Quote Originally Posted by DBelmont View Post
If you lock classes to specific races or genders, you simplify the concept in a bad way.
Can't agree with this more. I think it was one of World of Warcraft's greater failings. That, and the archaic two-faction system. And the general downward spiral of the lore as the Heads of Development hit Midlife Crisis and turned the story from a compelling and rich novel narrative to comic book super heroes. A lot of other things too, actually.

Either way, FFXIV does it right. I'd be very upset if a class was race/gender locked, without EXCEPTIONAL LORE explaining in thorough detail WHY, and even then, still a terrible idea. Some classes are inherently going to play better than others.