Discuss the Abolishment of the Armoury System and Classes

[Neptune]

Note that I didn't say request in the title. I'd like to hold a discussion.

If you go to FINALFANTASYXIV.com you can read all about the wonderful classes of FFXIV and the Armoury system. The problem is, while these were wonderful systems in the eyes of some, and to put it generously, severely flawed systems in the eyes of others, these two systems have changed so much in patch 1.20 that they are not recognizable at all. For instance, there are no action points, most of the abilities and spells are deleted, there are no guild marks and thus no cross class traits to buy and use, and while you can still equip abilities from other classes, you can only do 1 extra one every few ranks now.

Let's face it, the Armoury system is not the Armoury system we signed up for on day one.

Classes have also completely changed in patch 1.20. DoM are completely redone, Archer has gone from DD to support, and Pugilist has gone from away from an emphasis on DD. The fact that classes are still in the game is just a reluctant fan service at this point. Gladiator for example. What role is there for a Gladiator outside the role of Paladin? It's the same thing but having it be separate is just confusing at the point we've come to.

The dev team could have left these systems alone and decided to implement their radical changes overtop, like a job system wherein you have all new abilities at your disposal and none of your class abilities. Let's face it though, they decided to delete class abilities because of how complex that system would have been. So to those that have been playing since launch, I ask what is the significance of a class now?

I propose that keeping the Armoury and Class systems limping along in their horribly disfigured state is only going to hold the game back. It's as if these systems survived a head on collision and are currently on life support in the hospital. As a loving family member, I recommend pulling the plug and putting them out of their misery.

What then?

Then we just have a job system. I think starting from patch 1.20, we would be better off with only a job system and no classes whatsoever.

As another poster suggested recently, if the dev team made a radical change like this, they could present the option of considering your levels earned as points that you could reallocate towards the new classes if you elect to do so.

I think if we're really going to have a radical change in this game it should be radical and not just a mediocre compromise. The more patch notes and plans I see, the more I cringe at the merging of these old, open systems with the new, closed ones. Let's just go all the way. We will be better off if you could just select Black Mage, White Mage, Bard, or Paladin at the character creation screen instead of trying to explain to somebody how the classes work in this game.

Post your thoughts, and be smart about it. No knee-jerk reactions. This is a serious proposal with effects that would be wide ranging and irreversible.

EDIT: If the Armoury system goes I think you would still have the ability to switch jobs at any time, and equip cross-job abilities like in the current plan. The only difference is that you wouldn't have a class underlying it. The class and the job would be merged into one, and jobs could unlock more advanced classes like in FFXI.

[KiniRyris]

Im not completely positive on this, but i think i heard that jobs could not use actions from other classes? Jobs, as stated by the dev team, are suppose to be leaning towards party play, where as classes are for solo players. Classes would still allow for more customizing of actions which is what the armory system was founded on.

I dont believe they should just drop the classes system for those reasons.

[Spellbinder]

As much as I enjoyed the armory system, after what they've presented for changes to classes I think this is the best choice they could make. I have not played any melee classes, but from the standpoint of the Disciples of Magic I feel as if they crossed the line on changes, if only because I've apparently misinterpreted what Yoshi-P himself said.

Our next class revamps will not alter the fundamentals of each class.

As such, some details will be changed, but there will not be any major changes for classes.

Of course, if there are many demands for change after we release the details of the class revamps, we will look into those demands.

Call me crazy, but the removal and exchange of so many skills between the two mage classes present certainly seem to both be major changes and alternations to the fundamentals of both.

As stated, action points have been removed, more exclusive traits and abilities have been put in place, and the amount that can be used as cross-skills have been reduced. As I've said several times in other places, while the Jobs were created for the specialized roles that people desired so greatly, the classes have already become specialized in the process making the whole thing redundant (at least in my opinion).

The system at this point looks like its going to just get more convoluted and more complicated than necessary. Having just jobs would make things much easier, and I'm sure not enough people would care since everyone was screaming for individuality in the first place.

[Chardrizard]

This is a serious proposal that will never happens.

I like the way Armoury System the way they are and i like the plan of how Job system is going to be, however i wouldn't discuss or trying so hard to push it away (or push armoury system out in this case) without trying it out first.

I guess it's just a common attitude for some people in this forum. Same old, same old.

[yukikaze_yanagi]

I don't think this will happen. Don't forget the 1=1 ratio on jobs it's temporary. In the future gla could unlock both pld and dark knight.
Removing classes mean in the future 1)no branching from current jobs, new classes just pop from nowhere 2)branch jobs into new jobs, wich is ...the same as now

[EdenArchangel]

The proposal makes sense, but only because with the first wave of jobs we are limited by one class to one job. After a couple more base classes are added for requirement combinations, we'll soon have (for entirely hypothetical example) Lancer splitting into Dragoon, Templar, and Dragonkin. At that point, people can enjoy casual messing-around activity as the base classes with free-er choice of abilities to set, and switch up to the defined roles when things get serious and Meteor's knocking at the door.

[Icecylee]

I think leaving some space open for customization is a good thing, even with the sharper focus on roles being put into place. Just because things are in general becoming more strictly defined doesn't mean they need to completely toss out any and all freedom - I actually really like what I've seen from the proposals thus far.

There's also the strong possibility that in the future, once all these various base systems are put into place, that each Class is going to have access to more than a single Job. Which seems like a pretty decent reason to have Classes and Jobs work the way we've been told they're going to work.

[Rentahamster]

If you go to FINALFANTASYXIV.com you can read all about the wonderful classes of FFXIV and the Armoury system.

You can also go to FINALFANTASYXIV.com and read all about how Miners are strong against metal-based monsters, and how Pugilist has the "Steal" ability as well as stances.

That website is worthless if you want to know anything about the game. It was never relevant. The data on there was incorrect even on retail launch day, as I pointed out above.

The devs are changing the game and if they're not gonna update the website when the game is still this deep in development. Besides, the armory system isn't gone. You can still cross-class abilities.

[EdenArchangel]

They actually changed the website with the 1.19 patch (removed listed abilities, tweaked descriptions, added grand company information), but yeah, still twelve months late. <_<;

[TheFatHousecat]

The proposal makes sense, but only because with the first wave of jobs we are limited by one class to one job. After a couple more base classes are added for requirement combinations, we'll soon have (for entirely hypothetical example) Lancer splitting into Dragoon, Templar, and Dragonkin. At that point, people can enjoy casual messing-around activity as the base classes with free-er choice of abilities to set, and switch up to the defined roles when things get serious and Meteor's knocking at the door.

That website is worthless if you want to know anything about the game. It was never relevant. The data on there was incorrect even on retail launch day, as I pointed out above.

The devs are changing the game and if they're not gonna update the website when the game is still this deep in development. Besides, the armory system isn't gone. You can still cross-class abilities.

You guys already said it for me, geez ;o