How do I find out which job I don't suck at?

[randysquirrel]

Hope you take my comment in the constructive spirit it is intended.
You say you have all your classes levelled up, but imply you suck at all of them? Maybe that is at least part of the issue, my advice is to decide whichever class you like best then stick to perfecting it. Read guides, speak to others proficient in that class, band about ideas of things to try that just might be a rotation improvement etc

Better that than a jack of all trades, master of none

[MXMoondoggie]

There is no better motivation than playing a class you enjoy. By all means play others and see how you feel but if somebody says you suck at playing your class it doesn't mean change it just take some criticism and learn from what they said. Some can also be taken with a grain of salt there are a lot of people who don't play your class who will tell you how to play it and a lot that do but are bad and will give poor advice. The best thing to do is look up some reputable guides and see what you can learn to improve yourself in a class you enjoy playing. After you learn more about your class skills start thinking outside the box on things you can do for each instance to help everyone else and optimise your performance. You can become good at any class if you feel invested enough in it.

[Jim_Berry]

The job you don't suck at it the job you enjoy playing, and main.

I started the game as CNJ because I always am a healer in games that allow it. Sadly, I am not a healer that can dps well, and the community gave me crap for it. I figured since people wanted me to be a dps, I ended up leveling (and maining) BRD.

However, BRD became a problem when I wasn't able to push high dps. I guess people ignored the fact that BRD gets reduced damage with certain songs active, AND our weapon damage is 5 levels lower that other DPS classes. That said, I turned to PLD.

I had a strong run with PLD for about 3 months of constant training. But then, fights were introduced where tank-swapping was needed (Titan Ex). Since my mentality was that of a solo tank (coming from FFXI), it was tough for me to get the swaps in my head. Plus, I stink as an OT.

I eventually went back to BRD while ignoring people's comments. When ROG released, I tried that class and been NIN main ever since. People would say that my damage was lacking, but it put in a LOT of hard training to get my NIN on par. Just recently, a group tried to bash my NIN because I ended up falling under the BLM and DRG that was in our party. I then realized that they didn't know no better; a NIN couldn't beat a DRG and BLM if they all are on equal grounds.

In that same group, I was happy. I was clocked in at about 1200-1300 dps on Faust earlier this year. As soon as I hit that Trick Attack, the BLM and DRG just pooped all on my damage lol... Another thing was that I hit the MT with Shadewalker. With that, I was a low number on the hate list. People are ignorant to some things. My placement on the hate list made them believe that I sucked. I guess they didn't realize that I'm sending my enmity to the MT, thus dropping me down on the hate list. This did not cause me to lose morale, though, like it used to. I think I do a great job now.

People also told me to play what I want, and what makes me happy. While BRD and NIN makes me happy, I love playing NIN, and I think it shows. Take it from me; if the job you're playing is loved by you, you WILL become that job, and everything else will become irrelevant. You will start to notice an increase in damage and a better play style.

Those moments where I end up being a boss's target just after the MT dies shows that I'm doing good. That, right there, is an Achievement in itself.

[Ninster]

My apologies for the late response, but to elaborate I had asked a friend if I could try out Sephirot EX with him and some of his static, except he didn't have the most optimistic tone when he told me I'd have to be parsed and not to screw up.

Sure enough, I tried out the SSS dummy and got it to 4%, 6%, then 9% before I gave up on it and myself. For any other EX at the time it was out my friend wouldn't have minded, but given the way he reacted here... I guess I'm not impressing him. Which kind of sucks, because IMO my best thing is mechanic memorization. I was even watching him and his static this past week try to clear Seph EX and taking notes of positionings and whatnot.

It seems dumb, but I kind of just want to keep my friend, and it's hard to do that when you're sucking at the stuff that matters yet facepalming every time people derp on mechanics in every other content, including T9 unsync farms.

[AngelicSence]

It seems dumb, but I kind of just want to keep my friend, and it's hard to do that when you're sucking at the stuff that matters yet facepalming every time people derp on mechanics in every other content, including T9 unsync farms.

It's not dumb at all. If you care so much about your player skills and friend, there is a chance that you can improve your playstyle. You are asking very important question here, but without knowing how you play, we can only assume which job is better for you. Most people will only push you to play whatever they like to play, but some people are right about "play whichever job is your favorite". In your case, it might be a SMN. But honestly, what is really important.. I think it's that you become very fast and efficient player. My main is a healer, so in order for me to impress people, I have to stance dance and deal damage while keeping everyone safe. My mana is below 10%? I use too much MP on DPS? "click on potion" etc.

