Expansion Ideas: Systems, Features, and Content Types - What would you add?

[Enkidoh]

Heal who specializes in dealing damage and a portion of that damage always being shifted and converted to healing that goes to the person in your party who's hp is the lowest. Their spells would work more like a combo chain whereas each spell absorbs a portion of the damage done and heals someone, but the next step in the chain gives out bigger heals, culminating in the final spell in the chain granting the biggest burst healing. The chain could also vary depending on whether or not you want to aoe heal on the last hit or single target heal. Ideally the weapon for the class would be a telekinetically controlled crystal that it can fire off at range. They would also specialize in debuffing the enemy in away similar to scholars with bane, in that they can spread debilitating effects, and these effects would be new things, that target stats, resistances, and so on, perhaps bring back things like Slow, and a unique kind of poison.

This is essentially what THM originally was designed as in the beginning of FFXIV 1.0 (it was more about casting debuffs and healing using drain spells) - it was CNJ who was the elemental spellcaster. This changed after Yoshi took over and the classes were redesigned to accommodate the Job upgrades (thus some of CNJ's elemental spells were given to THM to ensure it was a better fit for BLM, losing it's drain healing and debuffs in the process). ACN in ARR essentially gained these debuffs anyway so I don't see SE bringing the old THM idea back sadly. The sole surviving legacy of 1.0 THM left is the astral/umbral shift mechanic - 1.0 THM's spells were entirely astral or umbral aligned.

Freelancer job, as in FF5, instead though you can pick and choose from all your learned abilities to design your own class, however you can't use the freelancer job in party content making it solely for solo content.

A certain design document floating around on the net from 1.0's early development actually references (among other things), a special 'Adventurer' class (abbreviation 'SPN') which is bare-handed, presumably what you're describing. I can only speculate why this was never implemented though, probably due to how the Armoury System was designed requires a weapon to be equipped at all times and thus the 'bare-handed' aspect probably would have caused too much issues for it, so they never bothered with it.

As it was 1.0's original (pre-Job) Armoury System was specifically designed to equip any ability on any class, allowing you to mix and match to your heart's content (classes were less 'classes' and more just a weapon with a set of abilities attached to their use). This did not work nearly as well as it did on paper though and ultimately classes gained more rigid roles when Jobs were added to them, thus resulting in the more rigid cross-class ability system that was carried into ARR (and recently removed completely, replaced by the 'role ability' system). So alas, I do not see SE going back to this idea in the future, it's pretty clear they want to keep classes and Jobs within dedicated roles with little variation (because class/ability personalization/variety is a myth - players will inevitably find the best, easiest set up that gives the optimum benefit for the least outlay and so that will become the meta, with every other possibility shunned and players harassed accordingly if they dare "think outside the box." FFXI suffered from this bad, and FFXIV's design is an attempt to at least try to eliminate that. So I do not see this changing I'm afraid.

[Shurrikhan]

This is essentially what THM originally was designed as in the beginning of FFXIV 1.0 (it was more about casting debuffs and healing using drain spells) - it was CNJ who was the elemental spellcaster. This changed after Yoshi took over and the classes were redesigned to accommodate the Job upgrades (thus some of CNJ's elemental spells were given to THM to ensure it was a better fit for BLM, losing it's drain healing and debuffs in the process). ACN in ARR essentially gained these debuffs anyway so I don't see SE bringing the old THM idea back sadly. The sole surviving legacy of 1.0 THM left is the astral/umbral shift mechanic - 1.0 THM's spells were entirely astral or umbral aligned.

To be fair, though, Yoshida also purged all traces of the budding Musketeer/Gunner class only to add Machinist an expansion later.

[Kaiserdrache]

I'd completely rework all classes and their Jobs like given a glimpse of that under my thread for redesigning the Monk under the expectation, that Level Cap gets also raised to 80, so that they get also some new skills as well as part of character progression getting continued.

The Class System of this game is since Heavensward a complete broken mess with new classes just thrown into the game with either level 30 or 50, without them having even Beginner Classes except of the Ninja, which came into the game with an introduced new beginner class.
I'd rework the Class System, that all Classes have 5 Job Roles, due to adding two new Job Roles - like mentioned in my Thread - Supporter and Preventer, basicalling using Jobs as Sub Classes, or similar to Guild Wars 2, where they have Elite Specializations called practically working as "Jobs"
Each individual Job should have then also for the Class a secondary Weapon between the player can switch, which would eventually add some new weapon based skisl that replace certain weapon skills, when switching between Class Weapon and Job Weapon.

Under my rework would we have following Classes with following Jobs.
For this to work must get this silly Weapon to Class Bind-Mechanic get removed and the Change Job System get reworked to simply change jobs, without needing to change Weapons for that extra. Other Games can do this, so why the hell can't FF14??? Is FF14 really so outdated and backwards thinking???

