I would like to see Classes treated as proper, separate "Jobs"

[Jynx]

No the class system even as it is restricts the designers. Classes are a relic that need to be torn from the game not expanded upon.

[MaeIsMean]

No the class system even as it is restricts the designers. Classes are a relic that need to be torn from the game not expanded upon.

Honestly, the most confusing thing to me as a new player was understanding classes vs jobs and which jobs belonged to which classes. Still hard for me to remember to use the word "Jobs" when speaking of them, and find myself inverting them quite often.

[Shurrikhan]

No the class system even as it is restricts the designers. Classes are a relic that need to be torn from the game not expanded upon.

Let's all assume for a moment that classes ought to be simply removed. Would anything replace those aspects? You've gone from near-zero healing on caster classes to truly zero, removed the majority of (extra-rotational) burst options from all but Bard and Dragoon, wasteful but high-enmity add-grabs from melee, taunts from non-tanks, and enmity management from casters. Does any of this help gameplay?

Now, we could go instead we could revamp the jobs to include similar functions in a unique way. BLM might take Umbral Shroud to temporarily release enmity and generate less over the duration and, alternatively, modifying other abilities, like Ley Lines, to pool duration for upcoming burst needs would remove any ostensible need for Raging Strikes. Similarly, Blood for Blood has never especially been that significant over time nor especially interesting outside of its syncing with other abilities; I'd see that as a reason enough for now to keep it, but in the long run would expect such abilities would be among the first trimmed...

But let me present an alternative. You revamp the classes, filling out more of each class's gameplay and identities through mechanical traits, which can then be cross-classed. Each class gets, say, 5 traits. Each job brings in 2 more. Each class at level 60 can take on 8, while having access to the majority of other class's traits cross-class. Each job can take on 7, with fewer cross-class trait options. Now, by combination of gameplay-affecting mechanical passives, you might just have a Gladiator who is both highly customizable and therefore distinct from a PLD.

In my honest opinion, it's not the classes that are holding us back, or even any adherence to a class system. It's the adherance to a specific number of stat-increasing traits, the exact same number of traits and abilities given to each class, the exclusion of job traits, similar arbitrary but stubborn rigidities, and the complacency to scarcly differentiate classes integrally—in their gameplay, in their undermechanics, etc.—that cut short any future development.

[Jynx]

In my honest opinion.

As the poster above me stated it's really both.

Remove the classes, re balance the jobs to have unique ways to manage the same effect as the old cross class skills while removing a few for abilities that would make the jobs unique upon themselves. But your right they are suborn in making sure that each job gets "X amount of things" and regardless of how that effects how they balance them.

The class system being in play restricts any future development period.