FFXIV ‘s meta is set. However developers could tweek it if they wanted to risk seeing how players would like it. I for one agree, since the bottom line is money, no MAJOR changes should be attempted without it being a reaction to community feedback (ex: no more unsolicited “FAVOR” type content).

But since we all have our opinions, this is the direction I would like to see the battle system go. All MMO’s battle systems are basically about DPS & mitigation. Generically you have your TANK, HEALER, DPS ( and SUPPORT*) roles. And the system has you bring these roles together to REKT some end-game raid for loot. However what makes a game NICE imo is the variety of ways you can skin the cat (if you catch my drift).

Let’s first talk about FFXIV Meta then I’ll complain. Since 1.0 FFXIV meta has always been every role is a DPS, yet a few can mitigate ( pld, drk, war*, all DPS with mitigation if you’re playing properly), (whm,ast, sch ...all DPS with mitigation if you’re playing properly). I’ve since quit the game but before I did I got all my jobs to 60 (mch at 59*? ), but all while leveling throughout the years I found myself always arguing with casuals about one thing….”MAXIMIZE YOUR DPS!” While this is to be expected of a “true” DPS I find it strange that this game makes it very true for healers and tanks as well?? So much so once you hit endgame with a serious raid group, everything is timed cures/shields, tankbusters, move around, MAXIMIZE YOUR DPS!! This game’s meta doesn’t REWARD true role playing (with the exception of a few fights here and there throughout ex: T7(extreme), T10, AS1, AS6).

I would prefer a meta that forced us to play each role truly instead of the hybrid DPSes we have now: Tank’s that are all about mitigation and party mitigation (active), healers are already designed with uber shields and heals ( i want that NERFED or raid dmg raised like hell and not aoe dmg, but individual party member dmg), and leave DPS more or less as is yet stripped of all mitigation!!. (note: this game doesn’t officially have a support role however if you wish to use raid finder or you’re a serious raid group….you can’t do without a brd/mch [so this game DOES have a support role]).

Allow me to elaborate; this is the breakdown of roles I would prefer.

TANK:
pld, war, drk - roles that are forced to take dmg, hold aggro & mitigate party dmg PRIMARILY. I want higher dmg on tanks forcing us to use optimal mitigation sequences. I want all mitigations to be influenced by stats for example no longer flat 20% for Inner Beast, but instead a 15% base mitigation that increases with determination and can CRIT! Same with all other mitigations (Rampart, shadowskin, foresight, etc, etc). I want Parry rates & parry mitigation to go up and be comparable to a det/crit tank. I want there to be 3 types of tanks: Parry/DET, DET/CRIT, & Parry/CRIT.

HEALER:
ast, whm, sch - roles that are forced to constantly heal, regen, cure negative status effects PRIMARILY. I want Healers that have much weaker heals or party takes higher dmg than the nominal HPS. I want more status effects during fights that require healer attention (esuna, adlo, etc). I actually want ast to lose its offensive buffs….no balance or arrow. I want offensive buffs left to the support roles.


DPS:
blm, mnk, drg, smn, nin- roles that JUST REKT SHIT!! DPS jobs should continue to DPS but lose solo & party mitigation abilities: Dragon Kick, Mantra, Keen Flurry, Featherfoot, Second Wind, have no access to Bloodbath (gives room for DNC in the future), Shade Shift, etc.


SUPPORT*:
brd, mch, rdm*- roles that primarily helps the party overall.
Now the support classes should dominate all offensive party and solo buffs and mp/tp regens and also specialize in enfeebling (silence, slow, blind, bind, heavy, paralyze). For example Virus, Eye for an Eye, Apocatastasis, Lethargy should all be RDM exclusives. Support enfeebling should be a different tier such that it doesn’t share resistance with tier I. For examples Blind (from Flash, Dark Passenger, Ruin II) should be separate from Blind II ( a RDM ability that will override Blind I).

I want each role so preoccupied with doing their part in order to MAXIMIZE DPS, rather than it being, scripted mitigation/dodge/heals and perfecting your rotations.


Final changes: all combos should be extremely simplified so ppl aren’t staring at their hotbar the whole fight.

A game like the one I described will definitely play differently and invite more strategies to optimally clearing content.