Suggestion: new classes to start at lower level

[AlexiosCalisthenes]

I understand that from the Fan Fest in Paris Shadowbringers reveal, that gunbreaker would be tentatively released at level 60 (source: twitch stream: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/373857551 time: 00:28:04).

I was wondering if the developers and production team behind SE and FFXIV would strongly consider lowering this to perhaps level 30. As a player from ARR 2.0, I think a big part of the game was slowly unlocking the classes' potential as it went along. Having a class start immediately at 60 seems like a giant skill bloat.

Yes, one may argue for the items available on mogstation that pushes a class to 60. However, that is up to an individual whether he or she chooses to do so. (even then we have complaints on various online platforms about the performance of players using these "jump potions"). By introducing it AT level 60 for a class for everyone, it seems to greatly augment this problem.

Introducing classes at 30 makes sense because at 30, the "job" is unlocked. However, with samurai and red mage coming out at 50 seems odd. Now with the new classes announced to be released at 60, I felt the need to share my opinion, that's all.

I just feel that by lowering the level, it allows players to have more time to understand the class better and improve gameplay and even longevity for the game (more time spent in game ).

Thank you for reading!

[Vidu]

The most likely reason for this descision is to allow people to actually play through the new story with the new jobs - yes, you'll still have to go through 10 more levels to be able to do that, but thats still a lot less than starting from 30 and having to gain 40 levels.

Both samurai and redmage also hightlighted one important thing for me: Yes, getting all of those skills at level 50 felt a bit overwhelming in the first few minutes but after that I realised that the game had given me complete, basic rotations already!
Lets face it: Most jobs are extremly unfinished at level 30 and you have no real clue where that class is heading, which skills are actually going to be important etc. How often did you set up a hotbar only to realise 10 levels later that your initial design was grabage because now you got this new skill that has to fit in somewhere? I know that this happend to me far to often (so often that by now I'm looking at all the skills my job will get at max level and plan my hotbars before I start the leveling process alltogether)
Having a class start at a higher level gives you a better feeling and understanding of its core-mechanics right away. It also makes the job seem more intresting and "attractive" if you get more than 3 buttons to hit right away. And on top of that you can play through the new mainstory with one of the new jobs more or less "right away".

I understand that some people enjoy leveling a great deal - and you still get to level your job through 20 levels after all!
But I would argue that low level leveling - in most cases - doesnt really help you understand whats important about your jobs performance at max level. More often the leveling process will be actually "harmful" to that - certain jobs like DRK for example get key-skills that change how they play at level 70 at the moment. By leveling the class you might have learned how to play DRK below 70 - once you reach that, you need to learn how to play DRK at 70... so... you have to learn DRK again.
I dare to say that 30-50 doesnt even help you to really learn your class - it might help you to understand the basic rules of the gameplay (tanks have to tank, healers need to balance healing and dps, dps has to hit stuff) but not the details of your job.

Honestly, samurai and redmage felt so well designed and ready for content because they started at 50 - at least to me. I already had full rotations, I didnt had to gain 5 more levels to get my "3"! Made both jobs a whole lot more appealing to me - and it gave me a better sense to decided wether or not I actually wanted to try and level them.

[Gwenorai]

Grabbing a new level 60 class just takes someone reading the tooltips, maybe hit a dummy for a little bit until they get used to it. Gunbreaker is more than likely going to follow the same formula as the other tanks; so the assumption can be made that those who can actually play tank correctly are going to be fine with it.

Besides; regarding levelling it from 30; folks will just go into PotD and then HoH to level it up - not the best places to learn your class.

[Jandor]

As it starts in an ARR area I think 50 would make more sense than 60.

Seeing as the expansion includes previous expansions too, the SAM/RDM treatment of getting access to expansion jobs as soon as you wrap up the base game feels fair.
Almost wish they would retcon DRK, AST and MCH to function this way.

[Colino]

Unfortunately there's people who leveled jobs all the way from 1 to 70 and still have no clue, so your suggestion would likely only hinder those that just want to unlock the new job and go through the new main story with it in a reasonable amount of time.

[Eli85]

When you force the mediocore players to play a new job from level 30, instead of level 50 or 60, you only extend the time it takes for them to reach the level cap. They do not become better players by slogging through another twenty levels. This has been proven and demonstrated time and time again. The players who cause the problem of being mediocore do so intentionally—they do not want to improve, so they do not. However many levels you force them to go through does not change this in the slightest.

[MsQi]

This has been proven and demonstrated time and time again.

No It hasn't

[Gwenorai]

No It hasn't

What? How has it not been proven? A level 70 who levelled a class the good old fashioned doesn't instantly make them a 'pro' or 'good' or even 'mediocre'. A decent player is someone who actually knows their rotation and at least the basics of the class. I've seen plenty of max level players who still don't know jack about their class/role.

If the classes were level 30 then it's most likely that these players will just go into deep dungeons to level up where they can get away without a) knowing their rotation b) doing their class role. Those who jump sometimes are also in this category; though most who are smart at least read the tooltips/practise the rotation or read a guide.

The faster you get to max level the faster you can master the class anyway; you don't get your full kit till then.

I don't even know how you can even object to that statement.

tldr: people will use the classes wrong regardless of what level they picked it up as.

[Kalise]

This always ends up being a balancing act.

On the one hand, people want to be able to easily access the new content on the new class as soon as possible. So a high level start is wanted.

On the other hand, you still want to have people unlock their skills over a period of time so people are less likely to feel overwhelmed. So a low level start is wanted.

Personally, 50 seems like a decent start, because you have a reasonable semblance of a rotation with plenty of time to get a feel while you level up. Though, 50-60 leveling is pretty trash >.>

So 60 is an alternative that alleviates the horrible HW leveling period.

Also to note, the lower level a class starts, the better they have to 1) Fit them into the lore for the period (I.e. 1-50 is ARR timeline, 50-60 is HW timeline, 60-70 is SB timeline) and 2) Create more Job Quests for them due to more levels to level from.

To say nothing of the fact that, if someone does want to slowly access their skills, they can always go solo PotD. It's easy enough to solo level 1-60 in there which gives you your skills as if you started at level 1 but without that awkward massive timegate that is doing actual levels (Which, ironically, for most people would end up being PotD spam )

I suppose, if this trend of increasing levels and overwhelming button bloat continues they could always do what WoW did with Death Knights, which is, create an initial series of quests that unlocks your skills systematically rather than giving you them all the second you start on the job.

[MsQi]

What? How has it not been proven? A level 70 who levelled a class the good old fashioned doesn't instantly make them a 'pro' or 'good' or even 'mediocre'. A decent player is someone who actually knows their rotation and at least the basics of the class. I've seen plenty of max level players who still don't know jack about their class/role.

If the classes were level 30 then it's most likely that these players will just go into deep dungeons to level up where they can get away without a) knowing their rotation b) doing their class role. Those who jump sometimes are also in this category; though most who are smart at least read the tooltips/practise the rotation or read a guide.

The faster you get to max level the faster you can master the class anyway; you don't get your full kit till then.

I don't even know how you can even object to that statement.

tldr: people will use the classes wrong regardless of what level they picked it up as.

He is saying that no mediocre players learn from playing through levels. I say some do

Anecdotal evidence