Bard using Harp

[Norleas]

They could split off of archer with a Hunter/Ranger class, utilizing traps and possibly pets. Maybe swap out some of Bard's current attacks with some more magical-based attacks. Hunter/Ranger can be a split between melee and ranged attacks, having a bow/dagger while brd has their bow/harp. I think it can work out, but will it happen? Probably not. But it's fun to speculate these kinds of things.

[ErikMynhier]

I have no skin in this game, that said Norleas' idea of a pet class dps Ranger sounds really fun. As for the caster Bard side, a pure support/healer job would be nice. Can never to many healers.

[Reinfeld]

I have no skin in this game, that said Norleas' idea of a pet class dps Ranger sounds really fun. As for the caster Bard side, a pure support/healer job would be nice. Can never to many healers.

Unless 4.0s "Gameplay Update" is some massive overhaul (it won't be) we'll never see a pure support. I really wish it wasn't true. I love support clases, but the ones we have in XIV are so bland. We already have the Hybrid in AST and the Pure healer in WHM. They can't reduce their damage any more than it already is or else their soloing would be godawful.

[Enkidoh]

They could split off of archer with a Hunter/Ranger class, utilizing traps and possibly pets. Maybe swap out some of Bard's current attacks with some more magical-based attacks. Hunter/Ranger can be a split between melee and ranged attacks, having a bow/dagger while brd has their bow/harp. I think it can work out, but will it happen? Probably not. But it's fun to speculate these kinds of things.

This will never happen because the 'one class splitting into multiple Jobs' experiment was considered a failure as shown all too clearly by the problems with SMN and SCH coming off ACN. Yoshi is on record in the past saying this specifically that they will not be doing multiple Jobs on a single class again. So I hate to say it but RNG will never be a new Job for ARC as SE simply will not be returning to that concept again. If RNG is added to the game, expect it to be a totally different class and Job separate from ARC and BRD.

Lets also keep in mind that its not completely outside the realm of possibility to have jobs sharing the same type of weapon.

You're falling into the old trap of only looking at this game through a FFXI prism again - that idea is simply not possible with the current system. The Armoury System is not like FFXI's Job system where Job and weapon are completely separate concepts, here your Job/class is your weapon (why else does the class/Job icon almost always show the weapon?). To make the same weapon associated with different classes and Jobs would require the entire existing system to be scrapped and rebuilt from the ground up, an expensive, time consuming and ultimately pointless exercise. I've said it before and I'll continue to argue this point - there is nothing wrong fundamentally with the Armoruy System at it's core ideas and principles - one weapon per class and Job upgrading from that is fine. The problem is trying to prevent classes and Jobs simply rehashing ideas and concepts after one another, which was also an issue believe it or not in FFXI too (by Wings of the Goddess the FFXI development team were stating how difficult it was to come up with new Jobs which simply did not reuse older Job ideas, concepts and roles in a party). Of course there is nothing wrong with trying to improve on things, but that does not mean completely replacing the existing system with something else.

Tinkering around the edges with experiments that end up not working as well as planned is another issue that has to be faced as well - as it just ultimately makes the whole thing inconstant, but that is another argument entirely.

[ErikMynhier]

Unless 4.0s "Gameplay Update" is some massive overhaul (it won't be) we'll never see a pure support. I really wish it wasn't true. I love support clases, but the ones we have in XIV are so bland. We already have the Hybrid in AST and the Pure healer in WHM. They can't reduce their damage any more than it already is or else their soloing would be godawful.

Yeah I agree with you it probably won't happen but my inner RO player was excited for a second there.

[Felis]

Why should an Archer fight with a Harp?
What bow using class should ranger get (Bard have already the Archer)?

They could split off of archer with a Hunter/Ranger class, utilizing traps and possibly pets.

After the feedbacks about Summoner and Scholar sharing the same stats, no other class will get 2 jobs.

[Connor]

I would love them adding this personally, but I agree with what most others have said in that it's too impratical to ever be implemented

[Jetstream_Fox]

I'm for this idea, as a BRD main since 2.0 I have always considered the harp a tool, as it was never really featured in the class outside of the lovely Artemis Bow. But as BRD has been the subject to many questionable development choices the class seemingly has no real identity as it stands, it's a supportive class that is way to situational, a cleanser thanks to Wardens, and DPS. While most players say it's impractical, think about this likely ingame situation, ever have a healer and a tank go down in 8 or 24 player content and the BRD has to think about "Do I Ballad dead heals or do I Paeon dead tank?" The entire class is built on impractical ideas that clash with the trinity system. There is away that SE could have implemented harps as a OH, but doing that would have to end the trinity and classify BRD as a support role.

[Norleas]

It's a shame they aren't doing split jobs anymore, since that's the only way I can see this idea coming to life. Unless they give BRD an entirely new class.

[KaiserDrill]

While i do enjoy cheating by getting to level 2 jobs for the price of one, they really should split sch and smn. Give scholars measures for weapons (fits their abilities better anyways) and give them different dps abilities. Let smn keep the dots, but give tjem other options instead of physick, etc. physick on smn is pathetically weak as it is....