A thought on In depth customization:

[StormyFae]

Okay This may be a bit long so I'll try to make it simple. So i was thinking maybe we can use a system that gives us customization for our combat styles but does not change what the abilitys themself do, just the animation and combo setting (still same just diffrent)

Example: Black mage hits level 90 Job master(whoever end one is) then has a box to tell the black mage to make a choice and go talk to one of the other npcs (requires u to finish up another job) (you can change this by paying 5k)

Then when you go through it lets say you pick Sch to go talk to, they hand you a book (or something) cs read the book then you suddenly learn how to turn your fires/ices/thunder into Ancient types. At this point the black mage can earn Combo-modification tokens in order to switch its combo around.
Example Fire now regens mp, while blizzard is the big damage and thunder is the same.
or Thunder big damage fire regen and blizzard dot.

This could open up doors to customization that makes us the players feel like we are playing our characters how we would be in combat. This wouldn't give us different damage or any bonuses, it would just be a type of advice glamor.

Other example if White mage, choices red it could grant them healing through elemental types (idk what to call this)

[Shougun]

In a lot of MMOs there is this concept of merit, FFXI being one of them, where you can spend that exp that would normally go off to die on things. It is nice to have stuff to keep growing with past the moment of hitting cap, but in this situation where it plays into stats it can often add a whole new issue when trying to group (like must have X merit points to join my ultimate party, or what have you). Edit: just to add for clarification I was speaking of merits from FFXI specifically, not OP (OP is pretty clear that it's not stat related, I'm just starting the beginning of the thought process with that as reference lol).

In this vein, with inspiration of FF sRPGs, I had thought it would be cool to have cosmetic merit system- inspiration being sphere grid, crystarium, and license board. With our soul gems one might be able to envision a soul grid UI dedicated to each job.

Your example with black mage, assuming it was just purely a visual example, would fit then there- something you could unlock for the heck of it. For Dragoon I like to comment on having a node of half fall damage that you can later upgrade into no fall damage, or the ability to unlock a higher jump than normal (given that you've unlocked flying in zone, perhaps by holding space bar determines if you go normal vs 'dragoon' jump). May also add exceptional cost opportunities like unlocking specific nodes for all jobs (like you might be able to unlock half fall damage for all jobs, no fall damage being an exclusive to dragoon though). The cool aura effect from HW for Dark Knight could be unlocked. Bard might have instruments cheaply put in there (more cutely unlocked than annoyingly, except perhaps adding a very expensive unlock for Otamatone lol), a mount that is the bard playing musical notes that float down to create the cloud they're resting on (with special feature of allowing them to use their musical instrument and mount).

Thought there might be a general category as well when you've capped out a job and want to move it into a generic area (maybe at a non-perfect conversion), could have things like different teleport effects - like more Ascian style teleporting, and other options (maybe you do a sort of Emet snap and you vanish). Like dragoon no fall damage you might have other non-instance specific impacts to the game that are generally more flavor (no fall damage in the open world is nice sure but it's not going to make or break balance in the greater scope of things), so if you wanted Alchemist might have a chemist buff that makes potions last longer and are more effective (working outside of the job, although may need careful thought on if that effects gathering related consumables).

On the changing of abilities out for other like abilities that get upgraded at the same time, it's not too bad to imagine, but SE might wince if it's something that makes them be held responsible to constantly update something separately. Like at a certain point WHM abandons elements, if there is an option to get the elemental effects back I would wonder if people would expect the merit for that gain upgraded impact effects (like Glare 4 at level 120 might be this epic thing, meanwhile if you use elemental switch it might be stone 3 still lol?).

[StormyFae]

In a lot of MMOs there is this concept of merit, FFXI being one of them, where you can spend that exp that would normally go off to die on things. It is nice to have stuff to keep growing with past the moment of hitting cap, but in this situatin where it plays into stats it can often add a whole new issue when trying to group (like must have X merit points to join my ultimate party, or what have you).

In this vein, with inspiration of FF sRPGs, I had thought it would be cool to have cosmetic merit system- inspiration being sphere grid, crystarium, and license board. With our soul gems one might be able to envision a soul grid UI dedicated to each job.

