How to classify each Job.

[Eloah]

So someone posted a thread about an adjustment to Dancer, and when I offered my thoughts it got me thinking, how would you classify each job? For example SMN would be DoT based as it rely on its DoTs for a good portion of its damage. But what would the others be classified as? And what should those classifications be?

Here are some that I think fit.
Combo Based: is mostly reliant on their combo system to produce damage.
Proc Based: relays on getting procs to get bursts of damage
DoT Based: uses DoTs for a large portion/basis of their damage
Priority Based: the job has many features but there is a clear order of operations to maximize output.

Those are all I can think of for now, but I am sure the MMO veterans can elaborate on others. Just so people are aware, I am not saying that these classifications don't overlap any, it's just the main focus of the job. For instance BRD is DoT based, but does have a proc system with the recent change to Straight Shit/Refulgant Arrow. Anyways here are my thoughts.

All Tanks: Combo Based, they use their combos mostly to maintain enmity
All Healers: Priority Based, being a healer healing takes priority, makes sense, right?
SMN and BRD: DoT Based
RDM and DNC: Proc Based
BLM, MCH, and MNK: Priority Based
NIN, DRG, and SAM: Combo Based

[Chyro]

Idk about classifying a class as 'DoT based'. Not sure how it is with Bard, but Summoner just has 2 dots that are kept up at all times (and spread in case of aoe).
Thats 2 skills (+1 that applies both). Seems like a very small part of the kit to be saying the whole class revolves around dots.

[Allegor]

They're the jobs more notorious for their DoTs but I'd say SMN and BRD are still priority based. They both have procs but as far as I'm aware their 'rotation' consists on using something as soon as it's off cd.

[Silverquick]

Well surprisingly Summoner still is a DoT based Job even though its got a LOT more Direct Damage attacks these days once you pass level 60.

One of them is a DoT you don't even think is a DoT but actually is... the Egi.

The Majority of a Summoner's damage even today is the Egi + DoTs. The rest of the Summoner's damage is all stacked on top of this. So... if you just keep those two things running all the time, it will be the lion's share. As its the basis upon which all other Damage is stacked.

[Macleod]

I'd say BRD is Proc Based...with Refulgent Arrow/Straight Shot, Pitch Perfect, Bloodletter/Rain of Death cooldown reset procs, etc.

[HyoMinPark]

BRD is also proc-based. DoT management is a part of the job, but it’s very heavy on RNG procs from those DoTs. You can also put it down as a priority-based system, because it does have a certain priority one follows with regards to its “rotation”.

SMN I’d classify as “pet” based, in that you have to manage Egi Assaults, and the Summon Bahamut/Phoenix; but you could likely also argue it as “priority” based in a loose sense—since you have those “phases” you go through in a specific order.

[Chyro]

The question is, is a class classified by what does the most damage in their kit?
Or by the style of gameplay that playing it involves?

Again, speaking from a summoner's perspective.
I spend maybe 1 second every 30 or so seconds having a short thought to keep up the dots (at most).
Most of the time I'm busy with which of the many OGCD skills I have to press next, which bahamut/phoenix phase is up or up next, which ruin to use etc.

[Silverquick]

Well I can tell you now those letting DoTs drop is a HUGE loss, and I'm not someone to break a sweat over just some tiny or piddly little 1% damage here...

But keep in mind.... my Bio and Miasma in conjunction are doing between 6,000-7,000 damage per tick at 80th and a iLvl 470... my Ifrit is doing 4200-4600 per swing.

That's a good 10,000 damage ticking underneath everything.
While an Ahk Morn may be around 30,000... those DoTs dropping make your Ahk Morn go from doing 37,000 damage to doing 30,000 damage. They are just that significant. Its wayyyy more than some piddly little 1% some of these Savage players argue over.

Not to mention DoT + Egi for 10,000 damage per tick.... running underneath your Ruin 3s.

That is why SMN is so hard to play... its all about stacking and maintaining that damage throughout. While dodging mechanics and managing all those timers to keep that persistent Damage always going. .

Keep in mind here... for perspective.... BLMs are popping off 40,000+ damage Fire 4's under Enochian and I've seen them do a good 70,000 with Xenoglosssy. And they will just sit there and roll off Fire 4s one after another after another.

SMN is not going to compete with that without stacking their entire load and maintaining it.

[KDSilver]

Ninja has one combo with 2 different finisher indeed. But it's more a priority job than a pure combo job like drg.
You have to setup your suiton into trick attack and everything surrounding your burst windows which is not on your main combo.
Using your mudra frequently and refreshing your huton.

Sam is what we could also call "combo based" indeed, but it uses it to both refresh its buff and open its sen.

It's think jobs can't be classified this way.

Same for dancer.
Its both about proc and prority.
Dances, gcd proc, forced oGCG proc, feather, saber dance
Usage depend on your gauge, the buff aligment, if you're overcapping...

[Eloah]

Ninja has one combo with 2 different finisher indeed. But it's more a priority job than a pure combo job like drg.
You have to setup your suiton into trick attack and everything surrounding your burst windows which is not on your main combo.
Using your mudra frequently and refreshing your huton.

Sam is what we could also call "combo based" indeed, but it uses it to both refresh its buff and open its sen.

It's think jobs can't be classified this way.

Same for dancer.
Its both about proc and prority.
Dances, gcd proc, forced oGCG proc, feather, saber dance
Usage depend on your gauge, the buff aligment, if you're overcapping...

See that's interesting about Ninja. Prior to 5.1, I might of said Ninja was a Priority based job, but with Mudras being placed on the GCD, and being a type of combo, that's how I choose to classify them.

As for the way to classify them, that's really up to personal interpretation. For me it wasn't so much what produces the most damage, but what seems to form the basis of the jobs gameplay/what features stand out the most. That's why I said DoTs for BRD and SMN, even though at later levels they get more proc or priority skills. But those are just my thoughts. I am also aware that most jobs have a nice mix, so that they are not just 1 trick ponies.

Also I completely forgot to make a Pet classification. Though to be honest I feel at this point that is more of a sub class, given how we really only have "one" Pet class, since SCH and SMN are really just two sides of the same class.