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

[Ceasaria]

But I can definitely get behind having the Festival of the Hunt in FFXIV though

I'am sure Zenos would like it.

[Selvokaz]

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.

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.

[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.

[Enkidoh]

More like he probably just cannibalized whatever groundwork they had already done on MSK for MCH, which is probably why you will never see MSK now, MCH is it's replacement. But I digress.

[MuseTraveller]

Probably farfetched to think but... I'd like time travel moment/element! It would be so cool to visit cities and eras from the past. How I wish I could see Nym in it's prime or see the war between Ul'dah and Sil'dih. Or again relive some moments from 1.0 while being unable to change the future or save anyone but have the knowledge of the future... Imagine visiting Dusk Vigil before the Calamity!
But yes not likely to happen but something I'd love to see!

[Jandor]

I'd like to see plane shifting, we know there are other reflections of Hydaelyn out there, it would be cool if we somehow got to visit some of them.

[Selvokaz]

Psychic is coming, i can feel it, and my feels have never led me astray, it might not show up next but it'll pop up eventually.

[Yzuna]

I'd like them to rework the combat system. So it's less about rotation, and more about teamplay.
Whether it's group chain attack, party buff, situationnal buff...but enough about the mindless rotation.

I'd like the combat system to be more "if X them Y". React to what the mob is doing, react to what your party members are doing.
I find it more interesting than "first X then Y" rotations.

Also, more boss where you can't see casting bar and need to react to what you see or hear. If possible, for some, less predictable rotation and more random TP move.

For features, i'd like for them to do something with the guildleves system (think ENM/Assault from FFXI). Hard content for 4/8 members, with specifics conditions tied to winning, bonuses unlocked depending on how you do it (times/members paths etc.). Guildleves was fun at the beginning, I don't know why they didn't follow-up on those. Specially since it's quite cheap to make, they can re-use most of the asset they have.


More condition to win PoTD/HoH. Like kill a single mini boss, avoid mobs, activate something, solve mini puzzle...add a little variety to the system.


Worldquests to unlock big new content (new area/boss etc). Think WoW AQ quests for instance. It might not be the best content, it can be grindy, but you get a great sense of achievement as a community, and I think it's never a bad thing.


Try to develop, as least once, a huge, hard donjon (instanced or not). designed for 4 or 8, with multiple paths, optionnal/secret boss, roaming patrols of trash, where mobs can link add etc., and quests tied to it. (like EQ2 donjons, or Blackrock Depths from WoW vanilla) You could go to clear only a few boss, go specifically for a quest, or to clear it all)
If people like it, great, you can make more of those, if not, well then at least they'll have tried. But I'm pretty sure it can be a huge success.


But more than anything, please, please SE, stop making content revolving on FATE train grind. One boss FATE here, one boss FATE there, sure, why not. but the huge part of content tied to it is too much.

[Acidblood]

Try to develop, as least once, a huge, hard donjon (instanced or not). designed for 4 or 8, with multiple paths, optionnal/secret boss, roaming patrols of trash, where mobs can link add etc., and quests tied to it. (like EQ2 donjons, or Blackrock Depths from WoW vanilla) You could go to clear only a few boss, go specifically for a quest, or to clear it all)
If people like it, great, you can make more of those, if not, well then at least they'll have tried. But I'm pretty sure it can be a huge success.

^ Definitely this! And just a general move away from Casual = Braindead FATE grind (but instanced! :/) and Hardcore = Dancing with a Boss. (MHW event is hopefully a step in this direction).

Class customisation via Traits and just generally giving every class the attention they need to make them fun, fluid, and distinct (even if this means no 'new' classes).

Systems to allow more re-use (i.e. scaling to current iLevel and rewards) of 'old' content... e.g. monthly 'savage' dungeons, weekly 'time-travel' raids / trials, some sort of progressive dungeon scaling (e.g. mythic+)

A proper (ARR/HW style) relic quest with diverse activities that can be done slowly over time (and solo / duty finder if needed).

Extreme suggestion: Drop PvP (or at least the competitive side of it) and introduce seasonal PvE leader boards for competitive dungeons / trials / raids / etc. (e.g. fastest run, fastest kill(s), least damage taken, etc.) ... duty recorder could be used to verify results and share them publicly.