Concerning Y'shtola and the Live Letter

[Darkpaw]

They want each of the scions to feel special and unique, if they are just using the same skills we do on any given class then they are just.. weaker versions of us. Giving some of them their own classes/jobs or unique skills they apply to the same jobs we use they are more unique and dynamic characters in their own right. Y'shtola being a Witch, Alphinaud being an Acadamecian, Minfilia (?) Being a Oracle of Light, Thancred using Sukuchi as a gunbreaker, Uriange using Aetherial Manip as an Astrologian, it gives them their own unique flair

[RopeDrink]

As above, it is just a manner of pepping their character(s) and reminding us that they're not just watered down 'allies of the WOL who mostly play insert-class-here'.

Not only do they have their own unique class-based flare but they also handle certain situations in the trust/dungeon content in their own unique ways as well - one of which being how each Trust handles that dungeon with the wide-open crevice that has a tiny little platform for everyone to navigate across. If I remember right, Urianger will morph to the other side Black Mage style (which, ironically, will kill the player if they try to do the same), Alphinau slowly tip-toes his way over, Minfilia Rogue-sprints it like it's not a problem, Thancred uses the enemy-target to leap over etc etc, and you choose how you want to do it yourself. Now, let's forget the fact that we've played as some of them very briefly and that SE did no favours at the time by having said characters use only three damn spells despite their prominence in the story.

I estimate there'll be quite a few of these little niche touches (not a 'feature', just little scripted quirks, on top of the fact they do not conform with standard classes). It helps to make them their own character after the 3-button debacle of Hien, Y'sthola, Alphinau etc. Honestly, those SB-MSQ moments did nothing but remind you how you're the biggest star of the show, being followed by tag-along's that typically just rely on plot-armour and a mere portion of class abilities (ie. it sucked in every way other than pure RP).

By comparison, this trust system is a different (and much appreciated) way of handling them. Afterall, the Scions are arguably the most important non-WoL characters in the story (with crystal-bro and Mini-filia being prominent as well for the expansion) and all we've had to separate them is cutscene dialogue/antics, so now we get some (light) 'how would they handle this dungeon/situation' moments along with the quirks of their not-really-class.

TLDR - it gets a thumbs up from me and I look forward to SE improving on the system and expanding on it in future for those who need help getting things done without queue-times.

[Bright-Flower]

From what I recall Thancred was 'always' a rogue but the bard/gladiator things were covers and he didn't reveal what he could really do until that fight.

[Floortank]

They moved Y'shtola into a position of relevance by changing her into a Witch. White Mage is less relevant to Shadowbringers than Black Mage.

[Anonymoose]

It's an artifact of the Old Ways.

1.0 was FFXI backwards. You had a "Physical Level" which went up regardless of what class you were using, and then a "Class Rank" which which meant you were better wielding a certain weapon and thus had more skills available with that weapon. That's why all the classes just mean "Weapon User." (Archer=Bow User / Pugilist=Fist User / etc.) Gladiator just means "blade user" and everyone who used a blade at all was a gladiator. Daggers were blades, Thancred had a dagger, Thancred was a gladiator.

You can even see him using GLA skills in Ul'dah LV1 to LV15.

[BlakeWolfe]

Closest thing to Thancred in 1.0 acting similarly to our current Rogue classe would be during the 'Futures Perfect' bout between the Archons and Gaius, complete with a Death Blossom like maneuver:

https://youtu.be/CqV84_rKfxU?t=391