Matchmaking without the Trinity: how would you do it?

[Rhaja]

Actually, this sounds like an excellent way to switch between roles! Good on you. I agree with the scythe for DRK, and dual axes sounds cool for WAR. Personally Great Hammer or Holy Maul is a little boring to me for PLD, but it also makes the most sense.

I thought maybe monk could tank, but I can see where they might be open to healing, mantras, meditation, and all that jazz. Dragoon and Ninja as tank...well, ninja would be all evasion all the time, which worked in XI (even when it wasn't supposed to). As far as dragoon, that feels a bit odd to me, but healer feels even odder, so I'd say you made the right call. Yes, I agree, bard would make a fun off-healer support, like in XI.

Ah, yes, WHM would be hilarious as a tank...and also badass! I like it. What do you think WHM's second role weapon would be? A mace?

B-but MNK tank ;__;.

[Dreamsoap]

B-but MNK tank ;__;.

Monk tank needs to happen!

[Chiramu]

Monk tank needs to happen!

There is a monk tank in WoW . In the single player FF games there never was a real holy trinity system. Steiner was in heavy armour(chose Steiner because he looks like a tank in "traditional MMOs) but he was my strongest damage dealer. They didn't "have" to make FFXIV into the trinity system :/.

[basketofseals]

There is a monk tank in WoW . In the single player FF games there never was a real holy trinity system. Steiner was in heavy armour(chose Steiner because he looks like a tank in "traditional MMOs) but he was my strongest damage dealer. They didn't "have" to make FFXIV into the trinity system :/.

Do you not realize the inherent flaw with comparing a single player RPG to an MMORPG?

[Chiramu]

Do you not realize the inherent flaw with comparing a single player RPG to an MMORPG?

There are multiple MMORPGs breaking the Trinity mold. If they wanted to go for a FF feeling, they didn't have to go with the rest of them.

[basketofseals]

There are multiple MMORPGs breaking the Trinity mold. If they wanted to go for a FF feeling, they didn't have to go with the rest of them.

The only MMO that's doing well without the trinity, that I can think of, is GW2, and plenty of people here have mentioned dissatisfaction with that.

More importantly, the trinity is more important than just a trope that people are comfortable with. When you force people into playing a certain way, you can more finely tune an encounter to better suit a group's playstyle. If you cannot make an encounter that is viable for every group comp and have it be challenging unless roles are so homogenized that makeup matters little.

[Welsper59]

There is a monk tank in WoW . In the single player FF games there never was a real holy trinity system. Steiner was in heavy armour(chose Steiner because he looks like a tank in "traditional MMOs) but he was my strongest damage dealer. They didn't "have" to make FFXIV into the trinity system :/.

MNK in XI was sometimes treated as that backup tank. They did perfectly fine (if not outright OP) tanking for endgame merit parties. Sometimes you could even use them as an OT, depending how dangerous adds were. Perfect example of that would have been Vrtra.

Ahh the good ol' days, as far as how devs "defined" their classes/jobs. It had a lot of downsides to it, but the good was REALLY good. 30+ LS members fighting together, each party and alliance with specific roles, always meant that everyone* was invited to help out.

* = assuming there were no actual requirements to do it as a specific role/job