Chinese Servers?

[RiceisNice]

Um, hadn't that group with the first clear on the chinese servers play on Japanese servers as well, and had cleared A$S there, and practiced a specific strategy to enable them to clear it far more quickly than others on the Chinese Servers?

There's a lot more variables that don't make it as clear cut, either. Something like a4s can be a bump in the road for caster dps because of the mana drain. They also had more weeks of Alexander normal to gear up. And triple melee setup wouldn't be feasible in 3.2 if you're relying on lb to clutch kills.