Scrap classes altogether...or make jobs the master classes

[Cthulhu]

Only an example here but lets say you are a Gladiator. Sometimes you are a tank for the party, sometimes you are a DPS. You also focused mainly on that one class. Depending on the situation, you can go on Paladin, to focus on tanking, or switch to Dark Knight, to make you a better DPS.

^This

Classes are the trunk, jobs are the branches. If you take a look at PGL you'll see how we still have an incomplete framework with this first release of jobs. Several of PGL's abilities would be usesful for tanking, MNK however does not add anything that would help. Dollars to donuts that the next PGL job released will give the rest of the skill set needed for an effective EVA tank.

[Buuul]

Classes are the trunk, jobs are the branches. If you take a look at PGL you'll see how we still have an incomplete framework with this first release of jobs. Several of PGL's abilities would be usesful for tanking, MNK however does not add anything that would help. Dollars to donuts that the next PGL job released will give the rest of the skill set needed for an effective EVA tank.

Exactly. Anyone dissing the class system is missing the big picture.

Let's take Time Mage for example. Alone, it probably doesn't have enough unique abilities to make it a class by itself (maybe it does, let's not argue about that right now). However, as a JOB, branching off something like Arcanist or w/e, Time Mage could exist, since you only need a smaller handful abilities to specialize.

Think of all the other jobs that we've seen in the FF universe, specifically FF Tactics. Think about how many branches we could see. Mustadio's Machinist Job could branch from Musketeer. Musketeer could also branch to Corsair.

Maybe we could see a Scout class that branches off to both Ninja and Thief.
PUG seems pretty in tune with the elements. Maybe it becomes Geomancer one day.
Conjurer could lead to Summoner. Thaumaturge to Red Mage. Who knows.

The potential is huge. The burden of designing a complete, balanced set of abilities from scratch is gone. Adding 5-10 abilities or traits to define a class into a Job is a unique and clever way to do it, that doesn't require you to level up everything.

[Lucidus]

Exactly. Anyone dissing the class system is missing the big picture.

Let's take Time Mage for example. Alone, it probably doesn't have enough unique abilities to make it a class by itself (maybe it does, let's not argue about that right now). However, as a JOB, branching off something like Arcanist or w/e, Time Mage could exist, since you only need a smaller handful abilities to specialize.

Think of all the other jobs that we've seen in the FF universe, specifically FF Tactics. Think about how many branches we could see. Mustadio's Machinist Job could branch from Musketeer. Musketeer could also branch to Corsair.

Maybe we could see a Scout class that branches off to both Ninja and Thief.
PUG seems pretty in tune with the elements. Maybe it becomes Geomancer one day (ignore the sword)
Conjurer could lead to Summoner. Thaumaturge to Red Mage. Who knows.

The potential is huge. The burden of designing a complete, balanced set of abilities from scratch is gone. Adding 5-10 abilities or traits to define a class into a Job is a unique and clever way to do it, that doesn't require you to level up everything.

I truly hope to see things develop in this way.