I understand that a majority of players will stick primarily to DoW/DoM classes but I do hope DoL/DoH get a fun-factor boost in the future.

Currently, it seems the biggest motivating factors to play these classes are:
  • Achievements
  • Making Gil / Economy Meta-gaming
  • Self Sufficiency

These classes do have class quests like DoW/DoMs (yay!) and can also partake in Grand Company content via turning in resources and finished items for seals. They will also be able to take part in the upcoming Hamlet defense content.

The good thing is that these classes are vital to the economy. DoH provide resources and catalysts to crafters. Crafters provide gear, consumables, repairs and melding expertise to the entire community.

However, other than achievements, leveling up and being able to craft/gather better items - there isn't much for a DoH/DoL to look forward to. That and crafting/gathering can become a fairly boring process.

Step 1 - Make Crafting and Gathering more fun!
The process for both DoL and DoH should play out more like encounters for adventurers. The encounter should play up the fact that these classes are balancing durability, output quality, and output volume. In the case of gatherers, they are also balancing which resources they are attempting to gather.

I think if you took bits and pieces from the current gathering and crafting systems - you could probably create more fulfilling gameplay. Crafter's already have abilities they activate to skew the odds in their favor. Gather's have passive buffs that do the same. But, the added dimension of an encounter that responds like a mob could be fun (not so much random as it is dynamic).

Step Two - Grouping and Jobs!
Allow players to group together to craft items or gather resources. In doing so, players would be more efficient - and maybe the rewards would be higher (output and exp).

The job system could be used to create specialized versions of each class. Because botanists would group with botanists and etc... these jobs could be available to each class... Food for thought:

Steady-hand: Has abilities to provide a bit more stability to the gathering process.
Tracker: Has abilities to provide more control over which resources are gathered.
Keeper: Has abilities to make enhance and support his party members.

Step Three - NNs (Notorious Nodes)!
These are nodes or items that are better accomplished with a group of players. An example could be a food item called "Wedding Cake". Alone, a single chef would have a difficult if not almost impossible chance at finishing such an item. However, with a couple other chefs, it would be plausible (each getting a "Wedding Cake" upon completion).

Likewise, an old, enchanted tree may require a few botanists in order to successfully retrieve highly precious wood fragments without destroying the tree.

Step Four - Collectibles!
These are items that are crafted or gathered and their locations/recipes only hinted at via NPCs. These items would be bound to the player and a source of achievement points or turned in for rare equipment.

Step Five - Keep Them in the Loop
While many great items will be dropped in raids/dungeons or awarded by quests - these items should be upgradeable via a crafter. Maybe crafter's can add materia slots to them for melding or be able to upgrade AF gear to AF2 gear for example.