[Synrin]

Step 1: Find something you enjoy playing. Start with a role, and then break it down until you have a job that suits your play style.
Step 2: Gearing; gear up and practice along the way.
Step 3: Rape the test dummy. Not literally, but if you have chosen DPS, then you have to practice and hammer that rotation in. You need to figure out how to always keep your numbers up, despite moving/mechanics.
Step 4: Learn the fights. In some fights casters have it easier to just slam their rotation without a problem, but in others, melee will have it easier due to certain mechanics. If you tank or heal, it is good to know what other healers/tanks can do, and find some sort of synergy. Pre-shielding, pre-healing and such, as well as switching tanks you have to learn.

EDIT: I am saying this out of experience. I am going through the same atm. We have way too many healers in the FC, and even though I enjoy playing as a healer, I decided to switch to DPS. I find it very enjoyable (it happens to be a summoner), and at the moment I am working on my rotation and just learning the fights from the DPS point of view. You can't just suck or not suck. Practice make perfect. I am very motivated, and I am having loads of fun, so I know I will be way better than I currently am, given enough time. And hopefully, the FC will always bring me along, without facepalming.

EDIT2: If your friend reacts badly to your DPS; nonconstructive, pessimistic and just.. In bad blood, then you might reconsider your purpose here. Do you really want to be friends with someone who puts you down? Did he offer help at least? Why was he disappointed over DPS in a game? A FRIEND? Sometimes it is more important to know the mechanics and not wipe the entire group that have the top DPS. I mean, come on.. I might lose DPS when kicking bombs away in Midas but if I didn't do that, we'd wipe. /shrug just an example

[Ninster]

EDIT2: If your friend reacts badly to your DPS; nonconstructive, pessimistic and just.. In bad blood, then you might reconsider your purpose here. Do you really want to be friends with someone who puts you down? Did he offer help at least? Why was he disappointed over DPS in a game? A FRIEND? Sometimes it is more important to know the mechanics and not wipe the entire group that have the top DPS. I mean, come on.. I might lose DPS when kicking bombs away in Midas but if I didn't do that, we'd wipe. /shrug just an example

Actually, not really. About as much help as I could get was "maybe you could find your own static?", which I'm not sure how to take. And as he elaborated on some of the other stuff he's done with me, my gear and their gear was to a point where "if I messed up" they could still carry me. That being said, this is the same friend that just last night talked me out of suicide (on an unrelated and very much real life issue, to be clear), so it's a confusing friendship at times, to say the least.

Anyway, part of this... "drama" is my fault for not really taking into account that Sephirot EX was, at the time "progression" content (is? I'm new to this so my apologies for not having my terms right), something I haven't done before. Almost every other EX primal and Coil turn I've downed was generally at a time where either gear was easily available to more than meet any dps checks or the undersized party option existed. This all brings more questions of how I was actually performing, and just how much contribution I made to my own clears.

Simply put, maybe I should say I've been "casual-zoned" by my friend. Y'know, like the friendzone. Or that I'm the 15th member of an 8-person static.

Anyway, to angle this another direction, how might I go about forming and/or finding my own static if that's what I have to do? And what all do I need to know before I delve even deeper into this?

[DarkmoonVael]

I wouldnt give up on a job you love. Have a look at guides online and on these forums and see where and how you can improve .

[Garotte14]

Also take into consideration your friend and his static. It really depends on the type of progression they prefer. It's tough to be friends with someone in an MMO and their skill level isn't the same. Maybe he'd like to have you in his static, but then there are 6 others who are apart of that group. Hell, some statics don't even consider taking RL friend pairs/couples because of that is exact reason.

If it's a casual group, then maybe there might be an issue, but if it's even taken a little seriously, it puts him in a tough spot as well. Just don't think he's not your friend if you can't join his group. He might feel just as bad that you can't join.

To put it into some context, my very first static in this game was an FC static. We all had a good time and we're all really skilled players. Good at their roles and good at mechanics. However, 1 of our melee was not very good. Pretty bad actually. Wiped us repeatedly to same mistakes, low dps, etc. Only problem was, he was the FC & Raid Leader's cousin and they were really close. What do you do? Ask the guy to kick his cousin? Carry on wiping for weeks and weeks without progression? You think the raid leader knew he sucked? Probably, but what can you say? It's tough when issues like this happen. Just take that with a grain of salt.

[Andrea]

Actually, not really.

Did they mean it in a way to help you in future content? Ie suggest that finding a static may help you in the long run to not need his statics help?

While im not saying theres anything wrong in what either of you were doing maybe he was just trying to help with his static suggestion instead of pushing you away.