Your example with black mage, assuming it was just purely a visual example, would fit then there- something you could unlock for the heck of it. For Dragoon I like to comment on having a node of half fall damage that you can later upgrade into no fall damage, or the ability to unlock a higher jump than normal (given that you've unlock what order its done in or what uses the set stats we currently have.. This would all be static to just looks and combo switch

ed flying in zone, perhaps by holding space bar determines if you go normal vs 'dragoon' jump). May also add exceptional cost opportunities like unlocking specific nodes for all jobs (like you might be able to unlock half fall damage for all jobs, no fall damage being an exclusive to dragoon though). The cool aura effect from HW for Dark Knight could be unlocked. Bard might have instruments cheaply put in there (more cutely unlocked than annoyingly, except perhaps adding a very expensive unlock for Otamatone lol), a mount that is the bard playing musical notes that float down to create the cloud they're resting on (with special feature of allowing them to use their musical instrument and mount).

Thought there might be a general category as well when you've capped out a job and want to move it into a generic area (maybe at a non-perfect conversion), could have things like different teleport effects - like more Ascian style teleporting, and other options (maybe you do a sort of Emet snap and you vanish). Like dragoon no fall damage you might have other non-instance specific impacts to the game that are generally more flavor (no fall damage in the open world is nice sure but it's not going to make or break balance in the greater scope of things), so if you wanted Alchemist might have a chemist buff that makes potions last longer and are more effective (working outside of the job, although may need careful thought on if that effects gathering related consumables).

Yaim mostly talking about visuals, and combo changes with same stat but with the room to allow us to choice how the combo works like

[Shougun]

Yaim mostly talking about visuals, and combo changes with same stat but with the room to allow us to choice how the combo works like

I think those could be fun! I was pretty sure you were, with the last few sentences in your OP, but such systems make me think of merit systems in other games and sans balance destroying concepts I think in general it could be a fun thing to grow. Especially as it could add both a layer of personalization but also greater realization of each job, since like, this one I like to harp on lol, why in the world does Dragoon take more fall damage than Ninja- Just No.. No! lol.

Yet also there are a lot of opportunities for visual changes to the job. A more extreme but recent conversation example might be going more Diabolos rather than wraith when transforming in the reaper job. Of course SMN egi concept could have fit here but it seems like SMN might be receiving some changes in the next game which might change that whole glamour talk (or might not lol).

[TroySoFab]

So basically you wanna be an ice mage?

[StormyFae]

So basically you wanna be an ice mage?

I dont, what i want is to combine rdm with blm (if any)

then have a water mage as my dmg then thunder as mana regen and stone as my dot lol (thats personal)

what i really want isn't even magical.. I want a Berserker with a shield personally (basicly paladin with no holy lol)

there are many combos i want do for my type like giving blm type stuff to summoner, in order to turns bios/miasma into elemental attacks so it goes with the summon i choice to use

Basicly i just want to choice what theme my combos uses with animation/naming (because i name my chars in armory a certain theme)

for example Ninja= theif

Drk (this one) is a Death knight
rdm=sorcesss
and whm =priestess (so far)

just would like to be able to design it how i want my characters theme to be and for combat mages ( i want water as my main ) not ice or fire or thunder

and a personal touch (dream one) is to make whm all fairy like with its healing using sch (for looks and spec glamor

This way we can show our characters personality/traits/ and everything in a way we wish... for example lets say you really are a fan of elemental cuts well then just max out drk/pally and go talk to a mage with the element you want to add to sword for exampe wind -go learn from rdm up then you sword swings can launch a wave of air are something

[ItMe]

Cool idea. Helping players fulfill their character fantasy is always wonderful.
We should ask the devs about this in the next panel. Something tells me they'd have something interesting to say about such a idea.

[StormyFae]

Cool idea. Helping players fulfill their character fantasy is always wonderful.
We should ask the devs about this in the next panel. Something tells me they'd have something interesting to say about such a idea.

Ya, to me thats just a big part of playing a game in general is use something like this in order to create my own fantasy/adventurer setting.. I always enjoyed having settings where we can go in and basically design yourself with a lot of depth beyond just an outfit and few hair colors, I remember at the start of the game where the guy ask what made me start adventuring and the thought to myself was, Sailing the seas and making friends with all the creatures of both sea and air. (maybe a im a little weird lol) If we had a more in-depth profile in game I'd probably spend a month just thinking it all out before going past the first zone personally lol

[SkyCake]

I could make an all fire Ninja? Yes, please.

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding the post.

[StormyFae]

I could make an all fire Ninja? Yes, please.

Sorry if I'm misunderstanding the post.

sure, using blm or red you could make your types go into fire theme or something.. (Im not good on details but i'm sure there is a way to do that) it would still have the same stats /cost/cd as norm just your fantasy.