I'm just going to quote myself here as well:

Quote Originally Posted by whoopeeragon View Post
From a logical and practical point of view, I believe that it can make sense in a way that there are 'class'-unique gear. For example, take a Lancer.

A DRG focuses on pure DPS, subjecting their gear and weapons to achieve that particular purpose. That involves having gear attuned towards damage, accuracy, and items that are least able to attract attention. Hence, the job-unique gear. That's the practical side. In a logical manner, that means that the DRG itself has no affiliation with all the other processes of maintaining HP, supporting others, giving a rest to other members of the party. There is zero compatibility with magic as a DRG.

A LNC, however, is subject to a much larger variety of ideals. At crucial times, they can step back to take a backline support role, giving an occasional hand to a supporter who may be struggling. Mayhap even take up a frontal position and gain the enemy's attention while the usual tanker recovers enough to take over the role. Thus, the gear must be subject to a lot more variants and manners which a DRG otherwise cannot use. One major difference is that a LNC CAN BE ATTUNED TOWARDS MAGIC.

The 'ki' running through each of them is different - having the wrong item in hand to channel such a 'ki' will not work as well as a specialised one for each. Take a real-life example; cutting meat in the kitchen. For normal pieces of meat, a medium sized knife will work. However, as you reach more intricate meats, such as eye fillet, or more bulky ones, such a leg, the blade must be different. The medium-sized knife may work on both, but not effective as a smaller, precise knife for the eye fillet, or a meat cleaver for the leg. However, can you use a smaller, precise knife on the leg, and cut it through, or a meat cleaver on the eye fillet, and produce decent dices of meat without destroying the muscle structure?

A DRG cannot use all the LNC can use in terms of abilities and the structure and ideals in combat. The other way around also happens. Why, then, must the DRG must be able to use all the LNC can wear in terms of traits and bonuses given, when a LNC cannot take up the specialised abilities as a DRG? The DRG is not an advanced step as a LNC - it is a specialization of the role a LNC was designed around. There is no reason why they must give the advantage towards the DRG when they are, in the end, two separate entities, and entitled to their unique purposes and outfittings.
And the fact that as a LNC, PGL, MRD or THM you have access to stoneskin...why would you even think about not having that when you go solo? It's basically like an extension to your HP bar - you get zero damage for a specified amount. Why waste having to build up to self-heal or cure when you can just bypass that easily? That's already one huge plus to have classes instead of jobs as solo.

Classes are also meant to be more MALLEABLE. Yes, you can solo seven lvl 50-52 mobs easily as a DRG rather than as a LNC, but it isn't impossible. If I can do that in Zahar'ak on my LNC, I believe that counts. But once you use up dread spike....once you use up Second Wind....and more mobs come along and agro....what then? You're a sitting duck until your timers flash back again, by which time the higher survivability of the LNC will prove it's boon towards then just being a DRG.

I'll only deal with the four classes/jobs I major in. I already expressed my LNC/DRG above.

ARC and BRD damage the same? Dear me, Invigorate and Blood for Blood increase the ARC's damage tremendously over the BRD. Since you love to use self-heal as an example to counter against classes, I'll use this as a case where ARC's can self-heal better than BRD with second wind and bloodbath. ARC's can have a higher chance of evading attacks on Featherfoot. Survivability of an ARC versus a BRD in solo situations? Winner goes to ARC.

A CNJ's damage output is much better than a WHM's. In solo situations, while your stone and aero combos are on cooldown, rock out with a Thunder. Need to attack, but want HP as well? Necrogenesis your Aerora. About to be hit by a large attack and want more MP to nuke/heal more? Rock out with a Sanguine Rite. In small parties, you want to damage more, but don't want enmity? Quelling Strike and Chameleon afterwards. Winner in terms of damage and adaptability? CNJ.

And THM and BLM....I don't even need to go into this. Just look at Ifrit parties - why are THM's always requested over BLMs? The sacred prism effect for both stoneskin and sanguine rite, the ability to help with curing and raising the dead....you can't just take damage into account. For solo-ing, BLM's will definitely go down faster against high-damaging opponents.

The only way that you will always have a Job outperform a Class is if you play your class as if you will play your job. They're two different ENTITIES - jobs are a SPECIALISATION of a possible role that the class was shaped around. As a job, you PLAY that role. As a class, you play a MIX of roles. Why limit yourself to just one role when you can adapt to so many others as a class?