Shield and casting should work together not be opposed.

[Cabalabob]

So in ffxi, if you had a shield it was helpful for casting. If you were casting and you blocked a hit it would prevent your cast getting interrupted, which was great for PLDs and WHMs alike. It was great that shield mechanics and casting mechanics went hand in hand.

In FFXIV they are completely opposed, you can't block or parry while casting. With moves like clemency and sheltron coming to PLD it would be nice if the blocking mechanic could be changed to be like in ffxi so PLD won't be hindered by casting and will instead benefit from blocking while casting.

[Faytte]

Agreed. It would make sense given both white mages and black mages CAN equip shields that there be some reason to them even having it?

Sadly I do not know if this forum is actually looked at for suggestions.

[Cabalabob]

Yeah would be good for whm and blm also, particularly in pvp where a block preventing interrupts could make a fair difference to them.

[Gravton]

Yeah would be good for whm and blm also, particularly in pvp where a block preventing interrupts could make a fair difference to them.

I thought block and parry were removed from pvp. I could be wrong though.

[Cabalabob]

Parry could benefit from this also and might make it that bit more desirable to Paladins to help prevent interrupts.

[Kumori_Kumo]

... You know, I don't play Pal, but that makes a lot of sense.
Also I keep wondering if they'll ever do the shield thing with BLMs or WHMs again. It feels like it was some artifact of leveling that just gets discarded. I liked my shield! But there are no one-handed weapons to speak of at appreciable iLevels.

[Lambdafish]

Agreed. It would make sense given both white mages and black mages CAN equip shields that there be some reason to them even having it?

Its ironic that white mages and thaums both can wear shields...but they are useless while casting.

Also I keep wondering if they'll ever do the shield thing with BLMs or WHMs again. It feels like it was some artifact of leveling that just gets discarded.

BLM/WHM shields are a side effect of 1.0. The devs never liked it and, like classes, would happily remove the functionality entirely in the game. Its current state is the best they can do. They will never come back and shouldn't be used as an argument against this; regardless though, I am in full support of the OPs suggestion.

[Phoenicia]

Now THIS is a buff I'd sign up for!

[Faytte]

Its ironic that white mages and thaums both can wear shields...but they are useless while casting.

That being said---I'd much prefer clemency not even be a spell, but a GCD like flash. It also eats 40% of your mana pool--not exactly something you can spam. Make it interrupt combos and its fine.

[GeekMatt]

Shields still wouldn't be used by BLM/WHM, but it would be a nice feature overall and help ease the interrupt complaints