DPS Classes
Archer Weapon Longbow
Jobs :
> Bard (Weapon: Shortbow/Harp) - Support
> Machinist (Weapon: Pistols) - DPS
> Arcanist (Weapon: Rapier) / Renamed Red Mage - Healer
> Hunter (Weapon: Rifles) - Preventer
> Ranger (Weapon: Whip) - Tank

Pugilist Weapon: Fist Rings
Jobs:
> Monk (Weapon: Poles) - Healer
> Daredevil (Weapon: Tonfas) - Tank
> Roughneck(Weapon: Maces) - Preventer
> Champion (Weapon: Claws) - DPS
> Martialist (Weapon: Gauntlets) Support

Thaumaturge Weapon: Grimoire (Book)
Jobs:
> Summoner (Weapon: Magic Staff) - Tank
> Astrologian ( Weapon: Cards/Globe) - Healer
> Witcher (Weapon: Magic Gauntlets) - DPS / Renamed Black Mage
> Scholar (Weapon: Magic Scepter) - Support
> Necromancer (Weapon: Scythe) - Preventer

Lancer Weapon: Lance
Jobs:
> Dragoon (Weapon: Spear) - Preventer
> Knight (Weapon: Longsword) Support/ Renamed Dark Knight
> Guardian (Weapon: Longshield) Tank
> Enforcer - (Weapon: Halberd) DPS
> Marauder - (Weapon: 2H Axes) Healer

Rogue Weapon: Daggers
Jobs:
> Ninja (Weapon: Shurikens/Kunais) - DPS
> Dancer (Weapon: War Fans) - Support
> Gambler (Weapon: Dices) - Healer
> Alchemist (Weapon: Sickles) - Preventer /Crafting Job Hybrid, only Crafting Job that is at the same time Combat Class now
> Pirate (Weapon: Saber& Pistol) - Tank

Tank Class

Gladiator Weapon: Swords and Shields
Jobs:
> Paladin (Weapon: Dual Swords) - Support
> Warrior (Weapon: Greatshield) - Tank
> Berserker (Weapon: Greatsword) - Preventer
> Mercenary ( Weapon: Warhorn) - Healer
> Samurai - (Weapon: Katana) - DPS

Healer Class
Conjurer Weapon Canes/Wands
Jobs:
> Druid (Weapon: Magic Staff) - Healer
> Songstar (Weapon: Tuning Fork) - Support
> Priest (Weapon: Mace) - DPS
> Exorcist (Weapon: Sword) - Preventer
> Shaman (Weapon: Puppets) - Tank

That way would be the class system no mess anymore, 3 Main Roles each with 5 Sub Roles and all of them would have clear Beginner Main Classes, due to Red Mage, Samurai, Astrologian, Scholar and Machinist being under this concept now put to specific Main Classes that do fit to them as Beginner Classes, even if this means changing for example the Samurai from a Main DPS class into a Class that comes then from a Tank Role, but they would be the kind of offensive orientated DPS Tanks.
As you can see, I tried to include also all kind of classical FF Jobs from the past into the game, like the Gambler from FFX-2 and the Songstar/stress, or the Dancer.
If you kind of ask yourself now.. but where did he put the Blue Mage??? That kind of concept do I think fists best reconcepted under the Alchemist, kind of similar gameplay style like Rikku from FFX, which puts like an Ahclemist all kinds of stuff together und as resutl you get some kind of "Monster Skill out of it" based on what stuff you put together in your Alchemy in combat.

[Elamys]

The hamlets thing did sound neat from what I've heard. I like the idea of battle classes and crafters/gatherers having to work together to reach a goal.

[Maero]

More content like Deep Dungeons as example. We are still missing some for level 70
8 Man Deep Dungeon with increased difficulty maybe?
Eureka has the option of changing things up but at the same time it is sounding like it will have elements we have repeated many times already.
More FC related stuff would be cool, not Diadem but just something other then maps that we can have fun with.
Open World Primal like beings perhaps? Not talking about fates, enough of that ...

[Sylvain]

Xloe, Khloe sister.
Once a week (or every 2 weeks eventually)
Objective are server wide and not personal. (so everyone have the same things to do.
Xloe have tiered objectives. There are 5 tiers and you must clear them in order.
Special rule : while being sync you still retain all your skills.

Tier 1 : complete a ARR or HW dungeon with min ilv
Tier 2 : complete a ARR or HW dungeon with min ilv and zero death. (dungeon fails upon death) weakness last 15min.
M
Tier 3: do a last tier boss with min ilv (A4-8-12 for ex)
Tier 4: do an old trial with min ilv (harder version)
Tier 5: do an "easy" savage boss (first or second boss of a selected tier. For ex: AS1-2 or 5-6 and so on. Ilv is sync to max from the relèvent patch

In order to be queued at lower level with all our lv 70 skills, a new interface is proposed to queue. (we would queue via the new book for instance)
The first special reward starts at tier 3. Tier 1 and 2 only grant gils, poetic etc.

[Wintersandman]

Xloe, Khloe sister.

I will be honest, I don't think I would ever do this. I get people are looking for more of a challenge but this would just be one of those features I would never explore just like savage raids.

[Sylvain]

I will be honest, I don't think I would ever do this. I get people are looking for more of a challenge but this would just be one of those features I would never explore just like savage raids.

Im well aware that old bosses hard bosses are not a thing many people would enjoy doing.

But ultimately what I would like in a sens is opportunity to do more hard-is content which isn't always the same 4 bosses over and over.

Which is why for instance I proposed regular dungeon and 8man with min ilv.

[MPNZ]

I would like to have more stuff to explore in the zones from ARR. Especially, in the Black Shroud.

[Kabooa]

Revamping or Removing TP. It serves no purpose, and it barely served any purpose back when you could run out.

Can't do more than a summary here, but it could serve as a catalyst towards diversifying weaponskills, as it stands most of them are basically just copies of each other.