Removal of the cross class system announced.

[Zojha]

Seems pretty clear to me at this point:

Instead of picking 5 cross-class skills, we'll now pick 5 cross-role skills in more or less the same interface. Skills will likely end up being the same or similar to what we have right now, biggest change being that you'll no longer have to level the respective jobs. Chances are, slots will be unlocked at a similar rate as now, too.

Or in other words: Big whoop over a relatively small change.

[Callinon]

Or in other words: Big whoop over a relatively small change.

A relatively small change that un-hamstrings the class system. Currently every physical dps job that's introduced MUST cross-class lancer because invigorate is so important. Every tank job MUST cross-class gladiator because provoke is so important. Every healer job MUST cross-class conjurer because of protect AND thaumaturge because of swiftcast. Under this system, new jobs have all their decisions made for them before they're even designed. So the design is flawed and has to be changed. That's what this does.

[Leigaon]

This is the thing I'm wanting to learn more about, more so than RDM. Disconnecting themselves from the cross class system and into a role based system could have a lot of potential. We can get rid of some of the bloat, like for PLD. There's no need for Rampart and Foresight. Make them into one and give the enhancements via traits and throw in Shadowskin in with it. Instead you have one move that will get traits to increase the duration / potency and cool down. Maybe a higher duration to make up for what they'll loose. So a DRK that uses Shadowskin for 20s just to tack on Foresight for another 20s..make the single move have traits that gradually increase it to 40s.

[Shurrikhan]

A relatively small change that un-hamstrings the class system. Currently every physical dps job that's introduced MUST cross-class lancer because invigorate is so important. Every tank job MUST cross-class gladiator because provoke is so important. Every healer job MUST cross-class conjurer because of protect AND thaumaturge because of swiftcast. Under this system, new jobs have all their decisions made for them before they're even designed. So the design is flawed and has to be changed. That's what this does.

Those four examples are really the only pertinent ones though. Agreed, that functionality should be baseline, and if SE doesn't want to spend the time to include those functions uniquely within each job that they've made dependent on them in the context of any 8-man fight lasting for more than a couple minutes, then cross-class auto-acquisition is the way to go. But I don't see why anything more than ease of acquisition should be necessary. Why purposely reduce situational options?

At present there aren't even enough dps cross-class skills to fill the five additional slots with on each dps job. Do we just make jobs, via newly broadened skills, even more homogenized? And what was so wrong about having the *option* to grab something out of role. I for one actually kind of appreciated having access to Skull Sunder as a Monk from time to time. It was still up to 450 potency of enmity usable in each situation Fracture would have been; given how many tanks bail upon entering Expert roulette, never to be replaced, it's been quite handy.

This is the thing I'm wanting to learn more about, more so than RDM. Disconnecting themselves from the cross class system and into a role based system could have a lot of potential. We can get rid of some of the bloat, like for PLD. There's no need for Rampart and Foresight. Make them into one and give the enhancements via traits and throw in Shadowskin in with it. Instead you have one move that will get traits to increase the duration / potency and cool down. Maybe a higher duration to make up for what they'll loose. So a DRK that uses Shadowskin for 20s just to tack on Foresight for another 20s..make the single move have traits that gradually increase it to 40s.

There's a difference between removing bloat and removing control. Yes, Foresight feels underpowered, and may therefore feel like underutilization of its slot, but having additional triggers to your defensive toolkit is not a bad thing. Else, why not take out Sentinel, Awareness, and Bulwark while we're at it, and just have a single CD called "Guard" or "hurts less for a while"?

Nor does condensing CDs have anything to do with moving from a "cross-class" system to a "role-based" system. The ONLY differences are that (a) leveling of other classes will no longer be required for core additional skills, and (b) that you may lose access to skills no longer deemed to be of your "role", reducing your overall arsenal (SE hasn't been entirely clear on whether or not this is a system of role-exclusivity or simply role-based skill acquisition, though I certainly hope the latter).

[Reynhart]

Instead of picking 5 cross-class skills, we'll now pick 5 cross-role skills in more or less the same interface.

Actually, I think the change will be bigger than that. Yoshi-P mentionned, as an "example", that it's useless to have severals tanks having a "-20% damage taken/1m30 CD/20s duration" skill.
So, maybe Rampart and Shadowskin will be removed from PLD and DRK skilltrees and put into the Tank skills. It opens up a new slot for PLD and DRK, but can also make Rampart available for WAR, who will need to be adjusted accordingly.
Technically, they could decide to make a universal enmity combo too, and balance the potency gap between job-restricted skills.

As a sidenote, what it could bring in the end is the total removal of classes, and thus, potentially removing the weapon restriction.
Think about it, if your job is determined by the Crystal you equip, why not allow a PLD to use a greatsword or a Ninja to use two sword with a real Dual Wield ?

I really hope PLD gets something good out of this deal because it essentially carries the majority of the tank cross class pool. While WAR might lose one or two skills (and DRK loses none), PLD has the potential to lose 3 or 4 skills (as part of the base PLD toolkit), on top of the healing skills which diversify its gameplay.

I think that PLD will gain the most of it. Considering he is the "basic" tank, Tank skills will probably be taken more from him, opening severals slots for new skills.